Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurers Gain Access to Detailed UK Ordnance Survey Maps
May 25 2010 // “Ordnance Survey (OS) data is now publicly available for free, giving insurers access to crucial information to aid risk assessment,” states a bulletin on the Lloyd’s web site (www.lloyds.com). Making the...
S&P Affirms Hannover Re’s ‘AA-‘ Ratings; Outlook Revised to ‘Stable’
May 24 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on German reinsurer Hannover Rueckversicherung AG (Hannover Re) and on various operating entities to stable from negative. S&P also affirmed the...
Montana Claims Rule Stands As Supreme Court Declines to Review
May 24 2010 // A Montana insurance rule that makes it more difficult for companies to deny claims will stand, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. “It is immensely important and affects the health insurance...
Best Upgrades AXA Insurance Ratings to ‘A’; Outlook Stable
May 24 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A (Excellent) from ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to “a” from “a-” of New York-based AXA...
Best Affirms Selective Group’s ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Negative
May 21 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Selective Insurance Group and its seven P/C pooling members. Best also...
Best Affirms EMC Group’s ‘A-‘ Ratings; Revises Outlook to Positive
May 19 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength ratings (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of EMC Insurance Companies...
Car Thefts Down in Most Ohio Cities
May 19 2010 // An insurance industry group reports car thefts were down last year in 15 of Ohio’s 16 largest metro areas. The only exception was the Marietta area in southeast Ohio. The Ohio Insurance Institute (OII) says a report...
California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Market More Lucrative
May 18 2010 // Prices are improving in the California workers’ compensation insurance market — at least according to one specialty workers’ compensation carrier in the Golden State. According to PacificComp President...
Florida Leaders See Omnibus Bill Stabilizing Home Insurance Market
May 18 2010 // Florida insurance leaders belive that recently passed legislation (SB2044) is a step towards stabilizing the state’s property insurance market that has had been rocked by politics, premiums assessments, company...
Arizona Auto Thefts Down
May 18 2010 // Auto thefts in Arizona are declining with law enforcement and insurance industry partnerships to reduce crime and losses. Recent national data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows the Tucson and Phoenix...
Marsh: Ash Clouds, Strikes Increasing Demand for “Non-physical’ Coverage
May 17 2010 // “Traditionally, insurance coverage for supply chain disruption has required physical damage to the insured’s assets to trigger a claim,” Marsh points out. However, recent events have increased interest...
Property Insurers Watching Ominous Hurricane Forecasts
May 17 2010 // After significant catastrophe losses in first quarter 2010, U.S. property/casualty insurers and global reinsurers are hoping their balance sheets don’t face further financial risks, even as conditions appear ripe for...
Best Affirms Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225 (AEGIS) ‘A’ Rating; Stable Outlook
May 17 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the Best’s Syndicate Rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Lloyd’s Syndicate 1225, which is managed by AEGIS Managing Agency Limited ,...
Despite Premium Decreases, Medical Professional Liability Industry Profitable
May 14 2010 // The medical professional liability industry is profitable despite premium increases, according to Charlottesville, Va.-based SNL Financial. That industry experienced a profitable year in underwriting, demonstrated by a...
Shrimpers, Boat Captains Line Up For BP Spill Claims
May 14 2010 // Ronald Polkey, a sun-weathered shrimp boat captain from the Louisiana resort and fishing hub of Grand Isle, La., should be out on the water working his nets to bring in a day’s catch. But with most of the...
Volcker Worries about Euro’s Future
May 14 2010 // Europe’s debt troubles could undermine its currency, White House Economic Adviser Paul Volcker said Thursday. Volcker, a former Federal Reserve chairman and a widely respected economist, told students at the London...
Northwest Faces Increased Wildfire Risk in 2010
May 12 2010 // El Nino weather patterns and a relatively mild winter left Idaho, eastern Washington and south central Oregon drier than normal and vulnerable to wildfire, accoridng to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In...
Best Report Forecasts More Mutual Partnerships as Challenges Mount
May 11 2010 // A new report from A.M. Best notes that mutual insurance companies “have generally entered and emerged from the economic downturn in a strong position, but any advantage they currently have over conventional insurers...
New Jersey Targeting Growth in Captive and Reinsurance Markets
May 11 2010 // New Jersey Insurance Commissioner Tom Considine praised new, bipartisan legislation that would grow the reinsurance market and create a captive insurance market in the Garden State. The captive insurance bill was put...
Small Business Owners’ Outlook Improves But Hiring Remains Weak
May 11 2010 // Small U.S. business owners are slightly less pessimistic about their outlook, and in the face of continuing weak sales do not plan to boost capital spending or employment, a monthly survey of small businesses showed. The...
