Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Survey: Women Business Owners Optimistic on 2009 Despite Liability Risk
Nov 17 2008 // Nearly three in five (58 percent) women business owners anticipate that their organizations’ revenues will grow in 2009, and nearly one-half (44 percent) do not expect difficulty in obtaining access to credit,...
Report: Shifting Insurance Market Means New Challenges for Buyers
Nov 17 2008 // Pressures that could harden the property and casualty insurance market loom over insurance carriers entering into the final weeks of 2008, says a new industry report by the global insurance broker Lockton. In its Fall 2008...
Even Best Practices Agencies Struggle To Grow in Soft Market
Nov 16 2008 // Revenue Growth Proves Challenge, Hiring New Producers Remains Priority The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (the Big “I”) last month released its annual Best Practices Study. The independent...
Mississippi Rebuilds Its Insurance Markets
Nov 16 2008 // Wind Pool Modernization, Better Building Code Enforcement and Carrier Recruitment Efforts Begin to Pay Off Back in January, when Mike Chaney was getting ready to be sworn in as Mississippi insurance commissioner after his...
Even Best Practices Agencies Struggle to Grow in Soft Market
Nov 16 2008 // Revenue Growth Proves Challenge; Hiring New Producers Remains Priority The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (the Big “I”) in October released its annual Best Practices Study. The independent...
Survey: What Keeps Independent Agents Awake at Night?
Nov 16 2008 // Commissions, Technology, Agency Branding and Catastrophe Zones Rank High as Concerns Independent insurance agents and brokers are concerned about the future of contingent commissions, according to a recent survey. But...
Montana Captive Insurance Association Says New Auditor Signals Positive Future
Nov 14 2008 // The Montana Captive Insurance Association Inc. is applauding the election of Monica Lindeen as the new state auditor. The state auditor also serves as insurance commissioner and regulates captive insurance...
Storms Blamed for Increase in Kansas Homeowner Insurance Premiums
Nov 14 2008 // Kansas appears to be seeing the effects of tornadoes in June in its insurance rates and not even Dorothy’s red shoes can click this bad news away. The Kansas Insurance Department says that since July 1, premiums for...
California State Fund Files an 8.9 Percent Premium Increase for 2009
Nov 13 2008 // California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund announced it filed a Jan. 1, 2009 revision to its rating plan, which it anticipates will result in an average 8.9 percent increase in collectible premium. Premiums for...
Survey: Washington Cell Phone Law Not So Popular
Nov 12 2008 // Washington drivers may be having second thoughts about the state’s new law governing hand-held cell phone use while driving, a recent poll by Pemco Insurance shows. In February 2008, prior to the law’s...
Survey Finds World Business Leaders Back More Regulation
Nov 12 2008 // Business leaders around the world back greater regulation in response to the global financial crisis, a survey showed on Wednesday, with support strongest for curbs on credit rating firms, hedge funds and structured...
Political Risk Rises But Risk Experts, Insurers Face Crunch Too
Nov 11 2008 // Fear of conflict, instability, crime and increasing state intervention arising from the financial crisis might sound like good news for political risk consultancies that have sprung up in recent years — but in...
Neb. Education Board Seeks to Make Up Insurance Premium Tax Shortfall
Nov 11 2008 // A shortfall in the state’s insurance premium tax receipts has prompted the Nebraska Board of Education to submit a budget deficit request to the legislature that calls for an additional $1.53 million for...
S&P Affirms Allianz ‘AA’ Ratings, Stable Outlook Despite Investment Losses
Nov 11 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘AA’ long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Germany’s Allianz SE (AZSE) and various core operating...
Survey: Americans Worry Economy Poses Increased Risk to Crime
Nov 11 2008 // More than four in 10 Americans are worried that the current economic environment can expose their families to crime, according to a nationwide survey of 1,000 people. Many survey respondents also indicated that economic...
National Study Says Michigan Average Auto Premiums Decline
Nov 10 2008 // Michigan’s average auto insurance premiums decreased in 2006, compared to 2005, a recent study released by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) shows. For the two-year period 2004-6, Michigan...
S&P Affirms PartnerRe’s ‘AA-‘ Ratings and Stable Outlook
Nov 10 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A’ counterparty credit rating on Bermuda-based reinsurance holding company Partner Re Ltd. and its ‘AA-‘ counterparty credit and...
Workplace Deaths in Iowa Rise in 2007
Nov 10 2008 // The number of people killed on the job in Iowa is up. According to a preliminary report by the U.S. Department of Labor, 88 people died in work-related accidents in 2007. That’s an increase of 17 over 2006. The...
South Carolina Auto Insurance Rates up Slightly in 2006
Nov 7 2008 // South Carolina auto insurance rates increased slightly in 2006, but remained on average lower than most national rates. A study by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners showed that South Carolina drivers paid...
S&P Affirms AXIS’ Ratings; Positive Outlook
Nov 6 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB+’ counterparty credit rating on Bermuda-based insurance and reinsurance holding company AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. and its ‘A’...
