Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
AIG, Vermont Mutual to Enter Mass. Personal Auto Insurance Market
Jul 14 2008 // Giant insurer American International Group has decided to enter the Massachusetts private passenger auto insurance market, according to The Boston Globe. But AIG is not alone. In addition, Vermont Mutual will begin selling...
Wausau Survey: Employers Stay Level Headed Despite Recession Worries
Jul 11 2008 // Although a U.S. economic recession would not be good news overall for employers, most don’t believe a recession would drive up workers’ compensation claims, according to a new survey of financial executives by...
Munich Re of Africa Reports Premium, Profit Growth
Jul 8 2008 // Munich Reinsurance Co. of Africa – the largest reinsurer in Sub-Saharan Africa – posted positive underwriting results for 2007. MRoA announced a 25.4 percent increase in gross premium income to R3, 2billion,...
Interview: N.Y.’s Dinallo Sees Insurance Exchange Open by 2009
Jul 8 2008 // New York Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo said Monday a revival of the defunct New York Insurance Exchange could happen as early as next year. Dinallo, in a telephone interview from New York, said the next 18 months...
Survey: Despite Need Only 17% of Americans Have Flood Insurance
Jul 7 2008 // Record widespread flooding across the Midwest has once again highlighted the catastrophic damages that flooding can cause. Yet a survey conducted for the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) reveals that only 17...
Exclusive Survey, Part 2: Strengths and Weaknesses – What Agents Think of Regional and National P/C Insurers
Jul 7 2008 // Regional P/C Insurers Beat Out Nationals on Compensation, Claims; Nationals Outperform on Technology Regional carriers come out on top in agency compensation and claims services, while nationals outscore regionals on loss...
PricewaterhouseCoopers Survey Raises Questions on Enterprise Risk Management
Jul 2 2008 // A new survey, released by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) London office, notes that although significant progress has been made by the insurance industry in adopting enterprise risk management (ERM) techniques, questions...
Allstate Study: Sioux Falls Safest Driving City for Third Year
Jul 2 2008 // An insurance study has once again found that Sioux Falls has the safest drivers in the nation, marking the third straight year that South Dakota’s largest city has topped the list. Researchers with Allstate Insurance...
S&P Raises Markel’s Ratings to ‘BBB’ From ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Stable
Jul 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Markel Corp. to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-‘ and affirmed a stable. S&P said: “The upgrade is based on...
British Industry Survey Finds Financial Services Credit Crunch
Jun 30 2008 // “Credit crunch pain continues with sharp falls in profitability and business activity for financial services,” says a recently released Financial Services Survey from the Confederation of British Industry...
Survey: Washington Cell Phone Law Falls Short
Jun 27 2008 // While Washington drivers agree that the steady rise in cell phone usage while behind the wheel calls for changes to state law, most think the impending July 1, 2008, change making it illegal to use a cell phone without a...
Blair Urges G8 Pact to Halve Greenhouse Gas Emmission by 2050
Jun 27 2008 // Former British prime minister Tony Blair urged the Group of Eight rich nations on Friday, June 27, to agree to a global goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, despite signs top carbon emitter the United States...
S&P: Rising Claims, Competition Squeeze Canadian P/C Insurers
Jun 26 2008 // “Lack of premium growth nationwide and diminished results in the Ontario auto segment restrained results for Canadian property and casualty insurers in the past year,” according to a newly published report from...
Rates Likely to Rise for Citizens’ South Louisiana Policyholders
Jun 25 2008 // Louisiana’s “insurer of last resort” is seeking double-digit increases in homeowners rates across several southeast parishes. The state-backed Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. would raise rates...
Lloyd’s Notes Growth of Insurance Linked Securities Market
Jun 24 2008 // “Convergence between the capital and insurance markets is gaining pace and Lloyd’s insurers are at the forefront of developments,” notes an article on the Lloyd’s web site (www.lloyds.com). The...
Marsh Survey Finds ‘Risk Management Still Lacks Boardroom Clout’
Jun 24 2008 // Marsh’s recent survey of leading UK businesses has revealed that “risk management has yet to be fully integrated into the decision-making process at board level among top European businesses.” Marsh...
Reinsurers Wary of Low Returns, Reserving Trends, Storms to Come
Jun 23 2008 // Two consecutive years of record earnings in the property and casualty insurance industry driven by lower catastrophe losses and healthy investment returns, along with unforeseen risks brought on by the subprime mortgage...
China Floods Kill 55; Over 1 Million Flee Homes; More Rain Forecast
Jun 16 2008 // State media reported that 55 people have been killed and seven are missing in flooding across a broad stretch of southern China. A Sunday, June 15, report by the official Xinhua News Agency says more than 1 million people...
Law Firms Face Increased Liability Risks Warns Marsh
Jun 16 2008 // A bulletin from Marsh’s London office warns that the economic downturn in the US and many parts of Europe, caused by the contraction of readily available credit in some spheres, may well increase the incidence of...
Survey: Despite Need Only 17% of Americans Have Flood Insurance
Jun 16 2008 // Record widespread flooding across the Midwest has once again highlighted the catastrophic damages that flooding can cause. Yet a survey conducted for the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) reveals that only 17...
