Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Affirms ING’s ‘AA’ Ratings; Outlook Remains Negative
Jan 28 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘AA-/A-1+’ long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings on ING Groep N.V. and ING Verzekeringen N.V., and its ‘AA/A-1+’ long- and...
Aon Insurer Survey Confirms Desire to Increase UK Commercial Premiums
Jan 28 2009 // According to the Aon’s newly launched “Market Pulse,” underwriters expect motor [auto] insurance premiums for UK companies to increase in the first quarter of 2009. Aon said its new quarterly index...
Maryland Lawyers Debate Future Wages in Bias Suit
Jan 27 2009 // A Salisbury, Maryland woman who was awarded $300,000 after she was fired by a pesticide company and lawyers for that company were in court over economic damages. Jean Scott was fired in 2005 for complaining about gender...
S&P Revises Aioi, Nissay Outlooks to Positive; Mitsui to Negative
Jan 27 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised to positive from stable its outlooks on the insurer financial strength ratings and long-term counterparty credit ratings on Japan’s Aioi Insurance Co. Ltd....
Great Northwest Insurance Outlook Revised to Negative by A.M. Best
Jan 27 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb-” of Great Northwest Insurance Co., which is...
State Farm Pulling Out of Florida Property Insurance Market
Jan 27 2009 // Florida is losing its largest property insurance company. State Farm Florida Insurance announced today it is beginning the process that will allow it to non-renew policies and halt all sales of homeowners or other...
Max Cap CEO Letter to Investors Recaps 2008, Gives 2009 Outlook
Jan 26 2009 // W. Marston (Marty) Becker, Chairman and CEO of the Bermuda-based Max Capital Group has issued a letter addressed to the Company’s shareholders, employees and other stakeholders updating them on Max Capital’s...
Even Best Practices Agencies Struggle To Grow in Soft Market
Jan 25 2009 // Revenue Growth Proves Challenge; Hiring New Producers Remains Priority The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (the Big “I”) recently released its annual “Best Practices Study,” a...
S&P Assigns ‘AA-‘ Ratings to RenRe Europe; Outlook Stable
Jan 22 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘AA-‘ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Renaissance Reinsurance of Europe (RenRe Europe) with a stable outlook. “RenRe...
Insurers Propose Decrease for Nevada Workers’ Compensation Rates
Jan 22 2009 // Nevada Insurance Commissioner Scott Kipper announced that the industry’s National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. (NCCI) has submitted a filing for an average decrease of 4.9 percent for Nevada workers’...
Survey: Small Businesses Plan for Contingency; Expect Cutbacks in 2009
Jan 22 2009 // Many small business owners say that they’re prepared to eliminate some positions or reduce the number of hours employees work as part of their contingency planning for 2009, according to a recent survey. Almost half...
Fire Deaths Increased in Ohio in 2008
Jan 21 2009 // The number of fire deaths across the state increased by 42 percent last year over 2007, according to the Ohio fire marshal’s office. Officials have no clear explanation for the increase to 183 fire deaths in 2008...
Liberty Mutual Increases Nevada Auto Insurance Rates
Jan 21 2009 // The Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co. received approval for a 6.9 percent rate increase, Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7 percent rate increase and First Liberty Insurance Corp. received approval for a 7.6...
Survey: Risk Managers Report Modest Premium Decreases in Q4
Jan 21 2009 // Insurance premiums for businesses continued a five-year trend of falling rates during the fourth quarter of 2008, but recent data suggest a reversal of this trend may soon be underway. Rates for property, general...
Auto Thefts Down in Tulsa
Jan 20 2009 // Police in Tulsa, Okla., say that a 30 percent drop in auto thefts last year is largely due to officers targeting thieves who snatch cars to make quick cash from scrap metal. Roughly 2,500 vehicles were reported stolen in...
Aon UK Survey Finds ‘Risk Ignorance’ to be Greatest 2009 Challenge
Jan 16 2009 // 70 percent of UK risk managers have declared that making sure the employees in their organization are risk savvy is their biggest challenge in light of new pitfalls according to research conducted by Aon. “The risks...
Older Drivers’ Fatal Crashes Trend Down Even as More Seniors Drive
Jan 14 2009 // Despite growing numbers on the road, fewer older drivers died in crashes and fewer were involved in fatal collisions during 1997-2006 than in years past, a new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study reports. Crash...
Hawaii Auto Insurance Fraud Convictions Increase 61%
Jan 14 2009 // The Insurance Fraud Investigation Unit of the Hawaii State Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs experienced a 61 percent increase in criminal convictions for motor vehicle insurance fraud in 2008 over the previous...
Fatalities on New Hampshire Roadways Increased in 2008
Jan 11 2009 // Fatal motor vehicle crashes are on the rise for the second year in a row according to the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The numbers released include all fatalities from Jan. 1 to Dec. 22, 2008. A fatality includes...
Study: Deadliest Hotspots for Teen Crashes on New Year’s Holiday
Jan 11 2009 // Some have called New Year’s Eve “amateur hour” on the roads. That couldn’t be more true for teen drivers, who, even if they haven’t been drinking, lack experience behind the wheel. A recent...
