Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best Affirms Zurich Ratings; Revises Outlook to Stable
Dec 12 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of Zurich Insurance Company (ZIC), the main operating company of Zurich Financial...
A.M. Best Lowers Outlook for The Hingham Group
Dec 12 2008 // The credit rating agency A.M. Best Co. has revised its outlook for Massachusetts-based The Hingham Group to negative from stable. Best also affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good) and issuer credit ratings of...
S&P Finds European Insurance Holds Up Despite Market Conditions
Dec 11 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published its latest findings on the state of European insurers. It concludes that for the most part, “with the exception of the relatively small number of...
S&P Affirms ING Ratings; Outlook Revised to Negative
Dec 11 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that it has revised its outlooks on ING Groep N.V., ING Verzekeringen N.V., ING Bank N.V., and certain related entities to negative from stable. S&P also...
Cost of Flood Insurance for Oklahomans Could Rise
Dec 9 2008 // More than 16,000 Oklahomans might have to pay higher premiums for flood insurance after a federal report recommended an overhaul of the program that determines rates for such coverage. The U.S. Government Accountability...
Ohio Casualty Teams Up with National Alliance for Risk Managers Program
Dec 9 2008 // Fairfield, Ohio-based Ohio Casualty, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company, is teaming with The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research to offer its Certified School Risk Managers (CSRM)...
S&P Affirms Allianz Mexico Ratings; Outlook Stable
Dec 8 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its ‘A-‘ global financial strength rating and its ‘mxAAA’ national scale rating on Mexico-based Allianz Mexico Compañía de Seguros S.A....
Vermont Workers’ Comp Rates Likely to Go Down
Dec 8 2008 // Officials say Vermont businesses should be paying less for workers’ compensation insurance. The National Council on Compensation Insurance is recommending a 13 percent drop in rates in Vermont. If state regulators...
The Hartford Soars on Higher Outlook; Strong Capital Reassures Investors
Dec 5 2008 // Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. shares soared as much as 52 percent Friday after the company boosted its 2008 profit forecast and said it had more than enough capital to withstand significant further deterioration...
CLARIFICATION: Public Entity Claims Growth Due to Jump in Members
Dec 5 2008 // The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), a nonprofit research institute, wishes to correct a conclusion about its public entity claims database, the PERI Data Exchange, published by Insurance Journal recently. The...
Washington Workers’ Comp Insurance Premiums Increasing 3%
Dec 4 2008 // Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) said premiums for workers’ compensation insurance will go up, on average, 3 percent in 2009. Individual employers could see their rates go up or down,...
Swiss Re <em>sigma</em> Report Analyzes Emerging Markets, Takaful
Dec 3 2008 // Swiss Re’s newly released sigma study explores the latest developments in the insurance sector of emerging market economies, with a special focus on the growing market for takaful, a form of Islamic insurance. Swiss...
S&P Raises Hiscox (UK) Ratings to ‘A’; Assigns Stable Outlook
Dec 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on U.K.-based non-life insurer Hiscox Insurance Co. Ltd. (HISCO) to ‘A’ from...
Even Best Practices Agencies Struggle To Grow in Soft Market
Nov 30 2008 // 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. The independent...
TWIA Rates to Rise
Nov 30 2008 // Commercial and residential rates for policies written through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) will rise in February when rate increases approved by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) go into...
Buyers Advised to Prepare Now for Hardening Markets as 2008 Winds Down
Nov 30 2008 // Pressures that could harden the property/casualty insurance market loom in the final weeks of 2008, says a report by the insurance broker Lockton. “In the first half of 2008 insurer profits declined 57 percent, the...
S&P Says Global Reinsurers Need Price Rises To Rebuild Capital
Nov 26 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a report published today that reinsurers have had sufficient excess capital available to absorb the shocks of the past year, but much of that cushion has now been...
Aon Notes M&A Activity Produces Increased Warranty Claims
Nov 25 2008 // A bulletin from Aon’s London office concerning mergers and acquisitions states that “sellers are facing a new hurdle as buyers are increasingly seeking to recover damages for financial discrepancies on the cusp...
Hurricane Forecasters Take a Bow: 2008 Predictions Were Right
Nov 25 2008 // Colorado-based weather researchers say eight hurricanes formed in the Atlantic this year, the same number they predicted before the season but one less than their August update called for. Colorado State University...
State Farm, Farmers To Increase Homeowners Insurance Rates
Nov 24 2008 // California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has approved homeowners insurance rate increases for State Farm and Farmers, increasing premiums by a combined $115 million. State Farm customers will soon face an average...
