Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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’...
S&P Outlook Turns Negative on AIG Units, Ratings Downgrade Possible
Nov 6 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised the CreditWatch status of its ratings on a number of American International Group Inc.’s P/C subsidiaries and other units with ratings derived from guarantees...
Survey: Agents Report Rise in Agency E&O Premiums
Nov 5 2008 // A near majority of agents and brokers responding to the 2008 Insurance Journal Agency E&O Survey said they experienced increases in their agency’s errors and omissions premium this year. Some 44.1 percent of...
California Increases Temporary Total Disability Rate
Nov 4 2008 // The California Division of Workers’ Compensation announced that the maximum temporary total disability (TTD) rate will increase to $958.01 on Jan. 1, 2009. The increase to the maximum TTD rate marks the third year in...
S&P Rates ACE Insurance (Switzerland) ‘A+’; Outlook Stable
Nov 4 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘A+’ financial strength rating to ACE Insurance (Switzerland) Ltd. (AISL), a newly formed subsidiary of Switzerland-based insurance and reinsurance...
Higher Gas Prices Drive Down Auto Rates, Drive Up Politics Over Regulation in New York
Nov 2 2008 // In New York, there exists a curious relationship between gas prices and insurance premiums, at least in government officials’ minds. Gov. David Paterson said his state’s efforts to rein in insurance rates by...
California Commissioner Announces 5% Workers’ Comp Rate Increase
Nov 2 2008 // Rejecting the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s (WCIRB) call for a 16 percent increase in the benchmark for determining workers’ compensation costs, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner...
