Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Colorado Auto Rates Down, Study Shows
Feb 19 2008 // Car insurance rates for Colorado drivers on average have dropped 35 percent since the state changed its auto insurance system nearly five years ago, according to an independent study released today by Gov. Bill...
Experts: Heavy Snowfall Increases Flood Risk in Idaho
Feb 15 2008 // The persistent snows of January and early February have increased the risk of flooding in low-lying areas of north and central Idaho this winter and spring, even while water shortages remain possible this summer in the...
Accenture Solvency II Survey: Europe’s Insurers Expect Manageable Costs
Feb 12 2008 // According to findings from a recently released survey conducted by Accenture, “more than three-quarters of large European insurers expect to spend less than €25 million [$36.27 million] through 2012 on Solvency II...
S&P Revises Outlook on AIG
Feb 12 2008 // American International Group Inc. may be quite sanguine about its financial outlook (See related article), but Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services isn’t quite as confident. S&P announced that it has...
Survey: Wealthy Americans Still Fret Over Financial Stability, Security Issues
Feb 12 2008 // High-net-worth Americans with investment assets in excess of $1 million believe having money brings overall peace of mind, yet these wealthy Americans still have a variety of financial and security concerns, according to...
S&P Finds Bermuda Insurers Face Rising Competition
Feb 11 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has published an article which states that Bermuda-domiciled insurance companies will face increasing competition from other regions of the world. The article –...
Commerce Insurance Reports Earnings Decline for 4Q, 2007
Feb 4 2008 // The Commerce Group, Inc. reported 2007 fourth quarter net earnings were $19.6 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $59.4 million or $0.87 per diluted share for 2006. Commerce is in the process...
Everest Re Earnings Report – $839 Million Full Year Net Income
Feb 4 2008 // The Bermuda-based Everest Re Group, Ltd. reported fourth quarter 2007 after-tax operating income, which excludes realized capital gains and losses, of $63.2 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, compared to after-tax...
Best Affirms Indian Insurer’s ‘A-‘ Ratings; Outlook Now Stable
Feb 4 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of The New India Assurance Company Limited, and has revised its outlook on the...
Chubb 4Q Profit Stayed About Even; U.S. Premiums Down 2%
Jan 30 2008 // The Chubb Corp. reported that net income in the fourth quarter of 2007 was $650 million or $1.68 per share, compared to $654 million or $1.56 per share in the fourth quarter of 2006. Operating income increased to $620...
Mississippi Commissioner: Coastal Insurance Rates to Increase
Jan 30 2008 // The state’s new insurance commissioner says Mississippi Gulf Coast residents can expect an insurance rate increase this year. Commissioner Mike Chaney spoke Monday at the opening of the Insurance Department’s...
For 2007, Hanover Reports P/C Earnings Up 20%; Premiums Up 5%
Jan 29 2008 // The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. in Worcester, Mass. reported a rise in earnings for the fourth quarter and last year overall while its chief executive officer expressed confidence the company has “momentum leading...
Fitch Downgrades XL’s Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jan 28 2008 // Following its decision to downgrade SCA and XL’s financial guaranty subsidiaries, Fitch Ratings announced that it has also downgraded XL Capital Ltd. and its P/C insurance reinsurance. Fitch lowered the Group’s...
N.Y. Insurance Fraud Arrests Are Up
Jan 27 2008 // Investigations by New York’s insurance frauds bureau led to over 700 arrests last year, a 17 percent increase from 2006, according to an annual report from the state insurance department. The bureau, established in...
FBI Study: Violent, Property Crime Rates Decline
Jan 27 2008 // Crime rates dropped for the first time in two years, according to a newly released report of the most recent data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Nationwide, violent crime fell 1.8 percent and property...
Industry Executives Predict Tort Trends Likely to Remain Stable in 2008
Jan 27 2008 // Tort trends will likely remain stable in the year ahead, according to a survey conducted by the Insurance Information Institute. Sixty-six percent of the executives polled believe that tort trends in 2008 will be little...
Calif. Agents Brace for Rising Workers’ Comp Rates
Jan 27 2008 // In the largest survey of its kind, fewer than half of California’s 10,000 business insurance agents see California’s business economy improving, either for themselves or for their clients, in 2008. The study...
Survey: Men Believe They’re Better Prepared for Disaster Than Women
Jan 27 2008 // Men and women are on different pages when it comes to disaster preparedness, with males typically believing they are more prepared than women, according to a national survey by AxcessPoints, a California-based online...
Executives See Only Moderate Growth for P/C Industry in 2008
Jan 27 2008 // Property casualty insurance insiders predicted 2008 will be a year of marginal growth as continued pricing competition will keep premiums low and profits lower — although that could quickly worsen if a natural...
Commercial Insurers’ Stocks Flat in 2007; M&As Heat Up
Jan 27 2008 // Stock Prices: Commercial lines insurers’ stocks have been relatively flat in 2007. Chubb Corp. (NYSE:CB) posted the largest gain at 5 percent. M&A Activity: The fourth quarter started with a bang as two large...
