Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
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...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value for Planners, Insurers
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Brokerage Stocks Down; M&A Activity Continues at Strong Pace but Slower Than 2007
Jun 16 2008 // Stock Prices: The brokerage sector as a whole is down 3 percent for the year. Among middle-market brokers, Arthur J. Gallagher’s (NYSE:AJG) stock has faired well compared to peers Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO), down...
Exclusive Survey, Part 1: Strengths and Weaknesses – What Agents Think of Regional and National P/C Insurers
Jun 16 2008 // Where Regional P/C Insurers Beat Out Nationals … and Where Nationals Outperform Regionals Regional carriers rate better in underwriting experience, relationships and stability as well as in customer service and agency...
Swiss Re Study Analyzes Rising Disaster Costs; Role of Risk Transfers
Jun 13 2008 // A new study from Swiss Re examines the rising impact of natural disasters, which is “driving up the cost of disaster relief and reconstruction for the public sector, especially in developing countries where insurance...
Best Affirms Am Trust Group Ratings; Revises Outlook to Positive
Jun 13 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the New York-based AmTrust Group. The ratings also “apply to...
Olympus Insurance Decreases Homeowners Rates in Florida
Jun 12 2008 // Olympus Insurance Co. of Orlando, Fla., lowered its homeowners insurance rates, most notably in inland counties and for newer homes. The lower rates will have greatest effect on 33 inland counties across Northern and...
S&P Lowers Willis Ratings to ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Negative
Jun 10 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit rating on Willis Group Holdings Ltd. to ‘BBB-‘ from ‘BBB’ following the recent announcement that it will acquire...
Survey: Hundreds Underinsured in Last Year’s California Wildfires
Jun 9 2008 // Hundreds of people who lost homes in last year’s wildfires did not have enough insurance to cover their rebuilding costs, according to a survey sponsored by United Policyholders, a San Francisco consumer...
Atlanta Insurer Increases Environmental Surety Bond Limits
Jun 4 2008 // Atlanta-based American Safety Insurance Services Inc. increased its environmental surety bond limits to $5 million single and $10 million aggregate with no collateral requirements. ASI’s environmental surety bond...
Fitch Affirms State Farm’s ‘AA+ Ratings; Stable Outlook
Jun 4 2008 // Fitch Ratings has affirmed its ‘AA+’ Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings on State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Life Insurance Company and State Farm Life and Accident Assurance...
Oklahoma Town Surveys Damage From Severe Storm
Jun 4 2008 // Local officials and insurance adjusters in Mannford, Okla., are assessing widespread damage from a June 1 hailstorm that pounded more than 1,000 homes and vehicles. City Manager Mike Nunneley said every home – about...
Survey: Nearly Half of Americans Unprepared for Disasters
Jun 3 2008 // As the nation braces for the hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and floods that accompany the spring and summer disaster season, nearly half of U.S. consumers are insufficiently prepared — in terms of their insurance...
Fraud fight up against budget shortfalls
Jun 2 2008 // But Southeast states show some progress, with auto ‘give-ups’ among the targets Budget shortfalls have slowed the progress of fraud bills in many states around the U.S. while lawmakers feverishly work to find...
Coastal Growth from Texas to N.C. Lends Urgency to Hurricane Forecasts
Jun 2 2008 // The rapid pace of development along hurricane-prone coasts is adding a new level of urgency for forecasters to more accurately pinpoint potential storm impact zones, the director of the National Hurricane Center...
