Latest Trends Headlines

All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Chubb Chugs Along in 2d Quarter; Raises Outlook for 2006

Jul 26 2006 // The Chubb Corporation reported that net income in the second quarter of 2006 was $598 million, or $1.41 per share, compared to $495 million, or $1.23 per share, in the second quarter of 2005. Operating income, which the...

ACE 2d Quarter Shows 6% Premium Growth; Better Combined Ratio

Jul 26 2006 // ACE Limited has reported net income for the second quarter ended June 30, 2006 of $573 million or $1.72 per common share after payment of preferred dividends, compared with net income of $467 million or $1.58 per share for...

Congressional Hearing Meets on ‘Terrorism and the Insurance Market’

Jul 25 2006 // Two U.S. House subcommittees — the Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigation, and the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk...

Nevada Approves Progressive Halcyon’s Rate Increases

Jul 25 2006 // Nevada Commissioner of Insurance Alice A. Molasky-Arman has approved a rate change for private passenger automobile insurance filed by Progressive Halcyon Insurance Co. Bodily injury liability rates will increase 8...

Excess flood market steps up when national flood program falls short

Jul 24 2006 // The historical lessons learned from Katrina and Rita, and looming predictions of a future with bigger and stronger storms, have made flood insurance popular these days — even in locations where it was previously...

Mass. Fair Plan plays catch-up on reinsurance, rates

Jul 24 2006 // The biggest increases are in store for coastal Cape Cod, where the Fair Plan has become the leading property insurer rather than the insurer of last resort as intended. News Currents Last summer when the Massachusetts Fair...

The excess flood market steps up when national flood program falls short

Jul 24 2006 // The historical lessons learned from Katrina and Rita, and looming predictions of a future with bigger and stronger storms have made flood insurance popular these days — even in locations where it was previously...

The excess flood market steps up where NFIP drops off

Jul 24 2006 // The historical lessons learned from Katrina and Rita and looming predictions of a future with bigger and stronger storms highlight more than ever before the importance of flood insurance, even in locations where it was...

Reforms pushing California workers’ comp rates, losses down

Jul 24 2006 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has completed its report summarizing insurer loss and premium experience through March 31, 2006, which suggested legislative reforms are...

A separate survey

Jul 24 2006 // A separate survey released in May by the National Hurricane Survival Initiative (www.hurricanesafety.org) also revealed a high percentage of residents in hurricane-vulnerable states aren’t prepared, don’t take...

Prime Receives A. M. Best Rating Upgrade to “B+” With a Stable Outlook

Jul 20 2006 // Sandy, Utah and Chicago, Illinois – Prime Holdings Insurance Services, Inc. announced today that its property and casualty insurance subsidiary, The Prime Insurance Syndicate, Inc. (“Syndicate”), was...

Nearly 29% of Employees Considered Unproductive, Survey Found

Jul 19 2006 // Nearly 29 percent percent of company time in America is unproductive, according to the results of a new study by management consulting firm, Proudfoot Consulting. The estimated cost of poor productivity in the U.S. is $598...

Highway Deaths Way Up Where Speed Limits Hiked, Indiana Paper Reports

Jul 18 2006 // Traffic fatalities on Indiana’s six main interstates have climbed 40 percent in the year since the General Assembly voted to increase the speed limit to 70 mph, according to a newspaper analysis. Despite the increase...

Acquisition Broadens Ebix’s Insurance Market Presence

Jul 14 2006 // Ebix Inc., an Atlanta based software developer and supplier of e-commerce software has announced that effective May 1, 2006, it completed the acquisition of substantially all the operating assets of Reston, Va. and...

Florida State University Wins $6.2M Grant to Foretell Future Hurricane Strength

Jul 11 2006 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $6.2 million, five-year grant to the Florida State University Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Studies to develop a new tool that could possibly see the...

Survey Shows Texans 50% Ready for Major Hurricane

Jul 7 2006 // Insured homeowners in Eastern and Southern Coastal Texas have, on average, taken roughly 50 percent of the steps to prepare their homes and property to recover from a major hurricane, according to a new Hurricane Readiness...

TWIA Reminds Agents of Binding Procedures, Sept. 1 Rate Increases

Jul 7 2006 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association posted a bulletin on its Web site to assist agents with its coverage binding procedures in the event a hurricane threatens the Texas coast. TWIA said no new or additional coverages...

S&P Affirms Norwegian Hull Club ‘A’ Ratings, Stable Outlook

Jul 6 2006 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its “A” long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings on Norway’s marine insurer Norwegian Hull Club (NHC or the club)...

California Workers’ Compensation Loss Ratios Down Significantly

Jul 6 2006 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California has completed its report summarizing insurer loss and premium experience through March 31, 2006. According to the report, workers’ comp reforms...

Ark. Police See Rise in Copper Thefts

Jul 5 2006 // Record prices for copper have made the metal an attractive target for thieves in Arkansas, police say, just as it is elsewhere in the country. Little Rock police say copper thefts are “rampant.” Thieves even...