Latest Trends Headlines

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

CPCU September Meeting: Bob Ricker to Discuss Citizens Future

Aug 11 2005 // Bob Ricker, president of Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will be the featured speakers during the Sept. 12 meeting of the Florida Suncoast Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society. Carol Everhart,...

Zenith National, Units Outlook Revised to Postivie; Ratings Affirmed

Aug 11 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BB+’ counterparty credit rating and ‘B+’ preferred stock rating on Zenith National Insurance Corp. (Zenith). Standard &...

Insurance Industry Share of Weather-Related Losses Rising, with 60% Tied to Small Events

Aug 11 2005 // The insurance industry’s share of the world’s total economic losses from weather-related catastrophes is rising and 60 percent of these weather-related losses are attributable to small events as distinct from...

S&P Affirms Fairfax Ratings; Outlook Raised to Positive

Aug 10 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “BBB” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.’s (FFH) ongoing operating...

CAS Attendees Hear of Positive Trends in California Workers’ Comp

Aug 8 2005 // Insurers, and especially self-insurers, are seeing positive trends as a result of the workers’ compensation reforms in California, experts on the subject told attendees at the recent Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)...

Pa. Court Strikes Down 2002 Tort Reform Aimed at ‘Deep Pocket’ Rule

Aug 8 2005 // A Pennsylvania court has ruled unconstitutional a key component of tort reforms enacted in 2002. Commonwealth Court ruled that a measure that abolished joint and several liability is invalid because it was not germane to...

Pa. Court Strikes Down 2002 Tort Reform Aimed at ‘Deep Pocket’ Rule

Aug 8 2005 // A Pennsylvania court has ruled unconstitutional a key component of tort reforms enacted in 2002. Commonwealth Court ruled that a measure that abolished joint and several liability is invalid because it was not germane to...

CAS Attendees Hear of Positive Trends in California Workers’ Comp

Aug 8 2005 // Insurers, and especially self-insurers, are seeing positive trends as a result of the workers’ compensation reforms in California, experts on the subject told attendees at the recent Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS)...

Fla. Homeowners Rates to Rise by 6.8 Percent Again This Summer

Aug 8 2005 // Florida homeowners can expect to receive a 6.8 percent increase in their insurance rates to pay for Citizens Property Insurance Corporation’s deficit, according to Bob Hartwig, chief economist at the Insurance...

WCIRB Report On First Quarter 2005 Insurer Experience Released

Aug 5 2005 // The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau has completed its report summarizing insurer loss and premium experience through March 31, 2005. To view the full report, visit...

Global Survey Highlights Increasing Threat of Network Risk

Aug 1 2005 // Almost 60 percent of Chief Risk Officers and senior risk managers view network risk as a significant and growing threat to their organizations, according to the latest quarterly Corporate Business Barometer, conducted by...

AMEX Enters N.J. Auto Insurance Market Via Internet Sales

Aug 1 2005 // AMEX Assurance Company,of the American Express Property Casualty companies, is now writing insurance policies in New Jersey. AMEX is entering the New Jersey market exclusively through the Internet. Its web site is...

WCIRB Proposes 5.2 Percent Decrease in Pure Premium Rates

Jul 29 2005 // On July 28, the WCIRB submitted a Regulatory Filing to the California Department of Insurance recommending an average 5.2 percent decrease in advisory pure premium rates to be effective on policies incepting on or after...

Commerce Net Earnings Rise, Losses Fall in 2nd Quarter

Jul 28 2005 // The Commerce Group Inc. out of Webster, Mass. reported that 2005 second quarter net earnings were $62.6 million, or $1.85 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $37.4 million or $1.14 per diluted share for...

Mo. Malpractice Claims Drop While Premiums Rise, Study Says

Jul 27 2005 // Medical malpractice insurers paid out significantly less in claims to Missouri physicians last year, but continued to raise the premiums they charge doctors, according to new study. The National Association of Insurance...

Study Shows 15 Insurers Contributed to Controversial 2002 Texas Election

Jul 25 2005 // Insurance companies that were fighting tighter state regulations were major corporate donors to a business lobby group’s mail campaign that helped Republicans take control of the Legislature in the 2002 elections,...

Survey Says: Myths About the Cost of Auto Insurance Persist

Jul 25 2005 // The color of a car influences how much it costs to insure it, Comprehensive coverage protects drivers in all situations because, after all, it’s “comprehensive,” and car insurance companies can charge...

WCIRB To Propose 5.2% Decrease In Pure Premium Rates

Jul 21 2005 // The California Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s Governing Committee approved the filing of an average 5.2 percent decrease in advisory pure premium rates to be effective on policies incepting on...

Workers’ Comp Payments in Pa. Grew by 3.7% in 2003

Jul 21 2005 // In Pennsylvania, total workers’ compensation payments for injured workers’ cash benefits and medical care rose by 3.7 percent to $2,626 million in 2003, according to a report by the National Academy of Social...

Calif. Releases Impact of 2004-2005 Increase in State Average Weekly Wage On Workers’ Comp

Jul 21 2005 // The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that California’s State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) rose from $806.11 to $838.42 for the 12 months ending March 31, 2005 – remaining just below the threshold level of...