Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Poll: Republicans Blame Malpractice Lawsuits for Rising Health Costs; Democrats Blame Insurers
Nov 2 2004 // Republicans were three times as likely as Democrats to blame rising health costs on malpractice lawsuits, according to a poll conducted for The (Baltimore) Sun, and Democrats were twice as likely as Republicans to blame...
S&P Affirms ACE Ratings; Revises Outlook to Negative
Nov 1 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Bermuda-based ACE Ltd. and some of its subsidiaries to negative from stable. At the same time, S&P assigned preliminary debt...
S&P Announcement on AIG Ratings; Outlook Negative
Nov 1 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has republished an earlier article, issued last Friday, October 29, concerning the revision of its outlook on the American International Group from stable to negative. S&P...
TDI Cracks Down on Sales of Bogus Health Insurance
Nov 1 2004 // The Texas Department of Insurance announced it has imposed stiff sanctions against a Florida man found to be recruiting and training Texas agents to sell unauthorized health insurance plans. Texas Insurance Commissioner...
Nev. Commissioner Denies Request to Increase Auto Insurance Rates
Nov 1 2004 // Nevada Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman has denied the request of the Progressive Companies that are marketed through independent agents for a 5.3 percent increase in auto insurance rates. This filing would have...
RenRe Reports Q3 Operating Loss of $372 Million; Increases Hurricane Loss Estimates
Oct 28 2004 // Bermuda’s RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. reported a net operating loss attributable to common shareholders of $372 million for the third quarter of 2004, versus net operating income available to common shareholders of...
Best Downgrades Transatlantic Companies to ‘A+’; Revises Outlook to Stable
Oct 28 2004 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has downgraded the financial strength rating to “A+” (Superior) from “A++” (Superior) of Transatlantic Reinsurance Company and Putnam Reinsurance Company, both New...
Mo. Heading for Lowest Comp Rate Increase Since 2000
Oct 28 2004 // Results from 2004’s first nine months indicate Missouri should post its lowest rate of premium increases for workers’ compensation insurance since 2000, according to Department of Insurance Director Scott...
Infinity Notes Rise in Net Earnings From Q3 2003
Oct 26 2004 // Alabama-based Infinity Property and Casualty Corp., a provider of personal automobile insurance with an emphasis on nonstandard auto insurance, reported that net earnings for the third quarter of 2004 were $23.0 million or...
PIA SURVEY SHOWS STRONG SUPPORT FOR STATE REGULATION:
Oct 25 2004 // Members of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents who were recently surveyed strongly support state regulation of insurance and strongly oppose any effort to move to a federal regulatory system. The...
KPMG: EXECS LESS BULLISH ON PREMIUM GROWTH:
Oct 25 2004 // KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm, conducted a real-time survey at its 16th annual insurance industry conference held Sept. 27-28. Even before the full impact of the recent hurricane activity was known, the...
KPMG Survey: Insurance Executives Less Optimistic About Growth
Oct 25 2004 // Even before the full impact of the recent hurricane activity is known, the majority of the 150 senior insurance executives surveyed are less optimistic about premium growth and the industry’s ability to increase...
KPMG Survey: Insurance Executives Less Optimistic About Growth
Oct 25 2004 // Even before the full impact of the recent hurricane activity is known, the majority of the 150 senior insurance executives surveyed are less optimistic about premium growth and the industry’s ability to increase...
S&P Revises Overall P&C Outlook to Negative
Oct 22 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on the U.S. property/casualty commercial lines sector to negative from stable. “The outlook revision follows allegations of widespread misconduct...
Emerging Risk Evaluation Critical to Urban Insurers
Oct 21 2004 // Insurers doing business in urban areas should adopt a loss prevention program that looks at emerging risks and new risk management techniques, recommends the Chicago-based Urban Insurance Partners Institute, an urban and...
Wash. Business Costs Rising; Workers’ Comp Problems Among Items Singled Out
Oct 19 2004 // The WashACE annual report that lists key indicators of the state’s business climate in relation to other states reportedly shows that, despite signs of the slowly recovering state economy, Washington has fallen in...
WFG Capital Advisors: Agency Consolidation Gaining Momentum; Outlook Remains Cloudy
Oct 19 2004 // WFG Capital Advisors, an investment banking firm specializing in the insurance industry, announced on Tuesday that agency consolidation will likely achieve record results for 2004 but the outlook for 2005 remains...
Survey Says Nearly 8 in 10 Calif. Homeowners in Fire Danger Areas Think Wildfire Losses ‘Unlikely’
Oct 14 2004 // Seventy-eight percent of California homeowners living in identified fire danger areas believe that it is “somewhat” or “very” unlikely their home will be damaged or destroyed by a wildfire,...
Pa. Hospitals Say New Liability Survey Backs Need for Medical Reforms
Oct 14 2004 // The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) issued the following statement from President and CEO Carolyn Scanlan in response to Pennsylvania-specific medical liability reform polling data released...
Ontario Auto Insurers Make the Grade in Claim Satisfaction According to FSCO Survey
Oct 13 2004 // Auto insurers in Ontario, Canada have once again been given a top grade by customers making a claim. The annual Auto Claims Satisfaction Survey, issued by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), shows that 84...
