Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Emerging Markets Executives Share Success Strategies
Oct 3 2004 // While emerging markets are gaining national attention as the new frontier of financial services marketing, they pose special challenges to corporate managers, according to the Urban Insurance Partners Institute (UIPI), a...
S&P Assigns ‘AA-‘ Ratings to Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance; Outlook Stable
Oct 1 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘AA-‘ financial strength and long-term counterparty ratings to Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. Ltd. with a stable...
PIA Survey Shows Strong Support for State Regulation
Oct 1 2004 // Members of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) strongly support state regulation of insurance and strongly oppose any effort to move to a federal regulatory system. The results of a survey of...
New Report from Fitch Examines Reinsurance Recoverable Credit Trends
Sep 30 2004 // Fitch Ratings announced publication of a special report titled: “Reinsurance Credit Trends: An Update,” that examines industry-wide reinsurance-related data of property/casualty (re)insurers based in the...
No 2005 Work Comp Increase for Oregon
Sep 30 2004 // Oregon workers’ compensation insurance rates will not increase in 2005, Gov. Ted Kulongoski said September 28. The announcement marks the third straight year without an increase following 12 consecutive years of rate...
KPMG Survey Says Executives Less Optimistic On Premium Growth, Industry’s Ability to Grow Margins
Sep 29 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 Affirms Odyssey Re’s Operating Subs ‘A-‘ Ratings, Stable Outlook
Sep 28 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its “A-” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on Odyssey Re Holdings Corp.’s (ORH) operating subsidiaries:...
Converium Comments on Capital Increase, Market Strategy and Options
Sep 23 2004 // Converium, the troubled Swiss-based reinsurer, has released a bulletin commenting on its plans and possible strategies in advance of an extraordinary general meeting (EGM), to be held on September 28, 2004. Shareholders...
Survey: Increased Stand-Alone A-Side D&O Purchasing
Sep 23 2004 // A recent survey of directors and officers (D&O) insurance buying trends at Fortune 1000 companies shows an increased emphasis on liability insurance designed specifically to protect executives’ personal assets....
S&P Affirms Co-operators General ‘BBB-‘ Rating; Outlook Raised to Positive
Sep 22 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Guelph, Ontario-based Co-operators General Insurance Co. (CGIC) to positive from stable, and has affirmed its long-term...
TWCC: Texas Occupational Fatalities Increased in 2003
Sep 22 2004 // The Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission (TWCC) reported that occupational fatalities in Texas increased by 17.7 percent in 2003, while the national number of fatalities increased less than 1 percent compared to...
S&P: Harleysville Group ‘BBB-‘ Ratings Affirmed; Outlook for Company Remains Negative
Sep 21 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ counterparty credit rating on Pennsylvania-based Harleysville Group Inc. The outlook remains negative. The rating reflects management’s...
Best Reports 28% Increase in Direct Premium Volume for Surplus Lines Industry By End of 2003
Sep 21 2004 // A special report released by A.M. Best Co. concludes that at the end of 2003, direct premium volume for the surplus lines industry increased by approximately 28 percent over the prior year, which followed an estimated 62...
Mass. Insurers’ Rate and Agents’ Commission Bids Add Up to 9.3%
Sep 20 2004 // A request by Massachusetts agents for a 32 percent boost in commissions brings the overall private passenger auto insurance rate hike sought by the industry for 2005 to 9.3 percent, up from the original 5.8 percent figure,...
Clarendon Outlook Stable
Sep 20 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services revised its outlook on Clarendon National Insurance Co. and two of its subsidiaries—Clarendon America Insurance Co. and Redland Insurance Co.—to stable from negative. At...
Historic Richmond Facing Uncertain Future After Flooding
Sep 20 2004 // Shockoe Bottom’s 17.5 Ethos Cafe didn’t have flood insurance. With a 21-foot flood wall shielding the historic, low-lying area in Richmond, Va., from the nearby James River, part-owners of the cafe, Kathy...
Thermography: Claims Adjudication’s Science of the Future
Sep 20 2004 // Millions of dollars worth of building defect litigation is going on today, and water intrusion, which often causes mold to grow, is one of the major issues. Infrared (IR) thermography, the non-destructive diagnostic...
P/C INSURERS REPORT FIRST UNDERWRITING PROFIT SINCE 1997:
Sep 20 2004 // Dramatic improvements in underwriting performance by the nation’s property/casualty insurers led to the first underwriting gain in nearly seven years, according to the Jupiter, Fla.-based financial analysis firm...
NAMIC Cites UIPI Emerging Markets Opportunity Study
Sep 20 2004 // The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies has released new data compiled by the Urban Insurance Partners Institute (UIPI), which shows that urban and emerging markets offer tremendous opportunity for...
CAT Modelers: Ivan’s Estimated Losses Up to $10B
Sep 20 2004 // Initial estimated insured losses from Hurricane Ivan range from about $2 billion to about $10 billion, according to catastrophe modelers Eqecat, Inc. The estimated range of insured losses takes into account Category 3...
