Latest Trends Headlines

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

CALIF. WORKPLACE FATALITIES DECLINE BY 8 PERCENT IN 2002:

Dec 1 2003 // The number of workplace fatalities in California declined by 8 percent in 2002 according to the Department of Industrial Relation’s (DIR) Division of Labor Statistics and Research. The number of workers who died on...

NEV. WORKERS’ COMP RATES TO DECREASE:

Dec 1 2003 // Nevada’s employers should see a drop in their 2004 premiums for workers’ compensation as a result of the filing submitted by the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. approved by Nev. Insurance...

PLICO Gets Med-Mal Rate Increase in Oklahoma

Nov 26 2003 // Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher cut the rate increase requested by Physicians Liability Insurance Co. (PLICO) for its medical malpractice policies, but the company still received the okay to potentially...

S&P Revises Skandia Outlook to Negative

Nov 26 2003 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Sweden’s long-term savings provider Skandia Insurance Co. Ltd. (Skandia) to negative from stable. S&P also affirmed ithe...

TDI Denies Rate Increase Request by Med-Mal Provider

Nov 25 2003 // Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Commissioner Jose Montemayor has rejected rate hikes requested by the Texas Medical Liability Insurance Underwriting Association, also known as the Joint Underwriting Association...

Independent Survey Reveals Good News for NGM

Nov 24 2003 // According to a recent nationwide survey conducted by Deep Customer Connections, Inc. (DCC), a Massachusetts-based management consulting firm serving the property and casualty (P/C) industry, National Grange Mutual (NGM),...

TDI Denies Rate Increase Request by Med-Mal Provider

Nov 24 2003 // Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Commissioner Jose Montemayor has rejected rate hikes requested by the Texas Medical Liability Insurance Underwriting Association, also known as the Joint Underwriting Association...

Malpractice Rates to Go Up for Some

Nov 20 2003 // Despite the passage in September of Proposition 12, which approved a legislative measure designed to lower malpractice insurance rates for doctors, at least two of the five major carriers providing that coverage in Texas...

S&P Gives Italian Insurance Market a Stable Outlook, Cites Good Fundamentals

Nov 19 2003 // A recently published report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that it has revised its outlook for the Italian insurance market to stable from negative, citing good business fundamentals in both the...

U.S. P/C Industry’s Profitability Continues Downward Slide Despite Recent Premium Growth

Nov 19 2003 // Despite reported significant premium growth since 1998, the U.S. property/casualty industry’s profitability continues its long downward trend, an industry leader said Tuesday. Speaking at the annual meeting of the...

Deloitte Survey Says 80% of Insurance Execs Report Industry is Overdependent on Investment Returns

Nov 18 2003 // After years of low interest rates and volatility in the equity markets, senior insurance company executives are reportedly shifting their focus from asset management back to insurance basics. A new survey by the global...

Cincinnati Ins. Co. Affirmed, Outlook Neg.

Nov 17 2003 // Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Ratings Services revised its outlook on Cincinnati Insurance Co., Cincinnati Casualty Co., and Cincinnati Indemnity Co., which are Cincinnati Financial Corp.’s (CFC) P/C...

Agency Salary Survey 2003

Nov 17 2003 // The following agency compensation survey and commentary appeared in the March 2003 Middleton Letter, which was previously published by the late Carol Hammes, and is now produced by Marsh, Berry & Co. Inc. in...

Agency Salary Survey 2003

Nov 17 2003 // The following agency compensation survey and commentary appeared in the March 2003 Middleton Letter, which was previously published by the late Carol Hammes, and is now produced by Marsh, Berry & Co. Inc. in...

Nev. Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rates to Decrease

Nov 13 2003 // Nevada’s employers should see a drop in their 2004 premiums for workers’ compensation as a result of the filing submitted by the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. approved by Nevada Insurance...

Danielson Losses Continue to Pile Up

Nov 11 2003 // Chicago-based Danielson Holding Corp. (DHC), whose subsidiaries offer barging and marine construction services as well as specialty insurance products, reported a third-quarter loss of $3.4 million, or 11 cents per diluted...

S&P: European Sector Strong Despite Negative Trends

Nov 10 2003 // Rating outlooks across the European insurance and reinsurance markets remain negative despite positive trends emerging in some sectors, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a report. “Although...

PMA Capital Posts $96.4 Q3 Loss, Chairman, CEO Step Down

Nov 7 2003 // PMA Capital announced a net loss of $96.4 million, or $3.08 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2003, compared with net income of $9.4 million, or 30 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2002. For the...

Outlook Stable for LUBA Workers’ Comp

Nov 7 2003 // A.M. Best assigned an initial financial strength rating of “A-” (excellent) to Louisiana United Businesses Self Insurers Fund, also known as LUBA Workers’ Comp based in Baton Rouge, La. The outlook is...

Marsh & McLennan Cos. Outlook Revised to Negative; Ratings Affirmed

Nov 5 2003 // Standard & Poor’s Rating Services reported that it revised its outlook on Marsh & McLennan Cos. (MMC) to negative from stable and affirmed its ‘AA-/A-1+’ counterparty credit rating on the...