Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Allianz Foresees Growth in Chinese Market
Apr 1 2004 // Michael Diekmann, Chairman and CEO of the Allianz Group, has expressed his confidence in the company’s prospects in the Chinese market. On his first visit to the country since taking over Allianz, Diekmann and Werner...
S&P Revises Nationwide Outlook to Stable
Apr 1 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. (NMIC) and its affiliates (collectively referred to as Nationwide) to stable from...
Brokerage Growth Slowing, Study Claims
Apr 1 2004 // The eight leading brokerage firms saw only an 8 percent growth in organic revenue in the fourth quarter of 2003, according to a year-end survey by WFG Capital Advisors, an insurance industry investment banking...
ATRA Survey Reports Frivolous Lawsuits Undermine Healthcare System, Prove Negative to Patients
Apr 1 2004 // Doctors believe that patients are paying the price for frivolous lawsuits that are driving up the cost of healthcare and negatively affecting the practice of medicine, according to a survey released today by the American...
S&P Revises Sompo U.S. Outlook to Stable
Mar 31 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised its outlook on Sompo Japan Insurance Co. of America (SJA; A+/Stable/–) to stable from negative. S&P said the “outlook revision...
Alabama P/C Market Gaining Momentum
Mar 30 2004 // Walter Bell With signs of improvement on the horizon for the property/casualty market in Alabama, Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell recently set aside time to talk with Insurance Journal Southeast about conditions in the...
Hannover Re 2003 Net up 32.8% to $431 Million
Mar 30 2004 // Germany’s Hannover Re Group joined Swiss Re and General Re in reporting a very successful 2003. The world’s fourth largest reinsurer posted net income of 354.8 million euros ($43I million) compared to 267.2...
I.I.I. Reports Auto Insurance Rate Increases Dropping By More than Half
Mar 30 2004 // The cost of auto insurance is expected to rise by 3.5 percent in 2004, the smallest increase in four years, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). The declining number of auto accidents due to better...
Survey: Health Reform Key Election Issue
Mar 29 2004 // Rising health care costs and growing instability in insurance coverage have made health reform a key issue in this election year, a Commonwealth Fund survey released today shows. Nearly six in 10 Americans (57%) say...
S&P Upgrades NZ Insurer Promina Outlook to Positive
Mar 29 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised the rating outlook on Promina Group Ltd. to positive from stable, and affirmed the holding company’s “A-” long-term counterparty...
Nevada Rate Increase Sought by Malpractice Insurance Company
Mar 26 2004 // Medical Protective Co., which provides malpractice insurance for 200 doctors located mainly in southern Nevada, has filed for a 24 percent rate increase. The state Insurance Division says MedPro wants the increase to take...
S&P Upgrades Outlook on 7 Japanese Insurers
Mar 24 2004 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised the outlooks to stable from negative on its financial strength and long-term counterparty credit ratings on seven Japanese insurance...
Liberty Mutual Reports Net Income Up 67% in Busy 2003
Mar 23 2004 // Liberty Mutual Group in Boston reported net income of $851.3 million for the 12 months ended 2003, a 67.4% increase over the same period in 2002. “I am very pleased with our overall operating performance in...
Terrorism and TRIA – What’s in Store for the Future’
Mar 22 2004 // Two years later, fate of the historic act remains unknown If a camel is a “horse made by a committee” then the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), passed by Congress in November 2002, is a law made by several...
Argonaut Group Affirmed, Outlook Stable
Mar 22 2004 // S&P affirmed its ratings on Argonaut Group Inc. and its insurance company affiliates, including its “BBB+” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on the affiliates, and revised the outlook on...
Highmark Ratings, Outlooks Revised
Mar 22 2004 // A.M. Best Co. affirmed the majority of the financial strength ratings and a senior debt rating of Pittsburgh-based Highmark Inc. However, the rating outlook was revised to negative from stable. Best also noted it has...
PIC Wisconsin Med-Mal Rates to Increase in Nevada
Mar 18 2004 // Nevada Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman has approved the request of Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc. (PIC) for a 15 percent increase for medical malpractice insurance. In addition to the 15 percent...
ACE USA Appoints New VP Head of Emerging Issues
Mar 17 2004 // ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operations of the ACE Group of Companies, has announced the appointment of Kathleen Muedder, CPCU, as Senior Vice President, Emerging Issues. She will focus on identifying strategic...
CRM Underscores NY Health Care Trust Financial Strength, Continues Growth of Customer Base
Mar 17 2004 // Compensation Risk Managers announced from its Poughkeepsie headquarters that its Healthcare Industry Trust of New York (HITNY) product remains on solid financial ground and continues to provide “high quality,...
S&P Reports Top Layer Reinsurance Ltd. ‘AA’ Ratings Affirmed; Outlook Stable
Mar 17 2004 // Standard & Poor’s has affirmed its ‘AA’ counterparty and financial strength ratings on Top Layer Reinsurance Ltd. The outlook is stable. Top Layer Re is a 50%/50% joint venture between State Farm...
