Latest Trends Headlines

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

Seattle Earthquak Wracks Up Insured Losses

Mar 12 2001 // The most telling number about the earthquake that hit Western Washington on Feb. 28 was neither its 6.8 magnitude nor the fact that it was the largest temblor in the state in more than half a century; it was its depth,...

Workers’ Comp Insurers Suffer 86 Percent Profit Decline Since 1998

Mar 8 2001 // The nation’s workers’ compensation insurers suffered an 86 percent decline in profits, to $144 million during the first nine months of 2000 from a $1 billion peak during the same period in 1998, according to...

RSA Profits Down on Flood Losses

Mar 1 2001 // The U.K.’s Royal & Sun Alliance confirmed previous estimates that claims from the floods which struck Britain in October and November would cost it around £200 million ($290 million), and reduced operating...

AMP Profits Rebound on Strong Growth, Cost Reductions

Feb 28 2001 // Australian insurer AMP announced that its net after tax profit had rebounded sharply to A$1.152 billion ($604 million) for the year 2000, following 1999’s $225 million loss. The company cited strong growth in its...

CGNU Profits Down Due To Storm Losses, Investments

Feb 27 2001 // As expected, CGNU, the U.K.’s largest insurer, announced a drop in operating profits for the year 2000 to £1.02 billion ($1.48 billion) between £200 and £400 million ($290 and $580 million) less...

Progressive Survey Finds Agents Still in the Driver’s Seat

Feb 27 2001 // Results of an extensive countrywide survey by Progressive Insurance show that while people ages 18 to 34 were more likely to use the Internet to purchase auto insurance than people ages 35 to 64, a majority of consumers...

Safeware Survey: Accidental Damage Poses Biggest Risk for PC Owners

Feb 27 2001 // Accidental damage — the type of loss least likely to be covered by standard homeowners and business insurance — poses the biggest single risk for personal computer owners, according to a new insurance industry...

Homeowners Premiums in Ireland to Increase

Feb 26 2001 // Home insurance premiums are expected to increase by as much as 30 percent this year as building costs push up underwriting losses from weather-related claims. Royal and Sun Alliance, with a 28 percent market share in...

Rise in Reinsurance Rates Propelled By a More Cautious Approach

Feb 26 2001 // The long-awaited hardening of reinsurance rates may finally be occurring, as companies reassess their capacity commitments and take a more critical look at their risk exposures, particularly concerning natural...

New Swiss Re sigma Study: Insurance Industry in Central and Eastern Europe — Current Trends and Pro

Feb 21 2001 // The latest sigma study from Swiss Re provides a detailed overview of Central and Eastern European insurance markets with an analysis of the latest developments in life and non-life insurance in 27 countries, including the...

More Cautious Approach Propels Reinsurance Rate Rise

Feb 19 2001 // The long awaited hardening of reinsurance rates may finally be occurring, as companies reassess their capacity commitments and take a more critical look at their risk exposures, particularly concerning natural...

Rate of Hurricanes Will Increase, Expert Warns

Feb 16 2001 // Hurricane forecaster William Gray predicted Wednesday during the Windstorm Insurance Conference in Orlando, that the nation’s East Coast, particularly Florida, was at the beginning of a period of more frequent...

Adventure to Shape the Future of the Travel Industry; Insurance Needs to Grow Substantially

Feb 15 2001 // A growing interest in adventure will shape the travel industry in the 21st century, according to Lloyd’s of London. Speaking last week to a gathering of the Canadian travel insurance industry, a leading Lloyd’s...

Allianz Net Profit Up in 2000

Feb 14 2001 // Allianz AG reported today a 12 percent rise in adjusted net profit in 2000, meeting analyst expectations. The company also fortified its outlook for 2001 following German tax reforms. The company reported adjusted net...

SCOR 2000 Premium Volume Up

Feb 13 2001 // French reinsurer SCOR S.A. has reported a 14.5 percent increase in premium volume to 3.5 billion euros ($3.30 billion) in 2000. Prior to publication of its complete annual results in March, the Paris-based group announced...

CIAB REPORTS P/C RATES UP

Feb 12 2001 // Through its fourth quarter 2000 Commercial Insurance Market Index, The Council reported commercial property/casualty premium rates across all lines of the business and group medical coverage rose significantly over the...

AGF Premium Income Up For 2000

Feb 7 2001 // France’s AGF, 51 percent of which is owned by Germany’s Allianz, posted strong growth in premium income in all sectors for the year 2000. Overall premium income rose 17.8 percent in 2000 to €15.74 billion...

Chubb Enters Lender Environmental Insurance Market

Feb 7 2001 // The Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. has introduced Collateral Impairment and Environmental Liability Insurance for Financial Institutions to commercial real estate lenders. The coverage is available through Environmental...

Progressive.com Survey Uncovers New Car Buying Attitudes

Feb 5 2001 // A new survey by Progressive Insurance finds that people place a premium on the look and the amenities offered in a new car rather than its safety features. The survey found that the top five considerations when purchasing...

Progressive.com Survey Uncovers New Car Buying Attitudes

Feb 5 2001 // A new survey by Progressive Insurance finds that people place a premium on the look and the amenities offered in a new car rather than its safety features. The survey found that the top five considerations when purchasing...