Latest Trends Headlines

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

New York Auto Theft Ring Shut Down; 17 Indicted

Nov 27 2000 // New York Superintendent of Insurance Neil D. Levin announced the indictment of 17 individuals in connection with the operation of a multimillion-dollar auto theft, dismantling and stolen parts ring operating in Queens and...

Premium Income Rises at Allianz – Eyes U.K. Acquisition

Nov 27 2000 // German insurance giant Allianz AG announced that premium income for the first 9 months of the year reached a record €50.9 billion ($42.675 billion) a 15.5 percent rise over 1999. Property and casualty operations...

Lloyd’s/IUA Choose ‘Xchanging’ To Streamline London Insurance Market

Nov 27 2000 // On Oct. 24, Lloyd’s and the International Underwriting Association (IUA) announced that they had selected Xchanging, an Internet and information technology specialist, as a partner in a joint venture to develop and...

Missouri Uninsured Driver Rate Down 18 Percent in 1999

Nov 22 2000 // Missouri’s projected rate of uninsured passenger vehicles dropped by 18 percent—or 63,000 autos—during 1999, reaching the lowest levels since the state enacted its current mandatory insurance law in 1987,...

Predictions for the 2001 Auto Market’

Nov 20 2000 // Predictions for the 2001 Auto Market? Enforcing Uninsured Driver Laws Should Be A Top Agenda Item What will the Texas auto market look like in 2001? The question is being asked at every professional meeting, on every golf...

Surplus Lines Market Shows Signs of Shaping Up

Nov 13 2000 // When retail agents or brokers cannot find coverage for a unique or high-risk insured with a company in the standard or admitted market, they often turn to the surplus lines—or excess and surplus (E&S)—market for...

ebix.com Revenues, Losses Down

Nov 9 2000 // ebix.com Inc. announced results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2000. Total revenues were $2.9 million for the third quarter of 2000, compared to revenues of $3.1 million for the third quarter of...

Swiss Re Study: Outlook Promising for U.S. Credit Insurers

Oct 31 2000 // So found a recent Swiss Re sigma study “Trade Credit Insurance.” The study also found the products that will likely boost revenue include: credit lines for commercial internet purchases, information services...

Future of Calif. Earthquake Authority Remains Hot Topic of Debate

Oct 31 2000 // Treasurer Phil Angelides has indicated recently that he has some concerns about the stability of the California Earthquake Authority. He made his fears public Oct. 26, sending out a letter to lawmakers calling for a...

Commissioner Approves California W/C Rate Increase

Oct 30 2000 // On Oct. 20, Insurance Commissioner Harry Low took a much-needed first step to improve the dire state of California’s workers’ comp market. Low approved the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of...

Calif. Commissioner Approves 10 Percent Workers’ Comp Rate Increase

Oct 24 2000 // On Oct. 20, Insurance Commissioner Harry Low took his first step to improve the dire state of California’s workers’ comp market. Low approved the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of...

Allstate Profit Rises on Higher Premiums

Oct 23 2000 // Allstate Corp.’s third-quarter operating earnings rose 34 percent as increased premiums offset higher loss costs. The nation’s second-largest insurer said operating earnings, excluding a restructuring charge...

Commercial Auto Rates Up; Sector Ripe for Rapid Change

Oct 23 2000 // Someone up above has been listening. How else can one explain the hardening market that has been the subject of thousands of prayers. Both agents and E&S vendors, then, should be doubly excited about the commercial...

Survey Reveals Insurers Top Fraud Concerns

Oct 20 2000 // According to a recent survey compiled by the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII), medical fraud rings, staged auto accidents, arson, and workers’ comp scams top the list of fraud concerns for the...

CGNU Posts 21 Percent Increase in U.K. Life Sales

Oct 19 2000 // CGNU surprised analysts on Wednesday when it reported a 21 percent increase in its U.K. life sales totaling £5.5 billion ($8 billion) over the past 9 months, despite a general slowdown in long-term investments in the U.K....

‘Architect’ Designed His Future

Oct 16 2000 // LeAndre Drake Davis of San Jose was convicted Sept. 8 on 26 federal charges related to three fraud schemes he operated in the wake of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The 37-year-old man was the president of Shadowbrook...

Arthur J. Gallagher Net Earnings Up 18 Percent for 2000

Oct 13 2000 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced on Thursday its financial results for the third quarter and nine months that ended Sept. 30. Total revenues were $526,944,000, compared to $471,629,000 last year, an increase of 12...

Survey Reveals Stronger Agency System

Oct 9 2000 // Silicon Valley operatives like to gloat about a shrinking independent agency system. Today there are 42,000 independent agencies in the U.S., down from 46,000 in 1992. Nearly three out of 10 independent agencies have been...

Fitch Affirms SAFECO Ratings, Changes Outlook to Negative

Oct 4 2000 // Fitch has affirmed all ratings of SAFECO Corporation and its insurance subsidiaries. At the same time, the rating outlook has moved from Stable to Negative. The primary factor for the change in rating outlook is the...

After the Gold Rush: Insurance Dot-Coms Shift increasingly Toward the Agent

Oct 2 2000 // In the “stake-your-claim” environment of Internet insurance, any attempt to define trends and categorize business models can be an exercise in frustration. However, in some ways the dot-com gold rush is slowing...