Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
South Dakota Law Raises Questions About Future of Massive Midwest Pipeline
Mar 10 2025 // A new law in South Dakota prohibiting the use of eminent domain to acquire land for carbon capture pipelines raises questions about the viability of a proposed 2,500 mile (4,023-kilometer) project snaking through five...
A Look at Rate Trends
Mar 10 2025 // Premium renewal rates were up again in fourth-quarter 2024 but continue to trend lower for most commercial lines products. Premiums increased year over year for all major commercial lines, except workers’...
Small, Medium-Sized Firms Lacking in ‘Continuity’ Planning: Survey
Mar 10 2025 // Mid- and small-market businesses (SMBs) face a lot of the same big-picture challenges, but how they prioritize risk, spending, and solutions varies widely. According to Nationwide’s latest risk management survey,...
AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Mercury and Subsidiaries Over LA Wildfires
Mar 10 2025 // AM Best revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “a” (Excellent) for the members of...
AM Best Revises Outlook to Negative for Michigan’s Hastings
Mar 10 2025 // AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+”...
Weathering the Storm: Key Insights from the 2025 CoreLogic® Severe Convective Storm Risk Report
Mar 5 2025 // This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. As property insurance costs continue to rise, homeowners and insurers alike are facing new challenges. While hurricanes and wildfires often dominate discussions around...
AM Best Revises Outlook to Stable for Ohio’s Westfield
Mar 5 2025 // AM Best has revised the outlook to stable from negative for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICRs of “a+”...
Florida E&S Market Leveling Off After Years of Growth, FSLSO Data Show
Mar 5 2025 // The steady growth in excess and surplus lines’ business in Florida appears to be leveling off, another sign that the insurance market in the state is settling down after years of turbulence. “January’s...
People Moves: Wilson Named Deputy Chair of Argenta Syndicate Mgmt as Whiter Steps Down; Specialty MGA UK Hires Hussain as Head of Political, Credit Risk
Mar 4 2025 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Argenta Syndicate Management and Specialty MGA UK. A summary of these new hires follows here. Wilson Named Deputy Chair of Argenta Syndicate Mgmt as Whiter...
Gender Pay Gap Endures in Australia’s Financial and Insurance Sectors
Mar 4 2025 // Pay for women and men at firms in Australia’s financial and insurance services sector remains among the most unequal, according to government data that was expanded to include the salaries of more workers and a...
Verisk Webinar Highlights Emerging Psychoactive Substance Risks
Mar 4 2025 // As public perception and the legality of cannabis and other novel psychoactive substances continue to evolve, what emerging risks and litigation should insurance professionals keep an eye on? Last week, Verisk Analytics...
State Farm 2024 Underwriting Losses Shrink on Auto Results
Mar 3 2025 // After reporting underwriting losses of $13 billion in 2022 and $14 billion in 2023, State Farm recorded another underwriting loss for 2024—but narrowed it thanks to its auto insurance results. State Farm reported a 2024...
Consumer Trust Issues Hinder Industry Efforts to Close Protection Gap: Survey
Mar 3 2025 // Most insurance executives surveyed last year believe they have “an ethical obligation” to close the protection gap—and also believe that “lack of trust in the insurance industry” is a key barrier...
UK’s Aviva Beats Profit Estimates on Double-Digit Growth in General Insurance Premiums
Feb 27 2025 // British insurer Aviva beat annual profit expectations on double-digit growth in its general insurance premiums in 2024, and said its planned 3.7 billion pound ($4.69 billion) acquisition of smaller rival Direct Line was on...
AM Best Revises Outlook to Negative for Michigan’s Hastings
Feb 25 2025 // AM Best has revised the outlook to negative from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term ICR of “a+”...
Business Continuity Plans Lacking Among SMBs: Nationwide Survey
Feb 25 2025 // Mid- and small-market businesses (SMBs) face a lot of the same big-picture challenges, but how they prioritize risk, spending, and solutions varies widely. According to Nationwide’s latest risk management survey,...
Sica Fletcher Index: Total Agency-Broker M&A Revenue Down 26% in 2024
Feb 24 2025 // The 22 acquirers that make up the Sica Fletcher Index were involved in 533 agent-broker deals in 2024, down 6% from 2023. Members completed 146 acquisitions during the fourth quarter of 2024. This was 11% less than a year...
Reviewing Historic Predictions
Feb 24 2025 // Back around 2013 (the copy I have is not dated, so I might be off a year), McKinsey & Company published a study that caused some angst within the industry. The study, “Agents of the Future: The Evolution of...
Agency Survey: Salaries, Total Income Jump in 2024 but Pay Satisfaction Declines
Feb 24 2025 // Insurance agency owners, producers, and support staff on average made more money in 2024, but for two years in a row, satisfaction with compensation declined, according to the latest Agency Salary Survey, published...
3 Emerging Risks to Watch: Social Inflation, Electric Trucks, Virtual Currencies
Feb 24 2025 // The business environment is constantly evolving, with each new development and innovation offering a unique variety of potential risks and rewards. Broad, systemic challenges may sometimes create unexpected obstacles,...
