Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
P/C Agency Mergers Rise 10% in First Half of 2021: OPTIS Partners
Jul 9 2021 // There were 339 announced property/casualty insurance agency mergers and acquisitions during the first half of 2021, up from 307 in 2020. According to OPTIS Partners’ M&A report, It was the highest recorded total...
Takeaways from a Cannabis Half-Year Outlook Conversation
Jul 6 2021 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tv After hitting the halfway mark on the year and as we emerge from the pandemic, one has to wonder what the rest of the year will be like for cannabis businesses and those who work to insure...
Grim California Wildfire Outlook Has Insurers Forking Over Big Bucks for Modeling
Jul 5 2021 // Severe drought and searing temperatures are not the only proof that Californians should be worried about wildfires this year. A glaring piece of evidence that there’s ample cause for concern is this: those who will...
The Future of Insurance Agency Work
Jul 5 2021 // There is no shortage of articles opining on the future of work after COVID-19, all seeming to believe that virtual work in one form or another is here to stay. I agree. But I also believe the issue is not whether we will...
Researchers Use Drones to Help Forecast Fires as Wildfires Hit Western U.S.
Jul 1 2021 // In a grassy meadow outside Missoula, Montana, Jennifer Fowler eyes two drones high in the sky with weather instruments — part of a program to see how drones can help to fight and monitor wildfires. Missoula is a...
Howden’s Data Analytics Unit, HX, Launches Insurance Market Information Platform
Jul 1 2021 // HX, the data analytics and advisory division of London-based Howden Group Holdings, announced the launch of NOVA, a first of its kind insurance business intelligence platform, which enables users to better understand the...
Consumer Report Claims Insurers Overcharged California Motorists $5.5B During First Year of Pandemic
Jun 29 2021 // Most California insurance companies continued to charge pre-pandemic auto insurance rates despite a vast majority of Californians driving far less last year, according to an analysis by Consumer Watchdog on Tuesday. The...
2018 Engineering Report Showed ‘Major’ Damage to Florida Condo That Fell
Jun 28 2021 // The ground-floor pool deck of the oceanfront condominium building that collapsed near Miami was resting on a concrete slab that had “major structural damage” and needed to be extensively repaired, according to...
AM Best Revises Mississippi Farm Bureau Outlooks to Negative
Jun 24 2021 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a” (Excellent) of Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty...
Survey: 10 States See Strong Growth in Rural Areas
Jun 21 2021 // Strong growth continues across rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states and three states now have more jobs than they did before the coronavirus pandemic began, according to a monthly survey of bankers. The overall...
‘Zombie’ Companies Likely to Keep Commercial Insurance Rates Rising
Jun 21 2021 // The expectation that hundreds of so-called zombie companies will fail over the next few years and drag on the economy is among the major concerns prompting insurers to reduce risk and charge higher premiums, a trend likely...
Rise in Texas Workers’ Comp Claims in 2020 Ends 20-Year Downward Trend
Jun 21 2021 // Despite the economic slowdown resulting from the COVID-19 business closures, the total number of workers’ compensation claims reported to the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation rose in 2020 by 34% compared...
Construction Industry Hammers Away Amid Labor Woes, Rising Costs, Delays, Tough Insurance Market
Jun 21 2021 // It is not the best of times for the construction industry and its insurers. But neither is it the worst of times. The construction industry continues to face labor shortages, rising costs, supply chain woes and lingering...
Grim California Wildfire Outlook Has Insurers Forking Over Big Bucks for Modeling
Jun 18 2021 // Severe drought and searing temperatures are not the only proof that Californians should be worried about wildfires this year. A glaring piece of evidence that there’s ample cause for concern is this: those who will...
Studies Find Crash Rates Rise When States Legalize Marijuana; Suggest Link to Alcohol
Jun 17 2021 // Researchers report increasing evidence is that motor vehicle crash rates rise when states legalize recreational use and retail sales of marijuana, although what effects marijuana by itself has on drivers remains...
Increase in Homeowners Claims Spurs Higher Insurance Prices in Missouri
Jun 15 2021 // Severe weather trends and an increase in claims are impacting the price of homeowners insurance in Missouri, regulators say. A recent report issued by the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance shows that homeowners...
Insurance Implications of Rising Building Costs
Jun 14 2021 // This post is part of a series sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group. The rising cost of building materials is quickly outpacing inflation rates, and the high demand for qualified workers and widespread global supply...
JBS Swift to Pay Up to $5.5M to Settle Race, Religious Discrimination Claim at Colorado Plant
Jun 14 2021 // An international meat processing giant has agreed to settle claims that it discriminated against employees based on race, national origin, and religion at the company’s facility in Greeley, Colorado, the U.S. Equal...
Uptick in Texas Workers’ Comp Claims Ends 20-Year Downward Trend
Jun 9 2021 // Despite the economic slowdown resulting from the COVID-19 business closures, the total number of workers’ compensation claims reported to the Texas Division of Workers’ Compensation rose in 2020 by 34% compared...
Failure of Many ‘Zombie’ Companies Likely to Keep Insurance Rates Rising: Swiss Re
Jun 8 2021 // The expectation that hundreds of so-called zombie companies will fail over the next few years and drag on the economy is among the major concerns prompting insurers to reduce risk and charge higher premiums, a trend likely...
