Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
P/C Direct Premium Written Up 6.1 Percent
Oct 15 2018 // Direct premium written (DPW) for property/casualty insurance companies continues to increase, albeit gradually. At year-end 2017, more than $636 billion of DPW was reported, a record high for the industry. For 2017, total...
Texas to See More Frequent 100-Year Rain Events, Study Says
Oct 15 2018 // Decades of additional weather data have led federal officials to reconsider rainfall totals in Texas that define 100-year weather events and caution that extreme rainstorms will strike the state more frequently. The...
Texas Governor Extends Time for Ruling on Windstorm Rate Increase Filing
Oct 12 2018 // Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has effectively extended until June 16, 2019, the deadline for approval or disapproval of a recent rate increase filed by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. The governor did so by suspending...
Berlin Insurtech Startup Simplesurance Sets Sights on U.S. for Future Expansion
Oct 12 2018 // Simplesurance founder and CEO Robin von Hein sat down last year with Insurance Journal’s sister publication, Carrier Management, to discuss the company’s strategy. Based on the edge of Berlin’s trendy...
Cryptocurrency Theft Soars to $927 Million During 1st Nine Months of 2018: Report
Oct 12 2018 // Theft of cryptocurrencies through hacking of exchanges and trading platforms soared to $927 million in the first nine months of the year, up nearly 250 percent from the level seen in 2017, according to a report from...
Workers’ Comp Rates to Decline in Kansas Next Year
Oct 11 2018 // For the fifth consecutive year, many Kansas business owners will pay less for workers’ compensation insurance again in 2019, the Kansas Insurance Department reported. “With another rate decrease, Kansas...
Natural Disasters in September Bring Costliest Damages to Date for 2018: Aon Report
Oct 11 2018 // Hurricane, flood, and earthquake damages made September the costliest month for natural catastrophes in 2018, according to a report from Aon’s Impact Forecasting team. September is typically the busiest month for...
AIR: Hurricane Michael Strongest Storm to Hit Florida Panhandle on Record
Oct 10 2018 // Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 storm hitting Florida Wednesday with wind speeds of more than 150 miles per hour, is not just a major storm for the State of Florida, it is the strongest storm to hit the Florida Panhandle...
Report: California Self-Insured Workers’ Comp Claim Frequency Rose Last Year
Oct 8 2018 // Workers’ compensation claim frequency reported by California’s private self-insured employers rose last year, the first increase in a decade, according to the California Workers’ Compensation...
North Korean Hackers Tried to Steal $1.1B over 4-Year Period: FireEye Report
Oct 8 2018 // A North Korean hacking group focused on financial gain for the rogue state has penetrated banks around the world with a series of ongoing attacks, and has tried to steal at least $1.1 billion over the last four years,...
Driverless Ships Could Offer Significant Growth Area for London Market: IUA Survey
Oct 8 2018 // Autonomous ships could offer significant growth potential for the London market, according to the findings of a survey conducted by the International Underwriting Association (IUA). Indeed, 25 percent of IUA members who...
Brexit-Related Uncertainty Begins to Hit UK Businesses: Surveys
Oct 8 2018 // Britain’s businesses are suffering from Brexit-related uncertainty as exports slow, recruitment difficulties mount and investment plans are scaled back, two surveys showed on Monday. The British Chambers of Commerce...
Employees’ Share of Health Costs Continues Rising Faster Than Wages
Oct 8 2018 // Annual family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose five percent to an average $19,616 this year, extending a seven-year run of moderate increases.The average single deductible now stands at $1,573 for...
EU Watchdogs Step Up Plans to Avert Market Meltdown from No-Deal Brexit
Oct 5 2018 // After months listening to the U.K. warn about the risks posed by a no-deal Brexit, European Union financial regulators are now stepping up plans to avert a market meltdown. Daniele Nouy, the European Central Bank’s...
Tower Hill Specialty Enters Illinois Property Insurance Market
Oct 5 2018 // Ohio-based Tower Hill Specialty is now offering property insurance in Illinois. Currently available in seven states, Tower Hill Specialty provides homeowners, dwelling fire, manufactured housing and condominium products....
Fatal Car Crashes Fell 2% in 2017; 2018 Appears to Follow Trend
Oct 4 2018 // Final U.S. highway fatality numbers for 2017 are down following two consecutive years of large increases. In addition, preliminary estimates for the first six months of 2018 appear to show that this downward trend...
Credit Karma Enters Auto Insurance Market
Oct 3 2018 // Financial technology startup Credit Karma said on Tuesday it is expanding into insurance through a new service that makes it easier for users to find cheaper auto insurance policies. The tool generates suggestions by...
West Virginia Workers’ Comp Rates to Decrease Nov. 1
Oct 3 2018 // Workers’ compensation rates will soon be less expensive for businesses in West Virginia. According to West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Allan McVey, a filing for a 13 percent decrease in voluntary market loss...
Idaho Workers’ Compensation Rates to Decrease in 2019
Oct 2 2018 // The Idaho Department of Insurance has proved a 4.2 percent drop in workers’ compensation insurance rates effective Jan. 1, 2019. The proposed rate change comes from the National Council on Compensation Insurance, and...
Aspen Insurance CEO O’Kane Issues Statement That He Will Step Down in 2019
Oct 2 2018 // Chris O’Kane, group chief executive of Aspen Insurance Holdings, issued the following statement to employees that he will step down from his position when Apollo Global Management completes its purchase of Aspen in...
