Latest Trends Headlines

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

Police Identify Seven More Victims of NYC’s Deadliest Fire in Decades

Jan 3 2018 // Police have released the identities of an additional seven victims of New York City’s deadliest fire in decades, including a 7-month-old baby girl who was among the dozen people who lost their lives. Authorities also...

Property Reinsurance Rates Rise Less Than Expected in Jan. 1 Renewals

Jan 2 2018 // Global property reinsurance prices have risen less than expected in the key Jan. 1 renewal season, with strong competition limiting increases to single digit percentages following a record year of losses, brokers said on...

Entering 2018, Americans More Focused on Financial Health Than Physical Wellness: Allianz Survey

Dec 29 2017 // Looking ahead to the new year, more than a third of Americans (36 percent) believe another major recession may be in the cards for 2018, according to the 9th annual New Year’s Resolution Survey from Allianz Life...

California Reports 2016 Fatal Occupational Injuries Down

Dec 27 2017 // The California Department of Industrial Relations is reporting that 376 Californians died on the job in 2016, down slightly from the 388 deaths in 2015. A review of the past 12 years indicates that workplace fatalities in...

Outlooks Revised to Positive for Missouri Valley Mutual Insurance

Dec 21 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of “bbb-” of Missouri Valley...

Employers, Workers’ Compensation Carriers Eye Trend in Telehealth: Telerehab

Dec 21 2017 // Though employers and workers’ compensation insurers have been utilizing telemedicine for quite some time, there’s been a recent uptick in interest surrounding virtual physical therapy, also known as...

Florida’s Citizens Expects Policy Count Increase in 2018, Plans Claims System Upgrade

Dec 20 2017 // Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the Florida state-run insurer of last resort, is anticipating its policyholder count will increase in 2018 for the first time since its efforts to shed policies through depopulation began...

Florida Approves Statewide Homeowners Rate Increase of 6.6% For Citizens

Dec 18 2017 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved statewide rate increases on 2018 personal and commercial property insurance rates for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. OIR approved a statewide increase of 6.6...

6 Industry Trends to Exploit for 2018

Dec 18 2017 // To prepare for the future, business owners need to observe what trends are occurring and then evaluate how those trends could impact their business. It is a guessing game, but an educated guess is usually proven to be...

Texas Regulators Say Workers’ Comp Costs Down 63% Since 2005

Dec 15 2017 // More Texas businesses are providing workers’ compensation insurance as the cost of coverage continues to decline, according to the Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation...

Winds Kick up Fire Threat from California Wildfires

Dec 15 2017 // Dry, gusting winds are aggravating fire worries across much of central and western California, including those areas where infernos are still raging and places that were scorched in October, the U.S. Storm Prediction...

A.M. Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Crusader Insurance in California

Dec 14 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of Crusader Insurance Co. Additionally,...

A.M. Best Upgrades Outlooks for Petroleum Marketers Management Insurance

Dec 13 2017 // A.M. Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating “a-” of Des Moines, Iowa-based Petroleum Marketers...

Economist: Hurricane Harvey’s Impact Will Guide Future Development in Houston

Dec 11 2017 // A Houston business group said on Dec. 8 that Hurricane Harvey’s biggest long-term impact on the nation’s fourth-largest city likely will be on where and how new homes and structures are built. The results of...

Illinois Sees Growth in Medical Payments per Workers’ Compensation Claim

Dec 8 2017 // Medical payments per workers’ compensation claim in Illinois grew 3.1 percent per year on average from 2012 through 2015, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). In all,...

A.M. Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for California Mutual Insurance Co.

Dec 7 2017 // A.M. 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-” of California Mutual Insurance Co. The...

Growth in U.S. Healthcare Spending Slowed in 2016: CMS

Dec 7 2017 // In 2016, overall growth in national spending on healthcare slowed in 2016, increasing 4.3 percent following 5.8 percent growth in 2015, according to a report by actuaries with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid...

Tennessee Community Devastated by Fires Doubtful Climate Change Poses Future Risk

Dec 7 2017 // Bob Bentz had just installed underground utility lines and paved a new road when wildfires roared through the eastern Tennessee treetop canopy he wanted to transform into a $30 million adventure park. A year later, after...

Florida Approves 6.6% Statewide Homeowners Rate Increase for Citizens

Dec 7 2017 // The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) has approved statewide rate increases on 2018 personal and commercial property insurance rates for Citizens Property Insurance Corp. OIR approved a statewide increase of 6.6...

As China’s Financial Sector Opens, Acute Talent Shortage Could Hinder Growth

Dec 6 2017 // In the last two years, more than 30 global asset managers have been awarded licenses to set up wholly-owned units in China as they sought a share of the country’s $1.5 trillion private fund management market. Yet...