Latest Trends Headlines

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

FEMA Sets Up Review Process for Sandy Flood Claims

Mar 12 2015 // In light of recent allegations that some insurers in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) may have denied or rejected Superstorm Sandy flood damage claims based on falsified reports, the Federal Emergency Management...

Increased Chance of Big One in Long-Term Quake Forecast for California

Mar 11 2015 // Chances that California will experience a magnitude 8 or larger earthquake in the next 30 years has increased from 4.7 to 7.0 percent, according to an earthquake forecast by the U.S. Geological Survey and its partners. The...

Earthquake Risks Are Rising, but Take-Up Isn’t

Mar 11 2015 // The West Coast’s risk of ruin is even greater than we previously feared. According to the just-released Third Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, the likelihood that California could see an earthquake of...

Royal Bank of Canada Is Reviewing Future of Volatile P/C Insurance Unit

Mar 11 2015 // Royal Bank of Canada is reviewing its domestic property and casualty insurance business, Chief Executive Officer David McKay said, citing difficulties caused by rules that ban banks from selling coverage in...

2015 Outlook: Profitable Despite Lower Rates

Mar 9 2015 // The commercial property/casualty insurance market should remain stable and profitable in 2015, according to the Wells Fargo Insurance 2015 Insurance Market Outlook. Abundant market capacity and an improving economy have...

Insurance Market Evolves for Drone Pilots Unwilling to Wait on Federal Regulations

Mar 6 2015 // Thousands of drones flown without government approval by real estate companies, movie studios and other businesses are getting coverage by insurers writing their own safety rules to fill a void left by regulators. One...

Executives Examine D&O Claim Trends, Cyber Exposure

Mar 6 2015 // A number of industry executives spoke with Insurance Journal recently to share their observations on the current directors and officers liability insurance claim trends. Executives also spoke about a new potential D&O...

Holding Multiple Jobs Increases Risk of Injury: Liberty Mutual

Mar 6 2015 // Researchers with the Liberty Mutual Research Institute’s Center for Injury Epidemiology have concluded that individuals who work multiple jobs — approximately 14 million U.S. residents – have a greater...

Nevada’s Captive Domicile Growth Rises by $3.8B in Premium

Mar 5 2015 // The captive insurance program in Nevada outperformed growth and speed expectations by approving 26 captives in 2014, which resulted in a captive premium increase of $3.8 billion, Insurance Commissioner Scott J. Kipper...

U.K.’s Aviva Reports 6% Increase in Operating Profit for 2014

Mar 5 2015 // Aviva plc, in the midst of buying Friends Life Group Ltd. for $8.6 billion, increased its shareholder payout for 2014 by 30 percent as the insurer reported higher profit. The final dividend was lifted to 12.25 pence per...

Chicago’s 110-Story Willis Tower Up for Sale

Mar 4 2015 // Chicago’s Willis Tower, once the world’s tallest building and one of the city’s top tourist attractions, is up for sale. The owners, which include New York-based investors Joseph Chetrit and Joseph...

Insurance Journal, Channel Harvest Launch Survey on Agent-Carrier Relationships

Mar 3 2015 // Channel Harvest Research, in partnership with Insurance Journal, is conducting its 2015 national survey of agents’ attitudes about their carrier partners. This is the seventh annual study on key aspects of the...

Massachusetts Official Surveys Storm Damage Along Coast

Mar 2 2015 // Parts of the Massachusetts coastline could face a lengthy recovery process after being pummeled by severe winter storms, the state’s top environmental official said on Feb. 27. Secretary of Energy and Environmental...

Ireland’s FBD Holdings Reports Worse-Than-Forecast Operating Loss, Weak Outlook

Mar 2 2015 // FBD Holdings plc plunged in Dublin trading after the Irish insurer’s full-year results missed its own downgraded forecast and its operating profit outlook for 2015 fell short of analysts’ expectations. FBD...

Florida Homeownership Suffered Steep Decline in Last Decade

Mar 2 2015 // Florida had one of the largest declines in homeownership in the nation during the past decade, according to new figures released last week by the U.S. Census Bureau. The homeownership rate in Florida went from more than 73...

Insurance Carriers Plan Increased Hiring in 2015: Survey

Feb 27 2015 // About two-thirds of insurance carriers expect to hire more employees this year, a new survey finds. According to the semi-annual U.S. Insurance Labor Outlook Study conducted by The Jacobson Group and Ward Group, 66 percent...

This Winter Season Is 1 of Snowiest on Record for Boston

Feb 26 2015 // With 1.9 inches of snow overnight on Tuesday, Boston has now received more than 100 inches of snow this winter. The National Weather Service reported Wednesday that the snowfall as recorded at Logan International Airport...

Starr Eyes Cuba Travel Insurance Market For Growth

Feb 26 2015 // Maurice “Hank” Greenberg’s Starr International Co. is pursuing growth in Cuba as the U.S. eases decades-old restrictions on visiting the country. Starr’s travel assistance unit could provide...

RSA’s Restores 2014 Profit and Dividend; CFO Plans to Step Down

Feb 26 2015 // RSA Insurance Group plc reported its first full-year profit since Stephen Hester took charge, restoring dividends after a string of asset sales and cost-cutting measures. Pretax profit was 275 million pounds [$425.9...

As Health Data Goes Electronic, Medical ID Theft Increases

Feb 26 2015 // Medical identity theft jumped 22 percent last year as more U.S. health data becomes electronic and easier for cyber criminals to steal from doctors’ offices, hospitals and insurers. Incidents of medical identity...