Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Commercial Insurance Rates Were Up 5% Again in May: MarketScout
Jun 5 2013 // The average composite rate for commercial property/casualty insurance in the U.S. was up five percent for May 2013. This marks the third month in a row for a five percent increase, according to MarketScout’s...
Midwest, Plains Economy Still Growing Steadily: Survey
Jun 4 2013 // A monthly survey of business leaders suggests the economy in nine Midwest and Plains states will continue growing steadily over the next few months. The overall economic index for the region declined slightly to 56.2 in...
XL Launches Unit Dedicated to Reinsurance in Emerging Global Markets
Jun 4 2013 // XL Group announced that it is expanding its reinsurance operations with the creation of a “dedicated Reinsurance Global Emerging Markets unit to optimize development in these markets.” XL has named Philippe...
Property Crime Down, Violent Crime Up in 2012: FBI
Jun 3 2013 // The nation experienced a 1.2 percent increase in the number of violent crimes and a 0.8 percent decline in the number of property crimes in 2012 when compared with data from 2011, the FBI said. Violent crime increased in...
Best Affirms MAPFRE USA and Group Members Ratings; Outlook Negative
Jun 3 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of the members of MAPFRE USA GROUP. The lead company in MAPFRE USA is The...
Order Up – The Restaurant Franchise Program Market
Jun 3 2013 // One industry segment ideal for the program market and somewhat immune to the effects of a battered economy is the fast-food, multi-unit restaurant franchise industry, the experts say. The larger a company grows, the slower...
More Severe Weather and Tornadoes Forecast For Oklahoma, Ozarks
May 31 2013 // More dangerous weather, spawning baseball-sized hail and tornadoes, was predicted for Oklahoma and parts of the Ozarks on Friday after more than a dozen reported twisters in Oklahoma and Arkansas on Thursday, U.S....
Best Revises Outlook on Travelers and Most Subs to Positive; Affirms Ratings
May 31 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to positive from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa” of the property/casualty...
A.M. Best Revises Ohio’s Buckeye Outlook to Negative
May 30 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable of Piqua, Ohio-based Buckeye State Mutual Insurance Co. and its insurance affiliates. The ratings firm also affirmed the financial strength rating of B+ (Good)...
Survey Says Texting While Driving Common Among N.J. Drivers
May 29 2013 // New Jersey auto insurance group Plymouth Rock Assurance has released a distracted driving study this week that found approximately 50 percent of passengers polled have asked a driver to stop texting while the car was in...
S&P Updates Allstate and Subs Ratings; Outlook Revised to Stable from Negative
May 29 2013 // Standard & Poor’s Rating Services announced that it has completed a review of Allstate Corp. and, under its revised insurance criteria, has affirmed the ‘A-‘ issuer credit rating on the holding...
After Years of Increases, Florida Property Insurance Rates May Be Stabilizing
May 29 2013 // It’s been nearly eight years since Hurricane Wilma raked the southern end of Florida and caused billions in damages, the last of eight hurricanes to hit the state in 2004 and 2005. Yet even as the state has been...
Lloyd’s Report Highlights Solar Storm Threat as Emerging Risk
May 23 2013 // “A large solar storm could leave tens of millions of people in North America without electrical power for several months, if not years, potentially costing trillions of dollars,” according to Lloyd’s...
S&P Assesses Insurance Industry and Country Risk Shaping Insurance Markets
May 23 2013 // A report by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services notes that “for the two main insurance sectors, life and property/casualty (P/C), overall industry and country risks are, on average, much lower in developed...
Best Affirms Montpelier Re and Holding Co. Ratings; Outlook Stable
May 22 2013 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a” of Montpelier Reinsurance Ltd. As well as the ICR of “bbb” and debt...
S&P Affirms AXIS Capital and Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable
May 22 2013 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit and senior debt ratings on AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd., as well as the ‘A+’ counterparty credit and financial...
Willis ILS Report: Q1 2013 Sees $1.6 Billion in New Cat Bond Issuance
May 22 2013 // The first quarter of 2013 saw $1.6 billion of new issuance in non-life capacity marketed through five catastrophe bond transactions, including three transactions marketed in the first quarter and closed at the beginning of...
Medical Malpractice Payouts Not Driving Up Health Costs: Study
May 20 2013 // Efforts to lower health care costs in the United States have focused at times on demands to reform the medical malpractice system, with some researchers asserting that large, headline-grabbing and “frivolous”...
CEA’s First CIO Reflects C-Suite Trend
May 20 2013 // Technology veteran Todd Coombes’ approach to his new job as the first chief information officer for the California Earthquake Authority is to keep an enterprising yet cautious eye on the risks and rewards that...
Emerging Markets to Lead in Insurance Growth: Munich Re
May 17 2013 // Emerging markets will see the highest growth in premiums for insurance companies this year and next, while Europe lags, according to the world’s biggest reinsurer, Munich Re. In a study published on Thursday, Munich...
