Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Florida Insurers Need Rate Increases, Says Rating Expert
Jul 21 2010 // Florida’s property/casualty insurers appear to have adequate reinsurance and capital in place to withstand at least two major storms this season but their overall fate could hinge on whether they are allowed to raise...
Private Firm WSI Cuts U.S. Hurricane Forecast to 19 Named Storms
Jul 21 2010 // Private weather forecaster WSI Corp cut its forecast for named storms in the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season on Tuesday, but still sees an active season with water temperatures and wind conditions conducive to violent...
New York Approves Increase in Workers’ Comp Loss Costs
Jul 21 2010 // New York insurance regulators have approved a 7.7 percent hike in workers’ compensation loss costs — an increase that will go into effect in October. The New York Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (NYCIRB),...
Gulf Coast Fishermen Angered By Clean-Up Offset Against BP Claims
Jul 20 2010 // Fishermen in Mississippi say they are angry that under the terms of BP’s $20 billion oil spill fund, money they earn doing clean-up will be subtracted from their claim against the company. The fishermen reacted after...
Ohio Auto, Homeowners Insurance Rates Increase Slightly in 2009
Jul 20 2010 // Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson announced that the average rates for the state’s top 10 private passenger auto insurers increased 2.8 percent in 2009. The average rates for the state’s top...
Despite Soft Market, Texas Agencies Manage to Grow
Jul 20 2010 // They’re all different — one’s big city; one’s suburban; one’s country; one’s small-to-medium size town. They operate in different parts of the state and have different mixes of business,...
Moody’s Downgrades Ireland’s Sovereign Debt Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jul 19 2010 // Moody’s downgraded Ireland’s sovereign bond rating by one notch to Aa2 on Monday, citing weaker growth prospects and the high costs of rebuilding the country’s crisis-hit banking system. The rating...
Small Businesses Pay 33% of Rising Tort Costs Out-of-Pocket
Jul 19 2010 // A new study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that small businesses shoulder a sizable burden of the nation’s tort liability costs, having paid $105.4 billion in 2008 – a third of it out of their own...
North Carolina Crime Rate Down
Jul 16 2010 // Law enforcement officials say North Carolina’s crime rate in 2009 was the lowest in a quarter-century. The statistics released by the office of Attorney General Roy Cooper show particlar improvements in violent...
S&P Concludes Takaful, Retakaful Insurance to Continue Growth Trend
Jul 14 2010 // Standard & Poor’s has concluded that, following a “positive year” in 2009, the “takaful and retakaful (Islamic insurance and reinsurance) sector is likely to continue to grow in...
Survey: Risk Managers More Concerned About Total Cost of Risk
Jul 14 2010 // Corporate risk and finance managers, faced with the lingering effects of a global financial crisis, dramatically downsized staffs and reduced budgets are becoming increasingly concerned about managing those expenditures as...
AIG Board to Consider AIA’s Future; IPO Seen Most Likely Option
Jul 13 2010 // The board of American International Group is set to meet this week to consider the future of its AIA unit, with a public float seen as the most likely outcome, sources said on Tuesday. An initial public offering of AIA,...
Marsh Tool Gives Clients Real Time Insurance Purchasing, Pricing Trends
Jul 12 2010 // Insurance broker Marsh has unveiled a real-time, on-demand industry benchmark reporting service available to its clients and prospects. Available through Marsh’s Global Benchmarking Portal, the new service provides...
Small Businesses Pay 33% of Rising Tort Costs Out-of-Pocket
Jul 9 2010 // A new study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that small businesses shoulder a sizable burden of the nation’s tort liability costs, having paid $105.4 billion in 2008— a third of it out of their own...
IMF Raises 2010 World Wide GDP Forecast; Flags European Risks
Jul 8 2010 // The International Monetary Fund upgraded its 2010 global growth forecast on Thursday, citing robust expansion in Asia and renewed U.S. private demand, but warned the euro area’s debt crisis posed a big risk to...
Brokers in London Market Survey ‘More Positive’ about Lloyd’s
Jul 8 2010 // “Brokers are now significantly more positive about conducting business at Lloyd’s than two years ago,” according to a survey of the Lloyd’s market from part of the Gracechurch London Market Study...
New York Workers’ Compensation Fund Premium, Accounts Down
Jul 7 2010 // For 2009, the New York State Insurance Fund reported workers’ compensation premium of $1.31 billion and disability benefits premium of $16.6 million. The competitive fund wrote 41 percent of the state’s...
Fraud Bureaus Report Sharp Rise in Fake Health Plans
Jul 7 2010 // Bob Harper thought he’d found a better health-insurance deal. The Oklahoma man bought coverage from an outfit called American Trade Association (ATA). The price seemed affordable, and he thought he’d save...
Michigan Auto Insurance Rates Rise
Jul 6 2010 // The median six-month auto insurance rate in Michigan has increased approximately 5.4 percent over the last six months to reach $688, according to online insurance provider InsWeb. InsWeb also reported some findings of...
Coastal Trends
Jul 5 2010 // As the hurricane season gains momentum, a new U.S. Census Bureau report, Coastline Population Trends in the United States: 1960 to 2008, helps put into perspective the number of Americans living along the coast who could...
