Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Flights Pick Up in Europe As Ash Risk Is Lowered
Apr 21 2010 // European airports started to return to life on Tuesday after five days cut off from the rest of the world by a volcanic ash cloud, but some countries were more cautious after reports a new cloud might be on its way. The...
Saudi Arabia Insurance Sector Poised for Growth
Apr 20 2010 // Saudi Arabia’s insurance industry is poised for growth in the coming years if customers overcome misgivings about compliance with Islamic law and companies consolidate to gain critical mass. The world’s top oil...
State Farm Sues TDI; Files to Increase Homeowners Rates in Louisiana
Apr 19 2010 // State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Insurance after the state agency took the unprecedented move of publicizing on its Web site recent rate hike proposals by the...
Sweethearts in Crime: Rise in Married Couples in Securities Fraud
Apr 16 2010 // Jeffery Stone and his wife Janette Diller Stone, one-time operators of a now-defunct New York investment firm called Crescent Fund, are not on any government most wanted list. And they aren’t exactly hiding, either....
Oregon Medical Malpractice Rates Decline
Apr 16 2010 // For the fourth year in a row, most physicians and surgeons in Oregon will see a decline or no change in medical professional liability insurance rates, according to rate changes reviewd by the state Department of Consumer...
P/C Industry’s Net Income Up $25B in 2009; Combined Ratio Improves
Apr 15 2010 // The U.S. property/casualty industry’s profitability as measured by their rate of return on average policyholders’ surplus (or statutory net worth) increased by 5.8 percent in 2009, while private P/C...
Colorado House Bill Aims To Increase Insurance Fraud Fighting Fund
Apr 12 2010 // The Colorado House has passed a bill to increase funding to help fight insurance fund by surcharging insurance companies. Insurers currently are charged $425 annually, and House Bill 1385 that amount to $561. Revenue from...
North Dakota Workers’ Comp Agency Proposes 3% Rate Increase
Apr 9 2010 // North Dakota’s workers compensation agency is proposing a 3.3 percent average increase in its rates, starting in July. Agency director Bryan Klipfel says most of the increase is because of North Dakota’s rising...
Earnings Pressure Encouraging Corporate Fraud in India: Survey
Apr 6 2010 // The incidence of corporate fraud, particularly financial statement fraud, is rising in India, largely due to pressure to meet earnings targets and weak internal control systems, a survey by consultancy KPMG showed. More...
How P/C Agents Can Increase Sales through Employee Benefits
Apr 5 2010 // Broaden Your Agency’s Reach Through Education and Marketing In today’s still challenging economic environment, employees are increasingly looking at employee benefits as a way to strengthen their personal...
S&P Affirms AIG’s Ratings; Outlook Still Negative
Apr 2 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘A-/A-1’ counterparty credit ratings on American International Group Inc, as well as its ‘A+’ counterparty credit and financial strength...
Survey: Midwest Economy Shows Modest Growth Trends
Apr 2 2010 // Business conditions in the Midwest are generally on an upward swing, according to a survey of supply managers and business leaders in the region. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group, directed by Creighton University...
S&P Revises Outlook to Stable on Zurich Operating Companies
Apr 1 2010 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has revised the outlooks on the various operating entities of Switzerland’s Zurich Financial Services (collectively ZFS) to stable from negative. ZFS...
FERMA Survey Polls Commercial Buyers for Feedback to Insurers
Apr 1 2010 // The Federation of European Risk Management Associations (FERMA) announced that it is presently conducting, “a wide-ranging, risk management benchmarking survey,” aimed at compiling data to let insurers know...
State Farm Files to Increase Homeowners Rates in Louisiana
Mar 31 2010 // State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. has filed an average 9.9 percent rate increase request for homeowners coverage in Louisiana, according to the Associated Press. State Farm is Louisiana’s largest home insurer with...
Last Chance to Join IJ’s 2010 Agency Salary Survey
Mar 30 2010 // Insurance Journal is calling on all insurance agents and brokers nationwide to find out who’s worth what in the independent agency system. It’s the last chance for agents and brokers to participate in the 2010...
Terrorism Insurance Market in State of Uncertainty
Mar 30 2010 // The threat of terrorism in the U.S. is rising but the future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) is in question. At a time when top U.S. officials warn of an imminent attack that might be hard to prevent, the...
Best Affirms Hartford’s ICR – Outlook Negative; Other Ratings Affirmed
Mar 29 2010 // A.M. Best Co. affirmed the issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb+” of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. with a negative outlook. The rating agency also affirmed the FSRs of ‘A’ (Excellent)...
Nurse Practitioner Liability Claims Costs Rising 2.3% a Year: CNA HealthPro
Mar 29 2010 // The average indemnity and expense payments in nurse practitioner liability claims have increased at a rate of 2.3 percent per year over the past 10 years, according to an insurer’s review of...
Study: Road Woes Cost North Carolina Drivers $1,350 a Year
Mar 26 2010 // North Carolina’s big-city motorists are losing nearly on average the cost of a tank of gas every week to pay for their troubles from pot holes, longer waits in traffic and perilous roads. A national transportation...
