Latest Trends Headlines

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

Cyber Security: Global Risk and Rising Complexity

Jul 6 2009 // Multinationals are fighting a battle on two fronts when it comes to cyber security as they seek to fend off new, emerging security threats and also comply with evolving global regulations. These emerging security threats...

Starr Teams up with Talbot, QBE for Construction Risks through Lloyd’s

Jul 1 2009 // Starr Underwriting Agents Limited and Starr Specialty Lines Insurance Agency, LLC, both subsidiaries of C. V. Starr & Co., Inc. announced that they can now offer additional capacity of up to $75 million “through...

Study Forecasts Deaths, Injuries After GM, Chrysler Bankruptcies

Jun 26 2009 // More than 3,400 Americans will be injured or killed by a defective Chrysler or General Motors vehicle during the first year of the car makers’ bankruptcies, according to a report by a consumer safety advocacy...

Willis is Positive for Future of Offshore Wind Insurance Market

Jun 25 2009 // A team of Willis Group Holdings has concluded that “insurers are increasingly seeing offshore wind as an attractive investment area with considerable growth potential.” The conclusion comes just ahead of the...

Best Affirms Wind River Re’s ‘A’ Ratings, Stable Outlook

Jun 25 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a” of Bermuda-based Wind River Reinsurance Company, Ltd. and its U.S....

Lawyer Says Alabama Agent Trying to Clean Up Ex-Employees’ Fraud

Jun 24 2009 // The lawyer for a Gulf Shores insurance agent has asked state officials to grant her a probation period to allow her to make repayments to customers victimized by fraud. Richard Lively said that revoking the license of...

Study: Number of Customers Shopping for New Insurance Providers Declines

Jun 24 2009 // Good news for insurers and their agents. Fewer insurance customers are shopping for another insurance provider — 28 percent, compared with 36 percent in 2008. Across the industry, 90 percent of auto insurance...

A.M. Best Lower Outlook for Boston’s Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp.

Jun 19 2009 // A.M. Best has revised the outlook to negative for Boston-based insurer Plymouth Rock Assurance Group. Despite the outlook downgrade, A.M. Best Co. affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit...

House Divided Over Future of Insurance Regulation

Jun 18 2009 // House lawmakers are divided about how to supervise the insurance industry as Congress reviews the Obama administration’s blueprint for a broad overhaul of the nation’s financial rule book. Rep. Paul Kanjorski,...

A.M. Best Downgrades State Farm Florida; Outlook Negative

Jun 18 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to B (Fair) from B+ (Good) and issuer credit rating to “bb” from “bbb-” of State Farm Florida Insurance Co. The rating agency’s...

S&P Affirms Max Cap’s Ratings – Off CreditWatch; Outlook Positive

Jun 17 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB-‘ counterparty credit rating on Max Capital Group Ltd. and removed it from CreditWatch, where it was placed on March 2, 2009.The outlook on...

Red Cross Report Confirms 2008 Rise in Weather-Related Disasters

Jun 17 2009 // A global trend towards increasing weather-related disasters was confirmed in 2008, the second deadliest year in the past decade for natural catastrophes, an annual Red Cross report said Tuesday. The number of people...

Minnesota Workers’ Comp Claims Fall, But Cost Per Claim Rising

Jun 17 2009 // Minnesota’s Department of Labor and Industry has released its annual “Annual Minnesota Workers’ Compensation System Report,” that indicates the number of paid workers’ compensation claims fell...

Obama Administration White Paper Outlines Views on Insurance Sector

Jun 17 2009 // The U.S. Treasury department today issued a white paper entitled, Financial Regulatory Reform: A New Foundation. The following is an excerpt from the report on insurance: Enhance Oversight of the Insurance Sector Our...

Some Alabama Pool Rates to Rise July 1

Jun 15 2009 // Rates for some coastal property owners insured through the residual market insurance organization known as the Alabama Beach Pool are going up July 1. The overall average hike will be 5.5 percent, according to the Alabama...

Marsh Survey Finds Financial European Risk Management Budgets Stagnant

Jun 11 2009 // A survey, conducted by Marsh and the independent research group Ipsos, has concluded that almost all European financial institutions have reviewed their approach to risk since the onset of the global financial crisis,...

Details of Democrats’ Health Care Reform Plan Emerging

Jun 10 2009 // Leading Senate Democrats unveiled Tuesday a plan to reshape U.S. healthcare that calls for sweeping insurance market reforms and prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging more due to medical history. The measure...

Best Affirms Everest Re’s ‘A+’ Ratings; Stable Outlook

Jun 10 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of the Bermuda-based Everest Re Group, Ltd.’s reinsurance and...

Marsh Warns of ‘Perfect Storm’ in UK Construction PI Insurance Market

Jun 9 2009 // According to Marsh’s London Office, “the UK architectural, engineering and construction sector is facing a ‘perfect storm’ which could leave many firms facing increasing risks at a time when the...

Oregon Tracks Workers’ Comp Payment Trends

Jun 5 2009 // Oregon’s Department of Consumer and Business Services has published a report examining trends in medical costs during 2000-2007. According to the report, for the period studied, total workers’ compensation...