Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
S&P Raises Markel’s Ratings to ‘BBB’ From ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Stable
Jul 2 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has raised its counterparty credit rating on Markel Corp. to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-‘ and affirmed a stable. S&P said: “The upgrade is based on...
British Industry Survey Finds Financial Services Credit Crunch
Jun 30 2008 // “Credit crunch pain continues with sharp falls in profitability and business activity for financial services,” says a recently released Financial Services Survey from the Confederation of British Industry...
Survey: Washington Cell Phone Law Falls Short
Jun 27 2008 // While Washington drivers agree that the steady rise in cell phone usage while behind the wheel calls for changes to state law, most think the impending July 1, 2008, change making it illegal to use a cell phone without a...
Blair Urges G8 Pact to Halve Greenhouse Gas Emmission by 2050
Jun 27 2008 // Former British prime minister Tony Blair urged the Group of Eight rich nations on Friday, June 27, to agree to a global goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, despite signs top carbon emitter the United States...
S&P: Rising Claims, Competition Squeeze Canadian P/C Insurers
Jun 26 2008 // “Lack of premium growth nationwide and diminished results in the Ontario auto segment restrained results for Canadian property and casualty insurers in the past year,” according to a newly published report from...
Rates Likely to Rise for Citizens’ South Louisiana Policyholders
Jun 25 2008 // Louisiana’s “insurer of last resort” is seeking double-digit increases in homeowners rates across several southeast parishes. The state-backed Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. would raise rates...
Lloyd’s Notes Growth of Insurance Linked Securities Market
Jun 24 2008 // “Convergence between the capital and insurance markets is gaining pace and Lloyd’s insurers are at the forefront of developments,” notes an article on the Lloyd’s web site (www.lloyds.com). The...
Marsh Survey Finds ‘Risk Management Still Lacks Boardroom Clout’
Jun 24 2008 // Marsh’s recent survey of leading UK businesses has revealed that “risk management has yet to be fully integrated into the decision-making process at board level among top European businesses.” Marsh...
Reinsurers Wary of Low Returns, Reserving Trends, Storms to Come
Jun 23 2008 // Two consecutive years of record earnings in the property and casualty insurance industry driven by lower catastrophe losses and healthy investment returns, along with unforeseen risks brought on by the subprime mortgage...
China Floods Kill 55; Over 1 Million Flee Homes; More Rain Forecast
Jun 16 2008 // State media reported that 55 people have been killed and seven are missing in flooding across a broad stretch of southern China. A Sunday, June 15, report by the official Xinhua News Agency says more than 1 million people...
Law Firms Face Increased Liability Risks Warns Marsh
Jun 16 2008 // A bulletin from Marsh’s London office warns that the economic downturn in the US and many parts of Europe, caused by the contraction of readily available credit in some spheres, may well increase the incidence of...
Survey: Despite Need Only 17% of Americans Have Flood Insurance
Jun 16 2008 // Record widespread flooding across the Midwest has once again highlighted the catastrophic damages that flooding can cause. Yet a survey conducted for the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) reveals that only 17...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value for Planners, Insurers
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Hurricane Forecasts Have Limited Value
Jun 16 2008 // They May Help the Public Think About Upcoming Storms But Forecasts Have Been Largely Misused by National Media, Says One Expert Each April, weather wizard William Gray emerges from his burrow deep in the Rocky Mountains to...
Brokerage Stocks Down; M&A Activity Continues at Strong Pace but Slower Than 2007
Jun 16 2008 // Stock Prices: The brokerage sector as a whole is down 3 percent for the year. Among middle-market brokers, Arthur J. Gallagher’s (NYSE:AJG) stock has faired well compared to peers Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO), down...
Exclusive Survey, Part 1: Strengths and Weaknesses – What Agents Think of Regional and National P/C Insurers
Jun 16 2008 // Where Regional P/C Insurers Beat Out Nationals … and Where Nationals Outperform Regionals Regional carriers rate better in underwriting experience, relationships and stability as well as in customer service and agency...
Swiss Re Study Analyzes Rising Disaster Costs; Role of Risk Transfers
Jun 13 2008 // A new study from Swiss Re examines the rising impact of natural disasters, which is “driving up the cost of disaster relief and reconstruction for the public sector, especially in developing countries where insurance...
Best Affirms Am Trust Group Ratings; Revises Outlook to Positive
Jun 13 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of the New York-based AmTrust Group. The ratings also “apply to...
Olympus Insurance Decreases Homeowners Rates in Florida
Jun 12 2008 // Olympus Insurance Co. of Orlando, Fla., lowered its homeowners insurance rates, most notably in inland counties and for newer homes. The lower rates will have greatest effect on 33 inland counties across Northern and...
