Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
W. Va. OKs Decreases in Westfield Insurance’s Auto, Homeowner Rates
May 25 2005 // A request by the Westfield Insurance Company for a 7.7 percent decrease in private passenger automobile rates, and a 6 percent decrease in homeowners rates, has been approved by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The...
S&P Affirms Zurich’s ‘A+’ Rating; Off CreditWatch; Outlook Negative
May 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has affirmed its ratings on the various operating entities of Swiss-based composite insurance group Zurich Financial Services (collectively ZFS), including...
S&P Revises NZ’s Simply Insurance Outlook to “Developing”
May 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services Melbourne office announced that it has revised its rating outlook on Simply Insurance New Zealand Ltd. to developing from stable. The rating remains at...
Survey: Consumerism Gaining Foothold in Group Benefits for Mich. Mid-Market
May 24 2005 // Troy, Mich.-based benefits broker McGraw Wentworth released the results of its 2005 Southeast Michigan mid-market group benefits survey. The survey compares benefit plans and trends among 465 mid-sized organizations in...
S&P Report: Negative Outlook on Swiss Insurance Market Continues
May 24 2005 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said in a recently published report that it has maintained its negative outlook on the Swiss insurance sector for both property/casualty and life. The report, “Swiss...
Survey: Half of Florida’s Homeowners Ready for Hurricane Season
May 24 2005 // More than half of Florida homeowners participating in a recent statewide survey have taken action to protect their homes from hurricanes. An even larger number recognizes the importance of the state’s building codes...
PEMCO’s Northwest Insurance Poll Notes Trends in Cell Phone Usage
May 23 2005 // According to PEMCO’s 2005 Northwest Insurance Poll, four out of five Washington drivers believe that talking on cell phones while driving should be legal only with hands-free devices, or made illegal altogether, but...
W. Va. Approves 10 Percent Decrease in State Farm Auto Policy Rates
May 23 2005 // A State Farm Insurance request for a 10 percent decrease for private passenger automobile insurance customers has been approved by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The request was submitted last month Gov. Joe...
Experts Forecast Above-Normal Hurricane Activity Again This Season
May 23 2005 // The East and Gulf coasts can expect another hurricane season that’s worse than average, according to the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Atlantic will have 12 to 15 tropical storms,...
Sarbanes Oxley Drives Up Large Companies’ Audit Costs by $1.4 Billion
May 23 2005 // Fortune 1000 companies’ auditing costs have increased by $1.4 billion collectively so far, and much of this increase is in response to the corporate governance act known as Sarbanes-Oxley, according to University of...
Experts Forecast Above-Normal Hurricane Activity Again This Season
May 23 2005 // The East and Gulf coasts can expect another hurricane season that’s worse than average, according to the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Atlantic will have 12 to 15 tropical storms,...
Hawaii Faces Doctor Shortage Due to Rising Med-Mal Premiums
May 23 2005 // Hawaii faces doctor shortages in at least two fields, obstetrics and orthopedics, because fears of lawsuits and the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance premiums are forcing some to quit. Premiums for physicians...
Sarbanes Oxley Drives Up Large Companies’ Audit Costs by $1.4 Billion
May 23 2005 // Fortune 1000 companies’ auditing costs have increased by $1.4 billion collectively so far, and much of this increase is in response to the corporate governance act known as Sarbanes-Oxley, according to University of...
The Doctors Company’s Rates Increase in Wyoming
May 20 2005 // The Doctors Company, which provides medical malpractice insurance to Wyoming physicians, has received approval from the state for a 7.3 percent base rate increase for medical malpractice insurance premiums. To be approved,...
Best Affirms FSR for United Fire & Casualty; Outlook Stable
May 19 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A (Excellent) of the property/casualty members of United Fire & Casualty Group (United Fire), which operate under a business pooling agreement. Additionally,...
The Hartford’s CEO Highlights Record Performance, Future Positioning
May 19 2005 // The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., approaching its 200th birthday, is a strong company poised to grow even stronger, with 2004 marking record performance across the enterprise, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer...
R&M: Rates Declining in U.K. Commercial Property Market, as Capacity Increases
May 18 2005 // Dublin-based Research and Markets has added a report on UK Commercial Property Insurance 2005 to their offering, which provides “an in-depth analysis of the commercial property market in the UK, analyzing the key...
AIA: Massachusetts Drivers Need a Competitive Auto Insurance Market
May 16 2005 // An auto insurance market where companies can compete on the prices charged and the products provided would benefit Massachusetts drivers, according to the American Insurance Association (AIA). AIA testified Monday at the...
Committee Votes to Carry Over AIA-Opposed Maine Premium Tax Increase
May 13 2005 // The Joint Labor Committee of the Maine state legislature has voted to carry over a proposal (LD 1021) opposed by the American Insurance Association that would increase the premium tax by 25 percent. This measure would...
Fitch Gives Berkshire Hathaway New $1.5B Debt ‘AAA’; Negative Outlook
May 12 2005 // Fitch Ratings has assigned ‘AAA’ ratings to two new issues of debt from Berkshire Hathaway Finance Corporation (BHFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (Berkshire). The newly rated debt...
