Latest Trends Headlines
All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Whitewater Rafting Businesses Face Uncertain Future After Hurricane Helene
Feb 12 2025 // ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) — After 24 years of guiding whitewater trips on the Nolichucky River Gorge for other companies, Patrick Mannion finally received a permit last year to operate his own outfitter business. But following...
Bill Aims to Drive Down New York City Taxi Drivers’ Insurance Costs. But Will It?
Feb 11 2025 // The New York City Council’s transportation committee heard testimony Monday on a proposal to lower the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage requirement for for-hire drivers from $200,000 to $50,000 per...
Smart Choice Agency Network Reports Record Growth in 2024
Feb 11 2025 // Smart Choice, a North Carolina-based firm that works with independent agencies, reported record growth, with more than 1,450 agencies joining the network in 2024. Last year marked the eighth-straight year with more than...
CFPB Disarray Puts Future Fintech, Bank Oversight Into Question
Feb 10 2025 // Less than two months ago, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was pumping out lawsuits against some of the world’s biggest firms, suing JPMorgan Chase & Co., Bank of America Corp. and Walmart Inc. within a...
First Chicago Insurance Group’s Credit Ratings Upgraded to Positive Outlook by AM Best
Feb 10 2025 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable for the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICRs) and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B (Fair) and the Long-Term ICRs of “bb”...
Florida OIR Approves Smaller Average Rate Increases for Citizens This Year
Feb 10 2025 // Just as many Florida property insurers had hoped to see a boost to the private market with a maximum rate increase for Citizens Property Insurance Corp., state regulators have slashed the rate hike by more than half. After...
Slower Growth but Surplus Lines Premiums Still Up 12% in 2024
Feb 6 2025 // The excess and surplus lines market continued to grow in 2024, with premium reaching more than $81 billion, according to annual reports from 15 state stamping offices released by the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance...
Allstate Q4 Income Up 30% Despite High Hurricane-Related Losses
Feb 5 2025 // Allstate Corp. fourth quarter net income applicable to common shareholders increased 30% to about $1.9 billion, and the insurer finished 2024 with net income of $4.6 billion compared to a loss of $316 million the prior...
UK Commits £2.65 Billion to Tackle Rising Flood Risk
Feb 5 2025 // The UK will spend £2.65 billion ($3.31 billion) on flood defenses to protect homes from the growing risks posed by climate-fueled storms and rainfall, according to a government announcement on Tuesday. The investment on...
VIDEO: Uber Backed New York Ad Targets ‘Hidden Tax’ Driving Up Insurance Costs
Feb 5 2025 // A group calling for reforms to lower insurance costs across New York has launched its first ad. The ad from newly-formed Citizens for Affordable Rates (CAR) blames “special interests in Albany” along with...
Sica Fletcher Index: Total Agency-Broker M&A Revenue Down 26% in 2024
Feb 4 2025 // The 22 acquirers that make up the Sica Fletcher Index were involved in 533 agent-broker deals in 2024, down 6% from 2023. Members completed 146 acquisitions during the fourth quarter 2024. This was 11% less than a year...
WTW Reports Net Loss in 2024 With Organic Revenue Growth of 5%
Feb 4 2025 // WTW reported net Income for the fourth quarter of 2024 of $1.25 billion, compared to net income of $623 million in the same period in 2023. However, the broker saw a net loss for the year of $88 million, compared with net...
Securities Class Actions Increase Again in 2024; AI-Related Filings Double
Feb 4 2025 // The number of securities class action filings increased for the second consecutive year in 2024, with artificial intelligence (AI)-related filings more than doubling from the previous year, according to a new report...
Tesla Sees Another Quarterly Decline in California Auto Sales Report
Feb 3 2025 // Tesla sales fell in California in the fourth quarter of 2024, bringing down overall sales of the popular vehicle further for the year, according to a new report. The California New Car Dealers Association released its...
Will Georgia Gov. Kemp’s Move to Curb Lawsuits Keep Insurance Rates From Rising?
Feb 3 2025 // Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday reiterated his simple pitch for lawsuit limits: They’ll halt rising insurance costs. The reality, though, is more complicated. Changes could reduce liability insurance costs for...
AM Best Revises Outlook to Positive for RLI
Jan 31 2025 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Superior) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings (Long-Term ICR) of “aa” (Superior) of the...
Aon Reports Organic Growth of 6% for 4th Quarter and Full-Year 2024
Jan 31 2025 // Aon reported net income attributable to shareholders of $716 million during the fourth quarter, a 44% increase from the $498 million reported in Q4 2023. For full-year 2024, net income attributable to shareholders...
Marsh McLennan Reports Organic Growth of 7% During Q4 and Full-Year 2024
Jan 30 2025 // Marsh McLennan reported fourth quarter net income of $788 million, compared with $756 billion during Q4 2023. For the full-year 2024, MMC had net income of $4.1 billion, compared with $3.8 billion reported for FY 2023....
Generali to Pay Out Over €7 Billion in Dividends by 2027
Jan 30 2025 // Assicurazioni Generali SpA plans to return more than €7 billion ($7.3 billion) in dividends and buy back at least €1.5 billion in shares by 2027, as Chief Executive Officer Philippe Donnet pursues growth in asset...
Theft and Violence in UK Retail Soar to Record Levels, Survey Shows
Jan 30 2025 // Theft and violence against retail workers in Britain soared to record levels last year and are “out of control,” driven partly by criminal gangs, according to a report published on Thursday. Industry body the...
