Latest Underwriting Headlines
All the headlines from our Underwriting Topic Page, ordered by recency.
The New Insurers: This Time, They’ll Do It The Right Way
Jul 5 2004 // ‘Clean Slate’ U.S. P/C Insurers Learn from Sins of Their Predecessors In the summer of 2001, the hard cycle had already arrived for the U.S. property/casualty marketplace. Prices were trending up as experts...
Brokers Urged to Avoid Surprises in Lawyers’ E&O at PLUS Symposium
Jul 5 2004 // The news that the market for lawyers’ liability coverage is softening may not be surprising but the questions that today’s insurance underwriters ask about law firm accounts might be, attendees at a recent...
Have Catastrophe Risks’ ‘Bring ‘Em On!’ Says Specialized Writer ICAT
Jul 5 2004 // The map shows a thin blue line skirting the edge of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts from Louisiana around Florida and all the way up to Maine to highlight the hurricane states. The blocks of red across the Western territories...
Brokers Urged to Avoid Surprises in Lawyers E&O
Jul 5 2004 // The news that the market for lawyers’ liability coverage is softening may not be surprising but the questions that today’s insurance underwriters ask about law firm accounts might be, attendees at a recent...
LLOYD’S UNDERWRITERS SUE USAIG, MEMBERS:
Jul 5 2004 // A number of Lloyd’s of London underwriters filed a lawsuit June 15 against an aircraft insurance group and several of its members, alleging the group refused to assist in the defense of companies involved in a deadly...
Insurers Scramble to Keep Up with ‘Morphing’ Media Liability
Jul 5 2004 // PLUS Symposium in Philadelphia Zooms In On 24/7 Media Exposures The media liability insurance field resembles a highway “with lots of roadside attractions” including exposures from reality TV shows, video...
This Time, We’ll Do It The Right Way
Jul 5 2004 // New U.S. P/C Insurers Learn from Sins of Their Predecessors In the summer of 2001, the hard cycle had already arrived for the U.S. property/casualty marketplace for all lines of coverage. Prices were trending up as experts...
National Specialty Underwriters Opens Chicago Office
Jun 30 2004 // Bellevue, Wash.-based wholesaler and program administrator National Specialty Underwriters Inc. has opened a new branch in Chicago. NSU specializes in insurance for the hospitality and health-care industries, as well as...
P/C Industry’s Q1 Net Income Doubles
Jun 29 2004 // The U.S. property/casualty industry’s net income after taxes rose to $13.3 billion in first-quarter 2004 from $6.5 billion in first-quarter 2003 as insurers posted an underwriting profit for only the second time...
PLUS: More Cooperation, Knowing Labor Laws and Better Underwriting Measures Needed to Stop Lawsuits
Jun 25 2004 // Effective litigation, cooperation, greater understanding of labor laws and meaningful communication are reportedly the keys to preventing lawsuits. Underwriters need to find out if HR understands state labor laws, whether...
Platinum Underwriters Holdings Appoints Fisher
Jun 24 2004 // Bermuda-based Platinum Underwriters Holdings Ltd. appointed Joseph Fisher to the position of executive vice president and CFO. Fisher has more than 20 years of experience in the property and casualty industry, including...
Applied Underwriters Appoints Ferenc as Chairman; Menzies as President
Jun 22 2004 // Applied Underwriters, based in San Francisco, Calif., has announced the appointment of Sidney R. Ferenc as chairman of the board, and Steven M. Menzies as president. Ferenc assumes the position of chairman, while...
A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of Allianz Insurance Group and Fireman’s Fund
Jun 22 2004 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) of Allianz Insurance Group (Allianz), which consists of Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Allianz...
That’s Entertainment Disability Insurance
Jun 21 2004 // Twenty years ago, no one envisioned top entertainers earning $20 million for a single film, or for 90 days of work. Unusual work schedule aside, the dollars involved in protecting these individuals creates a unique...
Best Affirms Employers Re, Westport ‘A’ Ratings; Lowers Medical Protective; Revises Outlook to Stable
Jun 16 2004 // A.M. Best Co. announced that it has affirmed the financial strength ratings of “A” (Excellent) of Employers Re Corp Group and Westport Insurance Corporation of Jefferson City, Mo. The bulletin noted that the...
AmWINS Appoints Vaccaro as Specialty Underwriting Division President
Jun 16 2004 // Charlotte, N.C.-based American Wholesale Insurance Group (AmWINS), one of the nation’s largest independent wholesale insurance broker, has announced the appointment of Stephen J. Vaccaro Jr. as president of its...
Zenith Files Registration Statement for Underwritten Secondary Offering of Common Stock
Jun 16 2004 // Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Zenith National Insurance Corp. announced that, at the request of Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited’ it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement...
Barnes Joins American Underwriting Managers
Jun 15 2004 // Texas-based American Underwriting Managers announced that Phyllis K. Barnes has joined the company as marketing director. Barnes has more than 10 years of experience in the surplus lines field. She was previously...
Wellington to Acquire AXA’s U.S. Specialty Lines
Jun 9 2004 // London-based Wellington Underwriting plc, a major Lloyd’s underwriter, has announced plans for expansion into U.S. Specialty business through the proposed acquisition of AXA Corporate Solutions Excess and Surplus...
American Professional Liability Underwriters Makes Pair of Promotions
Jun 8 2004 // Florida-based American Professional Liability Underwriters Inc. has announced a pair of promotions within the company. Robert Kenney has been named as president. Kenney has been with AmPro since 1996, and was formerly vice...
