National News

Fitch Sees 2020’s Personal Auto Insurer Profits as Unsustainable

Highly profitable sub-90 personal auto combined ratios recorded by 10 publicly traded property/casualty insurers in 2020 don’t look anything like the 106 recorded in 2016. But they’re headed in that direction, Fitch Ratings analysts suggest. Competitive pricing forces and a …

Demand for Travel Insurance Takes Off As More Destinations Require Coverage

COVID-19 insurance policies are increasingly joining passports and sunscreen as vacation staples, creating opportunities for insurers as more countries require mandatory coverage in case visitors fall ill from the coronavirus. Airline bookings are on the rise in some regions, driving …

White House Warns of Hack of Microsoft’s Outlook Email Program

The White House on Sunday urged computer network operators to take further steps to gauge whether their systems were targeted amid a hack of Microsoft Corp.’s Outlook email program, saying a recent software patch still left serious vulnerabilities. “This is …

The 2021 Insurance Landscape for Surgeons in the Wake of COVID-19

This year is looking to be one of changes and big possibilities for surgeons. While 2020 brought declines in surgical revenue and drops in patient intake, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a paradigm shift. Adaptations and innovations designed to cope with …

Sierra Specialty Launches Nationwide Agribusiness Program

Sierra Specialty has launched an agribusiness program now available in all 50 states. Sierra Specialty has sole authority to underwrite, bind, and issue policies for this program, focusing on the farming and agriculture industry. The program will target a wide …

Hacks of Microsoft Outlook Email Program Continue Despite Patch

More than 20,000 U.S. organizations have been compromised through a back door installed via recently patched flaws in Microsoft Corp.’s email software, a person familiar with the U.S. government’s response said on Friday. The hacking has already reached more places …

Judge Permits Suit Alleging Geico Overcharged Drivers During Pandemic

The auto insurer Geico Corp., a unit of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., must face a proposed class action claiming it overcharged policyholders as the coronavirus pandemic led to less driving and fewer accidents, a judge has ruled. In a …

EverQuote’s Gumennik Moves to Policygenius to Lead Marketing

Maya Gumennik, a former EverQuote and Tripadvisor executive, has joined digital personal lines insurance broker Policygenius as the company’s head of Marketing. Gumennik will oversee the company’s marketing strategy and manage the marketing team. Gumennik brings nearly a decade of …

Engineers Grade U.S. Infrastructure C- as Biden, Congress Prepare to Debate Fix

America’s infrastructure has scored near-failing grades for its deteriorating roads, public transit and storm water systems due to years of inaction from the federal government, the American Society of Civil Engineers reports. Its overall grade: a mediocre C-. In its …

Some Insurers Strengthening Virus Exclusion Language in Policies After COVID Cases

U.S. insurers are strengthening language in policies that cover business losses to protect them from future claims related to the coronavirus pandemic or other widespread illnesses that disrupt operations, industry sources say. New policies and renewals now define terms like …

National News Archives by Month