Steel prices have been anything but steady in recent years. With renewed discussions around tariffs and trade restrictions, another wave of volatility may be on the horizon. While much attention is paid to how rising material costs impact builders and …
For many years, the homeowners insurance market operated as a relatively stable and predictable sector in California. Changes were incremental, and the market largely catered to established patterns of risk and pricing. This stability, however, has been disrupted recently, with …
After a fire broke out at an Oklahoma motel in June 2020, the property owner submitted a loss claim to its surplus lines insurer – only to find the insurer denied the claim on the assertion that a commercial lines …
A growing homeowners insurance crisis for Californians is straining brokers who must work harder to get increasingly expensive and more frequently unavailable coverage for their clients, a crisis many of them blame on regulations and wildfires. Wildfires have made the …
A panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled this week that a Louisiana statute voids the formation of an arbitration clause in a surplus lines insurance contract. In its opinion, the appellate court reasoned that the general principles …
Surplus lines in Florida saw a huge increase in premium, policy count and new business for February compared to the same month last year, a spike in growth that the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office called “monumental” and “eye-popping.” The …
Florida legislation that has been called an “agents’ bill” because it could perhaps make life a little easier for insurance agents after storms, passed a major hurdle this week, moving it closer to approval by the full Legislature. But all …
The Oklahoma Insurance Department announced the adoption of the Surplus Lines Automation Suite (SLAS) for the reporting and payment of all Oklahoma surplus lines premium taxes beginning January 1, 2024. For all Oklahoma policies effective January 1, 2024, and after …
Insurance companies in Kansas will pay a reduced surplus lines tax rate beginning next year after the legislature passed a law lowering the surplus tax rate from 6% to 3% for tax years 2024 and after. Kansas insurance Commissioner Vicki …
Insurance industry rating agency AM Best has upped its view of the excess and surplus market as it continues to absorb business from the admitted market. AM Best on Monday changed its U.S. E&S outlook from “stable” to “positive,” considering …
