Latest Trends Headlines

All the headlines from our Trends Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Report: Cost of Prescriptions in Workers’ Comp on The Rise

Jun 3 2024 // While overall utilization is trending downward, cost of prescriptions in workers’ compensation is on the rise, driven by “high-dollar topical agents” that primarily come from out-of-network channels, as...

Firefighters Battle California Wildfire With Hot Weather in the Forecast

Jun 3 2024 // Firefighters battling a California wildfire burning east of San Francisco have increased containment on the fire, but hot weather is in the forecast for the next few days.Nearly 500 firefighters, along with several air...

CIAB: Commercial P/C Premiums Increase 7.7% in Q1 2024

Jun 3 2024 // Overall commercial property/casualty premiums increased slightly for all account sizes to 7.7% on average in the first quarter 2024, according to The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers’ Q1 Market Survey.With the...

Nuclear Verdicts Surge to $14.5 Billion in 2023, Report Shows

Jun 3 2024 // Nuclear verdicts of at least $10 million reached a 15-year high in 2023, while 27 verdicts were “thermonuclear,” or more than $100 million, according to a new study by research firm Marathon Strategies.The...

Social Inflation Key Factor in Rise of Loss Severity: AM Best

Jun 3 2024 // Loss severity for many U.S. casualty lines of insurance business has exceeded economic inflation over the past decade, indicating other factors are influencing claims costs for indemnity and expense payments, according to...

Popular South Carolina Country Music Venue Shuts Down After 29 Years Due to Liquor Liability Insurance Costs

Jun 3 2024 // A popular country music venue in Greenville, South Carolina, has closed its doors after almost 30 years, citing the cost of liquor liability insurance in the state.The Blind Horse Saloon, known for hosting some well-known...

American National Exiting Homeowners Insurance Market

May 31 2024 // Following its announcement several months ago to leave the homeowners insurance business in nine states including California and Louisiana, American National appears to be exiting the line in all states.According to a...

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Stable, Affirms Excellent Ratings for MEMIC Group

May 31 2024 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to stable from negative and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a” (Excellent) of workers’ compensation...

‘Cautiously Optimistic’ on Florida: Defense Costs Down, but Reinsurance Still a Drag

May 31 2024 // Analysts with the AM Best financial rating firm and other stakeholders are cautiously optimistic about the resurrection of the Florida property insurance market, 18 months after state lawmakers approved monumental...

NC Commissioner Rejects Proposed 83% Mobile Home-Fire Rate Increase

May 30 2024 // North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey has scheduled a 2025 hearing date after rejecting the NC Rate Bureau’s request for an 83% average rate increase in mobile home fire policies and a 50% increase in...

SambaSafety and The National Alliance Unveil 2024 Driver Risk Report: Key Trends Shaping Automotive Mobility

May 30 2024 // Austin, TX, May 30, 2024 – The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research has partnered with SambaSafety, a leading provider of cloud-based risk management solutions, to release a new research report,...

Survey: Mid-Market Leaders Peg Cyber, Economy and Regulation as Top Concerns

May 30 2024 // Business leaders place cybersecurity, the economy, regulatory challenges and global instability among their top concerns for the coming year, fueled by factors such as AI, climate change, nuclear verdicts and political...

People Moves: Specialist Aviation MGA Itasca Names John as CEO, Succeeding Zolotusky; DUAL Group Appoints Allianz’s Sayce as Group Head of Emerging Products

May 29 2024 // This edition of International People Moves details appointments at aviation specialist Itasca MGA Ltd. and DUAL Group, Howden’s MGA subsidiary.A summary of these new hires follows here. Specialist Aviation MGA Itasca...

Tokio Marine Forecasts ¥1 Trillion 2024 Profit; ‘Drastic’ Growth Ahead

May 28 2024 // In Japanese yen, the profit figure that Tokio Marine Holdings projects for 2024 is ¥1 trillion. While the forecast may seem less extraordinary in U.S. dollars of roughly $6.7 billion, either way it’s a 40% jump over...

Medicare: 5 Compliance Trends to Look for in Plan Year 2025

May 28 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync.In 2024, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced changes to the rules it sets for Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and Part D insurance...

Insurers Are Working to Shore Up the $2 Billion Carbon Offset Market

May 24 2024 // Data fraud, questionable accounting practices and intensified catastrophes are just some of the issues that have battered the voluntary carbon market.Those misfortunes have helped spur a new line of business: Insurance...

California Advances Legislation Cracking Down on Auto Theft, Stolen Goods Resellers

May 24 2024 // The California Senate approved a bipartisan package of 15 bills this that would increase penalties for organized crime rings, expand drug court programs and close a legal loophole to make it easier to prosecute auto...

A.M. Best: Rapid Premium Growth Warrants Greater MGA Oversight

May 24 2024 // Though A.M. Best remains bullish on the delegated underwriting authority enterprises (DUAEs) market, it remains cautious of the risk managing general agents (MGAs) bring to insurers.In its latest market segment report, the...

NOAA Chimes in With Prediction of Above-Average Atlantic Hurricane Season

May 23 2024 // The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) today predicted an 85% chance of an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with up to 25 named storms.“The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected...

UK’s Aviva Posts 16% Rise in Q1 General Insurance Premiums

May 23 2024 // Aviva posted a 16% rise in general insurance gross written premiums to 2.7 billion pounds ($3.44 billion) in the first quarter, helped by strong performance in Britain.Life and general insurer Aviva, which has its main...