Latest Trends Headlines

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

Acapulco’s Economic Losses Seen at $15 Billion as Hurricane Otis Death Toll Rises

Oct 26 2023 // Hurricane Otis left a trail of destruction in Acapulco after tearing into the historic Mexican beach town with wind speeds of 165 miles (266 kilometers) per hour, smashing shops and wrecking apartment buildings and...

Texas Cities Struggle to Quit Coal Power as Demand Rises and Market Incentives Favor Fossil Fuels

Oct 23 2023 // Two dates in recent memory have shaped the uncertain future of the Fayette Power Project, a coal-fired power plant near La Grange.First, on March 26, 2020, the Austin City Council approved an emissions-reduction plan that...

Report: ‘Climate-Exacerbated Wildfires’ Cost U.S. $394B-$893B Each Year

Oct 23 2023 // “Climate-exacerbated wildfires” cost the nation $394 billion to $893 billion each year in economic costs and damages, according to a Congressional report out this week.The range combines estimates from existing...

UK Staff Coming Into the Office Now Outnumber Hybrid Workers: Survey

Oct 23 2023 // British workers coming into the office every day outnumber those who spend part of the week working from home, for the first time since the end of pandemic restrictions.A survey by recruitment company Hays Plc of nearly...

Uber Driver Must Face Injury Claim for Picking Up Passenger 2 Feet From Curb

Oct 19 2023 // Uber and one of its New York drivers who failed to pull within a foot of the curb when picking up a passenger must face a negligence lawsuit after all.A lower court had dismissed the negligence suit against Uber and the...

Startup Climeworks Battles Big Oil for the $1 Trillion Future of Carbon Capture

Oct 19 2023 // Most everyone who’s committed their career to solving the climate crisis comes to the field because they have something they want to save. It’s the mountains for Christoph Gebald, whose startup, Climeworks AG,...

Travelers Q3 Net Income Down 11% on Catastrophe Losses, Reserve Development

Oct 18 2023 // Third quarter net income at Travelers Cos. fell 11% compared to the prior-year quarter to $404 million on higher catastrophe losses and unfavorable reserve development.As one of the first insurers to report quarterly...

UK Commercial Property Defaults Rise as Rate Hikes Hit Borrowers

Oct 17 2023 // The number of soured commercial real estate loans has begun to rise in the UK as the rapid increase in interest rates feeds through to property valuations.The overall default rate on UK commercial real estate debt reached...

Florida Citrus Forecast Improves Over Last Year When Hurricanes Hit State

Oct 16 2023 // The forecast for Florida citrus, the state’s signature crop, is expected to improve in the upcoming season compared to last year when twin hurricanes battered the state at the start of the citrus season, according to...

AM Best Tweaks State Farm Outlook to Negative After Weather, Regulatory Issues

Oct 16 2023 // The AM Best financial rating firm has downgraded its outlook for multiple State Farm insurance companies due to weather losses and regulations that the rating firm said hinder the insurance giant’s ability to...

Rising Claims Costs Limit US P/C Profitability in 2023: Swiss Re

Oct 16 2023 // While the profitability outlook for the U.S. P/C industry this year is mixed, Swiss Re predicts a stronger year in 2024, as premium increases and interest rates improve industry results.According to the U.S. Property &...

Homeowners Face Rising Insurance Rates as Climate Change Makes Wildfires, Storms More Common

Oct 16 2023 // A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report...

Report Examines 10-Year California Workers Comp Payment Trends

Oct 16 2023 // Average paid losses on California workers’ compensation lost-time claims fell immediately after legislative reforms of SB 863 took effect a decade ago, but then gradually increased up until the pandemic hit,...

3 Emerging Risks to Watch: Rising Lumber Costs, Solar Flares, Underground Climate Change

Oct 16 2023 // The risk landscape is seemingly ever-expanding. While the insurance industry faces the familiar — yet more costly — severe weather activity, there may be new risks emerging below the surface and above the...

Redefining ‘Protection’ to Build a More Resilient Future

Oct 16 2023 // Most American consumers and business owners share concerns about the year ahead as economists debate whether a soft or hard landing is in store for the U.S. These concerns, driven by sticky inflation and rising interest...

The Connectivity Challenge and the Future of Insurance Agents

Oct 16 2023 // Connecting the insurance ecosystem through the power of technology could answer the decades-old problem of duplicate entry for agents. Agents still must navigate through multiple carrier portals to complete a single quote,...

Insurers Prioritizing Profit Over Growth: Exec Survey

Oct 13 2023 // Nearly half of 400 insurance executives responding to a recent survey said their current priorities center on improving profitability rather than growing their businesses.Forty-eight percent of participants reported they...

Marsh McLennan Names Tomlinson President, Future CEO of Mercer

Oct 12 2023 // Effective today, Pat Tomlinson has been named president of Marsh McLennan’s Mercer, and will succeed Mercer CEO Martine Ferland upon her retirement March 31, 2024.In the meantime, as president, Tomlinson will report...

Summit: Big Picture Trends Driving Insuring Cannabis Conditions

Oct 12 2023 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tvCertain exclusions that were once prevalent in cannabis insurance seem to be eroding, possibly a sign of some good news for businesses in the industry. A group of experts gathered during...

Summit: Insuring Cannabis Specialists Talk Trends, Risks and Coverage Challenges

Oct 11 2023 // Powered by InsuranceJournal.tvUnique vapes, infused cocktails and even personal hygiene items — the variety of new and emerging cannabis products is a clear sign the industry is maturing and innovating. And more...