Latest Trends Headlines

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

Fitch Revises Cincinnati Financial’s Outlook to Positive From Stable

Oct 16 2024 // Fitch Ratings has affirmed the ‘A+’ (Strong) Insurer Financial Strength (IFS) ratings for Cincinnati Financial Corporation’s (CINF) three property/casualty insurance subsidiaries and its life insurance...

Average Weekly Wage Increase Bumps California Workers’ Comp Benefits for 2025

Oct 16 2024 // California’s State Average Weekly Wage rose nearly 3.8% in the year ending March 31, resulting in an increase in California workers’ compensation temporary total disability and permanent total disability rates...

AM Best Revises Outlook to Positive for Kansas’ Upland Mutual

Oct 15 2024 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Upland Mutual Insurance, Inc....

Fitch Expects Insurance Industry Losses of Up to $50B From Milton

Oct 11 2024 // Fitch Ratings expects Hurricane Milton to cause between $30 billion and $50 billion in insured losses to push total industry losses in 2024 above $100 billion for the fifth straight year.The range of losses expected by...

Severity of Ransomware Attacks Rose 68% in First Half of 2024, Report Shows

Oct 11 2024 // Ransomware claims severity spiked by 68% to an average loss of $353,000, according to a new report by a cyber insurance provider.Coalition published its 2024 Cyber Claims Report: Mid-Year Update, which details emerging...

Russian Strikes on Ukraine’s Ports Push Up Insurance Rates: Market Sources

Oct 10 2024 // A series of Russian missile strikes on Ukrainian Black Sea port infrastructure and commercial vessels has led to a jump in insurance costs and forced some shipowners to cancel bookings, insurance sources and a broker said...

Hurricane Milton Could Use Up P/C Insurers’ 2024 Catastrophe Budgets

Oct 10 2024 // S&P Global Ratings said potential losses from Hurricane Milton could fully deplete the 2024 natural catastrophe budgets for rated U.S. property/casualty insurers, affecting underwriting margins and earnings.In a report...

Munich Re Specialty to Enter Spanish Insurance Market

Oct 10 2024 // Munich Re Specialty announced it is entering the Spanish commercial market for primary specialty insurance, with an aim to begin underwriting in 2025.It has set up a Spanish branch of Munich Re Risk Solutions Ireland Ltd.,...

Intersys Expands in UK Insurance Market With Launch of London Office

Oct 9 2024 // Intersys, the UK-based provider of cyber risk management solutions, announced its expansion in the UK insurance market with the opening of an office in Leadenhall Market in London.Intersys’ London office will serve...

Russia and Iran Are Ramping Up Threats to UK, Spy Chief Warns

Oct 9 2024 // Threats to the UK from Russia and Iran and the danger posed by the Islamic State group have increased in recent months, according to the head of Britain’s domestic spy agency.Ken McCallum, the director-general of...

WCIRB: California Workers’ Comp Written Premium in 2023 Was up Slightly

Oct 9 2024 // California workers’ compensation written premium in 2023 was slightly above 2022, while written premium for the first six months of 2024 is 2% lower than the first six months of 2023, a new report shows.The...

American Water Reports Cyber Incident; Shuts Down Customer Portal

Oct 8 2024 // New Jersey-based American Water, which runs water treatment, transmission, wells and other water facilities for 14 states, has reported a cyber incident. The company has deactivated its customer portal, MyWater, as a...

The Rapid Growth of the Surplus Lines Market – What’s Brewing Podcast (Episode 3)

Oct 8 2024 // This post is part of a series sponsored by IAT Insurance Group. In this episode, EVP of Excess and Surplus Coy Rudd discusses marketplace conditions, IAT Insurance Group’s appetite and growth, and recent successes...

Auto Insurers Face Rising Repair Costs, EV and Tech Complexity in 2025: Report

Oct 7 2024 // Amid inflation and labor shortages, the growing impact of electric vehicles (EVs) and rising repair costs, insurers and repairers will have a bumpy road to navigate in the year ahead, according to CCC Intelligent Solutions...

Hurricane Kirk’s Remnants Forecast to Hit Europe Later This Week

Oct 7 2024 // The remnants of Hurricane Kirk are forecast to hit northwest France on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and gale-force winds.Hurricane Kirk peaked at Category 4 storm over the Atlantic last week, but is weakening as it heads...

US Nuclear Verdicts Break Records and Drive Social Inflation to 7% in 2023: Report

Oct 7 2024 // Nuclear verdicts in the United States are breaking records with 27 court cases each awarding compensation of more than $100 million during 2023, according to Swiss Re executives.Social inflation in the U.S. rose to 7% in...

Helene-Soaked Florida Faces New Threat: Up to a Foot of Rain

Oct 4 2024 // One week after Hurricane Helene barreled ashore, Florida is bracing for another round of heavy rainfall and strong winds from a tropical system brewing in the Atlantic.The potential storm could bring as much as a foot of...

AccuWeather Increases Estimate of Helene’s Economic Loss to $225B-$250B

Oct 4 2024 // AccuWeather has increased its estimate of the total damage and economic loss from Hurricane Helene in the U.S. to between $225 billion and $250 billion.The range makes Hurricane Helene one of the most damaging and...

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Farmers Insurance of Flemington

Oct 2 2024 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) of Farmers Insurance Company of...

Dellwood Insurance Says AIG’s ‘Ginned-Up Claims’ Must Be Dismissed

Oct 2 2024 // The legal squabble between American International Group (AIG) and a startup-up formed by some former employees continued this week with another filing from Dellwood Insurance Group in support of its motion to dismiss...