Latest Trends Headlines

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

Texas Q1 Surplus Lines Premium Up 20% Over 2020, Stamping Office Says

Apr 29 2021 // The Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas (SLTX) reported that the state has seen record-breaking premiums in the first quarter of 2021, with a total of $2 billion in premium representing a 20.1% increase over the same...

Pain, Loss Linger A Decade After Tornadoes Hammered 6 States Across South

Apr 28 2021 // For Tom Sanders, it’s the void left by the death of a cousin and the man’s wife, killed when a tornado mowed through a placid Alabama valley. To Markedia Wells, it’s the stolen innocence of her sons, who...

Insuring Cyber Podcast: Social Engineering Risks Rising, but Cyber Coverage Still Lacks

Apr 28 2021 // The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the work environment in many ways, and cyber experts say one unfortunate result of the switch to remote work is an increase in cyber crime, particularly around social engineering...

Supreme Court Smacks Down Pro Wrestlers’ Appeals on Head Injury Claims

Apr 27 2021 // The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeals of several former pro wrestlers who claimed in lawsuits that World Wrestling Entertainment failed to protect them from repeated head injuries that led to...

Roadway Work Zone Fatalities Increased by 9% in Texas in 2020

Apr 27 2021 // The number of Texas work zone fatalities increased by 9% in 2020 compared to 2019, according to state transportation officials.Drivers and their passengers account for the majority of those who have died in work zone...

Texas FAIR Plan Rate Increase Filings Approved

Apr 26 2021 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has approved the FAIR Plan’s rate changes. The changes resulted in overall statewide average rate increases for homeowners, dwelling, condominium and renters policies.On Jan....

Report: 2020 A Record Year for Overdose Deaths in West Virginia

Apr 26 2021 // The number of fatal drug overdoses in West Virginia hit a record last year, according to preliminary state data showing at least 1,275 residents died.The increase comes after two years of declining numbers in a state often...

California Governor Wants Ban on New Fracking by 2024

Apr 26 2021 // Gov. Gavin Newsom said said California will stop issuing fracking permits by 2024 and halt all oil drilling by 2045, using his authority to take on the state’s powerful oil and gas industry in a year he will likely...

Cyber Attacks and Data Loss Are Top 2 Risks Facing Directors & Officers: WTW Survey

Apr 23 2021 // Cyber attacks and data loss are the top two risks facing directors & officers, with pandemic-related changes in working practices heightening these concerns, according to a global survey from broker Willis Towers...

For Some Buyers, Commercial Insurance Market Is Going to Get Better, Easier: Willis

Apr 23 2021 // North American buyers of commercial property/casualty insurance can expect an “ever-so-slight turn for the better” and a “less difficult marketplace” in the months ahead.However, global broker...

Up to 40% of Losses from Frost Damage at French Vineyards Are Uninsured

Apr 23 2021 // PARIS – Frost damage to French vineyards this month could reduce wine production by nearly a third compared with recent years, farm office FranceAgriMer said on Thursday, citing initial estimates from wine producers.The...

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Positive for Convex Group’s Subsidiaries

Apr 23 2021 // AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of “a-” of Convex Insurance UK Ltd. and Convex Re...

Climate Change Could Cut Global GDP by 18% by 2050 – If Nothing Is Done: Swiss Re

Apr 22 2021 // If nothing is done to combat climate change, global temperatures could rise by 3.2°C within the next 30 years, shrinking the world economy by 18%, according to new research from Swiss Re, which was rolled out on Earth...

Insurers Prefer Private Equity Investments over Hedge Funds: Survey

Apr 22 2021 // LONDON — Insurers want to put more money into private equity this year while scaling back on hedge funds, a survey by Goldman Sachs Asset Management showed on Wednesday.Private equity was the most-favored asset class...

Goldman Survey: Insurers Favoring Private Equity Over Hedge Funds

Apr 22 2021 // Insurers want to put more money into private equity this year while scaling back on hedge funds, a survey by Goldman Sachs Asset Management showed on Wednesday.Private equity was the most-favored asset class for insurers...

Appalachian Underwriters Expands into Life Insurance Market with Fintech Ethos

Apr 21 2021 // Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) has partnered with life insurance provider Ethos to offer the coverage via the fintech’s online platform.Agents can now quote customers’ life insurance without medical...

Lemonade Revving Up to Enter Car Insurance Market

Apr 20 2021 // Lemonade, the insurance company that uses artificial intelligence and behavioral economics, plans to add car insurance to its current renters, homeowners, pet and life insurance offerings in the U.S.The insurtech announced...

UK Car Insurance Premiums Drop to Lowest Level Since 2015: WTW Survey

Apr 20 2021 // The cost of a comprehensive car insurance policy in Britain slumped 14% in the first quarter of 2021, to their lowest level since 2015, as different phases of lockdowns in the country kept motorists off the streets, a...

With Claims Rising, Cyber Insurers Need More Than Sizable Rate Increases: Fitch

Apr 20 2021 // Cyber insurance underwriters are reporting substantially higher claims losses in 2020 than in prior years and as a result face increasing profit pressure.insurers will have to achieve both significant premium rate...

North Carolina Dwelling Rates to Increase by 7.6%; Mobile Home Request in Dispute

Apr 19 2021 // The North Carolina Department of Insurance has ended its legal dispute with the North Carolina Rate Bureau on its proposed 18.7% dwelling insurance rate increase, averting a potentially costly administrative battle with...