Latest Underwriting Headlines

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

Frequency Down but Severity Still a Problem for Medical Liability Insurers

Apr 20 2009 // Like just about any company anywhere on earth, medical liability insurers lost money on their equity investments in 2008 due to the meltdown in the U.S. and worldwide economies in the latter half of the year. However, for...

P/C Insurers Profitable in 2008 Despite Big Hits From Catastrophes, Financial Crisis

Apr 20 2009 // Property/casualty insurers remained profitable in 2008 despite taking hits from several catastrophes, the recession and the ongoing financial crisis. P/C insurers earned $2.4 billion in net income after taxes in 2008, but...

P/C Insurers Profitable in 2008; Take Hit From Catastrophes, Financial Crisis

Apr 9 2009 // Property/casualty insurers remained profitable in 2008 despite taking hits from several catastrophes, the recession and the ongoing financial crisis. P/C insurers earned $2.4 billion in net income after taxes in 2008, but...

Nautilus Names Miali AVP, Property Underwriting

Apr 6 2009 // Nautilus Insurance Group named Thomas Miali as assistant vice president-property underwriting. Miali joins Nautilus from a reinsurance company where he served as vice president. His background includes managerial positions...

People

Apr 6 2009 // The Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut Inc. (PIACT) elected new officers. They are: President James Goodman, who is president of Goodman Insurance Inc. in Shelton; President-elect Howard Olderman, who is...

6 Steps to Take Before the Soft Market Hardens

Apr 6 2009 // Most insurance professionals detest a soft market because of the increase in competition, unreasonably low pricing and increased market vulnerability. Some, however, may appreciate a softening precisely because of the...

6 Steps to Take Before the Soft Market Hardens

Apr 6 2009 // Most insurance professionals detest a soft market because of the increase in competition, unreasonably low pricing and increased market vulnerability. Some, however, may appreciate a softening precisely because of the...

6 Steps to Take Before the Soft Market Hardens

Apr 6 2009 // Most insurance professionals detest a soft market because of the increase in competition, unreasonably low pricing and increased market vulnerability. Some, however, may appreciate a softening precisely because of the...

6 Steps to Take Before the Soft Market Hardens

Apr 6 2009 // Most insurance professionals detest a soft market because of the increase in competition, unreasonably low pricing and increased market vulnerability. Some, however, may appreciate a softening precisely because of the...

6 Steps to Take Before the Soft Market Hardens

Apr 6 2009 // Most insurance professionals detest a soft market because of the increase in competition, unreasonably low pricing and increased market vulnerability. Some, however, may appreciate a softening precisely because of the...

D&O Insurance for Early-Stage Venture-Backed Firms:

Apr 6 2009 // Even for established companies with proven track records, the current directors and officers (D&O) insurance market is challenging. For early-stage companies, present underwriting practices for D&O insurance...

Bolt to Join Lloyd’s as New Underwriting Performance Director

Mar 27 2009 // Lloyd’s announced that Tom Bolt has been appointed as the new Underwriting Performance Director, effective early this fall. He will take over from Rolf Tolle who will retire at the end of the year.Bolt has more than...

Swett & Crawford Names Peterson to Head New Auto Program

Mar 23 2009 // Swett & Crawford appointed Robert Peterson as program manager for a new product, the Swett & Crawford Program for Contractors Auto, to be marketed with its carrier partner, Travelers Companies Inc.Before joining...

Ironshore Names Kostro as Vice President of New Underwriting Unit

Mar 20 2009 // Bermuda-based Ironshore Inc. has appointed Susan Kostro as vice president in charge of running its newly created Program underwriting facility. Kostro, who will be based in Boston, will develop and manage Program business,...

Main Street America Reports $44 Million Underwriting Profit in 2008

Mar 16 2009 // Florida-based Main Street America Group reported it achieved a $43.6 million underwriting profit in 2008, the largest in its 85-year history and 38 percent higher than its 2007 underwriting profit of $31.7 million.The...

Beazley Group Adds U.S. Builders Risk, Engineered Risk Capabilities

Mar 13 2009 // Beazley Group plc, an insurer of construction and engineering risks in the Lloyd’s market, has established a builders risk and engineered risk capability in the United States.Builders risk, commonly known as...

Best Says 2009 Global Non-Life Reinsurance Outlook Remains Stable

Mar 4 2009 // A.M. Best Co. said it is “maintaining a stable outlook in 2009 for the global reinsurance sector for the third consecutive year. This current outlook implies that the majority of 2009 reinsurer rating actions are...

State Farm: $6.3B P/C Underwriting Loss, $2.1B Operating Loss in 2008

Feb 27 2009 // The net worth for the State Farm group decreased in 2008 by $10.4 billion to end the year at $53.3 billion, the company reported.The primary reason for the decrease was the $9.2 billion decline in the value of the...

SeaBright Revenue Up 5.2% in Q4; Up 5% for Year-End 2008

Feb 25 2009 // SeaBright Insurance Holdings Inc., based in Seattle, Wash., reported net income for the fourth quarter 2008 increased 2.3 percent year-over-year, to $10.2 million compared to net income of $10.0 million for the same period...

S&P Affirms XL and Subsidiaries Ratings; Outlook Remains Negative

Feb 12 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has affirmed its ‘BBB+’ counterparty credit rating on XL Capital Ltd. and its ‘A’ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings on XL’s core...