All Posts

US Finalizes New Tailpipe Emissions Limits for Heavy Duty Vehicles

Insurance Journal

The U.S. government said on Friday it was finalizing tighter tailpipe emissions standards for heavy duty vehicles like semi-trucks and buses, but the new rules would not be as strict as initially proposed in 2023. The Environmental Protection Agency...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Planck’s Leandro DalleMule Discusses the Ethics of AI in Insurance

Risk & Insurance

One of the most difficult areas for regulators trying to determine whether AI us being used ethically is the issue of transparency. The post

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Other Major US Bridge Collapses Caused by Ships and Barges

Insurance Journal

A container ship struck a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, [March 26] causing it to plunge into the river below. From 1960 to 2015, there were 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collision, with a …

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Baltimore Ship Accident Has East Coast Ports Scrambling to Absorb Cargo

Insurance Journal

Ports along the US East Coast are modifying their operations to absorb cargo diverted from Baltimore harbor, where salvage specialists are starting the daunting task of clearing debris from the destroyed Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Port of Virginia...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Viewpoint: AI Is Changing the Cyber Risk Landscape

Insurance Journal

Innovation is at the heart of the human experience, with a constant stream of new ideas and inventions changing the way we conduct business. But seismic shifts in technology don’t come all at once, or even at a steady pace—they …

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

AM Best Downgrades Ratings of State Farm General

Insurance Journal

Roughly a week after State Farm announced that it would nonrenew tens of thousands of homeowners and commercial apartment policies in California, AM Best has downgraded the company that offered those policies. Last week, State Farm cited its responsi...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

FEMA: SW Florida Stripped of Flood Insurance Discounts After ‘Improper Rebuilds’

Insurance Journal

After spiking premiums, nonrenewals and complaints about unpaid claims, more than 115,000 property owners in southwest Florida are now facing a new slap in the face after 2022’s Hurricane Ian: 25% higher flood insurance rates because local offi...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Georgia Lawmakers Approve PTSD Disability Insurance Bill with Smaller Payout

Insurance Journal

The Georgia General Assembly has approved a less-expensive version of a bill that would provide a type of disability insurance for first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The state Senate last week voted unanimously in favor o...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Oregon OSHA Fines Bend Contractor $103K for Repeated Fall Protection Violations

Insurance Journal

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division fined a Bend construction company $103,438 for repeatedly violating a requirement to provide protective systems to safeguard workers from fall hazards. The division cited Sky Ridge Construction LLC f...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Cryptocurrency Asset Platform Settles with Oregon over Violations

Insurance Journal

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation reached a settlement agreement in principle with a cryptocurrency asset platform for violating state securities regulations. The group of affiliated companies known as Abra – Plutus Financial Holdings Inc.,...

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

Baltimore Port Closure Sends Companies Scrambling to Reroute Cargo

Insurance Journal

The stunning collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge is diverting shipping and trucking around one of the busiest ports on America’s East Coast, creating delays and raising costs in the latest disruption to global supply chains....

Posted: Apr 01, 2024

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION: Unlocking Insurance Company Capital for Community Investment

Insurance Journal

Washington, D.C., April 1, 2024 – In collaboration with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Center for Community Investment (a sponsored project at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors) seeks ideas and information from insurance and reinsuranc...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Florida High Court Clarifies Things. Ruling Could Cut Damages for Bars Serving Booze to Minors

Insurance Journal

Liquor liability insurers in Florida can contemplate potentially lower loss costs on policies, after a recent state Supreme Court ruling that clarified when bars and restaurants can be held partially versus completely liable for some alcohol-related...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Survey: Most Architects and Engineers Professional Liability Rates to Rise

Insurance Journal

By Allen Laman Most insurers plan to increase architects and engineers (A&E) professional liability insurance rates for a third consecutive year, according to a new survey by Ames & Gough. The specialty insurance broker reported that the incr...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Securing Life Insurance Alternatives for Clients in War Risk Zones

Insurance Journal

Warfare has raged on our planet since man first walked upright and disputed territorial boundaries. Those battles have impacted not only the lives of those they came into direct contact with, but also those on the periphery, particularly in the &#823...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

2024 Elections to Direct Global Course for Next Decade-Plus: Marsh Specialty

Insurance Journal

More than 60 elections will be held worldwide in 2024, and the outcomes will likely affect international relationships, drive policy uncertainty and disrupt markets, Marsh Specialty leaders said in a new political risk report. “The outcomes of...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Homeowners Insurance Customers Are Not Happy

Insurance Journal

Did your homeowners insurance premium go up this year? Mine did. Of course I live just outside of Austin, Texas, where wildfire risk has risen significantly as the state battles ongoing severe drought. Even with a nearly 25% increase in …

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Lloyd’s Reports Banner Year in 2023 but “Disciplined Underwriting” Must Be Maintained

Insurance Journal

By L.S. Howard The strong 2023 results at Lloyd’s reaffirm the primacy of underwriting, “but it’s one year and therefore not a reason for complacency,” said Patrick Tiernan, chief of markets, in a market message to discuss pre...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Relationship Refresher: 5 Ways to Keep Your Professional Relationships Fresh

Insurance Journal

With technology relentlessly simplifying many parts of our business, and consolidations changing the competitive landscape as well, personal service businesses will continue to be challenged to rethink their business models in the coming years. Typic...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Solar panel popularity demands better property valuations

NU Property & Casualty 360

Many insureds want to install photovoltaic panels, but experts report inconsistencies in equipment valuations.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

NTSB Investigates Fatal Texas Ford Electric Vehicle Crash

Insurance Journal

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a fatal crash in San Antonio, Texas, involving a Ford electric vehicle that may have been using a partially automated driving system. The agency said in a statement Friday that a team of &#823...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

The Cyber Risk Pendulum

Insurance Journal

Privacy risk is so 2014, right? Ten years ago, numerous retail and healthcare companies were hit with data breaches related to the exposure of credit card or healthcare data. Given many data breach claims, which included fines by state attorney &#823...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Unlocking Success in the Insurance Industry: The Power of Account-Based Marketing

Insurance Journal

In the insurance industry, staying ahead of the competition requires innovative approaches to client acquisition and relationship management. One strategy gaining prominence is account-based marketing (ABM), a targeted and personalized approach that...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

3 Things to Know About Condo Association Boards

Insurance Journal

By Patrick Wraight The condo association takes on a special level of responsibility because of the unique form of ownership that is the condominium. To make sure we are all on the same footing, a condominium is a form of …

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

7 Reasons to Consider Program Business Opportunities

Insurance Journal

As the insurance marketplace continues to harden, many carriers may be looking to further tighten their underwriting guidelines and appetites – primarily as it relates to new business. Accounts they may have considered, quoted or written in the past...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Why You Should Offer Excess UM/UIM Coverage to Personal Auto Clients

IA Magazine

Umbrella coverage with uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) excess is insurance that pays for a client's injuries from an accident caused by the owner or operator of an uninsured or underinsured vehicle.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Cloudflare using lava lamps for secure SSL/TLS encryption

NU Property & Casualty 360

Cybersecurity is only as strong as the random data sources creating encryption keys. True randomness is found in the chaotic physical world.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Some states will see homeowners rate increases as high as 23% in 2024

NU Property & Casualty 360

The effects of climate change are putting some states that have historically had lower premiums in the line of fire for more frequent and severe weather events.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Fire Chasing May be Latest Iteration of Unscrupulous Tactics

Insurance Journal

Fire chasing may be only the latest example of some public claims adjusters and contractors using aggressive and underhanded tactics to tap into property insurance payouts. In hurricane-prone Florida, a state with more than its share of disasters and...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Property Restoration Industry: A Culture in Need of Repair?

Insurance Journal

By Jim Sams Jatiek Smith, a Bloods gang member convicted on extortion and racketeering charges in New York, blamed ruthless competition and a culture of violence in the fire restoration industry for the accusations made against him by federal prosecu...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Expert: ‘Unceasing Onslaught’ of Legal Ads Worth Your Attention

Insurance Journal

By Allen Laman Often alarming, misleading or just plain annoying – when mass tort lawsuit advertisements pop up on a TV screen, many consumers instinctually reach for the remote. An expert believes that the ads are worth your attention. “Especi...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Michigan Man Sues After Losing Eye from Ghost Gun Incident

Insurance Journal

By Corey Williams A 19-year-old Michigan man who lost his right eye after being shot with a firearm made from a ghost gun kit filed a lawsuit against his former best friend who accidentally shot him and the Pennsylvania company …

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

States with the largest discrepancies in mileage reported to insurers

NU Property & Casualty 360

The average U.S. driver travels around 13,450 miles each year, Insurify reported.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Getting the Valuation Right With Builders Risk Coverage

IA Magazine

Learn how to value projects properly and avoid coinsurance penalties.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Bridging the Life Insurance Gap: A Discussion Guide for Agents and Brokers

IA Magazine

For agents, building a relationship founded on trust with their clients is paramount, ensuring that clients feel understood and supported in navigating the complexities of life insurance.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Bridging the Life Insurance Gap: A Discussion Guide for Agents and Brokers

IA Magazine

For agents, building a relationship founded on trust with their clients is paramount, ensuring that clients feel understood and supported in navigating the complexities of life insurance.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Who's using what in P&C insurance: April 1, 2024

NU Property & Casualty 360

Insurance technology news from atNorth, ZestyAI, Ki and more.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Florida towing law tackles overbilling, other illegal practices

NU Property & Casualty 360

Unscrupulous towing operators have changed as much as $10,000 for a routine tow, the NICB reports.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Zinnia Closes Acquisition of Ebix’s North American Life and Annuity Assets

IIR

The assets acquired will become a newly formed business line within Zinnia called Life and Annuity Exchange Solutions.

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Creditors Want Court to Force Giuliani to Insure His Florida Condo Until It’s Sold to Pay His Debts

Insurance Journal

Full-time Florida residents and snowbirds aren’t the only ones having trouble obtaining insurance on their condominiums. Rudy Giuliani, the former New York Mayor and longtime attorney for Donald Trump, has told a bankruptcy judge that he can&#8...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

EEOC Charges, Enforcement, Recoveries Up in 2023: Report

Insurance Journal

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported heightened enforcement activity, charge activity and settlements in 2023, according to a recently released report on the agency’s performance during fiscal year (FY) 2023, coverin...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

M&A Due Diligence: Understanding the Issues and Solutions to the Pitfalls

Insurance Journal

Mergers and acquisitions in the insurance industry continue steadily despite a slowdown due to COVID-19 and higher interest rates. After the price and terms are negotiated and a Letter of Intent (LOI) is executed, then it is time for the …

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

U.S. E&S Sector Is Booming … But Is it Too Much Business to Handle?

Insurance Journal

The excess and surplus (E&S)lines and specialty insurance market is booming and looks set to continue its upward trajectory. The question is whether the sector currently has the resources to take advantage of these business opportunities. The fin...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024

Six Defendants to Stand Trial in Michigan Insurance Fraud Case

Insurance Journal

Six defendants will stand trial on charges alleging the group operated an auto insurance fraud scheme targeting Michigan residents involved in automobile collisions, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Anita Fox, Director of the Michigan Depart...

Posted: Mar 31, 2024