Insurance Journal

New York Workers’ Comp Board to Require Video for All Testifying in Virtual Hearings

Beginning February 2, 2026, all claimants and lay witnesses testifying in virtual hearings before the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board will be required to appear and testify by video with their faces fully visible on screen, and not j...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Grant Program Completes 100th Home

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) announced the completion of the 100th home through its OKReady, Strengthen Oklahoma Homes (SOH) Program, a significant achievement in the state’s ongoing efforts to build stronger, safer, and more resilie...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Jury Finds Agent Guilty of Twice Misappropriating Client’s Insurance Funds

A Baltimore County jury has found Michael C. Okolo, of Parkville, Maryland, guilty of two counts of insurance fraud and one count of obstruction of justice. According to Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown Okolo was found to have twice …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Trump Ban on Wind Energy Projects Ruled Illegal by Federal Judge

Less than a year after President Donald Trump banned new wind projects, a federal judge ruled the president’s executive order was illegal. US District Judge Patti Saris said Monday the order is “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to la...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

People Moves: Chubb Overseas General Insurance Promotes Shead to Head of Property; QBE Taps AIG’s Sm...

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Chubb and QBE. A summary of these new hires follows here. Chubb Promotes Shead to Head of Property, Overseas General Insurance Chubb announced that Aaron Shead has been appointed to e...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Chubb, The Hartford, Liberty and Travelers Team Up on Surety Tech Launch

Four surety companies—Chubb, The Hartford, Liberty Mutual and Travelers—announced the launch of a technology company that will feature a shared digital infrastructure to advance the surety industry. According to a brief media statement, the formation...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

National Council of Insurance Legislators Adopts Louisiana Anti-Fraud Law as New Model

A Louisiana anti-fraud law will serve as the new national model for fighting insurance fraud. The National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) has adopted Louisiana‘s amended insurance fraud law as its new national benchmark, the Louisiana...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Historic Minnesota Resort Owner Charged with Arson and Insurance Fraud

The owner of a historic Minnesota resort has been charged with arson and insurance fraud more than a year after a fire destroyed the property. Bryce Campbell, 41, of Two Harbors, Minn., was taken into custody last Wednesday in Southfield, …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Owner of Historic Minnesota Resort Charged With Arson, Insurance Fraud

The owner of a historic Minnesota resort has been charged with arson and insurance fraud more than a year after a fire destroyed the property. Bryce Campbell, 41, of Two Harbors, Minnesota., was taken into custody last Wednesday in Southfield, &#8230...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

WalkerHughes Acquires Illinois’ Benhoff Insurance Agency

WalkerHughes Insurance, a privately held, founder-led retail insurance brokerage, announced its expansion into Illinois with the acquisition of Benhoff Insurance Agency, well-established personal lines brokerage based in Breese, Illinois. Benhoff Ins...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Aviva Seeks Partner for New City of London Skyscraper Project

Aviva Plc has kicked off the search for a partner to help fund a planned new skyscraper in the heart of the City of London’s insurance district, as it aims to tempt investors willing to make a bold bet that …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Bankers Readying US IPOs at ‘Overwhelming’ Pace Ahead of 2026

Behind the scenes activity in the US IPO market is reaching a fever pitch, according to dealmakers, as companies lured by stock markets near record highs prepare to go public. The industry has been busy lining up underwriting mandates from …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

EU Strikes Deal to Weaken Corporate Sustainability Laws

The European Union reached a deal on Tuesday to scale back its corporate sustainability laws, after months of pressure from companies and governments including the United States and Qatar. The changes agreed by EU governments and the European Parliam...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Europe Agrees to Drastic ESG Cuts After US Pressure Intensifies

The European Union reached a tentative deal to slash ESG requirements, as the bloc faces intensifying pressure from the US to rein in such rules amid ever-present trade tensions. In late-night talks, representatives of member states and the EU parlia...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

CSMV Underwriting Launches in Florida: Part Brokerage, Part Program Manager

After seeing some of the frustration that insurance agents run into, the head of a well-known south Florida agency has launched a hybrid vehicle – part brokerage and part program manager. CSMV Underwriting Managers, based in Tamarac, near Fort Lauder...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Archdiocese of New York Pledges $300M to Settle Clergy Sex Abuse Claims

The Archdiocese of New York announced it is establishing a $300 million fund that it intends to use to pay for a global settlement of most of the 1,300 lawsuits it still faces from victims of clergy sexual abuse. The …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Archdiocese of New York Pledges $300M to Mediate Clergy Sex Abuse Claims

The Archdiocese of New York announced it is establishing a $300 million fund that it intends to use to pay for a global settlement of most of the 1,300 lawsuits it still faces from victims of clergy sexual abuse. The …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Japan Removes Tsunami Warnings After Powerful Quake in North

Japanese authorities ended all tsunami warnings after a powerful magnitude-7.5 quake struck off the coast of Aomori, in the northeast of the country, late on Monday. Waves as high as 70 cm (28 inches) were recorded in the region earlier, …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Swiss Insurer Helvetia Baloise to Cut Up to 2,600 Jobs Following Merger

Newly created Swiss insurer Helvetia Baloise plans to cut up to 2,600 jobs in the coming years to boost profitability, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday. Switzerland’s largest multi-line insurer, with a combined market c...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Viewpoint: Mapping Evolving Regulatory Terrain for MGAs, MGUs and Other DUAEs

As the regulatory landscape around the delegated underwriting authority enterprise (DUAE) market evolves, global authorities have introduced stricter compliance measures, risk management expectations and governance frameworks. The increasing alignmen...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Register Now for IJ’s ‘AI Tools for Agents’ Demo Day on Dec. 10

Insurance Journal’s Risky Future series will host the “AI Tools for Retail Agents” Demo Day, which offers free AI tool demonstrations designed exclusively for retail insurance agencies. The latest online event offers retail agents a...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

One of Highest Property Claims Severity Recorded in Q3 on Low Volume, Says Verisk

A new report from Verisk has found that property insurance claims volume during the third quarter 2025 was the lowest it has been in the past five years but claims severity during the period was one of the highest in …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

JD Power: Full Digital Claims Process Drives High Customer Satisfaction

Receiving adequate digital updates is one of the top drivers of customer satisfaction with the digital insurance claims process, but insurers deliver on this key performance indicator just 22% of the time. Customer satisfaction surges when the claims...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Miami’s Housing Supply Shortage Hits Affordability, Codina Says

South Florida faces a growing affordability problem as housing demand outstrips supply, according to Ana-Marie Codina, whose family firm develops master-planned communities in the region. “We definitely need more supply,” Codina said in a...

Posted: Dec 09, 2025

Verlan Files Subro Suit Against Georgia Chemical Plant After $20M Payout on Fire

About 5 a.m. on Sept. 29, 2024, an employee at the Bio-Lab chemical warehouse outside Atlanta heard a popping sound, a tell-tale sign that stored chemicals had come in contact with water and were reacting. Within 90 minutes, the huge …

Posted: Dec 09, 2025