Insurance Journal

AM Best Revises Outlooks to Negative for Virginia’s Loudoun Mutual Insurance Co.

AM Best has revised the outlooks to negative from stable of Loudoun Mutual Insurance Co. of Waterford, Virginia based on the “deterioration in Loudoun’s underwriting and operating performance” in recent years and corresponding &#822...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Business Moves: NSM Completes Sale of Commercial Division to New Mountain Capital; Compre Buys Covea...

Specialty insurer NSM Insurance Group said it has completed the sale of its U.S. commercial insurance division to investment firm New Mountain Capital. The agreement includes NSM’s portfolio of 15 niche insurance programs across property/casual...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

China Bans ‘Smart’ and ‘Autonomous’ Driving Terms From Vehicle Ads

China is banning automakers from using the terms “smart driving” and “autonomous driving” when they advertise driving assistance features, and it will tighten scrutiny of such technology upgrades. The mandate on vehicle advert...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Lloyd’s Broker Charged Over Alleged Ecuador Bribes

UK fraud cops have charged an insurance broker with bribery, after a four-year probe into alleged corruption involving state-run insurance contracts in Ecuador. The Serious Fraud Office accused United Insurance Brokers Ltd. of failing to prevent asso...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Viewpoint: A Favorable Prognosis—Healthcare at the Forefront of Cyber Risk

Healthcare organizations continue to find themselves at the forefront of cyber risk. Exposures such as IT supply chain dependencies, website tracking litigation, ransomware attacks, new security regulations, and data breach class actions put healthca...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

In Last-Minute Reversal, US Agency Extends Support for Cyber Vulnerability Database

U.S. officials will extend support for 11 months for a database of cyber weaknesses that plays a critical role in fighting bugs and hacks, a spokesperson said on Wednesday, just as the funding was due to run out. The expected …

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Potential Tariff Auto Severity Impact on Travelers: Single-Digits or Less

Wildfire losses obscured what executives of Travelers described as outstanding underlying results for the insurer’s first quarter—and looking ahead, the company is well-positioned to face the impacts of macroeconomic uncertainty, the chief exec...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

NC Committee Approves Bill to End Education Requirements for Insurance Agents

A North Carolina House of Representatives committee voted Wednesday to do away with educational course requirements for insurance agent licenses, a move that could help address what has been called a shortage of producers in the state. “It&#821...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Florida’s Anchor Insurance is Reborn as Patriot Select With $29M in Capital

It was once known as Anchor Property & Casualty Insurance Co., based in St. Petersburg, Florida, and launched in 2014. Then it was known as another Florida carrier that had slipped into financial troubles and was placed into an orderly …

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Truck Driver Acquitted in Bikers’ Deaths Sentenced for Prior Impaired Driving Charge

A commercial truck driver who was acquitted in the 2019 deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire pleaded guilty and was sentenced Monday for driving under the influence in Connecticut a month before the deadly crash — an offense that …

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

New York Inspector Uncovered $2.7 Million in Workers’ Compensation Fraud in 2024

New York State’s Inspector General said her office identified $2.7 million in workers’ compensation fraud in 2024, a nearly 30% increase compared to 2023. Inspector General Lucy Lang also reported there were 14 arrests for workers’...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

NTSB Faults ‘Failure’ in Training Before Deadly Newark Cargo Ship Fire

The Newark fire department’s lack of training and familiarity with marine firefighting during a deadly cargo ship fire at the East Coast’s largest port in July 2023 amounted to a “failure of leadership,” the head of the Nation...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

California Sets Aside $170M to Thin Vegetation, Forests to Help Prevent Wildfires

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation on Monday that will provide more than $170 million in state funding to help prevent wildfires while signing an order aimed at speeding up the work by easing environmental permitting. The funding — which &#8230...

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Judge Blocks Trump’s Freeze on Climate, Infrastructure Grants

A U.S. judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration on Tuesday from freezing billions of dollars in grants Congress authorized under climate investment and infrastructure laws of his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden....

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

People Moves: Samsom Named Commissioner of Vermont Financial Regulation

Vermont Governor Phil Scott recently announced several leadership appointments including Kaj Samsom as commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR). Prior to his appointment, Samsom served as chief auditor at the National Life Group....

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Tesla Slumps Below 50% Share of California’s Electric Car Market

Tesla Inc. is no longer selling the majority of new electric cars registered in California, the state that accounts for almost a third of all zero-emission vehicle purchases in the US. The company’s share of EV sales in the state …

Posted: Apr 17, 2025

Accelerating Policy Issuance: How Expert Insured Gets MGAs and Wholesalers Ready to Go Live in Days

This post is part of a series sponsored by Expert Insured. In the fast-paced insurance landscape, time is critical. For MGAs and wholesalers, delays in policy issuance can mean missed opportunities and increased costs. Built on over 15 years of &#823...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

FEMA Denies Washington State Disaster Relief From Bomb Cyclone, Governor Says

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied Washington state’s request for emergency relief funds to help repair an estimated $34 million in damage from a deadly bomb cyclone storm system in November, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson. Ferg...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

US Excess & Surplus Lines Boosts London Market Re/Insurers’ Topline Growth

The U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market continues to offer profitable growth opportunities for insurers and reinsurers in the London market – which could help counteract some possible headwinds, according to a report from AM Best. “E...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

US Excess & Surplus Lines Boost London Market Re/Insurers’ Topline Growth

The U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market continues to offer profitable growth opportunities for insurers and reinsurers in the London market – which could help counteract some possible headwinds, according to a report from AM Best. “E...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

Group Sues California Department of Insurance Over FAIR Plan Surcharges

A consumer advocacy group has sued the California Department of Insurance and Commissioner Ricardo Lara to block hundreds of millions of dollars in surcharges that could soon appear on California homeowners’ insurance bills. Consumer Watchdog s...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

Louisiana Lawmakers Tackle Insurance Affordability Crisis in Legislative Session

The Louisiana legislative session is underway this week in Baton Rouge, where lawmakers are primed to address the state’s insurance affordability crisis. Governor Jeff Landry and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple both have made it clear that in...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

California’s Newsom to Sue Over Trump’s Tariffs

California Governor Gavin Newsom said his state is suing to halt Donald Trump’s tariffs, setting up a high-stakes legal challenge to the president’s landmark effort to overhaul global trade. The state will file a complaint Wednesday in Sa...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

California’s Newsom Sues Trump Over ‘Chaos’ of Tariff Regime

California Governor Gavin Newsom sued to halt Donald Trump’s tariffs, setting up a high-stakes legal challenge to the president’s landmark effort to overhaul global trade. The state is challenging Trump’s use of emergency powers to...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025

Kentucky Tobacco Warehouse Manager Indicted in Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme

Prosecution of widespread crop insurance fraud in Kentucky has continued with the indictment of a tobacco warehouse manager who allegedly facilitated some of the schemes. Thomas H. Kirkpatrick, manager of Farmers Tobacco Warehouse in Danville, conspi...

Posted: Apr 16, 2025