Insurance Journal

Germany Passes Law Legalizing Personal Use of Cannabis

German lawmakers approved a controversial bill legalizing personal use of cannabis, paving the way for controlled consumption of the drug from April 1. The legislation introduced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government — a first step toward a pl...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

People Moves: QBE Promotes Shallow to Executive Director for International Markets; DUAL UK Taps All...

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at QBE’s International Markets division and Howden’s DUAL. A summary of these new hires follows here. QBE Names Shallow to Executive Director for International Markets QBE an...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Trinidad and Tobago’s Government Confirms Fuel Oil Is Leaking off Tobago’s Coast

Trinidad and Tobago’s government on Friday confirmed the refined product leaking from a barge that struck a reef and overturned off the coast of Tobago was tested and determined to be a type of fuel oil. The leak, which remains …

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Risk Models Behind Insurance-Linked Securities Are Getting a Lot Harder to Crack

As the best hedge fund strategy of 2023 becomes a magnet for mainstream investors, the risk models it relies on are getting a lot tougher to crack. The strategy in question is tied to insurance-linked securities, which are dominated by …

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Houthi Attack on Ship Led to ‘Environmental Disaster,’ US Says

The missile attack by Houthi militants on a ship carrying a cargo of fertilizer has led to an “environmental disaster” in the Red Sea, US Central Command said Friday evening. Hours later, Central Command reported that American forces had...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

GM’s Cruise Prepares to Resume Robotaxi Testing After Halt

General Motors Co.’s Cruise autonomous driving unit is nearing the resumption of robotaxi testing in the coming weeks, with Houston and Dallas emerging as potential locations, following the grounding of its fleet last year, according to people...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Warren Buffett Says Berkshire ‘Built to Last’ Though Eye-Popping Gains Are Over

Warren Buffett on Saturday moved to reassure investors that his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway would serve them well over the long term, even as he mourned the recent passing of his longtime second-in-command Charlie Munger. In his widely-read annua...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

GEICO’s ‘Eye-Popping’ 2023 Insurance Profits, Falling Employee Counts

Even though Berkshire Hathaway’s latest annual report featured Warren Buffett’s forecast that the days of “eye-popping performance” for the giant conglomerate have past, readers focused on property/casualty insurance saw numbe...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Agents, Brokers Achieve Record Annual Growth in 2023

The independent insurance agent and broker channel posted an organic growth rate of 10.3% in 2023 — the highest annual level achieved since Reagan Consulting launched its quarterly growth and profitability study in 2008. According to a Reagan, at 22....

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Universities Settle Financial-Aid Antitrust Lawsuit for $166M

Dartmouth, Northwestern, Rice and Vanderbilt universities have agreed to pay a combined $166 million to resolve claims that they favored wealthy student applicants, pushing total settlements in a federal antitrust lawsuit over college financial aid p...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Higginbotham Adds 103-year-old FPH&A to the Lineup

Higginbotham, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages, has acquired Alabama-based Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, a 103-year-old agency. FPH&A was founded in 1921 and has been with some carriers for almost as long, the c...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Higginbotham Adds 103-Year-Old FPH&A to the Lineup

Higginbotham, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages, has acquired Alabama-based Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, a 103-year-old agency. FPH&A was founded in 1921 and has been with some carriers for almost as long, the c...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Alabama House Votes to Give DOI More Arrest Powers, Longer Statute of Limitations

The long arm of the Alabama Department of Insurance may be about to get a little longer, after the state House of Representatives approved bills that would exempt the department from sunset law provisions and would grant department investigators more...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

People Moves: C3 Risk & Insurance Services Promotes Shea and Morse

C3 Risk & Insurance Services, headquartered in San Diego, promoted two employees to partner positions within the firm. Doug Shea, construction practice leader, joined C3 in 2021 as its construction practice leader. He previously worked with Barne...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

AM Best Upgrades Credit Ratings of Aspire General in California

AM Best upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B++ (Good) from B+ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to “bbb” (Good) from “bbb-” (Good) of Aspire General Insurance Co. in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The outlook...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Trump Asks Judge to Suspend $83M Defamation Verdict, Arguing It Won’t Stand

Donald Trump’s lawyers asked a New York judge Friday to suspend an $83.3 million defamation verdict against the former president, saying there was a “strong probability” that it would be reduced on appeal, if not eliminated. The law...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

‘Ghost Gun’ Sellers Must Face New York Lawsuit Seeking to Ban Them

Nine companies that sell unfinished guns without serial numbers, used to make untraceable “ghost guns,” must face a lawsuit by New York’s Democratic attorney general seeking to halt their business in the state, a federal judge ruled...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Hawaii State And County Officials Seeking $1B From Legislature for Maui Recovery

Hawaii state and county officials have requested about $1 billion from the Legislature to help cover Maui wildfire recovery expenses in the near term. Gov. Josh Green’s administration had budgeted $199 million for such expenses but are now expe...

Posted: Feb 26, 2024

Georgia House Approves Bill to Let Drivers Refuse to Sign Traffic Tickets

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are seeking to change state law to say that officers don’t have to arrest people who refuse to sign traffic tickets after a church deacon died in August after initially refusing to sign a citation …

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

Sand Hole Collapse at Florida Beach Kills Child, Can Happen Around US

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The collapse of a sand hole that killed a 7-year-old Indiana girl who was digging with her brother on a Florida beach is an underrecognized danger that kills and injures several children a year around …

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

People Moves: Bridge Specialty Adds Five to Dallas Office

A group of five experienced individuals have joined the new Bridge Specialty Insurance Brokerage – Dallas office. Janie Williams, broker, brings more than 30 years’ experience to Bridge Specialty Insurance Brokerage (BSIB) Dallas. Janie’s...

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

Wisconsin Governor Signals He Won’t Sign Bill to Fight PFAS

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signaled Wednesday that he has no intention of signing a Republican bill that would spend tens of millions of dollars to address pollution from the so-called forever chemicals known as PFAS because &#82...

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

Florida Litigation Funding Bill Founders; Plan to Bar Policy Cancellations Gets Changes

Florida bills that target litigation financing, which seemed to be on their way to quick approval a week ago, have all but foundered in the state Capitol. House Bill 1179, by Rep. Toby Overdorf, and its companion, Senate Bill 1276, …

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

Aeronautical Manufacturer Fined $284K for Safety Violations at Oklahoma Plant

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited an aeronautical parts manufacturer for exposing workers to nearly two dozen safety hazards following a complaint about a lax safety environment at the compan...

Posted: Feb 23, 2024

Fidelis Insurance Holdings Sponsors New ‘Herbie Re’ Catastrophe Bond

Fidelis Insurance Holdings Ltd., the Bermuda insurance holding company, announced it has closed a new catastrophe bond via its “Herbie Re” program. This is the fifth series of notes issued by Herbie Re and will provide Fidelis Insurance H...

Posted: Feb 23, 2024