Insurance Journal

FWD to Buy Majority Stake in Malaysian Insurer Ahead of Planned IPO

FWD Group Holdings Ltd., the pan-Asian insurance company owned by Hong Kong billionaire Richard Li, has agreed to buy a majority stake in Gibraltar BSN Life Bhd., a move that allows it to tap into the Southeast Asian market’s growth …

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

Orderly Runoff Didn’t Work. Florida’s United P&C Now Insolvent, Headed for Liquidation

Just days after some 90,000 policies from troubled United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. were transferred to Slide Insurance as part of a wind-down of the carrier, it was announced that UPC is officially broke and will soon be liquidated. &#82...

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

Orderly Runoff Didn’t Work; Florida’s United P&C Now Insolvent, Headed for Liquidation

Just days after some 90,000 policies from troubled United Property & Casualty Insurance Co. were transferred to Slide Insurance as part of a wind-down of the carrier, it was announced that UPC is officially broke and will soon be liquidated. &#82...

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

Washington Man Ordered to Repay $127K in Workers’ Comp Scam

A Washington contractor who claimed he was too injured to work despite reportedly running his own construction company was ordered to pay back the state more than $127,000. Daniel Joseph Lesieur, of Washougal, pleaded guilty to felony second-degree t...

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

5 Key Takeaways From INTRCONNECT 2023

This post is part of a series sponsored by CoreLogic. Explore key concepts about actions you can take to future-proof your business In January, the CoreLogic® Protect team hosted its first-ever INTRCONNECT™ conference where hundreds of property insur...

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

As Salaries Skyrocketed, Satisfaction Improved in 2022

Insurance agency personnel on average made more money in 2022 and employees reported higher satisfaction with their compensation in 2022 than in 2021, a year when satisfaction fell, according to the latest Agency Salary Survey, published annually by...

Posted: Feb 20, 2023

Insurance Advertising and Regulators

Anyone who has read this column for the past four years, or earlier articles of mine, knows that I am passionate about my disdain for the proliferation of price-focused industry advertising. I believe it creates or fuels the perception in …

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

When Mother Nature Strikes; Working Together to Mitigate Natural Catastrophe Risk: AM Best Webinar

By Jahna Jacobson Climate change is contributing to increasingly intense natural catastrophes that leave larger and larger losses in their wake. What steps can the insurance industry take to prevent losses, protect clients, and ultimately create a sa...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Agency Salary Survey: Employee Pay Spikes As Agency Talent Pool Shrinks

On the heels of the lowest U.S. unemployment rate in 53 years, insurance agency employees across the nation reported the highest salary and compensation percentage increases in the history of Insurance Journal’s annual Agency Salary Survey. Age...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

California Earthquake False Alarm Offers a Lesson for Crisis Communicators

By Don Jergler An earthquake false alarm nearly four years ago can teach disaster and emergency planners – and any crisis communicators, including insurers – a thing or two about communicating to the public during and following a crisis....

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

New York Gov. Hochul Vetoes Wrongful Death Damages Bill

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a measure that would have expanded wrongful death benefits after her late bid for amendments was rejected by the sponsors of the bill. In vetoing the Grieving Families Act, Hochul called for more study …

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Global Commercial Insurance Rates Rise 4% in Q4, Continuing Moderating Trend: Marsh

Global commercial insurance prices increased 4% in the fourth quarter of 2022, down from a 6% increase in Q3 and a 9% increase in Q2, which is a continuation of a trend of moderating increases that began in Q1 2021, …

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Why a Focus on Development Is Critical to Retaining Talent

The insurance industry’s talent problems are no longer looming, they are here. While it may take many components to find a potential solution to this problem, one area that should get our immediate focus is employee development. According to th...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

3 Steps to Driving Sales Growth During a Recession

As 2023 moves into the second quarter, intense speculation surrounds us as to how the economy will perform for the rest of this year and into next. Many economists predict that the Federal Reserve’s dramatically tightened monetary policy &#8212...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

‘A Tale of Two Halves’ for Insurance Mergers, Acquisitions in 2022

Last year was a tale of two halves for insurance mergers and acquisitions. OPTIS Partners reports 987 agency mergers and acquisitions were announced in 2022 — down 8% from 2021. A significant rise in interest rates and economic uncertainty may...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Allstate’s Plan to Return to Profit in Auto

By Chad Hemenway Following a year of turbulence in its auto insurance business, Allstate Corp. outlined what CEO Tom Wilson called the company’s number one priority: improve margins. Allstate ended 2022 with an unprofitable 110.1 combined ratio...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

How Social Inflation Is Impacting the Architects, Engineers Market

Social inflation has been a hot topic across the insurance industry over the last few years as claims frequency and severity continue to increase across nearly every line of business. While some lines, such as commercial auto and general liability &#...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Marketing Data Can Reduce AI Bias in the Insurance Industry

Just a decade ago, the idea that artificial intelligence (AI) might play a role in everyday insurance practices may have sounded far-fetched. As a legacy industry with longstanding ways of doing things, many insurers kept to traditional practices eve...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

FedEx Loses Bid to Undo $366M Racial Bias Verdict, Files Appeal

By Jonathan Stempel A U.S. judge rejected FedEx Corp’s request to throw out or reduce a jury’s $366 million damages award to a Black former employee who said the package delivery company fired her after she complained about racial discrim...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Employee Engagement

This issue reveals data and compensation insights gathered from Insurance Journal’s annual Agency Salary Survey. For the first time in the survey’s 14-year history, salary averages reported were higher than any other years’ data. (S...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Young Voices Reflect on Industry Talent Crisis

By Allen Laman It’s no mystery: The insurance industry is experiencing a monumental shift. A 2021 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce forecasted that nearly 400,000 insurance industry employees were expected to retire from the insurance in...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Rising Costs of Secondary Perils Force Reinsurers to Require Higher Attachment Points

By L.S. Howard Economic and insured losses from secondary perils from natural catastrophes are accelerating and surpassing the loss totals from primary perils, leading reinsurers to require higher attachment points, according to Gallagher Re. “...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Home Heating Oil Leak Is Covered Due to Pollution Ambiguity, Rhode Island Court Rules

The Rhode Island Supreme Court for the first time has found the definition of pollution in a commercial policy ambiguous enough to justify vacating a lower court’s summary judgment in favor of the insurer. The insurer, Arbella Protection Insura...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Surplus Lines Risk Factors

A generation has passed since the last hard market and a substantial proportion of the people employed in agencies today have never experienced one. This means they have never dealt with surplus lines in such large volumes as we see …

Posted: Feb 19, 2023

Livestock Operations Grow as Demand Rises; Nationwide’s Cumings Sees Direct-to-Consumer Models Addin...

By Allen Laman Specialization is critical in the cattle business and increased consumer demand for protein is driving new trends, including niche farms that offer direct-to-consumer strategies. In today’s evolving and growing livestock landscap...

Posted: Feb 19, 2023