Intel

A recent survey by NEXT Insurance identified that U.S. small business owners tend to lack preparedness and knowledge when it comes to insurance coverage. Among the 500 small business owners surveyed, 96% failed to achieve a grade of 70% or higher on an insurance knowledge test, and only a third of respondents consulted with an insurance…

Multiple fans were injured and carried out on stretchers after slipping and falling at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, during an NCAA championship football game on Jan. 2, according to reports. Heavy rainfall reportedly caused extremely slippery floors at the stadium, which has a hovering roof that is open on three sides, allowing sideways-blowing rain to enter. In a…

2022 was a year that few in the Property and Casualty (P&C) sector could have predicted. Instead of stability, the market remained largely volatile, especially in the Property sector and the reinsurance marketplace. Many carriers suffered through unprofitable years thanks to Hurricane Ian, inflation, and an adverse property insurance environment primarily in Florida and Gulf coast states. Above all, losses…

Theft is a growing concern for many small business owners, according to recent data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In a survey of small retailers, 56% reported experiencing theft from their stores in the past year, and half of the respondents said the issue is getting worse, the association reported. About 53% of small retailers expected even more theft…

The fourth quarter began very different than how the majority of the summer months had transpired from a Natural CAT perspective; as Hurricane Ian used the final few days of Q3 to take aim at Florida’s densely populated gulf coast. Despite mandatory evacuations, fairly accurate forecasting of its path and the usual several days to prepare, its damages were devastating.…

Catastrophic flooding and winds decimated areas of southwest Florida when Hurricane Ian made landfall Sept. 28, tragically leaving at least 101 individuals dead in its wake. The Category 4 storm was one of the most powerful to ever hit the state and the U.S. overall, with record-breaking storm surges toppling homes, trapping residents and submerging vehicles…

Macroeconomic trends, namely inflation and rising interest rates, are having a profound effect on the Property & Casualty (P&C) market as we head into the second half of 2022. Inflation impacts everything—from rapidly changing property values to challenges with mid-year reinsurance renewals. These are truly generational inflationary pressures that most professionals within the industry have never personally experienced. Even with…

In a growing number of communities around the U.S., new cannabis lounges are offering a social setting where guests can openly use marijuana products. Colorado and New Mexico both saw their first cannabis lounges open in April, Michigan’s first marijuana lounge is set to open this summer, and officials in Nevada are currently discussing how the recently-approved class of businesses…

As we enter the long-awaited season of Spring which conjures up thoughts of new beginnings, I draw parallels to the Excess & Surplus (E&S) Insurance industry. Several years of disciplined underwriting, including increased rates, adjusted limit deployment, and careful tweaking of policy language, coupled with a tamping of COVID-19 restrictions is resulting in this renewed sense of optimism. Carriers are…

Heavy snow, built-up ice and fluctuating temperatures have caused headaches and hardships for homeowners and business owners across the U.S. and Canada this winter. In Texas earlier this month, winter storms led to the collapse of a Waco woman’s living room ceiling at the house she was renting and downed multiple trees in Austin, including one that broke through a…

The last two years have been among the most uncertain the world has ever experienced by any standard. The Excess and Surplus (E&S) Lines insurance marketplace has stepped up to meet the challenge experiencing strong growth and perseverance in the face of a global pandemic, extraordinary natural catastrophes, increasing cyber-attacks, excessive jury verdicts, supply chain disruptions, political unrest, labor shortages…

A massive fire at a QVC warehouse in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on Dec. 19 destroyed 75% of the 1.5 million-square-foot facility and killed one worker, according to news reports. The five-alarm blaze rendered the site inoperable and has reportedly prompted the company, a major employer in the area, to plan to lay off all of its more than 1,900…