In this edition of “Focus”, WRIN.tv speaks with Bob Rusbuldt, President & CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) about the health of “Independent Agents”, which Mr. Rusbuldt describes as “robust and well.” Mr. Rusbuldt notes an Agency Universe Study of the independent agency system, conducted by the “Big I”, which found that revenues are up, …

Chuck Chamness, CEO of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC), discusses the challenges of working with a new Congress. He notes that there several major issues to address with the House Financial Services Committee, Senate Banking and the Trump Administration such as the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and the Terror Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). Mr. Chamness points …

The property-casualty insurance industry gives about $1 billion each year to charitable causes. That according to a McKinsey Study conducted for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF). IICF CEO Bill Ross says the industry supports a variety of charities across the US, with a focus on education as well as health and human services. He says it important for companies …

The U.S. reinsurance market is very healthy. That according to Frank Nutter, President of the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA). Mr. Nutter says capital positions have been “strong and growing” thanks, in part to alternative capital vehicles. Market conditions are “very competitive” due to the amount of supply outpacing demand. Catastrophe losses continue to be a challenge, a threat, for …

In this edition of “Focus”, WRIN.tv looks at trends in “Claims Management with Rohit Verma, Global Chief Operating Officer of Crawford & Company, where the process is tailored to the needs of industries using a combination of technology and people on the ground. At the January 1 renewals, insurance companies did not see much difference in the rates they were …

John Huff, President and CEO of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR) discusses the health of the Bermuda market, as well as the challenges and opportunities he sees going forward. According to Mr. Huff, the Bermuda market is “very healthy.” The market is thriving even after the significant natural catastrophes of 2017 and 2018 “nat cats” including Hurricane …

David Sampson, president and CEO of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA), discusses the challenges he faces in dealing with a dysfunctional government, the priorities for the year ahead, and the strength gained by the recent merger of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) with the American Insurance Association (AIA). During the 2019 Federal Government shutdown, Mr. …

During the IBM Blockchain Summit for Insurance in New York, AAIS CEO Ed Kelly, and Craig Bedell, IBM Global Insurance Industry Executive, as well as Bertrand Portier, a Distinguished Engineer in IBM’s Financial Services Sector all commented on the promise that blockchain holds for the insurance industry. Mr. Kelly believes it’s the inherent features of blockchain itself that make it …

The uptick in GDP has had a positive impact on the insurance industry, according to Laura Favinger, Chief Administrative Officer for the Insurance Information Institute (III). In the first half of 2018, insurance carriers nearly doubled their net income over the same period in 2017. The III sees exposures broadening a bit due to business development, consumer consumption and construction, …

The biggest issues facing reinsurance buyers today are growth, expense management and capital efficiency, according to Mike Schnur, a Partner at TigerRisk. Carriers are focused on growing profitably through new product lines, new teams, as well as mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Carriers feel that there are costs that can be reduced to reduce expense ratios. More and more carriers are …

Cyber risk and insurance continue to evolve, but the insurtech explosion is the real news at the moment, according to Gavin Souter, Editor of Business Insurance. Like all things related to technology, cyber insurance is evolving rapidly. Insurers and brokers are keen to sell cyber policies, but commercial buyers do not believe the insurance offered is enough to cover their …

BriteCore CEO and Founder Phil Reynolds provides insights into the risks, challenges and opportunities affecting the changing insurance market due in large part to data. He says many insurers simply so not understand what their data means. The data collected on policies, claims, losses and consumer behaviors is a gold mine, and most don’t even know it. He notes that …

According to Sean Kevelighan, President & CEO of the Insurance Information Institute (III), says catastrophes, both natural and man-made, are having a large impact on personal lines insurance carriers. An increase in natural catastrophe has an impact on auto and homeowner’s insurance, and the “vastly underserved” flood market continues to be an issue. The auto insurance market is being impacted …

Kimberly Muccia, a Financial Analyst at A.M. Best Company, comments on the impact of catastrophic losses on the financial strength of insurers. Among the catastrophes affecting the auto and homeowner lines of business in 2018 were hurricanes and wildfires, resulting in about $17 billion for the Mutual Insurance segment alone. Despite the losses, Mutuals posted approximately a 6 percent increase …

The biggest issues facing home insurance carriers today fall into two categories, according to George Hosfield, Senior Director of Home Insurance for LexisNexis Risk Solutions. Consumer expectation is driving changes to the customer experience as well as changes to the experience for agents. Mr. Hosfield says much of that is driven by “upstart insurtech” companies raising the bar, and general …

According to AAIS Product Manager Casey Brewer, the biggest issues facing auto insurers today revolve around technology and the speed of technological change. Technology is changing the nature of the risk to the vehicle, as well as driver behavior and distracted driving and the insurer’s operations. Ironically, the opportunities auto insurers have are related to the challenges. New technologies are …

Craig Bedell, Global Insurance Industry Executive at IBM, sees many challenges facing the insurance industry, including the buying habits of personal lines or commercial lines customers. New data and technologies are mitigating, but sometimes increasing risks faced by consumers. Security and privacy surrounding risk information is also important for insurers. Even more basic, according to Mr. Bedell, is the changing …

Insurers are doing a balancing act between operational excellence and the changing insurtech landscape. Karen Furtado, a partner at Strategy Meets Action sees insurers struggling with how to adapt, how to adopt, and how to change their culture to deal with the ‘new reality’ while maintaining a high degree of service. Ms. Furtado sees endless opportunity in today’s economy. Insurers …

Chuck Chamness, President and CEO of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) admits insurance is a challenging business, and it’s changing rapidly. Among the contributing challenges facing the industry is technology, which is increasing the speed of change. The talent gap presents issues for companies looking to replace retiring workers while attracting a new generation of professionals. He …

Autonomous vehicles will have a huge impact on the personal insurance industry. Automation, robotics and the potential for on-shoring of manufacturing could have a major impact in the commercial insurance space. That, according to Kevin Surace, renowned American technology innovator, speaker, creator of a AI Based Software QA platform, and Inc. Magazine’s 2009 entrepreneur of the Year. He adds that …