Integrated blockchains promise quantum advancements in insurance…and society – IBM & AAIS execs. 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 … Read More
GDP, Cyber, Flood, Technology, Talent and more on III radar heading to 2019 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, … Read More
Growth, expenses, capital & technology affecting cedents – TigerRisk partner 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 … Read More
Cyber cover evolves as insurtech explodes – Business Insurance editor 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 … Read More
Insurers sitting on “Gold Mine” of data…and don’t know it. 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 … Read More
“Amazoned” consumers present challenges & opportunities to personal lines insurers. 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 … Read More
Mutuals thrive despite $17B in CAT losses – A.M. Best. 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 … Read More
“Upstart Insurtechs” raising the bar in homeowners market – LexisNexis exec. 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 … Read More
Auto insurers face challenges and opportunities related to new technologies. 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 … Read More
To succeed, insurers need to be ‘comfortable with uncomfortable’ – IBM exec 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 … Read More
“The day has come”…Innovation is critical mandate for insurers. 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 … Read More
“Scary” tech, speed of change and talent gap challenge industry. 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 … Read More
Looking ahead…Automation, Robotics and AI could help fill “Talent Gap” 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 … Read More
“Get involved” to understand regulators, technology and millennials. Regulation and technology are the biggest challenges facing insurers today. That, according to Fred Karlinsky, Co-Chair of the Insurance Regulatory and Transactions Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig. On the regulatory front, Mr. Karlinsky notes a large amount of regulation affecting carriers at the federal and State level, as well as internationally at the IIAS (International Association of Insurance Supervisors). He … Read More
Grow by Solving Society’s Problems…A.M. Best exec. Attracting talent remains biggest challenge for insurers. According to Matt Masher, EVP and COO at A.M. Best, the need for talent is greatest in the information technology (IT) area. The industry has done a lot to attract underwriting and claims professionals. But attracting the industry struggles in attracting IT talent needed to deal with insurtech issues, efficiencies in distribution and … Read More
Technology/Geospacial Intelligence impacting insurance fraud & claims adjusting. Roger Morris, Chief Communications Officer with the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), says technology has been a disruptor when it comes to insurance fraud. Anti-theft devices have helped deter crime and provide better analytics to detect fraud. The industry also has to contend with hackers trying to defeat the system. Mr. Morris points to electronic devices that can open and start … Read More
III CEO sees “Disruption Continuum” as New Norm for insurers. Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) CEO Sean Kevelighan sees the “disruption continuum” as the “new normal” for the insurance industry, and outlines the ways insurers can embrace resiliency when contending with catastrophes, geopolitical unrest, technological change. He says the I.I.I. will “be doing our best to fulfill our mission, and hopefully it will promote a positive sense of the disruption that’s … Read More
Will 2017 be a record CAT year? – I.I.I. CEO comments. 2017 has been a very active year for catastrophes…and traditional seasons are shifting. That according to Sean Kevelighan, President and CEO of the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). Mr. Kevelighan points to 367 tornadoes in the first quarter of 2017, which surpasses the average of 93 by a large margin. The I.I.I. had estimated an active hurricane season, and forecasts were … Read More
Carriers migrating data to cloud to get off island – BriteCore CEO Phil Reynolds, CEO and Co-Founder of BriteCore, outlines the disruptive nature of insurtech companies, and what traditional companies are doing to access new and emerging technology services. Mr. Reynolds describes an online experience he had with one insurtech company that asked for his home address and was able to assemble county records, a visual flyover, the home’s square footage and … Read More
Long view makes ‘world of difference’ to Mutual insurers – Conning. Jerry Theodorou, a Vice President of Insurance Research at Conning, previews a strategic study that looks at Mutual property-casualty insurance companies. According to Mr. Theodorou, there is an elevated degree of concern in five areas: technology, expense ratios, the war for talent, demographic and sociodemographic changes, and the future for personal auto. Conning is finding Mutuals are reacting proactively with … Read More