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 …

Andrea Keenen, Senior Managing Director and Head of Industry Relations at A.M. Best Company, shares her thoughts on the “protection gap”, technology, and the impact of economic growth on insurance. The “protection gap” exists around the world, including the United States. Many people are simply not buying the insurance they need. She notes that governments around the work and the …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Fragmentation is a major issue within the insurance industry today, according to Phil Reynolds, CEO & Co-Founder of BriteCore. Traditionally carriers sold products through agents, and were backed by reinsurers. Now, insurtechs are challenging traditional distribution and underwriting models, while reinsurers are going directly to the market through MGAs (Managing General Agents). There is a lot of flux. As a …

According to The Institutes President & CEO Pete Miller, disruption in the insurance industry “is all about data” and related technologies. Insurance is the “original big data industry”, and Mr. Miller sees a confluence of new technologies coming that will enable better decision making around data. Mr. Miller sees adoption as a challenge to the insurance industry. Those that do …

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 …

NAMIC President & CEO Chuck Chamness comments on the major disruptors affecting the insurance industry, during the 2018 Joint Industry Forum.  While he notes technology is a considerable disruptor, he suggests public policy and the political environment within Washington and the State capitals may be the biggest factor affecting insurers.  He sees the populist movement creating difficulty for an industry …

AAIS President and CEO Ed Kelly discusses the major issues industry executives are concerned about heading into 2018, including technology, the new economy and buying behavior, as well as government regulation. While technology remains an enabler in the insurance industry, Mr. Kelly notes that the new uses of technology are the “disruptors.” “We’ve seen that with automation…the use if drones, …

As part of the Innovation Executive Video series, Willis Re’s Global CEO John Cavanagh talks about how brokers are reinventing their role and delivering value through innovation. Mr. Cavanagh says the insurance industry is going through significant change, and technology is driving much of that change. While insurance plays an important role in society, he believes the industry is “open for disruption” given …

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 …

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 …

Chad Hollingsworth, President of Triax Technologies, discusses the impact of wearable technologies on businesses and the management of risk and claims.  In order to be more attractive to business, wearables must be easy to use, deployable with a long battery life. Triax focuses on wearables as a safety tool for construction companies. He says simply knowing the number of workers …