California Approves FAIR Plan Request to Assess Insurers $1B for Wildfire Claims
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved a California FAIR Plan request for a $1 billion assessment on admitted market insurers to cover claims from the Los Angeles wildfires. The FAIR Plan reported it has paid more than $914 million to …
Alera Group Acquires Kaplansky Insurance Agency in Massachusetts
Needham, Massachusetts-based Kaplansky Insurance Agency has been acquired by the national financial services firm Alera Group. This new partnership brings more than 100 agents to add to Alera Group’s property/casualty offerings in the Northeast. The independent agency was founded in …
Michigan DIFS Advocates for Careers in the Insurance Industry as Part of Careers Month
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is highlighting in-demand jobs available to Michiganders in the insurance field as part of Insurance Careers Month. More than 73,000 Michiganders work in the insurance industry, according to a study conducted …
Delay in Federal Permits Hinders Texas Oil Companies’ Carbon Capture Projects
Texas oil companies and regulators have waited years for federal permits that would allow those companies to suck carbon dioxide — the largest contributor to climate change — from the atmosphere and inject it underground. After sweeping environmental reviews and …
People Moves: CoVerica Names Holland as President & CEO, Expands with BenefitHelp Acquisition
CoVerica, headquartered in Dallas, appointed Mark Holland as president and CEO. Holland has over three decades of experience in the insurance and benefits industry. He entered the industry in 1994, focusing on worksite marketing, benefits communication and electronic enrollment. He …
First MainStreet Adds 4 Partner Agencies
First MainStreet Insurance L.C. has announced addition of four new partner agencies. Borchardt Agency joined the platform on January 1st. Justin Borchardt, a third-generation insurance owner, has partnered with FMSI and TrueNorth to further fuel the impressive growth of his …
People Moves: Marsh Names Former AXA XL Exec as UK Chair; Rokstone Taps Howden’s Winsley as Capacity Mgr. and Broker Relationship Dir.
This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the broker Marsh and the managing general agency Rokstone. A summary of these new hires follows here. Marsh Names Former AXA XL Exec as UK Chair Marsh, the world’s leading insurance …
Travelers Expecting $1.7 Billion in Catastrophe Losses From LA Wildfires
Another major California insurer is reporting losses in excess of $1 billion from the Los Angeles area wildfires. The Travelers Companies Inc. announced Tuesday it will lose an estimated $1.7 billion from last month’s wildfires, which swept through the region …
Pen Underwriting Simplifies Divisional Structure in UK & Ireland, With Breslin at Helm
Pen Underwriting, the London-based managing general agent, announced a simplified divisional structure to bring together core commercial underwriting capabilities and expertise across the UK and Ireland. Under the central leadership of Sarah Breslin as managing director of the new Commercial …
Trump’s Cost-Cutters Look to Curb Deloitte, Other FEMA Contracts
Federal cost-cutting initiatives pushed by President Donald Trump have turned their focus to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where spending on consultants like Deloitte now faces scrutiny. Workers at the agency have been asked to provide by Tuesday evening plain-language …
Insurers Pay Record Claims for Weather-Related Damage in UK: ABI
Insurers paid out a record £585 million (US$724.7 million) for weather-related damage to people’s homes and possessions in 2024 in the United Kingdom, according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI). The record claims come following …
Second Sinkhole Closes Lanes on New Jersey Highway
A section of a major New Jersey highway has been closed due to a sinkhole for the second time in less than two months. Crews are working to repair a sinkhole on the Eastbound side of Interstate 80 in Wharton. …
Fed’s Powell: Strong Economy Means No Hurry to Cut Rates
The U.S. Federal Reserve is in no rush to cut its short-term interest rate again given an economy that is “strong overall,” with low unemployment and inflation that remains above the Fed’s 2% target, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in …
Israel Financial System Resilient Despite Wars, Central Bank Says
Israel’s financial system shows “high resilience” despite the country’s military conflicts and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty that have persisted for more than a year, the Bank of Israel said in a report on Tuesday. The banking sector’s profits have been boosted …
Bill Aims to Drive Down New York City Taxi Drivers’ Insurance Costs. But Will It?
The New York City Council’s transportation committee heard testimony Monday on a proposal to lower the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage requirement for for-hire drivers from $200,000 to $50,000 per person, aligning it with the state’s requirement for all …
Hub Acquires Missouri’s Yavitz Insurance
Hub International Limited announced that it has acquired the assets of Yavitz Insurance Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, Yavitz Insurance is a privately-owned insurance agency providing comprehensive commercial and personal insurance solutions …
Bringing Positive Vibes Back to Personal Lines Insurance
Nationwide’s Casey Kempton has a vision to bring positive vibes back to engagements between personal lines insurers and their customers—and it starts with understanding the “mental models” that homeowners and drivers reference to understand insurance. Kempton, who has been president …
Update on Reagan Airport Crash: Helicopter Traffic, Night Goggles, Altitude Tracker
The Army was one of 28 government agencies authorized to fly helicopters near Ronald Reagan National Airport before its Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines passenger jet last week, killing 67. That constant helicopter traffic near such a …
Apple Ordered by UK to Build Backdoor to Access User Data
The UK government has ordered Apple Inc. to build a backdoor to give it access to global user data, in a move that could spark one of the biggest privacy fights in the iPhone maker’s history. British authorities in an …
New York City Live Poultry Markets Ordered Shut Due to Avian Flu
Live poultry markets in New York City raced to sell off all their chickens and other fowl Friday after seven cases of avian flu were detected and state officials ordered markets in the metropolitan area to close for a week. …