Insurance Buyers News – January / February 2026
Rate Trends in Commercial Insurance: Property Stabilizes, Casualty Splits, Auto Struggles
As 2026 begins, commercial insurance buyers are encountering a marketplace that looks very different from the relentless rate hikes of recent years. The story now is one of stabilization in property insurance, divergence in casualty lines, and continued challenges in commercial auto. Read on for details.
Regional Catastrophes,National Lessons
The year 2025 was one of the costliest on record for insured catastrophe losses. California wildfires and Gulf Coast hurricanes alone drove insured losses exceeding $100 billion globally, with U.S. events accounting for more than 90%. Read on for details.
Regulatory Priorities for 2025:
Resilience, Solvency, and Innovation
In 2025, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) outlined a set of federal legislative and regulatory priorities designed to strengthen the U.S. insurance system. These priorities — resilience, solvency, and innovation — reflect the challenges facing insurers and policyholders alike in a rapidly changing risk environment.
Read on for details.
Liability Limits and Large Loss Trends
The liability insurance landscape is shifting rapidly, and the changes are being felt across industries. Chubb’s 2025 benchmark report highlights a clear trend: escalating jury awards and higher liability limits are reshaping how businesses must think about their exposure to risk. Read on for details.
Insurance Buyers News – November/December 2025
The Surging Role of the E&S Market in Business Insurance
In today’s volatile risk landscape, the Excess & Surplus (E&S) lines market has become a vital lifeline for business insurance buyers and their brokers. Once considered a niche solution for hard-to-place risks, E&S carriers are now front and center in responding to both traditional and emerging exposures that standard markets increasingly shy away from. Read on for details.
Climate Risk and Supply Chain Fragility: A New Era of Insurance Strategy
As businesses confront a rapidly shifting risk landscape, two forces are reshaping how insurance buyers and brokers think about coverage: climate-driven catastrophes and fragile global supply chains. Together, they’re driving innovation in insurance products and prompting a strategic reassessment of exposures that were once considered manageable. Read on for details.
Reinsurance Under Pressure:
How Market Shifts Are Reshaping Risk and Coverage
Reinsurance is the financial backbone of the insurance industry — a behind-the-scenes mechanism that allows primary insurers to assume risk with confidence. By transferring portions of their exposure to reinsurers, carriers can write larger policies, stabilize loss ratios, and protect themselves from catastrophic events. In essence, reinsurance enables insurers to “front” for risk while maintaining solvency and pricing discipline. Read on for details.
AI and Automation Are Reshaping Insurance Operations
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are no longer fringe technologies in the insurance industry — they’re now central to how carriers, brokers, and clients manage risk. From underwriting to claims processing to fraud detection, AI is transforming the operational backbone of insurance, delivering speed, precision, and insight that were previously out of reach. Read on for details.
Insurance Buyers News – September/October 2025
Cybercrime in the U.S. — Escalation and Adaptation
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), more than 1 million cybercrime complaints were filed in 2024, representing over $12.5 billion in reported losses—a staggering 30% jump from 2023. And as 2025 unfolds, early indicators suggest even greater vulnerability across sectors.Read on for details.
Three Key Terms Business Insurance Policyholders Should Understand
While it’s a good idea to read your insurance policy, hardly anybody does. The important thing is to understand what’s in it. Here are three concepts to know about how your insurance works.
Read on for details.
The State of D&O Insurance in 2025
Directors and Officers (D&O) liability insurance continues to evolve in 2025, shaped by litigation trends, regulatory shifts, and emerging technologies. After several years of softening premiums, the market is showing signs of stabilization. While pricing remains competitive, underwriters are increasingly cautious, especially in sectors facing heightened litigation or regulatory scrutiny.Read on for details.
Emerging D&O Risks That Demand Board-Level Attention
As D&O insurance evolves, so do the exposures that trigger coverage. Here’s a closer look at four increasingly relevant risks that directors and officers must navigate with precision:Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – August/September 2025
WCIRB 2025 Annual Conference: Key Takeaways for California Workers’ Comp Stakeholders
The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) hosted its 2025 Annual Conference in July, bringing together industry leaders, actuaries, medical experts, and fraud investigators to explore the most pressing issues shaping California’s workers’ compensation system. Held virtually, the event offered a forward-looking view of cost trends, regulatory shifts, and emerging risks.Read on for details.
Mid-Year Check-In: IRMI’s 2025 Workers’ Comp Watchlist Highlights Key Shifts
As we pass the halfway mark of 2025, the workers’ compensation landscape is evolving rapidly—and not just in cost. The July update from the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) outlines 20 key issues shaping the industry this year, with several themes rising to the top: medical inflation, mental health, AI adoption, and the erosion of exclusive remedy protections.Read on for details.
Worker Classification in the Gig Economy: What Employers Need to Know in 2025
As the gig economy continues to expand—now encompassing over 50% of the U.S. workforce by some estimates—states and federal agencies are tightening the rules around how gig workers are classified. For business owners, brokers, and workers’ compensation professionals, these changes carry significant implications for liability, benefits eligibility, and insurance obligations. Read on for details.
What Is the ABC Test?
To classify a worker as an independent contractor, the employer must prove all three of the following:
A. The worker is free from control and direction in performing the work.
B. The work performed is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business. Read on for details.
Insurance Buyers News – July/August 2025
Underwriting Challenges for Emerging Risks in 2025
As global industries evolve, insurers face increasing challenges in underwriting emerging risks. Traditional risk assessment models struggle to keep pace with new threats, requiring insurers to adopt data-driven strategies, AI-powered analytics, and innovative policy structures. Read on for details.
How Climate Disasters Are Reshaping Insurance Terms and Risk Assessment Across Industries
The Impact of Climate Disasters on Insurance Policies
The past six months have seen devastating climate-related disasters, including the Southern California wildfires and Hurricane Helene’s inland flooding in North Carolina. Read on for details.
Understanding Parametric Insurance: A Game-Changer for Business Owners
What Is Parametric Insurance?
Parametric insurance is a modern approach to risk management that provides predefined payouts based on measurable events rather than traditional claims assessments. Read on for details.
Why You May Need Additional Insured Coverage and How to Obtain It
Standard liability insurance may not fully protect a business if it is found vicariously liable—meaning it is held responsible for damage or injury caused by contractors or partners working on its behalf. Additional insured coverage ensures that your company is covered under another party’s insurance policy, preventing direct liability exposure. Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – June/July 2025
The Trump Administration’s Shift Away from Disparate Impact: Meritocracy vs. Proportionality
In April 2025, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order aimed at eliminating disparate-impact liability in employment and other areas. Read on for details.
Understanding Subrogation Rights in California Workers’ Compensation
Subrogation is a legal principle that allows an employer or its workers’ compensation insurer to recover costs from a third party responsible for an employee’s injury. In California, this process is governed by Labor Code Section 3850, which grants employers and insurers the right to seek reimbursement for benefits paid to an injured worker.Read on for details.
Reducing Opioid Dependence in Workers’ Compensation: Lessons from California and Beyond
The opioid crisis has posed significant challenges in workers’ compensation cases, where injured workers often receive opioid prescriptions for pain management. Over the past decade, states have increasingly focused on reducing opioid dependence, implementing innovative policies and expanding alternative treatments. Read on for details.
First-Year Workers’ Compensation Injuries
Recent data continues to highlight the risks faced by first-year employees. According to the 2024 Injury Impact Report, 35% of workplace injuries still occur within an employee’s first year. This underscores the importance of proper onboarding and safety training. Read on for details.
Insurance Buyers News – May/June 2025
The Growing Epidemic of Insurance Fraud: Staged Accidents and Organized Crime
Insurance fraud has long been a costly burden for the insurance industry, but in recent years, staged accidents have reached near-epidemic proportions. Read on for details.
Supreme Court Ruling Raises the Stakes for Employers Facing EEOC Claims
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. has reinforced the importance of quick action for employers facing discrimination lawsuits. Read on for details.
Decoding the Language of Insurance Law: Latin Phrases Every Business Should Know
Insurance law is built upon foundational principles that shape the way claims, disputes, and contracts are handled. Read on for details.
Best Practices for Avoiding EEOC Claims
Avoiding EEOC claims requires proactive measures to ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws and foster a fair workplace. Here are some best practices. First, establish clear anti-discrimination policies.Read on for details.
Workers Comp & Safety News – April/May 2025
Georgia Court of Appeals Decision Highlights Workers’ Compensation Risks for Employers
A recent ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals underscores an important risk for employers in every state when it comes to defending against workers’ compensation claims. Read on for details.
What Business Owners Need to Know About Payroll Companies and Workers’ Compensation
A growing concern among insurance agents in Florida is the increasing role that payroll companies are playing in the workers’ compensation market. While these firms offer convenience, they may lack the necessary expertise to properly advise business owners on workers’ compensation coverage, leading to potential risks and financial losses.
Read on for details.
Understanding the Risks of Employee Misclassification: A Cautionary Tale for Business Owners
A recent case in Pennsylvania highlights the serious consequences of misclassifying employees as independent contractors. Romero Remodeling Co., a Pittsburgh-based construction business, misclassified 192 employees as independent contractors, violating the Pennsylvania Construction Workplace Misclassification Act (Act 72). Read on for details.
Understanding the “ABC Test” for Worker Classification
The “ABC Test,” which is used by many states, including California, is a legal standard used to determine whether a worker should be classified as an employee or an independent contractor. Read on for details.
Insurance Buyers News – March/April 2025
“Forever Chemicals” and Reverse Discrimination Claims Top $40 Billion in 2024
Class action lawsuits continue to pose significant financial risks for companies, especially in a pro-plaintiff litigation environment. Read on for details.
How AI Will Shape the Future of Insurance: Insights for Business Owners
The insurance industry is on the brink of a significant transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI). Read on for details.
President Trump’s Recent Executive Orders: Impact on Business Risk and Opportunity
President Donald Trump has issued three new Executive Orders (EOs) with significant implications for businesses across the United States. Read on for details.
What is Difference in Conditions Insurance?
A Difference in Conditions (DIC) policy covers risks excluded from standard property insurance policies. They fill gaps left by primary insurance, providing coverage for unpredictable and severe catastrophic events.Read on for details.