Global brokers see business improving despite tough times
02 May 2011
Several global brokers have expressed confidence in their ability to continue growing after a challenging first quarter…
International
Insurers see market turning despite first-quarter catastrophes
02 May 2011
Smaller global insurers are reporting a mixed first quarter, with Australian and New Zealand natural catastrophes leading to significant claims…
Disasters buffet Berkshire Hathaway
02 May 2011
Losses from the Japan earthquake cost Berkshire Hathaway more than $US1 billion ($912 million) in the first quarter, with Chairman Warren Buffett telling the company’s annual shareholder meeting…
Reinsurers’ capital remains strong despite catastrophes
02 May 2011
The amount of capital held by reinsurers hit record highs at the end of 2010, according to reinsurance broker Aon Benfield…
UK brokers concerned about regulatory changes
02 May 2011
The British Insurance Brokers Association has called on the UK Treasury to ensure the future regulation of insurance brokers is “appropriate, proportionate and cost-effective”…
Berkshire Hathaway pays AIG asbestos tab
02 May 2011
AIG has offloaded more than $US3.5 billion ($3.21 billion) in potential asbestos liabilities as it prepares for a major share sale…
Canadians want flood solutions
02 May 2011
A Canadian independent insurance research body is calling for government collaboration on options for flood cover, which is currently not available…
Global ship losses continue to rise
02 May 2011
The number of global ship losses continues to rise, with 2010 one of the five worst years for vessel losses in the past 17 years…
RBS insurance sale next year
02 May 2011
The Royal Bank of Scotland will sell its insurance business in the second half of next year…
UK motor premiums up 40%
18 April 2011
UK motor premiums have jumped by more than 40% in the 12 months ending March this year…
UK insurers in the red
18 April 2011
The UK insurance industry has plummeted into the red with claims exceeding income during the fourth quarter of last year…
Insured tsunami losses push $US18 billion
18 April 2011
New estimates of insured losses from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami have come in between $US18 billion ($17.1 billion) and $US26 billion ($24.7 billion)…
Willis Re says quakes won’t force global rate increases
18 April 2011
Many reinsurers have exhausted their catastrophe loss budgets for this year and are raising rates while managing capacity more tightly, according to a report by Willis Re…
Strong first-quarter results from AIA
18 April 2011
Asian life insurer AIA has reported a 17% rise in new premium sales to $US512 million ($485.6 million) for the first quarter ending February 28…
Tsunami won’t cause Katrina-like rises
18 April 2011
While low earthquake insurance penetration and the relatively small amount of insurance losses passed on to international players mean the catastrophe is unlikely to impact global prices…
MarketScout hails end of US soft market in some sectors
11 April 2011
The soft market is over for catastrophe-exposed property in the US, according to analyst MarketScout…
Reinsurance markets ‘do not need more capital’
11 April 2011
The reinsurance market continues to function efficiently and is unlikely to need major new capital inflows as a result of recent disasters, Aon says in its latest reinsurance review…
Private equity backs hardening reinsurance market
11 April 2011
The first trickle of new post-Japanese earthquake capital has entered the reinsurance market, giving yet another indication that the soft market is coming to an end…
Aon estimates summer disasters cost over $14 billion
11 April 2011
Aon Benfield has estimated the cost of the summer disasters in Australia and New Zealand at more than $US15 billion ($14.2 billion)…
Japan deepens Flagstone’s woes as market-wide losses mount
11 April 2011
The exposures of insurers and reinsurers to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami are beginning to filter down, with most losses coming within market expectations…