Late last week, Nationwide Mutual Insurance entered into negotiations with Harleysville Group Inc., a large insurance company operating in 32 states, to purchase the company. Details regarding the acquisition are sparse as Nationwide has been keeping a tight lid on information concerning the potential deal. The one thing that is very clear, however, is that the deal has Harleysville independent insurance agents on edge. If the deal goes through, the role of agents from both companies may soon change. Typically, Nationwide uses only contract agents to sell insurance policies exclusive…
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Insurance market may be softening, but insurers will continue to combat costly health care
The beginning of the year was punctuated with a rash of insurance rate increases coming from many of the nation’s insurance companies. Insurers had defended their weighty rate proposals with the claim that the cost of medical care was rising out of control. Higher rates may also be due to a provision of the Affordable Care Act that requires insurers pay no less than 80% of their collected premiums on health care. While insurers have been quick to propose rates that are, in some cases, astronomically high, industry experts believe…
Read MoreBuying business insurance to protect yourself and your company
Just as it is important to obtain insurance coverage when you own a house or a car, it is equally important to protect your business. If you are the owner of a company of any size, it is highly recommended that you speak with an independent business insurance agent in order to find out about the types of coverage that are available to you, and to help decide which ones are right for you. This is a decision that should not be rushed, as shopping around will help you to…
Read MoreInsurance risk research shows industry struggling with growth and reserve risks
Aon Corporation’s capital adviser and global reinsurance intermediary, Aon Benfield, has released a report containing the results of its annual study – called the 2011 Insurance Risk Study – which is used by the industry to benchmark underwriting risk, and for modeling through the risk parameters it provides. This research – which is the sixth that has been published by the company – offers volatility benchmarks for underwriting, which are used by the industry’s professionals in economic capital modeling, such as chief risk officers and actuaries. It also provides the…
Read MoreHow to measure the risk of terror
Post anniversary to September 11, the horrible event occurring over ten years ago now, there has been a tremendous change to the way that border security and terrorism have been viewed in the United States. This is true of the government, businesses, individuals, and the insurance industry, which suffered tremendous losses to its own people when the planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Though damages resulting from acts of terrorism had been covered in typical all-risk commercial policies before the attacks, after…
Read MorePost 9/11 insurance industry is vastly different, says report
This weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks which brought down New York City’s World Trade Center. Since the attack, the political landscape has changed dramatically, a shift that has been mimicked throughout society as terrorism more people became aware of terrorism. Many things changed in the wake of 9/11, and while many of these changes resided within the boundaries of the nation, the entirety of the world’s insurance industry underwent a drastic shift. The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I) has been studying the changes in the worldwide…
Read MoreInsurers unlikely to raise rates in the wake of Hurricane Irene, according to Allianz
Despite fears that disaster-prone 2011 will incite higher insurance rates in the future, Allianz, one of the largest commercial insurance companies in the world, says that the toll of the damage caused by natural disasters throughout the year will not prompt widespread hikes in premiums. Jay Ralph, a board member of Allianz in charge of the North American insurance market, spoke with reporters concerning the issue, noting that the excess capacity of the insurance industry is enough to weather the storm without any major changes in policies. However, insurers should…
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