California continues to struggle with a growing insurance crisis, as homeowners face towering premiums and the daunting task of securing coverage. Amidst this turmoil, insurers have retreated, leaving many Californians in a lurch. But in a recent twist, the path to resolution may hinge on a compromise that allows insurers to adjust rates based on future risk assessments. State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, spearheading new regulations to mitigate the crisis, likens his relationship with the insurance industry to a “forced marriage” — staying together for the larger family’s sake. This…
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3 Zip Codes Get The Worst of State Farm Non-renew Campaign in California
In an announcement that may reshuffle the deck for homeowners’ insurance across California, industry giant State Farm revealed a strategic shift in their coverage plans, affecting thousands of property and commercial apartment policies in the state. With implications extending to the very nature of wildfire and earthquake risk management, this move by State Farm is poised to remove billions in risk from the company’s books. Earthquake Aftermath Concerns Amplify Fire Risks in California While earthquake policies in California are indeed underwritten through the state-run California Earthquake Authority, State Farm’s heightened…
Read MoreHawaii wildfires cause second highest losses to the insurance industry in the state
The total covered losses are still climbing on Maui island and will reach the state’s second highest. The total losses the insurance industry is on the hook for due to the Hawaii wildfires on Maui island are expected to reach the second highest in the history of the state, according to modeling cited by a recent Reuters report. The rapidly moving blaze began last week and has devastated the historic resort town of Lahaina. Lahaina has been particularly hard-hit by the blazes. A historic resort town today, it was once…
Read MoreAIR Worldwide Appoints Bill Churney Chief Operating Officer
BOSTON, July 23, 2013 ─ Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide (AIR) has appointed Bill Churney to the position of chief operating officer. Churney will have immediate responsibility for all product management, software product development, global business development, marketing, consulting, and client service activities. “We’re extremely pleased to welcome Bill Churney to the newly created position of COO to help lead AIR as we continue to experience rapid growth in the global market for catastrophe modeling and related risk management services,” said Ming Lee, CEO of AIR Worldwide. “Bill has been…
Read MoreCatastrophe insurance market recommendations made by RIMS
A letter sent to the U.S. Treasury has made a number of natural cat coverage marketplace suggestions. The Risk Management Society (RIMS) has now issued a letter to the United States Treasury in order to share its recommendations regarding potential improvements to the way that the natural catastrophe insurance market operates throughout the country. The organization had been asked to submit this letter as an element of a study conducted by the FIO. The Federal Insurance Office (FIO), a part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is performing a…
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