Property/Casualty Insurers see first quarter profit drops from increasing underwriting losses

Property/Casualty Insurers, a private American company, reported that after taxes, their net income fell to $7.8 billion within 2011’s first quarter from last year’s first-quarter profits which were at $8.9 billion. Moreover, there was a drop from 6.8 percent to 5.6 percent in that insurer’s average policyholder surplus annualized rate of return. As a result of the net income of the insurer of $7.8 billion after taxes, the surplus of policyholders did rise by 1.4 percent to $7.8 billion, to hit a record by March 31 of $564.7 billion. This…

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Louisiana insurance investigator killed raises safety concerns for industry

Early this week, two insurance investigators in Louisiana were found shot to death whilst in the midst of a fraud investigation. The incident caused concern amongst state regulators who have been railing against the prevalence of fraud in Louisiana. Now, the state’s Insurance Commissioner, Jim Donelon, is considering whether his agents will begin carrying weapons as a means to defend themselves as the insurance landscape becomes more volatile. The state’s Insurance Department will conduct a review of safety procedures, but Donelon is likely to institute his measure at the end…

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Massachusetts tornado outbreak caused $90 million in damages just for homes

Last week, Massachusetts fell victim to an outbreak of violent tornados, causing $90 million in damage, according to Barbara Anthony, undersecretary of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulations. The tornados were focused in the Western region of the state, causing damage on an enormous scale. These recent figures, says Anthony, accounts only for the damage done to homes and does not factor auto and business claims. To date, more than 5,000 insurance claims have been filed, many coming from residential areas. More claims come in on a daily basis.…

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Taking a look at the reinsurance market pulse as we head into hurricane season

We are now on the cusp of hurricane season. Storm predictions have called for “above average” activity this year; just as we roll out of record setting tornado activity over the last two months. The cushion of excess capacity is gone or nearly gone for most insurers and reinsurers. One more natural disaster could be the tipping point that leads to the turn in the (insurance) pricing cycle. We know capacity is just a part of the many aspects to take into account when evaluating the reinsurance sector. However, the…

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Debate continues over bill allowing consumers to purchase insurance across state lines

Congress is considering a bill that would allow insurance companies to sell policies across state lines. The bill has been before Congress for some time, but legislators have yet been unable to determine the necessity or viability of such a  law. Now, Congress is calling upon witnesses to testify whether or not the law will actually help lower the number of uninsured people in the nation and entice insurers to provide more affordable coverage. These witnesses have begun appearing before the Health Subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and…

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