INSURANCE NEWS
Trinidad and Tobago’s Government Confirms Fuel Oil Is Leaking off Tobago’s Coast
Trinidad and Tobago’s government on Friday confirmed the refined product leaking from a barge that struck a reef and overturned off the coast of Tobago was tested and determined to be a type of fuel oil. The leak, which remains …
Risk Models Behind Insurance-Linked Securities Are Getting a Lot Harder to Crack
As the best hedge fund strategy of 2023 becomes a magnet for mainstream investors, the risk models it relies on are getting a lot tougher to crack. The strategy in question is tied to insurance-linked securities, which are dominated by …
Houthi Attack on Ship Led to ‘Environmental Disaster,’ US Says
The missile attack by Houthi militants on a ship carrying a cargo of fertilizer has led to an “environmental disaster” in the Red Sea, US Central Command said Friday evening. Hours later, Central Command reported that American forces had destroyed …
GM’s Cruise Prepares to Resume Robotaxi Testing After Halt
General Motors Co.’s Cruise autonomous driving unit is nearing the resumption of robotaxi testing in the coming weeks, with Houston and Dallas emerging as potential locations, following the grounding of its fleet last year, according to people with knowledge of …
Warren Buffett Says Berkshire ‘Built to Last’ Though Eye-Popping Gains Are Over
Warren Buffett on Saturday moved to reassure investors that his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway would serve them well over the long term, even as he mourned the recent passing of his longtime second-in-command Charlie Munger. In his widely-read annual letter to …
GEICO’s ‘Eye-Popping’ 2023 Insurance Profits, Falling Employee Counts
Even though Berkshire Hathaway’s latest annual report featured Warren Buffett’s forecast that the days of “eye-popping performance” for the giant conglomerate have past, readers focused on property/casualty insurance saw numbers that jumped off the pages. Among them were: A 2023 …
Agents, Brokers Achieve Record Annual Growth in 2023
The independent insurance agent and broker channel posted an organic growth rate of 10.3% in 2023 — the highest annual level achieved since Reagan Consulting launched its quarterly growth and profitability study in 2008. According to a Reagan, at 22.8, …
Universities Settle Financial-Aid Antitrust Lawsuit for $166M
Dartmouth, Northwestern, Rice and Vanderbilt universities have agreed to pay a combined $166 million to resolve claims that they favored wealthy student applicants, pushing total settlements in a federal antitrust lawsuit over college financial aid practices to $284 million. Lawyers …
Higginbotham Adds 103-year-old FPH&A to the Lineup
Higginbotham, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages, has acquired Alabama-based Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, a 103-year-old agency. FPH&A was founded in 1921 and has been with some carriers for almost as long, the companies said in a news …
Georgia House Approves Bill to Let Drivers Refuse to Sign Traffic Tickets
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are seeking to change state law to say that officers don’t have to arrest people who refuse to sign traffic tickets after a church deacon died in August after initially refusing to sign a citation …
Sand Hole Collapse at Florida Beach Kills Child, Can Happen Around US
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The collapse of a sand hole that killed a 7-year-old Indiana girl who was digging with her brother on a Florida beach is an underrecognized danger that kills and injures several children a year around …
People Moves: Bridge Specialty Adds Five to Dallas Office
A group of five experienced individuals have joined the new Bridge Specialty Insurance Brokerage – Dallas office. Janie Williams, broker, brings more than 30 years’ experience to Bridge Specialty Insurance Brokerage (BSIB) Dallas. Janie’s career spans both the retail and …