INSURANCE NEWS
Specialist Risk Group Acquires Ecclesia Group’s Assets in Netherlands and Belgium
Specialist Risk Group (SRG), the London-based insurance intermediary, announced it will acquire the assets of Ecclesia Group in The Netherlands and Belgium – a move that will see seven businesses and 700 new colleagues across the two countries join SRG. …
Digital Lloyd’s Syndicate Ki Becomes Separate Company Within Fairfax Group
Ki, the Lloyd’s digital follow platform, announced it completed the separation from its parent company, Fairfax Group, becoming a standalone subsidiary on Jan. 1, 2025. Ki was created in 2020 and started writing business through its Syndicate 1618 in 2021. …
Where Homeowners Rates Are Rising—and Who Is Raising Them Most
According to a new analysis of homeowners insurance rates, some Midwest states saw the biggest jumps in premiums last year—and American Family Insurance topped a list of 10 insurers ranked by average rate change. The analysis published by S&P Global …
LA Fires Could Consume 30% of European Reinsurers’ Natural Disaster Budgets: Fitch
The Los Angeles wildfires could consume more than 30% of the aggregate natural catastrophe budgets set for 2025 by Europe’s four largest reinsurers – Swiss Re, Munich Re, Hannover Re and SCOR, according to a Fitch Ratings commentary. Insured losses …
New York Obtains $1.065B Judgment Against Accused Predatory Lender
New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Wednesday her office obtained a $1.065 billion judgment against Yellowstone Capital, a cash advance provider accused of predatory lending, as part of a settlement that gives small businesses more than a half-billion …
Families Sue TikTok in France Over Teen Suicides they say are linked to harmful content
In the moment when her world shattered three years ago, Stephanie Mistre found her 15-year-old daughter, Marie, lifeless in the bedroom where she died by suicide. “I went from light to darkness in a fraction of a second,” Mistre said, …
Murdoch’s News Group Settles With Prince Harry, Leaving Questions Unanswered
Following a dramatic last-minute settlement in court, Prince Harry has again been victorious in his mission to take on the UK’s tabloid press. Rupert Murdoch’s News Group Newspapers (NGN) – publishers of the Sun as well as the now defunct …
‘Geoeconomic Fragmentation’ Challenges Insurers: Geneva Association
January 2025 report from the Geneva Association, titled “Insurance in a Fragmented World Economy,” found that geopolitical tensions have driven the global economy toward “geoeconomic fragmentation.” Geoeconomics refers to the intersection of geopolitical forces and economic policies. The report highlights …
Storm Éowyn Leaves Thousands Without Power, Grounds Flights
Hurricane-strength winds battered Ireland and the UK early Friday morning, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power and disrupting transportation across the region. Winter Storm Éowyn brought record gusts of 183 kilometers (114 miles) per hour in Galway in …
US Health Agencies Cancel External Meetings, Travel After Trump Admin Directives
U.S. health agencies including the CDC this week canceled meetings with external groups, paused some public health publications and told employees to freeze travel after directives from the Department of Health and Human Services, two sources familiar with the situation …
MLB Orders Employees to Return to Office Five Days a Week
Major League Baseball has ordered its employees to return to the office five days a week, according to people familiar with the matter. The league had been on a hybrid policy since the pandemic. The change will go into effect …
Fire Chief Fatally Shot While Helping Couple Whose Car Hit a Deer in Alabama
A man fatally shot a Georgia fire battalion chief and wounded the driver of a car that hit a deer in rural Alabama, authorities said. The Coweta County, Georgia, fire department is mourning the death of James Bartholomew Cauthen, 54, …