INSURANCE NEWS
Roller Derby League Loses Bid to Temporarily Block Ban on Trans Athletes
A New York roller derby league has lost its bid to temporarily block a local ban on transgender female athletes. Nassau County Supreme Court Judge Bruce Cozzens on Tuesday denied a request by the Long Island Roller Rebels to prevent …
Ohio Pastor Found Guilty for Violating City Fire Code by Sheltering Homeless
A judge in northwestern Ohio found a pastor guilty on criminal charges Tuesday for failing to comply with the city fire code after he opened his church to let homeless people and others stay inside overnight to escape the winter …
Descartes Launches Parametric Tornado Coverage for Solar Farms
Descartes Underwriting has announced the launch of a parametric insurance product to protect utility-scale solar farms against tornado damage. According to a press release, the coverage uses satellite data and analytics to insure transition-sector investments against physical damage, business interruption …
People Moves: Zurich NA Appoints Bessette Chief Data Officer; O’Neill Named Head of NFP’s Financial Institutions Group
Zurich NA Appoints Bessette as Chief Data Officer Zurich North America, headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, appointed Kristen Bessette as chief data officer. Based on the East Coast, Bessette previously held multiple senior positions at Liberty Mutual Insurance in Boston, culminating …
KCC Estimates Losses From Palisades and Eaton Wildfires to Be Near $28B
Catastrophe modeler KCC said insured loss from privately insured and California FAIR plan policies to residential, commercial and industrial properties, and autos from the Palisades and Eaton Fires will be close to $28 billion. That’s in line with estimates issued …
Cargo Theft Surges to Record Levels in 2024
2024 saw record-breaking cargo theft activity across the United States and Canada, with 3,625 reported incidents representing a 27% increase from 2023, according to global data analytics and technology provider CargoNet, a Verisk company. The estimated average value per theft …
New Wildfires Erupt in California, Forcing Thousands to Evacuate
Two new wildfires that erupted in Southern California are spreading quickly over dry hillsides and forcing evacuations, stoking new fears in a region that’s been devastated by recent deadly blazes. The Hughes Fire, which began Wednesday and grew within hours …
Sky Betting Illegally Collected Gambler’s Data, Court Rules
A unit of Fanduel-owner Flutter Entertainment Plc illegally collected the data of a gambling-addicted customer to profile him for marketing purposes online, a London judge ruled. Bonne Terre Ltd., operating as Sky Betting and Gaming, breached UK data protection law …
OPTIS: 2024 Insurance Agency M&A Down 10%, Highlighted by 3 Large Deals
The total number of insurance agency mergers and acquisitions in 2024 was down 10% compared to 2023, according to investment banking and financial consulting firm OPTIS Partners. OPTIS Partners’ M&A database counted 750 announced insurance agency mergers and acquisitions in …
Highstreet Expands Again With Acquisition of Winder Insurance in Georgia
Highstreet Insurance Partners has continued its rapid growth with the acquisition of Winder Insurance Center in Winder, Georgia. Helmed by Russ Shepley and Brett Gamblin, the Winder agency has offered personal and business lines, including home, auto, life, commercial real …
Worst Snowstorm in 130 Years Plunges US South Into Frigid Chaos
Across the US South, extreme weather usually means boarding up windows against hurricane winds and lining streets with sandbags to hold back floods. This week, freezing temperatures and record-breaking snowfall are instead sending residents from Florida to Texas rushing to …
Banks Have Unfair Edge Over Insurers in M&A Race: NN CEO Says
A top European insurance executive slammed a piece of regulation that has emerged as key driver behind a recent slate of asset management acquisitions by banks. The rule known as Danish Compromise gives the region’s lenders “an advantage” when buying …