Latest Underwriting Headlines

All the headlines from our Underwriting Topic Page, ordered by recency.

California Balks at Applied Underwriters Sale, Questions Subsidiary’s Move to New Mexico

Oct 21 2019 // The California Department of Insurance has denied an application for approval of the sale of California Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Applied Underwriters that was sold in a massive deal that has been under scrutiny over...

How Risk Management is Transforming Risk in Commercial Property

Oct 21 2019 // Commercial property underwriters are adjusting to a market defined by rising catastrophe losses and dwindling profits. From increasing rates and higher deductibles to fewer classes of business and stricter underwriting,...

Insurtechs Discovering the Value of Agents

Oct 21 2019 // Insurtechs have been making headlines for several years with how they are changing the insurance business and the threat they pose to traditional insurance distribution. But as these fledgling insurance technology firms...

James River Insurance Retains Rating After Dropping Its Biggest Customer, Uber

Oct 18 2019 // Ratings agency A.M. Best said its ratings of James River Insurance remain unchanged after the insurer said it would be cancelling its business with ride-hailing giant Uber affiliate, Rasier, its largest client. A.M Best...

London-Based MGA Castel Specialty Enters Construction and Engineering Market

Oct 17 2019 // Castel Specialty, the London-based division of club-style MGA formation platform Castel Underwriting Agencies Ltd., has entered the construction and engineering market, primarily focused on the UK, North America,...

Applied Underwriters Sold to Founder in $920M Deal

Oct 16 2019 // Applied Underwriters Inc. and its subsidiary North American Casualty Co. has reportedly been acquired by Applied Underwriters founder Steve Menzies, who was joined in the acquisition by the Quasha Group led by Quadrant...

Skelly Joins Southern Insurance Underwriters in Atlanta

Oct 16 2019 // Atlanta-based Southern Insurance Underwriters has named John Skelly as Commercial Marine Practice leader. In this position, he will direct the planning, development, implementation and maintenance of commercial inland...

Michigan’s J.M. Wilson Promotes Bartolacci to Personal Lines Underwriter

Oct 11 2019 // Portage, Michigan-based managing general agency and surplus lines broker, J.M. Wilson, has promoted Ryan Bartolacci to personal lines underwriter. Bartolacci is responsible for quoting new and renewal personal lines risks...

Texas Windstorm Insurer Seeks Input for Actuarial & Underwriting Committee

Oct 10 2019 // Texas insurer of last resort for properties along the state’s coast is seeking input from the public in advance of a meeting of its Actuarial & Underwriting Committee. The Texas Windstorm Insurance...

Krol Promoted to Assistant Brokerage Underwriter at Michigan’s J.M. Wilson

Oct 9 2019 // J.M. Wilson in Portage, Michigan, has promoted Stevii Krol to assistant brokerage underwriter. Krol is responsible for quoting new and renewal brokerage and professional accounts, setting up and binding policies, assisting...

Corvus Increases Cyber Risk Policy Limits for Insureds Utilizing Security Services

Oct 7 2019 // Corvus Insurance, a provider of AI-driven commercial insurance, has updated its cyber underwriting model to reward highly protected organizations with higher limits for Social Engineering and Cyber Crime coverage....

Pennsylvania’s Venture Insurance Programs Hires Wisler as an Underwriter

Oct 7 2019 // Venture Insurance Programs, a national insurance program administrator based in West Chester, Penn., has hired Cheryl Wisler as an underwriter for FITLIFE, its program for fitness, wellness and spa services. In her new...

Surplus Lines Premium Grows in Response to Weak Results; Top 15 E&S Writers: Fitch

Oct 7 2019 // Direct written premiums in the U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market during 2018 grew at its greatest rate since 2012, increasing 11% and representing the eighth consecutive year of premium growth, according to...

In Midwest Expansion, Venture Underwriters Opens Office in Chicago

Oct 2 2019 // Venture Underwriters Inc., a division of Allstar Financial Group, is expanding in the Midwest with the opening of a new office in the Chicago market The new office will be managed by Dan Moran, who has relocated from the...

Hines Joins Everest’s Specialty Insurance Group in Underwriting

Oct 2 2019 // Kurt Hines has joined insurer Everest Insurance as vice president of Underwriting in the Specialty Insurance Group, which offers coverages for the sports, leisure and entertainment industries. In this role, Hines will be...

Euclid Insurance Services Taps CNA’s Elliott to Lead New Life Sciences Division

Oct 1 2019 // Euclid Insurance Services, Inc. has formed Euclid Life Science Specialty, LLC (Euclid Life Science), a product and professional liability insurance underwriting platform providing tailored casualty coverage products to the...

MS Amlin Exits 9 Non-Core Classes of Business, with a New Focus on 3 Core Markets

Oct 1 2019 // MS Amlin, the London-based re/insurer and subsidiary of MS&AD, announced a new underwriting strategy that focuses on three core, non-commodity markets, while exiting nine non-core markets, which no longer fit in its...

Lloyd’s Reveals Blueprint to Build ‘Most Advanced Insurance Marketplace’

Sep 30 2019 // Lloyd’s of London has unveiled a blueprint for action to facilitate its Future at Lloyd’s project, which aims to “build the most advanced insurance marketplace in the world.” This first blueprint,...

Switzerland’s Helvetia to Begin Underwriting Worldwide Aviation Insurance in October

Sep 30 2019 // Helvetia Specialty Lines CH & International announced it will begin writing aviation insurance in October. Helvetia’s aviation team will offer worldwide insurance coverage for passenger liability, third-party...

Strong E&S Premium Growth in Response to Weak Results; Top 15 E&S Writers: Fitch

Sep 30 2019 // Direct written premiums in the U.S. excess and surplus (E&S) lines market during 2018 grew at its greatest rate since 2012, increasing 11% and representing the eighth consecutive year of premium growth, according to...