Articles by Chad Hemenway

Chad is National News Editor at Insurance Journal. He has been covering the insurance industry since 2007, reporting on trends and coverage in most lines of insurance as well as natural catastrophes, modeling, regulation, legislation, and litigation. Chad can be reached at chemenway@wellsmedia.com

S&P: 2023 Marked Stall of Rapid Growth in US Cyber Insurance

S&P Global Market Intelligence weighed in on the U.S. cyber insurance marketplace, reporting that premium dipped in 2023 to end several years of rapid growth. The overall 0.7% decline in cyber insurance direct written premiums was driven by a 3.2% …

Cyberattacks Over Work Email Most Used; Ransomware Hits Victims Hard: Arctic Wolf

Business email compromise is now the top method of cyberattack, according to a survey from cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf. Of the 1,000 surveyed senior IT and cybersecurity decisionmakers from organizations in more than 15 countries, 70% said they were targets …

CIAB: Commercial P/C Premiums Increase 7.7% in Q1 2024

Overall commercial property/casualty premiums increased slightly for all account sizes to 7.7% on average in the first quarter 2024. According to The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers’ Q1 Market Survey, the 7.7% average increase in Q1 compared to 7% …

Fitch Ratings: US Cyber Premium Growth Slows in 2023

The U.S. cyber insurance market saw what Fitch Ratings called an unexpected 1% decline in direct written premiums in 2023 following a 160% increase from 2020 to 2022. According to Fitch Ratings’ U.S. Cyber Insurance Market Update, standalone cyber written …

Insurance Research Council: Home Insurance Spend Tops Household Income Growth

According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), the average homeowners insurance expenditure has become less affordable for U.S. consumers over time. Looking at the the years 2001 to 2021—the latest year in which relevant data is available—homeowners spent about 2% …

Hospital Operator Ascension ‘Making Progress’ to Restore Systems After Cyberattack

Hospital operator Ascension said on Monday that it “worked around the clocked” over the weekend to handle a recent ransomware attack that disrupted operations. “We are focused on restoring systems safely. We are making progress, however, it will take time …

Berkshire’s Jain on Cyber: ‘The Mindset Should Be You’re Not Making Money’

While describing cyber insurance as a “fashionable” and profitable business, Berkshire Hathaway’s head of insurance operations said aggregation and loss costs have kept the company away from the risk for the most part. Yes, profitability has been “fairly high” for …

Hartford Q1 Income Up 41% on Commercial Lines as Auto Results Improve

The Hartford CEO Christopher Swift told analysts late last week that the insurer’s first quarter results included “progress toward restoring targeted profitability in auto” as it turned in an improved combined ratio for the quarter of 103.9 in the line …

Chubb CEO Greenberg: Some Financial Lines Underwriting Practices ‘Simply Dumb’

According to Chubb CEO Evan G. Greenberg, the insurance industry’s underwriting practices for a number of financial lines are “simply dumb.” In a call with analysts to discuss Chubb’s earnings for the first quarter, Greenberg said rates for financial lines …

Berkley CEO: Property E&S Momentum Slows but ‘Some More Hay’ to Be Made

When it comes to observations of the excess and surplus lines market, there is a difference between the momentum of liability and property lines, said W.R. Berkley CEO W. Robert Berkley, Jr. Addressing some talk that has painted a picture …