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Fitch: U.S. Cyber Insurers Saw Strong Profits, Slowdown in Premium Growth in 2023

The U.S. cyber insurance line generated strong direct underwriting profits for the second straight year in 2023, but written premium volume has stalled amid renewed pricing pressure, according to a Fitch Ratings analysis. For standalone cyber coverage, the direct incurred …

Former MLB Player, 3 Others Charged with Staging Auto Accident in Miami

Four people, including a Cuban-born former Major League Baseball player who earned more than $15 million in his playing career, have been charged with staging an auto accident and defrauding an insurance carrier. Yuniesky Betancourt, 42, who played nine seasons …

Small Businesses See Stable Business Climate; Cite Cybersecurity as Top Threat

The first quarter Small Business Index, which measures small business owner confidence, is 62.3—similar to last quarter’s score of 61.3—reflecting a stable business climate. More small businesses see an improving economy, which drove the headline score up one point. One …

Beat Capital Partners to Launch Credit Insurance Business, Naming Pike as CEO

Beat Capital Partners, a London-based venture capital investor that focuses on the insurance industry, announced it is planning to launch a specialty and tech-enabled credit non-payment insurance underwriter. Called “Convergence,” the business is expected to underwrite through a Lloyd’s consortium, …

UK’s Jensten to Invest Up to £1M to Help Individuals Launch Their Own Brokerages

Jensten Group, the London-based independent insurance broking group, announced it will invest up to £1 million (US$1.3 million) this year to help 15 individuals start their own independent brokerages. The investments will be made through Coversure, the group’s network for …

Zuckerberg Avoids Personal Liability in Meta Addiction Suits

Mark Zuckerberg won his bid to avoid personal liability in about two dozen lawsuits accusing Meta Platforms Inc. and other social media companies of addicting children to their products. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who is overseeing the cases, …

Inflation Continues to Increase Insured Property Exposures Globally: PERILS

Inflation continues to have an effect on property exposures with sums insured for European windstorm increasing by 10.1% year-on-year at constant euro exchange rates, at similar levels to 2023, according to PERILS AG, the independent Zurich-based company that provides industry-wide …

UnitedHealth Expects Up to $1.6 Billion Hit from Change Healthcare Hack

UnitedHealth Group expects to take a hit of as much as $1.6 billion this year from disruptions caused by the February cyberattack at its Change Healthcare unit. Despite the disruptions, UnitedHealth still beat estimates for first-quarter adjusted profit, sending its …

Barges Break Loose on Ohio River in Pittsburgh, Damaging Marina, Striking Bridge

More than two dozen river barges broke loose from their moorings and floated down the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, striking one bridge that had already been preemptively closed and damaging a marina, officials said. The boats eventually were pinned to …

Australia’s Weather Bureau Says El Niño Has Ended, Unsure About La Niña Formation

An El Niño weather event has ended, Australian weather authorities said on Tuesday, adding that they were uncertain if a La Niña phenomenon would form later this year, as other forecasters have predicted. The cycle between the two is hugely …

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