excess & surplus lines News

Credit Ratings Assigned to Illinois’ Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Co. (Vantage Risk) in Chicago. Vantage Risk is a newly added member to Vantage Group …

Digital E&S Broker Pathpoint Releases Lessor’s Risk Commercial Package

Pathpoint, a digital excess and surplus lines insurance distributor, has launched its Lessor’s Risk Only (LRO) Commercial Package for agents to access non-admitted coverage for property owners with a single application. The Pathpoint’s LRO product includes a shortened, targeted question …

Specialty Insurer Hallmark Financial CEO Anand Resigns; AM Best Maintains ‘A-‘ Rating

AM Best announced that it would not change the “A-” financial strength ratings of the members of Dallas-based specialty insurer Hallmark Insurance Group nor the “bbb-” long-term issue credit rating of Hallmark Financial Services, after Hallmark Financial announced its chief …

Broker Not Liable for Late Notice that Cost Illinois Client $1.34M

An Illinois construction company that waited six years to inform its excess insurer that it had been sued cannot expect coverage from that carrier, and it can’t go after the insurance brokerage that sold it the policy either, a federal …

LP Risk Acquires Wholesale Insurance Broker, Houston Surplus Lines

Texas-based managing general agency and surplus lines broker, LP Risk, has acquired the assets and operations of Houston Surplus Lines, an independently owned wholesale insurance brokerage. Houston Surplus Lines team will become a part of LP Risk and will expand …

Fewer E&S Flood Insurance Policies in Texas Coastal Counties Post-Harvey

The organization that keeps track of excess and surplus policies sold in Texas says the number of E&S flood insurance policies in place in the state’s coastal counties declined after Hurricane Harvey hit in August 2017. In the months after …

Hanover Insurance Enhances Specialty Leadership; Mills to Lead E&S

The Hanover Insurance Group has expanded its specialty leadership team to enhance as part of a series of personnel changes the company has made to its specialty business over the last year. The Hanover announced it has appointed Steven M. …

Barbican Insurance Launches U.S. Specialty Property MGA Targeting Southeast, Gulf Coasts

Barbican Insurance Group has launched Barbican Specialty US, a new managing general agency (MGA) providing wholesale excess and surplus (E&S) property insurance for small-to-medium-sized commercial operations along the southeastern coast of the United States. Based in Atlanta and Kansas City, …

Future of State Auto Insurance Group’s E&S Business Under Review

Columbus, Ohio-based State Auto Insurance Group (State Auto) is reviewing options for its excess and surplus (E&S) lines business, including a possible sale, the company said in an announcement. State Auto has a market valuation of about $981 million, according …

Industrial Insurer HDI Global Forms Excess Surplus Lines Carrier

Industrial insurer HDI Global Insurance Co. (HDI) has formed an excess and surplus lines subsidiary, HDI Specialty Insurance Co. The new platform will “bring European expertise and solutions” to the alternative energy, private public partnerships (P3s), and design-build construction markets, …