Research and Trends News

UK’s Poor Climate Planning Risks ‘Cascading Failures’: Report

Britain is “strikingly unprepared” for a changing climate and could face disruptions to energy, food supply, transport and communications infrastructure if it fails to adapt fast, the government’s independent adviser on climate policy has warned. The UK is already experiencing …

Reinsurers Average 12.1% Premium Growth for Full-Year 2022: Gallagher Re

Reinsurers’ premium growth averaged 12.1% for full-year 2022 and 10.2% for the fourth quarter, which was driven by improved pricing for commercial lines and reinsurance business, according to Gallagher Re. However, the strongest FY 2022 increase of 16.7%-plus came from …

High Inflation Hiked P/C Claims Costs Up to 7.5% in 2022

High inflation alone led to an increase in property/casualty claims of 5-7.5%, across five key markets in 2022, according to Swiss Re research. “In 2023, we expect that inflation should lead to an additional increase of 3.5-6.5%,” said Swiss Re …

U.S. P/C Industry Records $26.5 Billion Underwriting Loss in 2022

The U.S. property/casualty (P/C) industry recorded a $26.5 billion net underwriting loss in 2022, $21.5 billion more than the $5 billion underwriting loss reported in 2021, according to a report published by AM Best. The underwriting loss came despite an …

Natural Catastrophes Cost Insurers $125 Billion in 2022: Swiss Re

Natural disasters in 2022 brought global economic losses of US$275 billion, of which insurance covered 45%, or US$125 billion, according to Swiss Re’s latest sigma report. Claims from Hurricane Ian in Florida, record breaking losses from hailstorms in France, floods …

‘Climate Time Bomb Ticking’, Warns UN Chief, Urging Faster Cuts to Emissions

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that the “climate time bomb is ticking” as he urged rich nations on Monday to slash emissions sooner after a new assessment from scientists said there was little time to lose in tackling climate …

Scratched EV Battery? Your Insurer May Be Forced to Junk the Whole Car

For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles – leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric. …

Insured Losses From N. Zealand Floods Estimated at US$1.02B, With Profit Hit Expected

The initial insured losses for the recent floods in the North Island of New Zealand are estimated at NZ$1.65 billion ($1.02 billion), according to PERILS, the independent Zurich-based organization that provides industry-wide catastrophe insurance data. Losses incurred so far in …

U.S. Commercial Rates Increased in Q4 – But at Slower Pace: WTW

U.S. commercial insurance prices grew in the fourth quarter of 2022 by an average of 4.8%, down from the rate of 5.2% in the previous quarter (Q3 2022), according to WTW’s most recent Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey (CLIPS). The …

Glut of Plastic Polluting World’s Oceans Is Growing Fast: Research

There are more than 170 trillion tiny plastic particles — or 2 million tons of them — floating on the surface of the ocean, and many of them got there after 2004, according to a paper published Wednesday in the …