Published: August 2019

After the Storm

Reinsurers reassess pricing and exposures after losses from Hurrican Irma in 2017 and Typhoon Jebi last year.

A Global Conversation: Reinsurance Rundown: Insurance industry experts discuss the latest hot topics and challenges facing the reinsurance market with AMBestTV.

AM Best TV & Radio: Bermuda Hosts Captive Conference: AMBestTV reports on the Bermuda Captive Conference, the IASA Conference in Phoenix, and the International Insurance Society Global Insurance Forum in Singapore. AMBestRadio presents discussions on growing diversity in insurance companies and meeting the needs of the cannabis industry.

AM Best Webinars: Drones Changing Claims, State of the Cyber Market: An AM Best webinar features experts discussing how aerial and satellite imaging is changing claims processes. Also, insurers are covering new risks.

At Large: Market in Flux: Loss creep, shrinking retrocession and deteriorating casualty results define the market as reinsurers head into the annual Rendez-Vous de Septembre.

Captives: A Safe Space: Bermuda regulators developed a sandbox environment where startups can experiment with new technology.

Captives: Home Grown: Economic substance regulations want to ensure that companies are generating profits in the domicile where they are incorporated.

Captives: The Next Stage: Captives are experimenting with blockchain applications and see promise in handling claims.

Executive Changes: Former Marsh Exec Schaper to Lead New AIG Re: Also: Liberty Mutual Re has a new operation under Lloyd’s in Mexico, ProAssurance COO promoted to CEO, Axis Capital names chief information security officer, Geico Insurance Agency names president, officers.

From the Editor's Desk: Momentum Change: Loss creep sneaks up on reinsurers, resulting in adverse loss development and a shift in pricing trends. Also, AMBestTV will cover the annual Vermont Captive Insurance Association conference, held each August in Burlington.

Industry Updates: 'A Safe Environment': Bermuda sandbox ideal for fintech innovation.

Industry Updates: Outside Interest: India allows 100% foreign direct investment for intermediaries.

In the News: Quake Coverage Down To 14% in Parts of Missouri: Back in 2000, 60% of residences in the New Madrid area had earthquake insurance.

In the News: Regulatory Update: RI governor nixes lawsuit bill, NAIC takes action and accounting standard delayed.

In the News: UK's Flood Re to Seek OK To Push Property Resilience: The strategy will lower the toll of future floods and foster the development of anti-flood products.

Insurance Marketing: Appealing to the Senses: Liberty Mutual is experimenting with scent-based marketing and Sun Life Assurance is sponsoring a national stationary cycle event to fund diabetes research.

Life Insurance: The Reinvention of a Life Insurer: Vantis Life is banking on a new accelerated underwriting platform, a distribution shift and a shrewd marketing strategy as it repositions itself.

Next Wave: Change Management: Navigating changes in corporate culture requires finesse.

Regulatory/Law: Scam Sophistication: The warnings about cybercrime need to be taken seriously. As scammers have become more cunning, vigilance is important.

Reinsurance: A Pause After the Storms: Following two years of painful catastrophes, ILS investors are waiting for claims to be paid so capital can be released. However, they remain committed to the market.

Reinsurance: Market Correction: Florida reinsurers raise rates and return to underwriting differentiation in response to lingering issues.

Reinsurance: Rating Collateralized Reinsurers: With $55 billion in capacity, collateralized reinsurance is the fastest-growing form of insurance-linked securities.

Reinsurance: Winds of Change: Losses from Typhoon Jebi caught reinsurers by surprise, resulting in increases in loss reserves and suppressed cat bond returns while laying the groundwork for higher rates.

Risk Adviser: Power to the People: Technological revolution is driven by demographic shift.

Technology: A Starting Point: Robotic process automation can be a powerful tool to rein in costs. But it’s really just the beginning of a broader automation journey that can help insurers get closer to customers.

Technology: The Right Choice: Application programming interfaces, web services and microservices are aiding in customer service and back-office functionality in new ways.

The Last Word: White Lies: Millions of Americans lie on their insurance applications, but technology is helping insurers identify mistruths and curb insurance fraud.

Webinar Excerpt: Being Flexible: A panel of insurance portfolio management experts examines the potential risk-adjusted return benefits of pairing fixed income securities with equity options within insurance portfolios.