Today's Insurance Pulse
Heritage trims reinsurance program, saving $63.2M
Heritage Insurance Holdings renewed its 2026 reinsurance and catastrophe‑bond program with a total limit of $2.2 billion, down from $2.5 billion placed in 2025. The renewal includes $712 million of multi‑year coverage, $550 million from cat bonds and $162 million from private markets. Pricing softness allowed Heritage to cut renewal costs by $63.2 million.
Also developing:
Hinterland Insurance Appoints Kristine Hardy and Evan Krozy to Executive Roles
Hinterland Insurance, a niche MGA focused on hard-to-place risks, announced two senior leadership appointments. Evan Krozy joins as Chief Underwriting Officer, while Kristine Harding becomes Executive Vice President of Commercial Package and Property, reporting to Krozy. Both bring decades of underwriting, program, and brokerage experience. The hires are positioned to accelerate Hinterland’s specialty‑line growth and deepen relationships with trading partners.
Global Business Resilience Faces Physical Risk Crossroads as Cyber Defenses Strengthen Worldwide
Denmark remains the world’s most resilient business environment in the 2026 FM Resilience Index, which evaluates 130 countries across 18 risk factors. The report highlights a sharp rise in cybersecurity rankings, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Spain climbing up to...
Ascot Adds Walch-Watson and Gallagher to Board of Directors
Ascot Group Limited announced the appointment of Patrice Walch‑Watson and Christopher Gallagher to its Board of Directors. Walch‑Watson, senior managing director and chief legal officer at CPP Investments, brings deep legal, regulatory and corporate‑governance expertise. Gallagher, a three‑decade insurance veteran...
US Judge Again Refuses to Allow New Hampshire to Abolish Auto Inspections
A federal judge denied New Hampshire's request to stay a court injunction that blocks the state from abolishing its vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program. The injunction remains in force until the EPA approves the state's plan to meet Clean...
Illinois Trucking Fraud: State Insurers Allow Under‑insured Carriers
Trucking has become a cesspool of fraud - this time involving the State of Illinois and its insurance pool. Carriers are criminally under insured and the state agency is aware of it. Often, they will own many trucks and only...
Fairway Moves Into Home Insurance at Origination
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. announced a partnership with The Baldwin Group to launch Fairway Home Insurance Agency, offering homeowners insurance at loan origination. The collaboration embeds Baldwin’s proprietary technology into Fairway’s workflow, allowing real‑time policy quotes during the mortgage application....
AM Best Upgrades Outlooks to Positive for Starr Subsidiaries
AM Best upgraded the outlooks for Starr International’s U.S. and Bermuda subsidiaries from stable to positive while reaffirming their Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and Long‑Term Issuer Credit Rating of a+ (Excellent). The agency cited stronger underwriting trends, a...
Uber Ballot Measure to Cap Personal Injury Fees, Limit Medical Damages Sparks Ire
Uber has filed a California ballot initiative to cap personal‑injury lawyers' contingency fees at 25% and limit medical damages, spending roughly $32.5 million on the effort. A coalition of attorneys, medical providers and consumer groups has mobilized $55 million to oppose the...
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ Profit up 19%, Group Net Income Jumps
Swiss Re’s Corporate Solutions unit posted a net income of $988 million for 2025, a 19 % increase despite a 5 % drop in insurance rates on a risk‑adjusted basis. The broader Swiss Re group saw net income surge 47 % to $4.76 billion, driven...
1089 Collaborates with Price Forbes & Oka to Launch Carbon Asset Insurance Framework
1089 Inc., together with Price Forbes and Oka, has launched a carbon asset insurance framework aimed at the transportation and energy sectors. The programme embeds institutional safeguards, disciplined financial architecture, and verifiable data integrity into 1089’s CX89 Advanced Fuels Carbon...
TRIP and Private Terrorism Coverage: A Natural Co-Existence
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Program (TRIP) remains a federal backstop that only pays after a U.S. government certification, and to date no claim has ever been certified. Its coverage is limited to U.S. locations, a minimum loss threshold, and a...
Oman Re and Gallagher Re Support New Mandatory Nat Cat Cover for Motor Insurance
Oman has become the first GCC market to mandate natural‑catastrophe coverage within its Unified Motor Insurance Policy, effective 19 February 2026 after a one‑month alignment period. The scheme, built with Oman Re, Gallagher Re and the Oman Insurance Association, automatically protects third‑party...
Gen AI Could Unlock $50-$70bn in Insurance Revenue, Estimates McKinsey & Company
McKinsey estimates generative AI could generate $50‑$70 billion in incremental insurance revenue, driven by gains in marketing, customer operations and software engineering. The firm highlights the sector’s fragmented workflows and rich data assets as fertile ground for AI‑enabled automation and predictive...
FCA Targets Q3 for Captive Rules Consultation
The Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority will launch a joint consultation in the third quarter of 2026 on a new regulatory framework for captive insurers, with the rules expected to take effect in 2027. The timetable was...
Willis and Belfry Partner to Simplify Security Insurance
Willis, a WTW unit, has teamed with security SaaS provider Belfry and InsurTech specialist Kayna to launch a digital insurance programme for physical security firms. The collaboration embeds a Willis‑brokered insurance portal directly into Belfry’s platform, using Kayna’s real‑time data...
Why Claims AI Build Vs. Buy Decisions So Often Miss the Mark
Insurance leaders often jump straight into a build‑or‑buy debate for claims AI, treating every use case as identical. Chad Langford argues the real issue is categorizing problems by complexity, external data requirements, and carrier‑specific processes. Mis‑classification leads to over‑building simple...
Emerging Risks, Bank Consolidation, Quantum Computing Near Production
I've just released my weekly wrap-up. 1️⃣ A public view on Emerging Risks 2️⃣ Re-aggregating banks 3️⃣ Quantum Computing gets closer to production 👉 https://t.co/P2HDzCRgWS — fgtrends
No Fault, No Claims Adjuster, No Friction: Randel Bennett on the Future of Guarantees
In this episode, InsurTech Leadership host Josh interviews Randall Bennett, CEO and co‑founder of Quixen, about the company’s embedded, parametric production guarantees for commercial solar projects. Bennett explains how Quixen partners with solar installers and prime contractors to offer a...
Red Flags Adjusters Should Look for in Truck Accident Claims Investigations
Adjusters handling commercial‑truck accidents must navigate a dense web of electronic logs, driver qualification files, maintenance records, and carrier safety scores. Red flags such as ELD violations, missing qualification documents, incomplete DVIRs, and low SMS ratings often signal heightened exposure...
Marsh Awarded Injunction Against Former Employees Now With Howden US
A federal judge granted Marsh a preliminary injunction blocking seven former employees, now at Howden US, from using Marsh's confidential information, soliciting Marsh staff, and courting Marsh clients for one year. The court found Marsh likely to succeed on breach‑of‑contract...
How Elevance Health Is — and Isn’t — Using AI
Elevance Health, formerly Anthem, is deploying artificial intelligence across its operations while drawing a firm line against using AI for claim denials. The insurer leverages AI to flag incomplete claims, accelerate prior‑authorization approvals, and power virtual assistants that guide members...
Claims Automation Must Shift Priorities
Claims automation has delivered unprecedented speed, but insurers now recognize that speed alone is insufficient. The industry is shifting toward decision quality, fairness, and defensibility, driven by rising claim complexity, fraud risk, and regulatory scrutiny. AI‑powered decision engines are emerging...
AI Patents Emerge as Competitive Weapon
AI patents are rapidly becoming the insurance industry's most potent competitive lever, yet the majority of carriers lack a coherent strategy to leverage them. A handful of property‑and‑casualty insurers have filed 77% of all AI‑related patents, creating a steep concentration...
State Farm Inked $1.5B Underwriting Profit for 2025; HO Loss Persists
State Farm posted a $1.5 billion underwriting gain for its property‑casualty segment in 2025, reversing a $6 billion loss in 2024 and over $10 billion losses in the two preceding years. The turnaround was driven by a near‑$5 billion auto underwriting profit, with earned...
Can We Use AI for ICFR and SOX?
AI can be leveraged to automate and enhance internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and SOX compliance, especially through agentic AI that creates documentation, scans evidence, and tests controls. However, compliance officers must ensure that AI testing validates control design,...
Is AI-Based Data Overwhelming Insurers?
Nearmap’s VP of AI & Computer Vision, Dr. Michael Bewley, explains how AI‑driven aerial imagery is reshaping property insurance. Supervised machine‑learning models can identify roof conditions, quantify damage likelihood, and feed into faster catastrophe response. However, the flood of heterogeneous...
Alignment Healthcare Takes ‘Step Forward’ Despite Medicare Advantage Headwinds
Alignment Healthcare posted a fourth‑quarter loss of $11 million, but revenue rose 44 percent to just over $1 billion and membership jumped 25 percent to 236,300. The loss narrowed sharply from $31 million a year earlier, and the full‑year loss shrank to $724 000 versus $128 million...
Florida Court Rejects Broader Comp Drug Dispensing Rule
A Florida appeals court struck down a 2023 rule that would have forced workers‑comp insurers to reimburse medications dispensed by physicians, ruling the measure exceeded the statutory “free, full, and absolute choice” language for pharmacy selection. The court held that...
What Landlord Insurance Policies Don’t Cover When It Comes to Short-Term Rentals
Landlord insurance policies are generally unsuitable for short‑term rentals (STRs) because they exclude many risks inherent to hospitality operations. Instead, property owners need a commercial homeowners or dedicated STR policy that provides broader liability limits, coverage for guest‑caused damage, equipment...
Louisiana Bill Would Limit Evidence in Comp Medical Treatment Appeals
Louisiana lawmakers introduced S.B. 162 to amend the state workers' compensation medical treatment schedule. The bill would keep the existing appeal framework but restrict the evidentiary record on further appeal to only what the medical director or associate medical director...
Two More States Are About to Jump Ship Onto Their Own ACA Marketplaces
Oregon and Oklahoma are set to launch their own state‑based ACA exchanges, bringing the total to 23 states (including DC) that will operate independent marketplaces by 2028. This shift will push state‑run exchanges past the 50 percent population mark, a milestone...
Liberty Launches Lender Collateral Insurance Program
Liberty Co. Insurance Brokers announced the launch of Liberty Collateral Protection, a new collateral protection facility aimed at lenders and loan servicers with large, multi‑state portfolios. The offering blends lender‑placed insurance, real‑estate‑owned (REO) coverage, and collateral protection insurance with centralized...
Top 6 Insurance Startups in Africa Transforming Coverage
Africa’s insurance protection gap remains stark, with only about three percent of the population covered. Mobile‑money, AI and API‑driven models are enabling a new wave of insurtech startups to offer micro‑insurance at scale. The article highlights six innovators—Pula, Lami, Pineapple,...
Protected: Navigating Shareholder Litigation Risk in the Life Sciences Sector
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance provides a broad suite of commercial property, casualty, professional liability, and specialty lines tailored for high‑risk sectors, including life sciences. The insurer underwrites policies on the paper of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group, which carries an...
Munich Re Posts 12% Drop in Fourth-Quarter Profit as Weak Dollar Weighs
Munich Re reported a 12% decline in fourth‑quarter net profit, posting €945 million versus €1.068 billion a year earlier, missing analyst expectations of €1.030 billion. The drop was primarily driven by adverse currency effects from a weaker U.S. dollar. Despite the quarterly dip,...
The Heat Is On: Keeping Workers Safe in a Changing Environment
Extreme heat in the United States hit record levels in 2025, driving a sharp rise in heat‑related occupational deaths and injuries. OSHA has extended its National Emphasis Program and proposed a new heat‑injury rule, while several states already enforce stricter...
Florida Set to Allow PCC Formations
Florida Senate Bill 990 authorizes protected cell companies (PCCs), expanding the state’s captive insurance framework. The bill outlines governance, formation, capitalization, operation, and regulatory oversight requirements. PCCs will allow multiple segregated risk cells under one legal entity, aligning Florida with...
Medicare Part D: Implementation of Beneficiary Premium Stabilization Demonstration
In 2025 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched a voluntary Premium Stabilization Demonstration for Medicare Part D standalone drug plans to curb steep premium hikes and protect enrollment. GAO analysis showed that without the program, average premiums would have...
A&E Professional Liability Market Faces Reckoning as Claim Severity Soars
The A&E professional liability market recorded its fifth consecutive year of premium growth in 2025, yet claim severity surged, with 60% of insurers reporting larger loss payouts. Defense costs now dominate, driven by aggressive litigation and rising counsel fees. While...
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Wakam UK launched in April 2024 as a fully authorised digital insurer built to serve MGAs, insurtechs and embedded insurance platforms. Leveraging an API‑driven, AI‑native core, the firm can design, underwrite and launch bespoke products in weeks rather than months....
Willis Launches Global Digital Infrastructure Group to Tackle Data Centre Risks
Willis, a WTW business, has launched a Global Digital Infrastructure Group led by Alastair Swift to address data‑centre risks across the entire lifecycle. The new cross‑functional team combines expertise in construction, energy, technology, cyber, real estate, supply‑chain and finance. It...
Lessons Learned From an 11-Month-Old Workers’ Comp Law
New York enacted a sweeping workers’ compensation amendment in December 2024 that allowed any employee to claim compensation for “extraordinary work‑related stress,” but the law was repealed less than a year later due to vague definitions and fear of claim...
West of England P&I Club Names Alexis Wildman as Head of Products
West of England P&I Club has appointed Alexis Wildman as Head of Products, succeeding Richard Turner who will retire later this year. Wildman will report to Chief Underwriting Officer Bart Mertens and oversee the club’s diversified product portfolio, including collaboration...
Gallagher Re Appoints Roshan Perera as Head of APAC, Richard Jones as Chairman
Gallagher Re has appointed Roshan Perera as Managing Director, Head of the Asia Pacific region, and Richard Jones as Chairman, APAC. Perera, with over 25 years of regional experience, previously led the firm’s APAC Strategic Solutions team, while Jones brings...
Mackay Succeeds Adamczyk as HDI’s Global Head of Energy & Power
HDI Global announced Mark Mackay will assume the role of Global Head of Energy & Power on 1 March, succeeding long‑time leader Franz Adamczyk. Mackay, a chemical engineer with more than 15 years of international insurance experience, most recently led the company’s Energy...
How We Engineered a Scalable and Performant Enterprise AI Platform
To meet the stringent data‑privacy demands of enterprise insurance, the company abandoned the traditional multi‑tenant SaaS model and built a single‑tenant AI platform where each client receives an isolated database and compute environment. By eliminating middleware and moving business logic...
Deepfake Fraud Costs UK £9.4B, US Must Act
The UK’s £9.4B loss to deepfake-enabled fraud is not a headline, it’s a warning. AI-powered scams are scaling faster than legacy identity and compliance systems can adapt. If the US doesn’t harden digital onboarding, verification, and cross-sector fraud defenses now, the bill...
AXA XL Reinsurance Premiums Grow 8% for FY’25
AXA XL Reinsurance posted an 8% year‑on‑year increase in gross written premiums, reaching €2.6 billion for FY 2025. The growth was driven by alternative capital and favorable casualty pricing, while other lines softened. Across AXA’s broader property‑and‑casualty segment, GWP rose 5% to...
Blue Marble Makes ‘Largest Ever’ Parametric Payout to Smallholder Farmers in Indonesia
Blue Marble, a micro‑insurance provider, executed the largest parametric payout ever recorded for smallholder farmers in Indonesia. All 2,719 enrolled farmers received claims totaling over IDR 2.4 billion after floods in Aceh triggered a pre‑defined scientific rainfall threshold. The automated, science‑based trigger...
Munich Re’s Net Result Exceeds Target in 2025 at over €6.1bn
Munich Re posted a €6.121 billion net result for 2025, surpassing its €6.0 billion target and marking the fifth consecutive year of outperformance. The reinsurance arm contributed €5.204 billion, buoyed by strong property‑and‑casualty and life‑and‑health segments, while group insurance revenue held steady at...