Real Estate Property Insurance Market Softens as Casualty Risks Create Headwinds
Lockton’s February 2026 market update shows commercial property insurance for real‑estate owners softening as competition drives 5‑15% rate cuts across most asset classes, with deeper discounts for catastrophe‑prone multifamily and hotel portfolios. In contrast, casualty liability pricing continues to climb, fueled by new sexual‑misconduct and assault exclusions that are now commonplace in general‑liability policies. The report warns that while property conditions should stay stable through 2026, casualty placement will remain challenging, especially for multifamily and hospitality assets. Insurers and owners must adapt to this bifurcated environment.
Surplus Lines Market Growth Cools as Competition Intensifies
The surplus lines market’s premium growth slowed to 9.7% year‑over‑year through Q3 2025, down from 13.5% in the same period a year earlier. Competitive pressure in cyber, commercial property and D&O liability is curbing expansion, even as E&S carriers continue...
Supply Chain Losses Hit 86% of Companies, but Most Lack Adequate Coverage: Gallagher
A Gallagher survey reveals that 86% of global companies suffered supply‑chain losses in the past year, yet only about one‑third were fully insured for those events. Rising material costs, geopolitical instability and tariff volatility are cited as the primary disruption...
Gareth Davies Appointed Executive Vice President, Head of Property at Price Forbes Bermuda
Insurance carriers are confronting a surge in acute mental‑health cases that demand intensive crisis care, stretching traditional underwriting models. Emerging psychedelic therapies and widespread telehealth add layers of regulatory ambiguity and cross‑state liability. Social inflation is amplifying verdicts, especially in...
Insurance-Linked Securities Market Soars Amid Capital Influx
The insurance‑linked securities (ILS) market posted a historic 2025, with new issuance climbing to $24.7 billion and total outstanding notional near $60 billion. Capital inflows of $12.3 billion and a benign loss year drove a 13.5% compound annual growth rate since 2020, while...
The Mental Health Crisis Is Changing — Here’s What Insurers Need to Know
Life‑science firms face heightened D&O liability as stock volatility spikes around clinical trial readouts and regulatory decisions. Shareholder lawsuits often begin with books‑and‑records demands that probe whether public statements matched internal knowledge. The article stresses disciplined, consistent disclosure and early...
IASA Xchange 2026
The International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IASA) Xchange 2026 will convene June 7‑9 in New Orleans, bringing together insurance finance, risk, technology and executive leaders. The agenda spotlights NAIC and broader regulatory updates, practical tactics for stronger financial reporting, and operational...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Share Your Industry Expertise on Stage at In2Risk 2026 in Las Vegas
The CPCU Society’s In2Risk 2026 conference will take place in Las Vegas from October 19‑21, featuring the theme “High Stakes. Smart Strategies.” Organizers are accepting educational session proposals from any professional until March 6, with topics ranging from AI and predictive...
Beyond Catastrophes: The Untapped Potential of Predict & Prevent
Insurance firms face over $100 billion in annual natural‑disaster losses, prompting a shift toward predict‑and‑prevent technologies. While IoT sensors, fortified building standards, and AI‑driven flood detection are gaining traction, the article highlights a less‑visible opportunity in the cold‑chain supply‑chain. Technova Industries...
Protected: The Mental Health Crisis Is Changing — Here’s What Insurers Need to Know
The mental health crisis is evolving, prompting insurers to reassess risk strategies. Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) highlights a multi‑faceted approach, offering product‑specific resources, alliances, and services such as safety program development, site audits, and interactive web‑based training. These capabilities aim...
Protected: On-Demand Webinar — Using RMIS as a Strategic Enabler: How Risk Leaders Turn Information Into Better Decisions
Origami Risk hosted an on‑demand webinar titled “Using RMIS as a Strategic Enabler,” highlighting how risk leaders can turn risk‑management information systems (RMIS) data into better business decisions. The session detailed the platform’s ability to aggregate insurance, safety, and claims...
Crisis Management Teams Navigate Surge in Threats as Terrorism Insurance Prices Fall
WTW’s 2026 crisis‑management review shows a sharp rise in politically motivated threats in 2025, with U.S. incidents accounting for two‑thirds of the global surge. Despite active‑assailant attacks and high‑profile assassinations, the U.S. terrorism insurance market softened, delivering average premium cuts...
Why the Future of Cyber Insurance Depends on the Cyber Talent Behind It
Ransomware attacks jumped 32% in 2025, targeting manufacturing, health care, education and supply chains, while third‑party breaches accounted for roughly 30% of incidents. The surge has driven a rapid expansion of cyber insurance as companies seek protection against AI‑fuelled threats...
Matthew Moore Named President of Global Risk Solutions at Liberty Mutual Insurance
Liberty Mutual announced that Matthew Moore will become president of its Global Risk Solutions division, effective March 6, 2026. Moore, who has served as president of underwriting for GRS and held senior roles across the company’s specialty and reinsurance businesses...
Robin Udhwan Named Head of Canada Programs at Munich Re Specialty – North America
Munich Re Specialty – North America appointed Robin Udhwan as Head of Canada Programs. In this role, Udhwan will oversee underwriting and management of the MGA portfolio, reporting to Claudia Carnevale and Derek Stewart. He brings extensive underwriting and operational...
D&O Liability Market Finds Stability as Downward Pricing Pressures Ease: AM Best
The directors and officers (D&O) liability market is moving toward stability after several years of aggressive price competition. AM Best upgraded its outlook to stable as renewal rates flatten and premium cuts become modest through 2026. Insurers are shifting focus from...
From Convenience to Crime: How Payment Apps Stand to Reshape Business Fraud
Businesses of all sizes are embracing peer‑to‑peer payment apps such as Venmo, Zelle and Cash App to streamline vendor payments and employee reimbursements. The convenience has sparked a surge in fraud, with New York regulators reporting more than $390 million in losses...
From Brooklyn Bookshelves to Building Resilience: Lesli Rice on Mentorship, Market Shifts and Modern Risk
Lesli Rice, a veteran risk manager who rose from a Brooklyn library job to senior roles at Allstate, Turner Construction, and Lincoln Avenue Communities, highlights the risk management field’s strong mentorship culture. She points to the industry’s narrowing coverage, rising...
Active Employer Involvement Can Cut Workers’ Compensation Costs
Employers who actively manage workers’ compensation claims can dramatically lower expenses, according to Kinetic Insurance’s new guide. Reporting injuries within 24‑48 hours reduces medical utilization and litigation risk, while delayed reporting can increase costs by 30‑40 percent. The guide identifies...
Jim Marcoulier Promoted to Director of Underwriting at A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies
Jim Marcoulier has been promoted to director of underwriting at A.I.M. Mutual Insurance Companies, a workers’ compensation carrier based in Burlington, Massachusetts. Previously a senior underwriting manager, he will now oversee underwriting operations across New England and report directly to...
Awais Farooq Appointed Chief Claims Officer at Venbrook Group
Venbrook Group LLC announced the appointment of Awais Farooq as chief claims officer, effective immediately. Farooq arrives with nearly two decades of experience leading claims transformation at firms such as Crawford & Company, State Farm, Chubb, and Berkshire Hathaway GUARD....
James Crask Named Global Supply Chain Practice Leader at Marsh Risk
Marsh Risk has created a new global supply chain practice and appointed James Crask as its leader. The role merges the firm’s supply‑chain insurance and risk‑consulting capabilities with advanced analytics, notably the AI‑driven mapping platform Sentrisk. Crask, based in London,...
Joe Peiser Named CEO of Risk Capital at Aon
Aon PLC appointed Joe Peiser as CEO of Risk Capital, overseeing Commercial Risk and Reinsurance Solutions and reporting to Andy Marcell, Global Solutions CEO. Peiser brings more than 30 years of experience across North America, the UK and Bermuda, having served as...
Delaware Supreme Court Affirms D&O Coverage in Merger Settlement Despite ‘Bump-Up’ Exclusion
The Delaware Supreme Court affirmed that Harman International’s $28 million merger settlement is covered under its directors‑and‑officers (D&O) policy, despite the insurers’ reliance on a “bump‑up” exclusion. The court applied a two‑step test, accepting that the underlying securities claim alleged inadequate...
The Growing Coverage Gap: Why Safety Nets Matter
A growing share of U.S. homeowners and commercial property owners are going uninsured as premiums rise and availability shrinks, with recent estimates putting the uninsured homeowner rate at roughly 13.6 percent, or 11.3 million homes. Mortgage‑free households, owners of manufactured or...
Global Commercial Rates Trend Downward, US Rates Flat in Q4 2025
Global commercial insurance premiums slipped 4% in Q4 2025, marking the sixth straight quarterly decline after seven years of steady hikes. The drop reflects heightened competition, favorable loss experience and cheaper reinsurance, expanding market capacity worldwide. Regional data show the...
Engineers Develop Soft Robotic Exoskeleton That Cuts Muscle Strain by 22%
University of Texas at Arlington engineers unveiled the Pneumatically Actuated Soft Elbow Exoskeleton (PASE), a lightweight silicone‑based wearable that cuts elbow muscle activity by 22% during typical industrial tasks. Tests with 19 participants showed an 8‑10 point reduction in perceived...
Surety Insurers Hit Record Profits, But Federal Infrastructure Boom Nears End
Surety insurers posted record profitability in 2024, achieving a 45.6% net profit margin and $2.35 billion in underwriting profit for the third straight year. The surge stems from federal infrastructure programs that have driven strong demand for contractor bonds, while loss...