Dave Lenckus

About the Author

Dave Lenckus

Dave Lenckus has reported on insurance for 25 years for several publications as a staff editor and as a freelance writer on issues for agents and brokers, risk managers and insurers. He holds a journalism degree, with additional coursework in accounting, from Lewis University in Chicago.

• Environmental’s Evolution

  By Dave Lenckus  |  February 4, 2013

  The current appetite for Environmental coverage among carriers couldn’t be more unlike the insurance market a generation ago.

• Environmental Oversight

  By Dave Lenckus  |  February 4, 2013

  Aided by low prices—and large uncovered losses caused by recent events—Environmental carriers and producers see opportunity to expand purchases by new business classes, including health care, higher ed & hospitality

• Carriers Compete for Builder’s Risk Business

  By Dave Lenckus  |  October 29, 2012

  As more insurers compete for less construction business, project owners and general contractors can find ample Builder’s Risk insurance at reduced or stable rates for projects that are not exposed to catastrophes, market executives say.

• XL: Rates Up, But Competition Is Fierce as Challenges Both Wet & Dry Await

  By Dave Lenckus  |  September 3, 2012

  Reinsurers’ earnings rebounded during the first half of 2012, a function of relatively low catastrophe losses so far this year and higher rates in the aftermath of the colossal natural-catastrophe losses that pounded the insurance industry in 2011, according to John Welch, president of XL Re America Inc.

• Allianz Re Asia Pacific: Monitoring Maximum Exposure in Cat-Prone Regions

  By Dave Lenckus  |  September 3, 2012

  The spate of natural catastrophes last year—which caused more than $100 billion of insured damage—“has fundamentally impacted the reinsurance industry’s perception of risk,” says Karl-Heinz Jung, CEO of Allianz Re Asia Pacific.

• Surplus Carriers Now Offering Wrap-Up Cover to Contractors for Small Jobs

  By Dave Lenckus  |  July 9, 2012

  Insurers are rewarding general contractors with a history of running effective wrap-up programs, but are hiking others’ rates.

• Wrap It Up: The CCIP Advantage

  By Dave Lenckus  |  July 9, 2012

  When underwriting contractor-controlled insurance programs (CCIPs) as opposed to owner-controlled insurance programs (OCIPs), do insurers favor one type over the other? They do indeed.

• Huge Business Interruption Losses Spur New ‘Information Age’

  By Dave Lenckus  |  July 9, 2012

  Insurers suffered sizable Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) losses last year, as catastrophes such as the Japan earthquake and Thai flooding wreaked havoc on supply chains worldwide. CBI losses, in fact, likely accounted for a substantial portion of the massive cat claims in 2011.

• Flexible Property Policies Cover Unique, Nonphysical Supply-Chain Risks

  By Dave Lenckus  |  July 9, 2012

  Some insurers cover Business Interruption or Contingent Business Interruption (CBI) losses that do not result from actual physical damage to a policyholder’s or its suppliers’ property.

• Defying Expectations, Reinsurance Rates Remain Surprisingly ‘Attractive’

  By Dave Lenckus  |  June 4, 2012

  With abundant capacity available and reinsurers’ tempered approach to catastrophe modeling, reinsurance renewals are stable despite 2011’s monster losses.

• Green’s Meager Harvest

  By Dave Lenckus  |  June 1, 2012

  A decade ago, insurers and agencies jumped on the green bandwagon, certain that the sustainable trend would grow. But slow growth in a stagnant economy keeps them waiting for delivery on the promise.

• Get Smart: Educational Opportunities For ACORD LOMA Attendees

  By Dave Lenckus  |  May 15, 2012

  Insight from the nation’s first chief information officer on how to cost-efficiently innovate by turning to cloud computing; an update on a new agency/carrier system-connectivity processes that will eliminate the need for insurer-specific passwords; and ideas on how to utilize various social media sites effectively as part of your marketing...

• 831(b) Captives: ‘Small’ Option Is Increasingly Big Idea for Midsize Cos.

  By Dave Lenckus  |  May 3, 2012

  Despite their recent growth among midsize companies, these “small”-size risk vehicles aren’t for everyone—and may attract unwanted attention from the IRS

• Seeking 831(b) Treatment? You’d Better Meet These Requirements

  By Dave Lenckus  |  May 3, 2012

  While many midsize businesses are now enjoying the same advantages Fortune 1000 companies have found in maintaining captive domiciles, a captive is not an appropriate self-insurance tool for every company.

• Public, Private Sectors Could Unite to Fix U.S. Infrastructure

  By Dave Lenckus  |  March 12, 2012

  One old-time financing method could give budget-squeezed governmental agencies needed capital flexibility to immediately pay for infrastructure repairs—but the surety industry, contractors and lenders would have to modify their business models first.

• Project Losses a Major Consideration in Contractor Coverage

  By Dave Lenckus  |  March 12, 2012

  Many small and midsize contractors don’t consult their surety-bond underwriters soon enough after running into trouble that could trigger a bond—an event that threatens a contractor’s ability to remain in business.