Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com

About the Author

Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com

Phil Gusman is Assistant Managing Editor, Online News at PropertyCasualty360.com and National Underwriter. Prior to joining National Underwriter in 2008, he was Editor of Insurance Advocate. Gusman has also served as Associate Editor of Crackdown!, an insurance fraud publication, and Assistant Editor of Empire State Report, which covers New York politics. He graduated in 2002 from Plattsburgh State University in New York. Gusman may be reached at pgusman@sbmedia.com. 

• P&C Carriers Lose Jobs in April; Agent & Broker 2013 Employment Slide Continues

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  June 11, 2013

  Property and casualty insurers shed 1,400 jobs in April compared to March, an unusual occurrence that bucks the recent trend of employment gains for April, according to Insurance Information Institute President Robert Hartwig.

• Changing U.S. Demographics Offer Opportunities to Insurers Willing to Adapt

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  June 6, 2013

  Changing demographics and socio-economic realities in the U.S. mean personal-lines insurers must find ways to cater to growing segments, such as the seniors and hispanics, while also serving other groups whose habits have changed in the wake of the recession.

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  Commercial Lines Rate Increases Hold Steady at 5% in May; Personal Lines Up to 4%

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  June 5, 2013

  Commercial P&C rates increased 5 percent year-over-year in May for the third consecutive month, with property, general liability and workers’ compensation showing the steepest hikes. Personal lines rate increases accelerated to 4 percent with both homeowners and auto policyholders paying more.

• Insured Value of Coastal Properties Up to $10T, but Growing at Slower Rate

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  June 3, 2013

  The total insured value for U.S. residential and commercial properties in coastal counties has grown to over $10 trillion, a new analysis says, but the rate of growth has slowed some since 2008 due to recession-related factors.

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  Recent Tornadoes a Result of Climate Change?

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com, Christina Bramlet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 29, 2013

  Damage caused by the massive storm system responsible for deadly tornadoes, including the one that struck Moore, Okla., has renewed the argument over a potential link between severe weather and climate change.

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  Eqecat: Up to $5B in Insured Losses from Recent Tornado Activity

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 24, 2013

  The storm system that produced deadly tornadoes this past week, including the one that leveled Moore, Okla., is expected to cause between $2 billion and $5 billion in insured property losses, according to catastrophe modeler Eqecat.

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  All About Tornadoes

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 21, 2013

  Tornadoes have caused $97.8 billion in insured losses in the U.S. between 1990 and 2009, making these weather events second only to hurricanes for that period as the costliest natural disasters. Learn about the damage caused to the U.S. in recent years from these weather events.

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  Personal-Lines Insurers Go Mobile to Attract Customers

  By Robert Regis Hyle, PropertyCasualty360.com, Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 21, 2013

  Personal-lines insurers and others who serve this market are learning that leveraging mobile technology is an increasingly essential component to attracting and retaining customers. Here are some useful apps and devices companies are offering to auto and homeowners insurance shoppers.

• Industry Finding Ways to Extend Earnings Support from Reserve Releases

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 20, 2013

  While insurers continued to release reserves in 2012, the industry’s reserve position remains “modestly redundant” and slightly stronger than in 2011 a new report says, likely thanks to rate increases and muted claims activity.

• Karen Clark & Co. Tool Allows Users to Create Hurricane Tracks, Estimate Losses

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 20, 2013

  Karen Clark & Company releases WindfieldBuilder—a tool that allows insurers to create hurricane tracks and wind speeds to estimate damage to exposures.

• As Cat Bond Market Evolves, Investors Break from Traditional Market Pricing

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 8, 2013

  Interest in the catastrophe-bond market is picking up, the investor base is expanding, and “non-traditional” capacity is pushing down reinsurance-renewal pricing as institutional investors show a willingness to break from price levels set by the traditional market, a new report says.

• Personal Lines Rate Increases Moderate in April

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 7, 2013

  Personal-lines insurers priced risks a bit more competitively in April, with rates climbing by 3 percent year-over-year compared to 4 percent in March, according to MarketScout’s latest market barometer.

• P&C Carriers Add Jobs in March; Agent/Broker Employment Continues to Decline

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 6, 2013

  Property and Casualty carriers added 900 jobs in March -- a month that saw employment shrink in most other sectors of the insurance industry, according to an analysis of the latest figures from the U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• XL Q1 Net Income Soars; CEO IDs Factors Beyond Low Losses

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 3, 2013

  XL Group’s 2013 first-quarter net income nearly doubled compared to the same period a year ago as operating income soared thanks to lower levels of large losses.

• Swiss Re Enjoys Solid Q1; P&C Re Results Increase

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 2, 2013

  Swiss Re says its 2013 first-quarter net income climbed to $1.4 billion, compared to $1.1 billion for the same period a year ago, with improvements in the group’s property and casualty reinsurance business acting as a key driver for the results.

• RenRe Q1 Net Income Down on Lower Underwriting, Investment Income

  By Phil Gusman, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 2, 2013

  RenaissanceRe reports 2013 first-quarter net income fell to $190.5 million compared to $201.4 million for the same period a year ago, as decreases in underwriting income, written premiums and investment income offset an improvement in weather and energy risk-management operations.