E&S/Specialty

Despite rising rates and second-quarter performance that met or beat estimates for most insurers, the outlook for the industry is considered challenging, according to one analyst firm, as loss trends are picking up in personal lines and investment income is worsening across the industry.

Florida plans to disapprove Praetorian Insurance Co.s request for a statewide 2.2 percent decrease for its lender-placed insurance program.

Florida plans to disapprove Praetorian Insurance Co.s request for a statewide 2.2 percent decrease for its lender-placed insurance program.

Due to prolonged drought conditions in the Midwest, underwriting losses for 12 major corn and soybean producing states could be more than $2.8 billion, a recent report warns, and the trade group representing the crop-insurance industry says insurers have already paid out $822 million so far this season.

About 60 percent of public companies surveyed by Chubb say cyber-liability insurance is not a part of their incident-response plan for a cyber attack.

Willis calls 2011 the Year of the Breach, and says that while companies are rightfully concerned about their cyber exposures, they need to carefully examine their insurance coverages and risk-management strategies to ensure they are adequately prepared and protected.