Catastrophe Risks

Disasters resulted in $31 billion in global insured property losses in the first half of 2020, up from $23 billion during the same period last year, according to the Swiss Re Institute. Natural catastrophes were responsible for $28 billion of the insured losses, most from secondary peril events. Read More

The Vermont Captive Insurance Association’s (VCIA) 2020 Virtual Conference began Tuesday against a backdrop of an active year for new captive insurance company formations in the state. Michael Pieciak, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, said the state has licensed approximately 20 new captives thus far in 2020. Read More

Two leading forecasters have upgraded their projections for this year's Atlantic hurricane season, with both now expecting an "extremely active" storm season. Both the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration and researchers at Colorado State University have increased the number of hurricanes they expect this year. Read More

As with previous commercial insurance market disruptions, captive insurance companies are responding to the current hardening traditional market, according to A.M. Best. Current conditions will likely result in more new captive insurance companies or parents of existing captives adding coverage lines. Read More

The US property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry experienced its largest-ever quarterly decline in surplus during the first quarter of this year when surplus fell $75.9 billion, according to Insurance Services Office, Inc., a Verisk business, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to affect many insurers. Read More