Howden buys Atlantic Group in $500 mn US M&A insurance push
Howden agreed to acquire Atlantic Group for over $500 mn, strengthening its US M&A insurance business and expanding reach with private equity clients
🇺🇸 US Insurance News
AIG names Eric Andersen as CEO-elect as Peter Zaffino exits role
AIG says CEO Peter Zaffino will retire by midyear, handing leadership to Aon veteran Eric Andersen as shares slide on investor uncertainty
Aflac to notify 22.7 mn insurance customers after June cyber incident – Case study
Aflac has completed a review of files tied to a June cybersecurity incident and has begun notifying roughly 22.65 mn affected individuals
Allstate plans fresh Illinois home insurance rate hikes up to 10.4% in 2026
Allstate seeks new homeowners rate increases in Illinois, citing weather losses and repair costs, with some policyholders facing hikes above 10%
Tiffany Norman to lead Hannover Life Re US as President and CEO
Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America names Tiffany Norman as president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2026, following Pete Schaefer’s retirement
Warren Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO after reshaping insurance
Warren Buffett retires as Berkshire Hathaway CEO, closing a decades-long run that turned a small insurer into a $1 tn powerhouse
New York Court tosses $410 mn art insurance suit after fire damage
New York Supreme Court dismisses collectors’ $410 mn claim over alleged fire damage to major artworks; appeal is now pending
MetLife Investment Management closes PineBridge acquisition
MetLife Investment Management completes its PineBridge deal, lifting combined AUM to $734.7 bn and extending its global asset management reach.
Hanwha Life acquires Velocity Clearing, Korean insurer entry into U.S. securities market
Hanwha Life has completed the acquisition of a 75% stake in New York-based financial services firm Velocity Clearing, marking a strategic expansion into U.S. capital markets
Liberty Mutual upsizes Mystic Re catastrophe bond to $150 mn
Liberty Mutual secures $150 mn of per-occurrence cat bond cover via Mystic Re IV, expanding protection to severe weather and fire risks
Court voids residential exclusion in New York fire excess insurance coverage case
Federal court orders excess insurer to cover Manhattan fire losses, ruling a residential exclusion created illusory coverage due to mutual mistake
Alabama hospital blames BCBS Alabama underpayments for bankruptcy
Jackson Hospital sues Blue Cross Alabama for over $250mn, alleging monopolistic reimbursement practices drove it into bankruptcy
Trupanion-owned American Pet Insurance names Pawp as insurance agent
Pawp enters carrier distribution as American Pet Insurance appoints it as an agent, expanding beyond tele-vet into regulated pet insurance
US Department of Agriculture rolls out major crop insurance overhaul for 2026 season
USDA finalizes crop insurance reforms for 2026, easing rules, expanding access, and updating subsidies as part of a broader deregulation push
U.S. Senate bill would tighten FSOC steps before nonbank SIFI calls
A bipartisan Senate bill backed by insurers would raise the bar for FSOC before labeling nonbanks as SIFIs and expand state regulator inpu
North Carolina miner sues Zurich Insurance unit over $130 mn Hurricane Helene losses
Sibelco North America sues Zurich American for $130mn, alleging unpaid property damage and business interruption from Hurricane Helene
Wildfire cat bonds draw ILS investors as modeling improves, issuance jumps
Investors move into wildfire-linked cat bonds as modeling improves, driving over $5 bn in issuance and pushing the market toward $60 bn in 2025
Global M&A activity continued despite a broader global slowdown in 2025
European and Asia Pacific dealmakers outperformed global peers in the first half of 2025, as M&A activity continued despite a broader global slowdown and persistent market uncertainty
Aon adds ERN Latin America catastrophe models via Oasis LMF
Aon’s Impact Forecasting delivers ERN Latin America catastrophe models through Oasis LMF, expanding open modelling options for (re)insurers
Moody’s expects 15% drop in property cat reinsurance pricing in 2026
Moody’s Ratings sees property catastrophe reinsurance pricing falling about 15% as capital stays ample and buyers gain negotiating power in 2026
Experian warns of AI-driven cyber risks in 2026 breach forecast
Experian’s 2026 Data Breach Forecast points to AI-powered attacks, quantum risk, and rising identity fraud as cyber threats grow faster and smarter
US Labor Department sends fraud strike team to Minnesota UI
The US Labor Department will review Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance program after fraud findings raised concerns over system integrity
Cloudflare report shows AI bots driving traffic surge
Cloudflare data shows a 19% traffic jump, AI crawler dominance, post-quantum crypto growth, and rising attacks on civil society sites
President Trump’s AI order splits insurers and state lawmakers on regulation
President Trump’s AI executive order draws support from health insurers but sharp resistance from state insurance lawmakers over federal preemption
47% of Texas homeowners insurance claims closed with no payout
Texas insurers closed 47% of homeowners claims without payment in 2024, shifting more repair costs onto property owners as deductibles and denials rise
La Niña returns, driving floods, snowstorms, and rising global losses
A renewed La Niña is fueling floods in Asia, early US snowstorms, and mounting economic losses, with insurers and commodity markets bracing for impact
US senators press Trump administration on bird flu vaccine plan
Bipartisan senators urge the Trump administration to finalize a science-based bird flu vaccine plan for livestock amid rising outbreaks
InsuranceNews US expands as data shows growing demand for insurance media
InsuranceNewsUS reports rising demand for specialized insurance journalism as professionals seek clarity on regulation, risk, and market change
Tiptree shareholders back DB Insurance’s $1.65 bn Fortegra takeover
Tiptree holders approve DB Insurance’s $1.65 bn Fortegra acquisition, giving the Korean carrier a US P&C platform and broader specialty reach
State Farm sued over PHL policies as buyers insurance claim fraud, gutted payouts
A new class-action suit says State Farm sold PHL-issued life products despite a $2.2bn shortfall that left policyholders with sharply reduced payouts
Hesperia and Adelanto suspects tied to staged rideshare crash and insurance fraud case
Four men face felony convictions after a staged rideshare crash on I-215. A fifth suspect from Adelanto now confronts added charges including pimping and false imprisonment
ICEYE adds five SAR satellites to boost catastrophe insight for insurers
ICEYE launches five new SAR satellites on SpaceX’s Transporter-15 to expand rapid, high-resolution imaging for insurers and government missions
MetLife declares preferred dividends and closes $10 bn annuity transfer
MetLife sets preferred dividends and completes a $10bn variable annuity risk transfer to Talcott, cutting legacy exposure and trimming hedge costs
AM Best warn rising protectionism reshapes global reinsurance
AM Best’s Angela Yeo and Mahesh Mistry say local reinsurance rules spread into developed markets, straining risk distribution and raising costs
Insurers move to ring-fence AI liability as systemic failure fears rise
AIG, Berkley, and Great American seek AI liability exclusions as high-profile failures fuel concerns over correlated, system-wide insurance losses
Whistleblowers accuse Farm Bureau P&C Insurance of fraud concealment and retaliation
Two ex-investigators sue Farm Bureau, alleging fraud cover ups, retaliation, and long running pressure to hide cases from state regulators
Marine war risk insurance market shifts as global tensions spike and reinsurers tighten
Willis Re says modern marine war risk is being reshaped by gray zone attacks, cyber disruption, treaty limits and volatility across global shipping lanes
Manulife, Mahindra form $400 mn life insurance joint venture to target India’s rural market
Manulife and Mahindra launch a 50-50 life insurance venture with up to $400mn in capital to expand reach across India’s fast growing rural segments
Indiana court dismisses Cantor’s $25 mn fidelity bond case over jurisdiction
Indiana’s appeals court tossed Cantor’s $25mn fidelity bond suit, ruling nonresident insurers lacked the minimum contacts required for state jurisdiction
Geico loses bid to dismiss $69.7 mn South Carolina business tax lawsuit
A federal judge refused Geico’s motion to dismiss a $69.7mn suit over unpaid business license taxes and penalties owed to South Carolina municipalities
Hiscox ordered to release records in $6.8 mn Dwolla fraud coverage fight
A U.S. court ordered Hiscox to hand over claims and underwriting records in a $6.8mn dispute over Dwolla’s denied computer fraud insurance claim
Aon reported Q3 2025 net income attributable to shareholders of $458 mn
Aon reported Q3 2025 net income attributable to shareholders of $458 mn, up from $343 mn a year earlier. Aon’s Q3 EPS rose 34% to $2.11 as revenue climbed 7% to $4 bn
Allstate sues Texas pain clinics for $1.7 mn insurance fraud scheme
Allstate alleges a Texas pain clinic network inflated $1.7 mn in auto injury bills through fake procedures and unlawful fee-splitting, seeking $5.2 mn in damages
Irys secures $12.5 mn seed to build AI-native insurance infrastructure
Irys raises $12.5mn led by Markd to expand AI-native insurance platform, scale partnerships, and deliver real-time operations across the US and Canada
10 global banks explore joint stablecoin pegged to G7 currencies
Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Deutsche Bank and others team up to test a G7-currency stablecoin, aiming to merge blockchain with traditional finance
State Farm hit with lawsuit over AI bias, discrimination and unpaid insurance claims
State Farm faces federal lawsuit alleging AI-driven bias, unpaid $372K in claims, and fraudulent damage reporting practices
Acrisure warns third-party cyberattacks pose severe operational risk
Acrisure has issued a sharp warning on the rising threat of third-party cyberattacks, arguing that vendor vulnerabilities now represent one of the most serious risks
Severe storms continued impacting U.S., Canadian and Chinese insurers
Catastrophic rounds of severe storms continued impacting U.S. and Canadian insurers in mid-September generating losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars
Howden to acquire Gravitas Insurance, boosting US entertainment broking
Howden Broking has reached an agreement to acquire Gravitas Insurance Agency, a Los Angeles-based retail brokerage specializing in contingency insurance for music, sport, and live events
Swiss Re projects GLP-1 drugs could cut US mortality 6.4% by 2045
Swiss Re research shows GLP-1 drugs may lower mortality in US and UK by 2045, but benefits hinge on uptake, adherence, and long-term lifestyle change
Berkley Insurance sues IT provider over $1 mn cyber-theft tied to email breach
Berkley Insurance is seeking $1mn from Alliance Systems, alleging failure to notify client PPL of an email breach that led to wire transfer fraud
Nevada Insurance Regulator hit by ransomware attack, state systems disrupted
The Nevada Division of Insurance remains offline after a ransomware attack forced multiple state agency systems to shut down
Kinetic Insurance Brokers adopted Novidea’s cloud-native insurance platform
Kinetic Insurance, a US-based managing general underwriter, has adopted Novidea’s cloud-native insurance management platform to modernize operations and expand capacity
Global P&C insurance market remained stable, with ongoing competition in property lines
The global P&C insurance market remained stable, with ongoing competition in property lines and cautious underwriting in casualty segments
U.S. Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act – how wildfires affect property insurance pricing
The Wildfire Insurance Coverage Study Act aims to identify strategies that reduce financial exposure for homeowners and insurers
U.S. insurers absorbed 92% of the $84 bn in global NatCat insured losses
U.S. insurers absorbed 92% of the estimated $84 bn in global insured weather- or climate-related losses in the first half of 2025, illustrating the increasing impact of so-called non-peak perils
A lawsuit resumed in Nevada to block the introduction of state-run health insurance in 2026
Nevada Senate Minority Leader Robin Titus and the National Taxpayers Union are reviving litigation in an attempt to block the implementation of the state’s public health insurance option in 2026
Property & casualty insurance landscape in Texas – Triple-I’s analysis
The Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) published an analysis of the property/casualty insurance landscape in Texas, revealing a complex risk environment
U.S. Supreme Court upholds constitutionality of Preventive Care Task Force
The United States Supreme Court ruled the U.S. Preventive Care Task Force is constitutional, preserving current coverage requirements for private and public health plans
Ariel Re sponsored 5th catastrophe bond, Titania Re 2025-1, securing $150 mn
Global reinsurer Ariel Re sponsored its 5th catastrophe bond, Titania Re 2025-1, securing $150 mn of multi-peril retrocessional reinsurance protection over four years
Discover how a secondary reinsurance market could improve capital efficiency, lower WACC, boost underwriting flexibility and support more efficient pricing
Fitch estimates Winter Storm Fern insured losses at $4-7 bn. Losses hit earnings, not capital, with P&C insurers absorbing most claims and no rating downgrades
2026 Atlantic hurricane season passed without a single US hurricane landfall for the first time in ten years, yet still delivered deadly storms, elevated major hurricane activity, and meaningful losses
Global reinsurance pricing fell more than expected at Jan. 1, 2026 renewals, with abundant capital, weak catastrophe support, and easing terms