London Bridge 2 drives fresh ILS capital into Lloyd’s market
London Bridge 2 PCC channels $660 mn of new capital into Lloyd’s in Q4 2025, emerging as a preferred ILS route for syndicates and investors
News
Hong Kong Insurance Authority reviews RBC rules, weighing stablecoin, crypto capital
Hong Kong’s insurance regulator is reviewing its RBC regime, including capital treatment for stablecoins and crypto assets, to boost competitiveness
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%
Reinsurance prices soften as capital swells ahead of 2026 renewals
Rising reinsurance capacity and record capital levels drive softer pricing and tougher competition at Jan. 1, 2026 renewals, Guy Carpenter & Co say
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
Beneva completes Gore Mutual merger after regulatory approval
Beneva finalises its merger with Gore Mutual after regulatory approval, advancing its national expansion and reshaping its Ontario P&C operations
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.
Freedom Underwriters moves to buy full stake in Concert Group
Freedom Underwriters agrees to acquire all outstanding Concert Group shares, with closing expected in H1 2026 pending regulatory approval
Radian funds Inigo deal with $600 mn intercompany note
Radian Group issues a $600 mn intercompany note to finance its $1.7 bn acquisition of Lloyd’s insurer Inigo, with added regulatory oversight
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
Largest insurers in Asia-Pacific increased capitalizations
5 of the 20 largest insurers in Asia-Pacific saw their market capitalizations increase sequentially in Q2 2024
Asia is experiencing highest rate of growth in insurtech investments
Asia’s insurtech sector has increased in breadth and depth in recent years. With the region currently poised as the fastest-growing global market for insurtech investmen
AM Best maintained stable outlook on Japan’s life insurance market
AM Best has maintained its stable outlook on Japan’s life insurance market segment, citing in part the prospects for higher premium income
Global Property Catastrophe Rate fell 12% at 1/1, 2026 reinsurance renewals
Guy Carpenter reports global property catastrophe ROL down 12% at Jan. 1, 2026, with excess capacity, stable retentions, and softer terms
European reinsurers hit a wall after years of outperformance
European reinsurers lost momentum in 2025, with softer pricing, FX pressure, and capped earnings growth setting a tougher 2026
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
Coalition warns 2026 cyber risk shifts toward systemic loss
Coalition executives say 2026 cyber risk will be driven by hidden interdependencies, cloud outages, and supply chain aggregation, not isolated breaches
New Georgia laws reshape courts and health insurance
New Georgia laws taking effect Jan 1, 2026 change court rules, election oversight, insurance notices, healthcare governance, and vehicle registration
M3 Insurance picks SimplePin to automate receivables at scale
M3 Insurance selects SimplePin to automate insurance receivables, cut manual finance work, and gain real-time cash flow visibility
Global dedicated reinsurance capital climbing to $660 bn – Guy Carpenter
Guy Carpenter projects global reinsurance capital will rise 9% in 2025 to $660bn, led by alternative capital growth and strong investor demand
Active Re gains approval to operate as admitted reinsurer in Argentina
Barbados-based Active Capital Reinsurance receives authorisation to operate in Argentina, expanding its Latin America footprint with disciplined growth
Lockton Re launches LNAPS unit to back North American MGAs
Lockton Re opens a London-based North America portfolio solutions team, naming Henrietta Butcher to lead capacity sourcing for MGAs
SiriusPoint unit IMG to buy Assist America in travel assistance deal
SiriusPoint says IMG will acquire Assist America, adding $20mn in assistance revenue and expanding U.S., Asia, and Middle East coverage
Verisk CargoNet warns of holiday cargo theft spike through Jan. 2
Verisk CargoNet flags elevated cargo theft risk from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2, citing an 82% rise in holiday incidents over five years
Howden US blames Brown & Brown culture for mass employee exits
Howden US pushes back against Brown & Brown’s injunction bid, arguing employee departures stemmed from poor management, pay, and culture
Italy fines Ryanair €256 mn over alleged abuse of travel agencies
Italy’s antitrust authority fines Ryanair €256mn, accusing the airline of blocking agency bookings and restricting competition. Ryanair plans to appeal.
Verisk scraps $2.35 bn AccuLynx deal after FTC review delay
Verisk abandons its $2.35bn acquisition of AccuLynx after the FTC failed to complete review by deadline, setting up a possible legal fight
Coupang to pay $1.17 bn after data breach hits 34 mn users
Coupang announces ₩1.69trn ($1.17bn) compensation plan for 34mn users affected by a major data breach, offering purchase vouchers from Jan. 15
Aon sees softer Jan. 1 reinsurance renewals as capital hits $760bn
Aon says record reinsurer capital and a calm 2025 hurricane season drove competitive January renewals, delivering double-digit rate cuts
Tata Steel Netherlands faces $1.6 bn collective action over emissions
Dutch NGO files WAMCA claim seeking $1.6bn from Tata Steel Nederland over alleged health, environmental, and property impacts near IJmuiden
Insurtech Enzo raises €4 mn Seed extension to scale AI water damage tech
Heidelberg-based Enzo secures €4mn in new Seed funding to expand its AI-driven water damage prevention platform and insurer partnerships
Louisiana insurance market softens, but homeowners still feel squeezed
Louisiana agents say availability and pricing are improving as the market softens, yet many homeowners report property insurance premiums remain high.
Ohio House Bill 636 would force OEM parts option into auto insurance policies
Ohio lawmakers propose HB 636, requiring insurers to offer OEM parts options and disclose non-OEM use in auto repair estimates
ACA subsidy cliff could double exchange premiums for Kentuckians
Enhanced ACA tax credits expire in days, pushing 2026 exchange premiums sharply higher for Kentuckians and raising fears of coverage losses
States scramble to limit health insurance premium hikes after ACA subsidy lapse
At least a dozen states are acting to curb health insurance premium increases after Congress let enhanced ACA subsidies expire, leaving millions facing higher costs.
Colorado’s soaring home insurance premiums add new strain to housing affordability
Rising homeowners insurance premiums are becoming a significant new pressure point for Colorado’s already strained housing market, reshaping affordability calculations
Oklahoma insurance proposals spark backlash over lawsuit limits
Oklahoma regulators unveiled insurance proposals critics say dodge premium spikes and tilt the system against policyholders seeking legal relief
Nevada allows wildfire exclusions, reshaping home insurance risk
Nevada will allow insurers to exclude wildfire coverage from homeowners policies in 2026, signaling deeper risk segmentation in property insurance
Title insurance compliance tightens as FinCEN rules loom in 2026
FinCEN AML rules, rate pressure, and state scrutiny reshaped title insurance compliance in 2025, forcing firms to prepare for sweeping change
Atmospheric rivers raise California flood risk as insurance gaps grow
Climate change is intensifying California’s atmospheric rivers, increasing flood and mudslide risk while most homeowners lack flood insurance
China’s non-life insurance sector maintained strong financial stability in Q1 2025
Fitch Ratings reports that China’s non-life insurance sector maintained strong financial stability during the first quarter of 2025
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
Globe Life launches Bermuda reinsurer Globe Life Re for affiliate business
Globe Life forms and licenses Globe Life Re in Bermuda to assume affiliated quota share reinsurance under arm’s-length arrangements
Insurtech Reliance Global sells benefits units, cuts debt by over 50%
Reliance Global completes sale of two benefits units, applies half the proceeds to debt reduction, and refocuses investment on digital platforms
New Jersey Senate backs pet insurance bill to curb premium growth
New Jersey lawmakers advance pet insurance legislation adding transparency, limits on preexisting condition denials, and new consumer protections
New York curbs litigation funding with new insurance consumer law
New York enacts the Consumer Litigation Funding Act, capping fees, adding oversight, and aiming to limit insurance cost pressures
AM Specialty’s Pinpoint UK secures Lloyd’s coverholder approval in London
AM Specialty’s Pinpoint UK gains Lloyd’s coverholder status, enabling delegated underwriting and direct access to the London Market
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
Florida approves 124k Citizens policy transfers as market steadies
Florida regulators approved six insurers to assume over 124,000 Citizens policies, continuing depopulation as the state market stabilizes
JAB Insurance to buy Utmost UK life and pensions platform
JAB Insurance agrees to acquire Utmost’s UK life and pensions arm, gaining £5bn in assets and a foothold in the bulk annuity market
Louisiana insurer nonrenewals barely rise after rule repeal
New data shows Louisiana insurers have largely avoided mass policy cancellations despite repeal of the three-year homeowner protection rule
ETHZilla takes stake in startup Zippy to tokenize US home loans
ETHZilla Corporation, a technology company bringing decentralized finance infrastructure to traditional finance, has agreed to acquire a minority stake in Zippy
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
Alpha Bank plans Cyprus insurance merger to form top-three group
Alpha Bank agrees terms to merge Universal Life and Altius Insurance, targeting a top-three position in Cyprus life and non-life markets
Pennsylvania House backs real-time auto insurance tracking bill HB 710
Pennsylvania lawmakers unanimously advance HB 710 to modernize auto insurance verification and curb erroneous registration suspensions
GlobalData flags AI, cyber and climate as 2026 insurance drivers
GlobalData says AI, cyber insurance, and climate risk will shape insurance markets in 2026, reshaping products, M&A, and profitability
Wildfire risk drives Montana insurance hikes, report outlines fixes
A Headwaters and Columbia Climate School report flags wildfire risk as an urgent driver of Montana insurance costs and maps potential market reforms
The US P&C insurance industry recorded a $16.3 bn net underwriting gain in the first three months of 2026, up significantly from a $1 bn loss recorded in the prior-year period
US insurance sector outlook for 2025-2026: capital strength, social inflation risks, P&C returns peak, Florida reforms, life insurance resilience and alt capital trends
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