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
News
Hong Kong draft rules reshape insurer capital for crypto and infrastructure
Hong Kong’s insurance regulator is drafting capital rules that could redirect insurer balance sheets toward cryptocurrencies and government-backed infrastructure
Kentucky court backs Westport on timing of wrongful conviction cover
Kentucky’s Supreme Court ruled occurrence-based law enforcement policies trigger at charge filing, not incarceration, backing Westport in a coverage dispute
Insurtech Sixfold partners with Skyward Specialty to scale AI underwriting
Skyward Specialty teams up with insurtech Sixfold to roll out AI-driven underwriting across U.S. P&C lines, accelerating decisions while keeping humans in control
Meritage Re lifts 2026-1 cat bond to $250 mn for GeoVera
Meritage Re ups its Series 2026-1 cat bond to $250 mn, lowering price guidance as GeoVera and SafePort seek US storm cover
Pre-arranged disaster finance hits $9.4 bn, insurance gap widens for poorest
Pre-arranged disaster finance reached a record $9.4bn in 2024, but low-income and fragile states still receive less than 7% of support
Lockton Re launches London unit for North American MGA capacity
Lockton Re creates a London-based North America portfolio solutions unit to place MGA capacity from Lloyd’s and global markets
Gallagher Re launches captives risk transfer team in facultative
Gallagher Re forms a captives risk transfer team within facultative, naming Martin Hughes and Joshua Cryer to lead tailored reinsurance solutions
Getlink secures €55 mn insurance payout for ElecLink outage
Getlink agrees €55mn insurance settlement covering ElecLink losses after a 2024–2025 shutdown of the Channel Tunnel power interconnector
Pinpoint UK gains Lloyd’s coverholder status in London Market
Pinpoint UK Solutions secures Lloyd’s approval as a coverholder, gaining delegated underwriting authority and direct access to the London Market
KBW sees 15-20% drop in property cat reinsurance rates at 2026 renewals
KBW analysts expect property catastrophe reinsurance rates to fall up to 20% at Jan. 2026 renewals as pricing discipline holds
German life insurance sector run-off deals to accelerate in 2026 – Fitch
Fitch expects faster consolidation in German life insurance as closed-book sales rise, with up to EUR25bn in run-off transactions possible
Fitch Ratings keeps neutral view on U.S. P&C insurers into 2026
Fitch Ratings holds a neutral 2026 outlook for U.S. P&C insurers, citing solid underwriting, stable earnings, and manageable macro headwinds
Fitch Ratings sees neutral 2026 outlook for LatAm insurance market
Fitch Ratings sets a neutral 2026 outlook for Latin American insurers, flagging Mexico as deteriorating amid tax reforms and margin pressure
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
New York State Insurance Fund cuts disability premiums by 28%
New York State Insurance Fund lowers standard disability premiums by 28%, pushing rates among the lowest in the state for 2026
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
Aon renews ACT insurance facility for 2026, adds facultative reinsurance
Aon Global has renewed its Aon Client Treaty insurance facility for 2026, adding facultative reinsurance alongside aviation and construction covers
Cove Risk data breach hits 49,400 in workers’ comp sector
Cove Risk Services reports a data breach affecting almost 49,400 people after unauthorized system access, with sensitive personal and health data exposed
Geico names Nancy Pierce CEO as Todd Combs exits for JPMorgan
Geico appoints longtime executive Nancy Pierce as CEO, replacing Todd Combs, who departs to lead a $10bn JPMorgan investment group
Hildene Capital Management to buy Silac Insurance for $550 mn in cash deal
Alternative asset manager Hildene Capital Management has signed a definitive agreement to acquire annuities provider Silac Insurance for $550mn in cash
AM Best keeps U.S. commercial P&C insurance outlook stable on profits, yields
AM Best holds a stable outlook for U.S. commercial P&C insurance, citing strong underwriting, solid capital, and higher investment returns amid claims pressure
Insurtech bolttech and Lotte Himart launches home appliance switching service
Lotte Himart, electronic goods retailers in South Korea, has partnered with international insurtech bolttech to launch the country’s first-ever home appliance
New York court backs denial of workers comp claim over lawyer-doctor call
A New York appellate court upheld denial of a workers comp claim, ruling a lawyer’s call to a doctor justified excluding medical evidence
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
Howard Hughes to buy Vantage in $2.1 bn specialty reinsurance deal
Howard Hughes Holdings agrees to acquire Vantage Group for about $2.1 bn, backed by Pershing Square, as it pushes toward a diversified holding model
Munich Re and KfW launch state-backed cover for geothermal drilling
Munich Re and KfW introduce a state-backed insurance scheme to reduce geothermal drilling risk and unlock private investment in Germany’s clean heat sector
US home insurance shows stabilisation after years of sharp hikes
Matic data shows US home insurance rates rose 8.5% in 2025, down from 18% in 2024, pointing to stabilisation despite record premiums and climate risk
Insurtech Outmarket launches AI Proposal Builder to cut broker prep time
Outmarket introduces Proposal Builder, an AI-driven workflow that cuts commercial insurance proposal creation from hours to minutes
Exein raises €100 mn as embedded cyber security spreads across devices
Exein secures €100 mn in new funding, lifting 2025 total to €170 mn, as demand grows for embedded cybersecurity in connected devices worldwide
Adaptive Security raises $81 mn Series B as AI cyber risks surge
Adaptive Security closes an $81 mn Series B led by Bain Capital Ventures with NVIDIA and OpenAI backing, bringing total funding to $146.5 mn
Singapore leads TPRM maturity yet vendor cyber breaches keep rising
BlueVoyant data shows Singapore ranks among the world’s most mature TPRM markets, yet 93% of firms still suffered supply-chain cyber breaches
North Carolina sets May 2026 hearing on 68.3% dwelling insurance rate hike
NC Insurance Commissioner schedules a May 2026 hearing after rejecting a proposed 68.3% average increase in dwelling insurance rates
UK probes cyber incident amid claims of China-linked data access
UK officials investigate cyber incidents at the FCDO and London councils as reports raise concerns over China-linked hacking and public service disruption
81% of small firms hit by cyber incidents as AI fuels attacks
ITRC data shows 81% of small businesses suffered cyber incidents last year, with AI-driven social engineering overtaking insiders as the main cause
AIG launches Lloyd’s SPV Syndicate 2479 with Blackstone, Amwins
AIG sets up Lloyd’s Syndicate 2479 with Blackstone and Amwins, using London Bridge 2 and Palantir AI to support a $300 mn, third-party-backed portfolio
Farmers Insurance closes $400 mn cat bond to bolster US risk cover
Farmers Insurance Group completes a $400 mn catastrophe bond via Topanga Re, adding multi-year, indemnity-based protection across major US perils
California jury hits Liberty Mutual with $103 mn age bias verdict
A California jury awards $103mn against Liberty Mutual after finding age discrimination in the firing of a long-time claims case manager
Citizens seeks 2.6% insurance rate cut as Florida reforms steady market
Florida’s insurer of last resort requests a 2.6% personal lines rate cut, citing legal reforms, depopulation gains, and stabilizing conditions
State Farm faces probes over California wildfire claims delays
State Farm says it paid $5 bn after California wildfires as Los Angeles County and state regulators investigate claim delays and possible AI use
Florida Citizens Property Insurance enrollment sinks after reforms reshape market
Enrollment at Florida’s insurer of last resort has fallen sharply, as lawmakers credit legal reforms with restoring competition and stabilizing property insurance
Beneva shifts auto products to Guidewire APD with GFT support
Beneva completes early Guidewire APD conversion for auto insurance, cutting timelines in half and unlocking faster digital product changes
Insurtech Lumera buys Acuity to expand UK public sector pensions reach
Lumera agrees to acquire Acuity, adding public sector pensions expertise and strengthening its UK presence amid rising reform and technology pressures
US House blocks ACA subsidy extension as premiums set to rise
Expanded ACA subsidies are set to expire after a narrow House vote, leaving millions facing higher health insurance costs amid party infighting
Pinpoint Predictive partners with Trexis Insurance to optimize auto payments
Trexis Insurance deploys Pinpoint Predictive’s loss models to tailor payment plans, cut downpayments, and lift premium output during quoting
Insurtech Cytora partners with Pilotbird to add OSINT into claims workflows
Cytora and Pilotbird link platforms to bring open-source lifestyle analytics into digital FNOL and claims triage for commercial and P&C insurers
John Garamendi attacks California insurance chief over premiums, drops
Former insurance commissioner John Garamendi accuses Ricardo Lara of failing California consumers amid rising premiums, policy nonrenewals, and insurer profits
Nirvana Insurance hits $1.5 bn valuation in $100 mn Series D
Nirvana Insurance raises $100mn Series D led by Valor Equity, lifting valuation to $1.5bn as AI-driven trucking insurance draws fresh capital
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
California court limits insurance commissioner’s power over FAIR Plan
A California appeals court says the insurance commissioner can’t force the FAIR Plan to add liability-style coverages beyond basic property insurance
Millions of UK travellers hide medical conditions on travel insurance
One in four UK travellers conceal medical conditions to cut travel insurance costs, risking rejected claims and massive overseas medical bills
Toyota launches brand-only motor insurance for Ireland drivers
Toyota enters the Irish insurance market with exclusive cover for Toyota and Lexus drivers, partnering with Wrisk Europe amid weak competition.
Chubb plans up to 20% workforce cut tied to digitisation push
Chubb expects to reduce headcount by as much as 20% over four years as automation spreads across underwriting, claims, and support functions
Florida approves pet insurance rate hikes averaging 9.25%
Florida regulators approved 12 pet insurance rate increases this year, averaging 9.25%, as veterinary costs continue to rise faster than inflation
Insurtech incubator Lloyd’s Lab celebrates Cohort 15 and opens Cohort 16
Lloyd’s Lab marked Demo Day for Cohort 15, showcasing 12 InsurTechs, and opened applications for Cohort 16 with a new Ireland-focused theme
German insurers propose Elementar Re catastrophe backstop scheme
Germany’s insurers unveil Elementar Re, a government-backed reinsurance backstop aimed at keeping high-risk homes insurable as climate losses rise
Australia’s competition regulator blocks IAG bid for RAC Insurance
Australia’s competition regulator opposes IAG’s planned takeover of RAC Insurance, warning it would weaken motor and home insurance competition in WA
Flood insurance drops nationwide as Florida holds firm, study finds
A new study shows flood insurance policies falling across the US under Risk Rating 2.0, while Florida adds coverage as affordability strains the federal program
London dental insurance fraud trio avoid immediate jail
A struck-off dentist and her two children were convicted over a £350k dental insurance fraud in North London but received suspended sentences
Ageas UK and Saga launch 20-year insurance partnership for over-50s
Ageas UK and Saga plc roll out a 20-year affinity deal, launching motor insurance now and home cover in early 2026 for over-50s customers
The global insurance sector outlook remains ‘neutral’ at 2026, as business conditions have been resilient across most markets to the more challenging macroeconomic environment
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
Aerospace and defense M&A reached 532 deals in 2025, as business aviation attracts private equity, family offices, and growth investors
U.S. cyber insurance premiums rose nearly 11% in 2025 as policy volume jumped, but weaker pricing, higher losses, and AI-driven threats added fresh pressure