Research and Trends News

How Much Carbon Damage Would Cost Corporations If They Paid For Emissions

The world’s corporations produce so much climate change pollution, it could eat up about 44% of their profits if they had to pay damages for it, according to a study by economists of nearly 15,000 public companies. The “corporate carbon …

Reinsurers Expected to Raise Cyber Rates as They Seek to Regain Profitability: S&P

More cyber reinsurance rate increases can be expected as reinsurers seek to regain underwriting profits in their cyber portfolios, according to a report published by S&P Global Ratings. “Reinsurers had a difficult 2022 due to low profitability and even underwriting …

Insured Losses From Natural Catastrophes Set to Top $100 Billion for 3rd Year in a Row

Claims for weather-related incidents are set to exceed $100 billion for the third year in a row, as floods, hail and wildfires linked to climate change become more frequent. Munich Re has put the total global insured costs of natural-catastrophe …

Rate Hikes Not Bringing Profit to U.S. Auto Insurers: Fitch

Jumps in rates and written premiums did little to move the needle on underwriting profits for U.S. personal auto insurers, Fitch Ratings reported based on a recent review of midyear results of nine big market players. Profitability challenges in the …

Space Mirrors, Ocean Fertilization, Cloud Thinning: Weighing Geoengineering Risks

To slow down the accelerating pace of climate change, scientists are working on radical geoengineering technologies like space mirrors, ocean iron fertilization, and cirrus cloud thinning to tweak the earth’s climate system. But a new study published in the journal …

Report Forecasts ‘Above-Normal’ U.S. Wildfire Season, Worse in Drought-Plagued West

The U.S. has in store an “above-normal” wildfire season if a prediction out on Wednesday from fire weather experts holds true – “intense” may be a better word for the expectations in Western region. Early predictions for the 2022 fire …

How Pandemic Effects on Supplies, Shipping Compound Wildfire States’ Insurance Woes

A perfect storm appears to brewing for homeowners and property insurers in the drought-plagued, wildfire-riddled U.S. West – and as odd as it may sound, the trouble may have begun with the pandemic. Property insurance rates and availability for homeowners …

Mental Health Drug Prescriptions Rising

The number of Americans taking mental health prescription medication is up 6.4% in the last year, which means that 65 million people (1 in 5) are now prescribed medication to help them cope with stress, anxiety or depression, according to …

The Top 5 Risks Facing Today’s Directors & Officers

Cyber attacks and data loss are the top two risks facing directors and officers, with pandemic-related changes in working practices heightening these concerns, according to a global survey from broker Willis Towers Watson and law firm Clyde & Co. Covering …

SUVs More Deadly to Pedestrians Than Passenger Cars, Says Insurance Safety Study

SUVs are more likely than passenger cars to injure or kill pedestrians, according to a new U.S. insurance industry study which recommended design changes to improve safety. Sport utility vehicles “seem to be more deadly to pedestrians than cars are,” …