Forward Thinking

AM Best Research: AM Best Revises 2026 Market Segment Outlooks for Three Insurance Lines: The outlook for the health sector, meanwhile, remains at Negative while the commercial lines, personal lines and life/annuity segments remain at Stable.

AM Best TV & Audio: Geopolitical Risks Are Forcing Tough Supply Chain Choices, Markel India Chief Executive Says: Professionals also discuss how Chinese EV market growth is creating demand for global insurance products and examine insurance failure patterns.

AM Best’s Webinars & Briefings: Panelists To Examine the Medicare Advantage Market, Discuss Their 2026 Outlook for the Segment: Professionals also explore various insurance sector outlooks and factors expected to impact the industry in the coming year.

Academic Research: Academic: Abnormal Stock Returns Signal Shifts in Property Liability: J. Coetzee Marais, faculty member, African Institute of Financial Markets and Risk Management, University of Cape Town, discussed his research on how stock performance is linked to the property liability insurance market.

App Store: Zurich Risk Advisor App Is Built To Assess ‘Any Peril’ in Insurance: The risk management tool for commercial lines allows live collaboration and generates a report with loss control recommendations.

Artificial Intelligence: AI Platforms Examine Challenges Insurers Face in Indian Market: Distrust of India’s financial services sector, coupled with the fractured nature of insurance regulations and the population’s economics, rank among the challenges highlighted by artificial intelligence programs.

At Large: Viewpoint: Ruling Puts Pressure on Small Captives: Congress needs to reassert its control and support innovation.

Best's Calendars: PLUS Cyber, D&O Symposia ‘Cruise’ Into New York: AM Best will attend the events, intended to provide insights and help professionals stay ahead in an evolving industry landscape.

Best's State Rate Filings: Utah Homeowners Multiperil Approved Rate Filings by Overall Effect With Increases of 15% or Greater: Based on an effective date beginning Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2026.

Best’s Rankings: Largest India Insurers - 2026 Edition: Ranked by 2024 gross premiums written.

Best’s Rankings: World’s Largest Insurance Companies – 2026 Edition: Ranked by 2024 net nonbanking assets and 2024 net premiums written.

Best’s State Rate Filings: Utah Homeowners Rates Continue Climb Despite Dearth of Catastrophes: As the population in Utah continues to spike, homeowners insurers in the state were approved for dozens of rate hikes in 2025.

Bookstore: Authors: Momentum Rises in Insurance Innovation, Diversity Via Founders’ Stories: The authors of the Momentum series discuss how innovation, diversity and technology are paving a new path in the industry.

Corporate Changes: Avocet Partners To Acquire Ownership Stake in EMC National Life: The sale is subject to regulatory approvals and the demutualization of the EMC National Life Mutual Holding Co.

Effecting Change: Flood: CSFI Continues Grassroots Fight for Flood Insurance Reform: Effecting Change: The Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance has supported legislation that has helped many homeowners, and it’s currently pushing for more reform through grassroots efforts.

Effecting Change: IBHS: Through Fire, Wind and Rain, IBHS Tests Top Thinkers To Assess Dwelling Risks: Effecting Change: The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety has served as both think tank and applied research center for many years.

Effecting Change: IRC: Digging Out the Numbers: Effecting Change: The Insurance Research Council looks into the property/casualty insurance industry with an eye toward providing unique research and hopes to inform policymakers along the way.

Effecting Change: Insurance Collaboration: Nonprofit Group Looks To Achieve a Lofty Goal: Saving a Million Lives: Effecting Change: Insurance Collaboration to Save Lives, a group of industry figures working to lower morbidity and mortality across society, aims to save 1 million people through greater testing and increased engagement.

Executive Changes: Everest Group Names Successor to Retiring CFO, Hires EVP-General Counsel and EVP-CEO of Legacy Operations: Axa and Allianz UK announce leadership changes, Mutual of Omaha appoints chief financial officer and SiriusPoint taps chief investment officer.

Forward Thinking: Forward Thinking - Views From the Top: Executives from major companies and brokers in the insurance industry discussed the significant issues they believe are being missed that will matter the most tomorrow.

Forward Thinking: Forward Thinking: Executives Discuss AI, Regulation, Secondary Perils: Leaders across the insurance spectrum share insights on emerging trends, organizational goals and recent successes that are shaping the industry’s future.

From the Editor's Desk: Best’s Review Publishes 2026 Rankings of World’s Largest Insurance Companies and Largest India Insurers: The January issue also includes interviews with industry leaders about the issues they believe are being missed that will matter most tomorrow.

Global Regulators: Global Insurance Regulators: The following list shows key global regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere.

India Insurers: AM Best’s APAC Insurance Market Report: Stable Outlook in India: AM Best expects premium growth will be bolstered over the medium term by India’s economic development, rising insurance demand and regulatory initiatives.

Industry Research: Report Shows Sometimes Underhanded Tactics of Third-Party Litigation Funders: Although legitimate law firms use search engine optimization and similar digital marketing tactics, the study found a separate class of fraudulent digital campaigns that exploit the same tactics to increase mass litigation, the NICB said.

Industry Updates: AI Exclusions Appearing in Insurer Commercial Policy Filings: In Idaho, one company filed new forms that exclude coverage for bodily injury, property damage and personal and advertising injury arising from the technology’s use.

Industry Updates: NCOIL Updates Anti-Fraud Model, Readopts Storm Chasers Consumer Protection Model Based on Louisiana Bill: The Insurance Fraud model act was reportedly updated to expand the definition of fraudulent acts.

Industry Updates: NY Appeals Court: Insurers Must Pay Medical Providers No-Fault Benefits Despite Paid Patient Referrals: The defendants’ actions did not constitute surrendering control to an unlicensed party, the court of appeals said.

Industry Updates: Wisconsin Bill Would Create LTC Guaranty Fund: A new account would be built from assessments based on premiums written in the preceding year.

Insurance Professional Resources: Legal Panel: Insurance Attorneys Need To Understand Business, Not Just the Law Amid Recruiting Struggles: Panelists in an AM Best webinar discussed expertise, attrition and what carriers are looking for when it comes to placing attorneys on their panel counsel.

Life Insurance: Market Segment Outlook: US Life Insurance: AM Best is maintaining the Stable outlook for the U.S. life insurance segment, largely due to technological advancements, growth and effective management.

Preferred Influencers: Regulator Delivers Plain Talk to Texans: The Texas Insurance Blog grew in popularity after it became a hub for information in the aftermath of an ice storm that hit the Lone Star State in 2023.

Preferred Podcasters: Adding Women’s Voices to Insurance, InsHER Highlights the Personal and Professional: Megan Bell, podcast host and an insurance marketing and communications professional, welcomes discussions offering career insights and advice.

Preferred Publishers: Insurance-Linked Securities, Reinsurance Drive Artemis’ Worldwide Growth: The emergence of reinsurance and capital markets’ interest in ILS built the foundation for publisher Steve Evans.

Trade Associations: Insurance Trade Associations: A number of organizations are responsible for ensuring best practices in the industry and advocating for insurers on a local and global scale.

Trending: Best’s News: Top Stories Include Features on AI Model Poisoning and on Insurers’ Use of New Tech Advancements: Other popular stories included a feature on the impact of self-driving cars on the insurance industry and a feature on how new technology is helping to prevent workplace injuries.

Trending: Best’s Research: Trending Research Includes Reports on US Excess & Surplus Lines and on Delegated Underwriting Authority Enterprises: Other trending research includes reports on the Asia-Pacific insurance market and on private credit holdings.

Underwriting & Loss Control Resources: What Overseas Cargo Shipping Insurers Should Know About Maritime Code Revisions: Best’s Underwriting Reports and Best’s Loss Control Reports provide insights into the risks and lines of coverage for overseas cargo shipping.

Web Traffic: Web Traffic: Visits to Largest India Insurers’ Sites: Life Insurance Corporation of India leads web analytics provider Semrush’s ranking of most-visited India insurer websites.

Web Traffic: Web Traffic: Visits to the World’s Largest Insurers’ Sites: Progressive Corp. leads web analytics provider Semrush’s ranking of most-visited websites of the world’s largest insurers, ranked by NPW.

What AM Best Says: AM Best: Reciprocal Insurance Exchanges Represent a Unique, Collaborative Structure: A new Best’s Market Segment Report, Reciprocal Insurance Exchanges Represent a Unique and Collaborative Structure, says a key advantage of reciprocal exchanges is the control subscribers exert over rates and strategy, particularly in catastrophe-prone states such as Florida and Louisiana.

World's Largest Insurers: US Health Carriers Dominate AM Best Ranking of World’s Top Insurers: Many of the top companies remained in the top 10 rankings by net premiums written, with a diverse mix of carriers among the top insurers ranked by nonbanking assets.