Articles by Allen Laman

Surplus Lines Premium Increases 16% to Nearly $36 Billion Through June

Surplus lines premium reached nearly $36 billion through the first six months of 2023, according to the 2023 Midyear Report of the U.S. Surplus Lines Service and Stamping Offices. Premium increased about 16% overall compared to results reported through the …

Experts Discuss Risks, Opportunities in Emerging Cannabis Products

New cannabis products like gummies, drinks and new consumables bring the promise of exponential growth and the normalization of public consumption, promising to significantly reshape the business landscape for insuring cannabis specialists. Four industry experts recently gathered for an Insurance …

Is Automation the Answer to Microbusiness Insurance Profitability?

Could self-service and digital quoting and binding be gamechangers for independent agents and brokers working in microbusiness lines? Though they’re the smallest of small businesses, microbusinesses account for the largest portion of small businesses in the United States. They dominate …

Workers’ Comp and Mental Health: Panel Examines Why Worker Wellbeing Matters

American workers are struggling. Employee stress has reached record highs. Symptoms and formal diagnoses of mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and PTSD are rising. Substance abuse disorders are up, too — as are suicide rates in some demographics. Understanding how …

Report: US Lacks Comprehensive Cybercrime Data

The United States lacks comprehensive cybercrime data and monitoring — leaving the country less prepared to combat cybercrime, according to a June report by the United States Government Accountability office. Federal agencies included in the study noted that there is …

Q&A: Consultant Stephen Bushnell Digs into Green Insurance Products

After learning about green buildings, after examining their structural characteristics that may not be covered by traditional insurance policies, and after studying green rating guides and the commissioning process, Stephen Bushnell came to a notable conclusion. “It seems that green …

Report: US Lacks Comprehensive Cybercrime Data

The United States lacks comprehensive cybercrime data and monitoring – leaving the country less prepared to combat cybercrime, according to a June report by the United States Government Accountability office. Federal agencies included in the study noted that there is …

Workers’ Comp and Mental Health: Panel Examines Why Worker Wellbeing Matters

American workers are struggling. Employee stress has reached record highs. Symptoms and formal diagnoses of mental illnesses like anxiety, depression and PTSD are rising. Substance abuse disorders are up, too – as are suicide rates in some demographics. Understanding how …

Risks to Watch in the Personal Umbrella Market

Increases in auto accident severity, attorney involvement and litigation, as well as recreational activities are driving claims in the personal umbrella space — and one expert believes their impacts will only accelerate into the future. In a recent interview with …

Survey: Younger Generations More Tolerant of Fraud

A significant number of Americans ages 44 and younger show a high level of tolerance for insurance fraud, according to a new survey of insurance consumers by Verisk and the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The accompanying study found that while …