Surplus Lines News

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 …

Center for Insurance and Risk Management Opening in Nevada University

University of Nevada, Las Vegas announced the establishment of the Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management within the Lee Business School. The center, made possible through a $5 million gift from the Nevada Surplus Lines Foundation, will advance faculty …

Record-High Direct Premiums Written for the U.S. Surplus Lines Segment in 2021

Total U.S. surplus lines direct premiums written (DPW) reached a record $82.6 billion in 2021, with momentum continuing through mid-year 2022, according to a new AM Best report. In the first six months of 2022, premiums topped $31 billion, and …

Actuaries: Climate Change, WUI Building Led to Worsening Wildfires in U.S. and California

Increasingly large and dangerous wildfires are being driven by the effects of climate change and more building in the wildland-urban interface, and while that notion may not be entirely new, the scope of the increase laid out on Thursday by …

Staying Focused on Surplus Lines: Amwins’ President Drinkwater

It’s an interesting time in the surplus lines industry with insurance rates increasing and capacity being limited in some classes of business. It’s a time when maintaining focus is critical to finding success, according to the president of Amwins Group, …

Lexington’s Levinson on Why E&S Is More Relevant Now Than Ever

When Lou Levinson became president and CEO of Lexington Insurance in late 2018, he knew the company needed a change. He believed that Lexington should be a wholesale focused distribution channel and that the company should remain focused and disciplined …

Takeaways from Our Conversation on Cannabis and Surplus Lines

It may not come as much of a surprise to those who know about insurance and cannabis that the business is written mostly by the surplus lines market. Just how much is written there vs. the admitted market? Estimates range …

Grim California Wildfire Outlook Has Insurers Forking Over Big Bucks for Modeling

Severe drought and searing temperatures are not the only proof that Californians should be worried about wildfires this year. A glaring piece of evidence that there’s ample cause for concern is this: those who will be on the hook for …

Surplus Lines Broker, Agent or Both? It’s Complicated.

Increasingly, the world of insurance distribution has become highly specialized, utilizing technology and a multitude of parties to reach customers worldwide. The surplus lines industry is no exception. Surplus lines brokers are not merely intermediaries between insureds and eligible surplus …

Top Insurance Regulatory Developments of 2020: Part 2

This is the second installment of a two-part look at the top 10 insurance regulatory developments of 2020 by attorneys at Locke Lord. The first part on Jan. 22 covered COVID-19, Insurtechs, Data Privacy, Race Equality and Pharmacy Benefit Managers. …