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Premium Growth Is Good but Disciplined Growth Is Better: Lloyd’s Execs

Article 0 Comments The Lloyd’s executives said the market has continued to demonstrate its value to stakeholders by delivering 6.5% premium growth while maintaining underwriting discipline. Lloyd’s saw a continuation of positive returns with profit before tax of £9.6 billion ($12.4 billion) during 2024, down from £10.7 billion ($13.8 billion) in 2023. The market achieved a combined ratio of 86.9% for full-year 2024, compared with 84.0 for FY2023. (A combined ratio below 100 indicates an underwriting profit). Lloyd’s Chief Financial Officer Burkhardt Keese said that 2024 was a year when the market once again “proved our underwriting discipline and delivered profitable growth of 6.5%,” or gross written premium totaling £55.5 billion ($71.7 billion), compared with £52.1 billion ($67.3 billion) for FY 2023. Keese and Chief Executive Officer John Neal both spoke during a recent media briefing to discuss Lloyd’s full-year results for 2024. “Lloyd’s has been relentless in pursuing sustainable profitable performance in the market. We’ve been on a seven-year journey to deliver the change our stakeholders wanted – to consistently focus on the delivery of disciplined underwriting, to modernize our performance and oversight frameworks, to address the cost of doing business at Lloyd’s, and to show leadership on the...

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10 Predictions for Advisor Movement in 2025

In 2024, 9,615 experienced financial advisors changed firms, according to a new report from Diamond Consultants. In context, that means that despite sundry headwinds, advisor movement was roughly flat — down by less than 1% — compared with 2023, when 9,674 advisors changed firms.

2025 FM Resilience Index: Denmark on Top of the World Again; FM Adds New Cybersecurity Data 0

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2025 FM Resilience Index: Denmark on Top of the World Again; FM Adds New Cybersecurity Data

Yearly nation-by-nation ranking of world’s business environments reflects global economic strains, innovation challenges and increasing cyber threats Johnston, RI (Mar. 12, 2025) – Commercial property insurer FM Global has released the 2025 FM Resilience Index, its yearly ranking of 130 countries and territories by the resilience of their business environments. New in 2025, the index now includes proprietary FM data to provide a comprehensive picture of cybersecurity risk. Denmark claims the top position in the index for the second straight year, thanks to its high productivity, educated populace and robust cybersecurity. These are three of the index’s 18 resilience-scoring factors, which consist of macro risks, such as inflation and political risk, and physical risks, such as climate risk exposure and fire risk quality. The next nine regions in the ranking are Luxembourg at No. 2, followed by Norway, Switzerland, Singapore, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Belgium and the United States Zone 3 (the central US)*. The index includes data from third parties like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, as well as FM risk exposure and improvement measures. “The FM Resilience Index delivers unique insights to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world,” said Leo Kushner, staff vice president, manager...

Downs Construction Expands to Nanaimo, BC, Strengthening Vancouver Island Service Coverage 0

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Downs Construction Expands to Nanaimo, BC, Strengthening Vancouver Island Service Coverage

Nanaimo, BC (Mar. 6, 2025) – Downs Construction, a proud partner with The Pro-Claim Group, is excited to announce the opening of its new office in Nanaimo, BC. This strategic expansion enables Downs Construction to extend its trusted restoration services to more residents across Vancouver Island, building on the strong foundation it has established in Victoria and Duncan. At the heart of Downs Construction’s success is its dedicated team, who bring expertise, compassion, and a relentless commitment to helping others in need. Their passion for restoring not just properties but also peace of mind has defined Downs Construction’s reputation in the industry. “We’re excited to expand our office to Nanaimo,” said Rod Absolon, General Manager of Downs Construction. “We’ve seen the positive impact our work has had in the Greater Victoria area, and we’re eager to ensure that more people up island receive the best possible experience. No one likes dealing with a flood or a fire in their home or business, and we know we’re pretty good at making the best out of a terrible situation. Our goal is simple: we just want to help people when they need it most.” With a relentless focus on excellence, Downs Construction...

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Property Data and Info Provider CoreLogic Rebrands to Cotality

Article 1 Comment Property data provider CoreLogic is rebranding to Cotality. The rebrand includes a new name, logo and brand identity. “The property ecosystem underpins the prosperity of individuals, businesses, governments, and society as a whole. But at the core, it’s people, businesses, and communities that drive it forward,” Patrick Dodd, president and CEO of Cotality said in a statement. “Cotality’s insights build on this, by turning questions into futures you can see.” A company spokesperson said no other changes are planned at this time. The new Cotality also comes with a new tagline, “Intelligence beyond bounds,” which the company said serves as an expression of its identity. The company formerly known as CoreLogic provides regular forecasts on properties and perils endangering them. The company is based in Irvine, California, and has operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India and Germany. Topics Property Was this article valuable? Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article. Submit No Thanks Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it. Submit No Thanks Here are more articles you may enjoy. Interested in Property? Get automatic...

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What the $660 Million Greenpeace Verdict Means for Activism

Article 2 Comments A North Dakota jury this week found Greenpeace liable for defamation, conspiracy and other claims over its participation in the Dakota Access pipeline protests that lasted from 2016 to 2017, awarding developer Energy Transfer LP $660 million in damages. Legal experts warn the decision could significantly deter other environmental groups from protesting oil and gas companies and their infrastructure around the US. “The potential for liability itself will have a chilling effect,” said Jennifer Safstrom, an assistant clinical law professor at Vanderbilt University. Josh Galperin, an associate law professor at Pace University, described the verdict as “unprecedented” and the amount of damages as “absolutely enormous.” As climate change has worsened, activists in the US and across the globe have repeatedly taken to the streets, forests and waters to put their bodies in the way of active fossil fuel production and new developments. Energy Transfer’s legal win shows that challenging protest groups in court can be successful — and it may inspire other companies to follow suit. “The verdict is an invitation to other companies to take similar actions against protestors,” said Michael Gerrard, founder and faculty director of Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. Greenpeace...

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Is the MSRB Unconstitutional? — SEC Roundup

[embedded content]Welcome to SEC Roundup, a bimonthly video series by former Securities and Exchange Commission senior trial counsels Nick Morgan and Tom Zaccaro, founders of the nonprofit advocacy group Investor Choice Advocates Network. The American Securities Association has filed a petition in the 11th Circuit, challenging the constitutionality of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board. In this episode, ICAN co-founder Nick Morgan and guest host Sarah Concannon, a former senior SEC attorney and Quinn Emanuel partner, sit down with ASA CEO Chris Iacovella to discuss the case and its broader implications. The ASA’s lawsuit argues that the MSRB, a little-known but powerful regulator of municipal securities, operates as a quasi-governmental entity without proper oversight, raising serious constitutional concerns. The discussion delves into the MSRB’s unique status as a self-regulatory organization with SEC oversight, the impact of the SEC’s decision to accelerate trade reporting timelines from 15 minutes to 1 minute, and why ASA believes the MSRB’s structure and funding model violate constitutional principles. With growing scrutiny over the role of SROs and their enforcement powers, this case could reshape the landscape of securities regulation. Tune in for expert analysis on the constitutional questions at play and what’s next for the ASA’s...

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Delaware Corporate Law Reform Heads to Final Vote Amid Criticism It Favors Billionaires

Article 0 Comments Delaware lawmakers are expected to vote as soon as next week to overhaul the state’s corporate law to protect its business-friendly reputation, but opponents have called the bill a giveaway to billionaires. The bill makes it hard for investors to sue over certain transactions involving controlling shareholders, such as buying a controlling shareholder’s business, if the deal follows certain steps. It also applies to deals with board members and executives, but will not impact existing rules for a takeover of the company by the controlling shareholder. The proposed legislation has politicized the normally sleepy annual process of tweaking the state’s corporate code. Attorneys who represent shareholders have dubbed it “the billionaire’s bill” and have launched a public campaign against it. Opponents had expected a vote on Thursday, although the leadership of Delaware’s House of Representatives had not committed to a schedule. A spokesperson for the House Democrats, who control the chamber, said a vote is now likely on Tuesday but could change, and sources said both sides were trying to line up support. Two-thirds of House members must approve the bill for it to pass. Delaware’s Senate approved the bill last week and Governor Matt Meyer has...

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Beyond Marketing: Turning Education into Your Most Effective Growth Tool

Sponsored by: In today’s dynamic financial landscape, advisors have an abundance of marketing options, ranging from digital strategies like social media engagement, SEO-driven content marketing, and email campaigns to traditional methods such as in-person workshops, direct mail, and referral programs. With so many choices, determining the most effective approach can be overwhelming, and the return on effort is often unpredictable. Amidst this complexity, implementing a proven, education-centric growth strategy becomes invaluable. This exclusive webinar will equip you with actionable insights to enhance your firm’s growth through education-led initiatives. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the current marketing landscape for advisors and learn how an education-first approach can optimize client acquisition through engaging prospects to develop financial knowledge. By leading with education, advisors build trust and credibility with high-quality leads—engaged, informed individuals who are actively seeking guidance and are more likely to become long-term clients. By attending this webcast, you will: > Learn how to implement an education-led growth strategy to attract and retain clients > Discover techniques to maximize time and resources in client acquisition > Preview methods to identify and build lasting relationships with higher-quality leads Featured Speakers: Scott Ferguson | Think Advisor Contributor | ALMScott Ferguson is the...

Sfara announces improved fraud detection through SDK 8 and new adjuster-focused collision insights 0

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Sfara announces improved fraud detection through SDK 8 and new adjuster-focused collision insights

Hoboken, NJ (Mar. 11, 2025) – Insurance companies now get access to over forty reference points for vehicular incidents at all speeds, plus the increased ability to identify fraud, especially at those difficult to capture low speeds. Reconstructing a crash by reading incident reports is a challenging task. With the release of SDK 8, Sfara provides the tools to better review the data leading to an incident, as well as identify fraud, even at low speeds. Sfara’s new adjustor-focused collision insights provides over forty points of reference for a crash, giving adjusters and managers the ability to quickly view data points, timelines, maps and direction of impact. Plus, Sfara is introducing declared and flagged anomalies for better identification of fraud. Anomaly detections are incidents captured by phone sensors but determined not to be a crash by Sfara’s technologies. Flagging these incidents makes it possible to review and compare reported incidents or discovered dents and scratches to actual data. Claims adjusters can now compare an incident report to flagged anomaly data without having to search through raw data feeds. If an incident is reported during a timeframe with no crash declaration or flagged anomaly data, there is reason to suspect fraud....