The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division fined Hillsboro-based Renner Trucking and Excavating Inc. $80,804 for repeatedly violating rules intended to protect workers from trenches caving in. Oregon OSHA issued a citation to the company on May 12 following an …
Category: Insurance Journal
AM Best Upgrades Velocity Specialty Insurance After Acquisition by FM
AM Best has removed from under review with developing implications and upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A (Excellent) from A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a” (Excellent) from “a-” (Excellent) of Velocity Specialty Insurance …
FastBond: Simplifying Smaller Bid Performance and Payment Bonds for Agents and Contractors
This post is part of a series sponsored by Old Republic Surety. “We’ve targeted tight turnaround times from submission to approval using Old Republic Surety’s (ORS) FastBond process — the faster, the better,” says Todd Taylor, CPCU, AFSB. As an …
Q1 Has Lowest Insurance Agency M&A in 5 Years; Mega Deals Coming?
The first three months of 2025 were the slowest quarter for insurance agency mergers and acquisitions since Q2 2020, according to investment banking and financial consulting firm OPTIS Partners. The total number of insurance agency M&As during first-quarter 2025 was …
Crafting a Marketing Strategy: Essential Steps for Insurance Professionals to Stay Ahead
An insurance marketing strategy outlines how a business will reach prospective clients, convert them into customers, and retain them over time. It’s a structured plan that considers available resources, target audience needs, competitive landscape, and industry trends to align marketing …
Viral Work Trends Q&A: A Fun Way for Your Agency to Discuss Recruiting
Recruitment doesn’t have to be a dull subject. Imagine discussing it in a more enjoyable way at your next management meeting. Viral work trends are an excellent starting point. TikTok alone has 115,000 videos tagged with #CareerTok and over 1 …
Hard Market, Valuable Research, Public Perception & Antitrust Litigation Pressure Higher Education World
The U.S. higher education insurance market is as diverse as the academic degrees these institutions offer. But one recent challenge facing the sector is a downturn in public trust that may be contributing to the increased frequency and severity of …
State Farm VP Apologizes to Homeowner, Allstate Exec Gets Grilled at Senate Hearing
It’s not just some Florida-domiciled insurance carriers that have allegedly altered field adjusters’ reports or low-balled property damage estimates in recent years. It’s also major national insurers, according to adjusters and policyholders who spoke at a recent U.S. Senate hearing …
Report: California Workers’ Comp Combined Ratio Highest in 14 Years
Written premiums in California stabilized in 2022 through 2024 after the large swings during the pandemic, while the combined ratio rose to the highest level in 14 years, a new report shows. The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California …
California Commissioner Launches Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force
A new task force has been formed to develop standards in California for insurance coverage and clean-up of smoke-damaged homes. California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced the formation of a Smoke Claims & Remediation Task Force within the California Department …