Author: completebodyneeds

The independent agency channel placed 62.1% of all property and casualty insurance written in the U.S. in 2025, a slight increase from 2024 when 61.5% of insurance written was placed by independent agents. According to the 2026 Market Share Report published by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big “I”) trade association, independent agents (IAs) wrote 87.7% of commercial lines written premiums in 2025 and 39.5% of personal lines. The independent insurance agency channel also gained traction in surplus lines, with a 9.9% utilization rate, up from the five-year average of 9.3%. Private flood had a 52.6% utilization…

A Ryanair Holdings Plc flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Greece on Friday morning after a window on the Boeing Co. 737 dislodged soon after takeoff, causing panic on board after one passenger was reportedly partially sucked out of the cabin. A window in the cabin “dislodged inflight,” the airline said in a statement, and one passenger received medical assistance on the ground in Thessaloniki, where the flight had originated. The carrier didn’t identify the passenger or the cause of the blown-out window. Greece’s Athens New Agency reported that one cabin occupant was partly pulled out of…

Shallow water means vessel operators are imposing surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners. It also means loads must be spread among several vessels sailing part loaded, also increasing costs, traders said. Low water is hampering shipping on all the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders added. Vessels are often able to sail only 20% full, with loads having to be divided among several ships. Read more: Heat Wave Lowers Rhine Levels, Straining Fuel Supply Chains Tanker barges are currently only able to carry…

A handful of ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in secret in recent days, even as observable crossings all but ceased after a flare-up in fighting between the US and Iran. All of the six commodity carriers that transited Hormuz on Sunday did so with their transponders turned off, according to preliminary Kpler data analyzed by Bloomberg News. So-called dark crossings outnumbered observable passages for the previous three days. On Monday, a small tanker that’s been identified as part of the dark fleet by a nonprofit organization and a bulk carrier appeared to be attempting crossings of the…

Wildfires are breaking out across Europe after three heat waves and weeks of low rainfall left much of the continent dangerously dry, with crews battling blazes south of Paris and in the UK, while Spain reels from one of its deadliest wildfires. About 500 firefighters were racing to contain a wildfire in a forest about 64 kilometers (40 miles) south of Paris early Monday. The blaze has burned eight square kilometers near Fontainebleau, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said. Fire crews are using tanker aircraft to spray water and retardant to slow the flames and have ordered people in the area…

China may encounter stronger and more frequent tropical cyclones over the summer months, according to the national climate agency, even after Typhoon Bavi faded over the weekend without causing the widespread flooding that some forecasters had feared. In its latest midsummer outlook, the National Climate Centre forecast that as many as six tropical cyclones would hit China this summer, a higher number than average. These storms “are expected to be strong overall” and to affect mainly coastal areas of southern and eastern China, the agency said. It did not specify whether its outlook, published last week, included Bavi. The typhoon…

Uncertainty in the economy and environmental regulation, the continuing impact of social inflation, and the construction industry’s ongoing business challenges are complicating exposures for project owners, developers, and contractors. Amid these trends, the environmental and construction professional liability insurance market remains dynamic. Navigating that market becomes easier when brokers, underwriters, and insureds have actionable intelligence. This article reflects a summary of RT ECP’s Market Update, an analysis of environmental and construction-related professional liability trends by specialists, with perspectives from leading insurance companies writing these risks. Following are summary outlooks by line of coverage. Contractor’s Pollution Liability (CPL) This form provides…

Analysts at insurance rating firm AM Best said there are “warning signs” for the directors & officers liability market, leading to shrinking underwriting margins and a tighter environment for buyers in 2026. In a new report, AM Best said 2025 marked the fourth straight year of premium decline in the D&O liability line. Nevertheless, insurers have generated favorable direct underwriting results the last few years while insureds have enjoyed competitive renewal terms and new offerings in a market that has maintained abundant capacity. However, in 2025 premium decreases were lower on average at renewal, with some seeing flat or slightly…

The flood insurance gap in the United States is big–and it’s not getting better. And the consequences of that gap are about to worsen for property owners and state and local governments, thanks to increasing rainfall amounts, stronger storm surge, more development in flood zones, cutbacks in federal aid, and aging river levees around the country. That was the word from Moody’s Rating analysts who delved into the realities at a recent webinar. “When flood losses happen and they are not absorbed by the shock absorber of insurance, they don’t disappear,” said Firas Saleh, director of insurance solutions and product…

This article is part of a sponsored series by Cotality. While high-level boardroom strategies and contingency plans are essential, it’s the daily, “boots on the ground” conversations that can more imminently move the needle. Immediate, practical discussions between insurance professionals and policyholders can save families and insurers massive costs in a single hurricane season. This real-time engagement is especially vital in northern urban areas—regions not traditionally “known” for severe flood or hurricane risk, but increasingly vulnerable to them. In a high-density vertical environment like New York City, a minor property issue can easily turn from a “molehill” of a problem…