United States

An AM Best special report on social inflation, reported on October 19, 2026, says first-year commercial auto liability loss payments grew 6.4% a year from 2014 to 2024, more than double economic inflation, leaving the line with a $4.9 billion underwriting loss in 2024 and an estimated $4 billion to $5 billion reserve shortfall despite 14 consecutive years of rate increases.

Marsh's Global Insurance Market Index, published October 21, 2026, shows global commercial insurance rates down 5% in the third quarter after a 6% fall in the second, led by a 10% drop in property and offset by a 1% rise in casualty, with regional falls from 1% in the US to 14% in India, the Middle East and Africa.

Estimates of insured losses from Hurricane Isaias, which struck the Florida Panhandle on October 9, 2026 as a Category 2 storm, run from Verisk's $1 billion to $2 billion to Moody's RMS's best estimate of $3.5 billion, while Florida regulators had logged 46,509 claims worth nearly $582 million by October 15 and AM Best calls it an earnings event, not a capital event.

Selective Insurance Group reported third-quarter 2026 non-GAAP operating income of $2.37 per share against $1.75, a GAAP combined ratio of 96.8% against 98.6%, and net premiums written down 7% to $1,122.8 million, while raising its dividend 12% and narrowing 2026 guidance.

Moody's Ratings reports that US life insurers held $85.2 billion of AI-linked investments at the end of June 2026, up 24% from $69 billion at end-2025 and about 1.4% of cash and invested assets, with data-centre and digital-infrastructure financing growing fastest and the below-investment-grade share rising to 6.1%.

On October 22, 2026 Moody's announced the Moody's Casualty Risk Intelligence Group, a forum with six founding organisations that aims to improve casualty exposure, claims and litigation data and bring property-catastrophe-style analytics to liability insurance.

Marsh's Q3 2026 index shows global commercial insurance rates down about 5% (after 6% in Q2), with property down 10%, cyber down 4% and US casualty up 6%, while CRC Group reports US property renewals still down about 11% but with the pace of decline moderating.

W. R. Berkley reported Q3 2026 gross written premiums of $3.95 billion (up from $3.83 billion), a combined ratio of 90.8%, operating income of $456 million, net income of $446 million and net investment income of $383.5 million.

Chubb reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $2.84 billion ($7.30 per share) and a P&C combined ratio of 84.1%, up from 81.8%, as catastrophe losses rose to $705 million from $285 million and favourable reserve development reached $511 million.

A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis finds average homeowner premiums exceed property-tax bills in about two-thirds of US counties, with county-level premiums up 45% in a decade after inflation and the gap widest in the Southeast, where insurance can cost 2.5 to 4 times the tax levy.

AM Best reports homeowners multiperil insurers earned a $16.5 billion underwriting profit in 2025 after a $1.3 billion loss in 2024, with the combined ratio improving to 84.5 from 90.7, helped by $4.1 billion of favourable reserve development, Florida tort reform and a calm hurricane season.

Marsh's latest detailed index shows global commercial rates down about 6% in Q2 2026, the eighth straight quarterly fall, with property down 12% and cyber down 4%, while US casualty rates rose 7%. Marsh's Q3 headline reportedly shows the decline slowing to about 5%.

Travelers reported net income of $1.917 billion and a combined ratio of 86.8% for the quarter, with net written premiums of $11.48 billion; catastrophe losses rose from the prior year but nine-month catastrophe losses are about half of last year's.

UnitedHealth's adjusted earnings were $4.69 a share against $2.92 a year earlier, helped by $610 million of favourable reserve development; revenue was $112.7 billion, slightly lower than last year, and UnitedHealthcare served 48.3 million people against 50.1 million.

The all-cash offer of $7.75 a share is a 44% premium to CCC's price before sale talk surfaced in July; the platform connects more than 35,000 insurers, repairers, automakers and parts suppliers, and the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.

Revenue rose 3% to about $30 billion and net interest income 8% to $16.4 billion; excluding the charge, earnings were $1.08 a share, and asset management fees grew 16% to $4.5 billion as wealth-management revenue rose 13%.

Progressive reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $2.54 billion, a combined ratio of 88.7 and net premiums written up 4% to $22.3 billion, with policies in force up 6% to about 40.5 million.

After its third-quarter earnings, Marsh McLennan's insurance broking chief John Doyle said sweeping AI exclusions in policies could leave buyers and insurers in disputes, and argued for a more nuanced treatment of AI risk.

The US property and casualty insurer reported core earnings of $9.18 a share, record new business in its commercial unit and a $295 million asbestos reserve addition that trimmed otherwise favorable reserve development.

The largest US health insurer reported adjusted earnings of $4.69 a share and lifted its full-year outlook, helped by $610 million of favorable reserve development, while its insured membership and Optum Health revenue shrank.

Results filed on October 13 show three different pictures: JPMorgan's net interest income up 13%, Goldman's equities revenue up 72% and Wells Fargo's loan loss provision up 51% from a year earlier.

The BLS says consumer prices rose 0.6% in September and 3.7% over the year, driven by energy, while core inflation held at 2.6% and motor vehicle insurance cost 5% less than a year ago.

The Social Security Administration says benefits will rise 3.6% for about 76 million Americans, roughly $75 a month on average, though a higher Medicare Part B premium will take back part of it.

Average Medicare Advantage premiums are projected to fall from $14.37 to $12.00 a month while stand-alone Part D plans rise to $36.00, but fewer plans and the end of a premium subsidy program mean some people must switch.

KFF finds insurers proposing a median 15% increase for 2027 ACA plans, the second straight double-digit year, just before open enrollment opens on November 1 in most states.

Freddie Mac's 30-year average rose to 7.40% this week, up 1.10 points from a year ago, leaving buyers and refinancers waiting on Wednesday's inflation report and the Fed's October 28 meeting.

Isaias, the first US hurricane landfall since Milton in 2024, hit near Destin, Florida, as a Category 2 storm after peaking at Category 3; modelers say exposure is large but early loss talk points to mid-single-digit billions.

About 99.96% of votes cast at Corebridge and 97.24% at Equitable favoured the deal in preliminary results; the combined company will use the Equitable name, trade as EQH and be run by Corebridge's Marc Costantini, with regulatory approvals still required.

PwC counts $29.6 billion of announced US insurance deal value across 191 transactions from December 2025 to May 2026, down from $31.8 billion across 207 deals in the prior half; megadeals made up 97% of value, and PwC expects more P&C activity and selective broker deals in the second half.

Governor Josh Stein signed House Bill 315, the Prohibit Litigation Investments Act, on June 22, 2026, banning third-party litigation investment in North Carolina civil proceedings with nine exceptions, civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation and a private right of action for treble damages.

KFF's analysis shows 2026 ACA plan selections fell by more than 1 million to 23.1 million, average monthly net premiums rose 58% from $113 to $178, and enrollees shifted toward bronze plans with deductibles up 37%.

For 2026, UnitedHealthcare dropped one state and 109 counties, Humana three states and 194 counties, and Aetna one state and 100 counties, while analysts reported cuts to over-the-counter benefits and higher premiums for general-enrollment plans.

Verisk and APCIA report a Q1 2026 underwriting gain of about $15.8 billion and a 92.4% combined ratio, while AM Best reports $16.3 billion and 92%; net written premium growth slowed to 2.9%.

Moody's Ratings analysis using its RMS inland flood model finds that a 1-in-100-year flood could leave more than $375 billion of US residential losses uninsured, a protection gap of about 65%, rising to more than $1 trillion in a 1-in-500-year event and to about $472 billion by 2050 under an intermediate-emissions pathway.

New York's budget, approved in late May 2026, clarifies the serious-injury threshold, caps non-economic damages for drivers engaged in criminal conduct, changes comparative negligence and targets staged accidents; State Farm's CEO wants proof before acting.

A Moody's whitepaper estimates a 1-in-100-year US flood could cause over $375 billion in uninsured losses, with a 65% protection gap, rising about 25% to roughly $472 billion by 2050; a 1-in-500-year event could exceed $1 trillion.

Chicago-based digital MGA Honeycomb Insurance raised $40 million in a round led by Zeev Ventures, bringing total funding to $95 million, and reports $275 million of gross written premium at the end of 2025.

On June 18, 2026 the National Insurance Crime Bureau warned Illinois homeowners and businesses about fraudulent contractors after a derecho, a tornado outbreak and flooding; the state had recorded 140 tornadoes against an annual average of 54.

MetLife announced on May 28, 2026 an Annuity Cancellation Option for its Guaranteed Income Program, letting plan participants cancel within the first three years of income payments and receive premiums paid minus benefits received, with no cancellation or surrender fees.

ANV Group Holdings, a Blackstone-backed MGA platform, agreed to take auto-lending specialist Open Lending private for $3.15 per share, valuing it at about $372 million, with closing expected in Q3 2026.

PwC counted 191 disclosed insurance transactions worth almost $30 billion from December 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026, slightly below the prior six months, and says uncertainty over AI is lowering broker valuations and raising deal scrutiny.

Two forecasts for 2026 differ in level but agree prices are flattening after the post-pandemic spike: The Zebra projects an average $2,256 with increases in 19 states, and Insurify forecasts a 1% rise to $2,158 with tariffs and repair costs as wildcards.

Cowbell's 2026 claims report, covered on May 7-8, 2026, says ransomware attacks rose 45% last year while average ransom payments fell roughly 44% between 2022 and 2025; data breaches, cybercrime and extortion drove most claims.

On April 20, 2026 the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously held that a trial court abused its discretion by reforming rather than rescinding a Progressive no-fault policy where the insured misstated where her cars were garaged.

S&P Global Market Intelligence says the industry earned about $22.1 billion from underwriting in the first quarter of 2026, helped by a quiet catastrophe period, while competition in auto, falling commercial property rates and casualty claims inflation loom as headwinds.

Insurtech Sixfold launched its AI Underwriter on June 15, 2026; vendor-reported results include 50% to 97% faster processing, with each carrier deciding how much the agent handles autonomously.

Fairview Health Services did not renew its UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage contract in June 2026 and sued on October 7 over 2027 plan listings; about 33,000 Fairview patients are enrolled in UnitedHealthcare MA plans each year.

LIMRA's preliminary Q1 2026 data show annuity sales of $104.6 billion (down 2%), RILA sales up 21% to $21.2 billion, and new annualised life premium up 10% to $4.5 billion.

Moody's report of June 8, 2026 says private and illiquid bonds at US life insurers reached $807 billion at end-2025, up from $685 billion, with the ten largest holding 44% and four areas flagged for monitoring.

Lemonade launched insurance for Tesla drivers using Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in Arizona on January 26, 2026, at about 50% off per-mile rates when FSD is engaged; its second-quarter results showed in-force premium of $1.43 billion, up 32%, and management still expects its first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter in Q4 2026.

KBRA's June 8, 2026 research says private letter ratings are not synonymous with private credit and that a higher regulatory capital charge differs from a realised loss; the NAIC amendment's January 2026 start has been delayed.

According to Insurance Business citing the Financial Times, the NAIC is examining the ratings on data centre investments held by insurers; privately placed bonds were 23.4% of admitted bonds in 2025 per S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Lemonade reported Q1 2026 revenue of $258 million (up 71%), in-force premium of $1.33 billion (up 32%) and a narrower net loss of $35.8 million, and expects its first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter in Q4 2026.

During National Roofing Week (June 7-13, 2026, run by the NRCA), Triple-I, IBHS and the US SBA highlighted roof upgrades, IBHS's FORTIFIED standard and SBA disaster-loan increases of up to 20% for mitigation.

Kemper reported a first-quarter 2026 net loss of $1.7 million as its Specialty P&C combined ratio rose to 106.7% from 92.7%, driven by California personal auto claims; Stephen McAnena became CEO on June 1.

Lockton, the world's largest privately held independent insurance broker, reported fiscal 2026 revenue of about $4.5 billion, up 12% with 11% organic growth, its sixth straight year of double-digit organic growth.

Artex's Alternative View Spring 2026 says US commercial property buyers are eagerly using the most favourable market in several years to renegotiate terms and lower deductibles, while casualty remains pressured by social inflation.

USAA says it is paying a $500 million dividend to about 830,000 Florida auto members from June 15, 2026, with rate cuts averaging 14% and an earlier $160 million dividend, crediting Florida's tort reforms, in a broader effort that includes lower rates nationally.

Swiss Re Institute's sigma report says insured natural catastrophe losses were $107 billion in 2025, with wildfires, storms and floods driving a record 92%, and that a return to trend would put 2026 losses near $148 billion.

At Berkshire Hathaway's May 2026 annual meeting, Ajit Jain said the company has taken a small participation in a Hormuz shipping insurance program but has written no deals, pending underwriting terms including US Navy escort assurances.

Fitch says early indications put Florida reinsurance pricing down roughly 15% to 20% risk-adjusted, with insurers seeking an extra $5 billion to $7 billion of cover, Citizens down to about 295,000 policies and discipline expected to hold.

W.R. Berkley Corp. said its founder and executive chairman William R. Berkley died on June 9, 2026 at age 80, and that his son W. Robert Berkley Jr. was named chairman effective immediately, after a year of record earnings.

AM Best says the US directors and officers liability line posted a fourth year of premium decline in 2025 while its direct loss ratio rose five points to 54.5 and reserves for accident years 2023 and 2024 proved inadequate.

Howard Hughes Holdings closed its roughly $2.1 billion all-cash acquisition of Bermuda-based specialty insurer Vantage on June 4, 2026, funded by cash and $1 billion of preferred stock issued to Pershing Square Holdings, with Pershing Square managing the investments fee-free.

Acrisure CEO Greg Williams told staff on May 20 that about 2,250 jobs, around 11% of the company's roughly 19,000 employees, would go by the end of 2027, citing AI and digital platforms, following 400 accounting job cuts announced in October 2025.

Guy Carpenter says June 2026 Florida property-catastrophe reinsurance prices fell by roughly 15% to 20% risk-adjusted as demand rose 12%, helped by a 76.8% combined ratio in 2025, 45% higher policyholder surplus and tort reform.

Merck will pay more than $50 million, according to people familiar with the matter, to settle more than 200 dismissed North Carolina cases and a Los Angeles case set for trial, ending Gardasil litigation apart from one case without admitting liability.

S&P Global estimates Progressive passed State Farm as the largest US private auto insurer in the 12 months to March 2026 by more than $1.57 billion, but AM Best's 2025 ranking of all property and casualty lines still has State Farm first at $113.8 billion.

A Triple-I and Milliman briefing projects US property and casualty underlying growth of -3.7% in the first half of 2026, down from 1.6% in 2025, with recovery expected in 2027 and 2028 even as 2025 combined ratios were the lowest in over a decade.

KFF's 2026 Medicaid outlook says CBO estimates Medicaid changes in the 2025 reconciliation law will raise the uninsured by 7.5 million in 2034, with work requirements beginning January 1, 2027 and federal spending falling by $911 billion over ten years.

Swiss Re puts the global natural catastrophe protection gap at $424 billion for 2025, while a survey of more than 1,700 people by Triple-I and Munich Re US finds insurers and customers see cyber, economic, weather and AI risks as connected.

Insurify puts the average full-coverage premium at $2,237 a year at mid-2026, up 1% since the end of 2025, with Connecticut up 10% and 32 states expected to see year-over-year increases by December.

Munich Re puts the global cyber insurance market at nearly $15 billion in 2025 and about $28 billion by 2030, while October reports show rates falling for a fourth year and SME take-up stuck near 10 to 20% outside the United States.