Data & Research
Disasters Cost Insurance Industry $20B in First Half
According to Swiss Re's preliminary sigma estimates, total economic losses from natural and man-made disasters were $56 billion in the first half of 2013, down from $67 billion in first-half 2012. ...
Corporate Risk-Taking Unrelated to Top Exec Pay at Banks
Cutting or regulating the paychecks of top executives won't avert future economic crises and recessions because the source of corporate risk taking and fraud typically emerges from non-executive ...
Seven Straight Years of Reserve Releases: Fitch
Property/casualty industry prior-year loss reserves have developed favorably for seven straight calendar years, according to a new report from Fitch Ratings, which also says the industry reserve ...
Most Insurers Expect to Boost Revenues, Add Jobs in Next 12 Months: Survey
The majority of property/casualty insurers are expecting to hire more staff over the next 12 months, according to a survey from insurance recruiting firm The Jacobson Group and consulting firm Ward ...
Family-Run Companies Deliver Better Returns
Investors seeking less volatile returns from their stock portfolios are turning their attention to family-owned firms that play for pride as well as profit. In the wake of the 2007-09 financial ...
U.S. Homebuilder Confidence Highest Level Since ’05; Jobless Claims Lowest Since ’07
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rose in August to the highest level since 2005 as demand for new homes supports the market amid rising mortgage rates. The National Association of Home ...
Best-Paid Women in S&P 500 Settle for Less with 18% Gender Gap
Even the few women who've managed to advance to the C-suite don't get equal pay. Last year, of the five best-paid executives at each of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index companies, 198 were women, ...
Next Week Could Be Key for Atlantic Hurricane Season
The Atlantic hurricane season is about to enter its most active phase as conditions for the powerful storms improve across the basin. Wind shear that can tear budding storms apart has been ...