Features
Top Five Regional Insurers: Combined Ratio Rankings
National insurers have produced higher returns on equity and lower combined ratios in recent years, according to our analysis of financial results (published in a companion article here). Drilling ...
Financial Analysis: Why Regional Writer ROEs Lag Nationals
A comparison of the returns on equity of national and regional writers of property/casualty insurance produces a result that may not seem terribly intriguing: National writers win, hands down. But ...
Innovation in Risk Modeling: How to Build a Plane While Flying It
When my partner, Vivek Basrur, and I started Karen Clark & Co. (KCC), we had no intention of building catastrophe models again. In fact, that's the one thing we said we wouldn't do. But after a ...
Considering Core Replacement? Save Your Dollars; You Will Need Them Very Soon
Many insurers are considering replacing their core system as their next big IT endeavor. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, this is a regressive move that will set them ...
How to Build Productive Underwriter/Broker Relationships: 14 Guiding Principles
When I consider friends and family who have been blessed with happy partnerships, I realize there are many roads to establishing a successful relationship. Yet, I also recognize there are a number of ...
Saying ‘No’ Key to Strategic Success
How do you achieve "a durable advantage in the marketplace?" By understanding the difference between "operational excellence and strategy," according to Amy Friedrich, senior vice president of the ...
Novarica’s Take: Try Culture and Free Food
In a report published in April, "Managing Innovation in Insurance," Novarica revealed that 46 percent of large P/C insurers and 31 percent of midsize P/C insurers are expanding innovation programs. ...
Celent Report: P/C Innovation Picking Up Steam But Not ‘Disruptive’ Yet
The people specifically charged with moving innovation forward at property/casualty insurance companies are more optimistic about reaching their goals and garnering organizational support for their ...