Week after week, hackers and cybercriminals crank out new phishing campaigns, launch creative digital extortion threats and continue expanding payment card scams. Cyberattacks remain the top concern of businesses, yet, only about 55% of Fortune 500 companies and 35% of small to midsized companies (SMEs) buy cybersecurity insurance, according to PC World. And, recovery from such an attack is costly according to Cisco’s 2018 Security Capabilities Benchmark Study: 54% of all cyberattacks result in financial damages of more than US$500,000, including, but not limited to, lost revenue, customers and opportunities, as well as out-of- pocket expenses.

Much like energy resources themselves, the insurance marketplace for energy-sector businesses has abundant capacity. There is, however, upward pressure generally on rates in 2019, and some tightening in excess liability coverages specifically. To obtain the broadest coverage at optimal pricing, retail agents and their insureds should approach the marketplace in a strategic way and explore options for structuring their energy insurance programs.

Insurisk is CRC Group’s exclusive products facility has recently launched CAT+, an A rated property capacity for middle market business that is primarily CAT-exposed. CAT+ can accommodate costal exposure risks from Texas all the way to the Carolinas.

It’s a frightening scenario for any organization—an employee is kidnapped while traveling or working abroad and held for ransom. Faced with a potentially life-and-death situation, family members and corporate managers have little time to decide how best to respond to the kidnappers’ demands and maximize the chances of a safe return. In such situations, kidnap and ransom insurance proves its worth. Kidnap and Ransom policies provide timely access to crisis and security experts to quickly deploy the most appropriate strategies for these dangerous situations. While the policies indemnify insureds for ransom and other expenses associated with a kidnapping, the accompanying crisis management services are among the strongest reasons for purchasing the coverage.

Earthquakes get the headlines, but the ground moves for many reasons. Whether a property loss is covered when the ground shakes, shifts or sinks depends on what the policy says. Earthquake coverage is a very well known, but relatively narrow coverage limited to damage caused by naturally occurring seismic activity. Few buyers are aware of earth movement coverage, which offers broader protection for a wider scope of perils. While most clients choose earthquake coverage, they may want to consider whether earth movement policies make sense, given their specific risks and how it fits into their overall property program.

Increasing frequency and severity in commercial auto claims are causing the marketplace for excess trucking liability to become even more turbulent. Trucking insurers have faced several years of challenging business conditions, and many are now forced to reduce the limits they offer and increase rates significantly for trucking risks.

The health care sector is caught in the crosscurrents of the opioid crisis. Easing pain is an integral goal of medical treatment, and when it comes to severe pain, prescription opioids have proven very effective. Opioid pain relievers, however, can be highly addictive and are often abused.

Buyers have grown used to price cuts in the property market in recent years, but insurers are now taking a harder stance. Insurers are seeking additional premium wherever possible and applying stricter underwriting, particularly to property valuations. Rate increases seem to be gaining traction as leading markets pare back on unprofitable lines. Still, those viewed as good risks can expect to do better than more challenging exposures.

This is a brand new and unique policy offering three levels of coverage depending on type of Patent Infringement.

A market correction in liability insurance for senior living care facilities is already underway. Accounts in this segment are beginning to see steep increases at renewal. Continuing claims frequency and increasing severity in senior services are prompting insurers to raise the cost of coverage. Retail agents can provide valuable guidance to their clients through these changing conditions. Providing underwriters with additional details — especially about improvements to facilities’ operations and staffing procedures — can enhance a client’s risk profile and result in more favorable consideration of the client’s account. Here are some tips to prepare operators of senior living care facilities for the market shift and to state their case to underwriters.

Financial institutions have rebounded and are stronger overall since the subprime loan crisis more than a decade ago, and nonbank lending has emerged as a high-growth business. Even though capacity for financial institution risks remains plentiful, some insurers have become more conservative in their appetites for certain classes and sizes of business. While certain accounts are seeing higher premiums rise due to increased exposure, some new market entrants are pricing accounts aggressively low. What does all this mean for retail agents? Financial institution clients need help to navigate a complex marketplace to obtain the best coverages and pricing.

Will premiums increase? Are terms and conditions changing? What lines of business have limited markets? Which lines of business have excess capacity? Here’s what clients can expect in the marketplace for 2019 in a quick and easy to read reference guide.

CRC Group has the most actionable data in wholesale business and will use that advantage to power new data and analytics system to help retail clients win.

Growing Exposures and Coverage Gaps Necessitate Certainty for Employers

For hedge funds, protecting assets under management is a tall order in an environment where increasing liability exposures can erode them. Being subjected to costly lawsuits has become a cost of doing business. CRC offers expert insights on why D&O and E&O insurance are important tools to protect hedge funds.