Carrier Management recently published a release from AM Best revealing that the homeowners insurance sector suffered an underwriting loss amounting to $15.2 billion in 2023. This loss is more than double that of the previous year and marks the worst underwriting results since 2000. This spike is attributed to increased weather-related events and shifting population demographics, leading insurers to confront significant challenges in underwriting and risk assessment.

As the adoption of solar panels in residential homes soars, insurance professionals face a growing challenge: adapting policies to cover this emerging technology. With nearly 3.2 million homes already equipped with solar panels and forecasts predicting significant growth, understanding the implications for homeowners insurance is crucial.

The connection between home inspections and securing reinsurance is crucial for insurance carriers. In this interview with AAIS Partner, Chrp Technologies, we delve into the pivotal role of maintaining a high-quality book of business for insurers seeking reinsurance. Micah Kalisch, Founder and CEO of Chrp Technologies, elucidates how adhering to inspection protocols aligned with stringent underwriting standards not only safeguards insurers against potential risks, but also enhances their appeal to reinsurers. He also discusses how Chrp can support underwriters throughout this process.

Due to today’s hard market, reinsurers are much more selective about the risks they underwrite. To secure reinsurance coverage, personal lines property carriers must maintain a healthy book of business and loss ratio.

As part of the AAIS Webinar Series, AAIS hosted a virtual discussion on December 7, 2023, featuring Chrp Technologies. Moderated by AAIS President & CEO Werner Kruck, the session explored the state of today’s home insurance market as well as the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Featured guest speakers Chin Ma, President of Chrp Technologies, and Brandi Wyrick, AVP of Experience at Orion180, reviewed how new and emerging technologies like Chrp can improve underwriting results and operational efficiencies. They also touched upon the role of artificial intelligence (AI) across the insurance space and how companies can leverage new capabilities to improve the customer experience.

The National Association of Mutual Insurers (NAMIC) held its 2023 Annual Convention on September 17-20 in National Harbor, Maryland. During the convention, AAIS sat down with Bala Kumar, Co-Founder and Vice President of Jarus Technologies, to discuss top issues insurance carriers are facing, how to address them, how Jarus Technologies is helping carriers and its upcoming initiatives.

“Check out my new drone. The camera and range are exceptional!”

“I’ve been getting out of the house more than ever with this new e-bike, have you considered getting one?”  

“Now that my solar array is complete, and I’ve connected the new 3000-watt home battery backup, I’m ready to go off-grid.”

As part of the AAIS Webinar Series, AAIS hosted a virtual presentation on June 6, 2023, regarding California’s Mandatory Wildfire Mitigation Credits regulation. AAIS industry leaders, Robin Westcott, Vice President of Government Affairs, Legal & Compliance/General Counsel, Linda Jancik, Product Manager of Personal Lines, Mike Payne, Chief Pricing Actuary, and Matt Hinds-Aldrich, Senior Risk Strategy Lead, presented an overview of how the regulation was addressed across impacted programs from both a product and actuarial perspective. The panel also focused on the consumer notice requirement, highlighting how notice design can help motivate consumer action to complete wildfire mitigations on their properties. Panelists shared a notice template developed in response to this regulation that can easily be used and adapted in response to this regulation.

Inflation, fluctuations in building costs, and hardening reinsurance markets demand new approaches to portfolio management for commercial insurers. As part of our AAIS Webinar Series, AAIS hosted a virtual presentation on March 16, 2023, featuring AAIS Partner OneShield, the cloud-based, core systems platform providing business solutions for MGAs and P&C insurers. The session was hosted by Stephanie Vasey, Product Manager of Commercial Lines and Inland Marine at AAIS, and moderated by John Dunn, Vice President of OneShield. Their discussion explained how to reduce risk overall and addressed the inflationary economic conditions with a greater understanding of insuring commercial properties. Industry panelists Jeff Heine, Chief Revenue Officer of Betterview, and Skip Coan, Vice President of e2Value, Inc., showed attendees how aerial imagery, data analytics, and property estimation tools bring a new level of accuracy and transparency to the commercial property policy lifecycle.

There are new property insurance rules for Florida’s insurance carriers requiring elaborate document and process changes.