Jeff Severino has joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its employee benefits group on the Alliant Affinity team. Based in Kansas City, Severino will work with clients nationwide to design and develop tailored programs, drawing on a broad …

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “bbb+” (Good) of Hartland Mutual Insurance Company (Hartland) (Minot, ND). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. Concurrently, AM Best …

he Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Agriculture launched an inquiry into the agricultural equipment market, including potential anticompetitive conduct. The public inquiry, announced Wednesday, seeks to address a “growing number of complaints” from farmers that they “face …

Sanlam Ltd.’s $1.2 billion bid to take full ownership of Santam Ltd. will give Africa’s top insurer more freedom to deploy capital across the continent, India and the Lloyd’s of London market, the latest step in an expansion that will …

Starting this quarter, Aviva said it is entering the U.S. specialty market with Aviva Specialty, which will begin underwriting commercial property. Aviva Specialty will serve open-market brokerage, and partnering with leading program administrators. As a wholly owned surplus carrier, Aviva …

The National Flood Insurance Program is once again set to expire in two months. Early last month, NFIP’s authority to operate was renewed when the president signed legislation passed by Congress to keep NFIP running until midnight Dec. 12. According …

California-based Heffernan Insurance Brokers has acquired Walterry Insurance Brokers, an independent insurance agency based in Clinton, Maryland. The Walterry team joined Heffernan effective May 1, 2026. Established in 1968, Walterry Insurance Brokers specializes in media liability, professional liability, and business …

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced that its specialist underwriting subsidiary Pen Underwriting has acquired Wexford, Ireland-based Ornella Underwriting Ltd. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ornella is a managing general agent (MGA) providing a diverse range of commercial …

Six people have been charged for their alleged roles in “smash-and-grab” robberies targeting jewelry stores across New Jersey in 2025 and 2026, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. According to prosecutors, masked and gloved perpetrators used crow bars and/or sledgehammers to …

Google was accused of overcharging Android app developers for over a decade, leading to inflated prices on the Play Store for about 20 million UK customers. The US giant’s 30% levy for digital purchases violated competition law and consumers affected …

Iran has increased the pace of attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, just as oil shipments through the world’s most important energy chokepoint approach prewar levels. UK Maritime Trade Operations has reported nine attacks in …

Most of the attention on California’s weather is focused right now on an unusual October heat wave with triple-digit temperatures in some areas, but talk of “atmospheric rivers” bringing crashing waves, pounding rain and snow by the feet to the …

The UK financing arm of Volkswagen AG has made a £725 million ($960 million) provision to cover the costs of a plan to compensate British customers who were overcharged for car loans. It’s the first time that Volkswagen Financial Services …

A tropical depression in the Atlantic is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and bring heavy rainfall and high winds to the central Gulf Coast this weekend. Tropical Depression 9 is expected to impact southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, …

A new report revealed half of U.S. homeowners paid out of pocket for weather damage the past three years, and only 22% feel very financially prepared for an unexpected weather repair, according to tech-native insurance group Hippo Holdings. Hippo’s third …

McDonald’s has been sued in federal court in Chicago in a proposed nationwide class action alleging the fast-food company illegally coordinates menu prices across its franchises and company-owned restaurants through an AI-powered pricing system. The lawsuit, filed on Oct. 2, …

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is seeking approval to build a natural gas pipeline in Florida to supply fuel for its rocket launched from Cape Canaveral, according to a state regulatory filing from September. A SpaceX subsidiary, Coastal Connect Services (CCS), has …

Karen Clark & Co. has announced its latest severe convective storm model—Version 5.0—now with a new option on roof values. “While previously, roof replacement cost was assumed to be a fixed percentage of the total building value, roof replacement value …

San Francisco-based Corgi Insurance has launched fine arts coverage for individuals and businesses, and it introduced Golden by Corgi, a sports and entertainment insurance platform offering coverage through its surplus lines carrier. The fine arts coverage protects eligible artwork and …

The two passengers aboard an air ambulance that crashed in the waters off Massachusetts over the weekend while flying from Bermuda to Boston were identified Monday as a mother from Bermuda and her son, an executive with Hamilton Re. Bermuda …