AM Best Radio Podcast

Jason Ragsdale, AVP risk management technical specialization at Nationwide, discusses a company survey revealing while more than 90% of commercial property owners are confident in their buildings' structural integrity, fewer than 40% feel fully protected against severe weather, highlighting a gap between awareness and preparedness.

David Blades, associate director, AM Best, discusses a new Best's Special Report that finds muted insured catastrophe losses during the second half of 2025 significantly benefitted net underwriting income for the year.

Hollie Campe-Astridge, assistant vice president in the Sports & Recreation Department at Philadelphia Insurance Cos., said health and wellness trends are continuing to support demand for outdoor experiences.

David Bock, associate vice president, head of Midwest and West Public D&O for Nationwide's commercial liability team, discusses how micro- and small-cap public companies differ from larger public companies in risk profile, claims activity and governance structure.

Brian Botkin, chief underwriting officer at MSIG USA, said that the company's growth has come through a very disciplined underwriting approach and a build-out of its specialty underwriting capabilities.

Majesco Chief Strategy Officer Denise Garth, who is regarded as one of the most influential executives in insurance, has built expertise with leveraging both the analytical and creative sides of her brain for her role at the insurance software developer and also when she guides startups.

Jennifer Kostyrna, director of product management, identity solutions at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, explains how generative AI is rapidly transforming the identity risk landscape for personal lines insurers, enabling more sophisticated and scalable fraud across the policy life cycle.

Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo discusses his BestWire story detailing how The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services intends to suspend enrollment in Elevance Health Inc.'s Medicare Advantage Part D over persistent noncompliance with risk-adjustment data reporting rules.

AM Best Director David Blades and Senior Industry Research Analyst Chris Graham discuss a new Best's Commentary that finds by year-end 2025, the D&O liability market appeared to be moving toward more modest downward premium adjustments, on average.

Enforcing the use of secure photo technology and maintaining "a human in the loop" are among the strategies proving to be effective at deterring claims fraud, said Dustin Lemick, CEO, BriteCo.

 In his book “Guardians of Uncertainty: The Making of Influential Risk Managers in the Modern World,” Ernest Legrand, co-founder and chief product officer, MAPTYCS, discusses how risk-focused leaders navigate uncertainty to drive resilience and long-term strategic value.

BestWire Senior Associate Editor Terrence Dopp discusses his recent article explaining how life insurers are seeing paid family and medical leave insurance as a growth opportunity as more U.S. states begin mandating coverage. 

Montclair State University Assistant Professor Abena Owusu discusses her co-authored study on how insurers can use machine learning to improve risk culture and oversight.

Christopher Westfall discusses how his podcast, Risky Science, brings together researchers, investors and insurers to unpack the science, data, and real-world impact of risk models that shape markets, public policy and emerging threats.

Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill discusses her recent BestWire story highlighting how Florida's largest personal auto insurers are cutting rates and issuing dividends to policyholders, driven by improved underwriting results, changing driving patterns, and landmark tort reform that has helped stabilize the market.

AM Best News Editor David Pilla discusses reinsurers' strong 2025 results, driven by underwriting gains and low catastrophe losses, even as softening pricing pressures revenue.

AM Best Director Joseph Zazzera discusses a new Best's Market Segment Report that finds strong health segment financial flexibility and capitalization despite major operating performance concerns.

Wild Horse Fire Brigade Founder and Executive Director William Simpson, an ethologist, discusses how super-hot wildfires create novel toxins, driving health and property risks, and why insurers must rethink prevention and modeling strategies.

Kate Steffanelli, associate director, AM Best, discusses a new Best's Market Segment Report that finds the US annuity market delivered another strong performance that continued into 2025, aided by retirement product demand, favorable rates and product innovation.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo discusses how ACA, Medicaid and Medicare changes are reshaping U.S. health insurers' strategies and margins in 2026.

This session, ideal for agents and brokers who need to efficiently track insurer financial strength, shows you how to set up custom notifications, monitor the carriers you work with and use timely alerts to protect your clients and stay ahead of competitors. (Event Date: February 26, 2026) View the Powerpoint Presentation.

Nick Abraham, CEO, Amwins Global Risks, discusses how abundant capacity, social inflation concerns, and growing delegated authority opportunities are shaping broker strategy and client outcomes in the London specialty insurance market.

Michael Streit, president, Ivans, discusses how real-time insights and seamless workflows are helping carriers become the partners of choice in today's insurance market.

Professors Albert Cohen of Michigan State University and Annette Hoffman of the University of Cincinnati, discuss their study, Regretful Risks, revealing how the fear of future regret, rather than rationality, drives decisions about risk management.

Northeastern blizzard is expected to result in significant, but manageable losses for P/C insurers, according to a new Best's Commentary discussed by AM Best Industry Research Analyst Helen Andersen.

David Benyon, host of The Political Risk Podcast, explains how he connects geopolitical flashpoints from war, hybrid threats, trade policy and expropriation with the evolving needs of specialty insurance and reinsurance markets.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo explains how state proposals to limit credit scores could impact insurance pricing and risk assessment.

Keith Golembiewski, AVP, director, annuity research, LIMRA, discusses 2025's record-breaking annuity market and the evolving role of indexed products in retirement planning.

BestWire News Editor Dave Pilla reports how renewed investor interest and a push for capital efficiency are fueling rapid growth in reinsurance sidecars, reshaping capacity strategies and adding new dynamics to traditional pricing and long-term capital stability.

A new Best's Market Segment Report finds improved P/C underwriting and pricing, combined with moderate catastrophe losses, anchor strong 2025 results, with investment income a key earnings driver in 2026 despite headwinds, according to Jacqalene Lentz, senior director, and David Blades, associate director, both of AM Best.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill examines how Hawaii's homeowners insurers are responding to catastrophic wildfire losses with steep rate increases, tighter risk selection, and strategic decisions that may foreshadow trends in other catastrophe-exposed states.

Melissa Mulhern, assistant vice president of environmental underwriting at Philadelphia Insurance Cos., said their underwriters work with agents and brokers to help them understand that environmental risk includes operational risks not just limited to preexisting contamination.

The revision from negative to stable for the directors and officers liability insurance segment is owed to rate stabilization, low loss ratios, tighter underwriting, and reduced regulatory scrutiny, according to a new Best's Market Segment Report discussed by AM Best Elizabeth Blamble, senior financial analyst, AM Best.

Brooke Shirazi, vice president of property and ocean marine programs at Nationwide E&S Specialty, said policyholders benefit from the program offerings and the program administrator space because of the deep expertise they bring to the table in that segment and their clear understanding of what the insured needs in order to address risk concerns.

AM Best Directors Bridget Maehr and Ann Modica discuss a new Best's Market Segment Report that finds Caribbean insurers are highly reliant on reinsurance to manage capital, risk retention, and to expand their book of business.

BestWire News Editor Dave Pilla reports that abundant global capacity and growing competition are driving lower rates and broader terms in the mining insurance sector, even as recent natural catastrophe losses and mounting liability exposures heighten underwriting challenges.

A new Best's Special Report finds that the U.S. economy enters 2026 from a position of resilience, despite headwinds, said Ann Modica, director, AM Best.

Rob Lewis, CEO, INTX Insurance Software, discusses how Chubb's aggressive automation strategy reflects deeper structural shifts in insurance technology, workforce skill demands and the growing necessity for unified, modern core systems to enable real AI-driven transformation.

AM Best Associate Director David Blades discusses a new Best's Special Report that finds E&S premium market growth increased by 9.7% through the third quarter of 2025, down from 13.5% in 2024, reflecting the impact of competitive market pressures.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Terrence Dopp discusses the early signs of a softening MGA market, the renewed focus on underwriting discipline and capital management, plus how closer alignment with carriers and reinsurers could shape the sector through 2026.

AM Best and industry experts share their 2026 outlook on the Medicare Advantage business segment, including the key drivers. (Event Date: January 15, 2026)

Associate Director David Blades and Associate Analyst Alexander Winant, both of AM Best, discuss a new Best's Commentary that finds the executive order doesn't immediately resolve insurance issues for cannabis-related businesses, but the move to reclassify marijuana under federal law could be a significant step for the insurance market.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo breaks down Massachusetts regulatory approval of Liberty Mutual's affiliate reorganization, including the conversion of several mutual insurers to stock companies and what the move signals about capital access.

Maria Long, chief underwriting officer, Resilience, discusses how emerging cyberthreats are transforming cyber insurance and driving the need for stronger underwriting and enhanced client resilience.

Stefan Holzberger, EVP and COO, AM Best, advises emerging leaders to determine use cases for AI and where they can leverage technology to make their work more efficient and to price risk and handle claims more effectively. Holzberger spoke with AM Best TV at the 2026 Emerging Leaders Conference in Nashville, Tenn.

Matthew Genazzini, executive director of the Microinsurance Network, details the emergence of microinsurance as a social safety net in many Asian, African and Latin American nations, while Rishi Raithatha, a member of the network, explains the supporting role of mobile technology in agriculture, life and hospitalization coverage in low-income nations.

Mark Berven, president and chief operating officer, Nationwide Property and Casualty, said that within the next decade, as much as 70% of job skills could be completely different than what they are today.

AM Best Associate Director David Blades and Industry Research Analyst Helen Andersen discuss a new Best's Special Report that finds a benign 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was predominant factor in the P/C industry's enhanced performance through the first nine months of 2025.

Joe Toomey, vice president, underwriting security, Coalition, discusses emerging cyber vulnerabilities such as React2Shell, and how insurers help clients strengthen resilience and manage evolving risk.

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo explains how short-term extensions, political battles over DHS funding and immigration policy disputes have left the National Flood Insurance Program in limbo, impacting policyholders and major flood insurers.

Join AM Best and market executives for a discussion on the evolving global reinsurance landscape and an update on AM Best's global reinsurance outlook. The panel will share perspectives on the 2026 outlook and reflect on themes emerging from the recent renewal season. The conversation will touch on broader market developments, strategic considerations and the forces shaping reinsurer performance in the year ahead.