AM Best Radio Podcast

Jayson Taylor, Head of Casualty at MSIG USA, said by focusing on long-term portfolio quality and partnership, the company is well positioned to support brokers and clients as the casualty landscape continues to evolve.

Amir Prodensky, CEO of Strada, said the organizations that will lead are treating artificial intelligence as an operational lever rather than a technology project.

Russ Johnston, president of Commercial, E&S and Specialty at Nationwide, said that one of the company's fundamental pillars is its trust.

Brad Ash, Chief Underwriting Officer for ISMIE, said the forces of consolidation and the growing presence of private equity money within healthcare have affected all medical professional liability carriers.

Vikas Acharya is Senior Vice President of Global Products and Technology Solutions at Xceedance said organizations that struggle to move beyond pilots often treat AI as a technology initiative.

Pennsylvania Lumbermens Mutual Insurance has built its business around serving policyholders first. Lindsey DiGangi, senior vice president and chief operating officer, discusses how the mutual model supports long-term stability, stronger relationships and disciplined decision-making in today's evolving insurance marketplace.

Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill details her BestWire reporting that shows MS&AD US Insurance Group vaulted from fourth to first among private U.S. flood insurers in 2026, growing premiums 31.8% to $175 million as the overall market declined 1.9%.

AM Best's analytical staff and industry experts assess the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) in the insurance industry.

Terry Dopp, senior associate editor, AM Best, details the 2026 Best's Rankings of the U.S. group life in force top carriers.

Durable program changes have raised the floor for return on equity over the past three years, according to a new Best's Market Segment Report discussed by Helen Andersen, industry research analyst, AM Best.

AM Best Senior Vice President Lee McDonald and Senior Director Sridhar Manyem discuss the company's 2027 Student Challenge, which invites college and graduate students to develop creative, real-world solutions to pressing insurance issues.

Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill details her BestWire story that reports Progressive Insurance Group tied State Farm Group for the largest share of the U.S. private passenger auto insurance market last year, based on direct premiums written.

AM Best analytical staff and industry experts explore dynamic developments within the delegated underwriting authority enterprise segment.

Global Captive Podcast host Richard Cutcher explains how firsthand insight from captive owners, risk managers and industry leaders help uncover emerging trends and innovative risk-financing strategies.

Professors Mary Kelly, Wilfrid Laurier University, and Anne Kleffner, University of Calgary, discuss their research on California wildfire risk, exploring how it is reshaping insurance and the role of risk-sharing in sustaining insurer participation.

Over 10,000 acres of uncontained, fast-moving wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes, according to a newly released Best's Commentary discussed by AM Best Senior Director Sridhar Manyem.

In his book "The Forms and Functions of Tort Law (Concepts and Insights), Sixth Edition," University of Virginia School of Law Professor Kenneth Abraham explores tort law's evolving landscape and its impact on liability, insurance and risks.

The D&O insurance landscape continues to face mounting external pressures, including geopolitical instability, economic volatility, regulatory uncertainty and sustained soft market conditions. These dynamics are reshaping corporate risk profiles and influencing how organizations, boards and insurers assess governance, liability and exposure management. This briefing examined the key developments impacting the D&O market and the broader liability environment.

Senior Associate Editor Dave Pilla discusses AM Best's 2026 rankings that show California still leading the nation in private passenger auto direct premiums written, followed by Texas, Florida, New York and Georgia.

Keith Golembiewski, AVP and director of annuity research, LIMRA, discusses the forces behind record annuity sales, rising demand for retirement security and the key trends driving the next phase of annuity growth and innovation.

NAIC's new principles-based bond definition went into full effect in 2025, according to a new Best's Special Report discussed by Kaitlin Piasecki, industry research analyst, AM Best.

The outlook remains stable owing to rising interest rates, implementation of the Japan Insurance Capital Standard, and greater regulatory oversight, among other factors, according to a new Best's Market Segment Report discussed by AM Best Senior Financial Analyst Charles Chiang.

BestWire Senior Associate Editor Terry Dopp discusses TruStage Financial Group's response to a recently disclosed cybersecurity incident, the impact of the company's network shutdown on customers, and what the event signals about the growing cyber challenges facing the insurance industry.

Michel Léonard, chief economist and data scientist, Insurance Information Institute, discusses the improving underwriting outlook for property/casualty insurers and how emerging risks, stress testing and AI are shaping the industry's future.

The maturing MGA market will need greater discipline in building portfolios and adept adoption of newer technologies to produce coverage solutions for emerging risk, according to research discussed by AM Best Associate Director David Blades and Industry Research Analyst Helen Andersen.

Sarah Griffin, senior vice president, Nationwide personal lines product and underwriting, said her company sees a real opportunity to help homeowners prepare, rather than just react, through the right education and protection.

Rob Walling, principal and consulting actuary with Pinnacle Actuarial Resources, said the province of Alberta is demonstrating an encouraging, business-forward approach to captive insurance.

Data center development and construction would benefit from innovative P/C industry solutions to meet non-traditional insurance coverage needs, according to a new Best's Special Report discussed by AM Best Senior Director Sridhar Manyem and Associate Director David Blades.

BestWire Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill reviews AM Best's latest rankings of the nation's largest pet insurers, highlighting strong premium growth, rising competition among the market leaders, and continued expansion of the fast-growing pet insurance sector.

Charles Symington, president and CEO, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, discusses independent agency growth, Big I's 2026 Market Share Report findings and what lies ahead for agents and insurers.

The U.S. personal lines segment's underwriting profit almost quadrupled to more than $45 billion, and the commercial lines segment 's profit more than doubled to over $19 billion in 2025, according to Best's Special Report discussed by David Blades, associate director, and Christopher Graham, senior industry research analyst, both of AM Best.

Sidecars can diversify fee-based earnings versus spread-based earnings, according to a new Best's Special Report discussed by AM Best Associate Director Jason Hopper.

Professor Olivia Mitchell, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, explains how misunderstanding longevity risk fuels widespread retirement regret, and why better “longevity literacy” could reshape saving, annuitization, and Social Security claiming decisions.

Paul Tyler, host of That Annuity Show, discusses how his long-running podcast has become a platform for industry leaders to explore innovation, policy, technology and the evolving role of annuities in retirement planning.

A new Best's Special Report discussed by Wai Tang, senior director, AM Best, finds that no AM Best rated companies became impaired in 2025.

Katherine Antonello, president and CEO of Employers, says workers' compensation is one of the healthiest P/C business lines, but the sector is facing difficulties in California. Antonello also discusses a new AI feature to get quicker price quotes for prospective customers.

Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill breaks down the latest Best's Rankings of the nation's largest mutual property/casualty and life/health insurers, highlighting State Farm's commanding lead in P/C, New York Life's continued dominance in L/H, and notable shifts among the top writers.

Senior Associate Editor Terry Dopp discusses his BestWire reporting on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which is responding to a cybersecurity breach that investigators have linked to the ShinyHunters hacking group.

In a book she co-edited, “A Practical Guide to Cyber Insurance for Businesses,” Lauren Godfrey, partner, Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, discusses cyber insurance, including evolving threats and data-driven underwriting and claims.

Loretta Worters, VP, media relations, Insurance Information Institute, and Kelley Collins, director, business development and communications, Lightning Protection Institute, discuss rising lightning losses, claim trends and risk mitigation.

John Robinson, VP, strategy, and Abigail Caldwell, SVP and health actuary, Amwins Benefits, discuss how insurers and employers are adapting to rising benefit costs and an evolving employee benefits risk landscape.

Senior Associate Editor Renee Kiriluk-Hill details her BestWire reporting showing Progressive strengthened its position as the nation's largest auto insurer in AM Best's latest rankings, increasing its market share while pulling further ahead of State Farm.

Net income grew during the first three months of 2026, according to a new Best's Special Report discussed by Kaitlin Piasecki, industry research analyst, AM Best.

David Chavern, president and CEO, ACLI, discusses key findings from ACLI's latest Financial Resilience Index survey and what they reveal about retirement readiness, financial resilience, consumer concerns about the future and retirement priorities.

Hari Balakrishnan, MIT professor and co-founder of Cambridge Mobile Telematics, developed technology used in more than 50 million vehicles that is changing auto safety, insurance underwriting and could underpin a “universal driving score.” 

AM Best Senior Associate Editor Steve Hallo discusses his BestWire reporting showing the 2025 rankings of U.S. standalone cyber insurers, highlighting Chubb's rise to the top spot, Beazley's dramatic climb, and continued growth in the cyber insurance market.

Tom Troy, the Mutual Group's CEO, discusses how the organization is helping mutual insurers preserve their independence while gaining access to capital, technology modernization and AI capabilities needed to compete in a rapidly evolving market.

A new Best's Market Segment Report discussed by AM Best Associate Director David Blades finds that for smaller LPL firms, the key aggregate underwriting ratios are highly variable, largely attributable to the size of most of these insurers.

Kristin Stein, VP of PHLY E&S Insurance Solutions, spoke with Best's Review about how insurers are adapting their underwriting strategies and identifying new opportunities for growth.

Marcy Pelecky, SVP, Casualty and Professional Liability Programs, Nationwide E&S Specialty, spoke with Best's Review about how growing risk complexity is driving demand for highly specialized insurance products.

AM Best Senior Associate Editors Renee Kiriluk-Hill and Terry Dopp discuss new Best's Rankings highlighting growth across the property/casualty and life and health sectors, including standout results from Progressive and Athene.