Podcasts about policyholders

A recent court ruling could reshape how insurers apply public offering exclusions in D&O claims while new AI laws are creating fresh cyber liability risks for businesses nationwide. In this episode, Mike Radak and David Finz, Alliant Specialty Claims & Legal, discuss the EB Holdings D&O coverage decision and why the court rejected a carrier's broad interpretation of the public offering exclusion. They also explore emerging AI liability laws, chatbot-related risks, deepfake regulation and what businesses should be doing now to reduce cyber and regulatory exposure.

Wildfire claims are emotional, public, and inconsistent across carriers, so adjusters often become the face of "no." Using a real fire example, we'll explore empathy, advance payments, uneven guidance, social media comparisons, and follow-through as tools to protect our reputation. Notable Timestamps [ 00:09 ] - Wildfire claims can be highly emotional and public, and adjusters often become the visible representative of difficult coverage decisions. [ 01:28 ] - PLRB recognizes Outstanding Claims Professionals not only for technical skill, but also for restoring lives and setting standards in customer service. [ 03:03 ] - Social media, neighborhood groups, and AI tools now shape insured expectations, creating more questions and adding complexity for adjusters. [ 05:16 ] - Policyholders often see claim differences as inconsistency where it may simply represent variation in policies, property details, and carrier practices. [ 06:54 ] - Adjusters build trust by explaining policies in everyday language instead of relying on technical wording or policy jargon. [ 09:29 ] - Starting conversations with what can be done, rather than limitations, helps reduce tension and discourages adversarial reactions. [ 10:28 ] - Advance payments and early support for housing and immediate needs can ease stress and strengthen the insured-adjuster relationship. [ 14:58 ] - Consistent communication matters; policyholders often prefer hearing "I don't have an answer yet" over silence or missed follow-ups. [ 16:48 ] - Listening for recurring concerns allows adjusters to anticipate needs, act proactively, and create more confidence in the claims process. Your PLRB Resources CE Course: Investigating and Resolving Different Types of Wildfire Losses https://members.plrb.org/education/courses/investigating-and-resolving-different-types-of-wildfire-losses Employees of member companies also have access to a searchable legal database, hundreds of hours of video trainings, building code materials, weather data, and even the ability to have your coverage questions answered by our team of attorneys (https://www.plrb.org/ask-plrb/) at no additional charge to you or your company. Subscribe to this Podcast Your Podcast App - Please subscribe and rate us on your favorite podcast app YouTube - Please like and subscribe at @plrb LinkedIN - Please follow at "Property and Liability Resource Bureau" Send us your Scenario! Please reach out to us at 630-509-8704 with your scenario! This could be your "adjuster story" sharing a situation from your claims experience, or a burning question you would like the team to answer. In any case, please omit any personal information as we will anonymize your story before we share. Just reach out to scenario@plrb.org.  Legal Information The views and opinions expressed in this resource are those of the individual speaker and not necessarily those of the Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), its membership, or any organization with which the presenter is employed or affiliated. The information, ideas, and opinions are presented as information only and not as legal advice or offers of representation. Individual policy language and state laws vary, and listeners should rely on guidance from their companies and counsel as appropriate. Music: "Piece of Future" by Keyframe_Audio. Pixabay. Pixabay License. Font: Metropolis by Chris Simpson. SIL OFL 1.1. Icons: FontAwesome (SIL OFL 1.1) and Noun Project (royalty-free licenses purchased via subscription). Sound Effects: Pixabay (Pixabay License) and Freesound.org (CC0).

Few financial products generate as much excitement (or possibly as much confusion) as indexed universal life insurance.  IUL insurance has become one of the most aggressively marketed policy types in the industry, pitched with language that sounds almost too good to overlook, including terms such as market-linked upside, downside protection, tax-advantaged growth, and flexible premiums. https://www.youtube.com/live/fZS1uPmsCS0 Some of that is real, but we feel strongly that context and nuance should be applied when procuring any IUL policy, as it can obscure risks that don't become apparent until years after you have signed. This article is an honest guide to what an IUL policy actually is, how it works under the surface, what it promises versus what it delivers, and why, for those building a financial strategy around Infinite Banking, we consistently and strenuously recommend a different path. Key TakeawaysWhat Does Indexed Universal Life Insurance Mean?How Does an IUL Policy Work?The Floor, Cap, and Participation Rate ExplainedThe FloorThe CapThe Participation RateFlexible Premiums – Feature or Risk?IUL vs. Whole Life Insurance: Key DifferencesCan You Use an IUL for Infinite Banking?Why The Money Advantage® Recommends Whole Life for IBCWho Is IUL Best Suited For?IUL Pros and Cons: An Honest AssessmentWant Help Evaluating Your Policy Options? Key Takeaways An indexed universal life insurance policy is a form of permanent life insurance that ties cash value growth to the performance of a stock market index, subject to caps, floors, and participation rates. IUL offers flexible premiums and the potential for market-linked returns without direct market exposure. That flexibility, however, comes with complexity and risk that most sales presentations understate. The 0% floor protects against index-driven losses, but it does not protect against policy fees and rising cost of insurance charges, which can erode cash value even in flat or positive market years. For those practicing Infinite Banking, IUL introduces variables that conflict with the certainty and control the strategy requires. Whole life insurance remains the preferred vehicle. IUL is not inherently a scam or a bad product. It is, however, a complex one, and complexity without understanding is where financial damage happens. What Does Indexed Universal Life Insurance Mean? An indexed universal life insurance policy is a type of permanent life insurance with two distinguishing features: flexible premiums and a cash value component that earns interest based on the performance of a stock market index, most commonly the S&P 500. You don't own shares or invest directly in the market. Instead, the insurance company credits interest to your cash value based on how the chosen index performs over a given period, within defined parameters, including a floor (usually 0%), a cap (often 10-12%), and a participation rate (the percentage of index gains you actually receive). The core appeal of an indexed universal life insurance policy is quite understandable, as you get some exposure to market growth without the risk of direct market loss. Your cash value won't decline because of a bad year in the S&P 500, and that's exactly what the floor is for.  But with that comes a caveat: your gains are limited in strong years by the cap and the participation rate. Now, on the face of it, that may sound like a reasonable tradeoff. And for some people, in some situations, it certainly can be. But the full picture is far more complicated than the pitch suggests, and, once again, the complications tend to show up years down the road. How Does an IUL Policy Work? The mechanics of an IUL policy involve more moving parts than wholelife insurance, and understanding those parts is essential before committing to one. When you pay a premium, that money is allocated across three buckets: the cost of insurance (COI) – the actual price of maintaining your death benefit – policy fees and administrative charges, and whatever remains flows into your cash value account. The cash value is then credited with interest according to the index strategy you've selected. This is where the structure differs most from whole life insurance. With a whole life contract, your cash value growth is guaranteed by the contract, and dividends from a mutual company add to that growth. With IUL insurance, your credited interest depends on external index performance, constrained by the carrier's rules, which the carrier can change. That glaring distinction is far more telling than it might seem at first glance. The Floor, Cap, and Participation Rate Explained These three mechanics define the boundaries of your IUL's cash value growth, and they deserve a close look. The Floor The floor is the minimum interest credited to your cash value in any given period, usually 0%. If the S&P 500 drops 15% in a year, you are credited 0% rather than absorbing that loss.  That sounds protective - and it is, in a narrow sense.  But a 0% credit year doesn't mean your cash value holds steady. Policy fees and cost of insurance charges are still deducted regardless, which means your cash value can shrink even when the floor is doing its job. The Cap The cap is the maximum interest credited, regardless of how well the index performs. If your policy has a 10% cap and the S&P 500 returns 25% in a given year, you receive 10%. The other 15% stays with the insurance company. In a strong bull market, the cap quietly siphons off the upside that made the product appealing in the first place. The Participation Rate Finally, we have the participation rate, which determines what percentage of the index gain (up to the cap) you actually receive. An 80% participation rate on a 10% index return means you are credited 8%. However, caps and participation rates are not permanently fixed. Insurance carriers can adjust them. The concern here is that what may be illustrated at the point of sale may not be what you experience five, ten, or twenty years into the policy. Flexible Premiums – Feature or Risk? One of the most marketed features of indexed universal life insurance is premium flexibility. Unlike traditional whole life, where the base premium is fixed and contractually guaranteed, IUL allows you to vary premiums within certain limits. You can pay more in strong years and less in lean ones. While whole life with paid-up additions riders can also offer flexibility for adding extra premium, those additional contributions are optional. Traditional whole life does not depend on extra rider premiums to keep the policy in force. That sounds like freedom. In reality, it could be viewed as a trap, of sorts. The issue is that underfunding an IUL policy (paying less than the amount needed to cover insurance charges and fees) doesn't trigger an immediate consequence. The policy stays in force, but the shortfall compounds over time.  Alarmingly, because the cost of insurance in a universal life chassis increases as you age, the gap between what you're paying and what the policy requires can widen dramatically in your 60s, 70s, and beyond. This is one of the most commonly realized negatives of IUL insurance. Policyholders who reduced premiums during their working years discover decades later that their policy is on the verge of lapsing, and the cost to keep it alive has absolutely skyrocketed. By the same token, flexible premiums can work for disciplined, well-informed owners who understand the risks. But the flexibility itself is not the safety net it is frequently marketed as - it's an anxiety-inducing variable that requires active management for the life of the policy. IUL vs. Whole Life Insurance: Key Differences A huge number of people researching IUL are comparing it to whole life. But while the two products are both permanent life insurance, their internal architecture is fundamentally different. IULWhole LifeCash value growthTied to index performance, subject to caps, floors, and participation rates. Not guaranteed.Contractually guaranteed growth, plus highly anticipated dividends from a mutual company.PremiumsFlexible - can vary year to year.Fixed and level - guaranteed never to increase.Cost of insuranceIncreases annually with age. Deducted from cash value.Built into the level premium structure. No separate increasing charge.Death benefitCan fluctuate depending on funding and policy performance.Guaranteed for life.ComplexityHigh - multiple moving parts, carrier-adjustable terms.Low - contractually defined.Policy loan behaviorLoan interest plus uneven crediting can create negative arbitrage.Predictable. Cash value continues to earn while loans are outstanding. Either way, neither product is universally or objectively better. They serve different purposes, and the differences in guarantees, predictability, and internal cost structures are significant, especially for anyone planning to use their policy as a long-term financial tool. Can You Use an IUL for Infinite Banking? Some advisors market indexed universal life for “banking” strategies, making the case that IUL's potential for higher returns makes it a superior vehicle for building a personal banking system. That is not the same thing as the Infinite Banking Concept as taught by Nelson Nash. As Authorized Infinite Banking Practitioners, we believe Infinite Banking is properly implemented with dividend-paying whole life insurance because the concept is about becoming your own banker by taking the banking function into your own life. And our position is not arbitrary. The Infinite Banking Concept is built on predictability, certainty, and control. You need confidence in how your cash value system will function over time.  You need guaranteed access to policy loans. You need a death benefit that doesn't fluctuate....

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Anderson Kill Shareholder Joshua Gold on the May 5th RISKWORLD session that Joshua is co-presenting with RIMS Past President Lance Ewing, "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." Joshua shares knowledge on two of his areas of practice, cyber and maritime insurance. Joshua offers some insight into these newest and oldest of practice areas, and how they have begun to intersect. Maritime insurance carries special language and rules, and Joshua and Lance will cover those and answer attendee questions in their session. Justin and Joshua discuss current maritime threats in the Middle East that will likely be discussed in the session. Justin and Joshua comment on Law Day, an annual commemoration of law on May 1st. Listen for a greater understanding of maritime shipping insurance and the importance of promptly filing claims.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:14] Public registration is open for RISKWORLD 2026, which will be held from May 3rd through 6th in Philadelphia. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [:27] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by RIMS Risk Management Magazine contributor Joshua Gold, Shareholder at Anderson Kill. He's making his RIMScast debut to discuss Marine and Cargo Risk. This is timely. But first… [:59] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Course will be on April 21st and 22nd, and then again on June 9th and 10th. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:13] On April 15th, we have a virtual workshop covering "Emerging Risks", led by Joseph Mayo. Register today and strengthen your risk knowledge. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:30] Webinars. On April 16th, Zurich and World Travel Protection will present "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times". Register for webinars at RIMS.org/webinars and through the links in this episode's show notes. [1:48] Folks, for more RIMS content, head over to YouTube and subscribe to @RIMSOfficialChannel. There you will find video podcasts, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. [2:03] Head over to RMMagazine.com for the Q1 Edition of the Azbee-Award-winning magazine, RIMS Risk Management Magazine. [2:15] On with the Show! Our guest today is a shareholder at the law firm Anderson Kill. You've seen his byline in RIMS Risk Management Magazine, and you've seen him on RIMS stages regionally, nationally, and globally. [2:30] Joshua Gold is here to discuss marine and cargo risks generally, and how he will be co-presenting a session at RISKWORLD on May 5th, called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." [2:50] He will present that alongside RIMS Past President Lance Ewing. We expect that session to be highly attended. Joshua is here to give you a preview of that session, talk about how cyber can intersect with marine and cargo risk, and offer some practical risk management takeaways. [3:11] Law Day is coming up in the U.S. on May 1st. Joshua has been practicing law for three decades. We'll find out what Law Day means to him in 2026. Let's get to it! [3:24] Interview! Anderson Kill Shareholder Joshua Gold, welcome to RIMScast! [3:51] Joshua says RIMS is an amazing system for sharing information and education. Joshua couldn't be prouder to be speaking at RISKWORLD 2026. [4:13] Joshua has written for RIMS on topics from cyber to marine insurance. Joshua thinks that cyber risk management is fascinating because cyber is new for many policyholders, in terms of implications, perils, how insurance will respond, and what the products are. [5:15] It's fascinating to see the intersection of technology, insurance, and law. It all comes together in cyber. These perils may be getting more perilous over the next few years before we may start turning the corner. [6:00] Joshua's session on May 5th at RISKWORLD is called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." Joshua will present with former RIMS President Lance Ewing. [6:17] Joshua says he is in both the newest thing in insurance and law, cyber, and the oldest thing in insurance and law, marine. Most of his day-to-day focus is on either end of the spectrum. [7:16] As much as Joahua loves cyber, he is intrigued with maritime insurance and maritime law. It's esoteric and old. It has special rules. If you don't deal with this type of insurance and law regularly, it can be challenging. [7:46] The insurance companies are typically very well-versed in the insurance rules and doctrines. Most policyholders are much less so. There's an information imbalance. [8:00] Joshua always looks forward to educating risk managers about this area. It's so detailed and different. Some might say it's antiquated. It's a challenging area, and we couldn't have a better example of that than with recent current events and hostilities in the Middle East. [8:42] Joshua says, as dangerous and harrowing as the situation exists in certain shipping lines and energy channels, we've seen examples of disruptions in recent times with drought conditions affecting the Panama Canal and other shipping lanes. [9:02] Joshua recalls the Suez Canal freighter mishap. The Suez Canal was shut down while an international engineering effort was launched to free the freighter and free up shipping lanes. [9:29] The current shipping disruption caused by an escalating war will present real challenges for both shippers and energy markets. We're watching that in real time. [9:54] Joshua and Lance don't want a current events discussion. They want to educate policyholders on principles that apply, whether they're dealing with a Suez Canal situation, an Iranian conflict, modern-day pirates in open water, or thieves breaking into your warehouse. [10:37] Joshua and Lance will emphasize certain relevant points like detours, delays in shipping, downstream risk, risk to certain types of cargo, cancellations for war risk coverage, and other marine insurance products. [11:06] There can be a real aftermath, and we're not sure where we are, as of this recording. We'll know more in May at RISKWORLD in Philadelphia. Now, we can only brace for the worst. [11:32] Joshua and Lance are looking to educate policyholders on all of these issues, including ones that will be front-burner, given the hostilities now. [11:52] Joshua says marine insurance policy language is cloaked in words of antiquity. Sometimes you'll see a marine policy that looks like a standard property all-risk policy, and sometimes you'll see one that contains 17th-century nautical and piracy terms. [12:32] It's important to make sure that you understand the rights, protections, obligations, and contingencies under insurance. [12:48] Most marine insurance policies will have a one-year provision the insurance company will argue says that if there's a fight over the claim payment, the amount, or the timing of the payment, that has to be brought in a lawsuit commenced within 12 months of the loss event. [13:14] For people who have never had to go through a complicated claim, a year may sound like plenty of time. But these claims can take months or even years for resolution. Sometimes they don't get resolved without some coverage litigation or alternative dispute mechanism. [13:43] Most policyholders are not accustomed to seeing a one-year contractual statute of limitations to bring a fight. You don't want to be in a position where the insurance company will argue you may have forfeited your coverage rights if you didn't act in time. [14:11] Policyholders may not ever get into that realm, because they've never had that problem, but it's a point of being educated and knowing the lay of the land for policyholders in this arena, insuring goods over open water, in warehouses, on docks, or on a truck. [14:58] A Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. [15:18] Booth sales are open now. General registration and speaker registration are also open right now. Marketplace and hospitality badges are now available. Links are in this episode's show notes, and be sure to check out RIMS.org for more information. [15:36] Our guest today, Joshua Gold, will be one of the session speakers at RISKWORLD. We are excited for him and also for our just-announced closing keynote, NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, Emmy-winning broadcaster, and entrepreneur, Michael Strahan. [15:55] Michael Strahan will be on the main stage on May 6th. Justin is super stoked! If you're still on the fence, this is a fine time to smash that Register button and hear from one of the all-time greats. [16:07] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. Registration is open, and you can also submit a session. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [16:28] Let's Return to Our Interview with Joshua Gold of Anderson Kill!  [16:44] Joshua says don't get fooled by the title of your insurance policy. The devil is in the details. You may have Ocean Marine Cargo Coverage, but you may get endorsements, like a warehouse-to-warehouse endorsement. [17:15] You may be buying a product called Stock Throughput. You're looking for coverages that may apply not just for cargo on a ship, but also for cargo that may be at rest, stored in a warehouse where it's being loaded from the ship onto the dockside. [17:48] There are many areas where you have to be aware of things developing in the marketplace and the fact that your insurance may now carry on well beyond the vessel's hull. [18:05] There's another area of marine liability coverage which may be implicated, given the hostilities in the Straits of Hormuz and perhaps elsewhere, and the escalating nature of the conflict in the Middle East, so we will have to see how that plays out. [18:31] Joshua always recommends that policyholders work with experienced insurance brokers. [18:39] Joshua says it is a privilege to give this discussion in May with Lance Ewing, a seasoned risk manager who has worked on the brokerage side and the insurance company side, as well as the risk manager policyholder side, so he has every perspective. [19:04] One of the things they will do at RISKWORLD is to make sure that not only do you hear from a coverage lawyer, but also from a risk manager, like most of the audience, who can speak to risk managers about what is important to their risk management approaches. [19:34] They hope that that's going to be useful for audience members even if they're not in the same industry as Lance. Justin points out that one never knows where they might end up next. This is a great way to become more well-rounded. [20:08] When evaluating marine cargo policies, you always want to look at the warehouse-to-warehouse endorsement. Find a broker that's well-steeped in marine cargo coverage. They can often customize endorsements that are important to your business. [20:51] If you're transporting goods that are capable of being spoiled or have to be refrigerated, or have to be in the hull of the ship, protected from the elements, those issues can come up through endorsement, special policy provisions covering temperature-controlled goods. [21:22] Joshua mentions that electronics may require being flown as air cargo. You want a system with customized coverage wherever you can get it. The broker knows that Lloyd's Marine Group has an example of an endorsement that covers a certain type of peril or cargo. [22:06] You might have a provision in your policy as part of a base form, but you might want fraudulent bills of lading coverage. There is now a technology overlap with shipping, an intersection between cyber and marine. [22:54] Some countries are GPS spoofing to confuse ships, which can be fatal if a ship goes into rocks or a bank in bad weather. This has implications, as we are seeing insurance companies slap onto marine products some type of cyber exclusion. [23:37] You'll want to know that just because technology had a role in the loss, you're not forfeiting all of your coverage. Joshua says we're certainly seeing it with piracy claims and theft claims. We're seeing it on the roadways. Truckers are getting more and more targeted. [23:58] A truck leaves a warehouse with goods that have been shipped on an overseas voyage, and there's an argument potentially that you've got federal maritime law applying in admiralty. What are the implications for coverage even though it's now inland on a train or truck? [24:23] We're seeing more cargo theft in the realm of trucking, in addition to stuff missing at the dock and warehouses being broken into. It's a perilous situation for those dealing with cargo. [24:43] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period will open on April 1st, 2026, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September. [25:04] The Course Development Grant application deadline for Interval Number 2 will be on June 15th, 2026. Award notifications will be sent out in late July. [25:19] General Grant applications will open on May 1st, 2026, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th. [25:31] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information. [25:39] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Joshua Gold of Anderson Kill! [25:48] Josh Gold will be presenting a special session on May 5th at RISKWORLD, called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." He'll be co-presenting with RIMS Past President Lance Ewing. [26:13] Justin says if he were in the audience for that session, he would ask what the critical steps are that risk professionals should take immediately after a cargo loss to preserve their coverage rights. [26:39] Joshua says the first step always is to give prompt notice. It complicates matters if the insurance company can argue that the notice was untimely. The first thing is, get the notice in. You won't have all the information. Notice is unlike wine; it doesn't get better with age. [27:17] Give that prompt notice first. Then support your claim. As quickly as you can, gather photographs, video evidence, and documentary evidence, and give as much as you possibly can to the insurance company. Let that claims process unfold promptly. [27:43] You don't want the insurance company delaying payment because they say they didn't get the information they needed to process the claim. Try to give them that information. [27:59] Joshua says you can absolutely add more documentation. You can start by saying this is what we know now, and we reserve the right to supplement this information when we learn more about our loss. [29:03] There are surely deadlines built into your policies. Go through your policy and calendar dates for proof of loss, statement of loss, and getting certain claim information in. Put those benchmarks in the calendar and hit them as often as you can. [29:45] Joshua says with a cyber claim, there's no reason to hold back because you're incurring costs from the start with your forensic team and your breach coach. With cargo, Joshua says, I would give notice as quickly as you can, even if it's not as robust as anyone would like. [30:13] Get notice off as soon as possible. Enlist your broker's help as quickly as you can. If you have the information, get your insurance policy out, look at the notice provisions, and call your broker. Brokers are a great way to submit insurance claim information. [30:58] The broker should be helping guide you. You've already paid their commission. Enlist their help at the outset. [31:07] Justin asks if risk professionals need to tell executive leadership immediately. Joshua says there should be a dialogue. He appreciates the systematic and scientific risk management approach RIMS brings and the recognition that risk management is getting from the C-Suite. [31:48] Not every risk manager is at the C-Suite level, but they can communicate with the Treasurer, the CFO, or the Law Department, depending on the organization. Internal communications are important. [32:11] Include the Law Department in communications, to ensure that privilege is protected and conversations are not being exploited if there's a conflict over the coverage. Depending on the importance of the potential loss, the COO and the CEO may need to be involved. [32:53] Justin wants the RISKWORLD attendees to ask questions. Joshua and Lance have built time in during the session for questions. They love to take questions on the fly. They believe that if they spend half of the time in a dialogue with the audience, that is time very well spent. [33:50] Joshua has been practicing law for 31 years and has been with Anderson Kill in the New York office for almost 31 years, specializing in insurance coverage trade. [34:18] Justin notes that Law Day is an annual commemoration held on May 1st to celebrate the rule of law and cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal system. Joshua says we're always happy to get some kind of positive acknowledgment, accolades, recognition, and a special day. [35:20] This year's theme is "The Rule of Law and the American Dream." The idea that no person is above the law is what ensures the rights of the people to live their lives as freely as possible and to pursue their dreams. Joshua is a full supporter of that doctrine. [35:40] It has been such a pleasure to see you again. You are a regular contributor to RIMS Risk Management Magazine. We have links to some of your articles in this episode's show notes. We're going to see you on May 5th at RISKWORLD in Philadelphia. See links in the show notes. [36:03] Joshua's last words: Please show up on Cinco de Mayo, we're speaking on the afternoon of May 5th. We'd love to see you then in Philadelphia at RISKWORLD. Lance and I are looking forward to hearing your questions and talking about marine cargo and what's going on then. [36:26] Justin says, You've always been very supportive of me and of RIMS. I remember very clearly that somebody dropped out of a cyber panel, and you and Bill Passannante stepped right in for us, so I've always felt a strong connection to you and the professionals at Anderson Kill. [36:57] Special thanks again to Anderson Kill Shareholder Joshua Gold for joining us here on RIMScast. I have links to his contributions to RIMS Risk Management Magazine in this episode's show notes. [37:10] If you will be at RISKWORLD, remember to attend his session on May 5th at 3:30 p.m. on the Global Stage. It is called "Do Not Let Your Cargo Claim Go Down with the Ship: Tips to Improve Marine Insurance Protection." [37:24] It will be co-presented with RIMS Past President Lance Ewing. Register at RIMS.org/RISKWORLD today! [37:32] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [38:00] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [38:18] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [38:36] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [38:52] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [39:07] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [39:19] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! More from Joshua Gold in RIMS Risk Management Magazine Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | April‒June 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Story, featuring John Button RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam PrepApril 21‒22, 2026 | June 9‒10 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Claims Management | April 7‒8 "Emerging Risks" | April 15 | Register Now! Upcoming RIMS Webinars: "Navigating the New Global Risk Landscape: Lessons for Business Travelers in Unstable Times" | April 16 | Presented by Zurich and World Travel Protection RIMS.org/Webinars   Related RIMScast Episodes: "RIMS 2022 Goodell Award Winner Lance Ewing" "World Water Day and the Circular Water Economy with Ralph Exton of WEF" "Supply Chain Integrity and Sustainability with Nicole Sherwin of EcoVadis" "Navigating Shipping Risks in 2022 with Capt. Rahul Khanna"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) 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RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Joshua Gold, Anderson Kill Shareholder, Anderson Kill   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.

Health insurance is meant to provide peace of mind but when it comes to making a claim, the details matter. From Integrated Shield Plans to riders, coverage often hinges on definitions, exclusions, and how policies are structured in practice. Chan Wai Kit, Executive Director, Life Insurance Association Singapore joins The Breakfast Show to unpack how health insurance claims work in Singapore, where common misunderstandings can arise, and what policyholders should pay closer attention to from hospitalisation coverage to fine print that may affect payouts. We also explore how consumers can better review their plans, ask the right questions, and avoid surprises when it matters most.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introduction What happens when carriers can predict where risk exists but have zero control over how that risk changes after the policy is written? Valkyrie Holmes, CEO and Co-Founder of Faura, returns to the Insurtech Leadership Podcast to answer that question with a new playbook: turn policyholders into active risk managers, and retention follows. In this episode, Holmes unpacks Faura's retention engine for high-risk consumers, the two-page resilience report reshaping how homeowners engage with their own property risk, and why MGAs have become her favorite distribution partners. The conversation covers carrier trust, first-party data strategies, composable platform architecture, and what it takes to lead a scaling insurtech as the youngest person in every room. Guest Bio Valkyrie Holmes is the CEO and Co-Founder of Faura, a climate risk intelligence platform that evaluates property survivability across all five NATCAT perils: wildfire, hurricane, hail, flood, and earthquake. Holmes skipped college, interned at NASA and SpaceX, and co-founded Faura in 2023. The company has raised $3.5M in seed funding from Harlem Capital, Building Ventures, MetaProp, and Dorm Room Fund, won the State Farm Pitch Competition at InsureTech Connect, and secured a strategic partnership with Insurity to embed resilience analytics into P&C underwriting workflows. Key Topics • The Retention Engine - Faura's new approach to turning policyholders from passive premium-payers into active risk managers through engagement and behavioral data • Two-Page Resilience Reports - Homeowner-facing reports that prioritize easy action items first, building momentum before introducing harder mitigation steps • QR Codes and CA Compliance - How carriers use Faura's walkthrough module as a compliance tool for state-mandated wildfire discounts in California • First-Party Property Data - Filling modifier gaps in carrier datasets by partnering with homeowners for ongoing risk information in exchange for incentives • MGA Strategy - Why MGAs move faster, require less consensus, and have become Faura's ideal distribution partners over tier-one carriers • Composable Platform Architecture - Building a system flexible enough to customize endpoints, reports, and fields for any carrier, broker, or distribution partner • Differentiation in High-Risk Markets - What carriers need beyond price to retain policyholders as competition increases in FL, CA, and emerging catastrophe zones Notable Quotes "Historically, many carriers have been very good at predicting where risk exists, but have very little control over how that risk changes after the policy is written." • Valkyrie Holmes, CEO/Co-Founder, Faura "If you're re-entering a market or trying to take up market share, what is the reason someone stays with you over switching to another carrier for a fifty-dollar premium reduction next year?" • Valkyrie Holmes "Talk to everyone. Talk widely. And then narrow to your mission." • Valkyrie Holmes Resources Guest: • Faura: https://www.faura.us/ • Valkyrie Holmes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valkyrieholmes/ Host & Organization: • Joshua R. Hollander on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuarhollander/ • Horton International (USA): https://www.horton-usa.com/ • Insurtech Leadership Podcast (LinkedIn Showcase): https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/insurtech-leadership-show Subscribe & Review If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe on your favorite platform and leave a review. The Insurtech Leadership Podcast is available on YouTube, Podbean, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

State Farm is sharing some of its profits with policyholders after having success last year. 

In this episode of Insurance Bites, Greig Anderson, Partner, and Sarah Irons, Knowledge Counsel, from the Insurance & Professional Risks team, look at key developments impacting policyholders and the risks they face in the coming months. Topics explored include cyber risks and AI, evolving liability exposures (including changes to product liability legislation, PFAS and what is new in climate change related litigation), developments relevant to D&O cover, Government proposals on captives and SME terrorism cover. Below you can find links to our blog posts on the developments and cases covered in this podcast: • HSF Kramer AI Tracker – Tracking AI law and policy globally https://www.hsfkramer.com/insights/reports/ai-tracker • UK government looks set to introduce ransomware payment ban and mandatory reporting https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/cybersecurity/2025-posts/uk-government-looks-set-to-introduce-ransomware-payment-ban-and-mandatory-reporting • Major changes to UK Cyber Legislation: Cyber Security and Resilience Bill published in UK Parliament https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/cybersecurity/2025-posts/major-changes-to-uk-cyber-legislation-cyber-security-and-resilience-bill-published-in-uk-parliament • UK Jurisdiction Taskforce consults on draft legal statement on liability for AI harms https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/litigation/2026-01/uk-jurisdiction-taskforce-consults-on-draft-legal-statement-on-liability-for-ai-harms • UK Insurance Regulation: looking ahead to 2026 https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/insurance/2026-posts/uk-insurance-regulation-looking-ahead-to-2026 • Modernising the redress system: Fair and reasonable changes? https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/fsrandcorpcrime/2025-posts/modernising-the-redress-system-fair-and-reasonable-changes • Lliuya v. RWE – Landmark German ruling recognising potential liability in principle of a local emitter for climate change harms in a foreign jurisdiction https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/esg/2025-posts/lliuya-v-rwe-landmark-german-ruling-recognising-potential-liability-in-principle-of-a-local-emitter-for-climate-change-harms-in-a-foreign-jurisdiction • Milieudefensie Takes Legal Action Against ING Over Climate Impact https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/esg/2025-posts/milieudefensie-takes-legal-action-against-ing-over-climate-impact • High Court allows case to proceed against defendant companies domiciled in England despite claims having more real and substantial connection with Brazil https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/litigation/2025-03/high-court-allows-case-to-proceed-against-defendant-companies-domiciled-in-england-despite-claims-having-more-real-and-substantial-connection-with-brazil • Preliminary update in case regarding Shell responsibility for legacy oil pollution in Nigeria https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/esg/2025-posts/preliminary-update-in-case-regarding-shell-responsibility-for-legacy-oil-pollution-in-nigeria • FCA advances next steps on non-financial misconduct https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/fsrandcorpcrime/2025-posts/fca-advances-next-steps-on-non-financial-misconduct • Capital markets – new UK prospectus regime in force from 19 January https://www.hsfkramer.com/notes/corporate/2026-posts/capital-markets-new-uk-prospectus-regime-in-force-from-19-january?utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vuture

The Parliament has passed the Sabka Bima Sabki Raksha (Amendment of Insurance Laws) Bill, 2025. It is being touted as a game changer, especially with the move to allow 100% FDI in insurance companies.  The government also says that the act strengthens the Insurance Regulatory Authority of India (IRDAI), and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).  How would 100% FDI improve the claims experience for the ordinary citizen, the buyers of insurance? For long, they have been grappling with problems such as unfairly rejected claims, mis-selling of insurance, and hidden exclusions. Does the Bill hold out hope on these counts?  Guest: Shilpa Arora, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Insurance Samadhan, a platform that helps policy-holders resolve insurance issues. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sumitomo Life Insurance Co. aims to double membership of its flagship health-promotion insurance program, Vitality, to 5 million over the next five years, banking on a new related asset-building product to drive this growth, President Yukinori Takada said in a recent interview.

Top Stories for December 27th Publish Date: December 27th PRE-ROLL: Sugar Hill Ice Skating From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. Today is Saturday, December 27th and Happy Birthday to Mick Jones I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by Gwinnett KIA Mall of Georgia. Rising costs for insurance, with reports of refusals to pay claims, could spur legislation Georgia DOT suspends lane closures for the holidays Grayson man gets 80-year prison sentence for robbery-turned-murder All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe! Break 1: Kia Mall of Georgia STORY 1: Rising costs for insurance, with reports of refusals to pay claims, could spur legislation Insurance costs are climbing, and people are fed up. Policyholders say they’re paying more for less—claims denied, delays dragging on for months. Meanwhile, insurers aren’t exactly thrilled with Georgia either. The state ranked dead last in profitability for insurance companies last year. “Less competition means higher prices,” said Robert Hoyt from UGA’s Terry College of Business. At a final hearing in Gwinnett, lawmakers heard it all: auto repair shops battling insurers, marathoners denied prosthetics, and frustrated customers paying out of pocket. Rep. Matt Reeves says change is coming. “We’ll be looking at prices, profits, and penalties. It’s overdue.” STORY 2: Georgia DOT suspends lane closures for the holidays With the holidays here, there’s a little gift from GDOT: no lane closures on major roads, interstates, or near shopping spots. From Dec. 23 at 6 a.m. to Dec. 28 at 10 p.m., and again Dec. 31 at 5 a.m. to Jan. 2 at 5 a.m., you’ll get a smoother ride. But don’t zone out—crews might still be working, and emergencies? Yeah, those closures can still happen. Stay sharp, watch for signs, and be extra careful near work zones. Need updates? Check the 511GA app or GDOT’s website. Safe travels, and happy holidays! STORY 3: Grayson man gets 80-year prison sentence for robbery-turned-murder A 20-year-old from Grayson, known on the streets as “Draino,” will spend the rest of his life—and then some—behind bars. Adrian Synclare Johnson was convicted last Friday on nearly two dozen charges, including murder and racketeering, for his role in the February killing of 24-year-old Gerryon Ceasor during a botched drug robbery. The sentence? Two life terms (one without parole) plus 20 years. “Gang violence won’t be tolerated,” said DA Patsy Austin-Gatson. Prosecutors say Johnson and six others planned to rob Ceasor of his Draco pistol. Shots were fired. Ceasor didn’t survive. The others await trial. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. We’ll be right back Break 2: Ingles Markets STORY 4: Polar Vortex Is Strengthening: What It Means For GA Winter Temps Georgia’s Christmas forecast? It was warm. And, according to The Weather Channel, this unseasonably toasty trend is sticking around through March. Why? A strong polar vortex. Sounds intense, right? But here’s the twist: the stronger it is, the less it messes with us. Instead of icy blasts, we’re looking at above-average temps across the South, especially in February. Meanwhile, the North gets the cold and wet. La Niña vibes, basically—warm down here, chilly up there. So, enjoy the sunshine, Georgia. Winter’s taking it easy. STORY 5: Georgia swears in its youngest state representative At just 21, Ali’s already making waves. Youngest lawmaker in Georgia’s history? Check. Youngest Democratic state rep in the country? Also check. But he’s quick to brush off the titles. “First and foremost, I’m a brother, a son, and your neighbor,” he says. Ali’s story mirrors his district’s—immigrant parents, humble beginnings, and a relentless climb. “We went from eating white rice every night to owning a home,” he recalls. That shaped him. His journey into politics started young, sparked by threats to his community’s mosque. Now, he’s building bridges, lowering costs, and proving age doesn’t define leadership. We’ll be right back. Break 3: DTL HOLIDAY INTERVIEW - Lorraine Green STORY 6: Metro Atlanta man accused of cheating people out of almost $1 million by selling bogus UGA tickets A 43-year-old Alpharetta man, Matthew Neet, is accused of pulling off a nearly $1 million scam that targeted college football fans and investors. Fake tickets, bogus investments—he allegedly promised it all, but delivered nothing. Prosecutors say Neet offered hard-to-get UGA football tickets (think Alabama, Texas matchups) and pitched timberland projects in Costa Rica. The catch? None of it was real. Instead, he pocketed $943,000 from over two dozen victims. Neet’s been charged with wire fraud and waived indictment. The FBI’s still digging, and prosecutors are ready to take him on. STORY 7: ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ cast member Kandi Burruss stars in ‘& Juliet’ on Broadway Kandi Burruss is taking her talents to Broadway. Yep, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star and Grammy-winning artist joined the cast of & Juliet on Dec. 11 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York. She’s stepping into the role for a limited run through March 8, 2026, following TikTok sensation Cheryl Porter. The show? A playful twist on Romeo & Juliet—what if Juliet didn’t, you know, end it all over Romeo? Burruss, a 14-season RHOA veteran, adds this to her packed résumé: singer, songwriter, producer, restaurateur, and now Broadway star. We’ll have closing comments after this Break 4: GCPS Hiring Signoff – Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Produced by the BG Podcast Network Show Sponsors: www.ingles-markets.com www.kiamallofga.com Ice Rink – Downtown Sugar Hill Team GCPS NewsPodcast, CurrentEvents, TopHeadlines, BreakingNews, PodcastDiscussion, PodcastNews, InDepthAnalysis, NewsAnalysis, PodcastTrending, WorldNews, LocalNews, GlobalNews, PodcastInsights, NewsBrief, PodcastUpdate, NewsRoundup, WeeklyNews, DailyNews, PodcastInterviews, HotTopics, PodcastOpinions, InvestigativeJournalism, BehindTheHeadlines, PodcastMedia, NewsStories, PodcastReports, JournalismMatters, PodcastPerspectives, NewsCommentary, PodcastListeners, NewsPodcastCommunity, NewsSource, PodcastCuration, WorldAffairs, PodcastUpdates, AudioNews, PodcastJournalism, EmergingStories, NewsFlash, PodcastConversations See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Miller has the tables turned on her in this podcast where she's the guest, in this originally-aired episode of the InsuredMine podcast with CEO and host Raution Jaiswal.  The former Florida Deputy Insurance Commissioner discusses her career and the evolving insurance landscape – both here in Florida and nationally – and how to decode it. The discussion covers litigation reforms, market stability, Citizens Property Insurance depopulation, and other legislative actions in Florida that are restoring consumer confidence and attracting private insurance companies. They also touch on national trends like parametric insurance, the rise of artificial intelligence in underwriting and claims, and the impact of the National Flood Insurance Program shutdown on real estate closings.Show Notes (For full Show Notes, visit https://lisamillerassociates.com/episode-61-the-evolving-insurance-landscape/) Lisa Miller shared her extensive experience in the insurance industry, spanning 35 years, and her work with various stakeholders, including agents, contractors, disaster recovery experts, Realtors®, and insurance company executives.  She recounted her first exposure to catastrophes during 1992's Hurricane Andrew, which shaped her career and commitment to helping policyholders, and her expanding role in disaster recovery today.Miller shared her views and provided insights on:  Litigation Reform & Market Stability: How recent legislative actions in Florida are restoring consumer confidence and attracting private insurance companies back to the state. The Citizens Property Insurance Corporation's Depopulation Strategy: The push to move policies from government-run insurance to private markets for long-term sustainability.  The strategy has reduced policies from over 1.5 million to under 500,000. National Trends: The rise of parametric insurance and its potential to revolutionize the flood insurance space; how states such as Louisiana and California are rethinking risk and resilience; concerns of northeastern states about rising water levels; and the importance of attracting young, innovative professionals to the insurance industry to drive future growth and innovation. Innovation & Artificial Intelligence: Why AI isn't a threat but a tool – if used responsibly – to make underwriting and claims smarter.  Miller emphasized the importance of AI in improving efficiency and consumer confidence, emphasizing its potential as a tool rather than a threat.  She discussed a recent Florida legislative committee meeting devoted to AI and its use in insurance claims, including a subsequent bill filed in the January 2026 legislative session that would require human reviews of insurance claim denials. The podcast had its light moments, as well.  “I often laugh and say that when people see me coming, particularly in the halls of the Capitol of Florida, they either run toward me or they run the other way, because those that go the other way are scared of it.  Insurance is very intimidating, and I do everything I can every single day to demystify it,” said Miller.  (For full Show Notes, visit https://lisamillerassociates.com/episode-61-the-evolving-insurance-landscape/) 

Before Clarence Birdseye, frozen food was perceived as being low-quality and kind of gross. But after spending time in extremely cold climates, Birdseye figured out that speed freezing was the key to retaining freshness. Research: “$1,900,000 Fraud Attempt Alleged in Insurance Deal.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch. May 2, 1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/138253870/?match=1&terms=%22Clarence%20Birdseye%22 “Alleged Clean-up of $1,900,000 in Two Days.” The Bennington Evening Banner. May 2, 1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/546110078/?match=1&terms=%22Clarence%20Birdseye%22 Birdseye, C. “Animal Food Product.” U.S. Patent Office. Aug. 12, 1930. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/ff/f3/e3/ea3d0a5d1b6b7a/US1773080.pdf Birdseye, C. “METHOD OF PRESERVING PISCATORIAL PRODUCTS.” U.S. Patent Office. April 18, 1924. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/b7/d9/5a/aeb7fae023f47e/US1511824.pdf Birdseye, Clarence, 1886-1956. Some Common Mammals of Western Montana in Relation to Agriculture and Spotted Fever, pamphlet, 1912; Washington D.C.. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc87555/ Britannica Editors. "Clarence Birdseye". Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Oct. 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clarence-Birdseye “Celebrating American Innovation: Clarence Birdseye.” Council for Innovation Promotion. Sept. 14, 2023. https://c4ip.org/celebrating-american-innovation-clarence-birdseye/ “Clarence Birdseye.” Lemelson-MIT. https://lemelson.mit.edu/resources/clarence-birdseye “Clarence Birdseye Is Dead at 69; Inventor of Frozen-Food Process; Developed Method for Quick Freezing and Also Devised System for Dehydrating.” New York Times. Oct. 9, 1956. https://www.nytimes.com/1956/10/09/archives/clarence-birdseye-is-dead-at-69-inventor-of-frozenfood-process.html “Frozen Food Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Frozen Ready Meals, Frozen Seafood & Meat Products, Frozen Snacks & Bakery Products, and Others), Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, Convenience Stores, and Online Retail), and Regional Forecast, 2025-2032.” Fortune Business Insights. Oct. 6, 2025. https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/frozen-food-market-10413 “How Did Clarence Birdseye Shape the American Diet?” National Inventors Hall of Fame. Nov. 28, 2022. https://www.invent.org/blog/inventors/clarence-birdseye Kile, O.M. “Food That Is Fresh Though Frozen: New Preserving Process Aims to Maintain Cell Structure.” The Baltimore Sun. Nov. 10, 1929. https://www.newspapers.com/image/373627550/?match=1&terms=%22quick-frozen%22%20 Kurlansky, Mark. “Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man.” Thorndike Press. 2012. “Reinsurance for Policyholders in Defunct Concerns.” New-York Tribune. Nov. 11, 1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/894239796/?match=1&terms=%22Clarence%20Birdseye%22 “Supervisory Methods Lax.” The Kansas workman. Nov. 1, 1917. https://www.newspapers.com/image/480092568/?match=1&terms=%22Clarence%20Birdseye%22 “Who invented frozen food?” Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/technology/item/who-invented-frozen-food/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jake Ramsey reported on the number of households in Oklahoma that struggled to afford the necessities, leaving these renters cost-burdened. Keaton Ross wrote about ongoing confusion over Oklahoma's medical parole statute. Paul Monies discusses a plan by the state's largest workers' compensation insurer to transform itself into a new type of company. Ted Streuli hosts.

In this episode, Florida attorney Chad Robinson discusses how AI is reshaping the insurance industry and why the human touch still matters. Gain insights into how claims are being handled with AI and automation, and discover tools professionals can use to stay ahead. Whether you're in legal, adjusting, or even contracting, Chad's expertise shows how to thrive in an AI-driven world. A must-listen for those wanting to elevate their claims game!   Highlights Impact of AI on Insurance Industry. Chad Robinson's Multifaceted Career. From Defense to Plaintiff's Side in Law. Importance of Human Element in Claims. Policyholders' Role in Documenting Damage. Adjusters' Approach to Inspections. Concerns with AI in Claims Decisions. Logic Loops in AI Handled Claims. Tools for Legal Professionals. Automation: Enhancing AI Efficiency. Leveling Up Through Professional Civility. Episode Resources Connect with Galen M. Hair https://insuranceclaimhq.com hair@hairshunnarah.com  https://levelupclaim.com/

"Insurance companies are the wealthiest businesses, wealthier than banks and even countries. It seems very scammy." This listener question captures what most people think about insurance - and why they're wrong about life insurance.Hans and Brian examine contract law to explain why life insurance operates under completely different legal protections than the car and home insurance that's given the industry its bad reputation. From centuries of case law to the incontestability clause, this episode reveals the legal guidelines protecting policyholders.When courts consistently rule against insurance companies and companies are required to maintain 100% reserves plus reinsurance, it's not a coincidence that no whole life insurance beneficiary has ever gone unpaid. The math, the law, and the business model all align to protect you in ways most people never understand.The Contract That Can't Be Negotiated (And Why That's Good for You)Life insurance contracts are "contracts of adhesion" - you can't negotiate terms, it's take it or leave it. Since the insurance company writes the entire contract and you have no bargaining power, courts heavily favor policyholders in every dispute. Centuries of case law have built an almost impenetrable wall of consumer protection.Warranties vs. Representations: The Historical Shift in Your FavorIn the 1700s, maritime insurance contracts used "warranties" - black and white statements that could void your policy for any breach. If you warranted your ship would sail with convoy protection and it sailed alone, coverage was nullified regardless of circumstances. Modern life insurance has evolved to use "representations" instead, requiring proof of intentional misrepresentation, materiality to the contract, and knowledge of falsity. The burden of proof is entirely on the insurance company.The Two-Year Window: Your Contestability ProtectionInsurance companies have exactly two years to challenge a policy for misrepresentation. After that window closes, even suicide is covered. This isn't arbitrary - it reflects the legal reality that life changes too much after two years to fairly challenge original statements. The contestability clause protects both parties: it gives companies time for due diligence while preventing indefinite claim challenges.Why "100% Reserves" Isn't Like BankingUnlike fractional reserve banking where your deposits aren't fully backed, life insurance operates on full reserves for current liabilities. Your policy's cash value must be available immediately - no exceptions. Future death benefits are covered through reinsurance and state guarantee funds, creating multiple layers of protection that banking simply doesn't have.➡️ Chapters: 00:00 - Military waste and efficiency (the stark contrast to insurance) 07:00 - Listener question: Why trust insurance companies? 13:00 - Property insurance vs. life insurance: Different games entirely 17:00 - Contract law foundations: Why courts favor policyholders19:00 - Warranties vs. representations: The historical evolution 26:00 - The incontestability clause: Your two-year protection window 35:00 - Unilateral contracts: Only one party has obligations 38:00 - Contract of adhesion: Why you can't negotiate (and don't want to)46:00 - Reserve requirements: 100% backing vs. fractional banking 52:00 - Reinsurance and state guarantee funds: Multiple safety nets 55:00 - Actuarial math: Why conservative assumptions create dividends 58:00 - Points of failure: Safety assets vs. speculationGot Questions? Reach out to us at info@remnantfinance.com or book a call at https://remnantfinance.com/calendar!Visit https://remnantfinance.com for more informationFOLLOW REMNANT FINANCE Youtube: @RemnantFinance (https://www.youtube.com/@RemnantFinance) Facebook: @remnantfinance (https://www.facebook.com/profile?id=61560694316588) Twitter: @remnantfinance (https://x.com/remnantfinance) TikTok: @RemnantFinanceDon't forget to hit LIKE and SUBSCRIBE

Stephen Crewdson, managing director, Global Insurance Intelligence Group, JD Power, explains that rising homeowners and renters rates, especially among bundled customers, continue to fuel switching behavior and pose retention challenges for insurers.

Savings being generated by the Injuries Resolution Board not being seen by policyholders. That's according to Brian Hanley, CEO Alliance for Insurance Reform, who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Savings being generated by the Injuries Resolution Board not being seen by policyholders. That's according to Brian Hanley, CEO Alliance for Insurance Reform, who spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning.

Lately, we've seen a troubling trend online. People—some well-meaning, some not—are sharing misinformation about mutual holding companies, claiming these companies are no longer mutually owned or that they've quietly abandoned their policyholders. That couldn't be further from the truth. So Joe, Bruce, and I decided it was time to clear the air. Because when it comes to protecting your family's legacy, clarity matters more than opinion. You deserve to understand the facts—not fear-based interpretations. And as we've seen too often, when confusion spreads unchecked, people start making financial decisions on the wrong foundation. That's not stewardship. That's reaction. Why We Had to Talk About Mutual Holding CompaniesWhat Is a Mutual Holding Company?Do Policyholders Still Have Ownership and Voting Rights?Why Would a Company Make This Change?Are Mutual Holding Companies Dangerous?What Does This Mean for Your Infinite Banking Strategy?What This Means for YouBook A Strategy Call Why We Had to Talk About Mutual Holding Companies When you use whole life insurance as a long-term asset—and especially when you're building a Privatized Banking System—you want to know the company you've partnered with is stable, aligned with your values, and built to honor policyholders for the long haul. That's why we recorded this episode: To define what a mutual holding company really is To contrast it with traditional mutual companies To explore how it affects voting rights, ownership, and trust And to provide clarity amid a cloud of online confusion Our goal is not to push any specific company, nor to attack those raising questions. But we do want to make sure the conversation is grounded in accuracy—because your stewardship depends on it. What Is a Mutual Holding Company? At its core, a mutual holding company (MHC) is a specific kind of corporate structure that allows a life insurance company to retain mutual ownership while gaining the flexibility to create stock subsidiaries. This means the parent company is still owned by policyholders, while the subsidiary has the ability to raise capital through stock offerings. Bruce broke it down this way: “A mutual company is owned by the policyholders... When it becomes a mutual holding company, it's still owned by the policyholders, but they insert a stock company below that for reasons like expanding or raising capital.” This structural change is about flexibility—especially for future growth, acquisitions, or increased reserve requirements. It's not inherently negative. It's a strategic business decision, and it's one we should understand, not fear. Do Policyholders Still Have Ownership and Voting Rights? Yes—and this is where the misinformation gets loudest and most misleading. In a mutual holding company, policyholders still own the mutual holding company itself. That hasn't changed. What has changed is that the operational insurance company underneath the holding company is now a stock entity—one that may have shareholders in addition to the parent company. Rachel explained: “There's this perception that if a company becomes a mutual holding company, they're no longer mutually owned... But that's not true. The policyholders still own the mutual holding company. They still elect the board.” So yes, the structure is layered. But no, policyholders haven't been stripped of ownership or voting rights. Joe added that this structure can even be a way for companies to avoid full demutualization, which would entirely sever mutual ownership. Why Would a Company Make This Change? There are many reasons an insurer might transition to an MHC: To raise capital for growth To meet solvency or reserve requirements To create a defensive structure to avoid hostile takeovers or future demutualization To diversify business offerings or form subsidiaries Bruce emphasized that mutual companies must act in the poli...

In this eye-opening episode of In The Lab, Ruben sits down with public adjuster Andy Gurczak of All City Adjusting for a second time to unpack the misunderstood world of insurance claims and temporary housing. Andy explains why most homeowners and investors are at a major disadvantage when filing insurance claims and how public adjusters can help recover tens of thousands of dollars more—often without the property owner having to lift a finger. Ruben and Andy walk through the lifecycle of a claim, the different players involved (staff adjusters vs. CAT adjusters vs. public adjusters), and how midterm rental operators can better serve displaced families by understanding Coverage D and building stronger relationships with adjusters, agents, and vendors.You'll learn why calling the insurance company first could cost you, how to shift deductibles strategically, and how to frame your housing proposals so they actually get approved. Andy also reveals how his team inventories personal property for families after a fire and why personal property often becomes the biggest overlooked payout opportunity.If you're in real estate—especially the midterm rental or insurance housing space—this is a must-listen conversation that could dramatically change how you approach claims and partnerships. Tune in now to learn how to build trust with adjusters, navigate insurance timelines, and position yourself as the go-to housing solution.Get the Midterm Rental Insurance Blueprint: https://experimentrealestate.com/#blueprintHIGHLIGHTS OF THE EPISODE:08:59 Andy talks about calling a public adjuster first before talking to your insurance company.29:59 Andy talks about why you should choose the home instead of the hotel. KEEPING IT REAL:05:00 - What a public adjuster does and how they get paid10:45 - Why you should never call your insurance company first14:00 - The difference between staff adjusters vs. CAT adjusters18:30 - Adjuster motivations: bonuses, overwhelm, and bias22:00 - Understanding Coverage D and relocation budgets28:30 - Can relocation funds be extended or shifted?32:00 - Should families stay in hotels or homes?36:20 - How to build relationships with public adjusters and agents44:00 - How PA services help investors inventory personal property54:00 - How to speed up proposal approvals with adjusters  #PublicAdjuster #InsuranceClaims #CoverageD #MidtermRentals #TemporaryHousing #RealEstateInvesting #PolicyholderAdvocacyCONNECT WITH THE GUESTWebsite: https://allcityadjusting.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-gurczak-528b9b64/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allcityadjusting/

Send us a textAndy Gurczak is the Founder of AllCity Adjusting, a licensed public adjusting firm with a focus on making sure their clients get what they truly deserve from their insurance claims. Over the last decade, Andy has not only protected thousands of people from being defrauded, but he has also helped them receive more money than what their insurance initially offered. Andy grew up with the family motto, “if you're going to do something, do it right, or don't do it at all” - a sentiment he now carries into his business. Support the showFollow Rama on socials!LinkedIn | Meta | Twitter | Instagram|YoutubeConnect to Rama Krishnahttps://calendly.com/rama-krishna/ E-mail: info@ushacapital.comWebsite: www.ushacapital.comRegister for Multifamily AP360 - 2025 virtual conference - https://mfap360.com/To find out more about partnering or investing in a multifamily deal: email: info@ushacapital.com

Home insurance is one of those things you need to have and hope to never need. But as risk from climate disasters increases, many homeowners are finding it more and more difficult to obtain an affordable policy. This is especially true in the American West, where wildfires are creating more uncertainty than insurance companies are willing to cover, forcing many homeowners to enroll in state-run insurance plans. Daniel and Alison sit down with Dr. Lisa Dale, director of the Climate and Society Masters program at the Columbia Climate School, for a conversation about how policymakers can help communities navigate the insurance crisis as it relates to wildfires. Show notes: Risky Business: Insurance in the Era of Climate Change (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/050625insurance  Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction (Headwaters Economics report): https://headwaterseconomics.org/natural-hazards/missing-the-mark-wildfire/  All Fired up for Innovation in Wildfire Risk Analysis (podcast): https://www.eesi.org/podcasts/view/7.6-all-fired-up-for-innovation-in-wildfire-risk-analysis  Living with Climate Change: Wildfires (briefing): https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061322climatechange  Rethinking Tourism in the Wake of West Maui's Wildfires (article): https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/rethinking-tourism-in-the-wake-of-west-mauis-wildfires 

In this episode of "Don't Take No For An Answer," hosts Lynda A. Bennett and Eric Jesse discuss how the current claims environment is taking a toll on policyholders as insurance claims take years to resolve and insurers deny or limit coverage for clearly covered claims. Our hosts theorize causes for the increasing challenges in the claims environment in recent years, suggest industry reforms, and offer advice to policyholders seeking coverage.  Speakers: Lynda A. Bennett, Partner and Chair, Insurance RecoveryEric Jesse, Partner, Insurance Recovery

Frustrated callers share their battles with insurance companies that delay, deny, or underpay claims, leaving policyholders struggling after disasters. The conversation highlights how insurers, often protected by legislators with deep industry ties, manipulate the system to their advantage. With new laws making it even harder to challenge these companies, the segment underscores why primary elections are crucial in holding politicians accountable and pushing for reforms that put consumers first. | https://www.audacy.com/989word | The Charlie James Show | Listen on Spotify : https://spoti.fi/3MXOvGP | Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-charlie-james-show-podcast/id1547262821 | Join our Live Stream Weekdays - 3pm to 7pm | Follow us on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/989word, Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-2031096, X: https://twitter.com/989word, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/989word/ | Red Meat, Greenville." 03/28/25

You might be surprised to learn that most Americans are satisfied with their healthcare insurance. But the rest are more than a little dissatisfied.A vocal minority of health insurance policyholders are frustrated with their insurers for any number of legitimate reasons. If you're in this group, you don't want to miss today's show. Lauren Gajdek joins us with details about an efficient, affordable alternative to health insurance.Lauren Gajdek is the Vice President of Communications and Media at Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM), an underwriter of Faith & Finance. Why Are People Frustrated with Traditional Health Insurance?Healthcare is a significant concern for many families, especially as costs continue to rise. Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) offers an alternative rooted in faith and community support for those who feel frustrated with traditional health insurance. Some of the most common frustrations they see are:Complicated Policies—Many insurance plans have intricate rules and coverage limitations, making it difficult to understand what is actually covered. Lack of Pricing Transparency—Patients often have no idea what they are being charged for healthcare services, which leads to higher costs that insurance companies pass along to policyholders. High Deductibles—It's not uncommon to see deductibles of $5,000, $10,000, or even $15,000, leaving families struggling to afford necessary care.At CHM, transparency is a priority. Members clearly understand what will be shared, making healthcare costs more predictable and manageable.A recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey found that most Americans rate their health insurance as "good" or even "excellent." However, people generally seem to be pretty happy with their insurance—if they haven't had to use it. Many individuals benefit from government subsidies or employer-sponsored plans, but satisfaction drops significantly when it comes time to submit claims and navigate the system. The more people engage with their insurance provider, the more dissatisfied they tend to become.How Does Medical Cost Sharing Work?CHM stands apart as an alternative to health insurance. Since their founding in 1981, they have shared nearly $12 billion in medical bills for its members. People are looking for something that aligns with their faith and upholds their values, and that's where CHM steps in.With over 40 years of experience, CHM provides a trusted solution for Christians who want a healthcare option that reflects their beliefs.Unlike traditional insurance, CHM is a healthcare cost-sharing ministry. Members are considered self-pay, meaning they pay medical providers directly, but CHM shares 100% of qualifying medical bills based on established guidelines.Key features of CHM include:Flexible Program Options—Monthly contributions range from $98 to $255 per person, allowing families to tailor their plans to their needs and budget. No Network Restrictions—Members can choose their own providers and are not limited to specific hospitals or doctors. Community of Support—Members help bear one another's burdens, fulfilling a biblical model of care and stewardship.While the concept may initially seem unfamiliar, CHM's long track record of faithfulness and financial stewardship reassures members that their medical needs will be met.A Faith-Based Healthcare AlternativeFor many believers, CHM has proven to be a perfect fit, providing financial relief and peace of mind. To learn more about how medical cost-sharing could benefit your family, visit chministries.org/faith.If you've felt burdened by the complexities of traditional insurance, CHM may be the blessing you've been looking for.On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions:I'm trying to find out if there is anything available, like a lower-interest loan, to help me pay off my credit card debt. I have about $45,000 in debt, and I'm okay with paying it down, but I'd like to find a lower interest rate than the 14% I'm currently paying.My husband and I are both 77 years old, and I'm totally blind and he has several health problems. We'd like to set up an irrevocable trust to avoid probate when one of us passes away, but we don't have a lot of money. I'm not sure how to go about getting an elder law attorney to help us with this.I'm wondering if I should consider purchasing a long-term care insurance policy. I'm 77 years old, and I know that the majority of Americans over 65 will need some form of long-term care, which can be very expensive. I'm trying to figure out if getting a long-term care policy makes sense for my situation.I'm retiring soon and have a lump sum of money from my company's retirement plan. I don't want to take the lump sum and have 20% withheld in taxes. Instead, I'd like to roll the money over into a CD or similar safe investment where it can grow, but my company doesn't allow that. I'm not comfortable investing in stocks, so I'm looking for a way to keep the money safe and growing.Resources Mentioned:Faithful Steward: FaithFi's New Quarterly MagazineChristian Healthcare Ministries (CHM)Christian Credit CounselorsBankrate.com Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money (Pre-Order)Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and AnxietyRich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich FoolFind a Certified Kingdom Advisor (CKA) or Certified Christian Financial Counselor (CertCFC)FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community and give as we expand our outreach.

In episode 59 of Venture Everywhere is hosted by Scott Harley, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Everywhere VC, chats with Arianna Armelli, founder and CEO of Dorothy, a startup revolutionizing disaster recovery by streamlining post-disaster navigation for policyholders. Arianna shares how her background in urban planning and firsthand experience with disaster response inefficiencies inspired her to launch Dorothy. Arianna also discusses the company's pivot to advocating for homeowners in disputes and explains how AI and automation are driving a more proactive and accessible approach to disaster recovery.In this episode, you will hear:Dorothy's shift on enhancing public adjusters' roles to secure fair homeowner settlements.How delayed insurance payouts create financial hardship for homeowners.Policyholders' challenges in understanding coverage and resolving claim disputes.Community-led efforts can sometimes be more effective than government response.Conflict between fair settlements for policyholders and insurers' profit motives.Learn more about Arianna Armelli | DorothyLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariannaarmelli/Website: https://www.hidorothy.com/Learn more about Scott Hartley | Everywhere VCLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scotthartley/ Website: https://everywhere.vc/

What's in the Hamas-Israel ceasefire and hostage release deal? Insurers' rule change puts California homeowners on the hook for LA fire. Fire destroyed livelihoods of gardeners, nannies, housekeepers in hours.

In this episode, we explore some of the current talking points for policyholders in the energy sector which were explored at a session we co-hosted with Airmic (the UK association of Insurance and Risk) at the Onshore Energy Conference in London in November 2024: • LEG clauses – which we cover in detail in Episode 1 of Insurance Bites https://soundcloud.com/herbert-smith-freehills/insurance-bites-ep1 • A recently certified competition case – Spottiswoode v Nexans France SAS & others [2024] CAT 31 • The first case on section 11 of the Insurance Act - MOK Petro Energy FZC v Argo [2024] EWHC 1935 (Comm) • PFAS or "forever chemicals"

Starting July 1, 2026, Ontario will change auto insurance policies, making benefits like income replacement optional. Policyholders must actively choose these coverages to maintain protection, impacting all drivers. Click here to contact Pace Law to get support to navigate these changes and ensure adequate coverage. Pace Law Firm City: Toronto Address: 191 The West Mall Website: https://pacelawfirm.com Phone: +1 844 943-2983 Email: info@pacelawfirm.com

In this episode, we dive into the recent exit of Sublimity Insurance from the Oregon market, a change affecting homeowners and drivers alike. We'll explore why Sublimity decided to leave, what it means for policyholders across the state, and what options are available for those impacted by this shift. Tune in to get the inside scoop on how you can navigate this transition, protect your assets, and find a reliable insurance provider in these uncertain times. If you're feeling the impact of a hard insurance market in Oregon, this episode is for you. www.bancorpinsurance.com

Future partnerships between insurers and policyholders aim to improve mutual understanding and create comprehensive cyber coverage, enhancing protection against evolving threats. In this clip, Elizabeth Blosfield talks with … Read More » The post Insurers and Policyholders Collaborate for Enhanced Cybersecurity appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Future partnerships between insurers and policyholders aim to improve mutual understanding and create comprehensive cyber coverage, enhancing protection against evolving threats. In this clip, Elizabeth Blosfield talks with … Read More » The post Insurers and Policyholders Collaborate for Enhanced Cybersecurity appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Future partnerships between insurers and policyholders aim to improve mutual understanding and create comprehensive cyber coverage, enhancing protection against evolving threats. In this clip, Elizabeth Blosfield talks with … Read More » The post Insurers and Policyholders Collaborate for Enhanced Cybersecurity appeared first on Insurance Journal TV.

Today on “Don't Take No for an Answer,” hosts Lynda A, Bennett and Eric Jesse discuss what they see as an increase in insurers acting in bad faith trying to avoid their coverage obligations, with more roadblocks, more requests for perfect information, and more entrenched positions than ever before, and insurers trying to abandon their insureds even when there is a meaningful settlement opportunity to resolve the underlying case. They explain the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, the importance of choice of law, and how policyholders can protect themselves, particularly regarding the appointment and management of panel defense counsel, and in determining who has the ultimate authority to settle a case. Speakers: Lynda A. Bennett, Partner and Chair, Insurance RecoveryEric Jesse, Partner, Insurance Recovery

Every American who has a mortgage is required by their bank to have homeowners insurance, but getting it and keeping it is becoming a challenge. In this episode, hear the highlights of a Senate hearing examining the problems in the homeowners insurance market and why they might lead to much bigger problems next time disaster strikes. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Contribute monthly or a lump sum via Support Congressional Dish via (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Background Sources Effects of Climate on Insurance Christopher Flavelle and Mira Rojanasakul. May 13, 2024. The New York Times. Chris Van Hollen et al. September 7, 2023. Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator for Maryland. Alice C. Hill. August 17, 2023. Council on Foreign Relations. Insurance Information Institute. Antonio Grimaldi et al. November 19, 2020. McKinsey & Company. Lobbying OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. OpenSecrets. Heritage Foundation SourceWatch. Demotech William Rabb. April 15, 2024. Insurance Journal. Parinitha Sastry et al. December 2023. Fannie Mae Adam Hayes. May 17, 2023. Investopedia. Hurricanes National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Audio Sources Senate Committee on the Budget June 5, 2024 Witnesses: Glen Mulready, Insurance Commissioner, State of Oklahoma Rade Musulin, Principal, Finity Consulting Dr. Ishita Sen, Assistant Professor of Finance, Harvard Business School Deborah Wood, Florida Resident , Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation's Grover Hermann Center for the Federal Budget Clips 23:05 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): In 2022 and 2023, more than a dozen insurance companies left the Florida residential market, including national insurers like Farmers. Residents fled to Citizens Property Insurance, the state backed insurer of last resort, which ballooned from a 4% market share in 2019 to as much as 17% last year. If it has to pay out claims that exceed its reserves, citizens can levy a surcharge on Florida insurance policy holders across the state. Good luck with that. Particularly if the surcharge grows to hundreds or even thousands of dollars to depopulate its books. Citizens has let private insurers cherry pick out its least risk policies. Those private insurers may have problems of their own, as we will hear today. 25:10 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): The federal budget takes a hit because these insurers and their policies are accepted by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, who either own or guarantee a large part of our $12 trillion mortgage market. This all sounds eerily reminiscent of the run-up to the mortgage meltdown of 2008, including a role of potentially captive or not fully responsible rating agencies. 25:45 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Florida is far from alone. A New York Times investigation found that the insurance industry lost money on homeowners coverage in 18 states last year, and the states may surprise you. The list includes Illinois, Michigan, Utah, Washington, and Iowa. Insurers in Iowa lost money each of the last four years. This is a signal that hurricanes and earthquakes, once the most prevalent perils, are being rivaled by hail, windstorms, and wildfires. 28:00 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): This isn't all that complicated. Climate risk makes things uninsurable. No insurance makes things unmortgageable. No mortgages crashes the property markets. Crashed property markets trash the economy. It all begins with climate risk, and a major party pretending that climate risk isn't real imperils our federal budget and millions of Americans all across the country. 33:45 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): Insurance premiums are far too high across the board and may increase after the recent storms, including those very storms in my state of Iowa. Climate change isn't the primary driver of insurance rate hikes and collapse of the insurance industry isn't imminent. Although I'll have to say, Iowa had six property and casualty companies pull out of insuring Iowans. Climate change doesn't explain why auto insurance premiums in 2024 have increased by a whopping 20% year over year. It also doesn't account for the consistent failure of liberal cities to fight crime, which has raised insurance risk and even caused insurers to deny coverage. Expensive liberal policies, not climate change, are much to blame for these market dynamics. 39:00 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): The first witness is Rade Musulin. Rade is an actuary with 45 years of experience in insurance, specializing in property pricing, natural perils, reinsurance, agriculture, catastrophe, risk modeling, public policy development, and climate risk. Specifically, he spent many years working in Florida, including as chair of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Advisory Council during the time in which Citizens Property Insurance Corporation was established. 39:35 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Our second witness is Dr. Ishida Sen. Dr. Sen is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School. Her recent research examines the pricing of property insurance and the interactions between insurance and mortgage markets. This includes the role that institutions and the regulatory landscape play and the broader consequences for real estate markets, climate adaptation, and our overall financial stability. 40:00 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): Our third witness is Deb Wood. Ms. Wood and her husband Dan McGrath are both retired Floridians. They moved to South Florida in 1979 and lived in Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale for 43 years until skyrocketing insurance premiums became too much. They now reside in Tallahassee, Florida. 40:35 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): Dr. EJ Antoni is a Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation Grover M. Hermann Center for the Federal Budget. His research focuses on fiscal and monetary policy, and he previously was an economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Antoni earned his Master's degree and Doctor's degree in Economics from Northern Illinois University. 41:10 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA): Commissioner Glen Mulready has served as Oklahoma's 13th Insurance Commissioner and was first elected to this position in 2019. Commissioner Mulready started his insurance career as a broker in 1984, and also served in the Oklahoma State House of Representatives. 42:15 Rade Musulin: Okay. My name is Ray Muslin. I'm an actuary who has extensive experience in natural hazard risks and funding arrangements for the damage and loss they cause. I've worked with many public sector entities on policy responses to the challenges of affordability, availability of insurance, and community resilience. This work included participating in Florida's response to Hurricane Andrew, which included the creation of the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund and Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. The Cat Fund and Citizens can access different forms of funding than traditional insurance companies. Instead of holding sufficient capital or reinsurance before an event to cover the cost of potential losses, both entities use public sources of capital to reduce upfront costs by partially funding losses post-event through bonding and assessments. All property casualty insurance policy holders, whether in Citizens or not, are subject to its assessments. While the Cat Fund can also assess almost all policies, including automobile, this approach exposes Floridians to debt and repayment if large losses occur, and it subsidizes high risk policies from the entire population. These pools, others like them in other states, and the NFIP have contributed to rapid development in high risk areas driving higher costs in the long run. In Florida, national insurers have reduced their exposure as a significant proportion of the insurance market has moved to Citizens or smaller insurers with limited capital that are heavily dependent on external reinsurance. To date, Florida's system has been successful in meeting its claims obligations, while improvements in building codes have reduced loss exposure. However, for a variety of reasons, including exposure to hurricanes, claims cost inflation, and litigation, Florida's insurance premiums are the highest in the nation, causing significant affordability stress for consumers. According to market research from Bankrate, the average premium for a $300,000 home in Florida is three times the national average, with some areas five times the national average. A major hurricane hitting a densely populated area like Miami could trigger large and long lasting post-event assessments or even exceed the system's funding capacity. Continued rapid exposure growth and more extreme hurricane losses amplified by climate change will cause increasing stress on the nation's insurance system, which may be felt through solvency issues, non-renewals, growth of government pools, and affordability pressure. 44:55 Rade Musulin: Evidence of increasing risk abounds, including Hurricane Otis in 2023, which rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to a cat. five hurricane and devastated Acapulco in Mexico last summer. Water temperatures off Florida exceeded a hundred degrees Fahrenheit last week. As was alluded to earlier, NOAA forecast an extremely active hurricane season for '24. We've seen losses in the Mid-Atlantic from Sandy, record flooding from Harvey, and extreme devastation from Maria, among others. In coming decades, we must prepare for the possibility of more extreme hurricanes and coastal flooding from Texas to New England. 46:50 Dr. Ishita Sen: Good morning Senators. I am Ishita Sen, Assistant Professor at Harvard Business School and my research studies insurance markets. In recent work with co-authors at Columbia University and the Federal Reserve Board, I examine how climate risk creates fiscal and potentially financial instability because of miscalibrated insurer screening standards and repercussions to mortgage markets. 47:15 Dr. Ishita Sen: Insurance is critical to the housing market. Property insurers help households rebuild after disasters by preserving collateral values and reducing the likelihood that a borrower defaults. Insurance directly reduces the risks for mortgage lenders and the Government-Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Mortgage Lenders therefore require property insurance and the GSEs only purchase mortgages backed by insurers who meet minimum financial strength ratings, which measure insurer solvency and ability to pay claims. The GSEs accept three main rating agencies AM Best, S & P and, more recently, Demotech. And to provide an example, Fannie Mae requires insurers to have at least a B rating from AM Best, or at least an A rating from Demo Tech to accept a mortgage. Now, despite having this policy in place, we find a dramatic rise in mortgages backed by fragile insurers and show that the GSEs and therefore the taxpayers ultimately shoulder a large part of the financial burden. Our research focuses on Florida because of availability of granular insurance market data, and we show that traditional insurers are exiting and the gap is rapidly being filled by insurers, rated by Demotech, which has about 60% market share in Florida today. These insurers are low quality across a range of different financial and operational metrics, and are at a very high risk of becoming insolvent. But despite their risk, these insurers secure high enough ratings to meet the minimum rating requirements set by the GSEs. Our analysis shows that many actually would not be eligible under the methodologies of other rating agencies, implying that in many cases these ratings are inflated and that the GSEs insurer requirements are miscalibrated. 49:20 Dr. Ishita Sen: We next look at how fragile insurers create mortgage market risks. So in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, homeowners with a policy from one of the insolvent Demotech insurers were significantly more likely to default on their mortgage relative to similar borrowers with policies from stable insurers. This is because insurers that are in financial trouble typically are slower to pay claims or may not pay the full amounts. But this implies severe economic hardships for many, many Floridians despite having expensive insurance coverage in place. However, the pain doesn't just stop there. The financial costs of fragile insurers go well beyond the borders of Florida because lenders often sell mortgages, for example, to the GSEs, and therefore, the risks created by fragile insurers spread from one state to the rest of the financial system through the actions of lenders and rating agencies. In fact, we show two reasons why the GSEs bear a large share of insurance fragility risk. First is that lenders strategically securitize mortgages, offloading loans backed by Demotech insurers to the GSEs in order to limit their counterparty risk exposures. And second, that lenders do not consider insurer risk during mortgage origination for loans that they can sell to the GSEs, even though they do so for loans that they end up retaining, indicating lax insurer screening standards for loans that can be offloaded to the GSEs. 50:55 Dr. Ishita Sen: Before I end, I want to leave you with two numbers. Over 90%. That's our estimate of Demotech's market share among loans that are sold to the GSEs. And 25 times more. That's Demotech's insolvency rate relative to AM Best, among the GSE eligible insurers. 57:15 Glen Mulready: As natural disasters continue to rise, understanding the dynamics of insurance pricing is crucial for both homeowners and policymakers. Homeowners insurance is a fundamental safeguard for what is for many Americans their single largest asset. This important coverage protects against financial loss due to damage or destruction of a home and its contents. However, recent years have seen a notable increase in insurance premiums. One significant driver of this rise is convective storms and other severe weather events. Convective storms, which include phenomena like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail, have caused substantial damage in various regions. The cost to repair homes and replace belongings after such events has skyrocketed leading insurance companies to adjust their premiums to cover that increased risk. Beyond convective storms, we've witnessed hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding. These events have not only caused damage, but have also increased the long-term risk profile of many areas. Insurance companies are tasked with managing that risk and have responded by raising premiums to ensure they can cover those potential claims. 58:30 Glen Mulready: Another major factor influencing homeowner's insurance premiums is inflation. Inflation affects the cost of building materials, labor, and other expenses related to home repair and reconstruction. As the cost of living increases, so does the cost of claims for insurers. When the price of lumber, steel, and other essential materials goes up, the expense of repairing or rebuilding homes also rises. Insurance companies must reflect these higher costs in their premiums to maintain financial stability and ensure they can meet those contractual obligations to policyholders. 59:35 Glen Mulready: I believe the most essential aspect of managing insurance premiums is fostering a robust, competitive free market. Competition among insurance companies encourages innovation and efficiency, leading to better pricing and services for consumers. When insurers can properly underwrite and price for risk, they create a more balanced and fair market. This involves using advanced data analytics and modeling techniques to accurately assess the risk levels of different properties. By doing so, insurance companies can offer premiums that reflect the true risk, avoiding excessive charges for low risk homeowners, and ensuring high risk properties are adequately covered. Regulation also plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy insurance market. Policyholders must strike a balance between consumer protection and allowing insurers the freedom and flexibility to adjust their pricing based on the risk. Overly stringent regulations can stifle competition and lead to market exits, reducing choices for consumers. We've seen this play out most recently in another state where there were artificial caps put in place on premium increases that worked well for consumers in the short term, but then one by one, all of the major insurers began announcing they would cease to write any new homeowners insurance in that state. These are all private companies, and if there's not the freedom and flexibility to price their products properly, they may have to take drastic steps as we've seen. Conversely, a well-regulated market encourages transparency and fairness, ensuring that homeowners have access to the most affordable and adequate coverage options. 1:02:00 Dr. EJ Antoni: I'm a public finance economist and the Richard F. Aster fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where I research fiscal and monetary policy with a particular focus on the Federal Reserve. I am also a senior fellow at the Committee to Unleash Prosperity. 1:02:15 Dr. EJ Antoni: Since January 2021, prices have risen a cumulative 19.3% on average in the American economy. Construction prices for single family homes have risen much faster, up 30.5% during the same time. 1:03:20 Dr. EJ Antoni: Actuarial tables used in underwriting to estimate risk and future losses, as well as calculate premiums, rely heavily on those input costs. When prices increase radically, precisely as has happened over the last several years, old actuarial tables are of significantly less use when pricing premiums because they will grossly understate the future cost to the insurer. The sharp increase in total claim costs since 2019 has resulted in billions of dollars of losses for both insurers and reinsurers prompting large premium increases to stop those losses. This has put significant financial stress on consumers who are already struggling with a cost of living crisis and are now faced with much higher insurance premiums, especially for homeowners insurance. 1:05:10 Dr. EJ Antoni: The increase in claims related to weather events has undoubtedly increased, but it is not due to the climate changing. This is why the insurance and reinsurance markets do not rely heavily on climate modeling when pricing premiums. Furthermore, climate models are inherently subjective, not merely in how the models are constructed, but also by way of the inputs that the modeler uses. In other words, because insufficient data exists to create a predictive model, a human being must make wide ranging assumptions and add those to the model in place of real world data. Thus, those models have no predictive value for insurers. 1:07:40 Sen. Sheldon Whitehoue (D-RI): You say that this combination of demographics, development, and disasters poses a significant risk to our financial system. What do you mean by risk to our financial system Rade Musulin: Well, Senator, if you look at the combination, as has been pointed out, of high growth and wealth accumulation in coastal areas, and you look at just what we've observed in the climate, much less what's predicted in the future, there is significant exposure along the coastline from Maine to Texas. In fact, my family's from New Jersey and there is enormous development on the coast of New Jersey. And if we start to get major hurricanes coming through those areas, the building codes are probably not up to the same standards they are in Florida. And we could be seeing some significant losses, as I believe was pointed out in the recent Federal Reserve study. Sen. Sheldon Whitehoue (D-RI): And how does that create risk to the financial system? Rade Musulin: Well, because it's sort of a set of dominoes, you start with potentially claims issues with the insurers being stressed and not able to pay claims. You have post-event rate increases as we've seen in Florida, you could have situations where people cannot secure insurance because they can't afford it, then that affects their mortgage security and so on and so forth. So there are a number of ways that this could affect the financial system, sir. Sen. Sheldon Whitehoue (D-RI): Cascading beyond the immediate insurer and becoming a national problem. Rade Musulin: Well, I would just note Senator, that in Florida, the real problems started years after we got past Andrew. We got past paying the claims on Andrew, and then the big problems occurred later when we tried to renew the policies. 1:10:50 Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): And you see in this, and I'm quoting you here, parallels in the 2008 financial crisis. What parallels do you see? Dr. Ishita Sen: So just like what happened during the financial crisis, there were rating agencies that gave out high ratings to pools of mortgages backed by subprime loans. Here we have a situation where rating agencies like Demotech are giving out inflated ratings to insurance companies. The end result is sort of the same. There is just too much risk and too many risky mortgages being originated, in this case backed by really low quality insurers that are then entering the financial system. And the consequences of that has to be born by, of course the homeowners, but also the mortgage owners, GSCs (Government Sponsored Enterprises), the lenders, and ultimately the federal and state governments. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI): You say, this will be my last question. The fragility of property insurers is an important channel through which climate risk might threaten the stability of mortgage markets and possibly the financial system. What do you mean when you refer to a risk to the financial system? Dr. Ishita Sen: Well, as I was explaining the GSEs, if there are large losses that the GSEs face, then those losses have to be plugged by somebody. So the taxpayers, that's one channel through which you've got risk to the financial system and the GSE's serve as a backstop in the mortgage market. They may not have the ability or capacity to do so in such a scenario, which affects mortgage backed security prices, which are held by all sorts of financial institutions. So that starts affecting all of these institutions. On the other hand, if you've got a bunch of insurers failing, another channel is these insurers are one of the largest investors in many asset classes like corporate bonds, equities, and so on. And they may have to dump these securities at inopportune times, and that affects the prices of these securities as well. 1:12:45 Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-AI): Dr. Antoni, is there any evidence to support the notion that climate change is the greatest threat to the insurance market? Dr. EJ Antoni: No. Senator, there is not. And part of that has to do again, with the fact that when we look at the models that are used to predict climate change, we simply don't have enough empirical data with which we can input into those models. And so as a result of that, we have to have human assumptions on what we think is going to happen based essentially on a guess. And as a result of that, these models really are not of any predictive value, and that's why these models for the last 50 years have been predicting catastrophic outcomes, none of which have come true. 1:14:45 Glen Mulready: This focus on the rating agencies, I would agree with that if that were the be all end all. But the state insurance commissioners in each 50 states is tasked with the financial solvency of the insurance companies. We do not depend on rating agencies for that. We are doing financial exams on them. We are doing financial analysis every quarter on each one of them. So I would agree if that was the sort of be all end all, forgive that phrase, but it's not at all. And we don't depend very much at all on those rating agencies from our standpoint. 1:22:15 Dr. Ishita Sen: On the point about regulators looking at -- rating agencies is not something that we need to look at. I would just point out that in Florida, if you look at the number of exams that the Demotech rated insurers, that by the way have a 20% insolvency rate relative to 0% for traditional insurers, they get examined at the same rate as the traditional insurers like Farmers and AllState get examined, which is not something that you would expect if you're more risky. You would expect regulators to come look at them much, much more frequently. And the risk-based capital requirements that we have currently, which were designed in the 1980s, they're just not sensitive enough to new risks like wildfire and hurricanes and so on. And also not as well designed for under-diversified insurance companies because if so, all of these insurers were meeting the risk-based capital requirements, however, at the same time going insolvent at the rate of 20%. So those two things don't really go hand in hand. 1:23:25 Dr. Ishita Sen: Ultimately what the solution is is something that is obviously the main question that we are here to answer, but I would say that it is extremely hard to really figure out what the solution is, in part because we are not in a position right now to even answer some basic facts about how big the problem is, what exactly the numbers look like. For instance, we do not know basic facts about how much coverage people have in different places, how much they're paying. And when I say we don't know, we don't know this at a granular enough level because the data does not exist. And the first step towards designing any policy would be for us to know exactly how bad the problem is. And then we come up with a solution for that and start to evaluate these different policy responses. Right now we are trying to make policy blindfolded. 1:23:50 Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI): So we've had testimony before this committee that we've already spent $5-6 trillion. That's 5,000 to 6,000 billion dollars trying to mitigate climate change. We haven't made a dent in it. Their estimates, it's going to cost tens of trillions of dollars every year to reach net zero. So again, this is not the solution for a real problem, which is the broken insurance market. I have enough Wisconsin residents who live on the Gulf Coast in Florida to know after Hurricane Ian, you got some real problems in Florida. But fixing climate change isn't the solution. 1:33:15 Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR): In looking at the materials I saw that Citizens Property Insurance Company, I gather that's Louisiana and Florida, that have a completely state backed program. Well, alright, so if the state becomes the insurer of last resort and they now suffer the same losses that a regular private insurance company is suffering, now the folks in the state are carrying massive debt. So that doesn't seem like a great solution. Dr. Ishita Sen: That's definitely a problem, right? The problem is of course, that whether the state then has the fiscal capacity to actually withstand a big loss, like a big hurricane season, which is a concern that was raised about Citizens. And in such a scenario then in a world where they do not have enough tax revenue, then they would have to go into financial markets, try to borrow money, which could be very costly and so on. So fiscally it's going to be very challenging for many cities and many municipalities and counties and so on. 1:36:40 Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): I wish there were something we could do that would reduce the climate change we're seeing and the warming of the planet. But I've seen absolutely nothing proposed by anyone that reduces CO2 emissions, methane gases and the heating of the planet. Climate change is going to happen because of the development in China and Indonesia and Brazil, and the only thing that actually makes any measurable impact at all is putting a price on carbon, and no one seems to be willing to consider doing that. Everything else that's being talked about on the climate — Democratic Senator: I got two bills. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): I know you and I are, but you guys had reconciliation. You could have done it all by yourselves and you didn't. So the idea that somehow we're going to fix climate and solve the insurance problem is pie in the sky. That's avoiding the reality that we can't fix climate because that's a global issue, not an American issue. Anyway, let me turn back to insurance. 1:38:30 Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): So the question is, what actions can we take? Fiscal reform? Yes, to try and deal with inflation. Except I want to note something, Mr. Antoni, because you're esteemed at the Heritage Foundation. 72% of federal spending is not part of the budget we vote on. So we talk about Biden wants to spend all this.... 72% we don't vote on; we only vote on 28%. Half of that is the military. We Republicans want more military spending, not less. So that means the other 14%, which the Democrats want to expand, there's no way we can reduce the 14% enough to have any impact on the massive deficits we're seeing. So there's going to have to be a broader analysis of what we have to do to reign in our fiscal challenges. I just want to underscore that. I would say a second thing we can do, besides fiscal reform and dealing with inflation, is stopping subsidizing high risk areas. Basically subsidizing people to build expensive places along the coast and in places that are at risk of wildfire. And we subsidize that and that creates huge financial risk to the system. And finally, mitigation of one kind or another. That's the other thing we can do is all sorts of mitigation: forestry management, having people move in places that are not high risk. But if you want to live in a big house on the coast, you're gonna have to spend a lot of money to insure it or take huge risk. That's just the reality. So those are the three I come up with. Stop the subsidy, mitigation, and fiscal reform. What else am I missing, Mr. Musulin? And I'm just going to go down the line for those that are sort of in this area to give me your perspectives. Rade Musulin: Well, thank you, Senator. And I'd agree with all those things. And I'd also add that we need to start thinking about future-proofing our building codes and land use policies. The sea levels are rising. If you're going to build a house that's supposed to last 75 years, you ought to be thinking about the climate in 75 years when you give somebody a permit to build there. So I'd say that's important. I'd also say that large disasters also drive inflation because it puts more pressure and demand on labor and materials. More disasters means supplies that could have been used to build new homes for Americans or diverted to rebuild homes in the past. So certainly doing things to reduce the vulnerability of properties and improve their resilience is important. And I do think, sir, that there are things we can do about climate change with respect over periods of decades that can make a difference in the long run. Thank you. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): Thank you. Yes. Dr. Ishita Sen: So before that, the one point about inflation that we are missing, which is without doubt it is a contributing factor, but the US has had inflation in the past without such an acute crisis in insurance markets. So whether that is the biggest cause or not is up for debate. I don't think we have reached a conclusion on inflation being the biggest contributor of rising insurance cost. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): It's just a big one. You'd agree It's a big one? Dr. Ishita Sen: I agree. It's a big one, but I wouldn't say it's the biggest one in terms of policy solutions. I completely agree with you on, we need to stop subsidizing building in high risk areas. That's definitely one of the things we need to do that. Mitigation, another point that you bring up. And on that, I would say not only do we need to harden our homes, but we also need to harden our financial institutions, our banks, and our insurance companies in order to make them withstand really large climate shocks that are for sure coming their way. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT): Thank You, Ms. Wood. I'm going to let you pass on this just because that's not your area of expertise. Your experience was something which focused our thinking today. Mr. Mulready. Glen Mulready: Thank you, Senator. I would say amen to your comments, but I'll give you three quick things. Number one, FEMA has a survey out that states that every $1 spent in mitigation saves $6 in lost claims. It pays off. Number two, unfortunately, a lot of communities have to have a disaster happen. In Moore, Oklahoma, back a dozen years ago, an EF5 (tornado) hit, it was just totally devastating. After that, the city of Moore changed their zoning, they changed their building zoning codes, and then third, the city of Tulsa, back in the eighties, had horrible flooding happened. So they invested over decades in infrastructure to prevent flooding. Now we're one of only two communities in the country that are Class one NFIP rated. 1:45:40 Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): One way to address this, and I think it was discussed in a different matter, is the need to get the data and to get consensus on where the risks lie, which is why last year Senator Whitehouse, Senator Warren and I sent a letter to the Treasury Department, to the Federal Insurance Office (FIO), urging them to collect information from different states. I'm a supporter of a state-based insurance system for property and casualty insurance, but I do think it would benefit all of us to have a sort of national yardstick against which we can measure what's happening. So Dr. Sen, could you talk a little bit about the benefit of having a common source of insurance data through the FIO and how that could benefit state regulators and benefit all of us? Dr. Ishita Sen: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for bringing that up. That's just the first order importance, I think, because we don't even know the basic facts about this problem at a granular enough level. The risks here are local, and so we need to know what's going zip code-by-zip code, census tract-by-census tract, and for regulators to be able to figure out exactly how much risk is sitting with each of these insurance companies they need to know how much policies they're writing, what's the type of coverage they're selling in, what are the cancellations looking like in different zip codes. Only then can they figure out exactly how exposed these different insurers are, and then they can start designing policy about whether the risk-based capital ratios look alright or not, or should we put a surcharge on wildfires or hurricanes and so on? And we do need a comprehensive picture. We just can't have a particular state regulator look at the risks in that state, because of course, the insurer is selling insurance all over the country and we need to get a comprehensive picture of all of that. 1:47:40 Sen. Chris Van Hollen: I appreciate that. I gather that the Treasury Department is getting some resistance from some state insurance regulators. I hope we can overcome that because I'm not sure why anyone would want to deny the American people the benefit of the facts here. 1:48:45 Rade Musulin: I will just note that sometimes climate change itself can contribute to the inflation we've been talking about. For example, there were beetle infestations and droughts and fires in Canada, which decimated some of the lumber crop and led to a fivefold increase in the cost of lumber a few years ago. So some of this claims inflation is actually related to climate change, and I think we need to address that. 1:49:35 Glen Mulready: If you didn't know, the NAIC, National Association of Insurance Commission is in the midst of a data collection right now that will collect that data for at least 80% of the homeowner's market. And we have an agreement with FIO (Federal Insurance Office) to be sharing that data with them. They originally came to us, I got a letter from FIO and they were requesting data that we did not actually collect at the zip code level, and they had a very stringent timeline for that. So my response, it wasn't, no, it was just, look, we can't meet that timeline. We don't collect that today. We can in the future. But from that is where this has grown the data called by the NEIC. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD): So I appreciate, I saw that there had been now this effort on behalf of the....So has this now been worked out? Are there any states that are objecting, to your knowledge at this point in time, in terms of sharing data? Glen Mulready: I don't know about specific states. We will be collecting data that will represent at least 80% of the market share. Music by Editing Production Assistance

Today, hosts Lynda A. Bennett and Eric Jesse discuss a recent decision that addresses broker malpractice – a common claim for policyholders to pursue after learning insurance protection is unavailable or insufficient to cover claim. Although the Lowenstein partners call the opinion a situation where “bad facts making bad law,” they do advise policyholders to take away certain key lessons, including the need, and how to create a record to establish the existence of a special relationship with the broker which in turn imposes a fiduciary duty on the broker. Policyholders also should be responsive when brokers make inquiries designed to understand and value the risks that are intended to be insured not only to confirm the existence of a special relationship but also to avoid the need to sue the broker because the right coverage is placed in the first instance.  

There must be provisions against mis-selling – for instance, measures to say that a 10-year premium payment policy cannot be sold to someone over the age of 60 years. If there is mis-selling, then there should be a mechanism to give the entire premium back to policyholders, says Kamlesh Rao, MD and CEO, Aditya Birla Sunlife Insurance. Tune into Simply Save for details.

The podcast episode features Amy Bach, the executive director of United Policyholders, an insurance consumer advocacy group. The host introduces Amy as an advocate for policyholders and discusses her background as an attorney. Amy shares her insights on insurance claims and the importance of policyholders being informed and empowered. Throughout the conversation, Amy and the host discuss various topics related to insurance, including the challenges policyholders face during claims, the need for fair claim handling, and the impact of changes in insurance laws. They also touch on the current state of the insurance market, particularly in wildfire-prone areas like California, and the importance of wildfire prevention measures for homeowners. Amy emphasizes the importance of risk reduction and disaster preparedness, highlighting the role of technology and innovation in assessing and mitigating risks. She also discusses the work of United Policyholders in providing resources and support to policyholders, including their Find Help directory and educational materials. The host encourages listeners to support United Policyholders and Amy's advocacy efforts by donating, sharing information, and getting involved in their communities. They emphasize the importance of education and proactive measures in addressing insurance challenges and promoting resilience against disasters like wildfires. Overall, the episode provides valuable insights into insurance issues, policyholder advocacy, and the importance of community engagement in disaster preparedness and recovery efforts. Highlights: The podcast welcomes Amy Bach, the executive director of United Policyholders, an insurance consumer advocate group. Amy's extensive experience and expertise in advocating for policyholders make her an invaluable guest on the show. Advocating for Policyholders: Amy's advocacy work focuses on empowering policyholders to understand their rights and navigate insurance claims effectively. She emphasizes the importance of policyholders having a voice in the insurance industry, especially when it comes to claim settlements. The Disaster Recovery Handbook: Amy co-authored "The Disaster Recovery Handbook and Household Inventory Guide," a comprehensive resource for homeowners dealing with insurance claims after a disaster. The book provides practical guidance on preparing for and navigating the claims process. Shift to Risk Prevention: With the increasing challenges in the insurance market, including rising premiums and policy cancellations, Amy highlights the importance of risk prevention for homeowners. This includes measures like wildfire prevention, water damage prevention, and seismic safety measures. Supporting United Policyholders: Listeners are encouraged to support United Policyholders by donating, contributing information, or spreading awareness. Amy emphasizes the organization's commitment to providing free resources and support to policyholders, empowering them to make informed decisions and protect their homes effectively. Whether you're passionate about environmental sustainability, intrigued by technological advancements, or simply eager to learn about the latest developments in wildfire prevention, this episode is a must-listen. Don't miss out on this exclusive opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge from one of the brightest minds in the field.

Lawyer Chris Otten shares his journey switching from being an insurance defense lawyer to serving policyholders. He underlines the importance of empathy and honesty when interacting with clients. Chris finds his past as a defense lawyer beneficial in his present role, often mediating between clients and insurance companies. He mentions his passion for teaching and community engagement, aims to positively impact people's lives, and is always open to new endeavors. Besides his legal practice, he is also a part owner of a restaurant. Chris believes in continually striving for excellence and delivering outstanding outcomes for his clients. Who's the Guest? Christopher G. Otten joined Hair Shunnarah Trial Attorneys in 2022. Prior to that, Chris represented plaintiffs for personal injury and property casualty claims, as well as in the insurance defense field, where his practice was primarily focused on health care and professional liability issues. A member of the Louisiana State Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, Chris is also admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Born and raised in Hoboken, NJ, Chris came to New Orleans to attend Tulane University in 2001, graduating in 2005 with a B.S.M. in Legal Studies, German, and a minor in Political Science. In 2009, Chris earned his Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans, College of Law. Highlights Chris' transition from New Jersey to Louisiana, his involvement in law since college, and the effects of Hurricane Katrina on his life The balance between understanding and letting the clients express their unique experiences Galen remembers his encounter with Chris in a courtroom and reflects on his effective courtroom skills His admiration for women who continue to succeed in managing their various responsibilities, including those who are pregnant or have young children His daily routine between his academic office, attending to client matters, and managing his restaurant The importance of maintaining good relations with people and making a difference in their lives The value of understanding and empathizing with clients to better solve their legal matters The role of empathy in attaining successful outcomes in the legal profession What it means for Chris to level up': Honesty, empathy, and delivering outstanding results for clients Episode Resources Connect with Galen M. Hair https://insuranceclaimhq.com hair@hairshunnarah.com https://levelupclaim.com/ Connect with Chris Otten https://insuranceclaimhq.com/attorney/christopher-g-otten/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisotten 

Today on “Don't Take No for An Answer,” Eric Jesse and Heather Weaver of Lowenstein Sandler's Insurance Recovery Group continue their discussion about the property and casualty insurance market. With guests Josh Weisberg, Chief Risk Officer at SterlingRisk, and Brad Barron, partner and managing Deputy General Counsel at Conner Strong & Buckelew, Eric and Heather explore how insurers are reacting to challenging market conditions including inflation and supply chain delays, and the increased claims arising therefrom. They explain the shift from blanket limits in commercial property insurance towards the increased use of sublimits, larger deductibles, and co-insurance; where there may be room for pushback and negotiation with the insurers; and what policyholders may expect in the future from possible rate increases to a more stringent underwriting process.  Speakers: Eric Jesse, Partner, Insurance RecoveryHeather Weaver, Counsel, Insurance RecoveryBradford Barron, Partner, Managing Deputy General Counsel, Conner Strong & Buckelew LLPJosh Weisberg, Chief Risk Officer, Sterling Risk Insurance

Today, Eric Jesse and Heather Weaver of Lowenstein Sandler's Insurance Recovery Group sit down with executives from two major insurance brokerage firms: Josh Weisberg, Chief Risk Officer at SterlingRisk, and Brad Barron, partner and managing Deputy General Counsel at Conner Strong & Buckelew, to discuss recent developments in the property and casualty insurance market, including the current state of the market, major drivers, new coverage restrictions, ways policyholders can improve their risk profiles, and where they think the market is going over the next few years. The conversation touches on the impact of the plaintiff's bar, supply chain issues, and inflation, as well as climate change and population densities; and the rising costs of reinsurance. Speakers: Eric Jesse, Partner, Insurance RecoveryHeather Weaver, Counsel, Insurance RecoveryBradford Barron, Partner, Managing Deputy General Counsel, Conner Strong & Buckelew LLPJosh Weisberg, Chief Risk Officer, Sterling Risk Insurance

Galen Hair interviews Jason Manten, an attorney with Insurance Claim HQ, who shares his insights on the insurance claims process based on his experiences on both sides of the defense and plaintiff spectrum. Manten previously worked in-house for insurance companies, which gives him a unique understanding of their delay tactics.  Who's the Guest? Jason Manten began his career in construction defect litigation, focusing on defending developers, product manufactures, general contractors, design professionals, environmental consultations, and subcontractors. These representations included construction and design defect disputes, construction payment disputes, and catastrophic construction accidents. Mr. Manten then moved in-house with Florida's largest homeowners insurance carrier, specializing in insurance defense. During this time, Mr. Manten learned how insurance companies operate, including their litigation strategies and how they evaluate claims. He now pursues claims on behalf of the insureds and helps policyholders navigate the complex legal issues involved in presenting and litigating against insurance companies, helping insureds recover what is owed to them.   Highlights Jason talks about his journey into law and his initial jobs in eDiscovery and litigation. The struggles of representing large insurance companies and their practices. Jason shares his experience in adjusting claims while working in-house. Common tactics of insurance carriers to delay payouts on claims. Conversation about the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and implementing an overhaul package in Florida. The tactics deployed by insurance companies concerning claim estimates. The interrelation between mortgages, insurance and the housing market. His prediction about the future of the legislation in Florida. The implications of removing one way attorney fees for insurance claim cases. Pointing out possible upcoming issues due to benefits given to carriers. Bringing up an example of unfair treatment of policyholders by insurance carriers. The public perception of insurance carriers in Florida.   Episode Resources Connect with Galen M. Hair https://insuranceclaimhq.com hair@hairshunnarah.com Connect with Jason Manten https://insuranceclaimhq.com/attorney/jason-manten/  

VTDigger's health reporter explains the new relationship between the Berlin, Vt.-based private health insurance company and a larger subsidiary in Michigan.

Insurance Claim FAQs: Top Questions Answered for Policyholders & Public Adjusters! Are you a policyholder with burning questions about your insurance claims? Or maybe a Public Adjuster seeking guidance on how to answer these frequent queries? Dive into this comprehensive guide as we break down the top three questions everyone's asking about property insurance claims! From potential rate hikes, and the intricate claim process, to the benefits of hiring a public adjuster – we've got it all covered. With insights based on real-world experiences, this video is a must-watch for anyone in the property insurance realm. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction 2:00 - What are policyholders' top three questions? 2:08 - Will filing a claim raise my rates? 2:49 - Why do insurance rates increase? 3:57 - How do industry events affect my rates? 4:37 - Should I ask my agent about rate hikes? 5:21 - Does litigation influence my rates? 5:44 - What's the post-filing claim process? 7:12 - How long does a claim process last? 7:32 - Why hire a public adjuster? 8:57 - Public adjuster vs. doing it myself: Which is better? #publicadjuster #insuranceclaim #homeinsurance ===========================

As a roofing company owner, seeing your customers dealing with an insurance company that denies or underpays claims can be challenging. Insurance companies must investigate and pay claims promptly. However, sometimes they fall short. Attorneys like Phillip Sanov can help level the playing field and represent the policyholders directly, ensuring their interests comes first. Tune in to hear Phillip discuss the various options available to policyholders and how roofing contractors can utilize this information to assist their customers effectively.

In this episode of “Don't Take No for an Answer,” hosts Lynda A. Bennett and Eric Jesse of Lowenstein's Insurance Recovery Group discuss the difference between a duty to defend versus a duty to reimburse. They explain why policyholders may intentionally choose one option over the other, what each option covers, and how much say in choice of counsel and legal strategy a policyholder maintains under each. Speakers: Lynda A. Bennett, Partner and Chair, Insurance RecoveryEric Jesse, Partner, Insurance Recovery

Danielle Kunkle Roberts is a founding partner of Boomer Benefits, a national insurance agency specializing in Medicare since 2005. She is the author of the best-selling book, “10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make.” Danielle helps educate Medicare recipients about their supplemental insurance options so that they can confidently choose the plan that best fits them. Policyholders have access to a customer client service team that helps them with Medicare appeals, claim denials, drug exceptions, annual Part D analysis, and much more. Boomer Benefits specializes in Medicare insurance-related products with more than 50,000 policyholders across the nation. They rank among the top national Medicare supplement producers.  Listen in for some great takeaways about Danielle's journey as an entrepreneur and her mission to educate and help the public make better Medicare decisions that will help them today and onward.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... Learn more about Danielle and why she founded Boomer Benefits [3:18]  Why Danielle wrote 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make [7:50] Why is Medicare so confusing for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries? [10:12]  The biggest challenge that new Medicare beneficiaries face [13:10] How to prepare for enrolling in Medicare and choose suitable insurance [16:57] The tools that exist to help people learn about Medicare [21:39]  The Medicare enrollment process and the “annual election period” [22:40]  How much does Medicare cost and what does it cover? [29:13]  How Danielle grew such a large Baby Boomer following online [34:41]  Why you need to focus on your people and your processes [39:37] What Danielle did today that put her in the right mindset for success [44:00] Resources & People Mentioned Medicare: https://medicare.gov/ Social Security: https://www.ssa.gov/ Set up a Medicare account The Medicare Q&A with Boomer Benefits Facebook Group 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make Connect with Danielle Kunkle Roberts The website On Instagram On Twitter On Linkedin On Facebook On YouTube Connect With Mitlin Financial podcast*at*mitlinfinancial(dot)com - email us with your suggestions for topics or guests If you would like to learn more schedule a call: https://mitlin.us/FitCall https://mitlinfinancial.com  Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram Subscribe on Youtube Follow on Linkedin Follow on Facebook Guests on the Mitlin Money Mindset Show are not affiliated with CWM, LLC, and opinions expressed herein may not be representative of CWM, LLC. CWM, LLC is not responsible for the guest's content linked on this site. Subscribe to Mitlin Money Mindset™ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts

In today's episode, we'll be discussing a topic that has generated a lot of buzz and intrigue in the life insurance industry: Variable Universal Life Insurance. Is it a smart investment or a costly gamble that could leave you empty-handed? We'll break down the ins and outs of this complex product, comparing it to popular alternatives like whole life insurance and indexed universal life insurance. First, we'll explore the allure of variable universal life insurance. At first glance, this type of policy seems appealing due to its premium flexibility and potential cash value accumulation. Policyholders can allocate their premiums to various sub-accounts, including stocks, bonds, and money market funds. This feature allows for the potential of higher returns compared to the guaranteed interest rate offered by whole life insurance or the non-guaranteed interest of indexed universal life insurance. However, this increased potential for returns comes with a higher level of investment risk. Our host will discuss the implications of this risk and how it could impact your policy's cash value and death benefit. Next, we'll examine the double-edged sword of premium flexibility. While it may seem like an attractive feature, it comes with hidden dangers, such as the potential for a policy lapse. If your policy's cash value is not sufficient to cover the expenses, your policy could lapse, leaving you without coverage. Our host will discuss the importance of lapse protection riders and their associated costs, as well as the requirements needed to maintain this protection. The episode will then shift focus to safer alternatives: whole life insurance and indexed universal life insurance. Both offer permanent coverage, tax-deferred growth, and flexible death benefit options. Whole life insurance provides a guaranteed cash value accumulation and a guaranteed interest rate, while indexed universal life insurance offers a non-guaranteed interest rate tied to a market index with a guaranteed minimum rate. We'll discuss the benefits of these policies and their suitability for different financial goals and risk tolerances. As we wrap up the episode, we'll weigh the risks of variable universal life insurance and emphasize the importance of making an informed decision. While variable universal life insurance may seem enticing due to its potential for higher returns and premium flexibility, it's crucial to carefully consider the risks involved, such as market volatility, policy loans, and surrender charges. Don't miss this in-depth analysis of variable universal life insurance. Whether you're considering purchasing a policy or simply want to learn more about it, this episode is packed with valuable information that will help you navigate the world of life insurance with confidence. Join us and empower yourself with the knowledge you need to protect your family's financial future. _________________________ If you'd like to explore whole life insurance, indexeded universal life insurance or are looking for ways to generate guaranteed retirement income, we can help. Please click here to get in touch with us.  

In this episode, Jake and Gino discuss dividend-paying whole life insurance policies through mutually-owned insurance companies. Since a mutually-owned insurance company is owned by its whole life insurance policyholders, it is customary for these mutual insurers to pay dividends annually back to its whole life policyowners. They talk about why you need a 100 Year structured policy in your portfolio. The insurance companies used by the 100 Year Team in designing your 100 Year Savings Solution have paid a dividend for over 160 years straight, since before the Civil War, never missing a year. Policyholders can use the cash value as an investment-like savings account and take money from it. Further, the cash value of your whole life insurance policy will not be taxed while it's growing. This is known as “tax deferred,” and it means that your money grows faster because it's not being reduced by taxes each year. Jake and Gino discuss why high net worth individuals prefer whole life insurance over other savings vehicles and note it's tax-advantaged benefits as one of the top reasons. They share how this strategy has helped them both create wealth and retain it. They also discuss the benefits of leveraging the Dual Asset Strategy, with a 100 Year structured whole life policy. Plus, learn how the ‘bucket system' can help you manage your savings, cash, and real estate, to protect your wealth and legacy long term. Key Moments: 00:00 Introduction 01:05 Why continue to roll the dice or lose money in the stock market? 01:20 Gino utilizing the Dual Asset Strategy: Using cash value whole life insurance to invest in real estate 04:27 Stock trading vs overfunded whole life insurance – which has more consistent dividends? 05:30 Tax advantages of whole life insurance as a savings vehicle 07:52 Equity build-up vs buying something 09:51 How IRAs pension system started and how it works 12:59 Where do banks invest their money? Mutually-owned whole life insurance. 15:20 Three pillars of wealth: Own real estate, have a small business, and get a whole life insurance 15:47 Wrap up If you're looking for an investment with guaranteed growth, talk to our Team today about a whole life insurance policy to protect the legacy you are working so hard to build. They can walk you through your options, and how each compares to the other. They can also explain how to reinvest your dividends! SCHEDULE A Call: https://100yearrei.com/callnow/ Check out our podcast for more episodes comparing whole life to other savings vehicles like 401(k) and IRA's: https://100yearrei.com/podcast/ Bonus resources: DOWNLOAD our Dual Asset Strategy ebook and learn how YOU can leverage cash value life insurance and become your own source of financing: https://100yearrei.com/ebook-download/ About The 100 Year Real Estate Investor The Whole Life Insurance Policies offered by the 100 Year Real Estate Investor are specially-designed. This means they work harder toward achieving your financial objectives, no matter what they may be. Check out this blog for 7 facts about our specially-designed strategies that may not be true about typical whole life policies: https://100yearrei.com/7-facts-about-... #legacywealth #lifeinsurance #financialplanning #personalfinancialengineering #generationalwealth The contents of this video are for informational and educational purposes only. They should not be considered investment, financial, legal or tax advice. Jake and Gino are not licensed in the insurance or securities industries and is not in the business of selling, soliciting or negotiating the sale of any insurance contract, security or other investment vehicle. [yotuwp type="videos" id="loisArAo1g8" player="width=0"]