A.m. Best Radio Podcast

Divya Sangameshwar, an insurance expert and spokesperson for ValuePenguin, discusses a company report that shows while auto insurance premiums are rising for the seventh year in a row, this year rates are expected to increase only 7.5% compared with 16.5% in 2024.

Tom Varney, regional manager for Allianz Commercial, discusses the top global business risks for 2025 as identified in Allianz’s Risk Barometer, including cyber threats, business interruption, and climate-related events, highlighting the importance of resilience and collaboration among insurers, brokers, and businesses.

Prince Varma, global vice president, and Ben Blanquera, VP of technology and sustainability, both of Rackspace Technology, discuss a recent survey.

AM Best's Aaron Li discusses a new special report that examines how the rapid adoption of new energy vehicles in China is affecting motor insurers and the motor insurance market.

Ryan Stokes, client partner at Xceedance, discusses how AI and virtual tools are revolutionizing the property claims process, enabling faster damage assessments, fraud prevention, and quicker payouts.

Julia Borman, a leading expert at Verisk, discusses the company’s innovative wildfire catastrophe model, its alignment with new California regulations, and its role in enhancing risk assessment, pricing, and resilience planning for insurers facing the escalating challenges of wildfire activity.

Jeff Beligotti, head of long-term care solutions at New York Life, discusses the growing need for long-term care insurance, the financial hurdles aging Americans encounter and the vital role advisers play in addressing these challenges.

Jarrod Schlesinger, global head of financial lines and cyber at Allianz, discusses the rising demand for directors & officers insurance amid escalating regulatory scrutiny, geopolitical instability and risks associated with AI and litigation funding.

AM Best senior analytical staff explore common types of insurance ABS transactions and the key assumptions behind their ratings. They will discuss the default rates applied to the transactions’ collateral, the asset-dependent recovery rates, the use of credit substitution and enhancement on collateral and rated securities and the determination of the implied rating of the securities by applying AM Best’s Idealized Issue Default Matrix.

Fred Smith, EVP of mining and metals at CAC Specialty, discusses the potential of Arkansas lithium discovery, the operational and environmental risks in lithium extraction, and how insurance markets can adapt to support the growing U.S. electric vehicle battery production industry.

Cowbell Founder and CEO Jack Kudale discusses how recent cyber threats expose digital vulnerabilities and how predictive modeling and AI-driven, real-time risk assessment enable insurers to adapt strategies for managing non-malicious cyber events.

Eric Werkheiser, vice president, Nationwide, said the market is moving toward more specialized products and innovative delivery methods, including embedded insurance solutions and unique fronting arrangements. Werkheiser spoke with AM Best TV at Target Markets' 24th Annual Summit, held in Scottsdale.

Bryan Hodgens, senior vice president and head of research at LIMRA, explores the sector’s increasing priority on growth, with a focus on closing the protection gap that affects more than 100 million Americans.

AM Best Associate Director David Blades and Associate Analyst Bryan Raber highlight a new Best's Market Segment Report that finds price adequacy and risk selection initiatives manifested in notably improved underwriting results during the first half of 2024.

Verisk CEO Lee Shavel highlights how the insurance industry is becoming more resilient in the face of catastrophic events, addresses the protection gap, and explores how generative AI will transform underwriting.

Western & Southern Financial Group Chairman, President and CEO John F. Barrett reviews his 37-year tenure, during which a regional insurance company transformed into a diversified financial services enterprise.

AM Best Associate Director David Blades and Senior Industry Analyst Chris Graham discuss a new report on the U.S. commercial auto insurance segment, which experienced a $5 billion net underwriting loss in 2023 and worsening conditions in early 2024.

Michael Wakefield, EVP, CAC Specialty, discusses how rising M&A activity is impacting pricing, coverage and new insurance solutions, including warranties, tax, and contingent risk insurance.

Michael Parcelli, senior vice president, Xceedance, said the flexible nature of managing general agents allows them to embrace technology, which is now an essential ingredient to remaining competitive. Parcelli spoke with AM Best TV at Target Markets' 24th Annual Summit, held in Scottsdale.

Mick Moloney, partner, Oliver Wyman, cited the growing influence of private capital and the evolution of asset management-led insurance models. Moloney spoke with AM Best TV at the Global Insurance Forum in Miami.