Insurance news, interviews, rating announcements and more.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/17/130ef5be-669f-47c1-b503-3e0c4af6edea_2026-09_piasecki_mixdown.mp3

The life/annuity segment is fueling the industry’s Level 3 bond holdings, according to a new Best&#39;s Special Report discussed by Kaitlin Piasecki, industry research analyst, AM Best.

AM Best: Higher Exposure to Level 3 Bonds Brings Valuation Risk for Life/Annuity Segment

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/17/af6c650e-6568-426a-856e-9a14a79d51e0_2026-09_lagomarsino_mixdown.mp3

Whether reinsurers can maintain the discipline that produced profitable results is key, according to a new Best’s Market Segment Report discussed by Michael Lagomarsino, senior director, AM Best.

AM Best: Global Reinsurance at an Inflection Point – Can Discipline Survive the Temptation of Record Capital?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/17/6b990c80-057e-4696-9bda-0be5bc57b91c_2026-09_cyber_briefing_mixdown.mp3

Industry executives, innovation leaders and AM Best analysts discuss the complexities of cyber capacities, underwriting and what to expect in the future from cyber insurance.

AM Best’s Analytical Briefing – Cyber Insurance: Navigating the Complexities

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/17/5aeb41f6-0c8f-4b3c-87e4-85e440908b83_2026-09_jason_hopper_mixdown.mp3

The asset-intensive reinsurance market remains competitive as annuity growth slows at primary insurers, according to a new Best&#39;s Special Report discussed by Jason Hopper, associate director, AM Best.

AM Best: Unaffiliated Offshore Reinsurance Deals Drive Asset-Intensive Reinsurance Market

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/17/eab091a9-d03e-4b23-b4bc-a56eec9bfd2d_2026-09_pfennings_mixdown.mp3

A new Best&#39;s Market Segment Report discussed by AM Best Senior Financial Analyst Christopher Pennings finds the California wildfires in January 2025 led to a rough start for the year, but nearly all reinsurers were able to book strong underwriting results by year end, a strong testament to the favorable pricing environment.

AM Best: World’s 50 Largest Reinsurers

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/26/14/4647c15e-6b8d-4006-a966-7baab5be3d3a_2026-09_msig_jayson_taylor_mixdown.mp3

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

Issues & Answers: Rethinking Casualty

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/5/19/83d74627-0ee0-4684-bb5a-97b8930ca6a8_2026-09_strada_ina_mixdown.mp3

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

Issues & Answers: Strada Scales AI Success

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/5/19/916cb764-51da-4a9a-9731-e19a085b1e7c_026-09_russell_johnston_nationwide_ina_mixdown.mp3

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

Issues & Answers: Mutual Success

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/5/19/eb7eb89e-82da-49c6-9e5a-561d5b30ba69_2026-09_ismie_ina_mixdown.mp3

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

Issues & Answers: Growth Through Diversity

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/14/20/a3681d05-01fc-4a70-a74d-03d5e22fdbc6_2026-09_xceedance_ina__vikas_achaya_mixdown.mp3

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

Issues & Answers: What Separates Agentic AI Hype from Business Impact

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/14/20/0bfc6edb-7ab4-4559-8caf-924a2acc71d1_2026-09_fa_lindsey_digangi_mixdown.mp3

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

Mutual Values Drive Long-Term Success

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/28/14/e376184a-5fd7-4802-bb09-485d82d5cb0c_-08-18_renee_kirluk_hill_private_flood_mixdown.mp3

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

BestWire: MS&AD Surges to Top of Private Flood Insurance Market

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/15/3b28771b-c25c-4100-81d2-6a71a007267a_2026-08_ai_mixdown.mp3

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

AM Best’s Analytical Briefing – How Are Insurers Using AI?

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/14/8d2a861a-1824-40f4-9288-e0cf52873c15_2026-08-12_terry_dopp_group_life_mixdown.mp3

Terry Dopp, senior associate editor, AM Best, details the 2026 Best&#39;s Rankings of the U.S. group life in force top carriers.

BestWire's Dopp: US Group Life In Force Grows as Top Carriers Mostly Stable

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/15/528f3d3f-909b-4016-af03-31b1d5676a26_2026-08_andersen_reinsurers_mixdown.mp3

Durable program changes have raised the floor for return on equity over the past three years, according to a new Best&#39;s Market Segment Report discussed by Helen Andersen, industry research analyst, AM Best.

AM Best: Reinsurers’ Returns Exceed Cost of Capital Despite Softening Market

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/15/36db71a8-82e5-425b-bb17-8f8dd022567d_2026-08_student_challenge_mixdown.mp3

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

Lee McDonald, Senior Vice President, and Sridhar Manyem, Senior Director, both of AM Best, on the AM Best 2027 Student Challenge Competition

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/21/13/4cb8fa88-64c0-45df-a659-65f4eef04c8b_026-07_renee_personal_auto_the_big_one_mixdown.mp3

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

BestWire's Kiriluk-Hill: Progressive Pulls Even With State Farm in AM Best Private Passenger Rankings

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/14/13/bac23111-6b8b-47e3-8dad-69f0e5ce380d_2026-08-21_duae_briefing_mixdown.mp3

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

AM Best’s Analytical Briefing – DUAEs: Niche Expertise and Tailored Solutions

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/14/13/9d567342-f20c-4970-86ef-00b27a6e092e_2026-08-20_cutcher_mixdown.mp3

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

Global Captive Podcast’s Cutcher: Episodes Deliver Innovation, Strategy, Real-World Success Stories

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/8/14/13/37bd9a71-d7e2-42d0-8c08-779b8d69cf44_2026-08-19_kleffner_mixdown.mp3

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

Trial by Fire Study: California Wildfires Test Insurer Resilience, Market Stability

AM BestAudio Podcast

Insurance news, interviews, rating announcements and more.