A.m. Best Radio Podcast

Tarique Nageer, terrorism placement advisory and leader, property practice at Marsh, discusses the implications of recent high-profile incidents in New Orleans and Las Vegas on the terrorism insurance market and how businesses and insurers are adapting to an unpredictable global threat landscape.

PwC U.S. Insurance Deals Leader Mark Friedman discusses expectations for strong deal activity this year, driven by investor interest, stabilized interest rates, potential regulatory easing post-elections and a private equity backlog of exits.

Matt Reilly, head of insurance solutions for Conning, discusses key findings from the company’s annual Investment Risk Survey, revealing how P/C and life insurers are adapting their investment strategies amid evolving economic and market challenges.

Robert Feldman, cofounder, president, CEO, WOWS Insurance Services, discusses how the Los Angeles wildfires highlight the increasing challenges insurers face in high-risk areas and innovative strategies to mitigate risk and stabilize the market.

Stephen Crewdson, senior director at J.D. Power, discusses key findings from the latest Loyalty Indicator & Shopping Trends Report, including record-breaking shopping and switching rates and how insurers are responding to increased competition.

David Blades and Christopher Graham, AM Best, discuss the latest inland marine Insurance trends, including pet insurance profitability and travel insurance recovery.

Yassir Albaharna, managing director and group CEO, Trust Re, said MENA and African insurers should not be quick to expand internationally, given opportunities within local markets. Albaharna spoke with AM Best TV at the Global Insurance Forum, Miami.

Tobias Grimm, chief climate scientist, Munich Re, discusses the $140 billion insured losses from natural disasters in 2024, the rising impact of climate change, and the industry's role in building resilience and addressing the protection gap.

Mike Allee, president, Universal Conversion Technologies, discusses a recent joint report by LIMRA, Equisoft and UTC showing that 66% of U.S. life insurers and 46% globally are not prepared for AI implementation.

Shanna McIntyre, co-founder and chief data officer at Delos, discusses her company's innovative approach to wildfire risk modeling, leveraging advanced data and technology, and its commitment to providing stable homeowners insurance coverage in wildfire-prone areas.

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.