Interest rates, interest rates, interest rates… an item that we seem to discuss with clients daily. If you've been following the news lately, you've likely heard that the Federal Reserve recently raised interest rates for the first time since 2023. The goal is to help bring inflation under control by making borrowing more expensive, which can slow spending and…

Three months later, "it didn't seem to have lasted," said Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and a member of the Federal Reserve Board committee that adjusts interest rates to either stimulate the U.S. economy or slow down inflation. It was the first time in three years that the Fed had raised its benchmark interest rate- now ranging from 3.75%…

Mark Warner has filed a bill that does away with the healthcare cuts in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" while creating a low-cost public health plan to start the nation on the path to universal healthcare. This includes the $35 cap on insulin. Cap out-of-pocket costs for medication under group or individual plans to $2,000 for single people and…

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of“ a” of the property/casualty and life/health members of Horace Mann Educators Corporation. The group entered into two separate agreements with Medical Mutual of Ohio to acquire Employee Services, LLC and Reserve National Insurance Company, and to reinsure…

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department approved 2027 Affordable Care Act health insurance premium rates for Pennsylvania's individual and small group health insurance markets. "Unfortunately, health care cuts by the federal government continue to drive up costs for Pennsylvania families. We understand that these rate increases are rough on…

As Oregonians brace for some of the steepest health insurance increases in years, state regulators are warning consumers hunting for cheaper options to make sure they know what they’ re buying. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation this week warned about health plans that advertise enticingly low monthly prices and can appear to be traditional…

For North Bay employers, employee benefits are at an inflection point. For decades, the formula has been relatively simple: offer health insurance, dental and vision, contribute toward the premium, add a retirement plan and hope the package is competitive enough to attract and retain employees. That formula is becoming harder to sustain.

AM Best has downgraded the Financial Strength Rating to B+ from B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating to“ bbb-” from“ bbb” of Hanover Fire& Casualty Insurance Company. Concurrently, AM Best has maintained the under review with negative implications status for these Credit Ratings. The rating downgrades reflect AM Best’ s view that Hanover’ s stand-alone ratings…

Coloradans who buy their health insurance on the individual market, rather than getting coverage through their employer, will see around a 10% increase in their premiums next year, the state's Department of Insurance announced Tuesday. But make no mistake: Congress still needs to restore the subsidies that millions of Americans relied on to afford their…

The Lassen County Management and Professional Association recognizes the very real financial chalenges facing Lasen County. Shifting state and federal funding, expanding mandates, rapidly rising health insurance premiums, inflation, and the loss of one-time revenues have all placed significant strain on the county budget. What is deeply concerning,…

Walt Disney, Bloomberg, Starbucks and Deloitte are among those taking actions next year to rein in healthcare spending, from restricting spousal coverage to eliminating plan options or cutting drug benefits to deal with soaring costs. Insurer Aon predicted even higher costs, with U.S. employer healthcare costs increasing 9.5% next year, pushing average…

Home insurance companies chose to not renew 2.02 million policies in 2024, a nearly 61% increase from the year before, when they non-renewed about 1.26 million policies, according to a new National Association of Insurance Commissioners report. "Non-renewals have gone from an occasional headache to a recurring part of the week," independent agent Tom…

AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of“ aa+” of Tokio Marine& Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries. The group’ s economic solvency ratio was 268% as of 31 March 2026, well above its target range and the 100% regulatory requirement under Japan’ s new economic value-based solvency regime.