A.M. Best Company, Inc.

AM Best Audio

AM Best Audio is a production of AM Best. Subscribers to Best’s News & Research Service can access the full news stories reported in AM Best Audio. Visit http://news.ambest.com

Author

A.M. Best Company, Inc.

Category

Business

Podcast website

redcircle.com

Latest episode

Jul 10, 2026

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Episodes

Inland Marine Insurance: Insights on Pet and Travel Insurance Performance Post-Pandemic 03.02.2025

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

Trust Re's Albaharna: Regional Insurers Should Resist Foreign Expansion, Focus on Local 31.01.2025

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.

Munich Re’s Tobias Grimm: 2024 a Record-Breaking Year for Catastrophe Losses 30.01.2025

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.

UCT’s Allee: Survey Shows Life Insurers See Data as Key Hurdle Amid AI Challenges 29.01.2025

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

Harnessing Data, Technology to Tackle California Wildfire Risks 28.01.2025

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.

ValuePenguin: Auto Insurance Rate Increases Slowing 27.01.2025

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.

Allianz Risk Barometer 2025: Cyber Tops the List Amid Rising Global Challenges 24.01.2025

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.

Rackspace Survey: Resistance to AI, Data Security Concerns Cloud Strategies 23.01.2025

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

AM Best: China’s New Energy-Vehicle Boom Transforms Motor Insurance Market 22.01.2025

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.

Xceedance’s Stokes: The Role of AI in Speeding Disaster Recovery 21.01.2025

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.

Verisk’s Borman: Wildfire Modeling Advances Risk Assessment in a Changing Climate 20.01.2025

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.

New York Life’s Beligotti: Many Older Adults Unprepared for Soaring Long-Term Care Costs 17.01.2025

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.

Allianz’s Schlesinger: A Global Perspective on Emerging Risks 16.01.2025

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’s Briefing – The Rating of Insurance-Related Asset-Backed Securities, Questions Answered 15.01.2025

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...

Navigating Risks and Opportunities in US Lithium Extraction 14.01.2025

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’s Kudale: Cyber Threats Reveal Vulnerabilities 13.01.2025

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.

Nationwide's Werkheiser: The Future of Program Is 'Hyper-Specialization' 10.01.2025

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.

LIMRA’s Hodgens: Life Insurance Industry Focuses on Growth, Innovation to Address Coverage Gap 09.01.2025

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: Favorable Signs for Nonstandard Auto 08.01.2025

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’s Shavel: Generative AI in Insurance Addresses Industry Resilience, Flood Protection Gaps 07.01.2025

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.

Weekly Lunches and No Silos: A Life Insurance Chief Executive's Hands-On Philosophy 06.01.2025

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: Driver Shortage, Inexperience Compound Commercial Auto Woes 03.01.2025

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.

CAC’s Wakefield: M&A Surge Drives Changes in Transactional Liability Insurance 02.01.2025

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.

Xceedance's Parcelli: Technology, AI Are Reshaping the MGA Landscape 01.01.2025

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.

Oliver Wyman's Moloney: Private Capital Reshapes Life Insurance Sector 31.12.2024

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.

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