AM Best Audio Podcast

Yan Jin, professor of crisis communication leadership at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication; Curt Harris, a professor in the College of Public Health and director of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Disaster Management; and James Carson, head of the Department of Insurance in the Terry College of Business and a professor of risk management, discuss a new graduate certificate in Crisis, Risk, and Disaster Communication. The program is designed to equip students with the skills necessary for proactive readiness, and to address complex communication challenges in disaster situations.

Stephen Crewdson, senior director, insurance business development at J.D. Power discusses the latest report that shows the highest quarterly shopping/quote rate for private passenger auto insurance since the company’s loyalty indicator shopping trends (LIST) has been published.

AM Best's analytical captive team and industry experts discuss the recent performance of the captive sector and other alternative risk transfer (ART) instruments.

Lee Shavel, president and CEO, Verisk Analytics explains how there is a need in the insurance industry to accelerate and expand both the data and insights that data generates.

Lauryn Kothavale, vice president, insurance research, Conning, said growth in the MGA market is driven by talent, technology and specialization. Fronting companies play an increasing role, while Lloyd's remains the top capacity provider.

Industry experts discuss insurance marketers’ use of artificial intelligence in their jobs and organizations, where AI fits into marketing workflows and how the various platforms meet insurance marketers’ needs.

Marcia Blanco, head of financial lines, Munich Re Specialty North America, explains how after years of working from home due to a pandemic, employers are mandating that employees return to the office, leading to a host of workplace risks.

AM Best Associate Director Jason Hopper outlines a new Best's Special Report that finds holdings of private structured securities (non-MBS) have nearly quadrupled since 2013.

Discussing the recent Crowdstrike cyber incident, David Derigiotis, president of brokerage and head of insurance at Flow Specialty, said “carriers are willing to stomach a true system failure and not an actual malicious attack … intended to cause harm.”

Jeff Dellinger, the author of The Handbook of Variable Income Annuities, and Bruno Caron, a financial and actuarial professional, discuss the guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit and other life insurance options with a financially successful retirement in mind.