Plunkett's Insurance Industry Almanac

Jack W. Plunkett is CEO and Publisher of Plunkett Research, Ltd., a Houston-based provider of market research and industry information in printed and electronic formats. Plunkett's client list includes 5,000 leading corporations, universities and government agencies worldwide. Plunkett's research products are distributed electronically through subscriptions to its website, www.plunkettresearch.com, and around the globe by major booksellers and news distributors. Jack Plunkett's work has been widely covered by hundreds of magazines, newspapers and broadcast stations, including stories in USA Today and Inc. Magazine. Plunkett is frequently interviewed as an expert source by publications such as Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal. The New York Times and Investor's Business Daily, media outlets such as NPR's Marketplace, ABC, and CBS Marketwatch, as well as local and regional newspapers and national columnists.

PLUNKETT'S INSURANCE INDUSTRY ALMANAC 2008CONTENTSA Short Insurance Industry GlossaryiIntroduction1How to Use This Book3Chapter 1: Major Trends Affecting the Insurance Industry71)Introduction to the Insurance Industry72)Aging Populations Create Challenges and Opportunities for the Insurance Industry93)Selling Insurance to Consumers in Discount Stores May Grow94)Sophisticated Risk Management and Prevention Programs Lead to Lower Losses105)Independent Agencies Continue to Dominate Commercial Insurance, but Play a Lesser Role inPersonal Lines106)Direct Selling and E-Commerce Grow117)Technology Drives Efficiencies in Back Office Tasks, Underwriting, Agency Networks andCustomer Service128)Homeowner's Insurance Passes More Risk to the Policy Holders and Relies on Sophisticated Risk Analysis Tools to Set Rates139)Insurance Industry Reform May Be on the Horizon1410)Insurance Industry Mergers and Acquisitions Continue1511)No End in Sight to the Growth of Specialized Insurance Lines1512)Variable Annuity Accounts Top $1.3 Trillion in the U.S., While Costs and Sales Practices areScrutinized1513)Major U.S., Japanese and European Insurance Firms See Vast Promise in the Chinese Market1614)Insurers Target Developing Markets1715)Continued Rise in Health Care Costs1716)Employers Push Health Care Costs onto Employees1817)Adoption of Health Savings Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts Begins to Slow1918)Malpractice Suits Are Blamed for Rising Health Care Costs/Tort Reform Is Capping Awards for Damages2019)Medicare Changes Include Drug Benefits for Seniors/Medicare Advantage Offers Private Feefor Service Plans2120)Hedge Funds Enter the Reinsurance Field in a Big Way22Chapter 2: Insurance Industry Statistics23Insurance Industry Overview24Annual Merger & Acquisition Deal Volume, U.S. Insurance Industry: 2001-200725Largest U.S. Insurance Industry Merger & Acquisition Deals: 200626Top 25 Global Insurance Companies by Revenues: 200627Top 10 U.S.-Based Publicly-Traded Insurance Companies by Revenues: 200628Top 20 Global Property & Casualty Insurance Companies by Revenues: 200629Assets & Liabilities of U.S. Property-Casualty Insurance Companies: 2001-2nd Quarter 200730Typical U.S. Automobile Insurance Costs per Year: 200731Top 20 Global Life Insurance Companies by Revenues: 200632Assets & Liabilities of U.S. Life Insurance Companies: 2001-2nd Quarter 200733Top 10 Global Health Insurance Companies by Revenues: 200634Employers' Costs for Health Insurance, Amount and Percent of Total Compensation, U.S.: SelectedYears 2002-200635The Nation's Health Dollar: 2007 (Estimated), Where It Came From36People without Health Insurance for the Entire Year, U.S.: 2004-200637Percent of Persons under Age 65 Years without Health Insurance Coverage, by Age Group & Sex:U.S.: 200638Medicare Deductible, Co-Payment & Premium Amounts: 200839Employment in the Insurance Industry, U.S.: 2000-200641Employment & Earnings in Insurance Industry Occupations, U.S.: May 200642Chapter 3: Important Insurance Industry Contacts43(Addresses, Phone Numbers and World Wide Web Sites)Chapter 4: THE INSURANCE 300:Who They Are and How They Were Chosen63Industry List, With Codes64Index of Rankings Within Industry Groups66Alphabetical Index75Index of Headquarters Location by U.S. State78Index of Non-U.S. Headquarters Location by Country82Index by Regions of the U.S. Where the Firms Have Locations84Index by Firms with Operations Outside the U.S.94Individual Data Profiles on Each of THE INSURANCE 30097Additional IndexesIndex of Hot Spots for Advancement for Women/Minorities418Index by Subsidiaries, Brand Names and Selected Affiliations419