Insurance Business

Adtech firm 33Across is relaunching as WealthStage, an advertising platform aimed at banks, lenders, brokers, insurers and trading apps. The company says an AI engine will score household wealth, targeting financial services advertising as an estimated $124 trillion changes hands by 2048. It is unclear which data sources feed the scoring system and what parts of the original business remain under the 33Across name.

Zurich Insurance Group has outlined five priorities it says will reshape global travel and tourism in 2026, published alongside the Travel Tourism Development Index. The list points to the forces the industry is expected to grapple with over the coming year, from shifting traveller demand to resilience and sustainability pressures. Industry watchers are taking note as operators plan for 2026.

Insurance broker Lockton says the gap between climate-related losses and insurance coverage is growing, as extreme weather events drive up damages faster than insurers are willing or able to cover them. The warning highlights rising uninsured exposure for businesses and households as natural catastrophe losses increase worldwide.

More than a year after the wildfire that devastated Lahaina, Maui, many businesses along the town's historic Front Street have yet to reopen, leaving the once-bustling tourist strip largely empty. Local reporting highlights questions over rebuilding timelines, insurance and lease disputes, and whether the area can regain its role as the economic and cultural heart of West Maui.

Fleet operators are being warned that electric vehicle repair capacity has become a fresh risk question for their businesses. With more EVs entering fleets, concerns centre on whether enough trained technicians, parts and authorised repair shops exist to keep damaged electric vehicles on the road and control downtime and insurance costs.

A San Francisco company that sells insurance for artificial intelligence risks has expanded into running a cafe, according to The San Francisco Standard. The story highlights the difficulty of building an AI insurance business and the unusual pivot to hospitality as a way to keep going.

The European Union is developing a climate insurance plan aimed at narrowing the protection gap — the share of climate-related losses not covered by insurance. As extreme weather events increase across Europe, growing numbers of homes and businesses face uninsured damage. Officials hope the plan will expand coverage and improve resilience, though details of how it would work remain to be set out.

Specialty insurer Ascot has restructured its underwriting businesses and appointed presidents to lead its divisions. The move forms part of the group's effort to sharpen its specialty insurance and reinsurance operations under clearer divisional leadership. No financial details or named executives beyond the new division presidents were provided in the announcement.

East Coast storms could disrupt travel plans through the fall and winter season, according to Forbes, which outlines when travel insurance can help travelers recover costs. With the busy holiday travel period approaching, the report highlights how storm-related delays and cancellations may affect flights along the East Coast and when policies would cover travelers for interruptions, cancellations, and related expenses.

A federal judge has found that the IRS's pre-trial assessment of penalties in a microcaptive insurance case is lawful, according to Bloomberg Law. The ruling is a setback for microcaptive owners challenging the tax agency's authority to impose penalties before trial. The decision may shape how similar disputes between taxpayers and the IRS proceed, in an area already under close scrutiny by regulators.

A legal analysis piece examines the issues employers should address before deploying robots in the workplace, including safety, liability and regulatory compliance. The commentary suggests companies integrating robotic systems need to prepare contracts, insurance and oversight arrangements in advance. With robots increasingly entering warehouses, factories and offices, businesses are being warned to sort out the legal groundwork before automation arrives on the job.