Insurance Wire Weekly: Brown & Riding builds out agribusiness with new national practice
Issue of 5 October 2026
What happened last week.
- Carriers Brown & Riding builds out agribusiness with new national practice
The Dallas-based wholesale brokerage has stood up a dedicated agribusiness unit covering the full agricultural supply chain, from custom farming and dairies to food processing and agricultural transport. David Chipp, a senior vice president based in Los Angeles, heads the practice, which is built to help retail agents place coverage for risks across farm, food and agriculture. Coverager, Insurance Journal and Business Insurance all reported the launch.
- Regulation Census Bureau proposes dropping race data and shrinking immigrant count for 2030
A September 2026 proposed rule would remove race and ethnicity questions from the decennial census for the first time since 1790 and redefine residency to exclude millions of noncitizen immigrants from the apportionment base. The changes would directly affect how federal funds are distributed across states, with knock-on consequences for Medicaid, Medicare and other programs that insurers and health plans depend on for enrollment and reimbursement projections. Public comments close October 13, 2026.
- Claims State Farm to add 3,000 claims staff in 2027 as weather and vehicle complexity drive demand
State Farm plans to grow its claims workforce by roughly 10 percent next year, adding 3,000 net employees to a team that already handles nearly 11 million claims annually. Both Claims Journal and Insurance Journal reported the September 25 announcement, with the insurer citing severe weather, new vehicle technology and changing repair methods as the drivers. Hiring is already underway.
- Regulation SEC sues fund adviser Meyer Global Management over pre-IPO fraud schemes
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed suit against Meyer Global Management LLC and its chief executive, Owen E.H. Meyer, alleging a series of fraudulent schemes targeting retail investors in private funds that held stakes in SpaceX and other pre-IPO companies. The complaint, filed in federal court in New York, alleges misappropriation of client assets, inflated account statements, and the forfeiture of a nearly $3 million SpaceX investment. Fund managers, compliance officers, and brokers placing clients into pre-IPO vehicles should review the allegations closely.
- PEO HR's admin overload is an ownership gap, not a software gap
A workflow automation executive at Nintex argues that HR teams are drowning in administrative work not because they lack tools, but because no one has claimed responsibility for the handoffs between departments. The fix, she says, starts with an internal audit of where hours actually go, not a new hire or a new platform. PEO clients and HR leaders running co-employment arrangements should pay attention: the same fragmented-ownership problem shows up acutely when HR functions are split across a client company and a PEO.
- Claims Fifteen states sue Corteva, alleging Vylor spinoff shields assets from PFAS claims
A bipartisan coalition of fifteen state attorneys general and Guam filed suit in Indiana state court Thursday, accusing Corteva of structuring its spinoff of the seed business Vylor to put its most valuable assets beyond the reach of massive PFAS liability claims. The lawsuit landed on the same day the spinoff completed, after a federal judge rejected California's emergency bid to block it. Underwriters and claims professionals tracking PFAS exposure should watch how Indiana courts treat the creditor-fraud theory at the heart of the case.
- Regulation Medicare Part D drug plan choices shrink again for 2027 as premiums diverge sharply
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released its 2027 Medicare Part D plan data, and a KFF analysis finds the number of stand-alone prescription drug plans available to the average beneficiary is falling for the fourth consecutive year. Premiums will hold steady or rise modestly for many enrollees, but those who stay in certain plans without switching could face monthly increases of $50 or more. Carriers, brokers and agents working Medicare markets should expect heightened beneficiary confusion and switching pressure heading into open enrollment.
- Carriers SIAA buys Canopy Specialty Insurance to add MGA underwriting capability
SIAA has acquired Canopy Specialty Insurance, a managing general agent writing specialty commercial property and casualty business in the US and UK. The deal brings niche underwriting authority and Lloyd's market access into SIAA's growing distribution platform. Financial terms were not disclosed.
- PEO What Does "Co-Employment" Actually Mean?
A PEO doesn’t replace you as the employer, but it can fundamentally change who is responsible when things go wrong
- Claims Arkansas appeals court orders AIG units and dozens of insurers to defend Walmart in opioid cases
The Arkansas Court of Appeals has ruled that American International Group subsidiaries and a broad group of excess insurers must cover Walmart's defense costs across more than 2,400 opioid lawsuits. The decision cuts against recent rulings in Delaware and Florida that freed insurers from defending other major pharmacy chains. The ruling addresses defense obligations only, leaving the question of indemnity for settlements unresolved.
- PEO Aon Brings Vanguard Into Its Pooled Employer Plan as Assets Hit $7.7 Billion
Aon has named Vanguard as recordkeeper and trustee for its Pooled Employer Plan, replacing the previous provider following a formal review. The plan now covers more than 103,000 participants across more than 160 employers. The move signals how quickly the PEP market is maturing and how much pressure pooled plan sponsors face to justify their governance choices.
- PEO Adobe survey: only 6% of firms have cracked AI at scale
A survey of more than 5,600 senior executives finds that most organizations are stuck piloting AI rather than deploying it at any meaningful scale. The gap between leaders and the rest comes down to one structural factor: who owns AI inside the organization. For HR and operations teams inside PEOs and their client companies, the findings carry a direct message about where implementation stalls.