WINDSOR, Conn. – October 28, 2026 -- One in eight U.S. workers whose health insurance premiums rose this year responded by cutting retirement contributions, according to new LIMRA research released as open enrollment begins.

77% of insured workers faced higher premiums in 2026

LIMRA's 2026 Benefits and Employee Attitude Tracker (BEAT) Study found that 77% of employees with workplace medical coverage saw premiums increase this year. For 17%, the increase exceeded 10%. About half of those affected changed their spending or benefits choices:

Mainz – October 28, 2026 -- Credit insurer Coface downgraded the country risk ratings of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and expects the Middle East conflict alone to cut global growth by a combined 0.5 percentage points in 2026 and 2027. The rating changes, covering seven economies in total, come as escalating geopolitical tensions push up energy, commodity and financing costs.

McLean, Va. – October 28, 2026 -- Aldrich Capital Partners (ACP) has made a strategic investment in TempusDirect, a provider of third-party claims cost containment solutions for the U.S. property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry, as the company enters its second decade.

London – October 28, 2026 -- Private equity firm Covalent Equity Partners has made a growth investment in AML Analytics (AMLA), a financial crime defense testing provider used by more than 50 supervisory authorities and over 1,450 financial institutions in nearly 60 countries. The announcement did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

MEXICO CITY – October 28, 2026 -- Grupo Elektra lifted third-quarter 2026 EBITDA to Ps.7,813 million from Ps.6,922 million a year earlier, even as consolidated revenue slipped to Ps.53,297 million from Ps.53,864 million.

Lower costs offset flat revenue at Grupo Elektra

Consolidated costs fell to Ps.24,225 million from Ps.25,637 million in the prior-year quarter. Sales, administrative and promotional expenses were nearly unchanged at Ps.21,260 million, against Ps.21,305 million in the third quarter of 2025.

SHANGHAI – October 28, 2026 -- Lufax Holding Ltd (NYSE: LU, HKEX: 6623) reported a third-quarter 2026 net loss of RMB1,494 million (US$223 million), up from RMB380 million a year earlier, as credit impairment losses rose 10.3% and income tax expenses jumped 946.5%.

Denver – October 28, 2026 -- EverPeak Insurance has appointed Patrick K. Daley, CPCU, a underwriter with more than 30 years of experience in large, complex and hard-to-place risks, as Chief Underwriting Officer. He will lead underwriting strategy and quality standards across all EverPeak lines of business.

Los Angeles – October 27, 2026 -- OriginPoint Mortgage has recruited the We Fund LA team from New American Funding, adding more than $200 million in annual mortgage production and an established Southern California presence to its originator base.

SAN FRANCISCO – October 27, 2026 -- Corgi Insurance, an AI-native, full-stack commercial insurance carrier, has appointed Josh LaRiccia as Head of Distribution, a hire who previously onboarded 15,000 users and 13,000 agencies onto a platform at his own firm.

Toronto – October 27, 2026 -- The Ontario Securities Commission has issued a receipt for CADC Reserve Trust's final prospectus dated October 22, 2026, qualifying a continuous offering of a Canadian dollar-referenced stablecoin in every Canadian province and territory at a fixed price of C$1.00 per token.