Following Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005) and the unprecedented turmoil to Alabama’s coastal property insurance markets, policymakers leaned into these issues in search of solutions. Various interest groups presented very different solutions supported by mutually exclusive evidence. Because insurance is complex and important, Alabama needed an unbiased source of reliable information.
In 2013, by executive order, Governor Robert Bentley created the Alabama Center for Insurance Information and Research (ACIIR), now called the Center for Risk and Insurance Research, addressing risk and insurance problems through research and education. While the Center continues to work on catastrophe risk problems, we also address issues concerning casualty, liability, life, health, and pension markets. Perhaps more importantly, the Center focuses on loss mitigation and resilience to reduce the effects of losses on individuals and the economy.
CRIR identifies and solves problems related to insurance, risk, and resilience through research and education. Our mission is to provide highly credible information and research for the benefit of various stakeholders who contribute to the economic development of Alabama. This includes consumers, policymakers, insurance companies, intermediaries, trade groups, and others who need insight and information in the areas of risk management.