There are numerous links, both direct and indirect, betwwen real estate markets and insurance products. One of the diract links that has been the focus of much attention recently in the US is homeowners insurance, especially in hazard prone areas. Another direct link not receiving as much attention is title insurance. This is surprising given that Fannie Mae now requires that lenders must independently verify the ratings for the title insurance firms they use with the applicable rating agency once every six months. It is the intent of this paper to provide an overview of the title insurance industry and shed new light on a product very few people truly understand. This paper present an analysis of the structure, performance and problems of the suppliers of title insurance. It also focuses on recent developments with regrads to solvency, mergers and acquisitions, entry and exit barriers, regulation, rating bureaus and competition.
