Daily Headlines: Friday, April 29, 2011

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April 29, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National A Third of Large U.S. Firms Show Business Interruption From Japan Disaster More than a quarter of large U.S. based businesses are experiencing disruptions to their supply chains or contingent business interruptions ... The Future of the Independent Agency (Has Nothing to Do with Age) For the last 20 years, at least, consultants, associations and publications have been worrying about the future of the independent agency ... K&K Insurance to Offer Higher Limits Via E-commerce Websites K&K Insurance has made higher primary commercial general liability limits of up to $5M available for most of its risk purchasing group ... American Collectors Enhances Collector Vehicle Coverage American Collectors Insurance has broadened the availability of specialty collector vehicle insurance to vehicles of any year, make, and ... Lawyers Market in Limbo, Say Agents The lawyers professional liability market has been in flux recently, and insiders say carrier uncertainty and a strain on capacity are to... More National News Instructor: Chris Burand 7 Steps Towards Avoiding Bad Carrier Contracts Rather than closely guarding their carrier contracts and relationships, some agencies apply the practice of "the more contracts the better." Learn why practicing "quality over quantity" is a much healthier choice for the agency. Join us for this live training Thursday, May 5 for expert insight from property/casualty consultant Chris Burand. Learn more and reserve your seat today! East Judge Tosses New York Mets Fan’s Broken-Bat Suit A judge has thrown out a New York Mets fan's lawsuit against the team and Major League Baseball over a bat that broke and flew into his ... New York Agents Want Say in State Health Exchange Insurance agents in the Empire State are calling on lawmakers to ensure that brokers and producers have a role in the creation of the ... Murray Named Top Exec at Saucon Mutual Pennsylvania-based Saucon Mutual Insurance Co. has named Sean P. Murray as president and CEO. Murray is a 20-years insurance industry ... More East News Instructor: Kathy Ryan How to Have the Tough Conversations Addressing behavior and performance issues with your employees can be an intimidating process. Live training Wednesday, May 4. Plus get the recordings so you don't miss anything! Learn more and reserve your seat today! Midwest Judge Rejects Plea in Indiana Doctor's Malpractice Case An American former surgeon who was captured on a mountain in Italy after more than five years on the run has withdrawn his guilty plea on ... Wind and Rain Lash Indiana as Flood Threat Looms The same storm system that spawned tornadoes that killed hundreds in the South dumped more rain April 28 on parts of Indiana already ... Ohio Program Finds Lost Life Insurance for Hundreds An Ohio program begun a little over a year and a-half ago has tracked down nearly 450 lost life insurance policies, typically for families ... More Midwest News Southeast Officials, Insurers Begin Tallying Damages from Deadly Storm Officials in Southeast states hammered by a storm that killed at least 300 people have begun the task of evaluating the damage. Alabama ... Florida Senate Passes Property Insurance Overhaul The Florida Senate has passed a property insurance overhaul aimed at creating more competition in the private marketplace and also cut down ... Florida Insurer Closing its Doors A Florida insurance company is on its way to closing its door as it informed agents it is going to start dropping policyholders when their ... More Southeast News South Central Texas Insurance Veteran Sees Opportunity in Growing Hispanic Market With 30 years of industry experience under his belt, one Texas-based insurance executive decided it was time to open his own operation to ... Louisiana Insurance Agent Gets Prison in Fraud Case A 67-year-old Plaquemine, La., insurance agent has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for mail fraud that cost ... More South Central News West EPIC Honored as ‘Best Place to Work’ California-based EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center), a retail property, casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage, has been ... Fentanyl Often Prescribed in Calif. Workers’ Comp A CWCI Research Spotlight Report on the use of fentanyl - the most potent Schedule II opioid - in California workers' comp finds that More ... More West News International Lloyd’s on Coverage for Royal Wedding Celebratory ‘Street Parties’ The Royal Wedding today at Westminster Abbey has virtually taken over the UK, as millions of residents plan local celebrations in honor of ... Lloyd’s Market Association Questions Aspects of FSA Regulatory Reform  In a response to the proposals to restructure the UK's financial regulations the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA) has taken issue with ... More to Explore for Doha World Trade Deal, EU Says The European Union presented world trade negotiators with a last-minute plan to rescue stalled free trade talks on Friday, saying there ... Cássio dos Santos Appointed CEO of Zurich’s LatAm General Insurance Zurich Financial Services Group announced the appointment of Antônio Cássio dos Santos (46, Brazilian citizen) to the position of CEO ... More International News Sponsored Content The e-Marketing Minute is a bi-weekly video series designed to help insurance agents learn how to grow their agency utilizing the Internet. Check it out. More Sponsored Content Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Producer Compensation: The Good and the Great Creating a compensation plan that is both fair to producers and the agency is critical in... Watch Now Building Strong Relationships from a Bank Robbery Veteran A discussion with Billy Bond, executive vice president of the Sales Force Development Group... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Hurricane coverage in florida Posted: Fri Apr 29 -- If you looking to place a risk covering the wind and Hail, there are several options to go to depending in how old is the risk you want to... Mannyace 13,000 properties needing property insurance Posted: Thu Apr 28 -- Well said, jtownagent! But, a real estate professional with proper (read: valid) E&O coverage is something that must be verified these... RKunz2 Need comp in Ca for structural steel contractor Posted: Thu Apr 28 -- I believe Companion and/or Castlepoint might entertain this risk with a lapse. If not, it'll more than likely need to get SCIF'd. EricCBIAIns Nursing Home (TX) Posted: Wed Apr 27 -- I'd be glad to help. I can write the whole account incl full wind, sex abuse and professional. Healthcare is my main expertise. Generous... Adame526 Go to Forums Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Agency Salary Survey, Medical Professional Liability, Business Interruption / Business Income, Education & Training Directory More Newsletters Choose Newsletters Daily Headlines Weekly Reader Picks Magazine Update Insurance Journal TV Classifieds Breaking News MyNewMarkets Daily Claims Daily Enter Your E-mail Market Directories Excess & Surplus Markets Programs Workers' Comp Markets New Insurance Jobs Independent Loss Control Representatives Underwriting Manager Senior Consultant Have a job opening? List it on our Web site. How to Advertise For information about advertising on this newsletter and Insurance Journal magazines, contact Julie Tinney at (800) 897-9965 x148. View our Media Kit for advertising options in our magazines and online properties. Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Send to a Friend | Contact Us Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2011 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Daily Headlines: Thursday, April 28, 2011

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April 28, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National AIG Files Lawsuit Against Two Money Management Firms American International Group sued two money management firms Thursday as the bailed-out insurer launched a fight to recoup billions of ... Young Agents Survey Shows Strong Family Ties Bryan Hanes grew up in the family business listening to stories about life in a small town. He heard his grandfather and then father ... Study: High Gas Prices Lead to Fewer Auto Accidents As gasoline prices reach $4 a gallon throughout the nation, pain at the pump seems to have at least one silver lining for drivers and ... Best Affirms AEGON USA Group’s Ratings A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A+' (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of "aa-" of the ... Towers Watson Names Osean as VP, Property Insurance Towers Watson named Brendan Osean as vice president, property insurance, in its insurance brokerage business. In his role, Osean will be ... PPIB Launches Medical Director Program PPIB of Novato, Calif., has launched a new medical director program. The Medical Director program provides stand alone coverage for ... Markel Programs, Burns & Wilcox Partner to Offer Real Estate E&O Program Markel has partnered with Burns & Wilcox to offer a Real Estate Errors & Omissions program to a range of residential and commercial ... U.S. Regulators Define Swaps, What Falls Under Dodd-Frank U.S. futures and securities regulators unveiled a crucial part of their expanded supervision of the swaps market on Wednesday, by defining ... MLR Dramatically Impacting Commissions, Agents Tell Regulators "The impact of the medical loss ratio has been dramatic on the agents and brokers in this country and it was dramatic immediately." That's a... More National News East Fire Deaths Prompt New York to Eye Illegal Subdivisions City fire and buildings officials will search for new ways to target landlords who unlawfully subdivide their properties, Mayor Michael ... Northern New York Hit by Severe Flooding, Road Washouts Dozens of roads are closed in northern New York after severe storms dumped more than 2 1/2 inches of rain, causing extensive flooding and ... Heffernan Hires Mauro to Lead New Manhattan Office Heffernan Insurance Brokers has expanded in to New York and hired Joseph A. Mauro to manage its Manhattan-based operation in the state. ... Vermont Mutual Hires Liberty Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has hired Paul Liberty as its property claim program manager. Liberty is a 30-year industry veteran. He ... More East News 7 Steps Towards Avoiding Bad Carrier Contracts Rather than closely guarding their carrier contracts and relationships, some agencies apply the practice of "the more contracts the better;" believing that if something goes wrong with one carrier, there are two, three or four other carriers "waiting on the bench." Live training Thursday, May 5. Plus get the recordings so you don't miss anything! Space is limited. Learn more and reserve your seat today! Midwest Levees Strain in Midwest; Volunteers Keep Fighting Twelve hours into a sandbagging shift, and working through a driving storm punctuated by lightning and loud claps of thunder, Casey Lee ... Both Sides Lobby Missouri Gov. on Workplace Discrimination Bill Several Missouri lawyers and civil rights groups are urging Gov. Jay Nixon to veto a bill that would change the legal standard workers must ... North Dakota Becomes 31st State to Ban Texting While Driving North Dakota the 31st state to ban texting behind the wheel, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood who praised North Dakota ... SIA of Northern Ohio Adds 40th Insurance Agency SIA of Northern Ohio (SIANO) has appointed Myers-Ziemke Insurance Agency in Monroeville as its 40th member, the agency network announced. ... Illinois Insurance Dept. Issues Warning on Adjusters; Urges Flood Coverage The Illinois Department of Insurance is warning homeowners about unsolicited offers of help from insurance adjusters after recent storms in ... More Midwest News How to Have the Tough Conversations Addressing behavior and performance issues with your employees can be an intimidating process. Live training Wednesday, May 4. Plus get the recordings so you don't miss anything! Space is limited. Learn more and reserve your seat today! Southeast Tornadoes, Storms Rip South, at Least 228 Dead Tornadoes and violent storms ripped through seven southern U.S. states, killing at least 228 people as they flattened neighborhoods, ... Fire Risk Prompts Florida to Restrict Everglades Access Florida wildlife officials are imposing restrictions on use of some Everglades recreation areas due to increased risk of fire. The Fish and ... Tennessee Lawsuit Damages Bill Advances in Senate Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to limit lawsuit damages is advancing in the Tennessee Legislature. The measure was approved by the Senate ... Major Florida PIP Reform Effort Dies in Committee The industry's push for comprehensive reforms to Florida's no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) insurance law came to an abrupt ... More Southeast News South Central Lawmakers Question Louisiana Governor's Insurance Privatization Plan Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's top financial advisor has defended the administration's proposal to hire a private company to run a state ... HCC Insurance Holdings Appoints Williams as President Houston-based HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. announced Christopher J.B. Williams has been named president of HCC, effective May 1, 2011. In ... Brodbeck Named Trusted Choice Hometown Hero in Texas The Indpendent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) has named Randy Brodbeck of the Adams Insurance Agency in Johnson City as its newest ... More South Central News West Credit Card Data Breached in PlayStation Outage "Sony Corp. said that the credit card data of PlayStation users around the world may have been stolen in a hack that forced it to shut down ... Dragging Death Prompts Colo. Tow-Truck Bill Tow-truck drivers and the widow of a Colorado Springs tow-truck driver dragged to his death earlier this year have passed the first hurdle ... Calif. Bill Proposes Consolidating Insurance Disclosure Notices California legislators are considering whether to allow certain insurance policies and disclosures to be consolidated into one document, ... Capax Management & Insurance Services Announces Promotions Modesto, Calif.-based Capax Management and Insurance Services has made several promotions. Joel Geddes III has been named an officer of ... Risk Placement Services Adds Two in San Francisco Risk Placement Services Insurance Brokers has made two additions to its RPS Crawley Warren office in San Francisco. Carolyn Wong has been ... Calif. Commissioner Jones to Attend Insurance Charity Dinner The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) has announced that California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones will be in attendance ... Employers Promotes Dix to VP of Customer Support Reno, Nev.-based Employers has promoted Dennis Dix to vice president of customer support. Since joining Employers in 2007, Dix's ... More West News International Asbestos: Japan Tsunami’s other Hidden Danger Inside the chunks of slate and wallboard smashed and scattered by Japan's tsunami hides a health risk that has been overshadowed by ... First Quarter Earnings Reports: Montpelier Re, Everest Re Montpelier Re experienced the same catastrophic losses that affected almost every re/insurer in the first quarter... Tosti Appointed CEO of Willis Facultative London Willis Group Holdings announced that, effective immediately, Gianmarco Tosti has been appointed CEO, Willis Facultative London, a newly ... Cooke to Head Lloyd’s Marketform Marine Cargo Underwriting London-based specialist Lloyd's insurer Marketform announced that experienced London Market underwriter Gary Cooke will join the company ... Lockton Dubai Names Dawes Specialist Financial Lines Broker Lockton in Dubai announced the appointment of Neil Dawes as a specialist financial lines broker providing (re)insurance and risk management ... Best Affirms SCOR and Subs Ratings after Transamerica Re Deal A.M. Best Europe Ratings Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A' (Excellent) and the issuer credit ... More International News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Producer Compensation: The Good and the Great Creating a compensation plan that is both fair to producers and the agency is critical in... Watch Now Building Strong Relationships from a Bank Robbery Veteran A discussion with Billy Bond, executive vice president of the Sales Force Development Group... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Hurricane coverage in florida Posted: Thu Apr 28 -- It is almost impossible to get carriers in Florida to write hurricane coverage. It is making being an insurance agent very difficult.... saabins 13,000 properties needing property insurance Posted: Wed Apr 27 -- I think the answer is not insurance, but DAMAGE DEPOSIT, and proper screening of tenants by a real estate professional with proper E&O... jtownagent What are some creative ways to market commercial accounts? Posted: Wed Apr 27 -- One of the most important activities you can do for your business is to create a unique marketing plan. Now, I don't mean do something... Shane01 Go to Forums Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Agency Salary Survey, Medical Professional Liability, Business Interruption / Business Income, Education & Training Directory More Newsletters Choose Newsletters Daily Headlines Weekly Reader Picks Magazine Update Insurance Journal TV Classifieds Breaking News MyNewMarkets Daily Claims Daily Enter Your E-mail Market Directories Excess & Surplus Markets Programs Workers' Comp Markets New Insurance Jobs Independent Loss Control Representatives Underwriting Manager Senior Consultant Have a job opening? List it on our Web site. How to Advertise For information about advertising on this newsletter and Insurance Journal magazines, contact Julie Tinney at (800) 897-9965 x148. View our Media Kit for advertising options in our magazines and online properties. Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Send to a Friend | Contact Us Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2011 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Daily Headlines: Wednesday, April 27, 2011

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April 27, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Marsh Agrees: Soft Pricing Persisted Despite Catastrophe Losses in Q1 Catastrophe losses approached record levels in the first quarter but despite this commercial property/casualty insurance rate increases ... Electric Cars Get Top Insurance Safety Rating The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf got top safety ratings in some of the first-ever tests of electric cars by an insurer-funded research ... Supreme Court Hears Securities Fraud Loss Causation Arguments The U.S. Supreme Court considered Monday whether to make it more difficult for shareholders to proceed with certain class-action ... Peerless Insurance Adds 40-Plus Business Classes to Small Commercial Program Peerless Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Agency Corp. regional company, has expanded its small commercial appetite with the addition of more ... Gallagher Higher Education, InsureMyTrip Launch Trip Cancellation Program The Higher Education Practice of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Inc. (Gallagher), has created a new trip cancellation and ... MLR Dramatically Impacting Commissions, Agents Tell Regulators "The impact of the medical loss ratio has been dramatic on the agents and brokers in this country and it was dramatic immediately." That's a... More National News East Spring Flooding Renews Concerns over Flood Program For agents across much of the Northeast, the last month has brought spates of spring flooding and storms and has served as a reminder ... Boys Drive Excavator at Pennsylvania Mine, Smash Bulldozer Pennsylvania State police say two boys, ages 12 and 9, drove a large excavator at a southwestern Pennsylvania strip mine, smashing a ... New York City Fire Building Cited for Violations Building records show that a Bronx row house where a fire killed a 12-year-old boy and his parents had been illegally subdivided. Other ... XS Brokers Hires Finneran XS Brokers Insurance Agency has added David Finneran to the firm's professional lines practice. Finneran most recently worked with ... More East News Midwest Missouri Governor Condemns Discrimination Law Changes Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon spoke out April 25 against legislation that would make it harder for employees to prove they were fired because ... Hylant Group Promotes Kranz, Bryant in Environmental Practice Group Ohio-based Hylant Group, one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerage firms in the nation, has promoted two insurance industry ... More Midwest News Southeast Mississippi River Nears Highest Levels Since 1937 The National Weather Service has forecast that the Mississippi River will crest at Vicksburg and Natchez at the highest levels since 1937. ... Strate Insurance Becomes Keystone Insurer Partner in Tennessee Strate Insurance Group Inc. of Morristown has become Keystone Insurers Group's sixth franchise partner in Tennessee. Strate Insurance ... Florida’s Lykes Insurance Appoints 3 Risk Consultants A Florida commercial insurance agency, Lykes Insurance, has named three new risk consultants. Josh Helmut began his career in 2006 at Risk ... More Southeast News South Central New Orleans Construction Product Supplier Settles in Chinese Drywall Suit  A settlement agreement has been reached with a New Orleans, La.-based supplier of tainted Chinese drywall in the multi-district ... Storms Leave 5 Dead in Arkansas, All But Wipe Out Town  Even as darkness cloaked Vilonia, people in the central Arkansas community could glimpse hints of the damage from violent storms that ... More South Central News West Nevada Assembly Approves Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program The Nevada Assembly has passed a bill to implement a low-cost auto insurance pilot program, with an assessment on motor vehicle liability ... Calif. Woman Wins $400,000 in Slip & Fall Case Larry Ellison is famous for wanting to be in charge, so perhaps it is no surprise that when jury duty came calling, Oracle's chief ... EPIC Names Reidy Principal in San Francisco EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center), a retail property, casualty insurance brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has added ... More West News International First Quarter Earnings Reports: Arch Capital, RenaissanceRe Arch's bulletin noted that the company's 2011 first quarter results "included losses for current year catastrophic events of $178.7 million, net ... S&P: Japan’s Rating Outlook Now Negative on Quake Costs; Affirms Debt Ratings Standard and Poor's threatened to cut Japan's sovereign credit rating again, warning the huge cost of last month's devastating earthquake ... Weather Forecasters Agree on Active 2011 Atlantic Hurricane Season Weather Service International [WSI] forecasters predicted an active 2011 Atlantic hurricane season Tuesday, with 15 named storms, eight of ... Five Japan Life Insurers Eye Unhedged Foreign Bonds; See Weaker Yen Five Japanese life insurers say they may buy more unhedged foreign bonds, believing that the yen is likely to weaken and that the currency ... More International News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Soft Market Is Finally Ending, Really, Says SNL Financial Could the long soft market really be over? Several recent reports concluded it is not over.... Watch Now Will Deficit Debate Affect Flood Insurance? Taxes? Following the November elections, Congress and the White House, as well as states, have... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums 13,000 properties needing property insurance Posted: Wed Apr 27 -- PART TWO - We all know that you can rent part of your house on a permanent basis and all of your house on an occasional basis and still have... RKunz2 What are some creative ways to market commercial accounts? Posted: Wed Apr 27 -- One of the most important activities you can do for your business is to create a unique marketing plan. Now, I don't mean do something... Shane01 Coastal Condominium Buildings Posted: Tue Apr 26 -- Was just curious to see if anyone has any recommendations on markets that have an appetite for condominium associations with a TIV of 1.9... SCIG Go to Forums Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Agency Salary Survey, Medical Professional Liability, Business Interruption / Business Income, Education & Training Directory More Newsletters Choose Newsletters Daily Headlines Weekly Reader Picks Magazine Update Insurance Journal TV Classifieds Breaking News MyNewMarkets Daily Claims Daily Enter Your E-mail Market Directories Excess & Surplus Markets Programs Workers' Comp Markets New Insurance Jobs Senior Consultant Controller Executive Agents Have a job opening? List it on our Web site. How to Advertise For information about advertising on this newsletter and Insurance Journal magazines, contact Julie Tinney at (800) 897-9965 x148. View our Media Kit for advertising options in our magazines and online properties. Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Send to a Friend | Contact Us Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2011 by Wells Publishing, Inc.