Daily Headlines: Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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November 30, 2010 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Senate Fails in Attempts to Repeal Health Law Provision on 1099 Tax Efforts to repeal what is widely seen as a burdensome tax provision in the new federal healthcare law failed in the U.S. Senate Monday... AIG Returns to Debt Markets to Raise Capital Bailed-out insurer American International Group (AIG) returned to the debt market Tuesday after more than a two-year absence, part of its... TARP Bailout Cost to Taxpayers Down to $25 Billion The U.S. Troubled Asset Relief Program, which risked up to $700 billion of government funds to bail out troubled banks and automakers, will... Best Assigns 'A' Ratings to Aspen American Insurance Company A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial strength rating of 'A' (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of "a" to Dallas-based Aspen American... Extremely Active Atlantic Hurricane Season was a 'Gentle Giant' for U.S. The 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends tomorrow, was one of the busiest on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric... Hartford Steam Boiler Adds Legal Defense to Data Breach Coverage The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB) has expanded its data breach coverage for business owners, which helps them... Zurich Expands Property Portfolio Protection for Construction Businesses Zurich has expanded its its Property Portfolio Protection (P3) for the construction industry. P3, an alternative to ISO forms, offers... State Legislators Adopt Surplus Lines Tax Compact, Compliance Resolution The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) has adopted a revised version of the Surplus Lines Multi-State Insurance Compact... More National News East New York Eases Some Workers' Compensation Policy Rules New York has eased some workers' compensation insurance requirements for out-of-state businesses that do only occasional, non-construction... High Court Sides with New York City Police in 2005 Shootout New York City police officers were justified in shooting at an armed suspect on a Harlem street in 2005, a shootout that injured a mother... New Hampshire Firefighter Gets 3 to 10 for Setting Fires A former New Hampshire firefighter is going to prison for at least three years after pleading guilty to setting a series of... More East News Midwest Auto, Homeowners Insurance Costs in Ohio Well Below National Average Ohio consumers pay $226 less for homeowners insurance than the U.S. average and nearly $167 less for auto insurance than the U.S. average,... Minnesota's Superior Insurance Agency Joins ISU Network ISU International announced that Superior Insurance Agency of St. Cloud, Minn., has joined the ISU Network. ISU Superior Insurance Agency is... A.M. Best Downgrades Ratings of Kansas-based Upland Mutual Insurance A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to B+ (Good) from B++ (Good) and issuer credit rating to "bbb-" from "bbb" of... More Midwest News Southeast Insurer Wants Ex-Judge Off Mississippi Lawyer Case An insurance company wants former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Oliver Diaz kicked off a lawsuit involving imprisoned former attorney... Alabama Gets Its Own Insurance Information Service Many of Alabama's personal and commercial lines insurers have established the Alabama Insurance Information Service (AIIS), a... Mississippi Judge Asks Court to Restore His Immunity A Mississippi judge is asking a federal appeals court to restore his immunity from being sued over claims that he knowingly making false... Drunk Driving Arrests Up, Fatalities Down in Mississippi DUI arrests have skyrocketed in Mississippi in the past several years, helping lead to the lowest number of drunken driving deaths in... More Southeast News Texas / South Central Louisana AG Disputes BP Fund's Push for Claimant Release of Rights In a letter dated Nov. 17, 2010, Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell challenged provisions of the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF)... Teitell Elected President of Texas Surplus Lines Assoc. Todd Teitell, executive vice president and branch leader of AmWINS Brokerage of Texas in Dallas, has been elected president of the Texas... Texas Driver Records Now Available Instantly Online The Texas Department of Public Safety announced that Texas drivers can now order their driving records online and print them out immediately... More Texas / South Central News West Calif. Regulators Announce 2011 Workers' Comp Assessment Rates The California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has calculated the 2011 assessments that state law requires workers' compensation... Washington Regulator Wants to Review Insurer Surpluses Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is asking state lawmakers to preserve his authority to scrutinize health insurance rates,... Arizona County and FEMA Try to Fix Flood Map Errors Arizona's Mohave County Flood Control District is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to fix errors the county found in... Calif. State Fund Names Clark Chief Operating Officer California's State Compensation Insurance Fund has named Tom D. Clark as its chief operating officer. Clark, who assumes his new role on... Colorado Insurance Commissioner Morrison Steps Down Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Executive Director Barbara Kelley announced the departure of Marcy Morrison as Colorado Insurance... More West News International Catastrophes Cost World $222 Billion in 2010: Swiss Re According to initial estimates from Swiss Re's sigma research team, worldwide economic losses from natural catastrophes and man-made... US Sees Progress in Easing Climate Change Row with China Washington claimed progress Monday in easing rifts with Beijing on ways to fight global warming as U.N. climate talks got under way in... AXA Sues ING in New York over 2008 Mexican Insurance Sale A unit of French insurer AXA has sued an arm of Dutch insurer ING in New York state court, alleging ING misrepresented the financial health... DIMA Clarifies S&P Ratings Bulletin on Ireland Debt, Re/insurers Dublin International Insurance & Management Association (DIMA), the representative body for the international re/insurance industry in... Best Affirms 'A' Ratings of NIPPONKOA Insurance Company A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of 'A' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a+" of Japan's NIPPONKOA Insurance... More International News Insurance Journal Blogs Writing letters that get read I have been helping producers for one of my clients create letter, and e-mail campaigns to announce new products, and services. This process... More News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV LexisNexis Insurance Exchange 2: Privacy, Security Issues The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, LexisNexis, key agencies and a variety of... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Sequoia Insurance Posted: Tue Nov 30 -- You just made my day. We are in CA and just had a broker come to us after terminating their contract with NIA due to non payments and... CIScommercial Insurance rating software Posted: Wed Nov 24 -- Quomation comparative rater - a California broker's review price: $199 set-up +$125 / monthly for a total of $324.00 start up fees. summary:... mccloud55 Umbrella underlying limits Posted: Mon Nov 22 -- ladybroker, you are correct. Technically it is not a SIR in the context of the policy and I should have clarified further. My point was that... azcompanyman State Farm Commission Structure Posted: Mon Nov 22 -- There are different structures they can use for new agents. It varies with the number of policies they start you off with. If you are taking... magazine Go to Forums Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Upcoming Webinar: Understanding Commercial Property Underwriting and "COPE" (A 2-Part Series) Dec 2, 2010 10:30-11:30am (Pacific)/ 1:30-2:30pm (Eastern) Current Issue Contractors & Builders; Long-Term Healthcare Liability; Top Personal Lines Retail Agencies November 15, 2010 Download Full Issue 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 Vice President of Claims - Commercial P&C - Great Telecommuting Opportunity Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative Sales Representative - Workers' Compensation / Liability Insurance - Chicago Area 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 © 2010 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Having trouble reading this email? View it as a webpage. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. Understanding Commercial Property Underwriting and "COPE" A 2-Part Series, starts Thursday, December 2 reserve your spot today to attend online and get archive access! For nearly 300 years, real property underwriters have been using the same four basic elements of underwriting data: Construction, Occupancy, Protection and Exposure ("COPE"). Each of these four basic data points plays an important part in the property underwriting process. This two-part series offers a unique perspective of each of these data points. Anyone writing property insurance will benefit from this class. Register today! Use promo code SAVE50 to save $50 What you will learn: Construction: Students will learn how to determine the property construction class (1-6); why size matters; and how age affects the underwriting decision. We will also discuss mixed-construction issues. Occupancy: In addition to occupancy issues, how a particular insured's hazards associated with occupancy will be discussed. Protection: Sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, fire doors and fire walls and public fire protection are the primary protection mechanisms evaluated by underwriters. The basics of each are discussed in the class. Exposure: What external factors affect the insured property? Some of these exposures are discussed in this section of the course. When you register, you get: Access to the live trainings on December 2 and December 9 Question & Answer session with the instructor Recording of the webcast, so you can watch again Audio download of the webcast Presentation slides download Use promo code SAVE50 to save $50 when you register. Join us on Thursday, December 2 starts at 10:30am PDT / 1:30pm EDT Meet the Instructor Christopher J. Boggs, CPCU, ARM, ALCM, LPCS, AAI, APA, CWCA, CRIS, AINS is the Director of the Academy of Insurance at Insurance Journal. Chris has a unique ability to break things down and make complex insurance issues easy to understand. Chris has authored three books, "Property and Casualty Insurance Concepts Simplified", "Business Income Insurance Demystified", and "The Practical Guide to Workers' Compensation" (these books are available here). Any Questions? If you need help or would like to submit a question to the instructors before the webcast, send an email to webcasts@insurancejournal.com. Coming Soon: Reserve your seat today. Space is limited. Tomorrow! Strategic Agency Planning for 2011 (December 1) The Real Effects of Granting Additional Insured Status (December 16) Practical Workers' Compensation: What You Need To Know 5-Course Series (January 13) Upcoming class schedule Bestsellers: Learn the key issues regarding the insuring of condominiums. "Insuring Condominiums" was our bestselling coverage course this year. Order today for immediate access, plus archive access to view it later. Regularly priced at $99, today you can get it for just $74 when you use code 25OFF at checkout. Click here to learn more or register. Unsubscribe | Send to a Friend | Contact Us Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2010 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Insurance Journal TV: LexisNexis Insurance Exchange 2: Privacy Security Issues

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November 30, 2010 Feature Video LexisNexis Insurance Exchange 2: Privacy, Security Issues The Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, LexisNexis, key agencies and a variety of insurance and technology partners are currently testing the LexisNexis Insurance Exchange, a... Watch Now Popular Videos Markets in Motion: Environmental Liability Coverage 5 Tips to Break the Holiday Sales Slump More Insurance Videos Watch InsuranceJournal.tv Subscribe to our iTunes Channel 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 © 2010 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Daily Headlines: Monday, November 29, 2010

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November 29, 2010 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National State Regulators Worried About Future of Health Insurance Brokers State insurance regulators have established a task force to monitor the negative effects the new federal health reform law might have on... Medical Liability Market Faces Challenges from Health Care Changes The medical professional liability insurance industry faces new challenges from both health reform and increased competition. A new industry... The Time is Not Right to Drop Real Estate Professionals E&O The ongoing downturn in the real estate market is forcing many professionals to make tough choices on where to trim expenses. While during a... Markel CEO Kirshner to Be Absent Due to Medical Treatments Specialty insurer Markel Corp. said today that Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alan Kirshner may be absent from the corporation's... State Legislators Adopt Surplus Lines Tax Compact, Compliance Resolution The National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) has adopted a revised version of the Surplus Lines Multi-State Insurance Compact... More National News East New Hampshire Supreme Court Rejects Golfer's Negligence Claim You play golf, you assume risks. So says New Hampshire's Supreme Court. The state's highest court has upheld dismissal of a negligence... Maine Man Wants Coffee Shop Arson Trial Moved A 49-year-old Maine man charged with burning down a topless coffee shop wants his trial moved. Raymond Bellavance claims pretrial publicity... More East News Midwest Feds Say Loren-Maltese Insurance Fraud Conviction Should Stand Federal prosecutors say the fraud conviction of former Cicero, Ill., president Betty Loren-Maltese should stand, even after a U.S. Supreme... Former North Dakota Agent Gets Probation, Makes Restitution An insurance agent who conned a Grand Forks, N.D., real estate company into paying for nonexistent home insurance policies has been given... Insurance Doesn't Cover Milwaukee Priest Sex Abuse The Archdiocese of Milwaukee's insurance company doesn't have to pay damages that could arise from more than a dozen lawsuits involving sex... Ohio Insurance Department Unveils New Premium Comparisons Ohio Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo Hudson announced a new online tool designed to educate and assist Ohioans in finding auto... Columbus, Ohio, OKs Benefits for City Workers' Partners Ohio's largest city will offer domestic partner benefits to its employees a dozen years after a similar plan was canceled under public... More Midwest News Southeast Audit: South Carolina Workers' Comp Board Delayed Money Deposits The state's Workers' Compensation Commission broke state law by not depositing fines as it worried legislators would use the money for... Judge Upholds West Virginia Mine Accident Reporting Rule A Kanawha County Circuit Court judge has upheld a state law giving coal mine operators 15 minutes to tell regulators about fires and other... DuPont Offers $70 Million to Settle West Virginia Pollution Case Chemical company DuPont last week offered to pay $70 million and spend millions more on medical monitoring for the next 30 years to end a... Reports on 2 West Virginia Chemical Plant Incidents Delayed Reports on a federal board's investigations of fatal incidents at two West Virginia chemical plants won't be released until next year. The... Florida's Brightway Insurance Acquires Orange Park Agency Brightway Insurance recently acquired General Insurance Concepts, a 20-year-old property and casualty insurance agency offering personal and... More Southeast News Texas / South Central Farmers Insurance Files for Homeowners Rate Hike in Texas Farmers Insurance has filed for a 3.9 percent rate increase for homeowners policies in Texas. The Dallas Morning News reports that Farmers'... Texas to Insurers and Agents: Don't Misrepresent Insurance Coverage The Texas Department of Insurance issued a bulletin reminding insurance companies and agents that misrepresentation of insurance policies by... Heisz and Midanek Elected to HCC Insurance Holdings Board Houston-based HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. announced that Leslie Stone Heisz and Deborah Hicks Midanek have been elected as independent... More Texas / South Central News West Allstate Cuts California Renter's Rates 19.6% Allstate Insurance Co. announced it is dropping the price California consumers pay for renter's insurance coverage 19.6 percent statewide.... Wyoming Collecting More Details About Car Crashes Wyoming officials have compiled their first monthly report on vehicle crashes using more detailed information from officers in hopes of... Los Angeles CPCU Names New Officers The Los Angeles chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society has installed its 2010-2011 officers and directors. They... AmCom Insurance Names Maddox Senior VP of Underwriting Rene' Maddox has been promoted to senior vice president of underwriting at AmCom Insurance Services Inc. Maddox now manages all aspects of... More West News International France, Germany Say Euro Saved; Investors Remain Skeptical Germany and France declared on Monday that Europe had taken decisive action to save the euro by rescuing Ireland and laying the foundations... Ireland, EU Conclude $113 Billion Bailout Negotiators for the Irish government and the European Union put the finishing touches on an €85 billion [$113 billion] bailout for the... UN Climate Talks Seek to Bridge Rich-Poor Divide A new round of U.N. climate talks opens on Monday with almost 200 nations meeting in Mexico in hopes of clinching an agreement on a narrow... Willis Marine Review Concludes Surplus Capacity 'Defies Logic' Willis Group Holdings' annual Marine Market Review has concluded that "while the shipping industry is showing tentative signs of recovery,... Aon Benfield Launches New 'ReMetrica' Model for Solvency II Aon Benfield's London office announced the launch of its new Solvency II-focused version 5 of ReMetrica, its dynamic financial analysis tool... Cooper Gay Restructures Marine Reinsurance Team Cooper Gay, the UK-based independent global wholesale broker, which combined with Swett & Crawford in July, has restructured its London... Canada Revenue Agency Confirms Barbados Insurers Exempt Status The Canada Revenue Authority (CRA) confirmed that Barbados insurance companies including Exempt Insurance Companies (EIC) and Qualifying... CNA Canada Updates Global Master Policy CNA Canada has improved and updated Oneworld Global Master Policy. This worldwide policy provides coverage for Canadian-based business... More International News Insurance Journal Blogs Writing letters that get read I have been helping producers for one of my clients create letter, and e-mail campaigns to announce new products, and services. This process... More News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV A Windfall for Storm Claims The insurance industry just unveiled a giant, $40 million wind chamber that is capable of... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Agency Management System Posted: Wed Nov 24 -- "Hi, I am also trying to decide which Agency Management System will be the best for my start up independent... mccloud55 Umbrella underlying limits Posted: Mon Nov 22 -- ladybroker, you are correct. Technically it is not a SIR in the context of the policy and I should have clarified further. My point was that... azcompanyman State Farm Commission Structure Posted: Mon Nov 22 -- There are different structures they can use for new agents. It varies with the number of policies they start you off with. If you are taking... magazine Ex-Dates Posted: Fri Nov 19 -- Jimmy, Was wondering if you could give us an update on the program you mentioned now that it's well over a year later? Are you still using... hfiagency Go to Forums Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Upcoming Webinar: Strategic Agency Planning for the Coming Year Dec 1, 2010 10:30-11:30am (Pacific)/ 1:30-2:30pm (Eastern) Current Issue Contractors & Builders; Long-Term Healthcare Liability; Top Personal Lines Retail Agencies November 15, 2010 Download Full Issue 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 Vice President of Claims - Commercial P&C - Great Telecommuting Opportunity Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative Sales Representative - Workers' Compensation / Liability Insurance - Chicago Area 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 © 2010 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Does Your Agency have a Strategy?

Having trouble reading this email? View it as a webpage. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. What's Your Agency's Strategy? Get your agency prepared for 2011, Join us this Wednesday for an exclusive, online training event. Given the current state of the economy and the insurance market place, you have probably been thinking a lot about what's ahead in the coming year. What strategies should your agency employ going into 2011? Where are the opportunities? Do you have the right partners? What is profitable growth? This Wednesday, the Academy of Insurance brings you another first-class, online training event that will explore these questions. If you are serious about your insurance agency, you do not want to miss this! Register today! Use promo code SAVE50 to save $50 When you register, you get: Access to the live training on Wednesday, December 1 Question & Answer session with the instructor Recording of the webcast, so you can watch again Audio download of the webcast Presentation slides download Key topics we will cover: Will the market be harder or softer? What implications do market conditions have on agencies? From where will any agency's profit and growth come? Analyzing your agencies most important partners (the carriers) What resources will an agency need to achieve its profit and growth goals? Why are growth goals alone or profit goals alone the equivalent of drinking one's self to death? Regularly priced at $149, get it today for just $99 with promo code SAVE50 Join us on Wednesday, December 1 starts at 10:30am PDT / 1:30pm EDT Meet the Instructor With more than twenty years experience, Chris Burand brings broad experience and wealth of knowledge into every agency. He is recognized as a leading consultant for agency valuations, increasing profits and reducing the cost of sales. As a nationally recognized speaker and author, Chris is a featured speaker across the continent at more than 180 conventions and educational programs. Any Questions? If you need help or would like to submit a question to the instructors before the webcast, send an email to webcasts@insurancejournal.com. Coming Soon: Reserve your seat today. Space is limited. This Week Understanding Commercial Property Underwriting and "COPE" (December 2) The Real Effects of Granting Additional Insured Status (December 16) Bestsellers: Learn the key issues regarding the insuring of condominiums. "Insuring Condominiums" was our bestselling coverage course this year. Order today for immediate access, plus archive access to view it later. Regularly priced at $99, today you can get it for just $74 when you use code 25OFF at checkout. Click here to learn more or register. Unsubscribe | Send to a Friend | Contact Us Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2010 by Wells Publishing, Inc.