Daily Headlines: Friday, June 28, 2013

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June 28, 2013 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Obama Administration Issues Contraceptive Rule For Faith-Based Employers The Obama administration on Friday issued its final rule requiring health insurance coverage of contraceptives for the employees of ... P/C Insurers Question Need for Insurance Accounting Overhaul The biggest overhaul of insurance accounting in 30 years advanced a step on Thursday with the release of a proposal that some insurers fear ... Court Grants Scientific Article Authors, Publishers Broad Protection Authors and publishers of controversial scientific articles, and the companies sponsoring those articles, won broad free speech protection ... Hobby Lobby Wins Round in Fight Against Contraceptive Coverage Arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby may be entitled to an exemption from a requirement in President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare overhaul ... Guy Carpenter Launches New Mutual Company Specialty Practice Guy Carpenter & Co., LLC, a global risk and reinsurance specialist and member of Marsh & McLennan Cos. have launched Mutual Company ... How Carriers, Agents Can Adapt As Small Commercial Buyers Move Online About 52 percent of America's small business insurance customers say they are ready to complete their commercial insurance purchasing ... EPIC, Dowling Capital Form Protector Holdings to Capture Hispanic Market As the Hispanic and Latino populations continue to grow, so should the insurance company options available to them. That is the thinking of... U.S. Workers Love-Hate Their Smartphones While On Vacation: Harris Poll More than half of U.S. workers would prefer a root canal than to work during vacation, but they cave in to bosses'... More National News East Bethesda, Md., Ranked as Most Secure Metro Area in Farmers Insurance Study The Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick region in Maryland was ranked as the most secure large U.S. metro area in the latest study published by ... N.J. Toughens Penalties for Texting, Talking on Hand-Held Device While Driving New Jersey is stiffening the penalties for motorists who use handheld cellphones to talk or text. A bill signed into law Thursday increases ... Liberty Mutual Expands Home Office in Boston With Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Liberty Mutual Insurance held a ribbon cutting ceremony today at the company's new 22-story, 590,000 square-foot office building at 157 ... Irving Weber Associates Names Account Executive in New York Irving Weber Associates Inc. (IWA Inc.) appointed Sharon Handel as account executive. In her new role, she will focus on dry cleaning ... N.Y. Attorney General Announces Conviction in Multi-Million Dollar Insurance Scheme New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced this week the felony conviction of an insurance fraudster who scammed no-fault ... Boston-Based Risk Strategies Co. Sells Majority Stake to Kohlberg & Co. Risk Strategies Company (RSC), a Boston-Based insurance and benefits brokerage and risk management firm, announced that private equity firm ... More East News Midwest Toledo Rebate to Hire Extra Firefighters with Work Comp Rebate Toledo is using an unexpectedly big rebate from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation to increase the size of its fire department. Ohio ... Ohio Road Signs Smash Into Cars; State Seeks Cause The Ohio Department of Transportation is investigating how three signs posted above a Cleveland-area highway smashed into traffic during ... Flooding Damages Homes in Southwestern Wisconsin Several days of heavy rains caused flooding that damaged hundreds of homes in southwestern Wisconsin, and officials in some communities ... Iowa Court Reconsiders Firing of 'Irresistible' Assistant A dental assistant fired because her boss thought she was too attractive has won a rare reconsideration by the Iowa Supreme Court on her ... Former North Dakota Insurance Agent Gets 10 Years for Theft A former Dickinson, N.D., insurance agent convicted of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from a client has been sentenced to 10 years ... More Midwest News Southeast Florida's Citizens Seeks 6.6% Home Rate Hike; Cap on Sinkhole Rates in High-Risk Areas Florida's state-backed property insurer requested a statewide average 6.6 percent increase in homeowners' rates along with a cap on ... More Southeast News South Central MHBT Acquires Wells Fargo Insurance Office in Texas Dallas, Texas-based MHBT Inc. has acquired Wells Fargo's insurance brokerage operations in Lubbock, Texas. The deal includes all operating ... Deadline for Louisiana Sinkhole Buyout Talks Extended Nearly half of the eligible residents and families directly affected by a Bayou Corne, La,-area sinkhole induced by a Texas Brine Co. salt ... Agency Investigating Plant Blast Finds Lax Chemical Regulation A federal agency investigating a deadly explosion at a Texas fertilizer plant will tell a Senate committee that regulation of the dangerous ... Texas Fire Review Panel Flags Work in 2 Cases A Texas fire review panel flagged two quarter-century-old arson cases, saying investigators were mistaken in finding that the defendants ... Report: Louisiana Plant Explosion Released Toxic Chemicals The deadly June 13 explosion and fire at the Williams Olefins chemical plant in Geismar, La., released more than 62,000 pounds of toxic ... More South Central News West New Mexico Current Insurance Regulator To Remain In Office State Insurance Superintendent John Franchini was selected to remain as New Mexico's top insurance regulator when his office becomes an ... San Francisco Paper Sues Rival Over Low Ad Rates The San Francisco Examiner has filed a lawsuit alleging that the city's dominant daily newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, has slashed ... Study: California Low-Wage Workers Cheated Of Awards A new study says thousands of low-paid California workers were cheated out of money they won against employers who broke the law. The ... Weather Service Confirms Modest Oregon Tornado A National Weather Service spokeswoman says a modest tornado did indeed touch down near the tiny Oregon town of Birkenfeld in the North ... More West News International Tepco Will Not Pursue Compensation from GE, Other Suppliers Over Nuclear Disaster Tokyo Electric Power Co. shareholders rejected a proposal to look into pursuing claims for compensation against companies that supplied ... Alberta Farms Avoid Widespread Damage from Worst Flood on Record Damage to farmland in southern Alberta is not "widespread" after the region's worst floods on record, according to Katrina Bluetchen, a ... U.S. Suspends Trade Benefits for Bangladesh Over Workplace Safety President Barack Obama on Thursday cut off longtime U.S. trade benefits for Bangladesh in a mostly symbolic response to dangerous ... More International News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Geneva Association's Secretary General John Fitzpatrick on Systemic Risks, Nat Cats, ILS and Cyber Risks The Geneva Association's studies and reports are now an important part of the dialogue between... Watch Now The Good and the Bad: Healthcare Reform and Medical Liability The Patient's Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has very little to do with the medical... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Agency Management System Posted: Wed Jun 26 -- I am an agent doing primarily commercial auto and trucking. We are using a system called NowCerts.com We love it. Mainly because it costs us... RigQuote New independent agency Posted: Tue Jun 25 -- E&O was the hardest thing for me to do as a start up (besides appointments). It can cost a new agency like $2000+ I say start looking there. shiftins Question regarding my universal life insurance policy ! Posted: Mon Jun 24 -- Do you still need life insurance? How old are you? How much life insurance do you need? For how long? Are you healthy? Would Term Life... yoyowordup How to obtain release of liablity Posted: Fri Jun 21 -- what type of liability you are talking about? auto, home insurance? Remove her from your policy since you divorced and let her to get her... pecosins brokers with access to trucking insurance? Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- I have markets that can write the gl and comp. Can write a 3yr. guaranteed policy on the work comp CYNTHIA CPRO Workers Comp (Ca) Auto Repair with large loss Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- Dear Paul, I have markets that would possibly quote your insured. The minimum premium with all our markets is 15,000. If you are interested... CYNTHIA CPRO Texas Commercial Auto Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- Looking for a home for hard to place commercial auto. Client is a Realtor and wants to purchase a boxvan and put their logo on the unit with... JohnnyLaw Ohio Looking for a market, 8 Trucks pulling RVs Posted: Wed Jun 19 -- You may wish to try Nationwide or Victoria Insurance; both write standard & non-standard commercial transportation. insurancepro2 Garagekeepers Coverage - Florida Account Posted: Mon Jun 17 -- Let's imagine one of the car owners hires a lawyer and takes the auto garage to court. A judge declares the garage responsible (legally... darnovak Go to Forums Reader Comments Supreme Court Limits Workplace Harassment, Retaliation Claims Posted: Wed Jun 26 -- Biker: I humbly disagree with you on the latter part of your post. There is indeed a shortage of women in these roles considering the number... Libby U.S. House Strikes Down Republican Farm Bill Posted: Tue Jun 25 -- Great post- bob Sargeant Major Appeal Planned On Arizona Immigrant License Policy Posted: Fri Jun 21 -- Don't you love how they say they are immigrants. They are not. They are people that broke into our country. No different than someone... Baxtor Oregon Sued Over Foster Abuse In Salem Home Posted: Wed Jun 26 -- And if these attorneys were REALLY concerned about their clients, they'd take a base fee so most of the potential award actually goes to the... Scott Senate Leader Reid Rules Out Extending Current Farm Law Posted: Tue Jun 25 -- Another Congressional pissing match with the American people stuck in the middle. Libby Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue June 17, 2013 Umbrellas - Personal & Commercial; Construction; Environmental; Bonus: The Texas Issue (Special Supplement); Bonus: The Florida Issue (Special Supplement); Quarterly Employee Benefits Brokerage Report 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 Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer Vice President, Claims Vice President, Underwriting 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. 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Daily Headlines: Wednesday, June 26, 2013

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June 26, 2013 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Colleges Could Face Lawsuits Following Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action may force universities to re-examine their admissions policies and face waves of ... Small Commercial Buyers Moving Online: Who Are They? What Do They Want? According to a recent study by consultant Deloitte, more than half of small businesses (52 percent) are now ready and willing to buy their ... BP Using Advertising to Fight BP Oil Spill Claims Formula Britain's BP has stepped up its campaign for a revision of the way compensation for its 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill is calculated by ... Trade Panel Action Could Thwart 'Patent Trolls' A U.S. trade panel that deals with patent infringement cases took a step on Monday that could rein in companies, often known as patent ... Car Thefts Up for First Time in Years U.S. auto thefts probably rose in 2012 after eight straight years of declines as criminals took advantage of California's budget cuts and ... Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Appoints Tortorella as Chief Legal Officer Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance -- the new commercial P/C insurance unit of Berkshire Hathaway -- appointed Ralph Tortorella III as ... EPIC, Dowling Capital Form Protector Holdings to Capture Hispanic Market As the Hispanic and Latino populations continue to grow, so should the insurance company options available to them. That is the thinking of... Flaw of Averages: Why Carriers Overpay & Underpay Contents Claims In his book, The Flaw of Averages, author Sam Savage explores how the widely used statistical concept of "averages" can... More National News East Connecticut Enacts Bill to Establish Disaster Claims Mediation Program Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy last week signed a bill that would mandate the insurance department to set up a mediation program for claims ... Safeco Begins Selling Personal Lines Insurance Products in Massachusetts Safeco Insurance, a Liberty Mutual Insurance company, announced this week it began selling its personal lines insurance products in ... In R.I., Debate Continues Over 38 Studios Bonds as Insurers Await This week, Rhode Island lawmakers are negotiating the final details of the state's $8.2 billion budget. One controversial part of the ... Port Authority Police Officer Accused of Insurance Fraud in New York A Port Authority police officer has been charged with insurance fraud for claiming he was disabled while moonlighting in a rock band. ... More East News Midwest Kansas Insurance Commissioner Out of Step with Today's GOP Sandy Praeger was always the team player and never the black sheep. As mayor of Lawrence, state representative, state senator and now ... Cincinnati, Ohio Looks to Capitalize on Alcohol Tourism Kentucky has its bourbon distilleries, St. Louis its Budweiser factory, Napa and Sonoma their wineries, and cities from San Diego to ... Ohio Man Ordered to Pay Nearly $29K for Workers' Comp Fraud An Ohio man was sentenced for working while receiving disability payments from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) for a prior ... More Midwest News Southeast Kentucky to Study Laws Meant to Curb Prescription Drug Abuse Kentucky officials will start a yearlong study next month to determine the effects of controversial new laws designed to curb prescription ... Georgia Estimates Insured Storm Loss at $50M Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said violent weather that struck Georgia on June 13 caused an estimated $50 million in insured ... More Southeast News South Central Social Media Is Here to Stay, Texas P/C Professionals Say The value of social media as a tool for marketing and selling property/casualty insurance may be a matter of debate but one thing is for ... Investigators to Examine Heat Exchanger at Louisiana Blast Site State and federal officials investigating the cause of the deadly blast on June 13 at the Williams Companies Inc. plant near Gonzales, La., ... More South Central News West Oregon Sued Over Foster Abuse In Salem Home Lawyers for 11 young children who reportedly suffered sexual abuse at a Salem, Ore., foster home have filed nearly $23 million in lawsuits ... Montana FWP Ordered To Pay $20K Over Retaliation A hearings officer for the Montana Human Rights Bureau has ordered the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to pay $20,000 to a ... EPLI in Southern California Playing 'Hard' to Get Employment practices in California is a known and growing concern for insurers, agents and employers, and that concern has some carriers ... State Fund Selects New Chief Medical Officer State Compensation Insurance Fund named Dr. Dinesh Govindarao as its new chief medical officer. The move is effective July 8. As chief ... More West News International Swiss Re sigma study Finds Global Insurance Premium Growth at 2.4% Swiss Re's latest sigma study reveals that "total global premiums written increased by 2.4 percent in real terms in 2012 to $4.613 ... Aon Benfield's Analysis of the Lloyd's Market Aon Benfield Analytics' Market Analysis team has released its latest Lloyd's Update report, covering the market's 2012 financial results ... Commentary: Breathing New Life into Climate Policy Shale has killed climate policy. Now the International Energy Agency (IEA) is trying to bring it back to life. Following the shale ... Ratings Roundup: AEGIS, SOGAZ, African Re, Delvag A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of 'A-' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a-" of Bermuda-based Associated ... More International News Insurance Journal Blogs Insurance Agencies CAN Take Advantage of Image-based Social Media! This post is part of a series on insurance marketing and training sponsored by Astonish. We've been hearing it for a long time now - ... More Blogs Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Geneva Association's Secretary General John Fitzpatrick on Systemic Risks, Nat Cats, ILS and Cyber Risks The Geneva Association's studies and reports are now an important part of the dialogue between... Watch Now The Good and the Bad: Healthcare Reform and Medical Liability The Patient's Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has very little to do with the medical... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums New independent agency Posted: Tue Jun 25 -- E&O was the hardest thing for me to do as a start up (besides appointments). It can cost a new agency like $2000+ I say start looking there. shiftins Question regarding my universal life insurance policy ! Posted: Mon Jun 24 -- Do you still need life insurance? How old are you? How much life insurance do you need? For how long? Are you healthy? Would Term Life... yoyowordup How to obtain release of liablity Posted: Fri Jun 21 -- what type of liability you are talking about? auto, home insurance? Remove her from your policy since you divorced and let her to get her... pecosins brokers with access to trucking insurance? Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- I have markets that can write the gl and comp. Can write a 3yr. guaranteed policy on the work comp CYNTHIA CPRO Workers Comp (Ca) Auto Repair with large loss Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- Dear Paul, I have markets that would possibly quote your insured. The minimum premium with all our markets is 15,000. If you are interested... CYNTHIA CPRO Texas Commercial Auto Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- Looking for a home for hard to place commercial auto. Client is a Realtor and wants to purchase a boxvan and put their logo on the unit with... JohnnyLaw Ohio Looking for a market, 8 Trucks pulling RVs Posted: Wed Jun 19 -- You may wish to try Nationwide or Victoria Insurance; both write standard & non-standard commercial transportation. insurancepro2 Garagekeepers Coverage - Florida Account Posted: Mon Jun 17 -- Let's imagine one of the car owners hires a lawyer and takes the auto garage to court. A judge declares the garage responsible (legally... darnovak Course of Construction for non licensed contractor Posted: Mon Jun 17 -- You can easily find GL for an owner/builder with Markel/Essex. Understand we are only interested if he is building his own home. Meytai,... LadyBroker Go to Forums Reader Comments White House Threatens Veto of Farm Bill Over Food Stamp Cuts Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- Agent, What, is the Constitution scripture or something? People DO have a right to health care. It is NOT a privilege. The only ones who... Tim Suit Filed Over Southern California Border Patrol Chase Death Posted: Fri Jun 21 -- Really, the moron was driving the wrong way and wouldn't stop. Also, who would think a taser could start a fire in a car? jw Appeal Planned On Arizona Immigrant License Policy Posted: Fri Jun 21 -- Don't you love how they say they are immigrants. They are not. They are people that broke into our country. No different than someone... Baxtor IRS Scandals Threaten Funding for Health Care Law Posted: Thu Jun 20 -- You bet, Agent. And I don't know if it's her thing or not, but she can find some great deep dish pizza there, too. My favorite is Gino's... Captain Planet Supreme Court Limits Workplace Harassment, Retaliation Claims Posted: Wed Jun 26 -- Biker: I humbly disagree with you on the latter part of your post. There is indeed a shortage of women in these roles considering the number... Libby Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue June 17, 2013 Umbrellas - Personal & Commercial; Construction; Environmental; Bonus: The Texas Issue (Special Supplement); Bonus: The Florida Issue (Special Supplement); Quarterly Employee Benefits Brokerage Report 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 Chief Financial Officer Chief Financial Officer Vice President, Claims Vice President, Underwriting 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 © 2013 by Wells Media Group, Inc.

Insurance Journal TV: Oklahoma Opens Up to Captive Insurers

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June 25, 2013 Feature Video Geneva Association's Secretary General John Fitzpatrick on Systemic Risks, Nat Cats, ILS and Cyber Risks The Geneva Association's studies and reports are now an important part of the dialogue between the re/insurance industry and the regulatory bodies that oversee it. In this... Watch Now Popular Videos The Future of Medical Liability Aon Benfield's Bryon Ehrhart On Reinsurance Market Conditions & Demand Considerations 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 © 2013 by Wells Media Group, Inc.

Market & Financial Outlook Survey

This exclusive survey compiles anonymous independent agency information along with financial, market, carrier and technology data and then summarizes the findings in MarshBerry's State of the Industry Outlook report. Insurance Journal is co-sponsoring the 28th Annual Market & Financial Outlook Survey conducted by MarshBerry & Co. Agency owners and principals may take the survey here. All survey participants will receive a complimentary copy of the survey report. The report provides key market fundamental data, agency performance and valuation detail, along with expert analysis on the make-up of the insurance distribution marketplace. The survey asks key questions such as: What agencies want most from their carriers? How many carrier contracts agencies have for each product line? What agencies are doing with extra money? Do agencies use service centers? How much agencies are growing? How agencies target new business? What lines of coverage are difficult to place? Hiring trends in the coming year? How agencies are attracting new talent? Click here to participate in the 28th Annual Market & Financial Outlook Survey conducted by MarshBerry, and sponsored by Insurance Journal. Founded in 1981, MarshBerry assists insurance agents, brokers and carriers in merger and acquisition advisory, financial consulting, organic growth consulting, information services and peer exchange networks. For more information contact Andrea Wells at awells@insurancejournal.com or Tom McDonald at tommy.mcdonald@marshberry.com. Andrea Wells Editor-in-Chief Insurance Journal 800-897-9965 x152 awells@insurancejournal.com  Follow on Twitter | Friend on Facebook | LinkedIn | Forward to a friend  Copyright © 2013 Wells Media Group, Inc., All rights reserved. Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio N Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 Toll Free: (800) 897-9965 Today's Insurance News Contact Us  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences