Daily Headlines: Monday, December 5, 2011

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December 5, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National 2011 Hurricane Season Spared Usual Targets While Flooding Northeast The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season was a study in contradictions: It spared the usual Southern targets, while Irene paralyzed the Eastern ... U.S. P/C Insurers’ Catastrophe Losses Top $38 Billion Catastrophe-related losses experienced by the U.S. property/casualty (P/C) industry through the first nine months of 2011 have nearly ... Senate Asked to Renew Flood Program Until Sept. 2012 U.S. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging him to allow a one-year extension of the ... Lawmakers Block Safety Rules for Lithium Battery Shipments Lawmakers responded to pleas from industry and foreign governments on Friday with a tentative agreement to block the Obama administration ... Chubb Adds New Coverages to Private Company Program The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has added protection for cyber breaches and other crimes to its ForeFront Portfolio 3.0 program for ... ProHost Adds Employment Practices Coverage for Restaurants ProHost has started offering employment practices liability insurance for restaurants, including wage and hour defense coverage. The ... How to Prepare for the Changing Market In today's personal property/casualty insurance market, agents and brokers face increasing uncertainty. Staying the course is no longer an... More National News East Sen. Schumer Says Flood Insurers Are Too Slow in Processing Claims U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is calling on flood insurance companies to speed up their processing of insurance claims from ... Pennsylvania Receives $349 Million in Disaster Aid So Far Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency say nearly $349 million in disaster aid has been approved so far for Pennsylvania ... Rate of Virginia Workplace Injuries Up in 2010 The rate of workplace injuries increased in 2010 in Virginia, but still remains below the national rate. The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk ... Massachusetts Utility Regulators Probe October Storm Response Massachusetts regulators are preparing to hold public hearings in Springfield and East Longmeadow as they investigate how utility companies ... Massachusetts Sues Banks Over Foreclosures Massachusetts sued five major banks Thursday over deceptive foreclosure practices such as the "robo-signing" of documents, potentially ... AXIS Capital Hires North American Professional Lines Chief in N.J. AXIS Capital Holdings' insurance segment appointed John Van Decker as Berkeley Heights, N.J.-based executive vice president and head of ... More East News Midwest Third of Illinois Workers' Comp Awards in 12 Facilities Workers filing on-the-job injury claims at just a dozen state institutions clustered in southern Illinois collected nearly one-third of the ... AIPSO Central Region Closing East Wacker Drive Office in Chicago AIPSO, a management organization and service provider for various insurance industry groups responsible for administering the residual ... Iowa Man Won’t Get $10.6M Malpractice Award An Iowa man who had been awarded $10.6 million in malpractice case won't see any of that money. The Des Moines Register reports that court ... More Midwest News Southeast North Carolina Investigates Deadly Cotton Gin Accident North Carolina workplace safety investigators are looking into what killed a worker at a Jones County cotton gin. The Kinston Free Press ... West Virginia Man Admits Staging Crashes In Insurance Scam A Buckhannon, West Virginia man has pleaded guilty to defrauding insurance companies by staging vehicle accidents and filing fake claims. ... More Southeast News South Central Louisiana Commissioner Urges Policyholders to Claim Citizens Rebate Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon and Department of Revenue Deputy Assistant Secretary Gary Matherne are urging those who have ... Haigood to Head Texas Fire and Casualty Insurer Association Lyndell Haigood, regional vice president of State Auto Insurance Co., has been elected president of the Association of Fire and Casualty ... Flood Insurance Rate Falls for Some in Louisiana Some residents and business owners in the city of Lafayette, La., and unincorporated parts of the parish will soon be paying 10 percent ... White House Denies Earthquake Aid for Oklahoma The White House has denied a request from the state of Oklahoma for individual assistance for those affected by a series of earthquakes in ... More South Central News West Federal Agency to Hold Hearing on Air Shows, Races A federal hearing will examine the safety of air races and air shows after a horrific crash killed 11 people and injured more than 70 at an ... San Francisco Fire Department Cited for Safety Violations in Fatal Fire The San Francisco Fire Department has been cited by state investigators for "serious'' worker safety violations in the deaths of two ... More West News International Torus Acquires Renewals of CV Starr for Continental Europe; Interview with Int’l. CEO Dermot O’Donohoe Torus announced that it has entered into an agreement with Starr Underwriting Agents Limited whereby Torus Syndicate 2243 acquires the ... Aon Benfield Reports China Reinsurance Premiums up 70% since 2005 Aon Benfield, the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of Aon Corp., has launched its China Property & Casualty ... Bank of India to Buy 51% of Bharti AXA Asset Manager State-run Bank of India said late on Saturday it would buy 51 percent of Indian asset manager Bharti AXA Investment Managers Pvt Ltd from ... DUAL Corporate Risks Adds More D&O Capacity from Aspen, Pembroke London-based specialist underwriting agency DUAL Corporate Risks announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Aspen ... Willis Strengthens So. Africa Role with Pickering Appointment Willis Group Holdings announced the appointment of Scott Pickering, President, Willis Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as CEO of ... Sciemus Appoints Former Aon Exec Mahoney as Chairman London-based Sciemus, an analytics and modeling company that services the insurance and financial markets, announced the appointment of ... Parker Named to Head P/C Specialty at Aon’s Global Brokerage Center Aon Risk Solutions, the risk management business of Aon Corp, announced the appointment of Mark R. Parker to the position of Director in ... Best Affirms Ratings of Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (China) A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of 'A-' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a-" of Aioi Nissay Dowa ... 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 Interesting Times in Medical Liability The medical liability market continues to perform well even as the nation struggles to... Watch Now Pat Ryan Asks, 'Are You Happy?' Patrick Ryan is an innovator who sees opportunity. And it was opportunity that drove him to... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums High Value Personal Auto Posted: Sat Dec 3 -- As far as Hagerty goes I was under the impression that they did classics only. As fo Chubb you are saying that they did mono line auto? JAM Start up Agency Advice Posted: Fri Dec 2 -- What state are you in? Also, I would think that you would be better off partnering with an existing agency who has the appointments that you... justthere Batch Clause undre Products Liability Posted: Fri Dec 2 -- Submit the claim to both insurance carriers and let them figure it out. That's their job. Big Dog QuickBooks Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I have used QB online for 12+ years for agency bill, direct bill, payroll, CC acceptance etc. The ease of use, accessible from anywhere via... mhutch69 How do you ask for a referral? Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I read an article recently that posed the question 'Are you a referral wimp?'. It went on to list the common excuses for not asking for a... FactsofLife Go to Forums Reader Comments U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts Won't Seek Re-election Posted: Mon Nov 28 -- THANK GOD! Bwarney Fwank was half to blame for the housing collapse and Freddie and Fannie Mae's boon doggle for all tax payers. Good... Sarah Massachusetts Enacts Law on Credit Ban for Auto Insurance Posted: Tue Nov 29 -- "much-needed protection against an unfair, unreliable, and discriminatory rate-setting practice" Unpopular, yes, but the correlation exists... GL Guru Geithner Hits Attempts to Weaken Wall Street Reforms Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- Geithner has ZERO credibility since He was appointed. Anyone that overlooks paying $35,000 in taxes has no business being involved in... Steve Shults Montana Bicyclist Falls on Icy Trail, Gets Nearly $100K Posted: Wed Nov 30 -- "John Cornish told the Ravalli Republic for a story published Monday that people should know riding a bike at night in winter is a little... Always Amazed Insurance Groups React to Rep. Barney Frank's Retirement Announcement Posted: Wed Nov 30 -- What a surprise, that the insurance lobbyists praise Frank one of the most incompetent regulators of all time. Frank allowed the financial... Systemic risk Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Program Directory, Vol. II - Volume Two of the Agent's Favorite Program Placement Resource December 5, 2011 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 Underwriting/Claims Trainer Agency Bill Accounting Supervisor Commercial P & C Broker/Producer Auto Damage and Truck Appraiser 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.

Your Customers Think You're #1, Shouldn't the Internet?

Having trouble reading this email? View it as a webpage. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe instantly. How to Top Your Competitors in Google There's only one guaranteed way to the top of Google and Bing. Learn the secrets experts use for cost effective paid search marketing. Would attaining prominent exposure in popular search engine site results such as Google, Bing and Yahoo in as little as ONE DAY interest you? If so, join us this Wednesday as we learn more about the available options for getting such results within the most popular search engines. Date: Wednesday, Dec. 7 Time: 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT Duration: 1 Hour Click Here to Register Chris Dixon Boggs, President of SEMPO (Search Engine Market Professional Organization), will introduce you to the numerous opportunities that exist for you to target "precision strikes" in purchasing placement for search terms relevant to your business; this includes a discussion of "Pay-Per-Click" marketing. Pay-Per-Click is a cost effective tool for all companies to drive business to pages on their site, taking market share away from larger companies and competitors. Click Here to Register What you will learn in this webinar: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) (aka. "Paid Search Marketing") An overview of the Search Engine Landscape How to Establish a Paid Search Campaign How to measure your success When you register, you get: Access to the live webinar Video and audio recordings, so you can watch or listen again Question & Answer session with the instructor Audio download of the webcast Presentation slides download Join us this Wednesday, December 7th for this one-hour training webinar. (PLUS, all registrants will receive video and audio recordings of the webinar, so you can listen/watch again at your convenience.) Space is limited! Click Here to Reserve Your Spot! Regularly priced at $129.00, just $89 when you register today! (special pricing expires December 6th) Have questions or need help? Send an email to webcasts@insurancejournal.com or call Barbara at 800-897-9965 x166. Date: Wednesday, Dec. 7th Time: 1:30pm EDT / 10:30am PDT Duration: 1 Hour Price: Save $40 until Dec. 6th! Register today for just $89! Click Here to Register Instructor: Chris Dixon Boggs Search engine optimization and marketing specialist. More Great Training Coming Soon: DEC 8: Understanding Commercial Property Underwriting and "COPE" (A 2-Part Series) - Learn the importance of each of the four basic data points in the property underwriting process: Construction, Occupancy, Protection and Exposure ("COPE"). DEC 14: Business Auto Coverage Symbols and Mobile Equipment - This course is designed to improve participants understanding of the "symbols" and their appropriate use. In addition to reviewing the symbols, it will discuss some of the finer, less-obvious issues that make the difference between appropriate coverage and a coverage gap. JAN 25-27: Property Risk Insurance Specialist (PRIS) Course - The PRIS program was developed to allow agents, brokers, underwriters, risk managers and insurance buyers to gain specialized knowledge in managing and insuring property risks. The designation is designed to increase the expertise and competence of individuals who sell, underwrite or purchase property insurance. Send to a Friend | Contact Us | Subscribe | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy Insurance Journal 3570 Camino del Rio North, Suite 200 San Diego, CA 92108 (800) 897-9965 Copyright © 2011 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Daily Headlines: Friday, December 2, 2011

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December 2, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Property Insurance Rates on the Rise: Marsh Nearly half of the U.S. property insurance policies renewed in the current quarter have been at higher prices, brokerage Marsh said on ... Turning Construction Red Flags into Opportunities The role of an agent or broker as a trusted advisor to contractor clients is more important than ever given today's challenging business ... Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Non-U.S. Claims Against Toyota Toyota Motor Corp has won the dismissal of a U.S. lawsuit brought by vehicle owners in 14 other countries who said their Toyotas lost value ... Aon to Close Agency Specialty Product Network (ASPN) by Year’s End Aon is closing down Agency Specialty Product Network (ASPN), a subsidiary, by the end of the year. "Aon values the long-term relationships ... Are You Prepared for the Changing Insurance Market? In today's personal property/casualty insurance market, agents and brokers face increasing uncertainty. Staying the course is no longer ... In Slow Economy, Injured Workers May Find It Harder to Return to Work A new report from Workers Compensation Research Institute says some injured workers may face even greater challenges in returning to work. ... Insurers Strive to Educate Cash-Strapped Schools on Coverage Options With many public schools facing budget cuts and private schools experiencing a reduction in donations and enrollment, property/casualty... More National News East New Jersey Declared Disaster Area for October Snowstorm President Obama has issued a major disaster declaration for New Jersey for the late October snowstorm that played havoc with roads, trees ... Maryland To Hold Hearing on Insurance Affordability for Coastal Areas Maryland Insurance Administration will hold a two-day quasi-legislative public hearing, on Dec. 13 and 14, to discuss the availability and ... Penn.-based Broker KMRD Partners Acquires General InsurCorp KMRD Partners, a Warrington, Penn.-based risk management consulting firm and property/casualty insurance broker, has acquired assets of ... Investment Firm AssuredPartners Acquires N.Y.-based Agency SKCG Group AssuredPartners, a portfolio company of Chicago-based private equity firm GTCR, has purchased SKCG Group, a White Plains, N.Y.-based ... More East News Midwest Nebraska Health Providers Urge State-based Insurance Exchange Nebraska should not wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the Obama administration's health care overhaul before it prepares a ... Repairs to Kansas Bridge Hit by Truck to Cost $300K Kansas transportation officials estimate it will cost about $300,000 to repair a Wichita bridge that was damaged when it was hit by a truck ... Ohio Man Sentenced for Workers' Comp Fraud A Sharonville, Ohio, man has been sentenced in court for working as a cable installer while receiving workers' compensation benefits. ... More Midwest News Southeast Part of Mississippi Healthcare Suit Placed on Hold A federal judge has put on hold portions of a Mississippi lawsuit against Obama administration's health care law. U.S. District Judge Keith ... North Carolina Law on Electronics Coverage to Take Effect North Carolina companies that sell portable electronics coverage will soon be able to offer insurance under a new state law that is due to ... More Southeast News South Central Texas Man Accused of Drowning $1.2M Sports Car for Insurance The insurer of a $1.2 million sports car that plunged into a Galveston Bay lagoon two years ago says the owner deliberately drove into the ... State Farm Hikes Homeowner Policy Rates, Deductibles in Texas A new insurance commissioner has allowed State Farm to charge higher rates and deductibles in Texas. State Farm Insurance on Dec. 1 was ... Arkansas Regulators no Longer Pursuing State-run Health Insurance Exchange Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford has announced that planning efforts for an Arkansas-run health benefits exchange have ended. ... Broadspire Launches Workers' Comp Health Care Network in Texas Broadspire, a third party administrator (TPA) and medical management services provider, announced it has launched its workers' ... More South Central News West Bell-Anderson in Washington Acquires Cornelius Insurance Renton, Wash.-based Insurance provider Bell-Anderson Agency Inc. has acquired Cornelius Insurance of Newman Lake, Wash. Cornelius' owner, ... Storm Blocks Last Pre-Winter Fuel Delivery to Nome The residents of Nome, Alaska, could be looking at a very costly winter: $9-a-gallon gasoline. The coastal city of more than 3,500 ... Strong Winds Downed Trees and Power Lines in West Some of the worst winds in years blasted through California this week, with the brunt off the gusts felt overnight on Wednedsday, sweeping ... $79k EPA Fine for Nevada Company's Hazardous Waste Facility Federal environmental regulators have fined a Nevada company $79,500 for mishandling the storage of hazardous waste at a facility in ... Camelina Crop Insurance Available in Selected Montana Counties The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a pilot program to provide crop insurance for camelina in selected counties in Montana and ... Two in Critical Condition After San Francisco Apartment Fire San Francisco fire officials say two people are in critical condition after a two-alarm fire broke out at an apartment building in the ... Investigators Looking Into Boeing Field crash The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the Wednesday night crash of a small plane at Boeing Field in Seattle, Wash. The ... USDA Sets up Pilot Program to Insure Biofuel Crops The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency will insure camelina through a pilot program in 2012.  It will be ... More West News International Swiss Re Economists See Weak Growth; Some Market Hardening; EU Peril Swiss Re presented its latest analysis of the global economic outlook and its potential impact on the insurance industry at an economic ... Stormy Sun Could Knock Out Power Grids: Allianz An upcoming cycle of stormy solar activity risks causing damage to electrical transformers and threatening vulnerable energy infrastructure ... DUAL Starts Specialty Reinsurance Business DUAL Corporate Risks has launched Tamesis DUAL, a specialty excess-of-loss reinsurance business with capacity from Lloyd's. Tamesis DUAL ... Dallamore Joins Howden as Consultant in Asia Howden Broking Group, the broking arm of Hyperion Insurance Group, has appointed Brian Dallamore as a non-executive director of the board ... More International News Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Interesting Times in Medical Liability The medical liability market continues to perform well even as the nation struggles to... Watch Now Pat Ryan Asks, 'Are You Happy?' Patrick Ryan is an innovator who sees opportunity. And it was opportunity that drove him to... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Batch Clause under Products Liability Posted: Fri Dec 2 -- Submit the claim to both insurance carriers and let them figure it out. That's their job. Big Dog High Value Personal Auto Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- You should be able to use Hagerty for that situation justthere Start up Agency Advice Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- Of the total students coming through the school I would estimate: Approx 85% would be new drivers - 75% 16 yrs old - 20% 18-21 yrd old - 5%... gregm21 QuickBooks Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I have used QB online for 12+ years for agency bill, direct bill, payroll, CC acceptance etc. The ease of use, accessible from anywhere via... mhutch69 How do you ask for a referral? Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I read an article recently that posed the question 'Are you a referral wimp?'. It went on to list the common excuses for not asking for a... FactsofLife Go to Forums Reader Comments U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts Won't Seek Re-election Posted: Mon Nov 28 -- THANK GOD! Bwarney Fwank was half to blame for the housing collapse and Freddie and Fannie Mae's boon doggle for all tax payers. Good... Sarah Massachusetts Enacts Law on Credit Ban for Auto Insurance Posted: Tue Nov 29 -- "much-needed protection against an unfair, unreliable, and discriminatory rate-setting practice" Unpopular, yes, but the correlation exists... GL Guru Montana Bicyclist Falls on Icy Trail, Gets Nearly $100K Posted: Wed Nov 30 -- "John Cornish told the Ravalli Republic for a story published Monday that people should know riding a bike at night in winter is a little... Always Amazed Insurance Groups React to Rep. Barney Frank's Retirement Announcement Posted: Wed Nov 30 -- What a surprise, that the insurance lobbyists praise Frank one of the most incompetent regulators of all time. Frank allowed the financial... Systemic risk Geithner Hits Attempts to Weaken Wall Street Reforms Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- Geithner has ZERO credibility since He was appointed. Anyone that overlooks paying $35,000 in taxes has no business being involved in... Steve Shults Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Contractors & Builders, Claims and the Independent Agent, Top Personal Lines Retail Agencies November 21, 2011 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 Underwriting/Claims Trainer Agency Bill Accounting Supervisor Commercial P & C Broker/Producer Auto Damage and Truck Appraiser 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, December 1, 2011

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December 1, 2011 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Most Health Insurers Meet Controversial Medical Loss Ratio Most U.S. health insurers last year would have satisfied the much-disputed spending rules under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, ... Geithner Hits Attempts to Weaken Wall Street Reforms U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Thursday that opponents of financial-sector reform were trying to sabotage efforts to ... Can Claims Handling Cause an Errors & Omissions Claim? The answer to the question posed in the headline is a definite "yes." This has actually developed into a significant issue for agents ... How to Produce and Keep Happy Claimants The best way to keep agency customers happy is to avoid claims in the first place but, of course, that's easier said than done. When ... Genstart Completes Acquisition of Insurity from LexisNexis Genstar Capital LLC has completed its previously announced acquisition of Insurity, the former LexisNexis Insurance Software Solutions ... Aspen Enters Recreational Marine Market Aspen U.S. Insurance has entered the recreational marine insurance market. Its products will be distributed through an exclusive agreement ... Aon Introduces Tenant Rent Default Coverage Aon has partnered with QBE Insurance Group to offer a product that will reimburse U.S. landlords for lost incomes when tenants default on ... Sweeney Retires; McKay Named CEO of U.S. Aviation Underwriters Michael Sweeney plans to retire as CEO of United States Aviation Underwriters (USAU) at the end of the year, parent company General Re ... Insurers Strive to Educate Cash-Strapped Schools on Coverage Options With many public schools facing budget cuts and private schools experiencing a reduction in donations and enrollment, property/casualty... More National News East New York Lost 250,000 Middle- and High-Wage Jobs Since 2008: Report New York State has been shedding hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs since the financial crisis hit and its poverty rate remains ... ACE Completes $107M Acquisition of Agribusiness Insurer Penn Millers ACE Limited announced on Wednesday that it has completed its acquisition of Penn Millers Holding Corp. for approximately $107 million in ... IIABNY Advises Motorists: Don't Skimp On Auto Liability Insurance The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York is advising motor vehicle owners not to skimp when they buy auto liability ... More East News Midwest Judge Allows Indiana State Fair Victims to Form Class A federal judge certified all of the victims of the Indiana State Fair concert stage collapse into a single class Wednesday in a lawsuit ... Ohio Man Without Medical License Sentenced for Treating Injured Workers A Toledo, Ohio, man who treated injured workers without a medical license must repay the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) more ... Jury Awards $27M in Damages Over Indiana Explosion A jury has awarded $27 million in damages to a family over a propane explosion at a central Indiana horse farm that killed a man and ... More Midwest News Southeast Florida’s Citizens Suggest Steps to Reduce Its Exposure Florida's largest property insurer wants to roll back coverage on high-value homes and lower its coverage limits on homeowners' ... Apollo of Florida Transfers Auto Book to Omni A.M. Best Co. has withdrawn the financial strength rating of C++ (Marginal) and issuer credit rating of "b" of Apollo Casualty Co. of ... Kentucky College, Former President Settle Claim Over Firing A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit brought by a former community college president against the Kentucky Community and Technical ... Appalachian Underwriters Receives New Endorsement in Georgia Appalachian Underwriters, Inc. (AUI) will be the exclusively endorsed workers' compensation provider for the Independent Insurance Agents ... More Southeast News South Central Labor Department Accuses Cargill of Discrimination at Arkansas Plant Labor officials have moved to cut off federal contracts held by one of the nation's largest meatpackers, saying it discriminated against ... Confie Seguros Acquires Houston's Auto Insurance Discounters Confie Seguros, a national provider of insurance with an emphasis on serving Hispanic consumers, has expanded its operations in Texas with ... Dallas-based SIG Insurance Rebrands as CoVerica Dallas-based insurance agency SIG Insurance Professionals has rebranded as CoVerica. The company said the rebranding reflects its ... More South Central News West Attorney Says Man Innocent in Wal-Mart Incident, May Sue The attorney for an Arizona man forcibly taken down by Buckeye police at a Wal-Mart says he plans to clear his client of the criminal ... Thomas Becomes Partner in RSI Bill Thomas has partnered with Ben Thomas and Barry Rabune of Costa Mesa, Calif.-based RSI Insurance Brokers to expand RSI Employers Source ... Perry Named Atlas Audit Manager Atlas General Insurance Services has named Robin Perry as audit manager. Perry will be responsible for developing a new premium audit ... Wholesaler Adds Market for Nonstandard Auto in California WIAA Insurance Services has added Unitrin Specialty to its roster of carriers. This provides the wholesale agency's subproducers a new ... Arizona Gets $30 Million Grant for Health Exchange Arizona is getting a $30 million federal grant to implement part of the federal health care overhaul. $6M Awarded for West Coast Quake Early Warning Research Scientists studying earthquake early warning in the United States have received a financial boost. A foundation this week awarded $6 ... Montana Bicyclist Falls on Icy Trail, Gets Nearly $100K A bicyclist who was injured when he hit a patch of ice and crashed on a pedestrian/bike path in Florence, Mont. last winter has reached an ... More West News International Russian Aviation Safety Facing Criticism After Hockey Team Crash A prominent Russian lawyer said Wednesday he will challenge the powers of a regional aviation watchdog following a crash that killed an ... India’s Insurance Regulator Issues IPO Guidelines India's insurance regulator on Thursday notified guidelines for life insurers to raise capital via initial public offering (IPO) or ... Allied World to Write Reinsurance in Malayasia Allied World Assurance Co. Ltd said it will commence writing reinsurance business in Malaysia from its Labuan branch. The official ... More International News Insurance Journal Blogs Cat-vertising Anytime a new advertising strategy is announced, it is worth a moment to reflect on its value. Watch this YouTube video: ... More Blogs Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV Interesting Times in Medical Liability The medical liability market continues to perform well even as the nation struggles to... Watch Now Pat Ryan Asks, 'Are You Happy?' Patrick Ryan is an innovator who sees opportunity. And it was opportunity that drove him to... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums QuickBooks Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I have used QB online for 12+ years for agency bill, direct bill, payroll, CC acceptance etc. The ease of use, accessible from anywhere via... mhutch69 Start up Agency Advice Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I currently own a driving school where I have about 10,000-15,000 students coming through per year and looking into the option of opening up... gregm21 How do you ask for a referral? Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- I read an article recently that posed the question 'Are you a referral wimp?'. It went on to list the common excuses for not asking for a... FactsofLife Workers comp for janitorial services Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- Try BTIS (builders and tradesmen) JAM High Value Personal Auto Posted: Thu Dec 1 -- Im looking for a carrier that can offer standalone Auto for Hight value/ exotic cars in excess of 150k in CA. Our standard carriers do not... JAM Go to Forums Reader Comments U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts Won't Seek Re-election Posted: Mon Nov 28 -- THANK GOD! Bwarney Fwank was half to blame for the housing collapse and Freddie and Fannie Mae's boon doggle for all tax payers. Good... Sarah Massachusetts Enacts Law on Credit Ban for Auto Insurance Posted: Tue Nov 29 -- "much-needed protection against an unfair, unreliable, and discriminatory rate-setting practice" Unpopular, yes, but the correlation exists... GL Guru Insurance Groups React to Rep. Barney Frank's Retirement Announcement Posted: Wed Nov 30 -- What a surprise, that the insurance lobbyists praise Frank one of the most incompetent regulators of all time. Frank allowed the financial... Systemic risk Insurer Must Pay for Florida Rental Car Crash by Unauthorized Driver Posted: Mon Nov 28 -- Sadly, insurance companies always seem to try their hardest to find no coverage or to limit coverage beyond what ordinary people would find... vince Insurers Win First Round of Climate Change Coverage Litigation Posted: Tue Nov 29 -- I look forward to the return of cases that actually matter. Since they've proven/ leaked more information that even the climate change... PM Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Contractors & Builders, Claims and the Independent Agent, Top Personal Lines Retail Agencies November 21, 2011 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 Agency Bill Accounting Supervisor Commercial P & C Broker/Producer Auto Damage and Truck Appraiser Claims Executive / Managing Director, Claims Operations 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.