Daily Headlines: Friday, January 27, 2012

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January 27, 2012 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National Increase in U.S. Tort Costs Driven by Gulf Oil Spill: Study The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and resulting oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were the key drivers in the 5.1 ... Employment Bias Complaints Against Private Sector at All-Time High: EEOC Employment discrimination complaints against private sector employers reached an all-time high in the most recent fiscal year, federal ... BP Must Cover Some Transocean Gulf Oil Spill Damages A federal judge on Thursday said BP Plc must indemnify Transocean Ltd. for some compensatory damage claims over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil ... BP Fails to Shift $15 Billion Gulf Oil Spill Costs to Transocean Oil giant BP has lost its attempt to shift over $15 billion of costs related to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill onto contractor Transocean , ... People Lie More When Texting Sending a text message leads people to lie more often than in other forms of communication, according to new research. David Xu, assistant ... Find Out Who’s Worth What in the Independent Agency System Time is running out to find out who's worth what in the independent agency system! Insurance Journal is once again polling insurance ... Chubb Posts $452M in Q4 Net Profit The Chubb Corporation reported fourth-quarter net income of $452 million, down 27 percent from $620 million net income reported during the ... New AD&D Coverage Available for Riders and Grooms The Professional Riders Organization will start offering their members accident and disability insurance through a new policy designed with ... Auto Insurers Find It Better to Forgive Than Lose Business When insureds suffer a loss in most of the insurance market, they expect their rates to go up. However, insureds' expectations are changing... More National News East Safety Groups Say Teen Traffic Deaths Rising in Virginia Safety groups are urging teenage drivers in Virginia to wear seat belts and slow down following a sharp increase in fatal wrecks. ... U.S. Taxpayers Still Owed $132.9B From Bailout A government watchdog says U.S. taxpayers are still owed $132.9 billion that companies haven't repaid from the financial bailout, and some ... Ground Zero Building in New York Struggles to Find Tenants Planners say an 80-story skyscraper under construction at ground zero may have to stop at seven stories unless the developer can line up ... Union Mutual of Vermont Companies Appoints VP of Underwriting Union Mutual of Vermont Companies has appointed Robert Glass as the vice president of underwriting. Glass comes to Union Mutual with 24 ... Penn.-based Glatfelter Appoints President of Healthcare Practice Glatfelter Program Managers, a business unit dedicated to Glatfelter Insurance Group's program business, appointed Bruce Williams as ... More East News Midwest Kansas Farmers $1B in Insurance Claim After Drought Kansas farmers have claimed nearly $1 billion in insurance to offset crop losses caused by the lingering drought. The federal government ... 3 New Workers' Comp Arbitrators Appointed in Illinois Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has appointed three more arbitrators for workers' compensation system disputes. William Gallagher has 35 years of ... Accident Fund Insurance Names Cambridge Underwriters Agency of the Year Lansing, Mich.-based workers' compensation insurer, Accident Fund Insurance Co. of America, has selected Cambridge Underwriters Ltd. of ... More Midwest News Southeast Florida Lawmakers Reject Bad-Faith Reform Bill Business groups in Florida saw their efforts to reform the state's bad-faith law end suddenly for the year after a legislative committee ... Judges Weigh HIV-Positive Man’s Job Bias Claim Against Atlanta Police A panel of federal judges appeared skeptical Wednesday of the Atlanta police department's decision to reject a job application from an ... Weather Service Documents 10 Tornadoes in Alabama The National Weather Service has now documented paths of destruction from at least 10 tornadoes in the outbreak of storms across central ... Tennessee’s Appalachian Underwriters Adds Three Brokers Appalachian Underwriters has added three brokers to its property and professional practice group. Shane Holden has 20 years of insurance ... More Southeast News South Central Louisiana State Police Bust Staged Crash Ring Louisiana State Police have arrested four people for allegedly staging traffic accidents in Ouachita Parish. Detectives tell The News-Star ... Oklahoma Company Sued Over Accident That Hurt Teens The parents of two teenagers who were severely injured in a grain elevator accident in Oklahoma have filed negligence lawsuits against the ... Severe Storms Drench Texas, at Least 3 Tornadoes Reported Buckets of rain and powerful winds that likely spawned several tornadoes swept across Texas on Jan. 25, forcing drivers to abandon cars on ... More South Central News West Industry Report Card: California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones marked his first full year in office recently by looking back on his and the California Department of ... Insurance Marketing New Basics: Go Mobile Be careful if you ask Michael Jans, president of Bend, Ore.-based Agency Revolution, about marketing. He may throw the Yellow Pages at you. ... California to Vote on New ‘Clean Car’ Regulations California, whose greenhouse gas emissions standards lead the U.S., is poised to vote on pushing them further. The new rules, if approved, ... Honolulu Rail Project Legal Bills Top $1.87M Legal bills for Honolulu's rail project have totaled more than $1.87 million with seven law firms hired. The $5.27 billion, 20-mile rail ... Disaster Loan Deadline Nears For November Nevada Fire The deadline is nearing for Nevada residents and businesses affected by November's brush fire in Reno to apply for Small Business ... Zambrana Named Assistance Vice President of Atlas in Southern California Stephanie Zambrana has been named assistant vice president and controller of Atlas General Insurance Services, a workers' compensation ... More West News International Costa Cruises Offers Settlements to Passengers Costa Cruises has offered to pay 11,000 euros ($14,500) in compensation to each of the more than 3,000 passengers aboard the ship that ... Japan’s Stricken Nuclear Operator to Get $13 Billion Bailout Japan is set to launch a $13 billion bailout of the owner of its stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant after the utility dropped ... Kaufman Financial Acquires London’s Chesterfield Group, Texas MGA The H.W. Kaufman Financial Group, parent company of wholesale broker and underwriting manager Burns & Wilcox, has purchased ... AIG Thinking about Buying Back More of AIA American International Group Chairman Steve Miller said on Thursday the bailed-out insurance company may eventually want to buy a life ... S&P: Excess Capital, Strong ERM Give Reinsurers 2011 Cat Loss Cushion Standard & Poor's Ratings Services announced that it is "maintaining its stable outlook on the global reinsurance sector despite the ... Ratings Roundup: Instituto Nacional, Malaysian Re A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial strength rating of 'A-' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a-" to Costa Rica's Instituto ... More International News Sponsored Content Agents & Brokers: Take IJ's 2012 Agency Salary Survey Today and Receive an Advance Copy of the Story and the Survey Results! More Sponsored Content Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV How Insurance Distribution Is Changing Retail and wholesale brokers face the challenge —and opportunity— of redefining their... Watch Now Vertafore: Intelligence in Technology Insurance technology leader Vertafore serves 15,000 agencies, 1,000 carriers and about 750... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums How do you ask for a referral? Posted: Fri Jan 27 -- Another way is to send an emai (if that's the preferred way to contact a particular client) and ask for referrals. I've thought about... pageltd Ally Insurance Network Posted: Thu Jan 26 -- Anyone have experience or thoughts about this group? It appears like some type of cluster of MGA but never heard of them.... broberts1963 Virginia Surety Writer in CA Posted: Thu Jan 26 -- I need to find a way to get to Virginia Surety Company in CA Gail SOCAL Brush Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- My suggestion is to move on. When you have prospects with brush issues in California and Travelers and Hartford (two of the more liberal... d's insurance store How have you Benefited from your Cluster Membership? Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- Love, LOVE, SIAA. They were a God send when setting up my IA after 17 years with FIG. Helped me determine what carriers were competitive in... sacman Go to Forums Reader Comments Lawyer Hits Jailing of Amish Men in Kentucky Over Buggies Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- This isn't just an "Amish thing", it has to do with safety on the roadway..PUBLIC roadways. It's fine if the Amish want to put *their*... Susan Mississippi Supreme Court to Hear Grocery Store Parking Lot Beating Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- INSANITY prevails. Come on, an armed guard in the parking lot? What a ridiculous presumption of safety. Shame on the jury of me, women and... reality bites Mass. AG Calls Proposed Homeowners Premium Hike 'Illegally Excessive' Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- I think if Ms Coakley will personally guarantee that there will not be hurricane damage to the extent assumed in the "undisclosed models"... Observer New Jersey High Court Clears County in Bicyclist's Death Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- Sanity prevails! Seriously, a 1.5" deep hole? Tragic consequences indeed, but hardly an unnegotiable road hazard. Had it been a 1.5" bump,... reality bites Workers' Compensation Turn a Profit? Fahgettaboudit! Posted: Tue Jan 24 -- NCCI has been messing around with this for he past two years in their annual updates state-by-state. They won't come out and say,"Hey,... NG Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Excess, Surplus & Specialty Markets Directory Vol. I January 23, 2012 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 Claims Executive - W.C. Medical Operations Vice President of Branch Operations - Wholesale Insurance Property Insurance Claims Examiner/Adjuster 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 © 2012 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Changes to Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service

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Dear Google user, We're getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that's a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google. We believe this stuff matters, so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies. These changes will take effect on March 1, 2012.
One policy, one Google experience
Easy to work across Google Our new policy reflects a single product experience that does what you need, when you want it to. Whether you're reading an email that reminds you to schedule a family get-together or finding a favorite video that you want to share, we want to ensure you can move across Gmail, Calendar, Search, YouTube, or whatever your life calls for with ease.		Tailored for you If you're signed into Google, we can do things like suggest search queries – or tailor your search results – based on the interests you've expressed in Google+, Gmail, and YouTube. We'll better understand which version of Pink or Jaguar you're searching for and get you those results faster.		Easy to share and collaborate When you post or create a document online, you often want others to see and contribute. By remembering the contact information of the people you want to share with, we make it easy for you to share in any Google product or service with minimal clicks and errors.
Protecting your privacy hasn't changed Our goal is to provide you with as much transparency and choice as possible, through products like Google Dashboard and Ads Preferences Manager, alongside other tools. Our privacy principles remain unchanged. And we'll never sell your personal information or share it without your permission (other than rare circumstances like valid legal requests).		Got questions? We've got answers. Visit our FAQ at http://www.google.com/policies/faq to read more about the changes. (We figured our users might have a question or twenty-two.)
Notice of Change March 1, 2012 is when the new Privacy Policy and Terms will come into effect. If you choose to keep using Google once the change occurs, you will be doing so under the new Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Please do not reply to this email. Mail sent to this address cannot be answered. Also, never enter your Google Account password after following a link in an email or chat to an untrusted site. Instead, go directly to the site, such as mail.google.com or www.google.com/accounts. Google will never email you to ask for your password or other sensitive information.

Daily Headlines: Thursday, January 26, 2012

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January 26, 2012 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National How Insurance Distribution Is Changing Insurance distribution is changing and agents and brokers—retailers and wholesalers—have to define the value they offer and what type ... Scientists Urge More Study of Nanotechnology Risks Studying the potential health hazards of nanotechnology will require an additional $24 million a year to close the knowledge gap about the ... Companies Partner on Smaller Earthquake Insurance Risks Insurance Company of the West (ICW) and WKFC Underwriting Managers have announced a continued expansion of the relationship between the ... Tougher U.S. Commercial Market Conditions in 2012: Marsh U.S. commercial insurance rates are expected to climb across many lines of business in 2012, continuing a trend that began in the second ... Auto Insurers Find It Better to Forgive Than Lose Business When insureds suffer a loss in most of the insurance market, they expect their rates to go up. However, insureds' expectations are changing... More National News East N.J., N.Y. Have Worst Tax Climates for Business, Report Says New Jersey and New York have the worst tax climates in the nation for business, according to a new report by the Tax Foundation,a ... U.K.-based Broker BMS Group Opens New York Office The U.K.-based broker BMS Group said it has opened an office in New York City. The firm said the Park Avenue office in Manhattan will be ... N.J. Amends 25% of PIP Reform Proposals, Reflecting Public Comments New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance has amended some 25 percent of its personal injury protection (PIP) rule proposals, after ... Mass. AG Calls Proposed Homeowners Premium Hike ‘Illegally Excessive’ Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is opposing a recently proposed home insurance rate request for 150,000 consumers, calling it ... Penn.-based USG Insurance Services Appoints President Canonsburg, Penn.-based USG Insurance Services appointed Timothy Horton as president of USG and subsidiaries. In this role, Horton will be ... More East News Midwest Missouri Regulators Recover a Record $21M from Insurers in 2011 Missouri insurance regulators say they returned a record amount in claims recoveries to consumers in 2011. An additional $21 million was ... Illinois Nursing Homes to Get $110M in Federal Aid Illinois is getting $110 million from the federal government to improve safety and staffing at nursing homes, Gov. Pat Quinn said. The ... Iroquois Group Adds Members in Nebraska and Iowa The Iroquois Group has expanded its presence in the Midwest to include Iowa and Nebraska. The insurance agency network has added seven ... Foremost Launches Updated Auto Program in Illinois Foremost Insurance Group has introduced its enhanced auto program in Illinois, featuring more competitive rates, new discounts, increased ... More Midwest News Southeast Kentucky Bill Would Allow Safety Tape for Amish Buggies The Amish in Kentucky would not have to display reflective safety triangles on their horse-drawn buggies if a proposal by a state ... The Politics of Florida PIP: Industry Looks on While Pols Seek Answers Most agree that Florida's automobile no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) system needs to be reformed. But in the halls of the state ... Florida Gov. Scott Leads a PIP Rally for Reform Standing in the rotunda of Florida's capitol in Tallahassee on Wednesday, Florida officials and business leaders called on state ... More Southeast News South Central Lawmaker: Oklahoma Bill Would Help Homeowners with Insurance Claims A bill filed in Oklahoma aims to help homeowners with insurance claim payments issued through mortgage companies. Legislation filed by ... Stagner Joins Mullis Newby Hurst as Vice President Addison, Texas-based Mullis Newby Hurst L.P. (MNH), which specializes in construction insurance and surety bonds, hired Scott Stagner as ... Oklahoma Insurance Department Trims Budget by $675K in 2011 Oklahoma's top insurance regulator says the department spent nearly $675,000 less in 2011 than it did in 2010. For the 12 months ending ... More South Central News West Insurance Exchanges: The World Small to Rule the Big A pair of industry experts espoused the benefits of insurance exchanges and small agencies today and in the future during the recent ... Muslim Guard Gets $465,000 in California Harassment Suit A San Francisco, Calif. jury has awarded $465,000 to a Muslim security guard who says his co-workers and supervisors called him a terrorist ... Flood Damages 145 Vehicles in Oregon Motor Pool The Oregon State Motor Pool says 145 vehicles were damaged when floodwaters inundated its parking lot Thursday in Salem. The Statesman ... San Francisco City Worker Charged With Data Theft A former San Francisco city employee is facing charges that she stole Social Security and other confidential information from more than ... Small Quake at Mount St. Helens in Washington A magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred at 2:51 a.m. Wednesday about 10 miles north of Mount St. Helens. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network ... California Legislator: Feds Will Step Up Involvement in Insurance Industry "Listen to me now, understand me later." State Sen. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, gave a well-received Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, chest ... Study: Recession Impacts California Workers’ Compensation More people in California stayed on disability longer because a fewer "light duty" jobs are available in the down economy, authors of a ... West Joins Dealey, Renton in Northern California as Senior Vice President Dealey, Renton & Associates has named Morgan West senior vice president. West will be based in DRA's Oakland, Calif. office and will ... More West News International U.S. Wholesale Broker AmWINS Completes Acquisition of London’s THB U.S. insurance wholesaler AmWINS Group, Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of THB Group plc of London. THB, an ... Fairfax Prem Watsa Brings Hope to RIM’s Restless Shareholders The arrival of the man known as "the Warren Buffett of North" on Research In Motion's board this week offers a ray of hope to the ... U.S. Eyes WTO Services Pacts Amid Doha Stall The United States is making a push for a group of countries within the World Trade Organization to start talks to liberalize trade in ... Everest Re Estimates Q4 Total Catastrophe Losses at $245 Million The Bermuda-based Everest Re Group announced that it expects to incur net catastrophe losses of approximately $245 million, after ... More International News Sponsored Content Agents & Brokers: Take IJ's 2012 Agency Salary Survey Today and Receive an Advance Copy of the Story and the Survey Results! More Sponsored Content Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV How Insurance Distribution Is Changing Retail and wholesale brokers face the challenge —and opportunity— of redefining their... Watch Now Vertafore: Intelligence in Technology Insurance technology leader Vertafore serves 15,000 agencies, 1,000 carriers and about 750... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums Ally Insurance Network Posted: Thu Jan 26 -- Anyone have experience or thoughts about this group? It appears like some type of cluster of MGA but never heard of them.... broberts1963 Virginia Surety Writer in CA Posted: Thu Jan 26 -- I need to find a way to get to Virginia Surety Company in CA Gail SOCAL Brush Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- My suggestion is to move on. When you have prospects with brush issues in California and Travelers and Hartford (two of the more liberal... d's insurance store How have you Benefited from your Cluster Membership? Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- Love, LOVE, SIAA. They were a God send when setting up my IA after 17 years with FIG. Helped me determine what carriers were competitive in... sacman Go to Forums Reader Comments Lawyer Hits Jailing of Amish Men in Kentucky Over Buggies Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- This isn't just an "Amish thing", it has to do with safety on the roadway..PUBLIC roadways. It's fine if the Amish want to put *their*... Susan Mississippi Supreme Court to Hear Grocery Store Parking Lot Beating Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- INSANITY prevails. Come on, an armed guard in the parking lot? What a ridiculous presumption of safety. Shame on the jury of me, women and... reality bites New Jersey High Court Clears County in Bicyclist's Death Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- Sanity prevails! Seriously, a 1.5" deep hole? Tragic consequences indeed, but hardly an unnegotiable road hazard. Had it been a 1.5" bump,... reality bites Workers' Compensation Turn a Profit? Fahgettaboudit! Posted: Tue Jan 24 -- NCCI has been messing around with this for he past two years in their annual updates state-by-state. They won't come out and say,"Hey,... NG Healthcare Individual Mandate Too Weak to Matter, Aetna CEO Says Posted: Thu Jan 19 -- You knew I would weigh in, just as I knew you would. :) I know that agents will probably lose a share of their commissions. Again, I say too... The Other Point of View Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Current Issue Excess, Surplus & Specialty Markets Directory Vol. I January 23, 2012 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 Claims Executive - W.C. Medical Operations Vice President of Branch Operations - Wholesale Insurance Property Insurance Claims Examiner/Adjuster 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 © 2012 by Wells Publishing, Inc.

Daily Headlines: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

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January 25, 2012 News By Region  National  International  East  Midwest  Southeast  South Central  West Video Today's Headlines National January P/C Reinsurance Renewals Flat or Up Slightly: Towers Watson January 1 renewal rates for U.S. property/casualty reinsurance premiums showed firming with changes from -5 percent to +5 percent on an ... Court Upholds Travelers vs. Reinsurers in Big Asbestos Award A New York appellate court affirmed a $420.4 million ruling in favor of insurer The Travelers Companies, handing it a victory in one of the ... Crop Insurance Payouts at a Record $9.1 Billion Crop insurers paid out a record $9.1 billion in indemnities on 2011 U.S. crops, and the total could top $10 billion when all claims are ... ACE Risk Management Launches Specialty Transportation Segment ACE Risk Management has created a national transportation industry segment to offer customized primary casualty coverage for this class. ... Report: Most Workplace Homicides Happen During Robberies What do robberies and healthcare patients have in common? Workplace violence. While the numbers of workplace homicides and injury-causing ... Ratings Roundup: Montpelier US, Medico, First Sealord, Pathfinder A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to 'A+' (Superior) from 'A-' (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) to ... Auto Insurers Find It Better to Forgive Than Lose Business When insureds suffer a loss in most of the insurance market, they expect their rates to go up. However, insureds' expectations are changing... More National News East Nationwide Calls Harleysville Deal ‘Fair and Compelling’ Nationwide is brushing off Liberty Mutual's allegation that Nationwide's pending acquisition of Harleysville Mutual would unfairly benefit ... Loreley Financing Sues Citigroup Over $1 Billion Investments Citigroup Inc. was sued for fraud by Loreley Financing over nearly $1 billion worth of collateralized debt obligations purchased in 2006 ... Travelers CEO: Business Insurance Renewal Price Up 10% in December Travelers Companies Inc.'s business insurance had renewal premium rate gains of 8 percent for the fourth quarter 2011 and 10 percent for ... More East News Midwest Lawsuit Seeks Information on Michigan Auto Injury Claims A coalition fighting proposed changes to Michigan's auto insurance laws filed a lawsuit seeking claims information from an association that ... Oak Street Funding Adds Gray as Chief Financial Officer Carmel, Ind.-based Oak Street Funding has appointed W. Todd Gray as chief financial officer. Gray will lead the finance and underwriting ... Former North Dakota Insurance Agent Sent to Prison A former Fargo insurance agent has been sentenced to three years in prison and five years on supervised probation for stealing hundreds of ... Missouri Senate Debates Workplace Discrimination Bill Democrats in the Missouri Senate say a bill revising workplace discrimination laws would make it harder for people to prove the claim ... More Midwest News Southeast Kentucky’s Churchill Downs, Jockeys’ Guild Reach Insurance Agreement Churchill Downs Inc. and the Jockeys' Guild have reached an agreement to subsidize riders' health insurance, life insurance and disability ... Leavitt Group Names Bridges President of Atlanta Office The Leavitt Group insurance brokerage has named David Bridges as the president of its Atlanta office. He will also serve as an executive ... More Southeast News South Central Allstate Wants a Rate Increase in Louisiana Allstate Corp. is asking to raise rates for 144,000 Louisiana homeowners who get their insurance coverage from two Allstate companies. ... Another Lawsuit Filed Over ’09 Boat Wreck That Killed 5 The owner of a boat that slammed into a barge at night off the Louisiana coast, killing all five oilfield workers on it, has sued its ... Lubbock Office of Shofner, Lynch & Shulse Joins MHBT Two well-known Texas independent insurance agencies have merged. Dallas-based McQueary Henry Bowles Troy (MHBT) and Shofner, Lynch & ... HCC's Cat Losses in Q4 Mostly Related to Thailand Flooding HCC Insurance Holdings Inc., headquartered in Houston, has reported preliminary fourth quarter 2011 catastrophe losses, after reinsurance ... More South Central News West Bills Named Colorado Casualty President and CEO Centennial, Colo.-based Colorado Casualty has named Lucas J. Bills as president and chief executive officer of the commercial lines ... Milliman Forms Risk Institute Seattle, Wash.-based consulting and actuarial firm Milliman Inc. has formed Milliman Risk Institute, designed to provide scientific-based ... Group to Push Idaho Liquor Vote, Grocers Back Off A grocery lobbying organization won't advance a liquor privatization ballot measure in 2012, but a second group announced it will seek to ... Climate Change Lawsuit in Court in Oregon A Lane County Circuit Court judge is deciding whether to allow a lawsuit brought by two girls against Gov. John Kitzhaber, accusing him of ... Magnitude-4.7 Shakes Hawaii's Big Island A magnitude-4.7 earthquake and several small aftershocks shook Hawaii's Big Island on Sunday, but there were no reports of injury or ... More West News International Study: Major Earthquake Could Hit Tokyo Within Years A new study is warning that the Tokyo region has a 70 percent chance of being hit directly by a powerful magnitude-7 earthquake within four ... Cruise Liners Need Tighter Safety Rules Say Marine Insurers Passenger ship operators should tighten up safety procedures and crew training standards to prevent a repeat of the Costa Concordia ... WillisWire Bloggers Reveal Their Top Emerging Risks for 2012 A bulletin from Willis Group Holdings identifies 18 "emerging risks," as causing increasing concern among the world's insurance community. ... Euro Zone Ministers Reject Private Bondholders’ Offer on Greek Bonds Euro zone finance ministers on Monday rejected as insufficient an offer made by private bondholders to help restructure Greece's debts, ... Analysis of New EU Data Protection Laws Command the Tide but Not the Cost New data-protection proposals from the European Union to help people regain control of personal information from sites like Facebook could ... Best Places PartnerRe and Operating Subs Ratings on Review/Negative A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating (FSR) of 'A+' (Superior) and issuer credit ... Best Sees No Ratings Change for QBE Despite Lowered Profit Estimates A.M. Best Europe - Rating Services Limited has commented that the ratings of Australia's QBE Insurance Group Limited and its main ... More International News Sponsored Content Agents & Brokers: Take IJ's 2012 Agency Salary Survey Today and Receive an Advance Copy of the Story and the Survey Results! More Sponsored Content Join the Insurance Journal Network Insurance Journal TV How Insurance Distribution Is Changing Retail and wholesale brokers face the challenge —and opportunity— of redefining their... Watch Now Vertafore: Intelligence in Technology Insurance technology leader Vertafore serves 15,000 agencies, 1,000 carriers and about 750... Watch Now Watch more videos at InsuranceJournal.tv New Discussions in the Forums How have you Benefited from your Cluster Membership? Posted: Wed Jan 25 -- Love, LOVE, SIAA. They were a God send when setting up my IA after 17 years with FIG. Helped me determine what carriers were competitive in... sacman Farmers - your opinion Posted: Tue Jan 24 -- Ok- I have been with Farmers for 21 years. Some have been really good and some have been really ugly. I have been very fortunate to be very... justthere Producer Compensation-Florida Posted: Tue Jan 24 -- Thank You. that was my thought as well, but I wanted to get some other opinions saabins Tracking Producer Comission Posted: Tue Jan 24 -- The stand-alone system that I wrote is geared more for Brokerage General Agents (BGA) and tracks the complete payout of cases including who... RAC30188 My CPCU journey - almost finished..... Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- I am starting this month with CPCU 530 and wasn't sure if I should get the flash cards, etc. After reading this post, I'm going to stick... AnMarieB The transition from underwriter to producer... Posted: Sat Jan 21 -- Just found this for ya! Looks like a slam dunk to me!... dm307799 Taxi company - CA 25 Units Posted: Sat Jan 21 -- Hello, Can anyone beat Mercury's rate of approximately 4k a unit? My client is paying $100,000 AP and has 30,000 in losses in last 3 years.... InsureTime SOCAL Brush Posted: Wed Jan 18 -- Anyone know of standard carriers that wil write in CA Brush line? Travelers, Hartford, Fidelity have all said no. Value is $1.1. I know... JAM Go to Forums Reader Comments Lawyer Hits Jailing of Amish Men in Kentucky Over Buggies Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- This isn't just an "Amish thing", it has to do with safety on the roadway..PUBLIC roadways. It's fine if the Amish want to put *their*... Susan Mississippi Supreme Court to Hear Grocery Store Parking Lot Beating Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- INSANITY prevails. Come on, an armed guard in the parking lot? What a ridiculous presumption of safety. Shame on the jury of me, women and... reality bites Mississippi Handling 20 Cases of Teacher Misconduct with Students Posted: Wed Jan 18 -- That is definitely scary; however, one thing that bothered me is that a hug was considered sexual. I think that's a shame that because of... Doug New Jersey High Court Clears County in Bicyclist's Death Posted: Mon Jan 23 -- Sanity prevails! Seriously, a 1.5" deep hole? Tragic consequences indeed, but hardly an unnegotiable road hazard. Had it been a 1.5" bump,... reality bites Healthcare Individual Mandate Too Weak to Matter, Aetna CEO Says Posted: Thu Jan 19 -- You knew I would weigh in, just as I knew you would. :) I know that agents will probably lose a share of their commissions. Again, I say too... The Other Point of View Go to Popular Comments Subscriber Tools Send this to a friend Subscribe Unsubscribe Submit News Contact Us Free Video Resurrecting Loss Control with a Badge - video alarms reduce losses Current Issue Excess, Surplus & Specialty Markets Directory Vol. I January 23, 2012 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 Claims Executive - W.C. Medical Operations Vice President of Branch Operations - Wholesale Insurance Property Insurance Claims Examiner/Adjuster 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 © 2012 by Wells Publishing, Inc.