Insurance Journal » Kevin B. O’Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com Insurance Journal delivers the latest business news for the Property/Casualty insurance industry Sat, 25 May 2013 03:50:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 New Missouri Commissioner Brings Agent Experience to the Job http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/08/08/59017.htm Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=59017 How W. Dale Finke Was Selected a Matter of Controversy Dale Finke doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. When Missouri’s Republican Gov. Matt Blunt nominated Finke to be the state’s insurance director back in February, some objected to …

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]]> Producer Development: Learning to Sell http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/07/18/58447.htm Sun, 17 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=58447 New Program Teaches a Consultative Approach to Insurance Sales Beginning this week, 15 insurance agents are returning to Normal, Ill., to do an unusual thing in the world of insurance training: talk with each other about what’s worked and what …

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]]> Closing Time http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/07/18/58438.htm Sun, 17 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=58438 The Insurance Journal directory issues are known as “keepers,” because both empirical and anecdotal evidence tells us that readers are likely to hang on to them longer for easy access. In this case, you’re getting one monster of a keeper, …

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]]> Producer Development: Learning to Sell http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2005/07/18/57314.htm Sun, 17 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=57314 New Program Teaches a Consultative Approach to Insurance Sales Beginning this week, 15 insurance agents are returning to Normal, Ill., to do an unusual thing in the world of insurance training: talk with each other about what’s worked and what …

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]]> Mmmm … Insurance http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/07/04/57757.htm Sun, 03 Jul 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=57757 In its 16 seasons on the air, Fox TV’s The Simpsons has skewered every aspect of American life, from family to government, business to politics. Many Springfield professionals of questionable repute have been represented as recurring characters on the show. …

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]]> Wis. Assembly Passes Bill to Pin Insurers With $500 Million Fox River Cleanup Tab http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2005/06/29/56720.htm Tue, 28 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56720 A coalition of carriers that insured Wisconsin’s paper manufacturers thought they had successfully defeated a legislative effort to force them to pick up the estimated $500 million tab to clean up the polluted Fox River. The insurers, along with several …

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]]> Rearview Mirror http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/06/20/56941.htm Sun, 19 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56941 There are no second acts in American life,” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously noted. True, he never wrote another novel as wonderful as The Great Gatsby, but generally speaking he was wrong. Second, third and fourth chances are what make this …

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]]> Insurers Dodge $500 Million Fox River Cleanup Tab–For Now http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/06/20/56948.htm Sun, 19 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56948 A coalition of carriers that insured Wisconsin’s paper manufacturers have, for now, successfully defeated a legislative effort that would have forced them to pick up the estimated $500 million tab to clean up the polluted Fox River. The insurers, along …

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]]> Illinois Democrats Get Message on Medical Malpractice Reform http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/06/06/56434.htm Sun, 05 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56434 Also, Comp Deal That Imposes Fee Schedule, Ups Benefits Will Get Guv’s Signature The latest turn in the battle over capping medical malpractice jury awards in Illinois may have the state’s trial bar singing the old Righteous Brothers tune, “You’ve …

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]]> Coins of the Realm http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/06/06/56424.htm Sun, 05 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56424 You’ve probably heard by now about what happened in Ohio. The administrator of the state’s Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Robert Conrad, has resigned amid a scandal over hundreds of missing coins. But these aren’t the kind you can locate by …

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]]> Viruses, Worms and Hackers, Oh My! http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/06/06/56334.htm Sun, 05 Jun 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=56334 For Agents Facing Evil Internet Wizards, Security is a Matter of Liability as Well as Downtime In 2001, Boston-area independent agent Peter Anderson noticed that his agency’s network server was dramatically losing hard disk space. The last time he’d checked …

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]]> In Medical Malpractice, the Emergency Has Subsided… for Now http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/05/09/55085.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55085 PLUS Told Carriers Are Making Money, Capacity Is Up, Reinsurers Are Bullish The crisis aspect is over.” Those five words summed up the mood at this year’s Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s medical symposium. They were spoken by Howard Friedman, chief …

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]]> Second Thoughts http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/05/09/55124.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55124 Not every business merger works out, for one reason or another. Just ask Citigroup and Travelers. This is especially true of independent agency mergers and acquisitions. “Independent” agencies aren’t just called that because they produce for a number of companies. …

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]]> Smiling Through Adversity http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/coverstory/2005/05/09/55126.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55126 When her husband Tim died, JoAnn Osmond inherited the family agency … and a career in Illinois Politics. Near the edge of the Illinois-Wisconsin border, closer to Milwaukee than Chicago, in a little town called Antioch, Ill., at the corner …

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]]> Case Watch http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/casewatch/2005/05/09/55133.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55133 Editor’s note: This recurring feature examines insurance coverage decisions in the Midwest’s appellate courts, as compiled by the New York-based law firm of Goldberg Segalla LLP and edited by insurance lawyer Kevin T. Merriman. Westfield Insurance Co. vs. Kroiss (Minnesota …

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]]> Michigan Judge Stops Insurance Scoring Ban http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/05/09/55134.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55134 In a scathing opinion that sides with insurers on nearly all points of fact and law, Barry County Court Judge James Fisher declared illegal a rule set banning insurance scoring and reducing base rates. “The Commissioner clearly lacks any authority” …

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]]> Minnesota’s Commissioner Wilson Backs Move to File and Use http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/05/09/55135.htm Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=55135 Minnesota’s position as the last remaining state in the Upper Midwest to regulate personal-lines insurance forms and rates on a prior approval basis may be in danger because an industry-backed bill to change to file-and-use has garnered the insurance regulator’s …

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]]> PLUS’ Medical Malpractice Prognosis: Positive? http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/04/18/54692.htm Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=54692 Five words summed up the mood at this year’s Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s medical symposium: “The crisis aspect is over.” Thus spoke Howard Friedman, chief financial officer at medical liability insurer Proassurance Corp., during one of several panel discussions at …

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]]> PLUS’ Med-Mal Prognosis: Positive? http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/04/18/54658.htm Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=54658 CHICAGO–Five words summed up the mood at this year’s Professional Liability Un-derwriting Society’s medical symposium: “The crisis aspect is over.” Thus spake Howard Friedman, chief financial officer at medical liability insurer Proassurance Corp., during one of several panel discussions at …

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]]> PLUS’ Medical Malpractice Prognosis: Positive? http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/04/18/54599.htm Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=54599 CHICAGO–Five words summed up the mood at this year’s Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s medical symposium: “The crisis aspect is over.” Thus spake Howard Friedman, chief financial officer at medical liability insurer Proassurance Corp., during one of several panel discussions at …

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]]> \Asked & Answered: Wisconsin Commissioner Jose Gomez http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/04/18/54596.htm Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=54596 John Fogerty once sang, “I ain’t no fortunate son.” As the son of an independent insurance agent who forced me to work in the office while I was growing up, I can relate to the sentiment. Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Jose …

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]]> Pack Away Your Sorrows http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/04/18/54592.htm Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=54592 An interesting confluence of recent events in Missouri very well illustrates the fickle nature of politicians when it comes to the regulation of insurance. First came a week of ceremonies in which brand new Republican Gov. Matt Blunt signed into …

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]]> Hammerin’ Hank http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/04/04/53925.htm Sun, 03 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=53925 He finally met his match. After more than three decades at the helm of New York-based American International Group, it took less than a month for 79-year-old Maurice “Hank” Greenberg to go from the seemingly ageless, peerless chief executive of …

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]]> Q&A With Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/04/04/53928.htm Sun, 03 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=53928 Interviewed by Kevin B. O’Reilly When Insurance Journal last spoke with Sandy Praeger, she was only months into the job. Kansans elected the Republican as insurance commissioner in November 2002. Back then she was tackling insurers’ use of credit scores …

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]]> Regulators Look for a Clue http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/coverstory/2005/04/04/53919.htm Sun, 03 Apr 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=53919 Was it Colonel ChoicePoint in the Conservatory With a Knife? When ChoicePoint Asset Co. finally disclosed Feb. 15 that criminals had gained access to the personal information of as many as 145,000 people in all 50 states, it came as …

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]]> Serving the Friendly Skies http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/coverstory/2005/03/21/53386.htm Sun, 20 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=53386 When the 1970s began, Bill Moloney was afraid of flying. When the 21st century dawned, he had his own aviation brokerage based in an airport and flew his plane as often as he could. Moloney, a self-described “insurance brat” (his …

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]]> No, Michigan! http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/03/21/53381.htm Sun, 20 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=53381 Imagine there’s a 200-pound boulder crushing your left foot underneath. It hurts like all get out and it’s left you immobile. To relieve the unbearable pain and get going again, you gather a group of friends around to aid you …

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]]> Indiana Bill Gets Tough on Insurance Fraud, Passes House 95-1 http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/03/07/52830.htm Sun, 06 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=52830 The Indiana House of Representatives voted 95-1 last month in support of a bill that would toughen penalties against insurance fraud in an attempt to provide prosecutors with a greater incentive to pursue such crimes. While no data exists to …

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]]> As Michigan Agents Gather, Industry Finds Itself in Crosshairs http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/features/2005/03/07/52829.htm Sun, 06 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=52829 The vote by the Michigan Legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules to file a notice of objection to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s rule banning the use of credit scores in underwriting was perhaps symbolic of where the Wolverine State’s insurance …

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]]> Our Cup Runneth Over http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/editorsnote/2005/03/07/52810.htm Sun, 06 Mar 2005 00:00:00 +0000 Kevin B. O'Reilly http://www.insurancejournal.com/?p=52810 In addition to our copious directory of professional liability markets, this edition of Insurance Journal Midwest features a number of excellent feature articles. Staff writer Dawn Love pulls double duty this time out, with a story each in Midwest and …

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