February 29, 2008

• Berkshire Net Down 18%; Buffett Eyes Successors, Lower Insurance Earnings Ahead
• Credit Crisis Throws AIG into 'Uncharted Waters'; Further Write-Downs Possible
• U.S. Judge Nixes Shareholder Suit Against Pfizer Over Failed Drug
• Pedophile Suspect Death $100M Suit Against NBC's 'Dateline' to Proceed
• AmComp Announces 2007 Fourth Quarter and Year-End Figures
• Willis Renews Pact with CEO Plumeri To 2011; Makes Other Appointments
• IMCA Showcase Calls for Entries

February 28, 2008

• Google to the Rescue with Electronic Medical Records System?
• AIG Financials Due Friday
• Report: Auto Claim Frequency Drops But Claim Severity on the Rise
• Financial Institutions' Directors and Officers Insurance Rates Jump
• Best Puts GMAC's Ratings Under Review/Negative
• Camera, Lights, Action: Chubb Offers New Risk Policy for Film Producers
• Venture Names Dolce, EVP; Teter, Senior Underwriter
• Leadership Switches at Guy Carpenter

February 27, 2008

• Alaska Fishing Town Braces for Court Look at Exxon Valdez Spill
• W. Va. Judge Upholds $196M Award against DuPont
• Sky Is Falling: What's the Chance of Space Debris Hitting Earthlings?
• States Stretch Family Health Policies to Cover Young Adults
• Buffet Shareholder Letter on Friday May Touch on Insurance, Succession
• AIG Expected to Post Rare 4Q Loss on Write-Down
• Nissan Murano Gets Top Rating in New Crash Tests
• Ratings: United Fire, USI Holdings, Public Service Mutual, Berkshire Hathaway, Am. Family, Old Republic, Conseco
• First Auto Policy Sold 110 Years Ago Today
• MetLife Names 2 to Board of Directors

February 26, 2008

• Pension Plans Sue Yahoo Over Spurning of Microsoft Offer
• Investors Relieved as Bond Insurer MBIA Keeps Top Credit Ratings
• U.S. Healthcare Spending Surge Expected in Next Decade
• A.M. Best Predicts Personal Lines Stability in 2008
• OdysseyRe Taps Young to Head Global Insurance, London Market Operations
• Lexington Insurance Co. Adds New Product LexElite Eco-Homeownersm

February 25, 2008

• 5 Execs Found Guilty of Fraud in Gen Re-AIG Trial
• Coastal Growth, Not Global Warming, Blamed for Rising Storm Losses
• Former Marsh Execs to Appeal Conviction in Bid-Rigging Case
• Aon Buying 'Substantially All' of Gallagher's U.S/UK Reinsurance
• Federal Agencies Still Lacking Identity Theft Protections, Says Report
• Buffett Rapidly Grows His New Municipal Insurance Arm
• And the Award for the Riskiest Movie to Insure Goes to...
• The Hartford Promotes 2 Key Execs
• Annotti Leaving Insurer Trade PCI to Head National Fraternal Congress

February 22, 2008

• States Make Progress But Still Unprepared for Pandemic, Says U.S.
• AIG Files to Block ex-CEO Greenberg's Access to Internal Documents
• Two Former Marsh Execs Found Guilty of Bid-Rigging
• Ex-Marsh & McLennan CEO Cherkasky to Get $7.15M Severance
• Aviation Officials Say Kentucky Ruling Could Jeopardize Safety Reporting
• Employers, Lawmakers Push Doctors to Adopt Electronic Prescriptions
• U.S. Court Dismisses 'Agent Orange' Case Against Chemical Firms
• Ratings Roundup: National Automotive, Folksamerica Re, Penn Treaty
• Final Call to Participate: Who's Worth What in the Independent Agency System?

February 21, 2008

• IRS Agrees to Drop Captive Insurance Tax Change
• U.S. Treasury Optimistic on Bond Insurance Solution
• Meadowbrook to Acquire Specialty Insurer ProCentury in $273M Deal
• For Anglo-Dutch Reed, Insurance is 'Jewel' in Acquisition of ChoicePoint
• Survey: Industry CEOs Overlook Potential of Technology

February 20, 2008

• IRS Tax Code Change Called Threat to Captive Insurance States
• Consumer Safety Chief Slams Toy Industry Over Poor Safety
• Travelers $500M Asbestos Settlement Overturned
• Report: Free Smoke Detector Distribution Lags in Rural Areas
• U.S. High Court Bars Some State Suits over Medical Devices
• Ratings Roundup: Progressive, Springfield, Aveta, Accident Fund, Financial Guaranty
• Bird Joins Midlands Management as EVP, Chief Operating Officer
• Hayden Joins Specialty Unit of Berkley Net Underwriters

February 19, 2008

• N.C. Poultry Industry Workplace Safety Prompts Federal Hearings Plans
• U.S. Supreme Court to Hear 5 Age Bias Cases This Term
• N.Y. Regulator to Weigh Split of FGIC's Bond Insurance Business
• Who's Worth What in the Independent Agency System?
• Metal Pieces Found Embedded in Lollipops

February 15, 2008

• Study: Subprime Mortgage Lawsuits Outpacing Savings & Loan Crisis
• U.S. Proposes System to Promote Voluntary Reporting of Medical Errors
• S&P Takes Rating Actions –'Mostly Negative'- on U.S. Mortgage Insurers
• Progressive Receives U.S. Patent for Concierge Claims Service
• RiskMeter Report Now Covers Entire Atlantic and Gulf Coasts
• New A.M. Best Reports Written to Help Consumers Evaluate Insurers

February 14, 2008

• Avid Biker, U.S. Transportation Chief Sends Helmet Legislation to Congress
• Bush's Budget Would Include Millions for Hurricane Research
• Encrypted Laptop with Pornography Poses Constitutional Dilemma
• A.M. Best Places AIG Ratings Under Review with Negative Implications
• Investor Warning: Finance Professors Often Don't Practice What They Preach
• Ratings Recap: PMA Capital, FM Global, American Mining, Discovery, ACE/INA, Argonaut
• Marsh Moves to Declassify Board of Directors
• Darwin Pro Enters into Pact with Marketing Network ASPN
• General Star Consolidates Excess, Primary into New Casualty Unit

February 13, 2008

• Prosecutors Say Gen Re-AIG Execs Knew of Reinsurance Wrongdoing
• Medical Costs for Auto Injury Claims Outpacing Inflation
• Report: Black Market for Computer Vulnerabilities Weakens Web Safety
• Firms Use Employee Codes of Practice to Address Third Party Ethics
• C.V. Starr Adds Allied World's Management Liability to Offerings

February 12, 2008

• AIG Downplays $5B Write-Down; Rating Agencies, Wall Street Concerned
• Survey: Wealthy Americans Still Fret Over Financial Stability, Security Issues
• Quarterly Profit Down 62% at Marsh
• S&P Revises Outlook on AIG
• Ratings Recap: Darwin, First American, CIGNA, First Marine, SUA, Tailwind/Northwind/Unum
• Preferred Club Program Broadens Club Insurance Coverage
• Claims President Out at Progressive

February 11, 2008

• Jurors to Begin Deliberations on Gen Re-AIG Reinsurance Case This Week
• TheStreet.Com's Jim Cramer: AIG Got Cocky, Got Caught
• OSHA Hit for Lack of Safety Rules on Deadly Dust Explosions
• AIG Shares Fall as Insurer Reports Internal Audit Weakness
• Liberty Mutual's Profit Dips Almost 7% in 2007
• W. R. Berkley Corp. Reports Record Net Income of $744M for 2007
• Singer Tom Jones Denies Chest Hair Insurance Report
• Republic Companies Acquires Ariz.-based General Agency
• HCC Insurance Holdings Settles Class Action Lawsuit
• State Auto Offers Enhancements to ID Theft Coverage Program
• Minico Offering Self-Storage Property, Wind Coverage in Coastal States

February 8, 2008

• FEMA Continues To Support States Struck By Recent Tornadoes
• Who's Worth What in the Independent Agency System?
• Congress Directs Investigators to Analyze NASA Air Safety Data
• Buffett Says Berkshire Won't Invest in Troubled Bond Insurers
• U.S. Bank Regulators See Moderate Risks from Bond Insurers
• Aon Reports 4th Quarter and Full Year 2007 Results
• Report: Banks May Raise Funds For Bond Insurer FGCI
• ACE/INA to Issue $300 Million in Notes; S&P, Fitch Ratings
• Small Businesses May Need to Spend a Little to Cut Expenses

February 7, 2008

• Super Tuesday Tornadoes Tear Through U.S. Mid-South
• Trial Witness Says Buffett Was Told of General Re-AIG Deal
• Willis Reports Q4, FY Earnings; Conference Call Today
• Ratings Roundup: Seven Seas, Great Midwest, CompWest
• Smith Named New President, CEO for Arbitration Forums
• Gramercy Insurance Company Launches Trucking Liability Program

February 6, 2008

• Brutal Tornadoes Lacerate Southern States Killing at Least 48 People
• Uncertainty Over Bond Insurer Downgrades Leaves Investors Wary
• AIR Worldwide Surveys Super Tuesday Tornadoes
• Allstate Defends Property Insurance Rate Proposal to Lawmakers
• CBIZ Acquires Md.-Based NAIS
• NAS Offers Regulatory Business Shutdown Coverage
• New Pooled Members of State Auto Insurance Companies Upgraded

February 5, 2008

• Study: Subprime Crisis Not Materially Affecting D&O or E&O Pricing
• Clinton Suggests Tapping Wages of Those Who Won't Buy Insurance
• Report: D&O Insurance Costs Highest for Financial, Tech, Life Science Firms
• ChoicePoint to Buy Insurance Analytics Firm, Optimal Decisions Group
• Motorists Mutual Adds Employment Liability to Commercial Auto Policies
• Universal North America to Acquire Policies from Houston General

February 4, 2008

• Judge Weighs Dropping Financial Firms from Enron Lawsuit
• U.S. Safety Agency Pushes to Require Nonflammable Home Furniture
• Consumer Group Says U.S. Safety Agency Delays Some Product Warnings
• Mercator Risk Services Acquires Tennant Risk Services
• BancorpSouth Insurance to Buy JMG/IC Insurance of Texas
• Ratings: CUNA/CUMIS, Fremont, National Interstate, Patrons et.al., FGIC, Munich Re (US)
• Jennings Promoted to President for Crump Wholesale Division
• Reinsurance Broker BMS Names Buysse as CEO for North America

February 1, 2008

• GAO Urges Changes in Wind, Flood Damage Determinations
• N.Y. Bond Insurer Rescue Plan Seen as a Tough Sell but Important
• How E&S Brokers Thrive and Survive in Today's Soft Market
• Insurance Industry Run by 'C' Students? Don't Tell CPCUs That
• Insurers Say Property, Flood Insurance, Regulation Top Concerns in '08