Latest Business Insurance Headlines
All the headlines from our Business Insurance Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best Downgrades, Withdraws Ratings for Commercial Risk Partners; Outlook Negative
Apr 15 2005 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength ratings to B- (Fair) from B (Fair) and the issuer credit ratings to “bb-” from “bb” of Commercial Risk Reinsurance Company Limited (Hamilton,...
OneBeacon Targets Va. Small Business Market
Apr 5 2005 // OneBeacon Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., has begun offering Virginia small businesses its property casualty OnePac product. Virginia joins California, Illinois, North...
Okla. Reports Drop in Time Off for Workplace Injuries
Apr 4 2005 // A report released by the Oklahoma Department of Labor showed a 20 percent reduction in 2003 in the number of workers requiring time off to recover from workplace injuries. The latest figure further supports the benefit of...
Help Your Clients by Becoming a Small Business Advocate
Apr 4 2005 // One of the great things about being a commercial lines insurance agent is that you get to meet people and learn a little bit about a lot of businesses. This knowledge puts insurance agents in a unique position to represent...
S&P Report Describes Increased Access to Capital Markets for Small, Mid-Sized Insurers
Apr 1 2005 // A study from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services examines recent changes in the U.S. capital markets, and concludes that they have “have sparked interest in the credit ratings on small and mid-size...
Meadowbrook Promotes Walleck to RVP in Charge of Commercial Insurance in Florida
Apr 1 2005 // Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc. announced that Roger S. Walleck has been promoted to regional vice president, in charge of its Florida Branch Operations in Sarasota. Walleck will oversee the commercial insurance business...
National Safety Council Honors Liberty Mutual; Says on Workplace Issues, CEO Kelly ‘Gets It’
Mar 31 2005 // The National Safety Council will present its 2005 Green Cross for Safety Medallion to Liberty Mutual Group and its Chairman, President and CEO Edmund F. (Ted) Kelly at this evening. Established in 1999, The Green Cross for...
Ga. House Passes SB 174, Small Employer Insurance Bill Offering Pared-Down Health Plans
Mar 30 2005 // Ga. Senate Bill 174, allowing small companies to offer employees pared-down health plans that do not comply with all state-mandated insurance requirements has been approved by the House of Representatives. The Senate...
Pa. Employers to See Added Savings for Comp Costs
Mar 30 2005 // Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Diane Koken on Wednesday announced that the Insurance Department has recently approved a 2.89 percent average rate reduction for workers’ compensation premiums, which will save...
Wausau Expands Middle-Market Umbrella Capacity
Mar 29 2005 // Wausau Insurance announced it is more than doubling its in-house individual account coverage limits up to $25 million for its middle-market umbrella insurance program. This new middle-market feature is aimed at leveraging...
N.H. Advances Small Business Health Reform
Mar 28 2005 // New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch’s plan to help small businesses facing stiff health insurance costs passed its first hurdle last week in the Senate. The new plan steps back from reforms enacted just over a year ago...
Calif. Small Business Owners Optimistic About Growth, UBOC Survey Says
Mar 21 2005 // Almost 71 percent of California small business owners polled are expecting 2005 to be an overall better year than 2004, according to the fifth annual statewide survey released by Union Bank of California, N.A. The...
ACE Europe Announces 3 New P/C Business Units for U.K., Ireland
Mar 21 2005 // ACE European Group announced the creation of three new business units “to target growth opportunities in specific property and casualty (P&C) business lines in the UK and Ireland.” The new units are ACE...
Pratka Joins Burns & Wilcox of Houston as Commercial Lines Underwriter
Mar 16 2005 // Burns & Wilcox of Houston announced that James Pratka has joined the managing general agency as a commercial lines underwriter. As a commercial lines underwriter, Pratka’s responsibilities include serving as a...
St. Paul Travelers Revamps Its Small Commercial Insurance Offerings
Mar 16 2005 // St. Paul Travelers is rolling out an enhanced Select Accounts platform for small commercial insurance. The Select platform includes new and expanded products and services designed to re-energize the marketplace for agents...
Singapore Workplace Safety Lags
Mar 11 2005 // Workplace safety standards in Singapore are higher than in most other Asian countries, but remain below those of Japan and most of the European Union, a government minister said. “We have reduced the number of...
OSHA Identifies 14,000 Workplaces with High Injury, Illness Rates; Letter Looks to Proactive Steps
Mar 10 2005 // Approximately 14,000 employers have been notified that injury and illness rates at their worksites are higher than average and that assistance is available to help them fix safety and health hazards, the Occupational...
Conn. Weighs Employer Health Fund Fee
Mar 9 2005 // Companies in Connecticut with 100 or more employees could be forced to pay a fee to help cover their workers’ health insurance expenses if they don’t already offer coverage, under a preliminary legislative...
Small Business Group Offers Member Discount on Applied System
Mar 8 2005 // The National Federation of Independent Business recently began offering the University Park, Ill.-based Applied Systems‘ agency management system at a preferred rate to its 20,000 insurance agent members. Applied...
Progressive Drives Into S.C. Commercial Auto Insurance Market; Signs 430 Agents
Mar 7 2005 // Progressive Insurance’s Drive Group (Drive Insurance) has announced it will offer its commercial auto product in South Carolina through more than 430 agents. Drive(SM) Insurance is The Progressive Group of Insurance...
