Latest California Headlines

All the headlines from our California Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Finding a Niche

Mar 9 2009 // A Young Company With a Nontraditional Management Style, Heffernan Insurance Brokers Has Shown How an Agency Can Be Young and Successful at the Same Time Top 100 Agency Profile RANKING: No. 11 Agency Name: Heffernan...

California Insurers Association Warns Against Out-Of-Towner Accident Tax

Mar 4 2009 // The Association of California Insurance Companies is warning Californians about a trend in the state by local governments to impose taxes on out-of-towners who are in an auto accident. According to ACIC, because the tax...

Allstate Joins Personal Insurance Federation of California

Mar 4 2009 // The Board of Directors of the Personal Insurance Federation of California (PIFC) has voted unanimously to accept Allstate Insurance Co. as the newest member of PIFC. Allstate is the first new company to join PIFC in 15...

Insurer Offers Bluetooth Headset in Client Referral Offer

Mar 4 2009 // Western region auto insurer Capital Insurance Group (CIG) has launched a unique promotion to increase its client referral business. The company is offering drivers with CIG auto insurance a Bluetooth headset for free if...

California AG Sues to Block Fraudulent Workers’ Comp Scheme

Feb 27 2009 // California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. filed a lawsuit to stop the Contractors Asset Protection Association Inc. from engaging in what he called a “sophisticated and fraudulent scheme” to cheat the...

Westland Insurance Brokerage Owner’s License Suspended

Feb 25 2009 // The California Department of Insurance is prohibiting James Henry Sim of Westland Insurance Brokers of San Diego from selling insurance and participating in conducting business through any production agency without the...

Hull & Co. Inc. Appoints Siegel VP in Stockton, California

Feb 23 2009 // Hull & Co. Inc. has promoted Chris Siegel to the position of vice president and profit center leader for the Stockton, Calif., office effective March 2, 2009. With 10 years of insurance experience, Siegel most...

AmWINS Insurance Brokerage Makes Two California Appointments

Feb 23 2009 // Chris Pope has joined AmWINS Insurance Brokerage of California’s Santa Ana office as vice president and casualty broker. He has experience in the wholesale brokerage industry, with 20 years of developing expertise in...

Mercury Insurance Chairman: Independent Agents Will Always Have Future

Feb 22 2009 // Despite the seemingly difficult times independent insurance agents may be facing today, they will always have a future, according to George Joseph, chairman and founder of Mercury Insurance, considered one of the most...

It Figures

Feb 22 2009 // 5.4% The average decrease the Automobile Club of Southern California customers will receive for auto insurance policies beginning on April 1, 2009. The company announced it would be implementing a $101 million rate...

Edack Elected Chairman of the Surplus Line Association of California

Feb 18 2009 // Members of the Surplus Line Association of California (SLA) elected John Edack as their chairman during the SLA 2009 Annual Meeting held January 29 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Edack is the executive vice president of Arch...

S&P Affirms Mercury General Ratings; Revises Outlook to Negative

Feb 12 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has revised its outlook on Los Angeles-based Mercury General Corp. and units to negative from stable. S&P also affirmed its ‘A-‘ counterparty credit and senior...

Mercury Insurance Reports Q4 Loss of $168.3 Million

Feb 9 2009 // Los Angeles-based Mercury General Corp. reported a net loss in the fourth quarter 2008 of $168.3 million, compared with net income of $44.6 million for the same period in 2007. For the year, net loss was $242.1 million,...

People

Feb 8 2009 // Linda Timmons has been promoted to director of communications for the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT). In this position, Timmons will manage the organization’s internal and external communications,...

People

Feb 8 2009 // The California Insurance Wholesalers Association awarded Hank Haldeman its recipient of the 2008 Industry Achievement Award. The award was given in appreciation of Haldeman’s outstanding dedication and hard work in...

Automobile Club of Southern California Reducing Auto Rates 5.4%

Feb 6 2009 // The Automobile Club of Southern California announced it would be implementing a $101 million rate reduction for insurance policyholders in California, an average decrease of 5.4 percent. As the fifth largest auto insurer...

California’s W. Brown to Underwrite Aviation Insurance For Catlin US

Feb 5 2009 // Catlin Group Ltd., an international specialty property/casualty insurer and reinsurer, reported that W. Brown & Associates Insurance Services will underwrite general aviation insurance for clients nationwide on behalf...

Mercury Insurance Chairman: Independent Agents Will Always Have Future

Feb 5 2009 // Despite the seemingly difficult times independent insurance agents may be facing today, they will always have a future, according to George Joseph, chairman and founder of Mercury Insurance, considered one of the most...

Western Insurance Agent/Broker Association Installs New Officers

Feb 4 2009 // Insurance Brokers and Agents of the West (IBA West) CEO Clark Payan recently installed the associations new officers and directors. Following will serve in 2009. President Richard E. Dinger of Crescenta Valley Insurance,...

Union General Offers Market for Day Care Centers in California

Feb 2 2009 // Available to California agents, Union General Insurance of Concord, Calif., has an “A+” rated carrier offering coverage for all types of day care operations, including sick care, drop-in care, and latch key...