Latest Carriers Headlines

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

Study: Private Insurers Can Complement National Flood Insurance

Dec 20 2011 // There is a new study out that examines the U.S. flood insurance program. And it says that according to its calculations, there are some regions in the country where National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) premiums are too...

Insurance Carrier to Offer Two New Policies for the Price of One

Dec 20 2011 // Did the title of this blog get your attention? I bet it did. Thankfully, it’s not true. Ask yourself, how long could a legitimate insurance company sustain such deep premium discounts? Would you recommend such a...

West Virginia AG Sues Insurer, Auto Repair Shop

Dec 20 2011 // West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw said last week that his office has sued Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and an auto repair shop. The attorney general says the defendants allegedly repaired vehicles with what...

Keystone Insurers Group Adds New Ohio Agency: Evarts Tremaine Flicker

Dec 20 2011 // Cleveland, Ohio-based agency, The Evarts Tremaine Flicker Co., has joined Pennsylvania-based Keystone Insurers Group. The agency is the 29th partner in Ohio. The announcement was made jointly t by Evarts Tremaine Flicker...

Maine-based Workers’ Comp Insurer MEMIC Announces Acquisition

Dec 20 2011 // Workers’ compensation insurer The MEMIC Group acquired a Vermont-based insurer. The insurer also said it plans to expand its operations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 2012. MEMIC purchased Granite Manufacturers...

Best Puts Fireman’s Fund Companies on Review/Negative; Affirms Ratings

Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications and has also affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a+” of...

Swiss Re Sees Continued Emerging Market Growth; Profitability Squeeze

Dec 20 2011 // Insurance in emerging markets has “experienced strong growth over the past decade and the outlook for the next decade remains promising,” a Swiss Re sigma study concludes. However, it also notes that...

Missouri Farm Bureau to Take over 3 Insolvent Insurers

Dec 19 2011 // The state insurance department says the Missouri Farm Bureau will take over the operation of three small insurance companies that became insolvent after paying claims from the deadly Joplin tornado. The three insolvent...

Alabama Awaits Detail of Data Call from Windstorms

Dec 16 2011 // Regulators and consumer groups in Alabama are awaiting the results of a data call from insurers to see if they are quickly handling claims and resolving other residents’ claimants. Commissioner Jim Ridling issued the...

Insurance Australia Group to Acquire New Zealand Insurer AMI

Dec 16 2011 // Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG) announced it had entered into an agreement to purchase the AMI insurance business for NZ$380 million (approximately A$288 million [US$287.96 million), enhancing its position as New...

Distracted Driving Stems From More Than Cell Phone Use, Insurers Say

Dec 16 2011 // Using a cell phone while driving is not the only distraction leading to automobile crashes today, says a group of insurance carriers. While the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) call for a national...

Most Insurers Meet Medical Ratio

Dec 16 2011 // Most U.S. health insurers last year would have satisfied the much-disputed spending rules under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, according to a report by a congressional watchdog agency. The rules require...

The Costs of the Financial Crisis for Policyholders

Dec 16 2011 // When examining the consequences of the financial crisis on the insurance industry it is important to differentiate between direct and indirect effects on one hand, and short- and medium-term ramifications on the...

Fact or Fiction? Insurance Tidbits of Known and Little-Known Information

Dec 16 2011 // Have you ever wondered how modern-day fire departments began? Or why agents buy E&O coverage? What about when the first business owners policy launched? These are just a few questions that Insurance Journal and Claims...

Agency Pro-tection

Dec 16 2011 // E&O and Agency Assets Agency owners have a lot to protect. Of course, first and foremost they must protect their clients. But they must also protect their book of business. They must protect their relationships. They...

P/C Insurance Isn’t Innovative? Don’t Believe It

Dec 16 2011 // There’s more innovation in property/casualty insurance than people think. A new Swiss Re report explores why the industry is not known for its innovation and concludes it’s because much of the innovation is...

Foreign Insurers Losing Out in China

Dec 16 2011 // Ten years ago, foreign insurers were lining up to celebrate China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, eager to tap what was certain to become the world’s next big insurance frontier. A decade on, it is...

Fitch Says Insurers’ Capital Position Is Strong, Issues Stable Outlook

Dec 15 2011 // Fitch Ratings said in its new 2012 outlook report that the P/C insurers’ capital position remains strong. It observed that most P/C insurers have sufficient capital to manage through significant future adversity. The...

N.Y. Consumer Report Accuses Insurers of Needlessly Raising Rates

Dec 15 2011 // A new consumer advocacy report is accusing P/C insurers of ‘colluding’ and needlessly raising commercial insurance rates at a time when U.S. businesses are still reeling from the slow economy. The report,...

Judge Tosses JPMorgan Lawsuit Against Insurers

Dec 14 2011 // A JPMorgan unit cannot force insurers to pay a $250 million settlement between failed investment bank Bear Stearns and government regulators, a state appeals court in New York ruled on Tuesday. Reversing a trial court, the...