Latest Massachusetts Headlines

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

AIGT Launches MassXpress to Streamline Mass. Automobile Insurance Processing

Dec 16 2003 // American International Technology Enterprises, Inc. a member company of American International Group, doing business as AIG Technologies, or AIGT, announced the launch of MassXpress(TM). It described the new technology as...

S&P Rates Commerce Group and Proposed Senior Notes ‘BBB’

Dec 3 2003 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘BBB’ counterparty credit rating to The Commerce Group, Inc. and its ‘BBB’ senior debt rating to CGI’s proposed...

Liberty Mutual, MetLife A&H Recoup $2 Million in Fraud Suit against Mass. Lawyers, Medical Clinic

Dec 3 2003 // Score one for the industry! Liberty Mutual Group and MetLife Auto & Home announced settlements of around $2 million – in their favor- in a multi-million dollar insurance fraud suit against attorneys and medical...

‘Runner’ Bill on the Move in Mass. Legislature

Nov 19 2003 // The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Criminal Justice has favorably reported out a bill designed to fight insurance fraud by cracking down on “runners” who promote auto insurance fraud. “The first step in...

Alliance Also Supports Mass. “Runner” Bill

Nov 19 2003 // The Alliance of American Insurers joined the NAII (see previous article) in urging quick approval of the proposed Massachusetts law that would prevent so-called “runners” from recruiting clients for...

‘A’ FSR to Commerce Group Mass. Subs

Nov 3 2003 // Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Ratings Services assigned its “A” counterparty credit and financial strength ratings with a “stable” outlook to Commerce Insurance Co. (CIC) and Citation...

NAII Supports Mass. House Bills on Auto Rates

Oct 15 2003 // The National Association of Independent Insurers has issued a bulletin noting that two redrafted bills in the Massachusetts Lower House, would change the effective date of the state’s Insurance Commissioner’s...

S&P Assigns ‘A’ Rating to Commerce Group Mass. Subs

Oct 15 2003 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced that it has assigned its ‘A’ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings with a “stable” outlook to Commerce Insurance Co. (CIC) and...

Hub Acquires Mass. Agency

Oct 3 2003 // Chicago-based brokerage Hub International Ltd. announced the acquisition of the assets of Commonwealth Insurance Agency Inc., headquartered in Lowell, Mass. The firm, with approximately $300,000 in annual revenue, was...

Hub International Acquires N.J.’s Sondheim & Laughlin, Mass. Commonwealth Insurance Agency

Oct 2 2003 // Chicago-based Hub International announced two new acquisitions to its growing network of regional brokerages. It has acquired the stock of Sondheim & Laughlin, Inc. of Iselin, New Jersey and the assets of Commonwealth...

Mass. Agencies Adopt Banknorth Name

Oct 2 2003 // Three Massachusetts insurance agencies have changed their names to better reflect their affiliation to their parent company, Banknorth Group, Inc. Effective immediately, Palmer-Goodell Insurance Agency in Springfield,...

Mass. Retailers Association Endorses OneBeacon

Sep 23 2003 // Boston-based OneBeacon Insurance Group LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. announced that it has received the endorsement of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) and its...

Mass. Workers’ Comp Bureau ‘Regrets’ Commissioner’s Decision to Cut Rates

Sep 2 2003 // The Workers’ Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau (WCRIB) of Massachusetts is reportedly not in agreement with the decision by the State’s Insurance Commissioner, Julianne Bowler, to decrease the average...

CNA Develops Three-in-One Approach to Non-Medical Insurance Coverage in Mass.

Aug 29 2003 // Chicago-based CNA announced a new approach to providing non-medical group insurance benefits to businesses of any size. The “Flexible Protection Plan(SM) enables Massachusetts employers to provide benefit funds in...

AIA Says Mass. Decision Against Competition “Bad for Consumers”

Aug 12 2003 // The American Insurance Association warned that the Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner’s decision to maintain the “fix-and-establish” rate-setting mechanism is bad news for most Massachusetts...

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Mass. Agency

Jul 25 2003 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Inc. of Wellesley, Mass. Founded in 1991, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Inc. is a full-service retail insurance broker...

Proposed Mass. Budget Reportedly Includes Burdensome Provisions for Insurers

Jul 2 2003 // The Massachusetts Senate and House have agreed on a budget which would reportedly impose several burdensome provisions on the insurance industry, including funding the Department of Insurance (DOI) with a special...

Horace Mann Affirmed by Best

Jun 23 2003 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings of “A” (Excellent) of Springfield, Ill.-based Horace Mann Educators Corp.’s insurance operating subsidiaries. Concurrently, A.M. Best has affirmed...

Holyoke’s Departure Another Blow to Mass. Auto Market Says NAII

Jun 20 2003 // Holyoke Mutual Insurance Co.’s announcement that it will exit the auto insurance business and has entered into an arrangement to transfer all of its Massachusetts auto insurance business to Plymouth Rock Assurance...

Plymouth Rock Reaches Agreement with Holyoke Mutual

Jun 19 2003 // Boston-based Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation announced that it would offer five-year contracts to independent agents who represent Holyoke Mutual for Massachusetts private passenger auto insurance. Holyoke, based in...