Latest Property Casualty Headlines

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

Moody’s: P/C Insurers’ Losses Under Municipal Bonds Manageable

Nov 22 2010 // U.S. property/casualty insurers are not likely to sustain substantial losses on municipal bonds, Moody’s Investors Service says in a new report. While muni bonds make up a high 27 percent of P/C insurers’...

Best Upgrades Ratings of Zurich’s U.S. Subsidiaries to ‘A+’

Nov 19 2010 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the financial strength rating (FSR) to ‘A+’ (Superior) from ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “aa-” from “a+” of the U.S....

Property/Casualty Insurance Premiums Grew Modestly in Q3

Nov 18 2010 // The U.S. property and casualty industry continued to experience modest growth in premiums written while essentially breaking even on underwriting with a calendar year combined ratio of approximately 100 percent, according...

How an E&O Claim Could Affect Agency Employee’s Career

Nov 18 2010 // Today’s soft insurance market, reduced commissions and a tough economy for agency owners and their clients might be adding to agency errors and omissions (E&O) exposures. But agency owners are not the only ones...

Zurich Sells Stakes in Spanish Life and P/C to Unnim

Nov 17 2010 // Zurich Financial Services Group announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell back to Spanish insurer Unnim its 50 percent stakes in the life and general insurance bancassurance companies jointly owned...

P/C Insurer Rules on Medicare, Medicaid Liability Claims Delayed

Nov 16 2010 // Property/casualty insurers will have some extra time to comply with new Medicare and Medicaid liability claims reporting requirements. The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

Nationwide Insurance Reports Net Income of $975M

Nov 16 2010 // Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance has reported that consolidated net operating income through September 30 was up 39 percent to $975 million. That is compared to $702 million in the first three quarters of 2009....

Insurance Mergers Complicated by Economy, Low Valuations, Hidden Risks

Nov 15 2010 // With organic growth difficult in the current economy and soft market, there could be an increase in insurance industry merger and acquisition activity over the next 12 to 18 months, according to mergers and acquisitions...

Moody’s Rates P/C Personal Lines Industry Financially Sound, Highly Competitive

Nov 15 2010 // The U.S. property/casualty personal lines insurance industry remains financially sound despite the weak economy and prolonged soft, though improving, pricing environment, Moody’s Investors Service says in its new...

People

Nov 14 2010 // J. Michael “Mike” Miley of Indiana-based Gibson Insurance Group was installed as chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”). Miley began his insurance career...

3 Ways to Boost P/C Agency Revenues with Life Insurance Sales

Nov 14 2010 // When I was a regional advisor for a multiline insurance company we were always looking for ways to help agents build more profitable agencies. The most successful agents invariably had a system to promote life insurance...

How Insurance Companies Live For 100 Years and More

Nov 14 2010 // Nearly 13 percent of property/casualty insurance companies today are more than 100 years old, which means they have been through two World Wars and the Great Depression. About 62 percent of 100-year-old companies are...

People

Nov 14 2010 // The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) elected Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James J. Donelon as Secretary-Treasurer for 2011. Donelon is presently serving on the Executive Committee of the NAIC and...

The ‘Secrets of the Ancients’

Nov 14 2010 // How Insurance Companies Can Live to Be 100 and Beyond Companies that seek longevity in the insurance industry should not focus solely on increasing profits. That’s the assessment of Robert P. Hartwig, president and...

Illinois Disciplinary Actions Include License Denials, Suspensions, Fines

Nov 11 2010 // Illinois Department of Insurance Director of Insurance Michael T. McRaith has issued the following disciplinary orders for September and October 2010: Shango D. Johnson, Chicago – Insurance producer license suspended...

How Insurance Companies Can Live to Be 100 and Beyond

Nov 8 2010 // Companies that seek longevity in the insurance industry should not focus solely on increasing profits. That’s the assessment of Robert P. Hartwig, president and economist for the Insurance Information Institute. In...

Western National Insurance Purchases Umialik Insurance

Nov 4 2010 // Western National Insurance Group of Edina, Minn., has signed a definitive agreement for the purchase of 100 percent of the stock of Anchorage, Alaska-based Umialik Insurance Co. from UkpeaÄ¡vik Iñupiat...

Liberty Mutual to Establish Joint P/C Venture with India’s Videocon

Nov 4 2010 // Liberty Mutual Group announced that it has concluded a partnership with “Videocon Industries Ltd., the flagship company of $5 Billion Videocon Group, with diversified interest in Consumer Electronics, Household...

XL Posts $77.5 Million Q3 Net Income; $175 Million Operating

Nov 4 2010 // Bermuda-based XL Group plc reported net income attributable to ordinary shareholders of $77.543 million for the third quarter of 2010, or $0.23 per ordinary share, compared to a net loss of $11.4 million, or a loss of...

Alterra Capital Posts $82.8 Mn. Q3 Net Income; $222.7 Mn 9 Months

Nov 3 2010 // Bermuda-based Alterra Capital Holdings Limited reported net income of $82.8 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2010, compared to net income of $95.3 million, or $1.64 per diluted share, for the...