Latest Texas Headlines
All the headlines from our Texas Topic Page, ordered by recency.
New Requirements Drive Need for Surety Bonds in Texas and Arkansas
Dec 14 2009 // At least four new surety bonds have hit the market in Texas and Arkansas in the last six months, part of a wave of new bonding requirements nationwide. Brokers in both states are working to stay on top of the new mandates....
A.M. Best Assigns ‘A-‘ Rating to Texas-based Advocate, MD Insurance
Dec 11 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has assigned a financial strength rating of “A-” (Excellent) and an issuer credit rating of “a-” to Austin, Texas-based medical professional liability insurer Advocate, MD Insurance of...
Oklahoma, Texas Get More Than $100M to Clean Up Contaminated Sites
Dec 11 2009 // Oklahoma will receive almost $40 million to fund environmental cleanup and restoration at contaminated mining sites in the state, Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson said. Texas will receive about more than $80...
Recreation Group Earns First Texas Mutual Dividend
Dec 11 2009 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company has returned a $90,643 dividend to the Texas Recreation Purchasing Group (TRPG). The group’s first dividend was based largely on its favorable loss ratio. By committing to workplace...
From Zero to 200 in 5: The Rise of Kansas City-based Ascension Insurance
Dec 11 2009 // Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City, Mo.-based Ascension Insurance Inc. in late 2007. They...
Texas Windstorm Insurance Assoc. Posts New Maximum Liability Limits
Dec 10 2009 // The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) reports that new maximum limits of liability will go into effect Jan. 1, 2010. The new limits are higher than those currently in place for 2009. TWIA recommends that all...
Safety Board: Citgo Texas Refinery Blast ‘Significant Near Miss’
Dec 10 2009 // The U.S. Chemical Safety Board on Wednesday called a July explosion at Citgo Petroleum Corp.’s Corpus Christi, Texas, refinery “a significant near-miss” for a widespread release of highly toxic hydrogen...
New Board Members Named for Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
Dec 9 2009 // Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin has announced new board members for the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). House Bill (HB) 4409, passed by the 81st Texas Legislature in 2009, changed the composition of...
Federal Aid, State Insurance Department Help Still Available for Ike Recovery
Dec 8 2009 // Galveston County residents needing home repair assistance resulting from 2008’s Hurricane Ike can get federal help through a nearly $100 million grant program. In addition, the Texas Department of Insurance reports...
Business Moves
Dec 6 2009 // Marsh, Insurance Alliance New York-based Marsh & McLennan Agency, a subsidiary of insurance mega-broker Marsh Inc., has acquired Insurance Alliance, one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Texas. Terms of...
Requirements Drive Need for Surety Bonds
Dec 6 2009 // At least four new surety bonds have hit the market in Texas and Arkansas in the last six months, part of a wave of new bonding requirements nationwide. “This past year has seemed to be especially active statutorily...
People
Dec 6 2009 // Monte Stringer, executive vice president with U.S. Risk Inc. in Dallas, has been elected president of the Texas Surplus Lines Association Inc. for the coming year. Stringer and other new officers and directors of the...
Declarations
Dec 6 2009 // Disappointed But Happy “While I am disappointed that larger refunds were not ordered, I am very happy that the Commissioner concurred with our position that refunds were due though August 2008 instead of June 2006 as...
State Farm Appeals $310M Refund Order
Dec 6 2009 // The six-year battle between the Texas Department of Insurance and State Farm Lloyd’s (SFL) over homeowners insurance rates that TDI says are excessive is destined to continue. State Farm appealed an order signed by...
New Requirements Drive Need for Surety Bonds
Dec 6 2009 // At least four new surety bonds have hit the market in Texas and Arkansas in the last six months, part of a wave of new bonding requirements nationwide. “This past year has seemed to be especially active statutorily...
It Figures
Dec 6 2009 // 2.1 Million More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs by Stork Craft Manufacturing of Canada are being recalled following reports of four infant suffocations, representing the largest ever recall of cribs by the Consumer...
New Markets
Dec 6 2009 // The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com. Campgrounds, Dude Ranches & Other...
Top Personal Lines Agencies
Dec 6 2009 // Correction: Top Personal Lies Agencies The Top 2009 Personal Lines Agencies list that was published in the Nov. 16 issue of Insurance Journal was incorrect. Unfortunately, columns of spreadsheet data shifted in the process...
Dallas-Area Employer Ordered to Repay Nearly $1M to Texas Mutual
Dec 4 2009 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company reports that Donna Iverson, owner of C&D Business Services Inc., and Carol Wiesman pleaded guilty to workers’ compensation fraud-related charges. The 299th District Court in Austin...
Texas Approves 13 Companies to Self-Insure for Workers’ Comp
Dec 2 2009 // The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) approved the renewal of the Certificates of Authority for 13 companies to self-insure for workers’ compensation claims for a...
