Latest Texas Headlines

IIAT survey finds coastal insurance market tighter; more expensive

Nov 19 2006 // Property insurance along the Texas coast is getting harder to find plus premiums and deductibles are increasing, according to results from a survey of independent insurance agents. Respondents are members of the...

Texas

Nov 19 2006 // As expected, incumbent Texas Gov. Rick Perry won re-election in a heavily Republican state, but his victory was by no means a shoo-in. Perry only gathered 39 percent of the votes in a race that was split five ways between...

Nov 19 2006 // People Tony Boyd joined Dallas-based McQueary Henry Bowles Troy L.L.P. as a sales professional in Personal Insurance Professionals, a division of MHBT that serves personal lines clients. Prior to joining MHBT, he was...

News Currents

Nov 19 2006 // Vendor picked for verification plan The Texas Department of Insurance, serving as lead agency in a joint project with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department...

News Currents

Nov 19 2006 // No monumental changes in South Central states from Nov. 7 elections Arkansas Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe, a Democrat, won the race for the governor’s office, handily defeating Republican candidate Asa...

Figures

Nov 19 2006 // $56 Million The amount returned to Texas insurance consumers over the past year as a result of actions by the Texas Department of Insurance’s Consumer Protec-tion Division, a record amount for the agency. The money...

Business Moves

Nov 19 2006 // North American Group, CIC Insurance Brokers, CTK Insurance Services North American Group, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Okla., acquired Abilene, Texas-based CIC Insurance Brokers Inc. and CTK Insurance Services Inc. of...

Texas Court of Appeals: Insurers Must Defend Samsung in EMF Suits

Nov 17 2006 // The law firm of Anderson Kill & Olick P.C., reported that the Texas Court of Appeals has ruled that Samsung Electronics America is entitled to defense coverage for class action lawsuits based upon the alleged harm...

Texas Commissioner Agrees to Windstorm Rate Hikes

Nov 16 2006 // Although not as substantial as those sought by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, Texas Insurance Commissioner Mike Geeslin signed an order on Nov. 15 giving TWIA rate hikes of 3.7 percent for commercial property...

Smoke Alarm Donated by Texas Coalition Alerts Disabled Homeowner

Nov 16 2006 // A 62 year old Waco, Texas, resident can thank a donated smoke alarm for possibly saving her life and her home recently. Madeline Goff, who is assisted by a walker, was alerted by smoke alarms that she had a potential fire...

TDI Deputy Commissioner Receives National Award

Nov 14 2006 // For the second year in a row the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI) Licensing Division has been recognized for its outstanding performance by the Securities and Insurance Licensing Association (SILA). The...

TDI Consumer Protection Division Recovers $56M for Texans

Nov 13 2006 // The Texas Department of Insurance reported that more than $56 million was returned to Texas consumers during the past year as a result of actions by TDI’s Consumer Protection Division, a record amount for the...

NALICO General Agency Expands with Texas Acquisition

Nov 10 2006 // NALICO General Agency Inc., a subsidiary of Waco, Texas-based NLASCO, announced the asset acquisition of Longhorn General Agency Inc. and Longhorn Insurance Services Inc., effective Nov. 1, 2006. Founded in 1980, Longhorn...

San Antonio Agents Install New Officers

Nov 9 2006 // Brett Morgan was recently installed as the 85th president of the Independent Insurance Agents of San Antonio (IIASA). Morgan is senior vice president, Business Insurance and Employee Benefits, for SWBC Insurance...

Data Vendor Selected for Texas Auto Insurance Verification Program

Nov 9 2006 // The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), serving as lead agency in a joint project with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and the Texas Department of Information...

Restaurant Association Earns $2M Texas Mutual Dividend

Nov 9 2006 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced a $2,112,299 dividend to the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) purchasing group. Texas law allows employers in similar industries to reduce their workers’ comp premiums by...

Texas University Students Honored with Scholarships from ICT

Nov 9 2006 // The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) recently awarded scholarships to 15 university students, each of whom were acknowledged by their professors as exemplary students. The University of North Texas scholarship recipients...

Texas National Western Life Announces 3rd Quarter Earnings

Nov 7 2006 // Ross R. Moody, president of National Western Life Insurance Company, recently announced third quarter 2006 consolidated net earnings of $15.4 million, or $4.22 per diluted share, compared with consolidated net earnings of...

People and Places

Nov 6 2006 // Chris Hughes, with Swingle, Collins & Associates, is the new president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas. Swingle Collins reported that Hughes joins officer ranks with firm president, Frank Swingle, whose...

Okla. commissioner fights Texas group’s attack ads

Nov 6 2006 // Oklahoma Insurance Com-missioner Kim Holland has started her own ad campaign to counter a series of negative TV ads from a Texas group called “Just the Facts America.” Meanwhile, The Oklahoman filed a lawsuit...