Latest Underwriting Headlines

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

Petersen International Underwriters Expands Medicare Bridge Plan

Aug 11 2010 // Petersen International Underwriters main product line up, the Bridge Plan, is now renewable annually without any additional health qualifications on each anniversary date. “This plan is now guaranteed to renew...

Markel Underwriting Loss Tied to Chile Earthquake, Deepwater Horizon

Aug 9 2010 // Specialty insurance company Markel Corp. reported that its combined ratio for the second quarter of 2010 was 103 percent, compared to 99 percent for the second quarter of 2009. The combined ratio was 102 percent for the...

Berkshire Hathaway Profit Down on Derivatives But Insurance Way Up

Aug 9 2010 // Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said Friday second-quarter profit fell 40 percent, as declining stock prices depressed the value of his derivative contracts. Operating profit nevertheless soared 73 percent,...

U.S. Captive Insurers’ Underwriting Income Drops; Investments Improve

Aug 9 2010 // Net income doubled in 2009 over 2008 for a composite of 195 U.S. captive insurers followed by A.M. Best Co., driven by the recovery of the industry’s investments. Realized capital gains totaled $82 million for 2009,...

San Diego Underwriters Society Names Officers

Aug 9 2010 // The San Diego Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society installed new 2010-2011 officers and directors. Officers include: President Susan McFarland of Cavignac & Associates; President Elect...

Great American Unveils Commercial Surety Online Underwriting System

Aug 5 2010 // The Bond Division of Great American Insurance Group, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, announced the launch of mySurety, a commercial surety online underwriting and bond issuance system, a Web-based platform for agents to...

Monarch E&S Names Perry Senior Commercial Underwriter

Aug 5 2010 // Monarch E&S Insurance Services has hired Debbie Perry as a senior commercial underwriter to work out of its new Arizona office. She will write business in Arizona, Nevada and Hawaii. Perry started in the insurance...

Investors Seek Oil Firms’ Safety Plans, Insurers’ Underwriting Plans

Aug 5 2010 // In the wake of the BP oil disaster, more than 50 U.S. and other environmentally-active global investors have sent letters to major energy companies asking them to disclose information on their spill prevention and response...

Utilities Market Still Softening Despite ‘Mega’ Claims: Willis

Aug 4 2010 // Insurance rates in the power sector are expected to soften further in 2010, despite the existence of many of the conditions that would normally presage a hardening market, according to the latest Power Market Review from...

Schmidt Named CEO for Catlin Europe Reinsurance, New Switzerland Unit

Aug 3 2010 // Specialty insurer and reinsurer Catlin Group Limited has appointed Peter Schmidt as chief executive officer for European Reinsurance. He will also serve as CEO of Catlin Re Switzerland, which subject to regulatory approval...

People

Aug 2 2010 // Thomas Allan has joined Boston-based Richards Robinson Sheppard Insurance as vice president. Allan specializes in construction accounts and has over 35 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Richards...

People

Aug 2 2010 // Stephen M. Franz was named senior vice president of Dallas-based managing general agency and wholesale broker Capstone Underwriters LLC. Franz has been with Capstone since 2004. Prior to Capstone, he held positions at all...

Torus Targets New Business in Europe with Executive Appointments

Jul 29 2010 // Torus Insurance is “continuing the rollout of its Continental European operation,” notes a company bulletin. It announced the appointment of Esther Fittinghoff as Professional Lines Manager and Kurt Fleischmann...

Deardorff Promoted to Underwriting Director at All Risks

Jul 27 2010 // Maryland-based wholesale brokerage All Risks Ltd. has promoted Deanna Deardorff, has been promoted to director of corporate underwriting. Deardorff, a 27-year veteran of the firm, has served as underwriter, team leader,...

Texas Court Gives New Life to Contractual Liability Exclusion

Jul 27 2010 // Where contractors are involved, one of the most intractable problems for a carrier in negotiating and settling claims are the contract liability issues. How does a carrier identify if a contractual claim is covered? A...

Contractual Liability Is Just That

Jul 19 2010 // Texas Court: Exclusion Precludes Coverage for Breach of Contract Where contractors are involved, one of the most intractable problems for a carrier in negotiating and settling claims are the contract liability issues. How...

Emergency Physicians Insurance RRG Hires VP of Underwriting

Jul 19 2010 // Emergency Physicians Insurance Co. (EPIC), a Roseville, Calif.-based medical professional liability insurance provider, has added Colleen Elkin as vice president of underwriting. Elkin will direct EPIC’s underwriting...

Utica National Promotes Almy

Jul 19 2010 // James J. Almy has been promoted to underwriting manager of the Utica National Insurance Group’s Errors & Omissions division. Almy began his career with Utica National in 1994 as a Commercial Lines underwriting...

ACE UK Appoints Shaw President ACE Global Markets; Underwriter Syndicate 2488

Jul 15 2010 // ACE UK announced the appointment of Matthew Shaw as President, ACE Global Markets (AGM) and Active Underwriter for Lloyd’s Syndicate 2488. In addition, subject to Lloyd’s and FSA approval, he will become a...

CNA Adds Wehrkamp as Commercial Underwriting Officer in Kansas City

Jul 13 2010 // CNA Financial Corp., based in Chicago, has appointed Don Wehrkamp as Commercial Underwriting officer for its Kansas City territory. In this role, Wehrkamp will ensure that the full complement of CNA’s products and...