Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Best Affirms FSR’s; Downgrades ICR’s of Allianz U.S. Units; Ratings on Review/Negative
Dec 20 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A+’ (Superior) and downgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “aa-” from “aa” of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty...
Financial Services Oversight Rules Possible This Week
Dec 19 2011 // The Federal Reserve is expected to release this week a highly anticipated proposal for how it will oversee the largest U.S. banks, a person familiar with the plan said on Monday. The proposal, which includes a group of...
US Government Accuses Oregon Aircraft Contractor Of Fraud
Dec 19 2011 // A Coos Bay, Ore. company and its owner accused of defrauding the U.S. government by supplying defective and counterfeit aircraft parts have been indicted on fraud and money laundering charges. A grand jury named Kustom...
2 North Carolina Counties Near U.S. Top in Pay Growth
Dec 19 2011 // Times may be tough, but new data show the average worker in six of North Carolina’s largest counties got a pay raise greater than inflation last year. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis says average annual...
Deficit Poses the Biggest Threat to U.S. Healthcare
Dec 19 2011 // A mounting U.S. deficit could pose a much greater threat to the survival of President Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms than either the Supreme Court or 2012 elections. Many health experts say innovations in...
Ratings Roundup: MAPFRE USA, AXA US,
Dec 19 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has downgraded the financial strength rating to ‘A’ (Excellent) from ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings to “a+” from “aa-” of MAPFRE USA Group following...
Best Places Aviva’s U.S. Subsidiaries Ratings under Review/Negative
Dec 16 2011 // Following its rating actions on the UK-based Aviva plc, A.M. Best Co. has placed under review with negative implications the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A ‘(Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of...
Best Upgrades First Hawaii Ratings to ‘A’ on Tokio Marine Takeover
Dec 16 2011 // A.M. Best Co. has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A’ (Excellent) of First of Hawaii Group and its members....
Insurance Australia Group to Acquire New Zealand Insurer AMI
Dec 16 2011 // Insurance Australia Group Limited (IAG) announced it had entered into an agreement to purchase the AMI insurance business for NZ$380 million (approximately A$288 million [US$287.96 million), enhancing its position as New...
Distracted Driving Stems From More Than Cell Phone Use, Insurers Say
Dec 16 2011 // Using a cell phone while driving is not the only distraction leading to automobile crashes today, says a group of insurance carriers. While the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) call for a national...
U.S. Healthcare Law Keeps More Young Adults Insured
Dec 16 2011 // U.S. healthcare reforms have enabled 2.5 million young adults to join or remain in their parents’ health insurance plans, the U.S. government said this week, up from 1 million reported earlier this year. Federal...
Chinese Drywall Settlement Could Reach $1B
Dec 16 2011 // Owners of thousands of U.S. homes tainted with foul-smelling Chinese drywall agreed to a legal settlement on Thursday with a German manufacturer. An attorney for the plaintiffs, Russ Herman, said the settlement reached...
Fact or Fiction? Insurance Tidbits of Known and Little-Known Information
Dec 16 2011 // Have you ever wondered how modern-day fire departments began? Or why agents buy E&O coverage? What about when the first business owners policy launched? These are just a few questions that Insurance Journal and Claims...
Test Your Insurance News Knowledge
Dec 16 2011 // Are you an insurance news hound? Test your insurance news IQ and find out. The following questions and answers (see bottom of the page) were developed based on news stories published on InsuranceJournal.com and...
Declarations
Dec 16 2011 // Frank Talk “Once (Dodd-Frank) is fully implemented — I think it will be in another year — it is much harder for people to get rid of, because I think it will be popular. The easiest chance you get to strangle...
Family Seeks $56 Million After San Diego Jet Crash
Dec 15 2011 // The U.S. government should pay $56 million to a family that lost four members when a military jet crashed into their San Diego home in 2008, an attorney told a judge Wednesday. “The magnitude of the loss is...
RIMS Tells Treasury: Industry Needs More Uniform, National Regulations
Dec 15 2011 // A major group for risk management professionals sent a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department, asking for a bigger federal role in regulating insurance. The Risk and Insurance Management Society sent its letter to Michael...
Preparedness Stressed on 200th Anniversary of the New Madrid Earthquakes
Dec 15 2011 // On the 200th anniversary of the first tremors of the New Madrid earthquakes, which were several of the most powerful quakes the United States has ever experienced, an insurance industry-backed group is reminding consumers...
Crop Insurance Rates Skyrocket After Summer Floods
Dec 15 2011 // Midwestern farmers who saw their land swamped by summer flooding may be socked again with steep increases in their crop insurance premiums, the expensive result of the failure to fix broken levees before the winter snow...
N.Y. Consumer Report Accuses Insurers of Needlessly Raising Rates
Dec 15 2011 // A new consumer advocacy report is accusing P/C insurers of ‘colluding’ and needlessly raising commercial insurance rates at a time when U.S. businesses are still reeling from the slow economy. The report,...
