Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Some Question Michigan Judge’s Refusal to Recuse in Insurance Case
Jul 29 2009 // A Michigan Supreme Court justice’s decision not to recuse herself from a case that pertains to her husband’s profession contradicts the spirit of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on when judges should step...
U.S. and China Sign Memorandum on Climate Change
Jul 29 2009 // The United States and China, the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, signed an agreement Tuesday that promises more cooperation on climate change, energy and the environment without setting firm...
Torus Names Anand Global COO
Jul 29 2009 // Bermuda-based Torus Insurance (Holdings) Ltd. announced the appointment of Naveen Anand as Global Chief Operating Officer. He will be based in New Jersey and will report directly to Clive Tobin, Chief Executive of...
Chicago-Based Insurance Group Entering U.S. Latin American Market
Jul 29 2009 // The Wyncrest Group Inc., a niche insurance consortium based in Chicago, Ill., announced its entrance into the Latin American insurance market in the U.S. The company said its pending acquisition of Florida Insurance...
U.S. Senate May Drop Public Health Care Option
Jul 29 2009 // Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol struggled to reach a health care deal Tuesday, with Senate Democrats near agreement with three Republicans on a plan that would not include a government-run insurance option backed by...
Chartis: Other Firms Share AIG’s New Name; Is It a Name to Remember?
Jul 28 2009 // A U.S. health care advisory group and a London-based risk technology research firm share something in common with American International Group’s (AIG) new brand Chartis Insurance: a name. But it’s doubtful they...
U.S. Launches Auto ‘Clunker’ Program
Jul 27 2009 // The U.S. government launched a $1 billion cash incentive program on Friday to stimulate auto sales by getting consumers to part with gas guzzling cars and trucks and buy more fuel efficient vehicles. The program, which...
Johnson, Mowinski Named Midwest VPs for Torus Insurance
Jul 27 2009 // Global specialty insurer Torus Insurance has appointed Dennis Johnson and Mark Mowinski as vice presidents and senior property underwriters, responsible for underwriting in the Midwestern U.S. They will both report to...
WWII Veteran Wins Malpractice Suit Against Hospital in Mississippi
Jul 24 2009 // A judge has awarded $749,000 to the estate of a World War II veteran who lost much of his vision during a surgery at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility in Jackson, Mississippi. Charles West died May...
Max Specialty Admitted in Puerto Rico
Jul 23 2009 // The Bermuda-based Max Capital Group Ltd. announced that Max Specialty Insurance Company, a Delaware licensed insurer, is now approved to write business on a non-admitted basis in 49 other states, the US Virgin Islands and...
‘Global’ Payments for Doctors, Hospitals Seen As Way to Curb Medical Costs
Jul 23 2009 // A proposal to overhaul the way doctors and hospitals are paid in Massachusetts, a pioneer in healthcare, could help hold down spiraling costs and may have lessons for Washington as it grapples with reforming the U.S....
SCOR Acquires XL Life America
Jul 23 2009 // SCOR Global Life US (SGL U.S.), a wholly-owned subsidiary of France’s SCOR Group, has reached a definitive agreement to acquire XL Re Life America Inc. (XLRLA), a subsidiary of XL Capital Ltd. The total consideration...
Ratings Recap: QBE (US), Triangle, Zurich (US) Subsidiaries
Jul 22 2009 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its ‘A+’ counterparty credit and financial strength ratings to QBE Specialty Insurance Co. (QSIC) with a stable outlook. “We view QSIC to be a...
Securities Class Actions Decline; More Foreign Firms Targeted
Jul 22 2009 // Federal securities class action activity declined in the first half of 2009, with a particularly significant decline in the second quarter. According to Stanford Law School Securities Class Action Clearinghouse and...
Best Affirms Munich Re, Subs ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Jul 21 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Munich Reinsurance Company (Munich Re) and its subsidiaries. Best also...
Asia-Pacific Nations Decry First-world Protectionist Policies
Jul 21 2009 // Some Asia-Pacific nations criticized U.S. and other developed world protectionism on Tuesday at a meeting aimed at spurring a global trade pact and revitalizing the global economy. Thai Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai,...
U.S. Reinsurers Post $26.4B in Net Premiums for 2008
Jul 21 2009 // For 2008, the U.S. reinsurers reported net premiums written of $26.4 billion, premiums earned of $25.9 billion, according to the Reinsurance Association of America’s “Reinsurance Underwriting Review: 2008...
Bankruptcy Terms to Know
Jul 20 2009 // Bankruptcy: General bankruptcy is a legal process that provides relief to those who can no longer pay all of their debts. The goal of the bankruptcy laws is to give debtors a “fresh start” by releasing debtors...
Insurance Broker Willis Targeted in Second Suit Over Stanford Bank
Jul 20 2009 // A Venezuelan investor has sued global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings Ltd over the collapse of the Stanford banking empire, saying he relied on assurances from Willis that Stanford was sound. The lawsuit, filed as a...
Business Moves
Jul 20 2009 // AIG, 21st Century Insurance, Farmers Group Inc. American International Group has closed the sale of 21st Century Insurance Group, the wholly owned subsidiaries of AIG’s U.S. personal auto insurance business, to...
