Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
University of Nevada Earthquake Lab Now World’s 2nd Biggest
Mar 24 2014 // There’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on at the University of Nevada, Reno. UNR’s seismic-simulation facility became the largest in the United States and second largest in the world in March with an...
People – Southeast
Mar 24 2014 // Joe Robles, Jr. The president and CEO of the insurer of military families, USAA, announced he will retire from USAA in the first quarter of 2015. “It has been my privilege to work at USAA for nearly 20 years....
Michigan Congresswoman Miller: Flood Insurance Bill Bad for State
Mar 24 2014 // A U.S. Congresswoman from Michigan wants her state to opt out of the National Flood Insurance Program, saying it’s not good for Michigan homeowners. U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10) voted against H.R. 3370,...
Top U.S. P/C Agency and Brokerage Acquirers in 2013
Mar 24 2014 // Insurance Journal‘s review of property/casualty agency and brokerage mergers and acquisitions occurring in 2013 found that Arthur J. Gallagher was the most active agency acquirer – as was the case in 2012. Hub...
Top 10 HOT Markets to Watch
Mar 24 2014 // Insurance Journal examined industries experiencing changes and expansions in the past year. Here are the top 10 market sectors that just might deliver hot opportunities for agents and brokers in the property/casualty...
Ten Things to Know about High Risk Property
Mar 24 2014 // Winter storms caused $2 billion in insured losses in 2013, up dramatically from $38 million in 2012, according to reports from Munich Re. From 1993 to 2012, winter storms resulted in about $28 billion in insured...
Canada Pension Plan Board to Buy Wilton Re for $1.8 Billion
Mar 21 2014 // The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) announced that it has agreed to buy U.S. life insurance and reinsurance provider Wilton Re Holdings Ltd for $1.8 billion from a group of private equity firms, the first...
Global Insurance Organization’s G-20 Delegates Stress Social, Economic Role
Mar 21 2014 // In a series of meetings this week with the Australian G-20 Presidency, the Global Federation of Insurance Associations (GFIA) has called on the G-20 to “ensure that all international regulatory reform initiatives...
Best Affirms Arch Capital and Subs ‘A+’ Ratings; Outlook Stable
Mar 21 2014 // A.M. Best has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A+’ (Superior) and the issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “aa-” of Bermuda-based Arch Reinsurance Ltd. and its strategic affiliates. Best...
Analysis of Possible Plane Debris Slowed by Vast Size of Satellite Data
Mar 21 2014 // Delays in identifying satellite images that may show debris of a missing Malaysian plane in the southern Indian Ocean were due to the vast amounts of data that needed to be analyzed, Australian authorities and the U.S....
Supreme Court to Weigh Religious Exemption from Birth Control Mandate Next Week
Mar 21 2014 // Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.’s 600 U.S. craft shops close each Sunday, posting a notice that employees are spending the day with their families and at worship. It’s a visible sign that the company is as focused on...
GEICO’s Advertising Spending Slows But Still Tops $1 Billion: SNL
Mar 20 2014 // After two years of double-digit percentage increases in advertising spending, GEICO Corp. boosted its ad spend by just over five percent in 2013, according to research by SNL Financial. GEICO, with its Gecko and Maxwell...
Court Says Broker Fraud Protected by Bankruptcy’s Safe Harbor
Mar 20 2014 // Bankruptcy law’s “safe harbor,” which prevents customers of defunct brokerages from being sued, applies even when the broker was engaged in fraud and violated multiple securities laws, the U.S. Court of...
Malaysia Plane Loss Spurs Calls to Upload ‘Black Box’ Data to the ‘Cloud’
Mar 20 2014 // The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has prompted calls for in-flight streaming of black box data over remote areas, but industry executives say implementing changes may be complex and costly. Mark...
N.Y. Sen. Urges USDA to Help Educate Dairy Farmers on Insurance Options
Mar 19 2014 // The recently-passed Agricultural Act of 2014 — also known as the 2014 Farm Bill — has a new dairy support program that is a significant improvement from the expiring Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program,...
Iowa Court: Breastfeeding Employee Can’t Sue Nationwide Mutual Insurance
Mar 19 2014 // Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. did not discriminate against an employee who claims she was denied a room to pump breast milk and pressured to resign on her first day back from maternity leave, a federal appeals court in...
Bond Insurer Syncora Threatens to Cancel Coverage on Detroit Rate Swaps
Mar 19 2014 // Syncora Guarantee Inc., the bond insurer fighting Detroit’s debt-cutting plans, said it may cancel insurance it wrote for interest-rate swaps that the city is seeking to terminate with an $85 million...
Viacom Settles $1B Copyright Suit Against Google Over YouTube Videos
Mar 19 2014 // Google Inc. and Viacom Inc. settled Viacom’s $1 billion lawsuit claiming YouTube violated copyrights by letting users post video clips from television shows without authorization after a federal judge twice threw out...
How Local Bank Failures Crippled Georgia Economy
Mar 19 2014 // Georgia homebuilder Blankenship Homes lost its source of loans for new construction after four local community banks failed since 2009. “The economy just shut down,” said owner Johnny Blankenship, 54, a builder...
Ford, Chamber Seek Trial Transcripts in Garlock Asbestos Recovery
Mar 19 2014 // Ford Motor Co. joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in seeking transcripts of a trial in which a bankruptcy judge ruled the “impropriety of some law firms” representing asbestos personal-injury plaintiffs led to...
