Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
La Nina Exits As Expected; El Nino Fate Uncertain
May 9 2012 // The U.S. Climate Prediction Center (CPC) said the La Nina pattern blamed for a crippling drought in Texas and severe dry spells in South America has vanished as expected and is unlikely to reappear later this year. U.S....
Future Vision: Will Driving Become Too Safe to Insure?
May 8 2012 // What would happen to the auto insurance industry if automobile safety improves to the point that vehicle collisions become relics of the past? That’s the question explored by global consulting and research firm,...
Oklahoma Insurance Agent Headed to Prison for not Filing Tax Returns
May 8 2012 // An Oklahoma insurance agent has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for not filing his federal income tax returns. Barry G. Brockman of Oklahoma City was sentenced for not filing tax returns for the calendar...
Young Drivers Know Risks But Text Anyway: Survey
May 8 2012 // Most young American drivers agree that it is dangerous to text while driving, but nearly a third admit they do it anyway, a survey by Consumer Reports shows. While eight in 10 said they knew of the risks, about 29 percent...
Blue Cross Fights North Carolina Claim It Blocks Competition
May 8 2012 // North Carolina’s Blue Cross plan and the national Blue Cross licensing organization asked a federal court to reject a lawsuit claiming the company’s network of insurance plans across the country are limiting...
Investor Protest Votes on Executive Pay Here to Stay
May 8 2012 // Company directors will remain under pressure from shareholders over executive pay long after the market downturn ends and lawmakers stop the heckling that has helped prompt votes against remuneration policies at this...
Traffic Deaths At Record Low in U.S. in 2011
May 8 2012 // Traffic fatalities on U.S. roads in 2011 fell to their lowest level since federal safety regulators started counting in 1949, the regulators said on Monday. Preliminary data estimates that 32,310 people died in motor...
Stock Sale Lowers U.S. Stake in AIG to 61%
May 8 2012 // The U.S. Treasury on Monday said it is trimming its ownership stake in American International Group Inc. to 61 percent from 70 percent by selling more shares of the insurer’s common stock. The U.S. government said it...
U.S. Treasury Could See $15 Billion Profit from AIG Bailout: GAO
May 8 2012 // U.S. taxpayers could see a profit from the 2008 bailout of American International Group Inc. (AIG), according to a Congressional report. “When all the assistance is considered, the amount the federal government...
Job Disability Rolls Rise During Recession
May 7 2012 // Monica Soltes was excited 10 years ago to leave Merrill Lynch and start her own business as an independent financial planner in San Diego. After she fell off a porch at her cousin’s cottage and broke her elbow, her...
Treasury to Sell More AIG Shares for $5 Billion
May 7 2012 // The U.S. Treasury has agreed to cut its ownership stake in American International Group Inc. to 63 percent by selling 163.9 million shares for approximately $5 billion, with the insurer agreeing to buy back about $2...
Swiss Re in New $400 Million Nat Cat Bond for Europe, U.S. Wind Risks
May 7 2012 // Swiss Re Ltd. Announced that it has secured $400 million in natural catastrophe coverage through a newly-formed issuer Mythen Ltd., which it described as a “flexible program that allows Swiss Re to cede wind risks in...
Shrimp Processors Object to BP Oil Spill Settlement
May 7 2012 // Shrimp processors have asked a federal judge to delay preliminary approval of BP Plc’s proposed settlement of economic damage claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, arguing that it is unfair to parts of the...
U.S. Tells Industry to Further Test Safety of Nanotechnology Products
May 7 2012 // U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies to further study the safety of these particles. The U.S. Food and...
BP Proposes Gulf Oil Spill Claims Settlement
May 7 2012 // BP Plc reached settlements on April 18 to resolve billions of dollars of claims from the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and asked a U.S. judge for a long delay in any trial over remaining disputes stemming from the...
Insurance Jobs Outlook: Getting Better, Region by Region
May 7 2012 // The property/casualty insurance jobs outlook is slowly, gradually getting better – or at least not getting worse. A growing number of insurance businesses are hiring more workers this year. Meanwhile, many others are...
Oil, Economy Fuel Insurance Hiring in Texas
May 7 2012 // Job Outlook Across the nation, employment levels in insurance agencies and brokerages declined at a faster rate than the overall U.S. employment level since the recession began in 2007. The good news: Some independent...
U.S. Tells Industry to Further Test Safety of Nanotechnology Products
May 7 2012 // U.S. health regulators said consumer products that use nanotechnology may have unknown effects on the human body, and advised food and cosmetic companies to further study the safety of these tiny particles. The U.S. Food...
CEOs Remain Bullish on Firming Rates
May 7 2012 // The 2012 first-quarter corporate earnings season is in a full swing — and that gives us a valuable opportunity to listen to top insurance CEOs and their perspective on pricing. The Travelers Companies CEO Jay Fishman...
Best Affirms, Upgrades SCOR’s No. American Subs Ratings; Outlook Stable
May 4 2012 // Following its rating actions on the parent company, France’s SCOR SE, A.M. Best has upgraded the issuer credit ratings (ICR) to “a+” from “a” and affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR)...
