Latest USA Headlines
All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.
U.S. Financial Product Safety Commission Proposal Still on Table
May 20 2009 // The Obama administration is studying a long-discussed proposal to create a U.S. agency that would protect consumers who buy financial products, possibly as part of a major package of reforms, congressional aides said on...
Ratings Recap: Echelon, Calabash Re III
May 20 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘B++’ (Good) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “bbb+” of Canada’s Echelon General Insurance Company. Best also affirmed the ICR of...
Cunningham Lindsey U.S. CEO: Market Conditions Not Slowing Growth
May 20 2009 // With its acquisition in early 2009 of the international business of GAB Robins (excluding its UK operations) and the U.S. forensic engineering firm, EFI Global, Cunningham Lindsey became the second largest property...
Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Sarbanes-Oxley
May 19 2009 // The Supreme Court said Monday it would decide a constitutional challenge to the 2002 law that created a national board to oversee U.S. public company auditors. The justices agreed to review a ruling by a U.S. appeals court...
The Hartford’s Wolin Confirmed as U.S. Treasury Deputy Secretary
May 19 2009 // Neal S. Wolin has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In February, Wolin was named deputy assistant to the President and deputy counsel to the...
AIG Launches IPO Process for Asian ‘Crown Jewel’
May 18 2009 // American International Group said it would accelerate plans to separate its Asian subsidiary through an initial public offering as the bailed-out U.S. insurer seeks to raise cash and list the unit as soon as possible. The...
Some Insurers Including Allstate Might Not Need Federal Funds
May 18 2009 // Government approval for billions of dollars in taxpayer bailout funds for life insurers is dividing the industry into haves and have-nots, with Ameriprise Financial Incand possibly others rejecting the government’s...
Report Analyzes Threat to U.S. Coastlines
May 18 2009 // Lloyd’s of London has issued a summary of a report – “Resilient Coasts: a Blueprint for Action” – originally prepared by the Heinz Center and Ceres, which analyzes the threat to U.S....
Int’l. Maritime Organization Questions Arming Ships to Fight Pirates
May 18 2009 // Proposals to arm sailors on commercial shipping vessels to battle pirates could lead to an “arms race” on the high seas, a senior maritime official said on Monday. Some shipping companies want their crews to...
Best Affirms AXA (US) ‘A-‘ Ratings
May 15 2009 // A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a-” of New York-based AXA Insurance Company, both with stable outlooks. Best...
Hartford, Prudential Among Life Insurers Approved for Treasury Funds
May 15 2009 // At least four U.S. insurers won approval on Thursday to raise billions of dollars through the government’s bank bailout plan, the U.S. Treasury Department said. Hartford Financial , the No. 4 U.S. insurer and beset...
Tank in Blast That Killed 3 Not Inspected for More Than 10 Years
May 15 2009 // Three men killed when an empty gasoline storage tank exploded in north Arkansas likely died from the impact of the blast, a coroner said. Federal safety officials have begun an investigation into the blast at the TEPPCO...
Report: Process for AIG Asian IPO to Start Soon
May 14 2009 // AIG is expected to soon begin the process of launching the initial public offering of its largest Asian subsidiary, according to sources familiar with the matter, in what could be one of the largest Asian IPOs to hit the...
CSU’s Gray May Reduce Atlantic Storm Outlook
May 14 2009 // Colorado State University hurricane forecaster Bill Gray said Wednesday he may reduce his next Atlantic season forecast because sea temperatures are cooling and a weak El Nino may appear by late summer. “Things are...
U.S. Hurricane Center Applying Storm Surge, Other Lessons Learned
May 14 2009 // Tropical storms are unpredictable, but as the National Hurricane Center’s director contemplates ways to improve forecasting errors and communicating with the public, he is confident he has an ally at the Federal...
U.S. Chamber Questions Lack of Due Process in EU Antitrust Decisions
May 14 2009 // The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has issued a bulletin which raises its “concerns that the European Commission’s levy of a record setting antitrust fine against Intel is part of a larger, troubling...
Top 100 Profile: Locked into the Customer at No. 1 Lockton
May 14 2009 // As Insurance Journal prepares for another Top 100 Independent Property/Casualty Agency List, to be published in our Aug. 3, 2009, magazine, the editors wanted to highlight a few of the current Top 100 agencies. Throughout...
ING’s Q1 Loss Wider than Expected
May 13 2009 // Dutch banking and insurance group ING reported on Wednesday a much bigger than expected first-quarter net loss of €793 million ($1.085 billion), or 39 €-cents (53.3 U.S. cents) per share, hurt by a sharply...
New H1N1 Flu Virus Not Quite a Pandemic-Yet, Says WHO
May 12 2009 // The new H1N1 virus shows no signs of sustained person-to-person spread outside of North America and so has not yet tipped over into a pandemic, a top World Health Organization official said Monday. Dr. Keiji Fukuda, acting...
U.K.’s Marketform Group Launches Five New Classes of Business
May 12 2009 // The London-based Marketform Group Limited, a leading market for non-US medical malpractice and other specialty lines, has announced that it is now underwriting five new classes of business. Chairman Holly Bellingham...
