Latest Washington Headlines

All the headlines from our Washington Topic Page, ordered by recency.

World’s Financial Sector Facing ‘Hornet’s Nest’ of Political Risk

Apr 24 2009 // Oh, for the days when a little irrational exuberance was the biggest problem facing the world’s bankers and financiers. It is way beyond that now. With the financial world mired in a stubborn credit crisis and the...

Washington Reducing Agent Fingerprint Fee

Apr 24 2009 // Washington’s Office of Insurance Commissioner has announced that the fingerprint fee for resident insurance agents and brokers will be reduced to $45.25 beginning July 1, 2009. For non-resident applicants, the...

Washington Implements Flood Insurance Coverage Law

Apr 20 2009 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has signed Senate Bill 5417, an act relating to flood insurance coverage. According to the law, “every insurer issuing a homeowner, condominium unit owner, residential tenant and...

U.S. Judge Halts Washington Mutual Fraud Lawsuit

Apr 7 2009 // A federal judge on Monday halted a consumer class-action fraud lawsuit against Washington Mutual Inc, saying it may be more appropriate for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp to handle claims against the failed savings and...

Farmers Insurance Washington Promotes Bithell to VP

Apr 6 2009 // Farmers Insurance has appointed Susan Bithell, formerly Farmers Washington State executive director, to vice president of field operations in Washington. Bithell began her career with Farmers in 1983 as an auto underwriter...

Army Soldier Sues University of Washington for Discrimination

Apr 6 2009 // An U.S. Army reservist is suing the University of Washington, accusing the institution of harassment and discrimination for serving in the Iraq war. A report on seattlepi.com says that Army Reserve Lt. Col. James Lukehart...

An Awakened Washington Promises More Stress for Directors & Officers

Apr 6 2009 // Corporate Leaders Brace For Fallout From Heightened Regulation, Even Corrupt Foreign Practices Corporations and their directors and officers are living in fear. Fear of the next financial scandal, the next stock market...

Washington Implements Flood Insurance Coverage Law

Mar 27 2009 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire has Senate Bill 5417, an act relating to flood insurance coverage. According to the law, “every insurer issuing a homeowner, condominium unit owner, residential tenant and residential...

Obama Plan Would Tighten Regulation of Large Financial Firms

Mar 27 2009 // Wall Street faces curbs on risk taking and the prospect of lower profits under sweeping U.S. proposals to prevent a repeat of the credit crisis. The Obama administration’s plan to rewrite financial rules, announced...

Washington Pay As You Drive Insurance Proposal Passes First Hurdle

Mar 13 2009 // Pay-as-you-drive legislation in Washington that proposes drivers should be able to pay insurance premiums based in part on the miles driven per year, was passed bythe Washington Senate by a 32-15 vote. Senate Bill 5708,...

Washington Bill Would Return Workers’ Comp Premiums Back To Employers

Mar 13 2009 // The Washington Senate has approved a bill that would return some workers’ compensation insurance premiums back to employers who improve their safety records. Senate Bill 6035, which passed by a 25-24 vote, indicates...

Low Settlements Top Washington Insurance Complaints

Mar 11 2009 // The top three reasons Washington consumers filed formal complaints against their insurance companies in 2008 were unsatisfactory settlement offers, claims denials, and delays, according to state’s Insurance...

Washington Insurance Commissioner Announces Legislative Priorities

Mar 2 2009 // Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has published his legislative priorities for the 2009 session. One of his top priorities “is protecting consumers in the event of an emergency,” he noted on his...

Washington Considers Pay-As-You-Drive

Feb 22 2009 // Washington is the latest state that is considering implementing a pay-as-you-drive system, in which drivers would pay insurance premiums based in part on the miles driven per year. Senate Bill 5708, sponsored by Sen....

Washington Senate Democrats Want More Transparency in Rebates

Feb 18 2009 // Senate Democrats proposed increasing oversight of a Washington State business insurance rebate program, citing rebate overpayments of at least $150 million. Last week, the state Department of Labor & Industries...

Wash. Gov Wants December Storm Help for 33 Counties

Feb 13 2009 // Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire wants 33 counties to be declared disaster areas so that residents and business owners can get assistance to repair damage from December snow and storms. Preliminary state and federal damage...

Change and Protect

Feb 8 2009 // Change is coming to Washington and to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, but hopefully it’s change that will protect the status quo when it comes to insurance regulation. Last spring, the editors at...

Washington Considers Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance

Feb 6 2009 // Washington is the lastest state that is considering implementing pay-as-you-drive legislation, in which drivers would pay insurance premiums based in part on the miles driven per year. Senate Bill 5708, sponsored by Sen....

Earthquake Reveals Cracks in Washington Alert System

Feb 4 2009 // When an earthquake larger than magnitude 3 strikes the Northwest, an automated system is supposed to page University of Washington seismologists and notify emergency managers. But that’s not what happened on Jan. 30,...

Stout Named Vice President at Lockton in D.C.

Jan 27 2009 // Insurance Broker The Lockton Cos. has named Jania Stout as vice President in Washington, D.C. The Baltimore native brings to Lockton a successful track record of business development and relationship management in...