Economy News

AIG Debt Sale Shows Insurer Still Under Pressure

AIG may be getting healthier, but it hasn’t fully recovered. When AIG sold $2 billion of debt on Tuesday, it had to offer fat interest payments to investors. The extra yield it paid over Treasuries, a measure of how much …

Zurich in Alliance with Italy’s SACE to Promote Global Surety Business

Zurich North America announced from its Illinois headquarters that its International Surety, Credit & Political Risk group has executed an alliance agreement with SACE, Italy’s insurance and financial group controlled by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance. ‘The agreement …

Northern Europe Counts Costs of Early Winter Weather

Heavy snow caused travel chaos across much of northern Europe on Thursday, keeping London’s Gatwick airport closed for a second day and disrupting road and rail travel in France, Germany and Switzerland. Days of sub-zero temperatures and snow in Britain, …

RLI Creates New Professional Services Group

RLI Corp. has created a new Professional Services Group to expand its capabilities within the professional services market. The new group, formed by a merger of three existing products, will offer a portfolio of solutions to serve the growing number …

How BP’s Gulf Oil Disaster Costs Could Double

Analysts’ dividend forecasts point to steady recovery BP, analysts, may be underestimating legal charges BP has history of low-balling long-term cost of disasters “Gross negligence,” punitive damages not ruled out Analysis shows how $50 billion could be added to cost …

Best Affirms ‘A’ Ratings of NIPPONKOA Insurance Company

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a+” of Japan’s NIPPONKOA Insurance Company Ltd, both with stable outlooks. “The ratings reflect Nipponkoa’s strong capitalization and strengthening of its business profile,” …

France, Germany Say Euro Saved; Investors Remain Skeptical

Germany and France declared on Monday that Europe had taken decisive action to save the euro by rescuing Ireland and laying the foundations of a permanent debt resolution system, but investors were not convinced. Under pressure to arrest the threat …

The Time is Not Right to Drop Real Estate Professionals E&O

The ongoing downturn in the real estate market is forcing many professionals to make tough choices on where to trim expenses. While during a hot real estate market realtors would not consider dropping their errors and omissions (E&O) coverage, when …

Is Gas Drilling Causing West Virginia Earthquakes?

Officials say there’s no clear explanation for what may have prompted several earthquakes near Frametown earlier this year. Some have speculated that the cluster of small earthquakes was linked to local gas drilling. Delegate Brent Boggs, D-Braxton, was sitting at …

Gov.-Elect Kasich Names Sen. Buehrer to Head Ohio Workers’ Comp Bureau

Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich named Senator Steve Buehrer as administrator of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Buehrer, a Republican from Delta, becomes the fourth agency director of the Kasich Administration. Buehrer has been in the Senate since 2007. He previously …