Business Insurance articles from March 2003

Business Insurance archives from March 2003

M&A accounting rule leaves questions unanswered.(Agent/Broker Topics)
March 3, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD When the Financial Accounting Standards Board first issued new accounting rules in 2001 that regulate how companies should account for mergers and acquisitions, much of the attention focused on Financial Accounting...

Getting out while the getting is still good; M&A continuing, but some say insurance rates and profit margins appear to have peaked.(Agent/Broker Topics)
March 3, 2003... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Flattening insurance pricing, slow internal growth by brokers and the continuing expansion into the insurance industry by banks are expected to fuel producer mergers and acquisitions throughout 2003 and possibly...

A/BT Perspective: Buyers have much to consider in agency acquisitions.(Agent/Broker Topics)
March 3, 2003... Byline: Steven S. Wevodau If you're the least bit intrigued by the current merger and acquisition market, you may also be curious about what buyers are looking for in an acquisition target. The first thing to understand is that there...

Few likely to opt for Cal-COBRA; Program may see pre-emption.(News)(California law provides workers with up to 36 mos of COBRA coverage)
March 3, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD SACRAMENTO, Calif.-California employers with insured health plans are likely to see a discernible, if small, increase in their health care premiums beginning in 2005, as a result of a state law that extends coverage...

Late News.(Kemper Insurance Cos to sell surety renwal rights; Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. completes IPO; Bayer AG settling Baycol claims)
March 3, 2003... House panel to vote on 401(k) reform bill The House Education and the Workforce Committee is expected this week to approve legislation that would allow 401(k) and other defined contribution plan participants to sell company stock...

High court hears docs' RICO case; Wide implications seen for ruling on scope of employer arbitration agreements.(News)(PacifiCare Health Systems Inc. et al. vs. Book et al.)
March 3, 2003... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court will further define the limits of employment arbitration agreements as it decides a case pitting physicians against managed care organizations. And although the case involves the...

Errors & omissions.(Correction Notice)
March 3, 2003... * Due to incorrect information supplied to Business Insurance, the ZIP code for Bickmore Risk Services in the Feb. 17 ranking of independent U.S. risk management consultants was incorrect. Bickmore Risk Services is at 1020 19th St., Suite 200,...

Editorial: Nightclub scrutiny a necessary cost.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 3, 2003... At a time when so much attention is focused on the risks of war and terrorism, two recent nightclub tragedies remind us not to lose sight of the need to also manage some basic risks that can be just as deadly. For the majority of nightclubs...

Legal Briefs: Court OKs limit on LTD mental health benefits.(Perspectives)(Supreme Court of Minnesota)
March 3, 2003... A county's disability benefits plan that limited benefits for disability due to mental illness but did not similarly limit benefits for physical disability did not violate federal or state equal-protection guarantees, according to the Supreme...

Comings & Goings.(News)(Selective Insurance Group Inc., ACE USA, others)
March 3, 2003... Insurers Branchville, N.J.-based Selective Insurance Group Inc. has made several senior executive promotions: * Dale A. Thatcher has been promoted to executive vp and chief financial officer from senior vp and CFO. * Ronald J....

Between the Lines; It's only funny until somebody loses a job.(News)(brief items)
March 3, 2003... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik Members of the Colorado Legislature, playing a prank on new Insurance Commissioner Doug Dean, who is the former House speaker, nearly eliminated the state Division of Insurance. Lawmakers unanimously voted...

Exxon Mobil self-insured for fire at fuel terminal.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD and SARAH VEYSEY NEW YORK-Cleanup is underway at an Exxon Mobil Corp. fuel terminal that was heavily damaged by a deadly fire late last month. Two employees of Bouchard Transportation Co. and an Exxon Mobil...

Rate hikes boost revenues, profits; When rates slow, will growth stop?(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS A heavy dose of premium rate hikes, coupled with acquisitions and new business development, produced impressive top- and bottom-line growth at the world's largest publicly held brokers in 2002. All of the brokers...

Insurers can seek recision of film finance cover: Court; Suit charges that broker misrepresented risks.(International)
March 3, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD LONDON-The United Kingdom's highest court has cleared the way for a trial to determine whether several insurers must cover millions of dollars in loan losses suffered by JPMorgan Chase Bank in a series of disastrous...

Labor Dept. expected to OK ADM benefits captive plan.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Labor this week is expected to formally propose that agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland Co. be allowed to use its captive to reinsure group life insurance benefits. When the...

Equitime remains on hold; RRG seeking government-backed reinsurance.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: GAVIN SOUTER NEW YORK-Equitime, the risk retention group formed to cover airline terror risks, is currently in a holding pattern while its organizers work to find a government-backed reinsurance program to support the facility, one...

Editorial: Don't offer what you can't afford.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 3, 2003... Barring an unforeseen, last-minute development, tens of thousands of Bethlehem Steel Corp. retirees will lose their retiree health care benefits at the end of the month, when their bankrupt former employer terminates coverage. The...

Firm urges change in method of calculating prices of drugs; Consultant says federal limits should determine costs.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL PRINCE NEW YORK-A benefit consulting firm is working to help a group of employers reap savings in their drug benefit plans by changing the method used in calculating drug prices. If the change is implemented, the...

U.K. pension conversions expected; Closing defined benefit plans called unlikely to bring needed cost cuts.(International)
March 3, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY While many U.K. employers have sought to stem their pension liabilities by closing their defined benefit pension plans to new entrants, this alone may not be enough to sufficiently lower their pension costs. ...

Facts can free us from our fear.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: Paul Winston In a time when we are reminded almost daily of the threat of terrorism-not by devastating acts of terrorism themselves, but by our memories of Sept. 11, the anthrax scare and persistent government warnings to be...

Regulators block sale of Gerling reinsurance operation.(International)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... Byline: Sarah Veysey BONN, Germany-The proposed sale of Cologne, Germany-based Gerling Global Re to a runoff company has been blocked by the German financial supervisory regulator. The troubled Gerling Group had planned to sell its...

World Updates.(International)
March 3, 2003... Swiss Re expects loss for 2002 Swiss Reinsurance Co. says it expects to report a loss of 100 million Swiss francs ($64.2 million) for 2002 when it announces its annual results next month. Swiss Re blamed poor investment returns for the dip...

For The Record.(Briefs)
March 3, 2003... Annuity & Life Re to cease writing new business Annuity & Life Re (Holdings) Ltd. expects to report a ``significant'' loss for 2002 and will stop writing new business. The unspecified loss stems largely from increased claims due to a...

Terror act deemed inadequate; TRIA leaves problems unsolved, study says.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: MEG FLETCHER The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 has done little to solve the problems that businesses and insurers face in dealing with terrorism risk, according a study released last week by Conning Research & Consulting...

D&O rates likely to stay high; ABA Insurance Risk Management Annual Conference & Meetings.(News)(Panel Discussion)
March 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-With securities litigation being a major driver of directors and officers insurance rates, the near-term outlook isn't good for D&O buyers, according to one panel of experts. ``Statistically,...

Investment analysts predict more P/C price hikes; ABA Insurance Risk Management Annual Conference & Meetings.(News)
March 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-While buyers may be hoping the hard market comes to an end soon, property/casualty insurance pricing needs to remain firm for several more years, according to investment analysts. ``I think...

Over 200 attend ABA's conference.(News)(Brief Article)
March 3, 2003... ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-The American Bankers Assn.'s 2003 Insurance Risk Management Conference & Meetings drew more than 200 attendees to St. Petersburg, Fla., Feb. 2-5. The theme of this year's gathering was ``Succeeding in Uncertain...

Rate hikes slowing for property risks; ABA Insurance Risk Management Annual Conference.(News)(Panel Discussion)
March 3, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-Property insurance markets may be stabilizing ahead of casualty markets, but buyers of property coverage still face a market environment that requires hard work to get the best price and capacity....

Campaign targets teens as future market; Progressive wants 15- to 17-year-olds to remember auto insurer when they're in their 20s.(Agent/Broker Topics)
March 3, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Insurance to guard against pimples? Progressive Corp. isn't actually selling pimple insurance, but it's using the concept to plant the Progressive name in teen-age minds so the young consumers will remember the...

Prevent mold problems before they start.(Perspectives)
March 3, 2003... Byline: Sharon M. Stecker and Eric Harrison Toxic mold claims have become a major workplace issue. Corporate insurance and risk managers are well advised, therefore, to take protective measures against mold infestation. The following...

Late News.(brief items)
March 10, 2003... PBGC to take over WHX pension plan The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. said it would terminate a plan sponsored by New York-based WHX Corp. The plan covers employees and retirees of two subsidiaries-bankrupt steel manufacturer Wheeling...

Calls for consensus on asbestos praised.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is urging all sides in the debate over asbestos liability reform to strive for consensus. ``I want everyone to know that I intend to make every effort to...

World Updates.(International)(briefs )
March 10, 2003... Royal & SunAlliance's net loss widens Royal & SunAlliance Insurance Group P.L.C. posted a u940 million ($1.51 billion) loss for 2002, compared with a u889 million ($1.29 billion) loss in 2001. London-based RSA attributed the results, in...

Cost containment worries widespread.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Amid more cost-shifting to employees, most employers doubt that they can do much to bring health care costs under control, according to a new survey. A whopping 83% of employers are increasing employees'...

Vermont sees record year for captive formations; Growth keeping regulators, captive managers busy.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS MONTPELIER, Vt.-With 2002's record number of Vermont captive formations eclipsing a mark that stood for 15 years, an active first quarter suggests the new record might be short-lived. Vermont licensed 70 new...

Tax regulations slow growth from Japanese captives.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD SINGAPORE-Singapore's political and regulatory stability are helping it to maintain steady growth as a captive domicile. Those factors helped attract seven new captives to Singapore last year, while five were...

Medical malpractice captives aid Cayman growth.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK GRAND CAYMAN, B.W.I.-The hard commercial insurance market, especially for medical malpractice coverage, has given the Cayman Islands' captive market a real shot in the arm. Cayman managers formed 97 captives in...

Captive count stable, but premium volume rising.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY DUBLIN, Ireland-Despite the hard insurance market, the number of captives in Dublin remained steady at 181 during 2002, but the volume of business they are writing is increasing, captive managers say. Clients are...

Products & Services; CD-ROM disaster recovery directory now available.(Briefs)
March 10, 2003... NEWTON, Mass.-The 2003 Disaster Recovery Yellow Pages are now available on CD-ROM. The CD version of the 350-page sourcebook is designed to help users locate recovery services throughout the United States and Canada. It contains more than...

New enthusiasm for captives; Hard insurance market driving buyers to alternatives.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL Soaring prices and diminished coverage in the commercial property/ casualty insurance marketplace are fueling an unprecedented level of captive insurer activity. Last year, a record 455 captives were formed around...

Some British Virgin Islands captives draw IRS heat.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands-The British Virgin Islands' captive industry continued to expand last year despite a potential threat to one of its primary sources of new business. The U.S. Internal Revenue...

Seeing red over little annoyances.(Commentary)
March 10, 2003... Byline: Rodd Zolkos There's a lot of scary stuff out there these days. Meanwhile, our efforts to deal with some of those risks are creating the inevitable unintended consequences, some annoying, some perplexing, some even amusing. ...

Active captives on rise in Barbados.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-A tighter commercial insurance market helped the slow, steady growth of Barbados' captive industry last year, and captive managers expect more of the same this year. Barbados added 11 new...

Bermuda sees formations dip despite busy 2002.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD Increased captive activity in Bermuda is a clear reflection of an unsettled insurance market. As the traditional marketplace has firmed over the past two years, captive managers in the world's leading domicile...

Guernsey captives' business volume increasing; PCCs and conventional captives taking on new risks.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY ST. PETER PORT, Guernsey-The Channel Island of Guernsey had a busy year last year. Not only did the domicile adopt two new insurance laws in November 2002, but the number of captives managed there also increased to...

Turks & Caicos reorganizes regulatory structure.(Spotlight)
March 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD GRAND TURK, Turks & Caicos Islands-The Turks & Caicos Islands saw further growth in its captive insurance sector last year as the government revamped its regulatory structure, the islands' insurance regulator...

Coverage options limited for D&O liability risks; Business Insurance Executive Forum.(News)(Panel Discussion)
March 10, 2003... Byline: GAVIN SOUTER NEW YORK-Directors and officers liability policyholders seeing steep premium increases have few options in the alternative market. Few alternatives offer coverage that is comparable to commercial D&O insurance, and...

D&O risks spur policy changes; Business Insurance Executive Forum.(News)(Panel Discussion)
March 10, 2003... Byline: GAVIN SOUTER NEW YORK-The business environment for directors and officers liability policyholders and their insurers continues to undergo dramatic changes. Higher litigation expenses, increased settlement amounts, the slumping...

Willis found liable to AIG in film case; Broker ordered to pay millions.(International)
March 10, 2003... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LONDON-Willis Group Ltd. is considering an appeal of a court ruling that it owes tens of millions of dollars to a unit of American International Group Inc. for problems in the insurer's reinsurance program. The...

Guaranty fund loses ruling; Judge OKs policyholder's bid to recover defense costs.(International)
March 10, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-A corporate policyholder of defunct insurer Independent Insurance Co. Ltd. is entitled to compensation for its defense costs from the United Kingdom's guaranty fund, a London judge has ruled. Although the...

Racketeering alleged in MEWA collapse; Trustee sues former operators, agents.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD RENO, Nev.-The court-appointed trustee for an allegedly fraudulent group health insurance program has filed racketeering charges against the program's former operators and negligence charges against 400 agents and...

Approval came with conditions.(News)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Byline: Jerry Geisel WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Labor's proposed approval of Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s plan to use its captive to reinsure group life insurance benefits could pave the way for other employers to do the same. ...

Editorial: Captives are here to stay.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 10, 2003... IF EVER THERE WERE a perfect example of the value of foresight, the development of the alternative risk financing market is it. As difficult as conditions now are for many buyers of commercial insurance, their situation would be immensely...

US Airways obtains court OK to terminate pilots' pensions.(News)(Brief Article)
March 10, 2003... Byline: Jerry Geisel ALEXANDRIA, Va.-A federal bankruptcy court judge has approved the termination of the US Airways Inc. pilots' pension plan, bringing termination of the massively underfunded plan one step closer. Judge Stephen...

Two U.S. brokers honored for commitment to Lloyd's.(International)
March 10, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Lloyd's of London is honoring two U.S. brokers for their commitment and contributions to the more than 300-year-old insurance market. Lloyd's chairman Peter Levene, Lord Levene of Portsoken, presented the...

Malpractice reform near a House vote; Partisan finger-pointing mars debate.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN WASHINGTON-The House of Representatives could vote on medical malpractice liability reform legislation this week following approval of a White House-backed bill by two committees. Both the House Judiciary...

Editorial: Time to act on asbestos.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 10, 2003... SEN. ORRIN HATCH'S call for all interested to work out an agreement on how best to implement asbestos litigation reform-and to do so within days-could not come at a better time. That's because there is a growing consensus that the current...

Soldier took aim at fear mongering.(News)(Interview)
March 10, 2003... Byline: Paul Winston A week ago, I wrote about a retired soldier who wrote a paper in 2001 on nuclear, biological and chemical weapons in an effort to give people a more realistic basis for assessing these threats from terrorists. As...

Fraud a costly component of health care expenses.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK Health insurance claims fraud is reaching epidemic proportions, according to insurers and employers. But stopping or even just slowing its spread has been difficult in an environment in which one in 10 people...

Kemper selloff continues; Company intends to exit underwriting completely.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD LONG GROVE, Ill.-Kemper Insurance Cos. long run as a leading insurer of workers compensation and other property/casualty risks for businesses is nearing an end. The company, which traces its origins to the 1912...

Benefits in captives sanctioned; ADM plan gets tentative OK.(News)
March 10, 2003... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-The Labor Department's proposed approval of Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s plan to use its captive to reinsure group life insurance benefits opens the door wide for other employers to do the same. Last...

Legion policyholders suing to recover from reinsurers.(News)(Legion Insurance Co.)
March 10, 2003... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD HARRISBURG, Pa.-Several large corporate policyholders of Legion Insurance Co., including American Airlines Inc., are seeking a court's permission to obtain direct payment of their claims from Legion's reinsurers. ...

Regs make U.K.-parented captives feel right at home.(Spotlight)(Isle of Man)
March 10, 2003... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED DOUGLAS, Isle of Man-As the hard insurance market deepens, captives are coming into their own again, Isle of Man managers agree. While the total number of captives registered in the Isle of Man increased by only...

Managers settle in to enjoy soaring premium volume.(Spotlight)(captive insurance in Hawaii)
March 10, 2003... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS HONOLULU-Hawaii's captive industry continues to steadily expand, adding new facilities and managers. Hawaii added 14 captives last year to its count of licensed facilities, raising the domicile's 2002 year-end...

Duchy hopeful tax changes will promote growth.(Spotlight)(Luxembourg)
March 10, 2003... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LUXEMBOURG-Although tough insurance market conditions in Europe have not generated captive growth in Luxembourg, the domicile is hopeful that tax changes and a recent court ruling could spur new interest from French...

Guidelines for submitting Perspectives articles to BI.(Perspectives)
March 17, 2003... Business Insurance accepts articles from experts in commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits management for publication in its Perspectives section. The section is intended to be a forum for readers' opinions as well as...

M&A accounting rule leaves questions unanswered.(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD When the Financial Accounting Standards Board first issued new accounting rules in 2001 that regulate how companies should account for mergers and acquisitions, much of the attention focused on Financial Accounting...

Jury still out on consumer-driven health care plans; Employers slow to adopt plans that make employees more accountable.(News)
March 17, 2003... Byline: LAURA B. BENKO Logan Aluminum wasn't about to wait for the health care system to fix itself. Faced with skyrocketing insurance premiums, the Russellville, Ky.-based sheet metal manufacturer decided to replace its preferred...

Legal Briefs; Termination of comp benefit ruled constitutional.(Perspectives)
March 17, 2003... Did a Kentucky statute requiring termination of workers compensation benefits upon the date a claimant qualified for Social Security retirement benefits violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution? The Supreme Court of Kentucky...

Claims handling clarified for La. pollution exclusions.(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD BATON ROUGE, La.-Louisiana insurers have a clearer idea of how to handle claims related to absolute pollution exclusions in commercial policies after the state's Insurance Department clarified those procedures. ...

Book Review: Book provides artful discussion of self-insurance.(Perspectives)
March 17, 2003... Byline: Michael Bradford ``The Art of Self-Insurance'' By David A. North and Catherine D. Bennett Published by Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. Free to risk managers and financial officers. Requests from others are...

Should the potential buyers beware?(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS With concerns such as reserving challenges, ratings issues and a difficult investment environment driving many insurance companies to tighten their focus on core elements of their business, opportunities exist for...

Between the Lines; Chipping in.(News)
March 17, 2003... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik German insurer Gerling Group, which recently pumped u200 million ($220.4 million) into its beleaguered reinsurance unit, might have another source of cash: money loaned to a U.K. soccer club. In 2001, the...

Editorial: Claims fraud inflates cost of health care for all.(Opinions)(Editorial)
March 17, 2003... AT A TIME when employers and insurers are struggling to rein in health care cost increases, evidence of mounting medical claims fraud and overbilling is troubling indeed. As Business Insurance reported on page 1 of its March 10 issue,...

Lloyd's not pursuing captive formations; Its sole captive in runoff, the market is losing business to other domiciles.(International)
March 17, 2003... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-At a time when many domiciles are reporting surging interest in captives, Lloyd's of London has said it is not actively seeking new captive companies. ``We remain open for captive business; however, we are...

Captive sponsors face host of issues in picking domicile.(News)
March 17, 2003... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS and MICHAEL BRADFORD Many captive insurance company managers say that cost is rarely the determining factor in a U.S. parent company's decision to locate its captive on or offshore. Still, a highly unscientific...

Comings & Goings.(News; hirings and appointments)
March 17, 2003... Insurers: Charles H. Dangelo, president of AIG Risk Management Inc., American International Group Inc.'s domestic risk management unit, has been selected to head the newly formed AIG Global Risk Management. AIG established the unit to...

Editorial: New safety focus sensible.(Opinions)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 17, 2003... WE'VE CERTAINLY HAD our disagreements with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the past, most vehemently over a controversial-and ultimately ill-fated-attempt to impose an inflexible and scientifically questionable workplace...

NAIC stir over AHP testimony.(News; National Association of Insurance Commissioners; association health plans)
March 17, 2003... Byline: MEG FLETCHER ATLANTA-The National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners is reaffirming its opposition to association health plans, in the wake of recent testimony by a state regulator before Congress that some say undermines the...

Perspective: Workplace diversity a competitive advantage.(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... Byline: Roderick Hudson Providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds in the workplace is not just the right thing to do-it's the smart thing to do to gain a competitive advantage in the insurance industry. Recent government...

Tort reform foe's argument hides system's real costs.(Perspectives)(Column)
March 17, 2003... Byline: Debra T. Ballen Like a broken clock that is accidentally right, Jackson Williams correctly says the asbestos tort system is broken in his Feb. 24 Perspective, ``Tort Liability Needed for its Deterrent Effect.'' He is wrong, though,...

Errors & omissions.(Corrections)
March 17, 2003... * Due to an editing error, a March 10 story on Kemper Insurance Cos. contained conflicting information. Liabilities associated with Kemper's writings will remain with the original company, a spokeswoman said. In addition, remarks attributed to...

Auto insurer targets teen-agers as a future market.(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Insurance to guard against pimples? Progressive Corp. isn't actually selling pimple insurance, but it's using the concept to plant the Progressive name in teen-age minds so the young consumers will remember the...

IT Briefs; Fitch consulting unit launches new service.(Insurer Topics)
March 17, 2003... GREENWICH, Conn.-Fitch Risk Advisory has launched NetRisk Insurance Services, a specialty consulting practice providing advisory support in the design, pricing, underwriting and claims adjustment of insurance policies written on financial...