Business Insurance articles from March 2005

Business Insurance archives from March 2005

Sharing the intellectual wealth; To make knowledge management work, everyone needs to be involved.(Cover Focus: Knowledge Management)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Few industries gather the amount of information in the course of doing business that the insurance industry does. But collecting information isn't the same thing as applying knowledge, and that is something that...

`Significant' industry problems didn't begin with Spitzer: Hurzeler.(Feature)(Donald J. Hurzeler)(Attorney General Spitzer)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rodd Zolkos The image problem that the insurance industry is striving to overcome didn't start with recent investigations into insurance industry practices, one industry leader suggests. "We are under a big black cloud filled...

Panel shares tips for dealing with investigations.(Feature)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rupal Parekh NEW YORK-As New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer expands his probe into insurance industry practices, companies should be prepared in the event that they are the next to fall within his sights. That was the...

Sign up now for Industry Focus e-mail news alerts.(Industry News)
March 1, 2005... Business Insurance's Industry Focus now offers a free e-mail news product designed to deliver the important news readers want in more timely and tailor-made formats. The Industry Focus News Alert is a weekly e-mail for people in the...

Willis' new Kentucky unit focused on agri-business.(Industry News)(Willis Group Holdings)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK-Willis Group Holdings has formed an agri-business practice based in Lexington, Ky. The new practice includes a team of risk management and insurance professionals with extensive experience in agriculture and animal mortality...

MSLI to market AIG supplemental health products.(Industry News)(MSLI Worksite Benefits Inc)(American International Group )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK-MSLI Worksite Benefits Inc. will be an agent for the supplemental health insurance products and services of the AIG Supplemental Health Unit of American International Group Inc.'s Domestic Accident & Health Division. MSLI will...

Knowledge makes risks manageable.(Cover Focus: Knowledge Management)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Thierry Verhaegen Misjudging risk can be very costly to business. Human intuition and past experience are no longer adequate guideposts for handling new exposures. Risks are emerging at an increasing pace and across a broader...

The marriage of knowledge to business processes.(Cover Focus: Knowledge Management)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Roseanne White Geisel Amassing institutional knowledge that is not supported by the technology to take full advantage of it is like getting prescription medication and not following the instructions. The resource is there, but the...

New ISO division forms to develop analytical tools.(Insurance Services Office Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... JERSEY CITY, N.J.-The Insurance Services Office Inc. has formed an independent division to develop new analytic tools and to enhance products and services aimed at classifying and evaluating risks and detecting fraud. With offices in San...

CPCU offers leadership training class.(Industry News)(American Institute for CPCU)(Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... MALVERN, Pa.-The American Institute for CPCU and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania have developed a new program for top insurance industry executives. The Insurance Executive Leadership program is designed to meet the...

D&O underwriters should be privy to goings on in the boardroom.(Feature)(Directors & Officers)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rupal Parekh NEW YORK-Corporate governance issues should be a central concern for directors and officers liability underwriters, a panel of D&O experts say. As high-profile cases of corporate fraud have altered the standards...

Insurance executives form benefit consulting group.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... MANASQUAN, N.J.-Three insurance industry executives have formed a new employee benefits consulting group to work with physician groups and health systems in New Jersey and the Tri-State area. Louis Amato, former president and chief...

InsuranceNoodle to offer OneBeacon product line.(Industry News)(OneBeacon Insurance Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CHICAGO-InsuranceNoodle has signed an agreement with OneBeacon Insurance Group to offer OneBeacon's OnePac property/casualty program to the more than 2,400 independent commercial agencies using InsuranceNoodle's Web-based distribution platform....

Carvill study examines effects of 2004 hurricane season.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... The 2004 hurricane season will likely lead to improved modeling of hurricanes and hurricane clusters and may prompt insurers to adjust their retentions and coverage, a report concludes. The white paper, from the ReAdvisory group of...

PEOs certify work comp efforts.(Industry News)(professional employer organizations)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... ALEXANDRIA, Va.-A group of professional employer organizations is looking to build workers compensation insurers' confidence in covering workers in PEO arrangements through the certification of PEOs for demonstrating best practices in workers...

The Quote.(Industry News)
March 1, 2005... `It was always important to us that knowledge management isn't just an IT platform. The Munich Re people, they really were the assets. They're the things you try to bring together.' Karen Edwards Knowledge Management Consultant ...

NAMIC survey tracks changes to state property/casualty laws.(National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... INDIANAPOLIS-Four U.S. states were responsible for one-quarter of all changes to key state property/casualty insurance laws in 2004, according to a survey by the National Assn. of Mutual Insurance Cos. Indianapolis-based NAMIC reported that...

Talk about the weather and do something about it.(Last Word)(U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Gene Meyers According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other industry advisors, 2004's high rate of worldwide hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes will continue for the next 30 years. But an idea has...

On the Move.(Industry News)(Mercer Human Resource Consulting)(Max Re Capital Ltd.)(Brit Insurance Holdings PLC)
March 1, 2005... Dean Connor has been named president of Mercer Human Resource Consulting's U.S. operations. Mr. Connor, who previously was responsible for Mercer's Canadian operations, succeeds Karen Greenbaum, who Mercer named leader of global client...

AIR offers white paper to aid in answering Best questionnaire.(Industry News)
March 1, 2005... BOSTON-Risk modeling company AIR Worldwide Corp. has issued a white paper intended to assist U.S. insurers answering questions in the A.M. Best Co. supplemental rating questionnaire. The questionnaire requires that companies demonstrate how...

Acordia National to open branch in Las Vegas.(Industry News)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CHARLESTON, W.Va.-Acordia National, a third-party administration subsidiary of Acordia Inc., has opened a service office in Las Vegas. The new office will support Acordia offices in the company's central and west regions and a portion of...

Three Questions.(to Tommy Dietz)(Interview)
March 1, 2005... Tommy Dietz, principal at Insurance Marketing Consultants L.L.C. in Bedford Hills, N.Y., was on the agency side of the business from 1965 to 2002, where his agency was among those that early on recognized the value of a presence on the Web. His...

HR XCEL acquires Palmer & Cay unit.(Industry News)(Outsourcing Solutions Group)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Human resource outsourcing and benefits administration services provider HR XCEL L.L.C. has agreed to acquire Palmer & Cay Inc.'s Outsourcing Solutions Group. Terms of the transaction were not announced. HR XCEL assumed...

S&P sees steady decline in insurer failures.(Industry News)(Standard & Poor's Corp)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK-The number of U.S. insurance companies that failed in 2004 fell to its lowest level since 1996, according to a report from Standard & Poor's Corp. The total of 19 companies placed under regulatory supervision last year also...

New consultant to focus on corporate risk services.(Industry News)(Mercer Oliver Wyman )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2005... NEW YORK-Financial services and risk management consulting firm Mercer Oliver Wyman has formed a corporate risk consulting group. The new group will include enterprise risk, actuarial and strategic risk practices. The New York-based firm...

Revisiting the `KM' buzz.(Cover Focus: Knowledge Management)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rupal Parekh Nearly a decade after "knowledge management'' was all the buzz in boardrooms across America, experts say organizations have the opportunity to benefit from "KM'' initiatives now more than ever. "KM is something-if...

Homeowners insurers should throw these dogs a bone.(First Word)
March 1, 2005... Byline: Rodd Zolkos I saw a news release from one of the industry trade groups recently speaking out against a bill before the Washington House that would bar homeowners insurers from underwriting based on whether the applicant has a...

CPCU offers leadership training class.(Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society)(Brief Article)(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2005... ***** Correction: The full name of the CPCU Society was given incorrectly in the March issue of Industry Focus. The organization's correct name is the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society. ***** MALVERN, Pa.-The...

Slow growth seen; Turks & Caicos adds five captives.(Spotlight)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD GRAND TURK, Turks & Caicos Islands-The Turks & Caicos Islands saw modest growth in its captive insurance industry last year, and continued slow expansion is expected this year. The domicile recorded a net...

Fronting woes fuel trend to establish more direct captives.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LUXEMBOURG-Although Luxembourg traditionally has been home to reinsurance captives, its captive managers are increasingly looking to establish direct-writing captives as well. Luxembourg added two captives in...

Commercial market softening no damper to captive growth.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JERRY GEISEL The captive insurance market continues to boom. As was the case in 2003, several major domiciles, including the Cayman Islands, Hawaii and South Carolina licensed either a record or near-record number of captives...

Comings & Goings.(News)(appointments in the insurance industry)
March 7, 2005... Brokers: London-based Heath Lambert Group has appointed Nigel Godwin executive director of its major accounts group. Before joining Heath, Mr. Godwin was a client service director with Aon Corp. Willis Group Holdings Ltd. has named...

Guernsey captives expand coverage.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY ST. PETER PORT, Guernsey-Captive growth slowed in Guernsey in 2004, but some existing captives at Europe's largest domicile are seeing significant increases in the retentions they fund and are expanding the types of...

Captive owners diversifying in growing Dublin domicile.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY DUBLIN, Ireland-As the number of captives continues to increase in Dublin, their owners are now looking to expand their use, experts say. At the end of 2004, 214 captives were registered in Dublin, up from 205 at...

World Updates; Markel opening office in Canada.(International)
March 7, 2005... Markel International Ltd., the London-based arm of Markel Corp., is opening an office in Toronto. MINT Canadian Specialty Underwriters Ltd. will write specialty business through Markel's multiline syndicate 3000 at Lloyd's of London. The...

Changes shouldn't increase costs.(Opinions)
March 7, 2005... After months of speculation about how Marsh Inc. will adjust its compensation arrangements to eliminate any of the actual or perceived conflicts and abuses highlighted in New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's lawsuit against the brokerage,...

P&I clubs impose smaller rate hikes.(International)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Most shipowners saw smaller rate increases for marine liability coverage this year compared with last year's renewal, with some protection and indemnity clubs reducing initially higher pricing demands to retain...

Between the Lines; Fireman's Fund helps films bring home Oscars.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Compiled by Joanne Wojcik Several Oscar-nominated films may not have made it to the Academy Awards had it not been for insurance. Novato, Calif.-based Fireman's Fund Insurance Cos. insured 16 contending films, six of which won...

Barbados poised for growth.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ BRIDGETOWN, Barbados-Barbados is expected to see solid growth in its captive insurance industry in 2005 due to legislative and regulatory changes and a promotional campaign by the government designed to stimulate...

States lead on asbestos.(Opinions)
March 7, 2005... AS EFFORTS TO craft a national response to the asbestos litigation mess continue to hit roadblocks, liability reform advocates can take heart from some recent developments at the state level. As we recently reported, lawmakers in Texas and...

Captive formations slow in world's largest domicile; Competition from other domiciles, affordable traditional coverage cited.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD HAMILTON, Bermuda-The largest captive domicile in the world is not-when it comes to new formations-the busiest. Captive insurance company formations in Bermuda are little changed from a year ago, and there is...

Caymans hold it together amid Ivan's high winds.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD GEORGETOWN, Grand Cayman-The damage from last September's Hurricane Ivan is still visible in many parts of the Cayman Islands' Georgetown financial center. It is not visible, though, in the performance of the...

Onshore attractions help keep some owners at home.(Spotlight)(Insurance industry)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD The rise of domiciles in the United States has given captive owners a lot of reasons to stay home. As the number of states allowing captives has increased, owners no longer reflexively look to Bermuda, Cayman...

Captives up after several flat years.(Spotlight)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD SINGAPORE-A slight surge in incorporations has pushed Singapore's captive numbers higher after several years of little change. With nine new insurers formed in 2004, the domicile ended the year with 57...

Match treatment to your health care cost ills.(Perspective)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Linda Riddell Imagine calling your doctor to say, "I'm not feeling well, but I don't have time to come be diagnosed. Can you tell me what everyone else is using to get better? I'm sure that will work.'' As ridiculous as that...

Vermont captive formations slow from record pace.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: RODD ZOLKOS MONTPELIER, Vt.-While licensing 43 new captive insurance companies in 2004 falls short of the pace Vermont established with its record-setting numbers of 77 in 2003 and 70 in 2002, last year's total represents a solid...

Managers opening new offices.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD GEORGETOWN, Grand Cayman-The number of Cayman Islands captive managers is growing along with the domicile's captive count, despite the devastating blow of last year's Hurricane Ivan. Vermont-based USA Risk Group...

Isle of Man opens market to PCCs.(Spotlight)(protected cell companies)
March 7, 2005... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED DOUGLAS, Isle of Man-Legislative changes allowing protected cell companies and the formation of captives owned by limited liability partnerships, should make the Isle of Man a more attractive domicile, captive...

'Can-do attitude' fuels SC growth.(Spotlight)(Captive insurance companies)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER COLUMBIA, S.C.-Captive formations in South Carolina continued apace in 2004 as legislative changes and an attractive regulatory environment helped lure more captives to the state. Last year, the South Carolina...

BVI tallies up record year with 67 new formations.(Spotlight)(British Virgin Islands)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands-The British Virgin Islands saw a sharp increase in captive growth in 2004, as policyholders with hard-to-place coverage sought alternatives to the commercial insurance market. The...

Title reinsurance scheme unravelled.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Gloria Gonzalez State insurance regulators are alleging that title insurers participate in a scheme in which they pay realtors, lenders and developers illegal rebates in the form of premiums on fake reinsurance written by the...

Title insurance scandal won't shake captive industry.(News)(First American Title Insurance Co)
March 7, 2005... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ SACRAMENTO, Calif.-While recent allegations of improper reinsurance arrangements between title insurers and noninsurance entities will likely mean the end of these types of reinsurance captives, the scandal is...

Fourth-quarter charges shrink Marsh profits.(News)(Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS NEW YORK-The loss of more than $300 million in contingent commissions and more than $1 billion in special charges taken in the fourth quarter took a bite out of Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.'s 2004 revenues and profits....

Pension rules face tough fight; Legislator says PBGC funding proposal is a 'nonstarter'.(News)(Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Jerry Geisel WASHINGTON-Congressional pension leaders warned last week that legislation proposed by the Bush administration to stiffen pension-funding rules could face rough sledding on Capitol Hill. Rep. George Miller,...

Federal investigators questioning Gen Re about dealings with failed insurer ROA; Racketeering suits.(News)(Reserve Officers Association of the United States)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD OMAHA, Neb.-Berkshire Hathaway Inc. said federal investigators have made several requests for information from Berkshire subsidiary General Reinsurance Corp. related to an investigation of Glen Allen, Va.-based...

Marsh to abandon accounts, standardize commissions; Clients may feel impact of bid to recoup lost funds.(News)(Marsh Inc.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS NEW YORK-Some Marsh Inc. clients soon will find themselves with new brokerages, while others may pay more to maintain their relationships with the world's largest insurance broker. In an effort to recoup the loss...

Australia mulls relaxation of captive rules.(International)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ELIZABETH FRY CANBERRA, Australia-Australia is exploring a proposal to exempt some captives from insurance regulation, but current restrictions on the types of business that could be written may limit the impact of the change. ...

Proposed IRS rules clarify administration of Roth 401(k) plans.(News)( Internal Revenue Service)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JERRY GEISEL WASHINGTON-Proposed Internal Revenue Service regulations released last week pave the way for employers next year to start offering a new type of tax-favored 401(k) plan. Created by Congress as part of a 2001 tax...

Converium plans to cut staff following $761 million loss.(News)(Converium Holding Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY ZUG, Switzerland-Converium Holding Ltd. recorded a net loss of $760.8 million for 2004 and said that layoffs in all of its main locations are "unavoidable'' as part of efforts to reduce costs. The 2004 loss-which...

Cat losses in 2004 hit record $49 billion.(News)(hurricane insurance)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Natural catastrophes and manmade disasters caused $49 billion in insured property losses last year, according to a report by Swiss Reinsurance Co. The series of hurricanes that struck the United States and the...

Watson Wyatt sued for alleged negligence.(International)(Watson Wyatt Worldwide )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-A trial over alleged negligence by Watson Wyatt Worldwide in its valuation of a Credit Lyonnais group pension plan is slated to start next month. The Paris-based investment bank has sued the London-based...

Bill in California would make hospitals publish prices; Measure seeks to improve on earlier disclosure law, help consumers shop for health care.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK SACRAMENTO, Calif.-The fight for greater transparency in hospital pricing in California rages on despite the enactment of landmark legislation requiring hospitals to reveal charges for their 25 most common procedures....

ACE chief surveys industry landscape; Q&A on probes, changes.(News)(Interview)
March 7, 2005... Until last October, the management issues that Evan G. Greenberg dealt with as president and chief executive officer of Bermuda-based ACE Ltd. were relatively ordinary. That changed when New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer brought fraud and...

New York measure targets broker pay.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH ALBANY, N.Y.-A New York state lawmaker, prompted by Attorney General Eliot Spitzer's probes into insurance business practices, has introduced a legislative package of reforms targeting agent and broker compensation...

Kemper posts surplus increase; Fourth-quarter rise reflects policy buybacks, novations.(News)(Kemper Insurance Co.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER LONG GROVE, Ill.-Kemper Insurance Cos.' surplus position more than doubled in the last quarter of 2004, with the insurer reporting last week that its combined statutory surplus stood at $181.8 million at year-end 2004,...

Aon sets up $190 million fund to repay clients in settlement.(News)
March 7, 2005... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK CHICAGO-Some Aon Corp. clients will be sharing $190 million in restitution payments the Chicago-based broker is paying as part of a settlement announced Friday with three states that had sued it for suspected fraud....

Late News; Insurance to cover part of Bank of America deal.(Bank of America Corp.)
March 7, 2005... Insurance would cover part of Bank of America Corp.'s $460.5 million proposed settlement with WorldCom Inc. investors, according to a Bank of America spokeswoman. The bank said it already has reserved the uninsured portion of the settlement in...

Errors and omissions.(News)(Correction Notice)
March 7, 2005... A story in the Feb. 28 issue, "Companies Fight Tobacco Use to Lower Health Care Costs,'' incorrectly stated that Workplace Fairness is based in Kansas City, Mo. The company is based in San Francisco.

Aon settles fraud suits.(News)(Aon Corp.)
March 7, 2005... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS and JOANNE WOJCIK CHICAGO-Aon Corp. late last week agreed to settle charges by officials in three states that it fraudulently manipulated client insurance placements for its own benefit and linked insurance placements...

Directory of world captive domiciles.(Spotlight)
March 7, 2005... The following charts were developed by Business Insurance to help risk managers track developments and regulatory requirements in captive domiciles worldwide. The information is provided for domiciles with specific captive legislation or...

BI to deliver more news to your in-box.(News)(Business Insurance)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Business Insurance now offers several free e-mail news products designed to deliver the important news readers want in more timely and tailor-made formats. * BI's Risk Management News Alert and Benefits Management News Alert are...

Hawaii sees record formations.(Spotlight)(Beecher Carlson/RiskCap)
March 7, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS HONOLULU-Hawaii's captive industry saw a record number of formations during 2004, with 25 new captives licensed, bringing the domicile's year-end total to 147. West Coast-based homebuilders struggling with...

Products & Services; AIG unit introduces new benefit products.(News)(American International Group Inc)
March 14, 2005... NEPTUNE, N.J.-AIG American General, the domestic life insurance operations of American International Group Inc., has launched a set of employee benefit products for small and midsize companies. The program is marketed by AIG Employee...

How to motivate a nation of desk potatoes; Employers have an active role to play in their workers' fight against obesity.(Perspective)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Kenneth Mitchell Much has been reported about obesity recently, but no one has concentrated on the employer's role. Because American workers spend more time at work today than at any other time in recent history, it makes perfect...

Mexico RIMS stresses fostering resiliency in companies, workers.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS MONTERREY, Mexico-Risk managers have a key role to play in building resiliency into their organizations and helping them grow their business by taking, and managing, increasing levels of risk, according to a...

Have a topic to address? Submit a BI Perspective.(Perspective)
March 14, 2005... 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 and the...

Have some funds with this idea.(Commentary)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Douglas McLeod President George W. Bush's modest Social Security proposal has me thinking about ways to fix another system that's clearly broken: property/casualty reserving. Take a look at the record. The St. Paul Travelers...

Urgency needed on TRIA.(Opinions)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... EVERYONE LEARNS AT an early age that haste usually makes waste. But that's not necessarily the case when it comes to reauthorizing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. The act, which provides a federal backstop for insurers paying losses from...

U.K. liability market too fragile for NHS proposal; Government postpones plan to allow recovery of workplace injury costs.(International)(National Health Service)
March 14, 2005... Byline: CAROLYN ALDRED LONDON-The U.K. government has postponed its plans to allow the country's National Health Service to recoup from employer's liability insurers the costs of treating workplace injuries. The decision to call off...

Feds subpoena MBIA over finite coverage Bond insurer restates financials.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD ARMONK, N.Y.-MBIA Inc. said last week it has received a subpoena from the U.S. attorney's office in New York seeking information related to two financial reinsurance agreements with the former Zurich Reinsurance...

Fitch assigns q-ratings to 166 E.U. insurers.(International)(Fitch Ratings Ltd.)
March 14, 2005... Byline: SARAH VEYSEY LONDON-Fitch Ratings Ltd. in London has published unsolicited public information ratings on 166 insurers in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The publication of the Quantitative Insurer Financial Strength...

State tort system ranked 'poor to fair' by corporate lawyers.(News)(survey)(Brief Article)
March 14, 2005... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann WASHINGTON-Three-fifths of the corporate attorneys surveyed for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Legal Reform gave the state-based tort system an overall ranking of "poor to fair,'' the ILR announced...

Errors & Omissions.(News)
March 14, 2005... * A chart accompanying a March 7 story on captives licensed in Hawaii listed incorrect information about the number of captives managed by Beecher Carlson/RiskCap (Hawaii). The company managed 34 captives at the end of 2004 and 27 at the...

Elect or appoint? Regulators' post debated.(News)
March 14, 2005... Byline: MEG FLETCHER Insurers and businesses will see no benefit from proposals in Connecticut and Maryland to change the post of insurance commissioner in those states to an elected post rather than an appointed one, several observers...