Business Insurance articles from September 2006

Business Insurance archives from September 2006

Capitol ideas; A long list of pending legislation showslawmakers are willing to tackle serious industry issues.(Cover Story: Focus Regulation & Compliance)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Meg Fletcher A roundup of insurance-related legislative and regulatory developments shows that Congress is taking the industry's needs seriously. During the past year, Congress has adopted major pension reform legislation and...

Fireman's, Big I team up for agent E&O cover.(Industry News )(Fireman's Fund Insurance Co partnership with Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Inc)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. is partnering with the Alexandria, Va.-based Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Inc. to offer a nationally endorsed program for insurance agents errors and omissions coverage. The Fireman's...

Cat risk analysis examines natural, man-made perils.(Industry News)(catastrophic)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Risk management consultant ABS Corporate Solutions and its risk modeling affiliate EQECAT Inc. have entered into a contract with the Inter-American Development Bank for a catastrophic risk analysis project focusing on Bolivia, Guatemala,...

Panel mulls options for `uninsurable' risks.(News)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Reinsurers interested in helping craft creative solutions to clients' problems can often work with captive insurers and their parent companies to address unique or seemingly uninsurable exposures. Moderating a panel...

IT projects rarely meet return on investment goals.(Tech Focus)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Rodd Zolkos The good news perhaps, according to a newly released survey, is that insurers are increasingly looking for quantifiable ways to measure the success of their information technology projects. The bad news is that...

OnlineBenefits offers podcasts.(Industry News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... OnlineBenefits Inc. has made a series of podcasts created for employee benefit practitioners available to the public at the company's Web site. The Uniondale, N.Y.-based company originally developed its Benefits Podcast series for...

American Re rebranded as Munich Re America.(Industry News)(American Re-Insurance Co. has changed its name )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... American Re-Insurance Co. has changed its name to Munich Reinsurance America Inc. Company officials said the move is a logical step in the integration of Princeton, N.J.-based American Re into the Munich Re Group. The move underscores...

Grant boosts industry training in Conn.(Industry News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Connecticut's insurance and financial services industry will benefit from a federal grant that will be used to help fund an industry training program. The President's High-Growth Job Training Initiative awarded more than $2.7 million to a...

ChoicePoint acquires ePolicy product line.(Industry News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ChoicePoint has acquired various assets of ePolicy Inc., including the company's ePolicy Solutions RightRisk product line. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Torrance, Calif.-based ePolicy provides a comprehensive set of...

Off-key; U.S. regulatory system needs retuning to better match global standards.(Cover Story: Focus Regulation & Compliance)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Meg Fletcher The global nature of insurance issues is putting pressure on U.S. regulators to modernize their state-based regulatory system and to engage in discussions about harmonizing global standards, like those that apply to...

On the move.(People)(new appointments)
September 1, 2006... Stuart Sinclair has been named president and chief operating officer of Hamilton, Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. Mr. Sinclair most recently served as president and chief executive officer of GE Financial Services-Greater China. Mr....

New health care venues, new risks.(Last Word)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Fran O'Connell VP, Shand Morahan & Co. Inc One-stop shopping has reached new heights with the rise of walk-in clinics located in retail malls, Wal-Mart and Target stores. You can shop for clothing, furniture, sports equipment and...

Time ticks by but memories last.(First Word)(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Editor At 35 E. Wacker Drive in Chicago, the corner of Wacker and Wabash, a block west of our offices and just south of the river, there's a beautiful old landmark building. The "Jeweler's Building,'' as it was...

Three Questions.(Industry News)(interview with Frank Keating )(Interview)
September 1, 2006... Frank Keating became president and chief executive officer of the Washington-based American Council of Life Insurers in January 2003, after serving two consecutive terms as Oklahoma's governor. Recently, he offered his thoughts on federal and...

Kingsway taps Insurity for business processing; ACORD online guide targets communication.(Agency for Co-operation and Research in Development)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Property/casualty insurer Kingsway Financial Services Inc. has entered into a contract to deploy Insurity's Insurance Decisions suite of products and services for insurance processing. Toronto-based Kingsway will use Insurance Decisions for...

Hybrid securities spur classification dilemma.(Cover Story: Focus Regulation & Compliance)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Meg Fletcher Insurers that invested in some hybrid securities are facing uncertainties as U.S. regulators continue to deliberate how those securities should be classified and reported. The uncertainty began in March when the...

Target: TPAs; Acquisitions intensify in claims administration market.(Perspective)
September 1, 2006... Byline: Linda Garner The sale of the largest U.S. claims administrator, Sedgwick CMS Holdings Inc., to Fidelity National Financial Inc. in January has brought central focus to the third-party administrator/claims administration market. ...

Chart: By the Numbers.(Industry News)(survey of insurers)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Forty-seven insurers surveyed cited benefits and drawbacks associated with implementing International Financial Reporting Standards.

Free trade legislation tops leadership panel's agenda.(Gatherings)(International Insurance Society Inc.'s 42nd annual seminar )
September 1, 2006... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Global trade and the insurance regulatory environment and the challenges of dealing with catastrophe risks were issues that dominated much of the discussion during the Executive Panel of World Leaders at this summer's...

RIMS chapter teaches generosity.(Editorial)(Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. donates money to Spencer Educational Foundation )(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... RISK MANAGEMENT EDUCATION got a welcome boost last week when the Atlanta Chapter of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. donated $100,000 to the Spencer Educational Foundation for a new scholarship. The new RIMS Atlanta Chapter...

Number of U.S. uninsured grows: Study; Employer-provided health cover declines to 59.5.(News)(Survey)
September 4, 2006... Byline: JOANNE WOJCIK The percentage of people in the United States with employment-based health insurance declined last year, as the erosion of coverage continues, according to a government report. In 2005, 59.5% of the population...

Startups thrive in tight catastrophe market; Bermuda attracts 'Class of 2005'.
September 4, 2006... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Business is booming for the so-called "Class of 2005'' reinsurers that formed in Bermuda in the wake of the 2005 storms, but the long-term sustainability of the startups has yet to be proven, market observers say. ...

Retro prices rise as capacity drops; ILWs, sidecars, bonds and swaps fill some gaps.(Industry loss warranties)
September 4, 2006... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD The huge insured losses that hit property insurers when the 2005 storms struck have caused widespread disruption throughout the market including the ultimate insurance backstop-the worldwide retrocessional...

Employers weigh new ways to help address obesity; As problem grows, some seek better solutions.(Disability Management Employer Coalition)
September 4, 2006... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS A report showing that obesity rates continue to worsen in the United States comes as more employers are finding that merely providing gym memberships or healthier vending machine choices is not enough to address...

Declines in health coverage won't continue indefinitely.(Census Bureau report )
September 4, 2006... IT WOULD BE EASY to make too much or too little out of a recent U.S. Census Bureau report showing a decline in the percentage of the population with employment-based health insurance coverage. As we report on page 4, 59.5% of people in the...

Court says IBM litigation waiver invalid; 9th Circuit rules right-to-sue document was confusing to employees.(International Business Machines Corp)
September 4, 2006... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD The litigation waiver IBM Corp. asked laid-off employees to sign during a 2001 workforce reduction was not written in an understandable manner and is therefore unenforceable, says a federal appellate court. The...

Insurers, Brokers, Reinsurance, Other providers.(new appointments)
September 4, 2006... Insurers: Praetorian Financial Group, a specialty insurance subsidiary of Hannover Re Group, has named Laurie Banez Lopes as senior vp, management and professional liability practice leader in New York. Before joining Praetorian, Ms. Banez...

Emerging risk strategies; Reducing the complexity of ERM might give system more traction.(sixth International Risk Management Conference)
September 4, 2006... Byline: John J. Hampton The following article is based on a presentation Mr. Hampton is making this month at the sixth International Risk Management Conference 2006 in Singapore, sponsored by the Federation of Asian, Pacific & African Risk...

Regulatory, asbestos reform bills likely to stall; Supporters look to next Congress.(insurance regulatory reform)
September 4, 2006... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN The 109th Congress appears likely to end its last regular session in a few weeks with a considerable amount of unfinished risk management and insurance-related business left on the table. Among the issues likely...

Robert Gallagher dies; Exec helped take broker public.(chairman of the board of directors)(Obituary)
September 4, 2006... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Robert E. Gallagher, chairman of the board of directors of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., has died, the brokerage said last week. He was 83. Mr. Gallagher served in various roles at the Itasca, Ill.-based company over...

Swiss Re deal raises market concerns over concentration of risk.(expands its global presence)
September 4, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD The insurance market is keeping a close eye on Swiss Reinsurance Co. as it assumes the role of the world's largest reinsurer with its acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions. The deal has left market experts and...

Retro capacity likely to shrink due to Swiss Re deal.(Swiss Reinsurance Co.'s acquired with GE Insurance Solutions)
September 4, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD A retrocessional reinsurance market weakened by the withdrawal of many of its participants is not going to be made healthier by Swiss Reinsurance Co.'s acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions. Swiss Re has not...

Agents gain Paralympic Experience.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Joanne Wojck The old Cheyenne proverb, "Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins,'' has new meaning for independent agents who gathered recently in the tribe's native territory to play basketball while...

Atlanta's RIMS chapter endows scholarship for risk management study.(Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc.)
September 4, 2006... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN he Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc.'s Spencer Educational Foundation Inc. affiliate could be awarding a new $5,000 scholarship next year courtesy of the RIMS Atlanta chapter. The Spencer Educational...

Insurers post good results on low losses, strong prices; Buyers can expect more rate reductions.(sales and earnings)
September 4, 2006... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD Insurance rates that have been bolstered by favorable reserve development and investment income growth led to a strong first half for commercial property/casualty insurers. And these results are likely to...

Rx reimportation falls out of favor; Canadian drugs no longer seen as panacea for cost problems.(Medicare Part D prescription drug )
September 4, 2006... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ As recently as a year ago, the reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada and other countries was being hailed as an effective way to circumvent the high cost of medications in the United States. Not...

E.U. captives face new rules under reinsurance law; Impact likely to be limited as most captives already meet directive's minimum solvency requirements.(reinsurance laws)
September 4, 2006... Byline: STUART COLLINS The implementation of the European Union's reinsurance directive brings new rules for captive owners, but the impact on the sector is expected to be minimal. In addition to commercial reinsurance companies,...

Directive to establish uniformity; E.U. implements reinsurance rules.(European Union)
September 4, 2006... Byline: STUART COLLINS Harmonized reinsurance rules being implemented across the European Union should benefit insurance buyers as reinsurer security improves and as potential cost savings are passed on, according to experts. However,...

Join a discussion of issues in Business Insurance's online Community Forums.(risk and benefits management professionals)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Readers are invited to take advantage of a new online feature that allows risk and benefits management professionals to connect and exchange information at www.BusinessInsurance.com. The Community Forums is an easy-to-use discussion board...

Rethinking insurance regulation; 'Home state' approach should be adopted in United States.(Uniform Insurers Liquidation Act)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Richard G. Liskov Another session of Congress is nearing its end with scant prospect for significant insurance regulatory reform. Despite widespread desire for greater uniformity and clarity in how states regulate insurance, the...

ACE buys stake in Russian Re.(ACE Ltd contract with Russian Reinsurance Co)
September 4, 2006... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Insurer ACE Ltd. is expanding its presence in Russia through the purchase of a stake in Russian Reinsurance Co. from a subsidiary of Munich Reinsurance Co. Under the stock purchase agreement, struck last week, the...

FAA extends war risk coverage.(Federal Aviation Administration)(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Dave Lenckus The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has extended the war risk coverage it provides U.S. airlines to Dec. 31. The coverage had been scheduled to expire Aug. 31. Under the program, airlines can purchase billions...

Airline crashes won't affect rates.(airline accidents reports)
September 4, 2006... Byline: DAVE LENCKUS Significant aviation insurance market overcapacity, spurred by several years of underwriting profitability, will continue to push hull and liability insurance rates lower for commercial airlines despite the worst U.S....

U.S. intermediaries lobby for access to market in Japan.(Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America)
September 4, 2006... Byline: MICHAEL BRADFORD The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America is lobbying for expansion of the marketplace for its Japanese members and other independent intermediaries, who it says are competing under unfair Japanese...

Experts mull terror cover options in BI webinar on TRIA alternatives.(Business Insurance)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)(Discussion)
September 4, 2006... The clock is ticking on developing a long-term solution to insuring terrorism risks, but consensus is growing around insurance industry proposals that would utilize a combination of private capital and federal government reinsurance to protect...

Errors and omissions.(Corrections)
September 4, 2006... A chart in the Aug. 28 issue "Capital Raising by Insurance Startups'' contained an incorrect figure for the amount of capital raised by Ariel Reinsurance Co. Ltd. The correct figure is $1 billion.

California passes single-payer system.
September 4, 2006... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has until Sept. 30 to decide whether to veto legislation passed Thursday that would eliminate all public and private health insurance in the state and replace it with a single-payer system. Although the...

Some in Canada mull private health cover; But concerns over rising costs ease.
September 4, 2006... Byline: GLORIA GONZALEZ More than one of five Canadian employers would consider providing coverage for employee health care services already provided by the government, according to a study. In response to a Supreme Court of Canada...

Atlantic hurricane prediction downgraded; Colorado team subtracts two from named-storm forecast.
September 4, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University now predict this year's hurricane activity "will be slightly below the long-term,'' according to a revised forecast issued last week. The September forecast...

Lloyd's syndicate in talks to launch Bermuda sidecar.(Brief article)
September 4, 2006... Byline: Rupal Parekh Another insurer may be set to launch a sidecar company in Bermuda, as Hiscox P.L.C. on Friday said its Lloyd's of London multiline syndicate 33 is in talks to enter a quota-share reinsurance agreement through a newly...

How to submit a Perspectives article to Business Insurance.(Perspective)
September 4, 2006... 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 a forum...

Leading wholesalers.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Sally Roberts American Wholesale Insurance Group Inc. An aggressive growth-by-acquisition strategy has propelled Charlotte, N.C.-based AmWINS to the top spot of the nation's largest wholesale insurance brokers in 2006. ...

Leading MGAs.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(managing general agent)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Roberto Ceniceros The Schinnerer Group The No. 1 managing general agent continues to build its reputation for providing professional liability insurance while retaining clients and markets over the long haul. In fact, 2006...

The legacy of 9/11.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD Robert P. Hartwig saw his colleagues at the Insurance Information Institute evacuate their lower Manhattan office on Sept. 11, 2001, in a storm of dust and debris from the collapsing World Trade Center towers. ...

Punitive damage law reinstated; Calif. insurers say split recovery 'makes no public policy sense'.(News)(California)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann California lawmakers have voted to reinstate through June 30, 2011, a law that requires that 75% of any punitive damages award to be paid to the state. The original 2004 so-called split recovery law expired on...

Modeling firms expand analysis of German floods; 2002 losses prompt launch.(World)
September 11, 2006... Byline: RICHARD MILLER The first probabilistic flood models covering all of Germany are being unveiled by modeling firms this month, tools that are expected to bolster insurance underwriting in the region following recent serious flooding....

Lexington offers zoning coverage.(Products & Services)(Lexington Insurance Co.)
September 11, 2006... NEW YORK-Lexington Insurance Co. is offering insurance to protect commercial and residential real estate developers and lenders from losses due to changing zoning ordinances. The new policy, called Zoning Restriction Protector Insurance,...

WTC attack drives efforts to quantify terrorism risks.(News)(World Trade Center)
September 11, 2006... Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN & DOUGLAS McLEOD A tool unavailable to U.S. insurers at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is helping them manage terrorism risks with increasing sophistication. The first commercially available...

Errors and Omissions.(Corrections)(Correction notice)
September 11, 2006... A story in the Sept. 4 issue, "Retro Prices Rise as Capacity Drops,'' misidentified a reinsurance brokerage executive. The executive quoted was Tony Fox, deputy chairman of Collins-Bermuda, a unit of reinsurance intermediary John B. Collins...

Industry still awaiting TRIA's permanent replacement; Act's expiration to disrupt property market with coverage becoming scarce and costly.(News)(Terrorism Risk Insurance Act)
September 11, 2006... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act's 2007 expiration is likely to cause property market disruption next year and its absence would make terrorism coverage scarcer and more expensive, brokerage and insurance industry...

4. Scottsdale Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(premium)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Joanne Wojcik After experiencing sizable growth throughout the last hard market, Scottsdale Insurance Co. is now relying on its producer relationships to continue its momentum. Based on 2005 nonadmitted premiums totaling $1.19...

6. Arch Specialty Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(premium)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Douglas McLeod Arch Specialty Insurance Co. hasn't been around as long as some of its surplus lines competitors, but it's making up quickly for lost time. New York-based Arch Specialty became the main U.S. surplus lines unit...

WTC-related lawsuits far from resolved; Cleanup health claims pending.(News)(World Trade Center)
September 11, 2006... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks spawned insurance coverage litigation almost as fast as they did fear of further attacks, with disputes ranging from how many occurrences the World Trade Center's destruction...

BI Europe rolls out with debut issue.(News)(Business Insurance )(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Crain Communications Inc. has launched Business Insurance Europe, a London-based biweekly news magazine for the European risk management community. Staffed with reporters and correspondents throughout Europe, Business Insurance Europe will...

Employers prepare for Calif. comp fights.(News)(California)
September 11, 2006... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Employers expect that legislation that would increase workers compensation benefits in California will be vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, but even if it is they still plan to fight against higher benefits on...

Delta given OK to terminate plan.(News)(Delta Air Lines Inc.)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Jerry Geisel A federal bankruptcy court judge last week approved Delta Air Lines Inc.'s request to terminate a severely underfunded pension plan covering about 13,000 former and current Delta pilots. The termination, which the...

Best ups SCOR rating to A.(Late News)(SCOR Reinsurance Co)(briefs)
September 11, 2006... A.M. Best Co. Inc. has upgraded Paris-based SCOR S.A.'s financial strength rating to A- from B++. The move reflects SCOR's risk-adjusted capitalization, strong business profile in Europe and "improving operating performance,'' Best said....

All that's changed and stayed the same.(Commentary)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Rodd Zolkos Senior editor There's been no shortage of reminders over the past few weeks of the events that took place in New York, Washington and western Pennsylvania five years ago today. On TV and radio, in newspapers and...

You've got mail: U R TRMN8D :(.(Commentary)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Paul WinstonPaul Winston Associate Publisher and Editorial Director Checking your electronic messages is becoming more important than ever at some companies. Just before the Labor Day holiday, Fort Worth, Texas-based...

9. Admiral Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(premiums)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Gloria Gonzalez Admiral Insurance Co. fell one spot among the 10 largest surplus lines insurers despite increases of more than 3% in both gross and nonadmitted written premiums. Nonadmitted direct written premiums for the unit...

Terrorism risk ever-present as solution remains unclear.(Editorial)(Editorial)
September 11, 2006... For risk managers and insurers, the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks underscored the magnitude of the terrorism risk, a risk to which most Americans had fortunately little direct experience with until Sept. 11. Nearly 3,000 people died, and...

High rates, low cat losses boost reinsurer profits.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: JUDY GREENWALD U.S. reinsurers reported strong underwriting results for the first half of 2006, a trend that is expected to continue into next year despite softening casualty rates, say observers. Sharp increases in property...

Florida JUA offers commercial cover; Program will act as insurer of last resort for some.(News)(joint underwriting association)
September 11, 2006... Byline: RUPAL PAREKH Florida's new property/casualty joint underwriting association this week will begin accepting submissions from eligible businesses seeking commercial property coverage. To qualify, businesses and their agents must...

JLT to sell U.S. retail brokerage business; Alliant Insurance Services to acquire unit in $100 million deal.(News)(Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C.)
September 11, 2006... Byline: SALLY ROBERTS and SARAH VEYSEY U.K. broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group P.L.C. has agreed to sell its U.S. property/casualty and employee benefits retail brokerage business to Alliant Insurance Services Inc. in a $100 million deal...

Spitzer ditches some allegations against Greenberg; Charges of 'sham' deal with Gen Re still in suit.(News)
September 11, 2006... Byline: DOUGLAS McLEOD The public battle between Maurice R. Greenberg and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer heated up last week after Mr. Spitzer filed an amended fraud complaint dropping a handful of allegations against the former...

5. Columbia Casualty Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Joanne Wojcik Columbia Casualty Co.'s holistic approach to underwriting has enabled the excess and surplus lines subsidiary of Chicago-based CNA Financial Corp. to take advantage of tightness occurring in certain standard lines as...

3. Steadfast Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Gloria Gonzalez Steadfast Insurance Co. saw its nonadmitted premiums rise 8.5% in 2005, to nearly $1.56 billion, to remain No. 3 on Business Insurance's annual ranking of surplus lines insurers. Despite a surplus lines market...

E&S insurers' agility helps them compete amid market shifts.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS Staying nimble to move quickly in and out of various types of coverage remains a cornerstone of surplus lines insurer operations. The agility is an antidote for the shifting of standard-lines insurers in and...

1. Lexington Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Bad weather isn't all bad news for insurers. "2006 is shaping up pretty much as we thought it would-we're seeing very, very heavy demand for catastrophe coverage; we're seeing some pressure on casualty rates,...

MGAs strive to grow in mainly flat market.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(managing general agents)
September 11, 2006... Byline: ROBERTO CENICEROS The 10 largest managing general agents are adopting a variety of strategies as they attempt to grow their operations in the face of flat rates for many lines of business. Some of the MGAs only underwrite a few...

8. Landmark Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)(Landmark American Insurance Co.)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Dave Lenckus Landmark American Insurance Co. has entered the ranks of the top 10 surplus lines insurers even though the transfer of one book of business to an admitted affiliate and hurricane-related losses have pounded the...

2. American International Specialty Lines Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Dave Lenckus The forced divestiture of a block of business and a huge reserve boost tempered American International Specialty Insurance Co.'s results last year but not enough to hurt the insurer's ranking among the top 10 surplus...

7. Evanston Insurance Co.(Spotlight: Surplus Lines)
September 11, 2006... Byline: Mark A. Hofmann Explosive growth in architects and engineers liability business and an increase in demand for other products has Evanston Insurance Co. President Michael A. Rozenberg feeling "pretty excited about what's going on.''...

Health care funding tool combines VEBAs, RRG.(News)(Voluntary Employees' Benefits Association )
September 11, 2006... Byline: JERRY GEISEL Seven highway construction companies are funding their group health care benefits programs in an innovative way that utilizes tax-free trusts and a Vermont-domiciled risk retention group owned by the companies. ...