Best's Review articles from June 2009

Best's Review archives from June 2009

4 sales tips.(Editorial)
June 1, 2009... Selling life insurance can be a challenge during a recession. LIMRA International reports new individual life insurance premiums dropped 14% in 2008's fourth quarter, ending the year with a 7% dip. Some 60% of term life writers experienced...

Observers ask: is this the start of AIG's turnaround?(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)(American International Group Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... American International Group Inc. officials pointed last month to the significant reduction in the company's losses as an indication that their efforts to restructure the company under a federal rescue plan are working. Does AIG's reported...

Worth repeating.(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)(Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... "Capitalism without failure is like religion without sin." --Ted Kelly, chairman, president and CEO of Liberty Mutual, discussing why the federal government should not be afraid to let insolvent insurance firms go under. He was part of a...

AIG's recent transactions: to repay federal aid, AIG has been selling assets.(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)
June 1, 2009... * Nippon Life, AIG announced its Tokyo headquarters will be sold to Nippon Life Insurance Co. for about $1.2 billion. The sale is expected to close during the second quarter 2009. * AIG Commodity Index. AIG closed on the sale of the DJ-AIG...

Agency valuation webinar available.(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Best's Review subscribers can watch the "Agency Finance and Valuation 2009: What's My Agency Worth?" webinar by going to www.bestreview.com/agency09. The one-hour webinar includes: * The most important steps to take to get your agency ready for...

Three insurers clear TARP hurdle.(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)(troubled asset relief program)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The U.S. Treasury Department last month gave preliminary approval for insurers Hartford Financial Services Group and Lincoln National Corp. to receive $3.4 billion and $2.5 billion, respectively, in bailout funds under its Capital Purchase...

India life results take double-digit plunge.(Briefing: Highlights From BestWeek)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Annual income from non-single premium life insurance policies has dropped for the first time since the sector was privatized in 2000, according to the Life Insurance Council of India. In the financial year 2008-09. non-single premium...

Hartford Financial.(Global Sales)(Hartford Life Insurance K.K.)(Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... HARTFORD FINANCIAL Services Group's Japanese subsidiary, Hartford Life Insurance K.K., said it will suspend sales of all insurance products June 1, effectively pulling out of the Japanese market. The firm, one of the largest providers of...

The Council of Europe.(Regulation)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE, meeting last month in Brussels, approved Solvency II, the new solvency regime for European insurers. Solvency II was approved by the European Parliament, 593-83, in April. According to the EU timetable for Solvency II,...

Mutual of Omaha.(Marketing)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... MUTUAL OF OMAHA has sued Oprah Winfrev and her production firm, Harpo, to protect its use of the phrase "Aha Moment" that Mutual features in a national advertising campaign. The company said Harpo sent a cease-and-desist letter, claiming it...

Trick questions.(BEST'S REVIEW'S STATS & NUMBERS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Trick Questions The sour economy may be generating a noticeable spike in suspicious insurance claims. 1st Qtr. 2008 (number Questionable...

Medical liability insurance gains.(By the Numbers: Recently published Special Reports from A.M. Best Company)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... As expected, medical professional liability insurance exhibited another year of solid underwriting results in 2008. Although MPLI carriers were adversely impacted by the global market downturn, A.M. Best Co. believes the effects on the industry...

Reinsurers steady despite equity drop.(By the Numbers: Recently published Special Reports from A.M. Best Company)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... U.S., Bermuda and large international reinsurers lost about 15% of their capacity in 2008. But A.M. Best believes that two excellent years preceding 2008, sizable capital increases and improved loss reserves let reinsurers withstand investment...

Investments hurt health writers.(By the Numbers: Recently published Special Reports from A.M. Best Company)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Health care insurers had a difficult 2008. Trends remained stable, but it was the first year in many that several companies revised their yearly earnings projections. Underwriting income declines could not be offset by positive investment...

Meetings.(Briefing)(Calendar)
June 1, 2009... June 7-9 Insurance Association of the Caribbean, in association with LIMRA and LOMA: 29th Annual Caribbean Insurance Conference, Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Web sites: www.iac-caribbean.com or www.limra.com June 8-10 Society of Actuaries:...

Tracking the stocks of global insurers and brokers.(Briefing: Stock Watch)(Statistical table)
June 1, 2009... As of the U.S. market close on Friday, May 8, A.M. Best's Global Insurance Composite was 698.30, down 2.69% year to date. The A.M. Best stock indexes cover 187 publicly traded insurance companies and brokers. Year-over-year the indexes...

Florida lawmakers shift thinking, pass bills to face cat risk.(Briefing: Stock Watch)
June 1, 2009... It took a lot for the tide in the Florida Legislature to turn in support of measures aimed at making the state property insurance market more financially sound. The insurance industry would say the handwriting has been on the wall....

Insurance jobs.(Briefing: Employment)(Statistical table)
June 1, 2009... U.S. insurance industry payrolls dropped for the sixth consecutive month in April with the loss of 4,000 jobs--nearly double the total jobs lost in March--according to seasonally adjusted data released on May 8 by the U.S. Bureau of Labor...

Question: what are the things that make employees happy? And what makes some want to leave?(Career Wise)
June 1, 2009... When workers receive telephone calls or letters from our executive recruiters inquiring whether or not they would be interested in a job change, 90% of the responses are: "It does not hurt to listen." An executive recruiter also...

Kathleen Sebelius, former NAIC president, to lead HHS.(People in Insurance)(National Association of Insurance Commissioners)(Health and Human Services)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Former Kansas Governor and former National Association of Insurance Commissioners President Kathleen Sebelius is the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sebelius took the oath of office in a brief...

Ullico Inc.(LIFE)(Union Labor Life Insurance Co. appointed gary L. Burke)(Ullico Investment Advisors Inc. appointed Peter Jones)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * ULLICO INC. has named presidents at two of its subsidiaries -Union Labor Life Insurance Co. and Ullico Investment Advisors Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GARY L. BURKE has been named president of Union Labor Life Insurance Co. while...

New York Life Insurance Co.(Life)(appointments of)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE CO. has named CHRIS BLUNT and MARK PFAFF executive vice presidents. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pfaff is responsible for U.S. Life Insurance and Agency, and Blunt is responsible for the Retirement Income Security...

Erie Indemnity Co.(Property/Casualty)(appointment of Marcia A. Dall)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * MARCIA A. DALL, has been named chief financial officer of ERIE INDEMNITY CO., taking the role vacated by Philip A. Garcia, a 28-year veteran at Erie. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dall comes to Erie from Cigna Corp. where she was CFO of the...

Kentucky Farm Bureau.(Property/Casualty)(promotion of Bradley R. Smith)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * KENTUCKY FARM BUREAU's chief operating officer, BRADLEY R. SMITH, has been tapped to take over as executive vice president and chief executive officer when ROGER L. SIMPSON retires. Smith, who began with the insurer in 1987 and was...

Main Street America Group.(Property/Casualty)(appointment of Ron James)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * RON JAMES has been named chief information officer and vice president of information technology at MAIN STREET AMERICA GROUP. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] James joined MSAG in November2008 as interim CIO after leading his own consulting...

Harleysville Insurance.(Property/Casualty)(appointment of Beth A. Friel)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * HARLEYSVILLE INSURANCE has named BETH A. FRIEL to be senior vice president of human resources. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Friel joined Harleysville in 2006 as assistant vice president and assistant general counsel. Prior to that, she was...

Onebeacon Insurance Group Inc.(Property/Casualty)(appointment of Mike Mcsally)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * ONEBEACON INSURANCE GROUP INC. has named MIKE MCSALLY senior vice president of personal lines. A 12-year veteran with OneBeacon, McSally succeeds ALEX ARCHIMEDES, who is retiring. McSally most recently served as senior vice president of...

Assurant Inc.(Property/Casualty)(appointment of Sylvia R. Wagner)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * ASSURANT INC. said it has named SYLVIA R. WAGNER executive vice president of human resources and development. She succeeds LESLEY G. SILVESTER who retires July 1. Wagner also joins the management committee of Assurant. Wagner is...

Odyssey Re Holdings Corp.(Reinsurance/Capital Markets)(appointments of Chris Gallagher and Chris Suarez)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * ODYSSEY RE HOLDINGS CORP. said CHRIS GALLAGHER has been named chief executive officer of the U.S. insurance division, Hudson Insurance Group. Gallagher joined Hudson in 2002, and has served as executive vice president of underwriting for...

Marsh.(Agent/Broker)(appointment of Julie S. Boucher)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * MARSH, a unit of Marsh & McLennan, has named JULIE S. BOUCHER as leader of the firm's U.S. captive solutions practice. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Boucher, a managing director of Marsh based in the Burlington,Vt. office, will be...

Thoits Insurance.(Agent/Broker)(Thoits Insurance Service Inc. appointed Paul Saich)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... * PAUL SAICH has been named chief executive of THOITS INSURANCE. Saich, who had been executive vice president of sales, replaces Donald Way, who remains as chairman of the board of directors.Way has been with Thoits, a San Jose,...

Phoenix Cos. Chief Wehr optimistic.(People in Insurance)(James O. Wehr)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The new chief of U.S. life insurer Phoenix Cos. Inc. is optimistic about the company's strategy that includes building new distribution channels and rolling out alternative retirement-income products as a way to resolve some recent financial...

Dispelling myths.(ADVERTISING)
June 1, 2009... EMC INSURANCE COS. recently launched a new print advertising campaign to help dispel some myths that independent agents may have about the multiline property/casualty insurer. The ads are running in national and regional insurance...

Aflac for business.(MARKETING)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] AS PART OF AN ONGOING MARKETING STRATEGY to engage business owners and benefits decision-makers, Aflac's 2009 business-to-business initiative includes a focus on the construction and education industries, starting...

Leading the way.(Insurance Marketing)(insurance advertising ranking)(Statistical table)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
June 1, 2009... The leading insurance advertisers spent more than $2.3 billion in all media in 2008, an $18 million increase from the prior year. Top 10 Insurance Advertisers: 2008 Company 2008 Ad Buy 2007 Ad Buy ...

Major clients OK IncomeFlex.(SPOTLIGHT)(Prudential Retirement Services signed a deal with Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. and Mercer Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Prudential Retirement has landed two big clients for its IncomeFlex Target product, which provides a way for retirement plan participants to obtain a guaranteed stream of lifetime income from their plan assets. In April, Prudential announced...

Online tool figures median auto rates.(Technology)(InsWeb Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Online insurance marketplace InsWeb Corp. has developed a new online tool that tracks the median price of six-month auto insurance policies nationally and by state. To calculate median auto insurance rates, InsWeb...

Individual disability for young experts.(Life)(Guardian Life Insurance Company of America)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has expanded eligibility for a program that allows new and soon-to-be professionals to obtain individual disability income insurance based on their future earnings potential. Normally, underwriting...

401(k) program for smaller businesses.(Employee Benefits)(Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The Hartford Financial Services Group has enhanced its 401(k) plans for small- and medium-sized businesses with the launch of its new Aviator program. It offers simplified pricing and underwriting, a free co-fiduciary service and more...

Navigators, ABA share an umbrella.(Property/Casualty)(American Bar Insurance Plans Consultants Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... American Bar Insurance Plan Consultants, a sponsor of insurance plans for the 400,000-plus members of the American Bar Association, will offer personal umbrella coverage to lawyers through specialty insurer Navigators Insurance Group. ABA...

Self defense.(SNAPSHOT)(Survey)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Assurant sponsored a recent survey underscoring the huge difference insurance can make when someone loses a job due to disability. Yet most respondents cited other concerns they'd have if they lost their jobs: Paying rent/ 51%...

Learn more.(Product News)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Prudential Insurance Company of America A.M. Best Company # 06974 Distribution: Career agents, independents agents, broker/dealers, banks, direct Guardian Life Insurance Company of America A.M. Best Company # 06508 ...

Rating actions.(Ratings)(Statistical table)
June 1, 2009... This edition reflects all financial strength rating changes--assignments, changes or placed under review--that occurred for life, health and property/casualty insurers domiciled in North America, as well as non-U.S, insurance companies, since...

Selling up in down times: even in a recession, financial advisers can take steps to build their life insurance and annuity businesses.(Life: Life Insurance Sales)(Cover story)
June 1, 2009... The recession has made the jobs of insurance agents and financial advisers tougher. Client portfolios have eroded and fewer people are willing to buy. At the expense of finding new customers, many insurance professionals have been spending more...

Trouble ahead: with the construction slump expected to linger, surety insurers ponder their next moves.(Property/Casualty: Surety and Fidelity)(Statistical table)(Company rankings)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The News: Surety writers are bracing for a slowdown in construction. * The Background: The surety line notched a 30% improvement in incurred losses in 2008 versus 2007. * What It Means: Fewer construction...

Give and take: insurers are eager to listen to agent advisory councils.(Agent/Broker: Agent Advisory Boards)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Background: Agent advisory councils are instrumental in giving feedback that improves how insurance companies operate. * The News: Insurers say the boards help them understand what agents are thinking about...

Resist temptation to lower standards: maintain your underwriting rules in the face of economic pressure.(Agent/Broker: Selling Insight)
June 1, 2009... Economic pressures have affected our industry significantly--policy volume is down, pricing is soft and competition is fierce--while insurance coverages have increased in complexity. Sales forces feel heightened pressure to do whatever...

Learning curve: health savings accounts have huge growth potential, but consumers seem to lack awareness about how they work.(Health/Employee Benefits: Health Savings Accounts)(Survey)
June 1, 2009... * The Trend: Health savings accounts have grown threefold since 2005 but still only account for a small portion of the overall market. * The Significance: There's some misunderstanding and lack of education among consumers about how HSAs...

Underwrite health, but do it only once: by embracing three sound practices, health insurers can significantly reduce their need for post-issue underwriting.(Health/Employee Benefits: Underwriting Insight)
June 1, 2009... The market is booming for individual, underwritten health insurance. Companies are flooded with applications. There is pressure to underwrite fast to avoid backlogs, lost sales and unhappy producers. But unfortunately, the combination of...

Calm before the storm: Florida's insurance travails are at the eye of the new hurricane season.(Reinsurance/Capital Markets: Reinsurance Market)(Statistical table)(Company rankings)
June 1, 2009... * The Big Picture: A tight market for capital already has placed pressure on reinsurers' capacity and ability to reload after disasters. * What Happened: 2008 was the fourth-costliest year for insured catastrophe losses in the past 10...

E-sign of the times: many in the financial services sector are moving to electronic signatures, but is the insurance industry as quick to follow?(Technology: Electronic signature)(Survey)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * At Issue: Electronic signatures help streamline the online sales process, reduce time to bind online policies and lower mailing and storage costs. * The Situation: Though legal barriers to e-documents and...

A wealth of opportunities: some 40% of multimillionaires don't own life insurance. That's good news for agents.(Life: Life Insurance)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The News: Life insurance is o underused as an asset strategy wealthy Americans. * The Significance: With almost 66% of the ultra-rich lacking expert financial advice, life agents have room to grow this...

Tear down the wall: practicing an effective enterprise risk management program may be as simple as asking the right questions.(Property/Casualty: Enterprise Risk Management)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Situation: One of the greatest corporate dangers comes from the interaction of risks that were thought to be unrelated. * What Needs to Happen: Insurers must use enterprise risk management strategies to...

Plan ahead to be on the winning side: when choosing the right defense counsel, successful risk managers consider chemistry and the experience of an attorney or law firm.(Property/Casualty: Loss/Risk Management Insight)
June 1, 2009... A four-year-old boy meeting his grandmother at the airport for the first time asks, "Are you really my grandmother?" "Yes, on your father's side," says the grandmother. The young boy hugs the woman and whispers, "I hate to tell you...

Tech buzz: new applications aim to make the work of insurance professionals a little easier.(Technology: Hot Tech Tools)
June 1, 2009... For all you frustrated insurance professionals who know there's just got to be a better way of doing things, Best's Review presents a sampling of new technology from three companies. The purpose of these and other new products is to help...

Competing for customers: data management and business analytic practices help carriers develop insight into their customer base.(Technology: Technology Insight)
June 1, 2009... Economic challenges have forced insurers to an increased focus on customer analytics. Competition has never been fiercer nor have profit margins been thinner. Effective management of customer data and the ability to analyze it are critical...

Store policy: health insurers are offering customers products, as well as various programs, face-to-face.(Health/Employee Benefits: Health Insurance Retail Stores)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Trend: Several Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans are bringing health insurance directly to customers via storefront locations * What's Happening: Shoppers can learn more about member benefits, enroll in...

Protection plans: difficult times prompt property/casualty insurers to improvise when buying reinsurance.(Reinsurance/Capital Markets: Risk Mitigation)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Situation: Property/casualty insurance surpluses are suffering due to the global recession. * The Issue: Reinsurance for P/C firms must be especially cost-effective while preserving coverage. * The...

LIMRA/LOMA chief says financial crisis will leave life industry 'quite different'.(Life: LIMRA/LOMA Conferences)
June 1, 2009... When the current global financial crisis and economic downturn are history, the U.S. life insurance industry will look vastly different. Companies will have exited lines of business that are just too risky or hard to price or be merged into or...

Genworth Financial plans to up 'Main Street' selling.(Life: LIMRA/LOMA Conferences)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Bucking an industry trend of serving the wealthy, one company seeks to grow its U.S. life insurance business by targeting a largely untapped group of people it dubs the Main Street market. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] People earning between...

Lincoln seeks growth in Life/LTC combo products.(Life: LIMRA/LOMA Conferences)(long term care insurance)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Lincoln National Corp. is among companies in the U.S. life insurance industry hoping that people nearing retirement will see the value of buying a life insurance policy that offers a long-term care insurance benefit, a type of combo product...

ING touts estate benefits of 'standby trusts'.(Life: LIMRA/LOMA Conferences)(ING America Life Corp.)
June 1, 2009... As one life insurer gets the word out about the benefits of a standby trust to people concerned about the federal estate tax, a company executive says the word "wealthy" may be difficult to define because of the U.S. economic downturn. ...

Broker-dealer's due diligence toughens up.(Life: LIMRA/LOMA Conferences)
June 1, 2009... In the fallout of the financial crisis, the due diligence process used by at least one independent broker-dealer to evaluate which life insurance products gain access to its distribution has gotten a lot more rigorous. [ILLUSTRATION...

Renewing the industry's brand: consumer focus is the best route back to a good reputation.(Life: Selling Insight)
June 1, 2009... As difficult and painful as it has been to see, the problems of American International Group, Hartford Financial Services Group, MetLife and a number of other companies may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the industry. ...

Unleash the power: the use of data analytics in the insurance industry is emerging as an important and sustainable trend.(Technology: Semantic Technology)
June 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The Situation: Insurers have mountains of inaccessible data. * What It Means: Claims executives, underwriters and actuaries could all benefit from the business intelligence mined from the data. * Watch For:...

RIMS attendees address AIG bailout's consequences.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(American International Group Inc.)(Risk and Insurance Management Society)
June 1, 2009... As American International Group ramps up plans to transfer its core property/casualty business into a new entity, AIU Holdings, other industry heavyweights assessed the competitive impact of AIG's federal bailout. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Levene: industry in 'good shape'.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(Peter Levene)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The biggest challenge facing the insurance industry today is to underwrite for a profit, and not take on any business simply to collect the premium, said Lloyd's Chairman Peter Levene. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "If everyone can do that...

Natural disasters may drive rates.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... As rates in the commercial property markets generally grow firmer, shrinking capacity for natural disasters may force rates up for companies within catastrophe-prone regions, said FM Global Chairman and CEO Shivan Subramaniam. He doesn't think...

Economy affects RIMS attendance.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Another sign of the economy's impact on the insurance industry surfaced with a 30% drop in attendance at the Risk and Insurance Management Society's annual conference. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] RIMS President Joe Restoule said the...

A market in flux: insurers discuss an uncertain world.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Insurance companies are finding their sea legs in a different kind of market, the likes of which they've never seen before. In spite of heavy catastrophe claims from 2008 and the worst financial results in years, insurers are not seeing the...

Recession and legislation: top risks in 2009.(Property/Casualty: RIMS Conference)(Company rankings)
June 1, 2009... The economic downturn is the top risk on the minds of risk managers, according to a survey by broker and consulting firm Aon Corp. The 2009 Global Risk Management Survey found companies view the current economic slowdown, regulatory and...

Monitor, measure and manage ERM: improved IT systems can bolster enterprise risk management initiatives.(Property/Casualty: Underwriting Insight)(enterprise risk management)(information technology)
June 1, 2009... In today's turbulent economy, it is more important than ever for businesses to enhance their results though improved risk management practices. While the task of customizing and managing risk management information can be daunting, the adoption...

Best's Review's Annual Corporate Changes 2008.(Regulatory/Law: Corporate Changes)
June 1, 2009... LIFE/HEALTH MERGERS AIG Assurance Canada (AMB# 66828), Toronto. This company merged into AIG Life Insurance Company of Canada on Oct. 1, 2008. AIG Life Insurance Company of Puerto Rico (AMB# 6073), Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. This company...

Nanotechnology: risks and rewards: insurers must keep liability at bay even in the miniature worlds of tomorrow.(Regulatory/Law: Legal Insight)
June 1, 2009... The blossoming field of nanotechnology engages scientists at the smallest of scales--the nanoscale, where matter is measured from one- to one-hundred-billionth of a meter. At nanoscale, a substance's physical and chemical properties are...

Newly listed firms.(Companies)(Directory)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... The following firms are newly listed in A.M. Best's directories of insurance professionals. Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys ** FEIKENS, STEVENS, KENNEDY & GALBRAITH P.C. Detroit, MI * 313-962-5909 ** GRIER...

Greenberg sells 12m AIG shares to Starr International.(Companies)(Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg)(American International Group Inc.)(Starr International Company Inc.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2009... Maurice R. "Hank" Greenberg agreed to sell slightly less than 12.9 million shares of common stock in American International Group Inc. to Starr International Co., a company that he controls, according to documents filed May 1 with the U.S....

York chief gears up for continued growth.(Companies)(York Insurance Services Group.)
June 1, 2009... Hard times are busy times for insurance servicing companies, which are dealing with clients and their employees in sometimes tense circumstances exacerbated by the strains of a bad economy. "Customers are under extraordinary stress, both...

New kids on the block: health plans are joining a national movement to change the way children and parents tackle childhood obesity.(The Last Word)
June 1, 2009... Insurers are joining the fight against childhood obesity. Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and WellPoint Inc. are just a few of the partners in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation....