Latest USA Headlines

All the headlines from our USA Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Tight Market Drives Australian Companies into Deals Abroad

Oct 21 2010 // Cash rich Australian companies are being forced to search offshore for takeover targets as the small local market has become too consolidated to get deals past the competition watchdog.With the Aussie dollar at a 28-year...

Willis Consolidates, US, UK Group Mining Practice

Oct 21 2010 // Willis Group Holdings announced that it has incorporated its US, UK and International hubs of mining expertise into one worldwide group practice, which will report to Steve Hearn, London-based Chairman of Global Markets...

Specialty Products Manufacturing: Multiple Opportunities for Injury

Oct 21 2010 // In 2007 there were over 10 million consumer-product related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments, according to the National Safety Council. While the statistics reveal injuries from seemingly innocuous...

Utah Workers’ Compensation Carrier to Expand in the Western U.S.

Oct 21 2010 // Utah Business Insurance Company (UBIC) has retained Andrew Olwert as part of its leadership team in order to expand its footprint in the West. Mr. Olwert will initially help UBIC position itself both operationally and...

Tide of History Runs against Would-be G20 ‘Grand Bargain’

Oct 20 2010 // Speculation of a grand bargain by the Group of 20 to rebalance the global economy is swirling ever faster thanks to China’s surprise decision to raise interest rates for the first time since 2007.Higher rates ought...

U.S. Says ‘End is in Sight” on Russia’s Bid to Join the WTO

Oct 20 2010 // Russia could join the World Trade Organization within a year after talks on Moscow’s 17-year-old bid made good progress, President Barack Obama’s senior economic adviser said on Wednesday.“We are...

Torus Names Grange Head of U.S. Professional Lines

Oct 20 2010 // Global specialty insurer Torus has appointed Jeffery S. Grange as senior vice president and head of U.S. professional lines. Based in Torus’ Jersey City, N.J. office He reports to Chief Underwriting Officer Dermot...

Marsh U.S. Consumer Names Shiomos Senior VP of HSA Services

Oct 20 2010 // Marsh U.S. Consumer, based in Urbandale, Iowa, has appointed Mike Shiomos senior vice president. Shiomos will lead the marketing of Marsh HSA Services, which provides health savings account (HSA) solutions for...

CVS To Pay Record Fine for Selling Meth Ingredient

Oct 19 2010 // CVS, the nation’s largest operator of retail pharmacies, announced it has agreed to pay $75 million in fines for allowing repeated purchases of pseudoephedrine that led to a spike in Southern California drug...

BP Links Bonus Pay to Safety, Risk Management

Oct 19 2010 // BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley has stepped up his battle to rebuild the troubled oil giant’s reputation, declaring safety is so core to the group that it would be the sole measure for staff bonuses in the last quarter...

Atwater, Ausley Vie to Succeed Sink As Florida CFO

Oct 19 2010 // Although Florida’s next chief financial officer will take charge during one of the rockiest times in the state’s financial history, the race has received little attention amid higher-profile races for the U.S....

Private Insurers Eligible for Small Business Export-Credit Reinsurance

Oct 19 2010 // Private sector insurers that provide short-term export-credit insurance covering foreign receivables to U.S. exporters are now eligible for reinsurance from the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).Atradius...

Ratings Roundup: Travelers (UK), Tenet, Allianz (France)

Oct 19 2010 // A.M. Best Europe – Rating Services Limited has affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A (Excellent) and issuer credit rating (ICR) of “a+” of UK-based Travelers Insurance Company Limited (TICL),...

Lloyd’s McGovern Works to Expand No. American Business; Part II

Oct 18 2010 // Sean McGovern now heads Lloyd’s operations in the U.S. and Canada – the first and third largest sources of business for its underwriters. Lloyd’s not only wants to hold on to that business, but also to...

Business Moves

Oct 18 2010 // Western National, Arizona Auto, LegacyWestern National Insurance Group (WNIG) of Edina, Minn., signed an agreement for the purchase of 100 percent of the stock of Arizona Auto Insurance Co. and Legacy Insurance Services,...

Fight the Gloom and Doom

Oct 18 2010 // It’s a cat chasing-its-tail scenario. Or maybe a Catch-22. Chicken-and-egg? Whatever it is, it’s a mess.The scenario is this: The economy takes a nose dive, so the government lowers interest rates to nearly...

Declarations

Oct 18 2010 // Insurer Suits“We are expected to be one of several insurance companies that are taking this action.” —Allstate spokeswoman Christina Loznicka after Allstate Insurance Co. announced it had sued Toyota Motor...

Fight the Gloom and Doom

Oct 18 2010 // It’s a cat chasing-its-tail scenario. Or maybe a Catch-22. Chicken-and-egg? Whatever it is, it’s a mess.The scenario is this: The economy takes a nose dive, so the government lowers interest rates to nearly...

U.S. Firms Plan New Oil Spill Insurance Fund

Oct 18 2010 // U.S. oil explorers are talking about forming a new insurance fund that would cover the costs of any future oil spill, to avoid a scenario where smaller companies are unable to drill offshore, an industry executive...

Business Moves

Oct 18 2010 // IMS, London American Risk SpecialistsIMS Insurance Market Solutions acquired Houston-based London American Risk Specialists Inc. effective Sept. 1, 2010. The combined entity will become IMS/London American and will be one...