Latest USA Headlines

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

World’s Financial Sector Facing ‘Hornet’s Nest’ of Political Risk

Apr 24 2009 // Oh, for the days when a little irrational exuberance was the biggest problem facing the world’s bankers and financiers.It is way beyond that now. With the financial world mired in a stubborn credit crisis and the...

Florida’s Property Insurance Market: An Overview by Commissioner McCarty

Apr 24 2009 // It is always interesting, and frequently amusing, to read various “research” pieces on the Florida property insurance market. While I, like every other insurance regulator, industry professional and observer in...

FDIC Head Favors Interagency Panel to Oversee Systemic Risk

Apr 24 2009 // The head of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp said Friday that she favors a council of regulators over one entity to oversee systemic risk in the financial system.“If there was a (interagency) council for...

Freberg, ZCL Target Florida with Underground Storage Tank Insurance

Apr 23 2009 // ZCL Composites Inc., an underground fiberglass tank manufacturer, has partnered with Freberg Environmental Insurance of Denver to offer Prezerver, a non-cancellable, 10-year underground storage tank insurance policy for...

Insurers, Environmental Advocates Urge Changes to Protect U.S. Coastlines

Apr 23 2009 // A coalition of insurers, public officials, risk experts, builders and conservation groups introduced a blueprint of policy changes and common sense actions that could reduce economic losses from future storms and rising...

Severe Storm Season Like 2008 Could Occur Once Every 4 to 5 Years, RMS Predicts

Apr 22 2009 // As the peak tornado season rapidly approaches in May, Risk Management Solutions (RMS), a provider of products and services for catastrophe risk management, has released a special report analyzing the impact of the 2008...

Study: Insurers’ Customer Retention Critical in Hard Economic Times

Apr 22 2009 // As millions of U.S. households face financial hardship in the current U.S. recession, retaining existing customers has never been more important.For insurance carriers in terms of long-term profitability, customer...

Top Federal Reserve Official: Let ‘Too Big’ Insolvent Financial Firms Fail

Apr 21 2009 // Insolvent financial firms must be allowed to fail regardless of their size, and sheltering such “too big to fail” institutions risks making the financial crisis worse, a top Federal Reserve official said...

It’s Not Easy Being Green; But It’s Profitable

Apr 21 2009 // Jim Henson’s most famous Kermit the Frog said it the best, “It’s not easy being green.” Today’s property owners and insurers understand that while it’s not easy going green, being green...

Mexico Bank Offers Insurance for Immigrants in U.S.

Apr 21 2009 // Banorte, one of Mexico’s leading banks, has begun to offer life insurance to immigrants working in the United States to protect their families back home.The insurance, being rolled out first in the state of...

Mammolite to Head Ironshore’s U.S. Property Unit

Apr 20 2009 // Bermuda-based specialty insurer Ironshore Inc. has appointed Anthony Mammolite as executive vice president of its U.S. Property unit. Mammolite, who will be based in New York, will oversee strategy for the unit, which...

Data Security Presents a Risk — and Sales Opportunity — for Agents

Apr 20 2009 // Data security represents a new risk for independent insurance agencies that may not be compliant with data security laws or have plans in place to protect their companies from data breaches.It also represents a new market...

Business Moves

Apr 20 2009 // Munich ReGerman reinsurer Munich Re has successfully concluded the acquisition of specialty insurer HSB Group from American International Group for $739 million. The deal was originally announced last December. The...

Crime Warp: Recession Driving a Rise in Vehicle Give-Ups

Apr 20 2009 // As America’s economy slogs through this once-in-a-generation recession, stressed-out consumers are literally being driven to desperation. Growing numbers of drivers around the U.S. are illegally dumping their...

Rates Rising on U.S. Property Catastrophe Reinsurance

Apr 20 2009 // A new industry briefing shows reinsurance rates continuing to increase for the U.S. property-catastrophe reinsurance market for April 1, 2009, renewals.According to Guy Carpenter & Co.’s “Rates Up on...

U.S. Lawmaker Urges AIG CEO Liddy to Quit Over Goldman Sachs Stake

Apr 17 2009 // A U.S. congressman Thursday expressed concern about a stake in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. held by Edward Liddy, CEO of bailed-out insurer American International Group Inc., and urged him to quit.Liddy owns shares and...

AIG May Sell U.S. Auto Unit to Zurich

Apr 16 2009 // American International Group is close to a deal to sell its U.S. auto insurance business to Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services for roughly $1.5 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.A deal could...

Farmers To Acquire AIG’s Personal Auto Group for $1.9 Billion

Apr 16 2009 // Los Angeles-based the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies has announced it will acquire American International Group’s (AIG’s) Personal Auto Group, which includes 21st Century Insurance Co.The acquisition...

Somali Pirates Seize Two More Ships, U.S. Vessel, Others Attacked

Apr 15 2009 // Somali pirates hijacked two more cargo vessels and opened fire on two others Tuesday in attacks that showed a determination to go on striking at shipping on the region’s strategic trade routes.The capture of the...

20-Year Sentence Sought for Bond Broker in Insurance Scheme

Apr 15 2009 // Federal prosecutors in New Orleans are seeking a 20-year prison sentence for a woman convicted of participating in a money laundering scheme with a former Louisiana lawmaker.A jury convicted Gwendolyn Moyo last year of...