Monthly Archives: <span>April 2006</span>

GEICO settles lawsuit over discount policy

Californians who purchased auto policies from GEICO and were denied a discount for not having proof of prior insurance will receive refunds as part of a settlement between the company and a consumer advocate group. Government Employees Insurance Co., also …

Top meteorologist predicts 17 named storms will form in Atlantic Basin

A well-known meteorologist is predicting that 17 named storms will form in the Atlantic Basin during the 2006 hurricane season, and the 2006 Atlantic hurricane season will be much more active than the average 1950-2000 season. Prof. William M. Gray, …

New law pushed by agents may hamper Nevada mining watchdog group

The chief proponent of a new law cited by Nevada in trying to block a mining industry watchdog group’s efforts to stop pollution from an old Nevada gold mine said that he didn’t envision the law being used that way. …

Archdiocese uses reserves to settle sex-abuse claims, pays $5.25 million

The Seattle Archdiocese looked deep into its reserve funds to cover the cost of settling sex abuse claims, church officials said. Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Wash., and one of its main insurance carriers, have agreed to a …

POLL SHOWS DRIVERS DON’T SAVE MONEY IMMEDIATELY BY OWNING A HYBRID VEHICLE

Most new-car buyers in Washington who are likely to buy a hybrid share a common misconception that owning a hybrid car will save them money through better mileage, according to PEMCO’s Northwest Insurance poll. The Seattle-based insurer’s poll showed that …

To acquire or be acquired — that is the question

Independent retail insurance agencies looking to grow through acquisition had better have a good plan in place if they want to run with the big dogs — those big dogs being the banks, the large public brokers and the regional …

Utah city expects $2.5 million fire insurance settlement

Ogden, Utah, officials are expecting a $2.5 million insurance settlement for a fire that destroyed a building the city had offered for sale at a fraction of that amount. The cause of the March 11 fire that destroyed the 100-year-old …

WASHINGTON BUSINESSES CAN PURCHASE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS ONLINE AT COSTCO

Costco Executive Business Members in Washington will be able to purchase and administer employee benefits insurance online. Concero Technology, a Portland, Ore.-based provider of employee benefits insurance portals, announced that it has expanded the wholesaler giants’ healthcare packages. Costco Wholesale …

Declining rates fuel stand-alone terrorism market

With the exception of a few notorious hotspots, rates for stand-alone terrorism insurance have dropped by 40 to 50 percent since 2002, according to Aon’s Crisis Management division. The reductions have been driven by a steady growth in capacity coupled …

AOL AD REVENUE CLASS ACTION SUIT SETTLED FOR $2.6 BILLION

A judge approved a $2.65 billion class-action settlement of claims that ad revenue was counted in a fraudulent manner prior to the merger of America Online and Time Warner. U.S. District Judge Shirley Wohl Kram signed a ruling approving the …