Monthly Archives: <span>January 2010</span>

Wall Street Barons Concede Failures, Offer No Apologies

Wall Street’s chiefs acknowledged taking on “too much risk” and having “choked” on their own cooking, but stopped short of an apology as they sparred with a commission looking into the financial crisis. The first public hearing of the Financial …

Calif. Earthquake Damage To Top $28M, ‘State of Emergency’ in Humboldt County

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in the Northern California county struck by a weekend earthquake, saying damage from the magnitude-6.5 temblor was expected to top $28 million. Saturday’s quake “disrupted utilities and caused damage to …

Ex-AIG CEO Greenberg Sees Hope for Overhaul of Bailout

Former AIG CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg said the rising tide of questions about the government’s 2008 rescue of the insurer could be the catalyst for a dramatic overhaul of the bailout. “I believe that for the first time there is …

How 84-Year Old Insurance CEO Greenberg Stays In Fighting Shape

Veteran insurance executive Maurice “Hank” Greenberg bristles ever so slightly when asked about his upcoming 85th birthday. “There are two types of birthdays — chronological and biological. Doctors tell me biologically I am 25 years younger,” the former AIG chief …

The Hanover Insurance: Focused on Niches, Says More Acquisitions Likely

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc.’s CEO Frederick H. Eppinger expects the western United States to be a key growth driver for the super-regional insurer in the next several years. Having just entered into a renewal rights agreement with OneBeacon Insurance …

Companies Offer Aid for Haitians; Caribbean Risk Pool Pays $8M

Companies pledged millions of dollars in aid Wednesday to help victims of a powerful earthquake in Haiti that devastated much of the impoverished country’s capital and killed thousands. Digicel Group, a top mobile phone operator in Haiti, said it would …

Tens of Thousands Feared Dead, Capital in Ruins From Haiti’s Catastrophic Quake

Traumatized Haitians slept out in parks and streets Thursday, fearing aftershocks to the catastrophic earthquake that flattened homes and government buildings and buried countless people. Tens of thousands of people were feared dead and many were believed to be still …

Much of Haiti Damage Uninsured

The insurance industry is unlikely to face large losses from a major earthquake that struck Haiti Tuesday, because many properties in the impoverished country lack insurance coverage, according to catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions. “The impact to the insurance industry …

Haiti Earthquake to Cost Insurers Millions: Equecat

The earthquake that struck Haiti may have caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, according to risk assessor Eqecat, which will likely lead to losses even for insurers of well-designed buildings. Eqecat said Tuesday hours after the magnitude 7.0 …

Florida Agents, Consumer Group Sound Alarm Over ‘Perilous’ Property Market

Insurance agents, a former insurance commissioner and a consumer advocate have sounded an alarm about the property insurance marketplace in Florida, a market that has seen four insurers get into financial trouble in the past year. Citing the insurers’ financial …