Monthly Archives: <span>June 2015</span>

Top 10 Metro Areas for Vehicle Theft

Although vehicle thefts are down dramatically around the nation, there are still particular areas where thieves thrive. California’s San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had the nation’s highest per capita vehicle theft rate in 2014, according to the National Insurance …

Buckner Co. in Utah Joins RiskProNet International

Salt Lake City, Utah-based The Buckner Co. has joined RiskProNet International, an association of independent insurance brokers in North America. The Buckner Co. is an insurance brokerage with six offices in Utah, Idaho and Colorado. The provides all essential insurance …

‘Seismicity’ – Re/Insurers Ponder the Impact of Human-Caused Earthquakes

Earthquakes, the natural kind caused by the movements of vast tectonic plates, have been occurring since the dawn of time. But now there is a new type of quake, the study of which has been labeled “seismicity,” which is being …

Senate Advances Fast Track Trade Bill

The U.S. Senate advanced legislation that would give President Barack Obama enhanced authority to complete free-trade deals including a landmark agreement with Pacific nations. The 60-37 vote Tuesday paves the way for final passage Wednesday. Because the U.S. House has …

Democrats Vow One Sentence Fix If Court Ends Obamacare Subsidies

Democrats are prepared to quickly come up with a legislative solution should the U.S. Supreme Court rule in the next few days to invalidate a central part of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law, party leaders in the Senate said …

Judge Delays Federal Fracking Safety Regulations

New U.S. fracking safety rules set to take effect Wednesday were put on hold by a Wyoming federal judge who said he needed more evidence to decide whether to block them as requested by drillers and four western states. Before …

Scottsdale’s Underwriting Senior VP Tiepelman to Retire

Scottsdale Insurance Co. announced that Gary Tiepelman, senior vice president of Contract and Professional Lines Underwriting, is retiring in August. Hired by founder Rollie Wiegers in 1982 as the company’s thirteenth employee, Tiepelman helped grow Scottsdale Insurance from nothing to …

New Worker Classification Needed for Sharing Economy, Uber Drivers

This question of whether an Uber driver is an employee doesn’t matter just to Uber. As you may have heard, the on-demand car-service juggernaut lost a case early this month before the California Labor Commissioner on whether a driver was …

Lloyd’s Stops Insuring Marijuana Firms Due to U.S. Law Conflicts

Lloyd’s of London has stopped insuring marijuana industry firms of any kind due to conflicts between federal and state laws over their legality. In a May 29 memo addressed “Dear Colleague,” obtained by Insurance Journal, Lloyd’s Director of Performance Management …

Advanced Markets Drive 3.7% Global Premium Growth in 2014: Swiss Re

The global insurance industry gained momentum in 2014, with total direct premiums increasing by 3.7 percent to $4.778 trillion after having stagnated the previous year, according to Swiss Re’s latest “sigma” study. The life sector returned to positive growth, with …