Currents

Fla. Commissioner McCarty in political hot water

Fla. Gov. Charlie Crist has come to the defense of the state’s insurance commissioner who hosted a fund raiser for a circuit judge candidate. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink last month rebuked Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty after he admitted seeking …

Commercial property/casualty premiums drop, underwriting relaxes, 1st quarter survey finds

Commercial property/casualty premiums for all sizes of accounts dropped sharply during the first quarter of 2007, with indications that insurance companies are starting to loosen underwriting standards and price aggressively to get business, according to the latest Commercial Property/Casualty Market …

Fortified building standards: Gulf Coast market salvation?

An agent, an engineer and a non-profit push fortified structures as key to region’s economic and insurance revival Concrete houses sprouting up in southern Alabama, Missis-sippi and elsewhere in the Gulf Coast region are more than just fortified structures that …

Key subcommittee chairman favors six to eight-year terrorism insurance extension

Insurance industry pushes for longer period with some in favor of 20 years or more In his opening statement as chair of a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee considering extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), Rep. Paul E. …

Calif. OAL rules agent-broker relationships case not “precedential”

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) has been handed a procedural setback in its effort to crack down on agents charging broker fees. Last week, the California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) determined that former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi acted …

Sen. Lott settles Katrina claim with State Farm

U.S. Sen. Trent Lott, R – Miss., has agreed to settle the lawsuit he filed against State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. for refusing to cover Hurricane Katrina’s damage to his Gulf Coast home, an attorney for the Mississippi Republican …

Another report details property/casualty insurers’ 2006 profitability, escape from storms

Warns falling prices mean profits are at, or are steadily, approaching the cyclical peak Another report on the insurance industry confirms and details what has been widely acknowledged: a sharp decline in catastrophes in 2006 contributed to improved underwriting results …

Ariz. Governor Napolitano signs captive insurance law

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has signed HB2294, Captive Insurer Amendments, updating Arizona’s captive insurance law. The amendments will be effective 90 days after the legislative session adjourns. The amendments: Allow the establishment of branch captives to provide employee benefits. Define …

Ark. river levees need $4M in repairs, FEMA says

Miles of levees along the St. Francis River in Craighead County, Ark., have been deemed unacceptable by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, meaning homeowners there may need to purchase flood insurance if $4 million in repairs aren’t made. Craighead County …

Study: Obese workers drive up workers’ compensation costs

Gaining too much weight can be as bad for an employer’s bottom line as it is for a person’s waistline. A Duke University Medical Center analysis found that obese workers filed twice the number of workers’ compensation claims, had seven …

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