National News

Carmakers, Ride-Hail Firms Stress Digital Even As Vehicle Cyber Risks Worsen

Hopping into an Uber or a Car2Go is a great way to get around. Unfortunately, hackers agree, exploiting weaknesses in apps to go on “phantom rides” with someone else’s profile. From such trips—like a man in Australia who went on …

Premium Finance Firm National Partners to be Acquired by Digital Lender WebBank

Salt Lake City-based digital lender WebBank has agreed to acquire Denver-based National Partners, a national insurance premium finance company and subsidiary of MLF Financial Group. This is the first foray into insurance premium finance for WebBank, a national issuer of …

JLT Re Partners with Insurtech for Auto Insurance MGA Pact

Reinsurance broker JLT Re North America is partnering with Pact Insurance, a personal auto insurtech company, to develop digital insurance products for mobility risks. Pact is a managing general agency headquartered in San Francisco and currently offers low cost, on-demand …

Doubts About Hotel Industry Cyber Security Pre-Date Marriott Hacking

Long before Marriott International Inc. disclosed a massive security breach, the hotel industry had earned the dubious reputation as a hospitable place for hackers. Thieves have skimmed credit cards, looted loyalty accounts, and mounted complex schemes to trick clerks into …

U.S. Drivers Sue Hyundai, Kia Over Car Engine Fires

Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. were sued by U.S. drivers over an alleged defect that could cause certain engines to catch fire, adding pressure on the South Korean automakers being probed by U.S. authorities. More than 350 consumer …

Allstate’s Shares Fall Under Weight of Wildfire Losses

Allstate Corp. tumbled for nine straight days, the longest string of losses since 2001, as coverage costs from the deadliest fires in California’s history are tallied. The company seemed to have “out-sized exposure” to the location of the blazes, Wells …

Drugmaker Eyes Reinsurance to Lower Costs, Reports Financial Times

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG is considering working with reinsurers to provide alternative financing options for life-saving drugs, potentially saving substantial healthcare costs, Financial Times reported on Sunday. Among the options proposed includes a “reinsurance model in which a third party …

Effect of Judge Ruling Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional Delayed for Appeal

Obamacare was struck down by a Texas federal judge in a ruling that casts uncertainty on insurance coverage for millions of U.S. residents, drawing sharp condemnation from some medical professionals and a vow for action by top Democrats. President Donald …

Reuters Special Report: J&J Knew About Asbestos in Baby Powder for Decades

Darlene Coker knew she was dying. She just wanted to know why. She knew that her cancer, mesothelioma, arose in the delicate membrane surrounding her lungs and other organs. She knew it was as rare as it was deadly, a …

Fitch Sees U.S. P/C Insurers Reducing Investments in Hedge Funds

U.S. property/casualty insurers’ investment position in other alternative investments as reported is concentrated within a few large insurers and is relatively stable as a percentage of invested assets for the last several years. Also, the attraction to alternative investments, including …

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