banks News

Deeper Euro Zone Integration to Take Time Says EU Commissioner Rehn

Tightening fiscal integration in the euro zone and surrendering more sovereignty in the name of deeper cooperation between member states may be possible only in the medium term, the EU’s top economic official said on Monday, dampening expectations of a …

Trade Credit Insurers Increase Exposures to over $225 Billion

Global trade credit insurers have increased their exposures in the sector by over €180 billion [$226.8 billion], despite the continuing unstable economic environment. At a recent meeting in Singapore the members of the International Credit Insurance and Surety Association (ICISA) …

Analysis: EU’s Spain Bank Rescue May Bring only Brief Respite

Euro zone finance ministers rushed Spain into an EU-funded rescue for its debt-stricken banks to pre-empt the threat of a bank run if Greece’s debt crisis flares again but any respite for Madrid and the euro may be short-lived. After …

Irish ‘Yes’ Vote Assures Continued Support; Euro Zone Crisis Still Weighs

Ireland held a referendum on Thursday, May 31 – a straight yes or no vote on whether the country would write the “Stability Treaty,” the austerity measures agreed to last fall by the 17 euro zone countries, into law. It …

European Commission Approves ING Restructuring; Opens New Probe

The European Commission on Friday approved a restructuring plan for Dutch bank and insurer ING made during the financial crisis as compatible with the European Union’s internal market, but also opened an investigation into amendments to the plan. Friday’s approval …

Geneva Association Reminds Federal Reserve Insurers Aren’t Banks

The Swiss-based insurance think tank Geneva Association has followed up on its recent report as to whether or not some insurers should be considered as G-SIFI’s (globally systemic important financial institutions). The Association has sent a letter to the Federal …

Reuters Columnist James Saft on Europe’s Credit Crunch; Bank Capital

Europe looks to be entering a credit crunch, with loans harder to get and those that are made coming on tougher terms. Strikingly, banks are being tight despite falling demand for credit, pointing to a nasty interaction between the economy, …

Are Some Insurers ‘Globally Systemic Important Financial Institutions?

A report from the Geneva Association, “Reflections on a High-Quality G-SIFI Designation Process in Insurance,” authored by Daniel Haefeli and Patrick M. Liedtke, gives some meaningful insights into the process of defining what is – and is not – a …

CRC’s CEO Hopes to Create ‘Best of the Best’ With Crump Merger

The recent acquisition of Roseland, N.J.-based insurance wholesaler Crump Group by BB&T Corp., a major regional bank and insurance broker based in Winston-Salem, N.C., created one of the largest providers of wholesale commercial insurance brokerage and specialty programs in the …

Lloyd’s CEO Ward on 2011 Loss: ‘Not a Bad Result’

At first glance that statement may seem a little strange, considering that Lloyd’s reported an overall loss for the year of £516 million ($822 million). But considering that overall insured losses for the year from natural catastrophes were between $107 …