Colorado News

Colorado Bill Would Boost Penalties for Poor Insurance Carrier Conduct

The Colorado House is considering a bill that is designed to protect consumers by strengthen penalities when insurance carriers act unreasonably. However, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging the Colorado Legislature to reject the bill, saying …

Liberty Mutual to Acquire Safeco Insurance in $6.2B Deal

Liberty Mutual Group has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Safeco Corp. for $68.25 per share in cash in a deal that will make Liberty Mutual the fifth largest U.S. property/casualty insurer and second largest surety …

Colorado Motorcycle Fatalities Reach Record High

Motorcycle fatalities are on the rise in Colorado, doubling from 45 in 1995 to an all-time high of 90 deaths in 2007, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). In the past five years (2003-2007) in Colorado, 402 riders …

Investigators Probing Cause of Colorado Blast

Insurance and fire investigators were examining the remains of a building in Breckenridge, Colo., to determine the cause of an explosion that leveled the two-story structure and injured a man. The man was in a second-story apartment in the building …

Insurers to Build Research Center for Natural Disaster Property Losses

A new state-of-the-art applied research facility will use science and technology to expand capabilities to create more durable homes and businesses and reduce the human, financial and societal costs of natural disasters. The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), …

Business Moves

ACE, Aon ACE Limited has completed its acquisition of 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Combined Insurance Co. of America and certain of its subsidiaries from Aon Corp. for $2.56 billion in cash. The closing price exceeded the $2.4 …

People

The Main Street America Group board of directors promoted two and appointed two to officer-level positions. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based company promoted John Thompson to vice president, operational controller and Dean Dorman to assistant vice president, actuarial. The board of directors …

Business Moves

Hull & Co., Big Sky Underwriters, Powers & Co. Hull & Co. Inc. acquired substantially all of the assets of Missoula, Mont.-based Big Sky Underwriters Inc. “The people of Big Sky are well respected in the Northwest marketplace,” said Bob …

Insurers: Colorado Bill Threatens Auto Insurance Savings

The Colorado Legislature is considering a bill that the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America claims would add bureaucratic red tape and costs to the state’s automobile insurance system. House Bill 1389, the Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act, would create …

Public Brokers’ Stocks Trading Down While M&As Fall in February, March

Stock Prices: Brokerage stocks have started 2008 in a downward spiral. Year-to-date the sector is trading down 13 percent. M&A Activity: With 29 acquisitions announced in February and March, the year-to-date total is 56, which is down 14 percent from …