May 4, 2010
A Midwest regional business conditions index slipped last month but still suggests a growing economy in the months ahead. A report on the Midwest Business Conditions survey of supply managers and business leaders in a nine-state region was released May …
May 3, 2010
Warren Buffett Saturday launched a strong defense of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and the investment bank’s embattled chief executive, Lloyd Blankfein. Speaking at Berkshire’s annual meeting before an estimated 40,000 shareholders, Buffett’s forceful …
May 3, 2010
Agency Employs Objective Data on Producers’ Skills Paired with Individualized Sales Training In the current economy, the pressure is really on. It’s not enough to just sell the product – you want your sales people to be best equipped to …
May 3, 2010
37% The National Association for Business Economics said its industry survey found that the outlook for employment is improving, with 37 percent of the 67 members who took part expecting to increase payrolls. This compared with 29 percent in January. …
May 3, 2010
Industry’s Sophistication Rises, And So Do the Risks The beer industry, like many others, has been impacted by the economy with one notable exception: craft brewers. The microbrewery, brew pub and brewery industries have actually seen sales jump in the …
May 3, 2010
It is probably fair to say that just about every town has a restaurant or tavern. Thus, pursuing these commercial risks is probably close to a no-brainer. Before you take that first step, however, be aware that these risks do …
April 30, 2010
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. reported first quarter 2010 net income of $319 million. Property and casualty net income rose $145 million, to $257 million for the first quarter of 2010, compared with $112 million for the prior year …
April 29, 2010
The Geneva Association,* the most prominent global “think tank” for the insurance industry, has taken issue with the proposals from the International Monetary Fund to impose a “financial stability tax,” which would be levied on financial services companies, including insurers. …
April 29, 2010
U.S. regulators should clamp down on Wall Street innovation to prevent firms from creating “Frankenstein” financial products with no substantial value to the public at large, former New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer said on Wednesday. Spitzer, the former New …
April 29, 2010
State Auto Financial Corp.(STFC), based in Columbus, Ohio, has reported first quarter 2010 net income of $12.9 million versus a net loss of $14 million. The company’s combined ratio for the first quarter of 2010 was 99.7 compared with 112.0 …