Economy News

How New York Insurance Broker Has Used Social Media

To the 77 percent of independent insurance agencies that don’t have a social media presence, creating a profile and trying to form “friendships” via a computer can be daunting. Once an agency gets online, however, tools such as blogs, Facebook, …

Nebraska Jobless Rate 4.6% in January, Well Below National Average

Nebraska’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in January, still less than half the national rate of 9.7 percent, state officials said in a report issued March 10. The state said the preliminary December rate of 4.7 percent reported …

Aon Offers $100M Limits for Global Contractual Liability

Aon Construction Services Group has secured an offering for up to $100 million in limits to address contractual liabilities such as force majeure events, liquidated damages and performance coverage. Contractual liability policies are designed to indemnify another person or entity …

Lloyd’s Chairman Visits Japan, So. Korea; Urges Closer Ties

Lloyd’s Chairman, Lord Levene, visited Japan and South Korea last week where he opened the new Lloyd’s Japan office and hosted an event with Korean Re, titled – Lloyd’s – A Working Partnership. Lloyd’s bulletin pointed out that “Japan is …

Sen. Dodd to Unveil Financial Regulatory Reform Next Week

Senator Christopher Dodd said Thursday that he will present on Monday his own version of a financial reform bill after compromise talks with Senate Republicans broke down. Dodd, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, said he will present the …

Ironshore Transition Liability Coverage Manages Risk of Discontinued Products

Ironshore Inc.’s Specialty Casualty division can now provide dedicated general liability or follow form excess insurance coverage as a separate policy to protect against past or future product liability risk. Transition protection insurance can be underwritten for a period of …

European Union to Issue Climate Warning; Tackle CO2 Loopholes

Loopholes in the United Nations climate treaties could actually amount to an increase in global climate-warming emissions and the chance to rein in temperatures may be slipping away, a draft European Union report showed. “Optimistic assessments…indicate that a pathway towards …

Florida Cabinet Delays Hurricane Fund Assessments

The Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund needs $710 million to continue to pay claims still coming in from 2005’s Hurricane Wilma but it is going to have to wait to assess policyholders to get those funds. The Florida Cabinet said it …

State of Challenge: How Florida’s Surplus Lines Agents Are Faring

Interview with FSLA President Bruce Bowers Weak Economy, Insureds Going Bare, Hungry Admitted Markets and Citizens’ Low Rates Test Agents Hurricane Andrew, for all of the grief it delivered, gave wholesale broker Hull & Co. and Bruce Bowers a big …

IRS, States Target Employers’ Use of Independent Contractors

The Internal Revenue Service and 37 states are cracking down on companies that try to trim payroll costs by illegally classifying workers as independent contractors, rather than as full employees, The Associated Press has learned. The practice costs governments billions …