Citing testimony that self-insured employers have been able to reduce overall workers’ compensation costs, California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has rejected the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau’s request for a pure premium rate increase of 23.7 percent. While the Department …
Don’t be fooled by the news headlines: Not all of the insurance industry is in retreat mode. In fact, in some pockets, agencies, brokers and carriers are continuing to pursue downright aggressive growth strategies. And many are even seeing positive …
Areas Where Agents Might See an Increase in Fraud Does a bad economy increase crime? According to Mike McKee, senior special agent for the National Insurance Crime Bureau, it’s too soon for statistics to confirm whether the mortgage meltdown and …
Technological Advances Can Improve an Agency’s Bottom Line In any business, large or small, there is one mantra that gets chanted over and over anytime the economy goes even a little weak: cut costs. Of course when the economy completely …
A Hawaii judge has blocked Gov. Linda Lingle from forcing thousands of public employees to take three unpaid days off per month, dealing her a setback in efforts to tame a huge state budget gap. Unions opposed to the furloughs …
The State of the Insurance M&A Marketplace During most of the past three years, the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market for insurance agencies and brokerages has been marked by strong deal volume and soaring valuations. From 2006-2008, aggressive buyers were …
Fairfield, Ohio-based Ohio Casualty, a Liberty Mutual Agency Markets regional company, has introduced Onboard Advisor, a fleet management system that helps companies increase commercial fleet safety and productivity, save on commercial auto insurance premiums and more. The company said Onboard …
Near-simultaneous bomb blasts ripped through the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta’s business district on Friday, killing nine people and wounding 42 others including foreign businessmen, police said. A car bomb had also exploded along a toll road …
The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere has gone global. The historic Sears Tower in downtown Chicago has been renamed Willis Tower and now holds one of the three largest office locations of global insurance broker Willis Group Holdings. The …
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has appointed Juan Andrade, 43, president and chief operating officer of its Property and Casualty Operations, effective immediately. Andrade will continue to report directly to the company’s chairman and chief executive officer, Ramani Ayer, …
