United States News

Neal Bill, HR 3424, Proponents and Opponents Trade Salvoes

When U.S. Representative Richard Neal (D-MA) introduced, or more properly reintroduced, HR 3424, a bill aimed at closing what its proponents describe as a “loophole” in the U.S. tax code, he ignited, or more properly reignited, a longstanding controversy. Essentially: …

G20 Leaders Views on Economy, Budget Deficits, Bank Regulation, Yuan

World leaders agreed Sunday to take different paths for cutting budget deficits and making their banking systems safer, a reflection of the uneven and fragile economic recovery in many countries. The following are highlights from quotes by leaders and other …

President Obama Urges Changes In Stalled World Trade Talks

U.S. President Barack Obama Sunday called for significant changes to the long-delayed Doha round of world trade talks, telling Group of 20 leaders that offers on the table were inadequate. Obama, who spoke at a lunch with G20 leaders, emphasized …

AIG’s Cassano, Sullivan and Goldman Excutives to Face Crisis Panel

Joseph Cassano, a former AIG executive who played a big role in bringing the giant insurer to its knees, will face-off next week with a U.S. panel investigating the causes of the financial crisis. Cassano will rub shoulders with a …

Illinois to Keep Sharp Eye on High-Risk Insurance Pool

Illinois may be one of the first states to start providing health insurance in a new high-risk pool funded under national health overhaul, but enrollment will be limited, eligibility requirements tight and coverage may not begin until late summer. Illinois …

Supreme Court Partially Strikes Down SOX Accounting Board

The Supreme Court Monday struck down part of a law to prevent fraud committed by companies like Enron and WorldCom, saying a board to police public companies’ auditors violated the Constitution. But the ruling left the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley law and …

Lawmakers Agree on Historic Financial Industry Reforms

U.S. lawmakers hammered out a historic overhaul of financial regulations as dawn broke over the nation’s capital Friday, handing President Barack Obama a major domestic victory on the eve of a global summit devoted to financial reform. In a marathon …

USLI Expanding with Retail Agent Distribution; No Longer Exclusively Wholesale

After years of doing business exclusively though wholesale brokers, United States Liability Insurance Group (USLI) is expanding its distribution to work directly with retail insurance agencies. “We are expanding our distribution to include retailers on a selected basis,” Chairman, CEO …

More U.S. Firms Buying Terrorism Insurance; Prices Decline: Marsh

U.S. terrorism insurance purchase rates continued to climb in 2009 as companies of all sizes and across all industries continued to buy terrorism coverage, according to a report by global broker Marsh. Sixty-one percent of firms surveyed by Marsh purchased …

Aegon May Sell Transamerica Re; to Concentrate on UK Units

Dutch insurer Aegon NV is considering the sale of its U.S.-based Transamerica Reinsurance unit but has decided not to sell its UK arm, as it seeks to concentrate on its most profitable activities. Aegon said on Tuesday any proceeds from …