National Underwriter P&C June-24, 2008
Cover Story
Buyers Hunting For Coverage Find Insurers Target Wide Array Of Risks
When it comes to insurers covering hunting clubs and camps, it's far more common to see claims for slips and falls, as well as accidents involving traps and all-terrain vehicles, rather than an
Opinion
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Microsoft, IBM Partnering Their Way To Dominance
Competition to sell technology in the insurance industry is fiercely intensifying, as more players enter the fray and the specter of recession-induced cuts in information tech budgets looms on the
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This Column: 582 Words
Talk about sticker shock! When I walked into my local Dunkin Donuts, staring me in the face, in huge type, were the obscene calorie counts for all my favorites--including 340 calories for a
News
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Microsoft Touts Security in Internet Explorer
According to a recent report in Computerworld, Microsoft Corp. has outlined new security features that it plans to add to Internet Explorer next month, including anti-malware protection and a filter
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HEAD
A recent story in USA Today notes that "civil liberties advocates" are concerned that a color laser printer technology will lead to government spying on political dissidents, whistleblowers, or
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Global Warming: A Call for Sanity
While the insurance industry and high-profile political hopefuls bow their heads at the altar of global warming, the senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.com has published an open letter to the
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NU Agency Award Entries Due By July 14
For more details and an entry form, go to www.propertyandcasualtyinsurancenews.com and click on the "Agency of the Year" logo at the bottom of NU's home page. The entry form is listed as an
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APIW Insurance Woman Of The Year Pushes For A More Diverse Work Force
Insurance, at heart, is a numbers game, so it's not all that surprising that even though this year's APIW Insurance Woman of the Year--Rebecca C. Amoroso--finished college planning to become a math
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House Bill Would Spotlight Bond Insurers
Bond insurers would face increased scrutiny under legislation proposed by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., who added the threat of the federal government taking some of the market away from private
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Moody's Removes 'AAA' Rating For Bond Insurers MBIA, Ambac
Action on MBIA, Moody's said, reflects the firm's limited financial flexibility and impaired franchise, as well as the substantial risk within its portfolio of insured exposures and a movement toward
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Governor Paterson Says State Might Resurrect N.Y. Insurance Exchange
New York Gov. David Paterson last week confirmed that his state is seriously considering resurrection of the long-defunct New York Insurance Exchange as part of its financial services modernization
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Nationwide Urges Federally Reinsured Homeowners Policy For Both Wind, Water
The concept of a federally supported flood and wind policy is contained in a measure to reform the National Flood Insurance Program that was recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, but
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NCOIL Rallies Opposition To Fed Office
State lawmakers against the creation of a federal Office of Insurance Information are seeking support from their compatriots in the state executive branch, asking governors and state attorneys
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First-Quarter Net Income Plummets 49.3 Percent For P-C Insurance Industry
Net income for the U.S. property-casualty insurance sector plummeted nearly 50 percent in the first quarter of 2008, undermined by a net loss on underwriting, unusually high catastrophe losses and
Market Report
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Soaring Gas Prices, Sinking Economy Combine To Leave Boat Insurers At Sea
Battered by rising gasoline prices and a sinking economy, the insurance market for small recreational boats is facing rough waters, while smooth sailing continues for the mega-yacht sector, both
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Cheney Hunting Accident Raises Questions About Insurance Coverage
Vice President Cheney shot 78-year-old Henry Whittington with birdshot pellets from a 28-gauge Perazzi shotgun during a quail hunt on a Texas ranch, prompting a media blitz at the time--including wide
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Recreation Insurance Players Say Veteran Savvy Trumps New Capacity In Soft Mkt.
Insurers involved in the sports and recreation niche are not immune from competitive challenges as rates soften, but the special nature of the sector's underwriting means inexperienced players will
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MGAs Urge Retail Agents To Be Players In Sports Market
Managing general agents who specialize in sports and recreation programs say the sector could be a source of new business for independent agents, who often ignore it because they fail to see its
E&S Extra
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Business Strategies Vary Widely Among Specialty Carriers In Softening P-C Market
With standard insurers widening their business models to capture policies residing in the excess and surplus lines market, insurers within the E&S segment continue to distinguish themselves from one
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Employer Has Burden Of Proof In Age Cases, Says High Court
Interpreting the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the court held that an employer bears "both the burden of production and the burden of persuasion" for the "reasonable factors other
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Are There Blue Skies Ahead For The General Aviation Insurance Market?
Troubled commercial airlines are dominating the news agenda as travelers are increasingly frustrated with time-consuming security, lengthy delays, frequent cancellations and routes that center on the
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Aviation Shows Upward Trend
Aviation insurance showed some upward pricing trend, with lead premium prices rising 13 percent so far this year, according to a June report from Aon Aviation, which also said that a combination of
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Aviation Terror Capacity Increases
Private insurers are increasingly willing to write aviation insurance for terrorism, and the United States is among a small handful of governments still providing coverage for the risk, according to
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LaRue In The Lower Courts
Before LaRue vs. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates ended up being heard by the Supreme Court, lower courts dealt with questions about which sections of ERISA would allow James LaRue to bring his case for
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New Product Tackles Uninsured Risk Of Coverage Denials
The risk that a claim won't be paid--a potential downside that every buyer of insurance faces--was an uninsured exposure until recently, according to the developers of a new policy to provide coverage
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Fiduciary Liability Landscape Uncertain After Supreme Court Decision In LaRue
It will take time and further court proceedings to know the true impact of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision involving ERISA litigation, but at least one fiduciary liability insurer has no
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Is Quota-Share The Answer?
With directors and officers liability claims rising high into layered towers of insurance coverage, and excess insurers increasingly finding their interests at odds with primary carriers, is
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N.Y. Regulators Hear Argument For E&S Export List Expansion
New York retail and wholesale agents fired a barrage of arguments at regulators who are considering their request for a change in the rule governing their placement of certain hard-to-place excess
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Program Business 201: Stop Looking For Better Quality Risks, MGA Says
A veteran of the program business market, teaching a workshop on advanced concepts of successful program management, gave a unique perspective on how to develop an underwriting plan during the Target
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Supreme Court Retaliation Ruling Equals More Expensive Suits
Whistleblowers have more weapons for employment
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Surplus Lines Bill Said To Get Key Backing
State regulators are "very close" to endorsing federal legislation that will establish surplus lines carriers' home state as their primary regulator, and their backing is an important step for the
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Forward-Looking Project Reveals Need To Redefine MGA Value
Scott Anderson, owner and executive vice president of Concorde General Agency and a past president of the American Association of Managing General Agents, found this out while fleshing out an idea he
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D&O 'Workouts' Leave Insureds Fighting Their Way Up Towers Of Coverage
While courts are ruling in favor of excess carriers on the seemingly uncontroversial question, excess insurers say settlement deals worked out between primary carriers and policyholders without their
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Excess Layers Of Cover Becoming Increasingly Important For Lawyers
Changing business environment increases complexity of legal matters
