National Underwriter P&C September-30, 2008
Cover Story
Obama, McCain Campaigns Clash Over Health, Cat Insurance Reforms
Barack Obama and John McCain don't see eye to eye on many areas, and insurance is no exception. Indeed, on at least two issues of critical importance to the industry and its policyholders--health care
Opinion
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The Party's Over At AIG
The brouhaha over American International Group's lavish junket for top-performing agents, coming so soon after its federal bailout, raises more than narrow questions of propriety, instead going to
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Agencies Need To Strike Partnerships With Carriers To Grow In A Soft Market
Indeed, in the Deep Customer Connections' fifth annual "Ease of Doing Business" survey of over 8,100 independent agents, when asked, "What are the one or two most important things carriers should do
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Who Would Make The Best Technology President?
I recently heard a man remark on a New York radio station that when it comes to this year's presidential candidates, "there's not a dime of difference between them." My immediate reaction was that
News
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Fed's Loan Terms Could Spell Doom For AIG, Greenberg Letter Warns
Maurice Greenberg, the former chairman and chief executive officer of American International Group, has written his old company urging management to renegotiate their $85 billion government loan,
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'Best Practices' Agencies Keep Reinvesting
"This year's study indicates that the 'Best Practices' agencies are proactively taking steps to grow even in a very soft market and during tough economic times," said Madelyn Flannagan, president for
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Credit Default Swaps Dissected
New York Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo echoed an earlier pledge during a Senate hearing last week to regulate part of the credit default swap market, while endorsing a more "holistic"
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Carriers Issue Early Bird Reports For Third Quarter To Calm Jittery Investors
With this month's stock market meltdown spooking already nervous investors, a handful of major insurance companies last week came out with early third-quarter earnings estimates and comments about
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Wells Fargo-Wachovia Merger Would Create Fourth-Biggest Insurance Brokerage
The acquisition by Wells Fargo & Company of Wachovia Corp., which secured Federal Reserve approval last week, puts the company on track to be the fourth-largest insurance broker in the United States,
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Sam's Blog: The Party's Over For AIG Agents
The brouhaha over AIG's lavish junkets for top-performing agents raises more than merely questions of propriety, coming so soon after its federal bailout, instead going to the heart of the debate
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Sam's Blog: AIG Wielded Weapons Of Mass Financial Destruction
While there is plenty of blame to go around for the ongoing financial meltdown, two prime causes were unregulated insurance transactions by AIG in the form of credit default swaps, and a negligent
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Sam's Blog: AIG Gets An 'Attitude Fix'
Ever since Uncle Sam coughed up $122 billion in loan guarantees to bail out AIG, the company has been hammered for some pretty ungrateful behavior. But the company responded quickly and wisely to
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NU Blogs: Does AIG Need A New Loan Deal?
Despite anger at AIG for nearly taking down the entire financial system with its credit default swap trading, it makes sense to rethink the terms of Uncle Sam's bailout loan deal if it means getting
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Sam's Blog: Why Shouldn't The NAIC Form Its Own Rating Agency?
While it remains to be seen how the National Association of Insurance Commissioners might go about launching its own, independent insurer rating agency, the idea should not be dismissed out of hand,
Market Report
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NU 'Agency Of The Year' Winners See Big Payoff From Employee Benefit Sales
Over the last seven years, when three winners are named in the annual National Underwriter "Commercial Insurance Agency Of The Year" award program, nearly every firm cites employee benefit sales as a
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Benefits Agents Don't Expect Health Reform From Washington
The increasing cost of insuring health care remains the primary concern of employee benefits agents and their clients, but despite the attention the issue has received from both presidential
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Can Employee Benefit Sales Save Agencies In A Plummeting Market?
Cross-selling health, life, voluntary products boosts revenue, protects
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Tough Financial Times Fuel Opportunity For Benefit Sales To Small-Business Firms
These tough economic times present a great opportunity for property-casualty agents and brokers to expand their businesses to new heights by combining a new strategy and an old tactic--cross-selling
