National Underwriter P&C January-11, 2010
Cover Story
Insurers 'Green Up' Gray Coverage Areas
"Greenwashing" sounds like a reference to environmentally friendly laundry products, but when the term is applied to construction or property management operations, it can signal decidedly unfriendly consequences for participants in the building process.
Opinion
-
A Seat At The Table
One of the more outspoken consumer advocates--Birny Birnbaum, executive director of the Center for Economic Justice--is packing it in as an NAIC-funded representative...
-
Democrats Cannot Afford To Let Health Care Bill Fail
Although the phrase has become a clich? and is grossly overused, it is appropriate to use the term "too-big-to-fail" in describing the ultimate fate of the health care reform bill passed by the Senate on Christmas Eve.
News
-
Reinsurance Prices Falling, But Broker Describes Market Softening As 'Orderly'
Reinsurers recapitalized significantly in 2009, but while pricing was down for the latest Jan. 1 renewal season as a result, underwriting remained disciplined in a softening market characterized by one top broker as "orderly."
-
Reinsurance Executives See No Uptick In Pricing Ahead
Insurers that delayed their reinsurance purchases didn't get any notable late-December bargains from disciplined reinsurance underwriters, but soft pricing trends continued for Jan. 1 renewals.
-
P&C Rates Fall 4%, But Moderate In '09
While the Market Barometer composite rate index for property and casualty insurance was down 4 percent at the close of calendar-year 2009, an upswing is predicted by the end of this year.
-
14 Insurers Sued Over 700 Chinese Drywall Losses
A trust formed to handle Chinese drywall damage claims for over 700 homeowners involving a bankrupt homebuilder has filed a federal lawsuit naming 14 insurers, seeking indemnification for their losses.
-
Death Of Estate Tax Has Agents Worried
Lapse of the estate tax as of Jan. 1 has many insurance agencies concerned with inheritance issues, according to one major producer association.
-
Health Reform Bill Loss Ratio May Affect Agent Commissions
Insurance agents and brokers should focus on the medical loss ratio benchmark set for carriers in health care reform legislation because that will determine their future commissions.
-
Insurance Industry Losing Two Senate Allies
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., both key allies of the insurance industry in Congress, announced they will leave the Senate at the end of their terms.
-
N.Y. Governor To Push For Insurance Exchange Relaunch
New York Gov. David A. Paterson said he will push to revive the defunct New York Insurance Exchange to help "maintain New York's status as the financial capital of the world."
Market Report
-
Competition Emerges For Green Market
Brokers say that while liability coverages addressing green-building risks have been slow to emerge, property insurers have responded much more readily to calls for new coverage solutions.
-
Argo Brokerage Tackles Architect, Design Risks With Green Building Endorsement
An exclusion for claims arising from representations and warranties could present real problems for architects involved in green-building design.
-
Construction Insurance Coverage: Building The Case for Service and Safety
When contractors are in the market for insurance, they may focus solely on cost and coverage level.
-
Arbitration Program To Expedite Claims For Construction Defects
Discussions about a new arbitration program designed to more efficiently resolve inter-insurer disputes over construction defect claims were recently held between two major associations.
21 2-resize-380x300-resize-380x300-resize-380x30050-crop-215x144.jpg)
