South Central

• Aon: April 2013 Insured Storm Losses Half 2012; Tornadoes Down

  By Mark E. Ruquet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 9, 2013

  This year’s April storm losses were significantly lighter than the past two years when record number of tornadoes touched down in the U.S. causing billions of dollars in damage, according to Aon Benfield.

• Federal Bills Incentivize States to Adopt Uniform Building Codes

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 9, 2013

  Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate aimed at providing additional incentives for states to adopt and enforce uniform building codes.

• Louisiana Senators Push for Delay in NFIP Rate Hikes

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 8, 2013

  Louisiana’s two senators are proposing an indefinite delay to flood insurance premium hikes mandated by legislation enacted in 2012.

• Oklahoma Bill Partially Privatizes Last-Resort WC Insurer

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 8, 2013

  The Oklahoma legislature passed legislation partially privatizing CompSource, but AIA says it's not a true privatization because the state will maintain substantive control over it.

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  The Assault on State-Regulated Workers' Comp

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 6, 2013

  A critical component of our national “safety net,” the state-regulated workers’ compensation system, is being besieged, another victim of politicians reaching everywhere to generate short-term benefits by increasing services without raising taxes.

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  Will Fracking Be 'Regulated Out of Existence' In California?

  By Christina Bramlet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 6, 2013

  California is following in the footsteps of New York lawmakers, as the state assembly pushes three bills seeking to ban fracking.

• Endurance Q1 Net Income Jumps 23.8% on Lower Catastrophe Losses

  By Anya Khalamayzer, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 3, 2013

  Endurance reports $92.1 million in net income at the close of the year’s first quarter—a $17.7 million increase in net income compared to the first quarter of 2012.

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  Get Your Home State’s Adjuster License First

  By Daniel Kerr  |  May 3, 2013

  Amid the complexities of state reciprocity, one thing is certain: pursue your home state's adjusting license first.

• Hires and Promotions at RiskMatch, York Alternative Risk, ACORD and State Auto - Around the Industry

  By Staff Writer  |  May 1, 2013

  RIMS and IIABA name award recipients, Neace Lukens acquires Buckley & Co. and HSB launches cyber coverage

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  Oklahoma Passes Bill Allowing Employers to Opt Out of Workers' Comp System

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 1, 2013

  Oklahoma is joining Texas as the only states that allow employers to opt-out of the workers’ compensation system.

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  Tennessee Gov. Signs Workers Comp Reform

  By Arthur D. Postal, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 1, 2013

  Tennessee has enacted legislation to replace its court-based workers compensation dispute-resolution system with an administrative process used by most states.

• ‘Core’ Specialty: Core Programs' Apartment-and-Condo Niche

  By Anya Khalamayzer  |  May 1, 2013

  Richard Trezza, president of Morristown, N.J.-based program administrator Core Programs LLC, recalls discovering his own personal niche in the insurance world: “I graduated with a business administration degree, decided I don’t like corporate America and went into my family’s small insurance business,” he says. “That’s how I learned insurance.”

• There's No Place Like Home

  By Daniel Kerr  |  May 1, 2013

  Amid all the complexities of licensing and state reciprocity, one thing is certain: pursue your home state's adjusting license first.

• The Nation’s Natural Resources

  By Ken Brownlee  |  May 1, 2013

  Minerals and other natural resources have made America a rich nation. To continue to thrive, these resources (and their associated risks) must be handled with care.

• Persistant Drought Sparks Concern About 2013 Wildfire Season

  By Christina Bramlet, PropertyCasualty360.com  |  May 1, 2013

  On the heels of a dry winter, experts worry the impending wildfire season could echo last year’s devastation, during which 9.2 million acres burned.

• Manage by Technology? Bad Idea

  By Paul Rolich  |  May 1, 2013

  Consider this real world scenario: Acme Inc. is converting a monolithic COBOL mainframe application to J2EE and Oracle. There are massive blocks of COBOL that need to be rewritten. The development strategy includes an on-shoring element. A number of contract employees are brought on board for the duration of the...