A State Farm marketing effort involving a toy giveaway has turned into a beastly problem, involving a voluntary recall of more than 800,000 stuffed teddy bears it handed out that involve a safety hazard.

James A. Goodman was named the president of the Professional Insurance Agents of Connecticut during the group's annual conference yesterday in Mashantucket, Conn.

The National Association of Professional Insurance Agents said it will hold its 27th annual Federal Legislative Summit April 1--2 in Washington and lobby Congressman for continued support of state insurance regulation.

The ranking minority member of the Senate Banking Committee signaled today that plans for a general overhaul of financial services regulation should involve considering federal insurance industry oversight.

The Nebraska Supreme Court has upheld language in a directors and officers liability insurance policy that excludes protection against actions by a regulator.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners yesterday held the first session of a new panel designed to create a uniform process for monitoring how insurance companies operate in the marketplace.

Financial services firms seeking to restore confidence in their institutions need to work hard to communicate steps they are taking to address their difficulties, according to a survey of business journalists.

Armonk, N.Y.-based bond insurer MBIA Inc. reported a fourth-quarter loss of $1.2 billion--better than the previous year's fourth-quarter loss of $2.3 billion--while the company's CEO called for a radical solution to end the housing crisis.