President Obama reportedly may be open to curbing medical malpractice suits, but with Democrats so closely tied to the trial lawyers lobby, reform is unlikely, says Editor In Chief Sam Friedman in his blog today at www.NUSamSoapBox.com.

Independent agencies that do an outstanding job selling insurance and providing risk management services for their clients are urged to enter the 2009 National Underwriter "Commercial Insurance Agency Of The Year" award program, with entries due July 13.

Commercial property-casualty insurance saw the smallest price decline in four years, according to a survey by consulting firm Towers Perrin in Stamford, Conn.

Remember the old ad campaign, "When E.F. Hutton talks, people listen," in which a crowded, noisy room would go so quiet you could hear a pin drop whenever the sponsor's name was mentioned?

Bermuda-based RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. has agreed to acquire Spectrum Partners Ltd. in a stock deal that could be worth approximately $7 million at current prices.

American International Group and Starr International Co. Inc. squared off in federal court today over a block of AIG's stock owned by Starr International.

The chief executive of the online insurance exchange MarketScout contends that three property-casualty insurers are keeping rates low at a time when business realities call for price-hardening, but he refuses to name the offending carriers.

For start-ups like HomeWise Insurance, the state of the Florida insurance market was a golden opportunity to take over some policies from state-run Citizens Assumption and provide reliable wind coverage to Florida homeowners.