Insurers keep shooting themselves in the foot, with the latest example how they handed President Obama fresh ammunition on health insurance reform by sending individual rates soaring, says NU Editor Sam Friedman on his blog at www.NUSamSoapBox.com.

The World Space Conference 2010, a meeting coming up soon in Dubai, sounds pretty cool, but a closer look at the conference agenda sheds light on the daily concerns of those in this "exotic" industry. Find out more at www.NoRiskZone.com

Only State Farm has unearthed data linking auto accident claims to problems involving cars and trucks manufactured by Toyota, but industry statistics are still likely to be aired during two House hearings on the issue this week.

The year got off to another slow start for property and casualty carriers, as MarketScout's monthly "Barometer" survey found U.S. commercial insurance pricing still soft, with premiums down an average of 4 percent in January.

The federal government has pushed back the deadline for reporting requirements under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act until next January, a decision greeted with relief by workers' compensation providers and self-insured risk managers.

Two snowstorms that hit the United States this month will cause insured damages in excess of $2 billion, according to a catastrophe risk modeling firm.

Congress will act to extend the National Flood Insurance Program before its current authorization expires on Feb. 28, but such reauthorization will not be included in jobs legislation as originally planned, industry lobbyists said late last week.

Property/casualty insurers are seeing rising loss costs, increased levels of litigation and higher rates of fraudulent claims because of the struggling economy, a survey has found.