IPC Holdings Ltd. board said it would stay on track with its decision to merge with Max Capital Group Ltd., spurning an offer from Validus Holdings Ltd.

ISO ClaimSearch, a claim information system for the property/casualty insurance industry, has been updated.

Sidney, Australia-based QBE Insurance Group Limited announced that John Rumpler, currently group general manager for credit and surety, will assume the post of chief executive officer of its Americas Division in June.

USAA in its annual report said net income declined by 77 percent or $1.443 billion last year, but the insurer noted it had an increase in net worth by 1.4 percent, to $14.6 billion from $14.4 billon in 2007.

Insured losses from Monday's killer earthquake in Italy are likely to range between EUR200 million ($265 million) and EUR400 million ($530 million), a catastrophe modeling firm estimated.

The Public Entity Risk Institute (PERI), said it has released a revised and updated version of "Characteristics of Effective Emergency Management Organizational Structures."

The forecast team of William Gray and lead forecaster Phil Klotzbach based their prediction on the potential for a weak El Nino ocean atmospheric event and an observed cooling of tropical Atlantic

NU Assistant Managing Editor Caroline McDonald's difficulties refinancing her home began an (ongoing) odyssey with nit-picking bank underwriters. She wonders what risk managers must be going through in these trying times.