A Yucaipa, Calif. duo have been arraigned on charges for violation of workers' compensation insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit a crime.

With Wednesdays announcement that LexisNexis was getting out of the insurance software business, the start of another merger-and-acquisition season has begun in the insurance software world. There has been more activity in 2011 than in 2010, and opinions vary over whether 2012 will be an even busier year.

Showing rate increases/decreases were flat for the month, MarketScouts October barometer provides further evidence of the soft market making a turnaround. One insurance-broker executive says he believes the industry is actually primed for an increase in demandalthough likely in areas outside the traditional property and casualty arena.