Washington lawmakers have passed a bill that opens the way for a health insurance exchange to take root in the state. The bill will set up rules that will help the state prepare for the construction of the exchange and govern its operation for the foreseeable future. Legislators believe that this will help the state fully comply with the Affordable Care Act of 2010 and will help it adhere to federal deadlines. Currently, the exchange is expected to be fully operational by January 2014. The rules established by the bill…
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AIG to repay $6 billion to U.S. government following AIA share sale
American International Group Inc. (AIG) will use $6 billion following the sale of AIA Group Ltd. shares to repay some of the $182.3 billion in bailout funds it received from the United States government. According to a sales document, this insurance company, based in New York, is majority owned by the government, and is selling approximately 1.7 billion shares of AIA at between HK $27.15 and HK $27.50 per share, to unidentified institutional investors. The same document revealed that approximately 19 percent of the AIA stock will still be held…
Read MoreEqecat weighs in on the recent storm in Midwest and Southern U.S
Last week’s outbreak of devastating tornadoes in the South and Midwest of the U.S. are likely to cost the insurance industry quite a lot of money. Thus far, no insurer has been keen to release estimates regarding the total cost of the disasters, but risk modeling agency Eqecat is willing to hazard a guess. The acclaimed modeling firm says that this year’s storm season is already looking to be 30% more disastrous and costly than the average of previous years. The firm also notes that tornadoes may be one of…
Read MoreFlorida lawmakers pass new bill designed to combat auto insurance fraud in the state
The Florida House of Representatives has passed a new bill that aims to dismantle auto insurance fraud in the state. The bill, House Bill 119, passed with a vote of 85-30, receiving a great deal of support from both political parties. The bill will now contend with a similar legislation heading to the state’s Senate, Senate Bill 1860. Both bills have similar goals, but seek to accomplish them in differing ways. Governor Rick Scott, who has made insurance fraud a top priority this legislative session, says that the ultimate goal…
Read MoreInsurance Law Podcast examines the use of social media as a tool for the insurance industry
A.M. Best, a worldwide ratings and financial data services company serving the global insurance industry, has released its latest installment of the Insurance Law Podcast. The series focuses on insurance issues from a legal perspective and seeks to supply viewers with an understanding of how insurance laws are affecting the industry as a whole. This week’s podcast focused on the issue of insurers using social media to price policies and investigate claims. The latest podcast features attorneys Daniel Santaniello and Heather Calhoon from Luks, Santaniello, Petrillo & Jones law firm.…
Read MoreBuffett reveals his traditional insurance premiums funds source is diminishing
Former hedge fund manager, Warren Buffett, who is known for turning Berkshire Hathaway Inc. into a company worth $195 billion through the leveraging of insurance premiums, has announced that his staple new revenue source is rapidly shrinking. The insurance units for Berkshire, which are in sectors covering everything from healthcare for asbestos exposure to auto plans, has dried up to the degree that it is no longer providing adequate investment funds as either float or accumulated premiums. According to a letter released by Buffet, as of December 31, 2011, the…
Read MoreLPL Financial research identifies new opportunity for retail financial companies
The largest independent broker-dealer in the United States, LPL Financial LLC, which is an LPL Investment Holdings Inc. wholly owned subsidiary, has recently revealed a number of the main findings it has discovered through a co-sponsored study which looked into the role played by insurance and investment services customers among retail financial organizations. The study was entitled “The Value of an Investment and Insurance Customer to a Bank”. It was performed by Christine Kehrer, Kenneth Kehrer, and Peter Bielan, with the co-sponsorship of LPL Financial. Among the primary findings that…
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