INSURANCE NEWS

Family Killed When Tree Falls on Car in Flooding in East Tennessee

Heavy rain led to flooding around Chattanooga, Tennesse, where a family of three was killed when a tree fell on their car early Wednesday morning. News reports indicated that saturated ground caused the large tree to fall in East Ridge, …
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Deadly Fires Rage in Greece and Spain as Heat Blasts Cyprus

Firefighters worked overnight to contain deadly blazes in Greece and Spain that have forced the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists. A wildfire is still burning in an inaccessible part of the Aegean island of Chios, where coastguard vessels …
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How Responders Rescued Steel Plant Workers; Search for Cause of Blast Underway

Moments after an explosion erupted at a U.S. Steel plant outside Pittsburgh, company firefighters, local responders and employees raced in to rescue people from the smoldering wreckage. They were able to free one injured worker who was whisked to a …
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Another Downgrade for State Farm General: S&P Lowers Rating to A-

Earlier this month, Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings announced another downgrade for State Farm General Insurance Co., lowering the California company’s financial strength rating to A- in spite of a show of financial support from its parent. In May, S&P …
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Norway Spy Chief Blames Russian Hackers for Dam Sabotage in April

Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the head of the Nordic country’s counter-intelligence agency said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbor. While in command of …
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Australia Pension Fund Mercer Sued Over Customer Disclosures

Australia’s financial regulator is suing A$70 billion ($46 billion) pension fund Mercer Super, accusing it of failing to report multiple investigations into serious member services issues. In a Federal Court filing, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission alleged between October …
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Swiss Re Sets Up Task Force to Monitor Tariff Impact

Swiss Re AG has set up a task force to see how the tariffs installed by the United States against Switzerland and other countries is impacting the Zurich-based reinsurer. Chief Executive Officer Andreas Berger said he doesn’t see the tariffs …
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Hong Kong Extends Record Rain Warnings as Podul Skirts City

Hong Kong’s central business district and outer airport were hit by violent gusts and a deluge of heavy rain on Thursday, with the city again issuing its highest rain warning as Tropical Storm Podul passed the region. Parts of Hong …
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Nigeria Gives Insurers a Year to Boost Capital Fivefold

Nigeria increased capital requirements for insurance businesses fivefold and gave operators a year to comply or risk losing their licenses. The capital threshold for non-life insurers was raised to 15 billion naira ($9.8 million) from 3 billion naira that of …
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Mission, Purpose Not High on Wish Lists of Industry Newbies: Informal Talent Poll

A poll of workers recently hired into the property/casualty insurance industry conducted during a Travelers Institute webinar last month produced some unusual results, surprising one webinar panelist who leads a key business segment at Travelers. Only 20 percent of responding …
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Senator Schiff Brings Back Idea of Federal Reinsurance Program

Sen. Adam Schiff recently reintroduced his Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies (INSURE) Act to create a federal catastrophic reinsurance program. The insurance industry promptly reintroduced their opposition. “The INSURE Act may sound helpful on paper but would …
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People: Sterling Seacrest Pritchard Adds QB Jake Fromm to the Backfield

Former University of Georgia and NFL quarterback Jake Fromm has been hired as client advisor for Georgia-based insurance broker Sterling Seacrest Pritchard. “I’m excited to start this new chapter of my life, building new and long-lasting relationships, and helping people …
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