Author: Farkas Laura

In a statement announcement on Monday, London-based brokerage firm Willis Group Holdings Ltd. has been granted preliminary court approval to settle a 2001 gender discrimination suit filed by about 200 current and former women employees of the brokerage. As part of the settlement, which was reached in June, Willis will create an approximately $8.5 million… Continue reading Court Says Willis May Settle Gender Discrimination Suit

More and more homeowners are filing bankruptcy in an effort to stay in their homes as a result of their inability to pay their mortgages.     According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, in September, as the nation’s housing slump continued, consumer bankruptcy filings increased almost 23% from a year earlier — representing nearly 69,000… Continue reading More Homeowners Seeking Bankruptcy Protection to Remain in Homes

New York-based American International Group Inc. (AIG) on Monday announcing the launching of its Transportation Solutions unit. The new unit, to be headed by Lentz Merisier, will provide insurance solutions specifically for U.S. trucking operations, both major fleets and owner/operator businesses. According to an AIG spokesman, the unit will initially offer insurance coverage in several… Continue reading AIG Launches Transportation Unit

Insurance companies were gearing up on Monday to deal with an expected flood of claims resulting from wind or fire damage in San Diego County and throughout Southern California. By late Monday, Farmers Insurance Group reported it had already received more than 600 claims. Customers were reporting damage from wildfires ravaging a 425-square mile area… Continue reading Insurance Companies Gear Up for Flood Claims from CA Fires

More than 300,000 people evacuated their homes in San Diego as some of the state’s worst wildfires, fueled by strong winds, scorched more than 100,000 acres, burned down 700 homes, and caused at least one death. As of Tuesday early morning, more than 5,000 homes are threatened in the San Diego area. At least 14… Continue reading Southern California Scorched, In a State of Emergency

The Republican candidate debate last night, set in Orlando, Florida, among the issues discussed, delved into what to do about a looming fiscal crisis for the Social Security and Medicare programs, an issue largely absent from the six previous debates featuring all the front-runners.     Former Senator Fred Thompson, 65, said the government may… Continue reading Republican Debate Highlights Candidates’ Social Security, Medicare, Among Other Issues

Seven major fires are burning throughout Southern California, from Santa Barbara to San Diego County near the Mexico border, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, high temperatures and low humidity, said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry. High winds are expected to last through Oct. 23, making it “very difficult for… Continue reading Strong Winds Set Southern California Ablaze

North American Insurance Leaders, Inc. (NAO) a special purpose acquisition corporation, announced today that it will name Mark W. Haushill as its Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors effective upon the closing of its pending acquisition of the Deep South Companies (‘Deep South’). On August 10, NAO announced that it… Continue reading NAO Names CEO of Newly Acquired ‘Deep South’

According to a survey by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), most U.S. companies foresee weaker second-half growth and a “substantial” slowdown in housing, and plan to hire and invest less. The survey was conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 16, and included responses from 113 members of the business economist group.    … Continue reading US Companies See Significant Second-Half Housing Slowdown

On Friday DuPont Co. announced its plan to appeal a U.S. jury’s verdict awarding the plaintiffs in class-action lawsuit nearly $200 million. The plaintiffs claimed they were sickened by pollution from a former zinc smelting plant. “We are extremely disappointed by the outcome of the Spelter case,” DuPont’s General Counsel Stacey Mobley said. “With today’s… Continue reading DuPont to Appeal Verdict in Class Action Suit