Two Ex-Marsh Execs Sentenced to 16 Weekends of Jail Time

William Gilman and Edward McNenney, former managing directors at Marsh, were sentenced to 16 weekends in jail after being found guilty of restraint of trade in the first bid-rigging trial from a probe of anticompetitive insurance sales practices. They had faced as many as four years in prison for controlling the sale of excess casualty… Continue reading Two Ex-Marsh Execs Sentenced to 16 Weekends of Jail Time

House Dems Propose Bill to Create Mortgage Insurance Fund

In the wake of increased foreclosures and the subprime mess, a bill establishing an insurance fund guaranteeing up to $300 billion in refinanced mortgages has been proposed by House Democrats in an effort to give the federal government more of a central role in stemming the crisis. Representative and Chairman of the House Financial Services… Continue reading House Dems Propose Bill to Create Mortgage Insurance Fund

NAMIC Voices Concern Over Federal Insurance Regulatory Agency

Creating a federal insurance regulatory agency could be a slippery slope to dual regulation that would ultimately hurt consumers, warned the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). NAMIC urges those who support federal regulation of insurance to proceed with caution. During a hearing before the House Financial Service Committee’s Capital Markets Subcommittee on Wednesday,… Continue reading NAMIC Voices Concern Over Federal Insurance Regulatory Agency

Congress Hears from Dinallo: State-Based Insurance Regulation Effective

On behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), New York State Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo testified this week before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises about the states’ ongoing, successful efforts to improve insurance supervision. “The state-based regulatory regime has been very effective for more than 150… Continue reading Congress Hears from Dinallo: State-Based Insurance Regulation Effective

More Losses, Job Cuts Reported at Merrill Lynch

The world’s largest brokerage, Merrill Lynch, reported today a nearly $2 billion first-quarter loss and stated its plans to cut 4,000 jobs after suffering several billion dollars of write-downs for subprime mortgages and other risky assets.     The job cuts represent roughly 10 percent of Merrill Lynch’s staff, excluding financial advisers and investment associates.… Continue reading More Losses, Job Cuts Reported at Merrill Lynch

European Commission Meets to Discuss Antitrust Rules

The European Commission is in discussions regarding whether the multi-trillion-euro insurance industry within the European Union should remain exempt from certain antitrust rules. The union’s current insurance block exemption (BER) will expire in just two years, and EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes is faced with deciding to extend the BER as the industry would like,… Continue reading European Commission Meets to Discuss Antitrust Rules

Black Widows Found Guilty of Murder for Insurance Gain

In California, two elderly women have been convicted of conspiracy to murder two homeless men, killed in staged hit-and-run accidents, to collect $2.8 million in insurance claims. Helen Golay, 77, was convicted of the first-degree murders of Kenneth McDavid, 50, in 2005 and Paul Vados, 73, in 1999. She was also convicted of the conspiracy… Continue reading Black Widows Found Guilty of Murder for Insurance Gain

Munich Re Expects Drop in Profit

The world’s second-largest reinsurer, Munich Re, announced higher claims will likely result in a drop in first-quarter profits. Chief Executive Officer Nikolaus von Bomhard says that while profits will be “not as good” as the amounts posted a year ago, he does forecasts a quarter he terms as “pleasing.” Munich Re posted net income of… Continue reading Munich Re Expects Drop in Profit

More Insurance Legislation to Be Introduced on the Hill

A key Congress member will today introduce legislation that calls for creating a federal office of insurance information. Rep. Paul Kanjorski, (D-PA), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, announced his plans during a hearing on insurance regulation before his panel yesterday. Before his announcement, Kanjorski… Continue reading More Insurance Legislation to Be Introduced on the Hill