New York and other states have much at stake. They and local governments buy bond insurance to make investments in infrastructure and other projects more appealing to investors. Insurers guarantee at least the principal investment, plus interest, in the case of defaults.

Based on the insurancejournal.com website, the trouble is that “bond insurers have found their capital reserves in jeopardy because of huge investments in the same subprime mortgage sector that has left banks reeling. Some insurers have been downgraded, meaning they cannot back new municipal bonds. Bond insurers are not an attractive investment at the moment, meaning a tough sell for Dinallo, according to Mirko Mikelic, a senior fixed-income portfolio manager at Fifth Third Asset Management”.

Best indicated that its “primary concern has been the potential for additional adverse loss reserve development and the resulting earnings drag associated with this development.” However, the rating agency indicated that this “concern has diminished somewhat in recent calendar years with the improvement in accident year development, combined with declining levels of adverse loss reserve development. Notwithstanding these reserve charges, while the group’ s pre-tax operating profitability has improved with underwriting performance in recent years, return measures continue to trail its peer composite. “The affirmation of the ratings of Liberty Life recognizes its established market profile strong risk-adjusted capital position and improved statutory operating results.

Nationwide Financial Services Inc. said Monday that affiliates of parent Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. have offered to buy all of its outstanding Class A common stock for about $2.2 billion.

Nationwide Mutual wants to buy out the public shares of Nationwide Financial in order to simplify the insurance and financial services group’s ownership structure, Nationwide Mutual spokesman Joe Case said.

Nationwide Mutual already owns all of Nationwide Financial’s supervoting Class B shares, which represent 95.2 percent of the voting power and 66.3 percent of the equity.
Nationwide Financial said it has appointed a special board committee made up of independent directors to consider the proposal.

S&P explained that with the sale of World Minerals Inc. in 2005, Alleghany’s “primary operating subsidiaries were all in the property/casualty insurance segment. Since then, Alleghany has steadily increased its concentration in the property/casualty business. Normally, insurance holding company ratings are three notches below that of the insurance subsidiaries.”

The rating action “increases the gap between the counterparty credit rating on Alleghany and its primary insurance subsidiary, RSUI Indemnity Co., to two notches from one notch,” S&P added. “Alleghany continues to benefit from nonstandard notching, reflecting the holding company’s historically conservative use of financial leverage and the large holding of liquid securities at the parent-company level.”

Darwin says the policy is the first of its kind; it offers coverage for the wide scope of professional services that managed care organizations provide. Examples of the policy’s features include supplemental coverage for privacy breach notification and credit monitoring costs, no exclusions for regulatory claims, antitrust, bankruptcy, or electronic data processing, and coverage for loss of medical and non-medical personally identifiable information, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) fines, fees, and penalties.

The policy offers duty-to-defend coverage on an excess and surplus lines basis, with standard terms that include punitive damages coverage (most favorable venue), third-party liability, final adjudication coverage, and a range of other distinctive features.

New York State agents and insurers praised the passage late last month of a key workers compensation reform that will extend the rate-making authority of the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board, and move the system to a loss cost method of calculating rates.

The new method will better reflect industry-wide experience and directly related expenses and create a more competitive environment for workers compensation, said the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York.

IIABNY Chair Stephen R. Zogby said the new posting of the insurers’ individual loss cost multipliers should be “a valuable tool for agents and brokers, as well as their clients.”

There are five important points to consider when trying to decide between term insurance policies or permanent insurance policies. These are the premiums you have to pay for the policy, the benefits that your beneficiary will get in the event of your death, how long is the life insurance policy’s coverage period, its cash value and the insurance’s overall net cost. When choosing between these two, it is wise to decide on a combination of both, because most people’s need fall under what term insurance and permanent insurance policies cover. Whichever decision you choose, however, the most important thing is that you get your money’s worth when protecting yours and your loved ones’ futures.