Insurance Journal

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires Indiana’s Schuetz Insurance

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Indianapolis, Indiana-based M.J. Schuetz Insurance Services Inc. (Schuetz Insurance). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Schuetz Insurance provides property/casualty, surety and bon...

Posted: Dec 19, 2024

EPA Approves California’s Plan to Ban Sale of Gas-Only Cars in 2035

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Wednesday it has approved California’s landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035. The decision in the final weeks of President Joe Biden’s administration sets up a fig...

Posted: Dec 19, 2024

Washington Commissioner Fines PacificSource, Delta Dental, Lemonade, Others

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler issued fines totaling $576,500 against insurance companies, agents, brokers and unlicensed entities in October and November of 2024 for violations of state insurance laws and regulations. The fines incl...

Posted: Dec 19, 2024

US Government Tells Officials, Politicians to Ditch Regular Calls and Texts

The U.S. government is urging senior government officials and politicians to ditch phone calls and text messages following intrusions at major American telecommunications companies blamed on Chinese hackers. Right now. In written guidance released on...

Posted: Dec 19, 2024

Highstreet Acquires Texas’ Collum Insurance Group

Highstreet Insurance Partners announced today its acquisition of Collum Insurance Group, LLC based in Richardson, Texas. Along with Collum’s 35 years of personal lines expertise, this transaction adds an additional location to Highstreet’...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

OSHA Seeks to Fine Contractor $328K Over Alleged Repeat Fall Hazards at 3 Sites

Federal workplace safety officials have again cited a New Jersey construction contractor for allegedly repeatedly violating safety requirements at three North Jersey worksites, exposing employees to falls from elevations. The Occupational Safety and...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Viewpoint: Giving Thanks and Making a Wish List for US Insurance Regulation

The state of U.S. insurance regulation is almost certainly not a topic for most families this holiday season. Yet there is much to be thankful for as well as areas where we can do better. First, let’s be thankful for …

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

US Probes China-Founded Router Maker on National Security Fears

The US government has launched a national-security investigation into TP-Link, the China-founded router maker whose equipment now dominates the American market and has been targeted in repeated Chinese cyber attacks, people familiar with the matter s...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Trump Transition Recommends Scrapping Car-Crash Reporting Requirement

The Trump transition team wants the incoming administration to drop a car-crash reporting requirement opposed by Elon Musk’s Tesla, according to a document seen by Reuters, a move that could cripple the government’s ability to investigate...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Millions of Homeowners May Be Underinsured Due to Secondary Structures: ZestyAI

Millions of U.S. homes are underinsured, not because of any added value in the homes, but because additional structures on the homeowner’s property have gone unreported and are without protection. Using artificial intelligence and aerial imager...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

US House Task Force Releases ‘Blueprint’ for Federal AI Responsibility

A U.S. House of Representatives task force on artificial intelligence on Tuesday released a report of more than 250 pages outlining the potential benefits and harms of the technology. The 24 members of the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial &#...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Tampa Bay Rays Secure New Stadium as County Approves Bonds

The Tampa Bay Rays secured their future in west-central Florida as county officials approved a crucial bond sale for the team’s proposed new stadium. The Pinellas County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to green light more than $300 million...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

King Risk Acquires Talbert Insurance Services Agency in North Georgia

King Risk Partners, one of the largest U.S. insurance brokers, has acquired Talbert Insurance Services in Duluth, Georgia, expanding King’s presence in the Southeast. Talbert, in business in north Georgia since 1982, offers personal and commerc...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Brown & Brown Acquires UK Employee Benefits Specialist Drewberry

Employee benefits specialists Drewberry has been acquired by Brown & Brown (Europe) Ltd. The terms of the deal are undisclosed. Founded in 2009 by Andrew Jenkinson and Tom Conner, Brighton and London-based Drewberry offers employee benefits solut...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Swiss Re Among Firms in $3 Billion Credit-Risk Deal for International Finance Corp.

Swiss Re AG, Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. and AXA SA are among providers of $3 billion in credit-risk insurance for the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, as it seeks to expand its lending in …

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

G20 Watchdog Urges Governments to Address Non-Bank Financial Risks

The Financial Stability Board (FSB) on Wednesday pitched recommendations for governments to reduce risks around hedge funds, insurers and other non-bank financial intermediaries, which now account for almost half of global financial assets. The secto...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

UK Targets Russian Oil Trading ‘Lynchpins’ With Sanctions

The UK announced fresh sanctions targeting alleged “lynchpins” that enable the trade of Russian oil, along with 20 “shadow fleet” vessels. The financial curbs on oil trading firms, 2Rivers DMCC and 2Rivers Pte Ltd. will clamp...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Third Tanker Sends Distress Call as Oil Washes Up on Russia’s Black Sea Coast

Spilled oil has washed up along “tens of kilometers” of the Russian Black Sea coast after two tankers were badly damaged in a storm at the weekend, a regional official said on Tuesday, and state media said a third ship …

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

EU Privacy Regulator Fines Meta €251 Million for 2018 Breach

The lead European Union data privacy regulator for Meta fined the social media giant 251 million euros ($263.5 million) on Tuesday for a 2018 Facebook security breach that affected 29 million users. Meta notified Ireland’s Data Protection Commi...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Illinois Man Arrested for Defrauding Victims in Roofing Scheme

An Illinois man accused of defrauding individuals by claiming to be an insurance adjuster doing roof repair after a recent hailstorm was arrested in Florida on Dec. 13. Scott A. Lennington of Morton, Ill. was taken into custody by the …

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

When Choosing Producer Lifecycle Management Software, Don’t Overlook the Importance of Customer Succ...

This post is part of a series sponsored by AgentSync. When you’re shopping for the technology solution that’s going to transform the way your insurance business handles producer lifecycle management, you might look at a lot of things: Tot...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Texas Economy Will Top France’s Thanks to Trump, Abbott Says

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has a new ambition for the Lone Star State: surpassing France as one of the world’s largest economies. Abbott predicted that economic output in Texas would soon exceed that of the struggling European nation thanks to...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Texas Reports 252 New Cases of Groundwater Contamination

Texas agencies reported 252 new cases of groundwater contamination during 2023 in the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee annual report. The latest report compiles 2,870 open cases of groundwater contamination, some of which date back decades. Nea...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Ardonagh Reaches $14 Billion Valuation With Stone Point Investment

Ardonagh Group has secured new investment from Stone Point Capital, almost doubling the valuation of the UK insurance broker to $14 billion in three years, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal will see Greenwich, Connecticut-based S...

Posted: Dec 18, 2024

Jury Awards $80M to Family of Chicago Girl Killed During Police Chase

CHICAGO (AP) — A jury awarded nearly $80 million to the family of a 10-year-old Chicago girl who was killed during a police chase and crash in 2020. The city had acknowledged liability in the death of Da’Karia Spicer. The …

Posted: Dec 18, 2024