Copyright (c) 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/business/industries/insurance business Business - Insurance Industry en-us Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:03:58 GMT 5 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/business/industries/insurance http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/th/main_142c.gif http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100210/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_insurer_rate_hike ap/20100210/us_health_insurer_rate_hike AP business Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:03:58 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100210/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_insurer_rate_hike"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100208/capt.3b4b880d24df46a4bbee78dfc117b6eb.health_insurer_rate_hikes_nybz160.jpg?x=112&y=130&q=85&sig=l33Xz16.QNVWlZNh8s.zqA--" align="left" height="130" width="112" alt="FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2010 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. In a letter to the president of Anthem Blue Cross, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, she was very disturbed to learn of the planned increases, calling them 'extraordinary.' She said they were hard to understand in light of the profitability of Anthem's parent company, WellPoint Inc.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenetafile)" border="0" /></a>AP - For the second time this week, President Barack Obama has pointed to one health insurer's major rate hike in California as a doomy harbinger of rising premiums across America.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100210/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_insurer_rate_hike"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100208/capt.3b4b880d24df46a4bbee78dfc117b6eb.health_insurer_rate_hikes_nybz160.jpg?x=112&y=130&q=85&sig=l33Xz16.QNVWlZNh8s.zqA--" align="left" height="130" width="112" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2010 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. In a letter to the president of Anthem Blue Cross, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, she was very disturbed to learn of the planned increases, calling them 'extraordinary.' She said they were hard to understand in light of the profitability of Anthem's parent company, WellPoint Inc.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Cenetafile)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_hartford_financial_lobbying ap/20100209/us_hartford_financial_lobbying AP business Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:23:41 GMT AP - Insurer Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. spent $520,000 in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on insurance regulation reform, consumer protection rights and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall_us ap/20100209/us_toyota_recall_us AP business Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:13:30 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall_us"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100209/i/r938856496.jpg?x=99&y=130&q=85&sig=fnzZF4c.tczzla0QdtYt4g--" align="left" height="130" width="99" alt="A Toyota Prius' badge is pictured on a car at a Toyota dealership in west London February 9, 2010. Toyota Motor Corp said it is recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems as it seeks to address criticism over the handling of its worst safety crisis. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS)" border="0" /></a>AP - The nation's largest auto insurer said Tuesday it alerted federal safety regulators in late 2007 about a rise in reports of unexpected acceleration in Toyota vehicles, the latest warning sign to emerge about the massive recall.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_toyota_recall_us"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100209/i/r938856496.jpg?x=99&y=130&q=85&sig=fnzZF4c.tczzla0QdtYt4g--" align="left" height="130" width="99" alt="photo" title="A Toyota Prius' badge is pictured on a car at a Toyota dealership in west London February 9, 2010. Toyota Motor Corp said it is recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems as it seeks to address criticism over the handling of its worst safety crisis. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_travelers_lobbying ap/20100209/us_travelers_lobbying AP science Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:55:47 GMT AP - Insurer Travelers Cos. spent $1.66 million in the fourth quarter to lobby the federal government on global warming issues, workers compensation, consumer protection rights and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_allstate_earnings_preview ap/20100209/us_allstate_earnings_preview AP business Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:47:38 GMT AP - Property and casualty insurer Allstate Corp. reports its fourth-quarter results after the stock market closes Wednesday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/fool/20100209/bs_fool_fool/rx42613 fool/20100209/rx42613 The Motley Fool business Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:34:20 GMT The Motley Fool - When disaster hits your home, it pays to know whose side your insurance company is on. If insurance companies are to be believed, "you're in good hands" -- they'll treat you "like a good neighbor." http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/apfn_us_earns_lincoln_national ap/20100209/apfn_us_earns_lincoln_national AP business Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:45:29 GMT AP - Life insurer Lincoln National Corp. on Monday posted net income of $102 million for its fiscal fourth quarter, compared with a loss of $506 million a year earlier, but it lost $485 million for the year. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100208/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_hartford_financial ap/20100208/us_earns_hartford_financial AP business Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:09:15 GMT AP - Insurer Hartford Financial Services Group said Monday it was profitable in the fourth quarter as its life and property-casualty businesses both improved. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100208/ap_on_bi_ge/us_keycorp_aig ap/20100208/us_keycorp_aig AP business Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:31:36 GMT AP - The vice chairman for KeyCorp has left to take a job with struggling insurer American International Group, the company said Monday. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_rli_dividend ap/20100205/us_rli_dividend AP business Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:34:37 GMT AP - Insurer RLI Corp. says it will pay a quarterly dividend of 28 cents per share, even with the previous quarter. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_aig_ilfc_ceo ap/20100205/us_aig_ilfc_ceo AP business Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:35:48 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_aig_ilfc_ceo"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100205/capt.b4887e70919f4f9bbd09e075c651804f.aig_ilfc_ceo_nybz142.jpg?x=130&y=98&q=85&sig=OgPBMFVVA29R2YV3YJatoQ--" align="left" height="98" width="130" alt="FILE - In this June 8, 2009 file photo, Founder and CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) Steven Udvar-Hazy speaks to media at the 65th International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Udvar-Hazy is retiring Friday, Feb. 6, 2010, as head of International Lease Finance Corp. as AIG figures out what to do with the unit.(AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, file)" border="0" /></a>AP - American International Group Inc. has announced that Steven Udvar-Hazy will step down as CEO and director of the insurer's aircraft leasing unit.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_aig_ilfc_ceo"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100205/capt.b4887e70919f4f9bbd09e075c651804f.aig_ilfc_ceo_nybz142.jpg?x=130&y=98&q=85&sig=OgPBMFVVA29R2YV3YJatoQ--" align="left" height="98" width="130" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this June 8, 2009 file photo, Founder and CEO of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) Steven Udvar-Hazy speaks to media at the 65th International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Udvar-Hazy is retiring Friday, Feb. 6, 2010, as head of International Lease Finance Corp. as AIG figures out what to do with the unit.(AP Photo/Lai Seng Sin, file)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_aetna ap/20100205/us_earns_aetna AP business Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:50:53 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_aetna"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100205/capt.6567e4cb7edb4dd9a13b4f62142f853c.earns_aetna_nybz140.jpg?x=77&y=130&q=85&sig=tboeQNzofcCZH3V3vqh1UQ--" align="left" height="130" width="77" alt="FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2007 file photo, a pedestrian, bundled up against frigid winter temperatures, walks past Health insurer Aetna Inc. said Friday, Feb. 6, 2010, its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent, as it continued to struggle with rising medical costs, which hurt its performance every quarter last year.(AP Photo/Bob Child, file)" border="0" /></a>AP - Aetna Inc. said its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent, as it continued to struggle with rising medical costs that hurt its performance throughout 2009.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100205/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_aetna"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100205/capt.6567e4cb7edb4dd9a13b4f62142f853c.earns_aetna_nybz140.jpg?x=77&y=130&q=85&sig=tboeQNzofcCZH3V3vqh1UQ--" align="left" height="130" width="77" alt="photo" title="FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2007 file photo, a pedestrian, bundled up against frigid winter temperatures, walks past Health insurer Aetna Inc. said Friday, Feb. 6, 2010, its fourth-quarter profit fell 15 percent, as it continued to struggle with rising medical costs, which hurt its performance every quarter last year.(AP Photo/Bob Child, file)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_cigna_glance ap/20100204/us_earns_cigna_glance AP business Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:27:11 GMT AP - Managed care company Cigna Corp. draws its income from several business segments. Here's the profit it received from each in the fourth quarter of 2009, with the insurer's fourth-quarter 2008 performance in parenthesis for comparison: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_on_bi_ge/us_on_the_call_cigna ap/20100204/us_on_the_call_cigna AP business Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:29:40 GMT AP - Managed care company Cigna Corp. said Thursday it earned $330 million, or $1.19 per share, in the final quarter of 2009 on $4.64 billion in revenue. The insurer's financial picture was helped by improving equity markets that erased an earnings hit it suffered in 2008 from a couple of discontinued businesses. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100204/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_switzerland_earns_zurich ap/20100204/eu_switzerland_earns_zurich AP business Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:04:31 GMT AP - Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services Group on Thursday reported a fivefold increase in fourth-quarter net profit thanks to higher premiums and fewer writedowns. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100204/bs_nm/us_usa_geithner_aig nm/20100204/us_usa_geithner_aig Reuters business Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:06:44 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100204/bs_nm/us_usa_geithner_aig"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100203/i/r2882525573.jpg?x=130&y=94&q=85&sig=iPEyhMZWM1vYq7guWGzRsQ--" align="left" height="94" width="130" alt="Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on "The President's FY2011 Budget" proposals for FY2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 3, 2010. REUTERS/Jim Young" border="0" /></a>Reuters - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Wednesday said insurer AIG's contracts to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bonuses were "outrageous" and appealed to Congress to help recoup payments.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100204/bs_nm/us_usa_geithner_aig"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100203/i/r2882525573.jpg?x=130&y=94&q=85&sig=iPEyhMZWM1vYq7guWGzRsQ--" align="left" height="94" width="130" alt="photo" title="Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on "The President's FY2011 Budget" proposals for FY2011 on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 3, 2010. REUTERS/Jim Young" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100203/bs_nm/us_metlife_shares nm/20100203/us_metlife_shares Reuters business Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:17:46 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100203/bs_nm/us_metlife_shares"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100203/i/r3923972972.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=dViZ1pap2ieNUa1W9XYWqQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="A statue stands atop Grand Central Station in front of the MetLife building in New York, October 8, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson" border="0" /></a>Reuters - MetLife Inc faced a possible credit ratings downgrade and its shares dropped more than 4 percent on Wednesday, a day after the biggest U.S. life insurer confirmed it was in talks but hadn't reached a deal to buy a unit of American International Group Inc .</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100203/bs_nm/us_metlife_shares"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100203/i/r3923972972.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=dViZ1pap2ieNUa1W9XYWqQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="photo" title="A statue stands atop Grand Central Station in front of the MetLife building in New York, October 8, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100203/ap_on_bi_ge/us_earns_health_net ap/20100203/us_earns_health_net AP business Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:35:58 GMT AP - Health insurer Health Net Inc. on Wednesday reported a third-quarter loss on hefty restructuring charges, along with a dip in revenue. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100203/ap_on_bi_ge/us_wellpoint_chairman ap/20100203/us_wellpoint_chairman AP business Wed, 03 Feb 2010 15:23:02 GMT AP - Health insurer WellPoint Inc. said Wednesday that CEO Angela Braly will replace Chairman Larry Glasscock after he retires from the board effective March 1. http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100202/bs_nm/us_metlife nm/20100202/us_metlife Reuters business Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:29:50 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100202/bs_nm/us_metlife"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100202/i/r340601585.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=MW7_.hQ5YxKfBpPHWJiXhQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="A statue stands atop Grand Central Station in front of the MetLife building in New York, October 8, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson" border="0" /></a>Reuters - MetLife Inc's fourth-quarter earnings fell 70 percent because of investment losses, but its operating profit beat Wall Street expectations by a penny on Tuesday as the credit market began to thaw boosting revenues at the biggest U.S. life insurer.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/insurance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100202/bs_nm/us_metlife"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100202/i/r340601585.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=MW7_.hQ5YxKfBpPHWJiXhQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="photo" title="A statue stands atop Grand Central Station in front of the MetLife building in New York, October 8, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters)