Digital Platforms

Against volatile stock markets, insurers benefited from increases in investment income and improvements in capitalization, notes A.M. Best report.

Analyst firm expects agent channel to give way to non-traditional channels such as bancassurance and aggregators.

Despite barbarians at their gates, Moody's reports that P&C insurers remain financially sound.

Aetna president says company will seek new avenues for growth in response to new law.

Insurers, among others, warned the Financial Stability Oversight Council that designating companies as systemically important could do more harm than good.

USAA's banking arm is disguising new technology through old-fashioned, face-to-face service.

More IT spending will shift its strategic use to better understand customers and markets, improve products and increase sales opportunities, survey says.

As studies confirm the promise and limits of traditional safe driving initiatives, technology may provide an answer.

The feds say it will be a “secure” system, but definitions of security vary.

A number of insurers have begun to release their financial results for Q3 2010. The following is a compilation of their announcements:

Study finds large employers "are reluctant to lose control over a key employee benefit."

After reporting a $2.4 billion net loss for the third quarter, Chartis, flagship property/casualty insurance arm of American International Group (AIG), says it plans to downsize two percent of its workforce.

Many employers are still undecided on what to do, according to a Willis Group Holdings study.

A new Celent report profiles 28 vendors serving Europe, the Middle East and Africa, noting that cost isn’t most important issue for insurers.

The insurance agency and brokerage system is stable, but challenges remain, notably for insurers in New York, according to Richard Poppa, president and CEO of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York who presented on a panel at the fourth annual SNL Insurance Brokerage Summit today.

Software promises to help drive variable and fixed annuity sales.

A.M. Best, Fitch Ratings, Moody’s Investors Service and Standard & Poor's announced ratings updates. The following are some of the most recent:

Insurer Health Net is fined $375,000 following a large breach of personal health information in late 2009.

As a response to the economic challenges of the past two years, insurance companies are wrestling with rising claims, both legitimate and fraudulent, more competition for new customers, and new restrictions on investment activities that have reduced operational budgets, notes Mitratech, a provider of collaborative accountability applications including matter management and e-billing management automation.

Report says weak pricing environment may become the “new normal.”

A new AAA study reveals 10% of motorists admit to having fallen asleep while driving in the past year.

New Novarica report says issues around data quality and core system integration are primary challenges to use of business intelligence by insurers.

Company-sponsored research shows user carbon emissions cut by at least 30%.

The senator feels there is further work to be done on GSE Reform and legislation regarding "Too Big To Fail."

Sid Sankaran will play a part in AIG’s goal of re-establishing itself as a world-class insurance organization, according to CEO Robert Benmosche.

Standard designed to provide insurers with guidance on organizational governance; environment; and community involvement and development.

Executives from Allianz Life, MassMutual, State Farm are a few of the newly elected to the LL Global board of directors.

In its fourth annual program, INN honors nine insurers for core systems, customer service and enterprise systems innovations.

In renewal, State’s largest workers’ comp insurer aims for penetration gains, lower costs and positive process metrics.

House Republicans trying to repeal provisions of the Dodd-Frank regulatory reform statute may find more success in using oversight powers to curb the law's implementation.

Republicans admit that a pragmatic approach may be necessary to challenge Obama’s health reforms.

Travelers comes in at number 27 out of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States; 14 other insurers make the top half of the list.

Although depended upon for virtually every aspect of the business, IT still has issues that are shrouded in uncertainty.

1E’s system thought to enable Aviva to prevent the equivalent annual CO2 emissions of 500 modern family cars from entering the atmosphere.

Agreement will extend application outsourcing, systems integration and management consulting between Accenture and RSA for an additional three years.

Guidewire Insurance Suite will provide SSQ with policy administration, billing and claims management.

Initiative will allow government to "approve once, and use often" cloud services and offerings.

Successful transactions in the P&C and life sectors depend on due diligence of financial, operational and cultural issues, according to Towers Watson.

Aon, CNA and The Hartford are among the insurers reporting their results in the past week.

Democrats warn their House colleagues not to refight unwinnable battles.

New Novarica report highlights some practical fixes insurers can employ to solve business problems.

A new report from San Diego-based Mitchell International Inc. delves into the complex relationship between the economy, the cost of replacement auto parts and claims severity.

RMS warns insurers to remain vigilant in November as sea conditions are still ripe for further activity.

Gartner survey also continues to see data growth as biggest challenge.

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), the panel's ranking member for the last four years, has been an objector to the Dodd-Frank bill.

Fitch and S&P react to the close of the ALICO and MetLife agreement; A.M. Best and S&P assign ratings to Travelers’ senior unsecured notes.

Investment and operational losses in 2008 may have weakened many individual annuity insurers, but for larger players such as Allianz Life Insurance Co. of North America (Allianz Life), the U.S. subsidiary of Allianz SE, financial strength has not been an issue.

Insurer voting is in progress as INN and Celent partner on INN’s 5th annual ranking of tech solution providers.

Insurers devoting more time and money on customer experience, new research shows.

While Republicans have grand aspirations if they win the House in today's election, their ability to overturn reg reform is muted.

Latest Conning Research study says universal life policies targeted.

For years we have accepted that software glitches are inevitable, but we can’t afford to allow that to continue.