Digital Platforms

Starting a service-oriented architecture project requires a push from the business side; IT can’t do it alone.

A.M. Best and Fitch Ratings announce a number of changes, including an affirmation of Fidelity Investment Life Insurance and Pacific Life, and a downgrade of Highmark Inc.

Willis Group Holdings chairman and CEO says the insurance industry can take advantage of the need for greater transparency in business transactions resulting from the financial crisis.

ACORD LOMA and IASA will be a scant 10 days apart, but will marketing budgets support attendance at both?

The insurer joins The Hartford as a participant in the TARP program, and will sell its UK-based life insurance business to SLF of Canada UK Limited.

The Group of North American Insurance Enterprises believes changes to the Available for Sale (AFS) classification of investments could harm insurers' ability to present an accurate representation of an insurance company’s financial condition or performance.

A Towers Perrin survey reveals property/casualty insurance prices have gone down less than 1% in that time span.

Services are designed to help insurers define improvements in operational practices around risk management.

Group warns of regulatory arbitrage in a letter to Treasury Secretary.

Association urges NAIC to streamline regulations.

Society of Actuaries and Aon warns that organizations will need to step up their business continuity and preparedness plans in response to the pandemic declaration.

While Principal Financial Group says no to funding, The Hartford Financial will receive up to $3.4 billion in federal TARP funds.

Agent-based insurers have been slow to develop a comprehensive multi-channel distribution strategy, and this could result in lost customers, lost agents and profitability struggles, according to a Forrester report.

Observers said the new standards, unveiled earlier this week, include a call to require compensation committees to be independent of management, are already widely practiced, and would not have a significant impact.

Critics of new health care legislation contend that a public option would eventually displace the private market.

The United Nations agency’s rating is the first since 1968.

Insurance business and IT executives agree that when an IT solution is on the table, IT is responsible for communication tied to its success.

A new survey finds that the high cost of coverage is a primary deterrent.

Some people may be tired of talking about it, but the temptation to give up must be fought at every turn.

Ratings firm says weak investment returns and underwriting results will continue for the remainder of 2009.

IT Governance needs to be a continuous process for examining and re-evaluating projects as they move through the pipeline.

In order to expand their international footprint, carriers will need to focus on operational efficiencies, a new report says.

After previously peddling its Japanese headquarters, AIG now has found a buyer for its two Manhattan offices.

Citi Investment Research analyst Joshua Shanker cut his rating of the company to "Hold" from "Buy" yesterday.

Treasury Secretary says the job is too complex for just one agency.

Gridiron legend stresses importance of preparation in energetic keynote address.

Exclusive video coverage of the IASA Educational Conference: Executives from leading insurance companies offer insights on the technologies that should be deployed now to properly position firms for the economic recovery. Plus: IASA’s outgoing president Mike Holmes reflects on the organization’s accomplishments the past year.

Humana Inc., HSBC Insurance and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., among others, recently receiving ratings changes.

The partnership seeks to enable P&C insurers to strengthen relationships with their clients and distribution channel partners.

Analysts say it could be a challenging time to introduce an advisory platform of any sort.

Sometimes the solution to reaching insurance company customers is deceptively simple.

The Treasury is expected to announce today that a few firms have been allowed to repay Troubled Asset Relief Program funds, signaling government confidence that the worst of the crisis may be over.

AQS, Duck Creek and Sapiens enter the first day of the conference with news of system enhancements, while Insurance Systems opens its first U.S.-based office.

The Nolan Company released a new report on the topic of service improvement and differentiation.

A new survey eliciting the opinions of insurance executives about the software products they use yields some interesting results.

StoneRiver, a provider of technology and strategic solutions for the insurance industry, announces that Montgomery, Ala.-based Alfa Life Insurance Company (Alfa) has reported immediate improvements in their new business processes with the use of LifeSuite, a Web-based new business and automated underwriting system from StoneRiver – Insurance Solutions (previously Fiserv Insurance Solutions).

Legislation seeks to undue Securities and Exchange Commission decision to regulate fixed annuities as securities.

Troubled company expected to trim 17% of workforce.

Reports show that five large private insurers and the trade group America's Health Insurance Plans spent a total of $6.4 million in the first quarter on lobbying efforts.

The president says all the right things about the threat to our nation’s systems, but his plan remains sketchy at best.

Document/content management saw the most activity among property/casualty and life/health insurers and vendors.

President signals intentions regarding health care reform in letter to Senate heavyweights.

In a letter to the Treasury Secretary, ACLI chief denies federal charter will cause regulatory race to the bottom.

New report holds that of the lessons to be learned from the financial crisis, risk management should serve as the primer.

Forrester research finds that 60% of U.S. insurers hope to replace their core applications and its underlying server infrastructure.

Casualty Actuarial Society hosts panel on climate change.

Life insurer says malware at fault for leak.

The companies posted a combined net realized loss of $3.17 billion for the quarter, according to a report from the Reinsurance Association of America.

Celent profiles 45 policy admin systems for commercial and personal P&C insurers, and details seven advanced functionalities that indicate a good modern system.

Given insurers' tight budgets and expectations of greater regulation, more companies have begun to adopt governance practices.

Insurers should consider ERM a process, not just a platform, say study authors.

Wisconsin senator cautions on health insurers’ solvency issues.