Digital Platforms

First State Bank in Webster City, Iowa, has purchased 15 agencies in the past 25 years—14 in the past 17 years.

Latest financial ratings reports prompt the question: Are some insurers paying for the sins of their competitors?

Continuing expense pressures and expanded service offerings by offshore business process providers my spur more offshoring, says Conning Research and Consulting.

Even for the many insurers still dependent upon legacy systems, it's possible to adapt their systems to realize the benefits of automated decisioning.

May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month, and research shows Americans are vulnerable to serious financial hardship in the event they were to become disabled.

Industry representatives and consumer advocates trade barbs at a public hearing hosted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Fiserv's CEO says the company would like to capitalize on Fidelity National Information Services's planned acquisition of Metavante Technologies Inc.

The troubled insurer announced that in an effort to cut costs, it's ending sales of variable annuities in Japan and the U.K.

MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FOR RISK INSPECTION

Iterative methodologies and sound product architectures reduce risk, and yield faster return on investment.

MANULIFE INKS OUTSOURCING DEAL WITH THOMSON REUTERS

Legislative moves to squash systemic risk may portend a heavier hand in insurance regulation.

Celent's recent survey of independent agents and insurers found that 60% of respondents said less than half of their sales and issuance activities are automated.

Due to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, federal regulators may now require written policies and procedures and periodic compliance reviews.

An AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. survey finds that 61% of men and 51% of women said they planned to shift the asset mix of their investments in response to the changing markets.

The data supporting its use are statistically irrefutable, and the benefits to consumers are significant, Hartwig says.

Physicians offer advice on how to define “meaningful use” of electronic health records.

The prediction of a Swine Flu pandemic brings to light an urgent and dire need for electronic health data.

Virtualization offers significant financial benefits, but it may also involve significant risk.

Insurers are among coalition advocating efforts to reduce risks in storm-prone areas.

New York Insurance Superintendent Dinallo says that mergers are likely for weakened insurers.

Solution highlighted by Web-based reporting and analytics platform designed to track risk exposure, compliance violations, financial statements and investment performance.

A new study shows the Web is the channel of choice for people seeking price information about auto insurance.

Despite insurance's yawn-inducing rep as a consumer brand, Forrester believes that since 75% of U.S. consumers use social technologies, the opportunity is there for insurers to capitalize.

A new study finds that while newly keen for bargains, consumers are not eschewing insurance coverage altogether.

An NICB report shows suspicious car fires up 27%, slip-and-falls up 77% and hail damage claims soar 407%.

The troubles at AIG continue to hold the headlines, as investigators are now digging into whether Joseph Cassano, the former head of London-based AIG Financial Products, and two of his top deputies--EVP Andrew Forster and Connecticut-based managing-director Thomas Athan--committed securities fraud and other federal crimes, reports the Wall Street Journal and CBS News.

Conning Research & Consulting suggests individual annuity insurers rethink their product risk, distribution, asset management functions and cost structures in a changing competitive environment

A new era of social commerce is knocking at the door, promising CRM on steroids—and State Farm is one of the first insurers to stand in line for it.

With the increasing prevalence of standards such as XML Web services, carriers can more easily move parts of their operations onto other applications and platforms.

Health and life insurers are the most likely to experience repercussions of a possible epidemic.

Insurers have an opportunity to present and discuss experiences, recommendations and visions on the ways a business can most effectively plan and deliver on the benefits of business process management (BPM). Business Process Management Consortium (BPM-C) issued a Call for Participation for the BPM Information Days, to be held in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 15-16, 2009. BPM-C is an OMG managed group.

Based on its research, WANTED Technologies predicts The Bureau of Labor Statistics will announce a loss of 752,000 jobs in March.

A great CEO should be a great visionary, demonstrating outstanding skills at finding the best people and appointing them where they can bring the highest value for the organization.

CAMICO Mutual Insurance, Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co., SureTec Insurance Co., Pacific International Insurance Ltd., AEGON USA and The Penn Mutual Life Insurance

Many Americans think it’s likely that electronic health records would improve the overall quality of U.S. medical care.

Redemtech’s “Sustainable Computing Assessment” finds most companies lack holistic policies for promoting sustainable computing.

Getting a framework in place is the first step to a successful enterprise risk management strategy.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan launched a program advocating extensive use of information technology to document and coordinate care across all providers and settings.

Standard & Poor's Ratings Services has rated Genworth Financial’s main lifestyle protection insurance entities A-.

Much like the insurance industry, bank CIOs are gaining more authority when it comes to managing and enhancing their company's technology.

Insurance advisors, agents, brokers and benefit specialists unify voices to caution against bypassing proper deliberation and debate.

News of the approval was met with mixed results from the insurer community.

The company says by transferring its AUI Holdings company into a special-purpose vehicle, it will be able to sell a minority stake.

Insurance IT vendors should readjust their approach to selling solutions in a way that better meets the needs of their customers.

In a recession, many will see outsourcing of functions as exporting of jobs.

Two weeks after Genworth was denied the ability to participate in the Tarp program, The Phoenix Cos. was thwarted in its attempt to receive bailout funds.

A new report from Hiscox finds that 38% of Fortune 500 companies fail to acknowledge data breaches as a risk, and 49% disregard the impact it can have on their reputation.

Economic slowdown and regulatory changes ranked as the leading challenges facing insurers.

A report by Lockton says premiums should rise in the coming months due to underwriting performance deterioration.

A survey by Aberdeen Group finds that 93% of companies queried have consistent policies in place for supported application software/licenses at the endpoints.

Despite being hailed by many as a cure-all solution for insurers, cloud computing needs to be carefully examined before implementation.