Customer service

Insurers face an uphill battle when it comes to claims management, according to James Swayze, president and CEO of Symbility Solutions, Toronto. Swayze, who presented on the topic at the 2010 PLRB Claims Conference last week in San Antonio, presented results of a JD Power & Associates study that revealed 46% decline in client satisfaction scores for property claims between 2004 and 2008, and a rising claims process cycle time that averages 18.6 days to close.

LifeGuard Freedom 6 Net features a Joint Option to guarantee income for policyholders, and a 6% bonus for the first 10 years if no withdrawals are made.

Progressive named Joanna Wright of Harvey Monteith Insurance the winner of its contest.

The boundary between where social networking for an employer stops, and personal networking begins keeps getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

It apparently will take more than a visit from the Dali Lama to rebuild Conseco’s name and reputation as a stable financial services leader in Medicare supplement, long-term care, life and annuity products.

The stalwart reputation garnered by global insurance companies over the years may be fleeting, according to a report by rating agency A.M. Best.

Progressive Insurance has become a financial sponsor of the Real Time/Download Campaign, an initiative to drive greater efficiency through the Independent Agency System.

And so the soft market continues to slither on. Premium and corresponding rates for all lines of commercial property/casualty business in the United States were down 4% in April, mirroring a steady trend throughout the beginning of 2010, according to the latest MarketScout Market Barometer.

CRM provider says it’s reached 500% compound annual growth rate over the past three years, and will use the money to further its growth.

Mobile tool designed to help drivers following auto accidents.

Nearly one-third of survey respondents use search engines first when researching policy options.

INN announces a call for nominations for the 2010 Women in Insurance Leadership program.

There is more good news for the life insurance industry as new numbers frame how far the industry has bounced back from the woes spurred by the financial crisis. According to 2009 statutory financial results for top-tier life insurers and life groups from SNL Financial, Charlottesville, Va., U.S. life insurers recovered all of the capital and surplus they lost amid the global financial crisis over the course of 2009.

A new study charts the progress of carriers in ease of doing business.

The seeming over-abundance of accolades can obscure real business accomplishments.

In this final part of a series covering INN's 3rd annual INNovators program winners, the experiences of the Runners Up-MetLife and The Phoenix-provide a glimpse into the challenges to, and ultimate benefits of, innovation.

How the top six bank life programs make it work.

For insurers like SafeAuto that heavily rely on online consumer engagement, robust application uptime and performance means the difference been competitive edge and sure trouble.

Insurers should keep apprised of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook's latest developments, as they could have profound effects on the business.

Social media outlets are hot marketing tools—and dangerous security risks. What’s an insurer to do?