Data and information management

A.M. Best, and Moody’s Investors Service released ratings updates. The following are some of the most recent:

Auto insurers hoping to keep rates under control can look forward to a happy new year. As Jan. 1, 2010 quickly approaches, Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire and Oregon are all preparing to enforce stronger laws regarding cell phone use and texting, says Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).

Aon Corp. launched Aon Broking, a broking strategy for clients of the firm's retail brokerage operation. The new strategy is designed to ensure that Aon Risk Services’ clients benefit from the broking resources Aon provides, and gain access to solutions and markets for their specific needs.

Many of us are trying hard to see positive trends for the coming year, but employment remains the only meaningful bellwether of change.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking information as it launches an initiative to analyze health information technology standards to better focus resources on those that facilitate health information exchange.

Private U.S. property and casualty insurers’ net income after taxes rose to $16.2 billion through nine-months 2009, partially recovering from the 91.2 decline to $4.4 billion through nine-months 2008 from $49.6 billion through nine-months 2007. Insurers’ overall profitability as measured by their annualized rate of return on average policyholders’ surplus (or statutory net worth) increased to 4.5 in the first nine months of 2009, having previously fallen to 1.2 in the first nine months of 2008 from 13.1 in the first nine months of 2007.

With the program set to expire at year’s end, President Obama has signed the latest in a series of temporary extensions to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) into law.

OK, so some prominent global warming acolytes have been rigging the numbers; let’s just pretend that didn’t happen.

Chubb will work with the collaboration and innovation management tool company for two more years.

Agency says detection and warning capabilities have grown since 2004.

Liberty Mutual Updated its RISKTRAC to provide buyers and intermediaries with a single system for more effectively managing property/casualty insurance, disability and leave programs.

S&P withdraws its “A-“ counterparty credit rating on CNA Insurance Co. Ltd., and A.M. Best affirms the FSR of “A” and ICR of “a+” of Swiss Reinsurance Co. Ltd. and its subsidiaries.

A panel of insurance technology experts share tips and tricks for putting innovation into play.

Sandeep Malik will be based in Hong Kong, and report to Bernard S.Y. Fung, chairman and CEO of Aon Asia Pacific.

House leaders had to make significant concessions for the reform bill to be passed, and it likely will have to be watered down even further to get out of the Senate.

The “Thinking Outside the Black Box” service is designed to help insurers examine how best to use cat models.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Goldman Sachs Group Inc. was a key player in AIG's trades, even in the ones involving other banks.

Given social media's rise in popularity among older demographic groups, it's now become a serious data security risk for insurers as attackers target their less tech-savvy customers.

Industry endorses federal insurance office created by sweeping bill, but insurers are unhappy with their inclusion in a new dissolution fund.

The bill could significantly impact the way insurers do business, given it paves the way for the creation of a consumer financial protection agency, and establishes a framework to minimize systemic risk.