Security risk

Conshohocken, PA- eMoney Advisor, a leading provider of wealth planning solutions, today announced that First Commonwealth Financial Corporation has selected eMoney's AdvisorPlatform as the basis for its wealth management and planning services offered through First Commonwealth Financial Advisors, First Commonwealth Trust Company and First Commonwealth Insurance Agency. The eMoney system will be used by advisors throughout these affiliates to provide more comprehensive services to their clients.

DxCG Inc., an independent provider of predictive modeling software for health care organizations, today announced that Tufts Health Plan has signed a multi-year contract to license DxCG's RiskSmart, its Web-based suite of predictive modeling tools. Waltham, Mass.-based Tufts Health Plan joins other leading Massachusetts health plans, providers and payers using DxCG's predictive modeling tools to improve the financial forecasting of its health care operations.

SAN FRANCISCO--Identity Theft 911, a leading provider of identity theft education, defense, and resolution services, and AIG Affinity Group Services, a division of AIG, the world's leading international insurance and financial services organization, are working together to help individual consumers, enterprise customers, and financial institutions to deal with the growing problem of identity theft.

LONDON-- Lloyd's of London announced today that the market will have the capacity to underwrite 14.9 billion pounds Sterling (pounds) of business in 2004, or $26.7 billion. This figure maintains 2003's capacity level of 14.9 billion pounds, or $23.2 billion.

Duck Creek Technologies Inc., a provider of product management software and services to the insurance industry, today announced that Irving, Texas-based program administrator, Innovative Risk Management, Inc. (IRM) has selected Duck Creek's EXAMPLE Platform. IRM will implement the entire Duck Creek product suite including: EXAMPLE Express(TM), EXAMPLE Author(TM), EXAMPLE Server(TM), ManuScript Templates(TM), and Example TransACTTM.

HARTFORD, Conn.--Travelers Life & Annuity today announced the availability of its Annuity Funded Life and Muni Max products on pTeraDac Corporation's WebStory, a customized Web-based presentation system that links directly from Travelers WinFlex and Travelers Life Illustration Systems. WebStory Advanced Marketing Presentation System provides text, schematics and graphics to help the producer develop and present sales strategies in a format that facilitates the client's ease of understanding.

HARTFORD, Conn.--The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. today announced it has completed the purchase of CNA Financial Corporation's group life and accident, and short-term and long-term disability businesses for approximately $500 million in cash. The transaction closed on December 31, 2003.

Barring another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, or some other catastrophic event, U.S. insurance companies are cautiously optimistic about the economy in 2004. As a result, IT budgets in the industry on average are increasing slightly this year.Research from Celent, Datamonitor, Forrester and TowerGroup suggests insurers will add as much as 10% to their IT budgets this year, with an average increase between 2.5% and 6.7%.

In the largest-ever civil insurance fraud case filed in the state of New York, Allstate Insurance Co., Encompass Insurance and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. last month filed a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) lawsuit in the Supreme Court of New York.After 21 months of investigation, Allstate filed the complaint against 74 individuals whom the Northbrook, Ill.-based carrier alleges were either principals or employees of-or otherwise involved with-a group of companies established for the sole purpose of generating hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent insurance claims.

Insurers are turning introspective. They lived a charmed life when healthy investment returns covered for a lack of efficiency within their operations. Now, they have shifted their focus from asset management back to insurance basics.A new survey performed by the global insurance services practice of New York City-based Deloitte notes that insurers have shifted their focus after a protracted period of low interest rates and volatility in the equity markets.

Zix Corporation, a global provider of protection, management, and delivery solutions for electronic communications, announces that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, the oldest and largest private health insurer in the state serving almost 770,000 Oklahomans, has signed a three-year contract for ZixCorp secure e-messaging services to help meet the privacy and security guidelines of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

MILWAUKEE--Fortis Health signed its first individual medical Health Savings Account (HSA) policy, believed to be the first HSA policy in the country. The policy, which was opened by an individual residing in Aurora, Ill., is the first of the estimated over 40 million HSA accounts that will be established in the next 10 years, according to congressional analysts. Beginning January 1, 2004, Fortis Health will offer comprehensive HSA products for individuals and small groups through Fortis Insurance Company and John Alden Life Insurance Company.

NEW YORK -- The AIG Mergers & Acquisitions Division, a division of the property and casualty insurance subsidiaries of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), announced the launch of its newly designed global Web site, www.AIGMergerRisks.com.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Healthcare Underwriters Group of Kentucky (HUGKY), a medical professional liability insurance company owned by Kentucky doctors, today received authorization from the Kentucky Department of Insurance to begin operations.

Washington, D.C.-The American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the leading life insurance trade association in the U.S., today commended the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S. Commerce Department and other U.S. Government Trade Negotiators for finalizing agreement with Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua to form the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that American United Life Insurance Company (AUL) has licensed Automated Work Distributor (AWD) software to improve the efficiency of its back-office operations by streamlining its business processes.

(Dec. 18, 2003) - The Principal Financial Group, the nation's 401(k) leader and premier provider of employee benefits, today announced a strategic agreement to acquire the Molloy Companies, headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind.

HARTFORD, Conn.--The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB) today introduced a plug-in property underwriting program for insurers and alternative risk transfer (ART) organizations. The program combines property reinsurance capacity with a complete turnkey set of underwriting and risk management services.

MORRISTOWN, N.J.--Under the New Jersey Insurance Fraud Prevention Act, Allstate New Jersey Insurance Company (Allstate New Jersey) and Encompass Insurance today filed a multi-million dollar civil complaint in the Superior Court of Morris County against Scott Greenberg,

WASHINGTON--Alice Ross, an engaging 71-year-old grandmother, died when her Buick was rammed by a car packed with gang members allegedly staging a crash in Brooklyn to make fake injury claims against insurance companies.