April 2010/3

New York-based private investor the Stilwell Group has upped its stake in troubled Canadian insurer Kingsway Financial Services (KFSI) to 12.8 percent.

Florida's insurance commissioner and governor have stood firm in defending their handling of the state's insurance sector, as one insurer faced insolvency and another was put onto special regulatory measures last week.

Private equity-backed US broker AmWINS has agreed a merger with fellow US wholesaler Colemont Global Group (CGG) to form an enlarged group that will place $4.8bn of premium annually.

Combined losses from the Chilean earthquake through the Lloyd's platforms of Amlin, Hiscox and Catlin could reach as high as $300mn, The Insurance Insider understands.

Lloyd's underwriting tsar Tom Bolt has ordered members to report all "off-slip" payments made to intermediaries, as contingent commission-style arrangements become increasingly common in the London market.

The US crop insurance model is under threat from proposed changes to legislation that could slash expected profits for reinsurers and drive them away from participating in the business.

Shares in quoted Lloyd's insurer Chaucer Holdings have continued to climb today (12 April) as rumours persist of an imminent takeover bid.