December 2004/4

As first reported in December’s edition of Insider Week sister publication The Insurance Insider, brokers Aon has gone public with Aon Broking Connections (ABC), its integrated electronic messaging platform.

World’s largest insurer AIG is being sued by the State of Michigan for $30mn in losses on its pension fund resulting from the company’s stock falling on allegations that it aided accounting fraud by other companies, and its involvement in the Spitzer prob

Troubled broking giant MMC finalised $3bn of financing last week soothing fears of a liquidity crunch as the firm strives to settle with the New York attorney general Eliot Spitzer.

With the renewal season in full fling, Marsh’s reinsurance arm Guy Carpenter has committed itself to providing full disclosure to the fees it earns on reinsurance placements.

Lloyd’s revealed last week that its 2005 global capacity is likely to shrink a higher than expected 9 percent to £13.7bn in response to falling rates.

John Tiner, CEO of UK regulator the Financial Services Authority (FSA) has challenged the London Market to improve contract certainty and to move to a more transparent and efficient business model.

Fast-growing Bermudian post-9/11 start-up Endurance Specialty saw it’s A- Standard & Poor’s ratings outlook updated from stable to positive last week (13 December) on the back of its “strong competitive position, which is supported by a diversified busine

Willis Group Holdings revealed today (20 December 2004) that it has bought the business of the Mexico insurance broker Maisterrena Asesores.

A recent decision by the US Supreme Court on environmental liabilities could have profound consequences for the insurance industry, analysts at Morgan Stanley have warned.

Japanese insurers Sompo Japan Insurance Inc and Aioi Insurance Co Ltd have each taken a 3 percent stake in a company formed by People’s Insurance Company of China Property and Casualty Co (PICC), the largest non-life company in China. Each insurer has in

2004 would have been the best year for the US P&C industry “in decades” were it not the for the third quarter storms, but next year is set to become the first year to witness an underwriting profit since 1978.

Fears over deteriorating conditions in the market for US Directors’ and Officers’ insurance (D&O) have been confirmed by actuarial consulting firm Tillinghast in its annual survey on the sector.