January 2009/1

2008 was the third worst-year on record for economic losses from natural catastrophes (nat cat), according to Munich Re.

Harbor Point Re Ltd, the privately owned casualty focused Bermudian reinsurer formed out of Chubb Re in 2005, has had the outlook on its A- financial strength ratings revised to negative from stable by Standard & Poor's...

Three Japanese non-life insurers Aioi Insurance, Mitsui Sumitomo, and Nissay Dowa are in talks to create Japan’s largest non-life insurer, according to a report from Bloomberg citing two sources close to the situation.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) affirmed its junk ratings on three catastrophe bonds affected by the collapse of Lehman brothers after their total return swaps were terminated...

Former American International Group (AIG) CEO Hank Greenberg, described the firm as "Bleeding people and business" in a television interview last month.

Troubled insurance giant American International Group (AIG) intends to merge two units of its major Asian life insurance entity American International Assurance Co Ltd (AIA) and list the restructured company in Hong Kong, according to reports.

As the lengthy list of victims in the Madoff scandal grows daily to include educational institutions, charities and foundations together with international banks, private hedge funds and insurers around the world (see table),so too does the...

The US Congress will today (5 January) hold a hearing to investigate how US financial regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) failed to prevent the alleged $50bn fraud by Wall Street trader Bernard Madoff...

Reinsurance rate increases at 1/1 renewals have been relatively modest, caused in no small part by a relatively small depreciation in industry capital, which has helped to contain price rises...