Insurance Brokers Research Articles

Gallagher (Arthur J.) & Co.

AbstractInsurance (MIC: 8.2 SIC: 6411 NAIC: 524210)Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides insurance brokerage and third‐party claims settlement and administration services to entities in the U.S. and abroad. Co. has three operating segments: Brokerage, which primarily comprised of retail and wholesale brokerage operations; Risk Management, which provides contract claim settlement and administration services; and Financial Services, which manages Co.'s interests in tax‐advantaged and clean‐energy investments as well as its equity ownership. As of Dec 31 2007, Co. operated through a network of 200 sales and service offices in the U.S. and 12 countries and correspondent brokers and consultants in 100 countries.

Washington Federal Inc.

AbstractOther Depository Banking (MIC: 8.5 SIC: 6035 NAIC: 522120)Washington Federal is a savings and loan holding company that operates as Washington Federal Savings. Co. attracts savings deposits from the general public and invests these funds in first lien mortgages on single‐family dwellings, construction loans, land acquisition and development loans, loans on multi‐family and other income producing properties, home equity loans and business loans. Co. also invests in certain U.S. government and agency obligations and other investments permitted by applicable laws and regulations. Through its subsidiaries, Co. is engaged in real estate investment and insurance brokerage activities. As at Sep 30 2007, Co. had total assets of about $10.29 billion.

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110)Susquehanna Bancshares is a financial holding company that provides a range of retail and commercial banking and financial services in the mid‐Atlantic region through its subsidiaries. In addition to its commercial bank subsidiaries, which include Susquehanna Patriot Bank, Susquehanna Bank PA, and Susquehanna Bank, Co. operates a trust and investment company, an asset management company that provides investment advisory, asset management, brokerage and retirement planning services, a property and casualty insurance brokerage company, a commercial finance company, and a vehicle leasing company. As of Dec 31 2007, Co. had total assets of $13.08 billion and total deposits of $8.95 billion.

Use and Evolution of the Claims-Made Policy Form in Environmental Insurance: Selected Issues

Environmental risks have two basic components: the policyholder's obligation to clean up contaminated property and the policyholder's potential liability to third parties, including the government, resulting from environmental damage. The environmental risks for which policyholders seek coverage include environmental cleanup costs, third-party bodily injury claims, third-party property damage or devaluation claims, fines/penalties for noncompliance, or loss of market share due to lack of environmental stewardship. To be certain that all aspects of potential environmental liability are covered, an expert insurance consultant or broker should be retained to plan the program, analyze policy language and execute the purchase in the most cost effective way.

Gallagher (Arthur J.) & Co.

AbstractInsurance (MIC: 8.2 SIC: 6411 NAIC: 524210)Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides insurance brokerage, risk management and related services in the U.S. and abroad. Co.'s principal activity is the negotiation and placement of insurance. Co. also specializes in furnishing risk management services by analyzing risks and determining whether proper protection is best obtained through the purchase of insurance or retention of all or a portion of those risks and the adoption of corporate risk management policies and cost‐effective loss control and prevention programs. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. operated through a network of 250 sales and service offices in the U.S. and six countries and correspondent brokers and consultants in 120 countries.

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC:522110)Cullen/Frost Bankers is a financial holding company. Through its subsidiaries, Co. provides commercial and consumer banking services as well as trust and investment management, investment banking, insurance brokerage, leasing, asset‐based lending, treasury management and item processing services throughout markets in Texas. Co. serves a variety of industries including, among others, energy, manufacturing, services, construction, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, military and transportation. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had consolidated total assets of $13.22 billion, as well as total deposits of $10.39 billion.

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110)Susquehanna Bancshares is a financial holding company that provides a range of retail and commercial banking and financial services in the mid‐Atlantic region through its subsidiaries. In addition to its commercial bank subsidiaries, which include Susquehanna Patriot Bank, Susquehanna Bank PA, and Susquehanna Bank, Co. operates a trust and investment company, an asset management company, a property and casualty insurance brokerage company, a commercial leasing company and a vehicle leasing company. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had total assets of approximately $8.23 billion and total deposits of $5.88 billion.

Washington Federal Inc.

AbstractOther Depository Banking (MIC: 8.5 SIC: 6035 NAIC: 522120)Washington Federal is a savings and loan holding company. Co.'s principal operating subsidiary is Washington Federal Savings. Co. is engaged in attracting savings deposits from the general public and investing these funds in first lien mortgages on single‐family dwellings, construction loans, land acquisition and development loans, loans on multi‐family and other income producing properties, home equity loans and business loans. Co. is also engaged in real estate investment and insurance brokerage activities. As of Sep 30 2007, Co. had total assets of $10.29 billion and total deposits of $5,979,049.

Who is Reading the Data on Your Old Computer?

Researchers at Rits Information Security performed a study in how the Irish population disposes of their old computers. How would you dispose of your old computer, or how would the company you work for dispose of their old computers? The majority of Irish homeowners, would bring their old computers to local civic amenity centres, give it away to a relative or sell it on to another party. Some organisations would give their old equipment to a staff member, as a gift gesture, others may simply discard in the local civic amenity site. What is wrong with the methods currently being used for discarding of our old PCs? With this question in mind, Rits Information Security embarked on a study to highlight the problems home users, and corporate users face when discarding retired PCs. In this paper, Rits Information Security describes research in which a number of hard disks were taken from computers after they had been released for resale on Irish online auction sites. The research that was undertaken involved an analysis of the disks to determine if any information remained on these disks, and whether the information could be easily recovered using commonly available tools and techniques. From this analysis, a number of disks could be traced to specific organisations, including large financial institutions, various consultancy firms, numerous small trade organisation, auctioneers, and insurance brokers. In addition to these, a number of computers were found to have originated from the home environment. The results indicate that careless disposal of computers and storage media in the Republic of Ireland is a significant problem. Very few of the disks tested had undergone a thorough or efficient cleansing process. The level of information that could be recovered from the majority of the disks tested would have proven useful for corporate espionage, identity theft, blackmail, and fraud.

Gallagher (Arthur J.) & Co.

AbstractInsurance (MIC: 8.2 SIC: 6411 NAIC: 524210)Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides insurance brokerage, risk management and related services in the U.S. and abroad. Co.'s principal activity is the negotiation and placement of insurance. Co. also specializes in furnishing risk management services by analyzing risks and determining whether proper protection is best obtained through the purchase of insurance or retention of all or a portion of those risks and the adoption of corporate risk management policies and cost‐effective loss control and prevention programs. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. operated through a network of 250 sales and service offices in the U.S. and six countries and correspondent brokers and consultants in 120 countries.

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110)Cullen/Frost Bankers is a financial holding company. Through its subsidiaries, Co. provides commercial and consumer banking services as well as trust and investment management, investment banking, insurance brokerage, leasing, asset‐based lending, treasury management and item processing services throughout markets in Texas. Co. serves a variety of industries including, among others, energy, manufacturing, services, construction, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, military and transportation. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had consolidated total assets of $13.22 billion, as well as total deposits of $10.39 billion.

Greater Bay Bancorp

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC:522110)Greater Bay Bancorp is a financial holding company with one bank subsidiary, Greater Bay Bank, National Association, and one commercial insurance brokerage subsidiary, ABD Insurance and Financial Services. Through its subsidiaries, Co. provides a range of financial services, including commercial and consumer loan and depository services, traditional banking services, specialty finance products, commercial insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, and risk management services. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had total assets of $7.37 billion, and total deposits of $5.26 billion.

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110)Susquehanna Bancshares is a financial holding company that provides a range of retail and commercial banking and financial services in the mid‐Atlantic region through its subsidiaries. In addition to its commercial bank subsidiaries, which include Susquehanna Patriot Bank, Susquehanna Bank PA, and Susquehanna Bank, Co. operates a trust and investment company, an asset management company, a property and casualty insurance brokerage company, a commercial leasing company and a vehicle leasing company. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had total assets of approximately $8.23 billion and total deposits of $5.88 billion.

AA Motor Insurance: The IDM Business Performance Awards 2006, Diamond Award Winner Campaign: ‘The AA team — Here to get you a better deal’

The AA motor insurance case shows how it is possible to revive a traditionally perceived brand, enabling the AA to win customers in a highly competitive, confused marketplace. The AA began by commissioning research to identify the principle concerns of customers and prospects. In answer to these concerns, the AA made substantial improvements to both their operations and communications. The AA Team campaign was launched using strong, innovative images to represent the dedicated, high calibre staff providing the motor insurance broking and booking service. Customers and prospects responded positively to the tangible benefits offered by the AA's motor insurance team and, after only one year, campaign results had exceeded expectations.

Tailored Insurance Coverage for Post-Remedial Risks

Environmental insurance policies have not kept pace with the increasing regulatory focus on post-remedial risks, particularly the long-term stewardship (LTS) risk at sites with small dollar cost remediations. A two-fold solution includes: 1) applying to small sites the same sound principles of Brownfields risk transfer as are applied to large sites and 2) focusing on coverage of all post-remedial risks, not only LTS. Risk transfer basics include: 1) define all sources of potential environmental liability; 2) apply and integrate three contracts; and 3) tailor the policy to fit the specific risks. Zurich's Post-Remediation Care (PRC) Policy has not been available because there is little need for a policy covering one risk, and the coverage is not required until the remediation ends. The author argues here for two stages of PRC coverage under site pollution liability (SPL) policies. The first stage requires an SPL policy endorsement promising to provide PRC coverage when it is needed, upon fulfillment of certain underwriting conditions. The second stage endorsement provides the actual PRC coverage and includes a renewal provision connected to annual certification of the effectiveness of the institutional and engineering controls (IC/ECs). This provision makes the policy essentially automatically renewable and thus serves to solve the long-term aspect of the LTS problem. The author readily obtained this coverage on a manuscript basis for a small manufacturing site in New York, a state which regulates IC/ECs relatively heavily. Owners of small sites should be able to use this product for purposes of financial assurance. *Susan Neuman, Esq., Ph.D., is President of the Environmental Insurance Agency, Inc., a boutique environmental insurance brokerage headquartered in Larchmont, New York, and Principal in RemVer, Inc., a company which specializes in the management of long-term stewardship liabilities. For the past ten years, she has beeen facilitating Brownfields transactions with tailored and innovative risk transfer products, including insurance products which cover post-remedial liabilities.

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6022 NAIC: 522110)Cullen/Frost Bankers is a financial holding company. Through its subsidiaries, Co. provides commercial and consumer banking services as well as trust and investment management, investment banking, insurance brokerage, leasing, asset‐based lending, treasury management and item processing services throughout markets in Texas. Co. serves a variety of industries including, among others, energy, manufacturing, services, construction, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, military and transportation. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had consolidated total assets of $13.22 billion, as well as total deposits of $10.39 billion.

Gallagher (Arthur J.) & Co.

AbstractInsurance (MIC: 8.2 SIC: 6411 NAIC: 524210)Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. provides insurance brokerage, risk management and related services in the U.S. and abroad. Co.'s principal activity is the negotiation and placement of insurance. Co. also specializes in furnishing risk management services by analyzing risks and determining whether proper protection is best obtained through the purchase of insurance or retention of all or a portion of those risks and the adoption of corporate risk management policies and cost‐effective loss control and prevention programs. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. operated through a network of 250 sales and service offices in the U.S. and six countries and correspondent brokers and consultants in 120 countries.

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110)Susquehanna Bancshares is a financial holding company that provides a range of retail and commercial banking and financial services through its subsidiaries in the mid‐Atlantic region. In addition to its commercial banks that included an aggregate of 163 branches as of Dec 31 2006, Co. operates a trust and investment company, an asset management company, a property and casualty insurance brokerage company, a commercial leasing company and a vehicle leasing company. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had total assets of $8.23 billion and deposits of $5.88 billion.

Greater Bay Bancorp

AbstractCommercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC:522110)Greater Bay Bancorp is a financial holding company with one bank subsidiary, Greater Bay Bank, National Association, and one commercial insurance brokerage subsidiary, ABD Insurance and Financial Services. Through its subsidiaries, Co. provides a range of financial services, including commercial and consumer loan and depository services, traditional banking services, specialty finance products, commercial insurance brokerage, employee benefits consulting, and risk management services. As of Dec 31 2006, Co. had total assets of $7.37 billion, and total deposits of $5.26 billion.

Residential segregation by race in cities and the employment of blacks in insurance occupations during the early 20th century

Black entrepreneurs established viable insurance companies in the early 20th century, responding to the need to provide insurance to those black consumers who were rejected or mistreated by insurance firms owned by whites. Adding to this account, one study has proposed that black employment in the insurance industry was also encouraged by residential segregation by race. In the present investigation, a regression analysis of census data for 22 southern and 42 northern cities in 1940 finds modest support for this proposal. The rate of the employment of blacks as “insurance agents and brokers” was positively associated with an index of black residential segregation in northern cities only. Moreover, the rate of black employment in these insurance occupations was higher in southern cities, and there was indirect evidence that this higher rate may have resulted from an old tradition of insurance enterprise among blacks in the South.