National Insurance

U.S. Marine Insurers To Review State Of Market

Trends and developments affecting the U.S. ocean marine insurance market will be discussed at the annual meeting of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) on Friday, Nov. 19 in New York City. The meeting will be held in the Ricker Auditorium, 180 Maiden Lane, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Ed Badolato, chairman of the National Cargo Security Council (NCSC), will be the featured speaker. The NCSC is a broad-based organization of government agencies and private industry working together to fight cargo theft. AIMU chairman James A. Zrebiec, chairman of International Marine Underwriters, a member of the CGU Insurance Group, will report on issues in the global marine insurance marketplace. Walter Kramer, AIMU president, will discuss AIMU program initiatives.

IUMI Conference Set for September

The 2007 conference of the International Union of Marine Insurance in Copenhagen is set for next month. As finishing touches are being put to the four-day program of committee meetings, keynote speeches, presentations, panel discussions and workshops, covering all branches of marine insurance, IUMI has announced record attendance figures. With over two weeks still to go to the start on September 9, the organizing committee from the Danish Insurance Association reports that more than 750

Study: Title Issues Abound in Maritime Deals

A recent study conducted by First American Transportation Title Insurance Company, a subsidiary of First American Title Insurance Company, finds that more than 35 percent of recorded maritime vessel ownership records contain potential title issues. The October study evaluated more than 100 randomly selected commercial and recreational vessels listed on the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Vessel Documentation Center (NVDC) registry.

Mitsui Marine, Sumitomo To Merge By April 2002

Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance and Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance agreed to merge by April 1, 2002, in a move that would create Japan's largest non-life insurer. With combined assets of $51.7 billion, the merged company will outstrip current industry leader Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance, whose assets stand at $48.5 billion. Analysts say the merger will accelerate consolidation in the sector, where competition is intensifying, due mainly to the deregulation of insurance premiums in July 1998

PVA Advises On Terrorism Insurance

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) recently distributed the following to advise its members regarding terrorism insurance. The shocking events that occurred on September 11 took all of us by surprise. Since then, we've all started to ask ourselves some basic questions that will help us to protect our companies, property, and employees from further harmful situations, if they should occur. One of these important protective elements is insurance.

MARAD To Sponsor Seminar

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is sponsoring a seminar in New York on May 31, 2002 entitled Issues regarding Terrorism Insurance in the Maritime Industry. The keynote address will be given by MARAD Administrator William Schubert. Items on the agenda include Terrorist Insurance Legislation Proposals and Status and Insurance and Beyond.

Moore Stephens Strengthens Regulatory Advisory Team

Moore Stephens has further strengthened its regulatory advisory capability with the appointment of John Westlake as compliance manager. John Westlake has a broad perspective of the insurance industry acquired through a variety of roles, which has enabled him to support insurers and brokers in establishing effective compliance solutions. He has a strong commercial background, having acted as operations director with a personal lines insurer

WQIS Strengthens Underwriting Department

John Moy has joined the team at Water Quality Insurance Syndicate as Vice President of Underwriting. John will lead the WQIS underwriting department. John came to WQIS from Crum & Forster where he served as the Vice President of United States Fire Insurance Company for the past five years. Previous to his tenure there, he was the Regional Underwriting Manager at XL America, working in marine and offshore energy insurance

Port Operators Risk Inadequate Insurance Cover

Speaking at the Panama Maritime VI World Conference, Dan Negron, vice president at Through Transport Mutual Services (Americas), stated that port operators face significant liability risk unless they are properly advised by specialist insurers and are in possession of a bespoke port and terminals policy. The devastation caused to New York in the September 11 terrorist attacks has inevitably led to repercussions in the insurance markets

Moore Stephens: Insurance Industry Should Tighten Loopholes

Moore Stephens have warned companies engaged in the insurance industry that they must put in place formal, anti-fraud structures, or risk being targeted both externally and internally. Writing in the firm’s Insured Interest newsletter, Moore Stephens’ Alan Tidy says, “There is evidence to suggest that there are potential gaps in the systems that the insurance industry has put in place to detect and eliminate fraud.