The Hartford targets life insurance agents for fixed universal life sales

The Hartford is hoping to parlay its success at selling fixed universal life policies through banks and wirehouses to the independent agent distribution channel.  Read Story

New York contractor accused of inflating insurance claim

A Tioga County, N.Y., contractor was arrested after investigators say he claimed damage from a faulty plumbing fixture was more than seven times the actual damage incurred.   Read Story

Stifel seeks to boost investment services with Thomas Weisel merger

Stifel Financial Corp. has announced an agreement to merge with Thomas Weisel Partners Group in a deal both firms say will create a premier middle-market investment firm.  Read Story

N.J. man allegedly sold fake auto insurance cards to authorities

A Newark, N.J., man was indicted recently for three instances of alleged selling of phony vehicle insurance identification card and motor vehicle inspection stickers to undercover law enforcement officers.  Read Story

Thinking about selling your company, buying a competitor, or maybe raising capital? You need a deal team with the right mix of talent and experiences to get the best value and to assure the transaction happens.   Read Story

N.Y. man admits lying to receive federal workers’ compensation funds

A Schenectady, N.Y., man recently pleaded guilty to a felony charge of making false statements to obtain nearly $22,000 in federal workers’ compensation payments by failing to reveal he was working at an auto repair shop.   Read Story

Report: Amish could be exempt from individual coverage mandate

The office of a U.S. representative from Pennsylvania says that the state’s Amish population is likely exempt from a federal health reform mandate to secure health insurance.  Read Story

Health reform law doesn’t go far enough, mid-Atlantic Blues suggest

The two biggest health insurance companies in Pennsylvania say the new health reform law falls short, while a regional Blues executive predicts the possible demise of small-group insurance in the U.S.  Read Story

The announcer for many GEICO advertisements – “So easy, even a caveman can do it” – has been fired for using that voice to contact FreedomWorks, a Washington, D.C.-based activist group that organized a number of the “Tea Party” events.  Read Story

Disability Insurance Awareness Month to focus on protecting paychecks

In the hopes of getting Americans to secure disability insurance the same way they obtain coverage for their car or home, the nonprofit LIFE Foundation is turning its attention to an asset that most people leave unprotected: their paychecks.  Read Story