A collection of insurance companies, taxpayer advocates and environmental groups are urging changes to a bill in the U.S. House seeking to reform the National Flood Insurance Program.

Michael McRaith, insurance director at the Illinois Department of Insurance, was named the first leader of the Federal Insurance Office (FIO).

The new president of the Professional Insurance Marketing Association, one of a number of newly elected officers, predicts more spending on insurance marketing this year.

Digital Insurance said it intends to “aggressively” implement its growth strategy in 2011 after closing 2010 with $17 million in acquisitions.

Guggenheim Life and Annuity Co. (GLAC) will reinsure policies issued by Standard Life Insurance Co. (SLIC), which has been in rehabilitation since 2008.

Alliant Insurance Services, a national specialty insurance brokerage firm, bought T&H Group, a regional full-service insurance brokerage firm based in New York City.

Risk Strategies Co. (RSC) merged its West Coast operations with one of the largest private client personal lines insurance groups in California.

Two men from Illinois were charged with felony theft in connection with bilking the Million Dollar Round Table of more than $1.1 million over six years.

Ax Life Insurance plans to establish locations in the Midwest in the next six to eight months to answer the demand for life insurance.

The Illinois Insurance Department is imposing new reporting requirements for health insurers seeking to raise rates, making it one of a number of states using federal funds to dig deeper into proposed premium increases.