An estate and financial-planning lawyer in Philadelphia, his father and several investment brokers in New Jersey were accused of operating an $8.5 million Ponzi scheme that allegedly defrauded 73 investors.

BenefitMall, a national broker services company based in Dallas, added a new service, company payroll services, to its roster of offerings.

Glen Rock, N.J.-based MSO Inc. added a new member company, Northern Kentucky Home Insurance Co.

A former New York, N.Y., insurance producer pleaded guilty to defrauding three life insurance companies of about $33 million, one year after he was sent to prison for three years for a similar life insurance scheme.

A Cherry Hill, N.J., insurance agent was accused of pocketing more than $172,000 from her clients and failing to remit insurance premiums.

State Auto Financial Corp. estimates that its third quarter 2011 results will include between $60 million and $63 million in pre-tax catastrophe losses, some from second quarter catastrophes.

A Hammonton, N.J., businessman convicted of an insurance fraud scheme in 2006 started serving his sentence Oct. 17 after five years of appeals.

Edward J. Fernandez, president of Palisades Cos., was named the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) 2011 Company Representative of the Year at the group’s recent meeting in San Francisco.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) granted a second round of awards totaling $109 million to 28 states and Washington, D.C., to further implement federal health reform.

A New Jersey insurance association is touting self-funded health plans after the state passed a bill in June requiring public employees to put a graduated percentage of their salaries toward their health benefits.