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    <title>WebWire | News by Industry : Insurance</title>
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    <description>Insurance News by WebWire</description>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2009 Warmtone Corp. All Rights Reserved.</copyright>
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     <title>InsuranceAgents.com Discusses Variable Life Insurance Policies</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107186</link>
     <pubDate>Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:49:53 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[With how important families are, it&#39;s important to leave them with permanent financial protection. There are many life insurance policies available to those who are looking to invest in one, but peopl...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With how important families are, it&#39;s important to leave them with permanent financial protection. There are many life insurance policies available to those who are looking to invest in one, but people who like to have more options at their disposal should strongly consider a variable life insurance policy. A recently published article on InsuranceAgents.com reveals the significance of a variable policy.</p><p>&#39;As with other life insurance policies, a variable policy provides your beneficiary with permanent protection once you pass away,&#39; the article, Variable Life Insurance Policy: More is Better than Less, describes. &#39;Despite the protection, many people neglect to purchase a life insurance policy simply because it&#39;s too linear for them. A variable life insurance, however, is unlike any insurance policy you&#39;ll ever come across.&#39; </p><p>While a variable life insurance policy comes with all of the benefits of a standard life insurance policy, it differentiates itself by it also allowing the policyholder to divide a portion of the premium dollars to a separate account, typically made up of investment funds. These types of investment funds include: equity, money market, bond, and stock funds, among others. </p><p>If an investment fund does poorly, however, an investor will have less money available for the premiums. The policy&#39;s cash value and death benefit may decrease as well, meaning investors will have to put in more work to keep the policy active.</p><p>&#39;Despite these obstacles, a variable policy offers plenty of punch to its holders,&#39; the article emphasizes. &#39;If you&#39;re tired of the same old benefits a standard life insurance policy offers, contact your life insurance agent and inquire about how a variable life insurance policy can spice things up for you.&#39;</p><p>Staff contribution: Rafael Onak<br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107186 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=LSS">Lifestyle / Society</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/Jo1z5fh9YRc" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>The Childrens Mutual reveals CTFs are the most successful UK savings scheme</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107187</link>
     <pubDate>Fri, 6 Nov 2009 10:27:56 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[The Children&#39;s Mutual, leading Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider, has highlighted that according to new HM Revenue &#38; Customs (HMRC) figures, the CTF is the most successful savings scheme in the UK. -   -  T...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Children&#39;s Mutual, leading Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider, has highlighted that according to new HM Revenue &#38; Customs (HMRC) figures, the CTF is the most successful savings scheme in the UK.</p><p>The Children&#39;s Mutual&#39;s analysis of the HMRC 2009 CTF report reveals that families are far more engaged with the CTF than other long-term savings products. According to the report, 74% of families proactively opened CTF accounts within a year of their child being born, yet just 40%* have a private pension and only 30% of the eligible adult population have ISAs.</p><p>Over 4.6 million children now have Child Trust Fund accounts and almost &#163;2 billion has already been saved for children&#39;s futures.</p><p>David White, Chief Executive of The Childrens Mutual, said: &#34;The Child Trust Fund is changing the nation&#39;s savings habits in a way that adult&#39;s savings plans have not&#34;.</p><p>According to its customer data, October has been the strongest month ever with even more parents opening accounts. The Children&#39;s Mutual also announced record numbers of parents setting up a direct debit from outset this year.</p><p>David White continued: &#34;The fact that three quarters of families are opening a Child Trust Fund account within a year of their baby being born is great news particularly when you look at the take up compared to adult&#39;s usage of ISAs or pensions.</p><p>These new figures demonstrate the widespread support of parents towards long-term savings and their commitment to doing the best for their children&#39;s futures.  Families tell us that without the CTF, they just wouldn&#39;t be saving for their children so early on.&#34;</p><p>According to The Children&#39;s Mutual figures, half of its CTF customers are committing to long-term savings from the very beginning of their children&#39;s lives by starting a monthly direct debit averaging &#163;24 a month.  Over an 18 year period, this could produce a fund of &#163;9750 into a CTF**. </p><p>David White said: &#34;Through the CTF, in the future all 18 year olds will have the opportunity to start adult life with an asset and this should have a major impact on their lives and the wider economy.&#34;</p><p>Child Trust Funds are designed to provide a tax efficient, long term savings vehicle for all eligible children. Each eligible newborn child (born on or after 1 September 2002) receives a &#163;250 Child Trust Fund voucher (&#163;500 for low income families) from the Government when their parents register for Child Benefit. The Government will make a second contribution of &#163;250 (&#163;500 for low income families) when the child reaches seven and is considering a third in the child&#39;s teenage years. Parents, family and friends can all then add to this account up to a maximum value of &#163;1,200 each year. </p><p>- Ends &#8211;</p><p>Notes to editors<br />Figures from HMRC CTF Statistics 2009 and TISA September 2009<br />* Family Resources Survey, Department for Work and Pensions &#8211; published Summer 2009<br />** Projected value based on investing &#163;24 a month (plus the Government&#39;s initial &#163;250 voucher and another &#163;250 at age 7) for 18 years in a stakeholder CTF account. Includes assumed investment return of 7% a year, with charges of 1.5% of the CTF account value each year. Projected values cannot be guaranteed as the value of shares goes up and down. So the final payout could be more or less.</p><p>About The Children&#39;s Mutual - Home of the Child Trust Fund<br />The Children&#39;s Mutual&#39;s mission is to help parents, grandparents, family and friends fulfil their hopes for today&#39;s children. The Children&#39;s Mutual is the only UK company which specialises in long term savings for children and is now the choice of 1 in 4 parents for their child&#39;s Child Trust Fund, with more than 725,000 accounts. This expertise has led several financial institutions and family-focused high street retailers to choose The Children&#39;s Mutual as their stakeholder Child Trust Fund provider.</p><p>The Children&#39;s Mutual PR contact<br />Katie Donlan<br />Consolidated PR<br />22 Endell Street<br />London <br />WC2H 9AD<br />020 7781 2376<br /><a href="http://www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk" target="_blank">www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk</a></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107187 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/tJWeB_YjzmI" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Convenient Sunday Banking at BankFive's Express Office in Fall River, MA</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107138</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:25:57 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[November 5, 2009 &#8211; Fall River, MA &#8211; BankFive&#39;s Express Office, located at 55 Thirteenth Street, Fall River, MA, has been remarkably successful with their Sunday hours of operation. Opened in March of...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>November 5, 2009 &#8211; Fall River, MA &#8211; BankFive&#39;s Express Office, located at 55 Thirteenth Street, Fall River, MA, has been remarkably successful with their Sunday hours of operation. Opened in March of 2007, the full-service branch has three drive-up lanes, a drive-up ATM, and nine staff members. The Express Office is open seven days a week and has Sunday hours from 11:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. and customers are able to open accounts, apply for loans,and perform other banking transactions.</p><p>Branch Manager, Doreen Constancia, says about the location,&#34;Since we opened the BankFive Express Office, Sundays have been the busiest day of the week.&#39; She went on to say, &#39;For people who need to bank on weekends, we can provide the same level of service and attention that they have come to expect on any other day of the week.&#39; She added, &#39;It&#39;s just another example of how BankFive is committed to offering convenient banking for our customers.&#39;</p><p>BankFive invites the community to come into this busy local branch on Sundays to say hello to Doreen and her staff, and experience a level of service that customers won&#39;t find even at the supermarket branches.</p><p>For a convenient listing of all our bank locations in MA, visit <a href="http://www.bankfive.com/home/locations" target="_blank">http://www.bankfive.com/home/locations</a></p><p>ABOUT BANKFIVE<br />Since 1855, BankFive has been serving the communities of the SouthCoast with a steadfast commitment to provide local individuals, families and businesses with outstanding products and services designed to meet their financial needs. BankFive has thirteen offices conveniently located throughout the SouthCoast, and can found online at <a href="http://www.bankfive.com" target="_blank">www.bankfive.com</a></p><p>###<br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107138 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/p0_zkcH_iD8" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>BankFive Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Their Dartmouth, MA Location</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107133</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 5 Nov 2009 15:03:35 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Dartmouth, MA &#8211; November, 2009 &#8211; BankFive, headquartered in Fall River, MA on Main Street, celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their Dartmouth, MA location on Faunce Corner Road on August 21st and 2...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dartmouth, MA &#8211; November, 2009 &#8211; BankFive, headquartered in Fall River, MA on Main Street, celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their Dartmouth, MA location on Faunce Corner Road on August 21st and 22nd of 2009.</p><p>Ten years ago, BankFive became part of the Dartmouth community by opening the doors to its branch at 136 Faunce Corner Road. To celebrate the anniversary, BankFive opened their doors wide once again and welcomed its neighbors to two Customer Loyalty Day Celebrations featuring refreshments, fun activities, and prize giveaways. Both events were open to the public.</p><p>The first Customer Loyalty Day Celebration featured a cake-cutting ceremony with Thomas F. Lyons, President and CEO of BankFive, and local dignitaries. Over 200 door prizes were awarded to customers during the day as well. </p><p>The second celebration was a Back-to-School theme where children and their parents enjoyed popcorn, played games, got temporary tattoos and face paintings, won back-to-school items, and entered to win a raffle. Nickels, the bank&#39;s mascot, was also on hand to greet the children. </p><p>ABOUT BANKFIVE<br />Since 1855, BankFive has been serving the communities of the SouthCoast with a steadfast commitment to provide local individuals, families and businesses with outstanding products and services designed to meet their financial needs. BankFive has thirteen offices conveniently located throughout the SouthCoast, and can found online at <a href="http://www.bankfive.com" target="_blank">www.bankfive.com</a></p><p>###</p><p><br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107133 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/tzk8Iwkd2to" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Cardinal Health introduces new tool to help mail order pharmacies improve efficiency, cost effectiveness</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107116</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 5 Nov 2009 12:09:17 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[New, patent-pending EZ Cart&#174; system addresses key supply chain &#39;pain points&#39; by dramatically simplifying process mail order pharmacies use to replenish, manage pharmaceutical products -  DUBLIN, Ohio.&#8212; ...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>New, patent-pending EZ Cart&#174; system addresses key supply chain &#39;pain points&#39; by dramatically simplifying process mail order pharmacies use to replenish, manage pharmaceutical products<br />DUBLIN, Ohio.&#8212; Cardinal Health recently introduced a new service that helps mail order pharmacies remove significant inefficiencies and unnecessary costs from the process of receiving and replenishing pharmaceutical products.<br /> <br />Mail order pharmacies usually receive thousands of pharmaceutical products each day, in hundreds of unorganized plastic bins. This process requires mail order pharmacies, which receive a large volume of pharmaceutical products on a daily basis, to allocate significant staff time to unload hundreds of plastic bins from delivery trucks, unpack, sort and scan thousands of individual products before putting them away in the right area within their facilities.<br /> <br />Developed in collaboration with its mail order customers, Cardinal Health&#39;s new, patent-pending EZ Cart&#174; program streamlines this process by pre-sorting pharmaceutical products into compartmentalized containers which are then placed into plastic bins. These bins are then placed onto mobile carts, organized by assigned locations at each customer site &#8211; before they arrive at the customer&#39;s loading dock. Mail order pharmacies simply remove the carts from Cardinal Health delivery trucks and wheel them directly to the specific location within their facility where product is stored; eliminating multiple steps from the process of receiving and replenishing pharmaceutical products.<br /> <br />&#39;Cardinal Health&#39;s new EZ Cart&#174; program helps our mail order customers improve their overall efficiency by streamlining the way they receive products and by freeing up their time to focus on meeting the needs of their members and clients,&#39; said Law Burks, vice president of marketing management for Cardinal Health&#39;s Alternate Care business. &#39;By partnering with our customers to identify and create innovative solutions to key supply chain pain points like this, Cardinal Health continues to deliver on its commitment to improve the cost-effectiveness of health care.&#39;<br /> <br />Key customer benefits that EZ Cart&#174; delivers include:</p><p>    * Labor savings of up to 35-40% per receiving-and-inventory-replenishment employee, allowing participating companies to reallocate staffing resources to other critical tasks;<br />    * Fewer inventory &#39;stock outs&#39; and increased fill rates because products get more quickly from the receiving dock to the location where they are stored.<br />    * Increased security due to EZ Cart&#174; doors being secured with numbered seals.<br />    * Easier maneuverability within facility and less physical strain on employees when using the EZ Cart&#174; compared to receiving products on a pallets.</p><p>&#39;Cardinal Health&#39;s EZ Cart&#174; program provides a much easier and safer way to unload and move products around our facility than traditional pallets or forklifts, offers tighter security for controlled substances and saves our shipping and receiving staff a tremendous amount of time,&#39; said Rick Miller, senior director of logistics and inventory for Prime Therapeutics. &#39;The EZ Cart&#174; has helped us create significant efficiencies with how we receive and replenish pharmaceutical products within our facilities, and is a great example of Prime Therapeutics&#39; commitment to finding innovative ways to more efficiently and effectively serve the needs of our clients and members.&#39;<br /> <br />EZ Cart&#174; is part of a broad array of value-added supply chain optimization services that Cardinal Health currently offers to help mail order pharmacies improve cost-effectiveness and efficiency. To learn more about EZ Cart&#174; and other services that Cardinal Health offers to help its mail order customers improve cost-effectiveness, please visit <a href="http://www.cardinalhealth.com/mailorder" target="_blank">www.cardinalhealth.com/mailorder</a>.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107116 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MTC">Medical / Pharmaceuticals</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/PLfEoEYPzgE" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>LV= sponsors the Anglo-Welsh rugby tournament</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107100</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 5 Nov 2009 05:28:49 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[LV=, the insurance, investments and pensions group, is the new title sponsor of the LV= Cup, rugby&#39;s Anglo-Welsh tournament. The competition is jointly managed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and th...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>LV=, the insurance, investments and pensions group, is the new title sponsor of the LV= Cup, rugby&#39;s Anglo-Welsh tournament. The competition is jointly managed by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). </p><p>The initial two-year deal for the LV= Cup, with an option to renew for a further two years, will build on LV=&#39;s existing investment in Rugby Union and also complement its LV= County Championship sponsorship in cricket.*</p><p>The high profile LV= Cup is a 16-team competition involving the 12 English Guinness Premiership clubs and four Welsh regional teams. This year&#39;s competition commences on 5 November and the final will be played in March 2010 at a neutral venue to be confirmed. The eventual winner, if an English club, will gain a place in the Heineken Cup for next season.</p><p>The tournament already has a broadcaster, with Sky Sports committed to promoting the LV= Cup. They will screen one live match per round, plus the semi-finals and final, for the next five years. The competition also has a committed supporter base with an average of 8,500 spectators at each pool game over the last three years, and 55,000 attending last April&#39;s final at Twickenham Stadium. </p><p>The RFU, WRU and LV=, as well as Premier Rugby Limited (PRL) and Regional Rugby Wales, which oversee the teams playing in the competition, have all jointly committed to extensively promote the LV= Cup using existing channels and media. </p><p>David Radford, LV=Group Marketing Director, commented: &#34;We are delighted to be extending our sponsorship interests in rugby with The LV= Cup. As an expanding business we see The LV= Cup providing a good fit with our target audiences and we&#39;re pleased to put our support behind this popular competition.&#34;</p><p>Francis Baron, Rugby Football Union (RFU) Chief Executive, added: &#34;The Anglo-Welsh Cup is rich with heritage and history stretching back over many years, much like LV=. This year&#39;s tournament promises to be as exciting and hard fought as ever with the ultimate prize of a place in the Heineken Cup on offer for any English club that wins. In addition we believe the new structure will give players, coaches and supporters an exciting tournament that embodies all that&#39;s best about cross-border knockout competition, and further showcases the game.&#34;</p><p>Roger Lewis, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Chief Executive, concluded: &#34;Anglo-Welsh rivalries are among the oldest in world rugby and this competition will once again stir a huge amount of excitement from players, coaches and fans. The Welsh Rugby Union has always championed this competition and so we very much welcome LV= as title sponsors of the tournament and Sky as host broadcaster. We look forward to another season of top class rugby between the best English clubs and our Welsh regions.&#34;</p><p>- ends -</p><p>NOTES TO EDITORS:<br />* LV= has been the title sponsor of the LV= County Championship, the premier domestic cricket competition, since 2002. LV= is also a sponsor of Harlequins RUFC.</p><p>About LV=<br />LV= is a registered trademark of Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) and a trading style of the Liverpool Victoria group of companies.<br /> <br />The LV= insurance, investments and pensions group employs more than 3,800 people, serves over 3.6m customers and members, and manages around &#163;7bn on their behalf. The company is also the UK&#39;s largest friendly society (Source: Association of Friendly Societies Key Statistics 2009) and a leading mutual financial services provider, offering customers car insurance, home insurance and travel insurance.</p><p>Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society Limited (LVFS) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, register number. 110035. LVFS is a member of the ABI, AMI, AFS and ILAG. Registered address: County Gates, Bournemouth BH1 2NF.</p><p>PR Contact:<br />Ed Forbes<br />Media Relations Manager<br />LV=<br />80 Cheapside<br />London<br />EC2V 6AA<br />020 7634 4344<br /><a href="http://www.lv.com" target="_blank">www.lv.com</a></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107100 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/Jy_Iuk3INCg" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Santoni Investigations and National Trademark Investigations Appoint Scott Rutherford as Director of Marketing</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107087</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 5 Nov 2009 00:14:10 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations announced today the appointment of Scott Rutherford as Director of Marketing. -   -  &#39;National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigati...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations announced today the appointment of Scott Rutherford as Director of Marketing.</p><p>&#39;National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations are expert investigators, and provide real value to their clients through a consultative approach which helps them achieve their desired results as quickly and directly as possible,&#39; said Rutherford. &#39;The level of expertise of the investigative team is impressive, and I&#39;m looking forward to working with them and their clients.&#39;</p><p>Prior to joining National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations, Rutherford served as the head of marketing for CT TyMetrix, a provider of software to the legal and insurance industries, where he co-authored the industry benchmark research report, &#39;Cost Control in the Management of Litigated Claims.&#39; In addition, Rutherford previously served with trademark and copyright research firm Thomson CompuMark, where he headed North American marketing communications and events.</p><p>&#39;We are thrilled to have Scott on our team,&#39; said Timothy Santoni, vice president of National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations. &#39;We look forward to leveraging his business expertise, and particularly his experience in the insurance and intellectual property arenas.&#39;</p><p>Rutherford holds a bachelor&#39;s degree in Marketing Communications from Emerson College, Boston, Massachusetts, and a master&#39;s degree in business administration from the F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.</p><p>About Us<br />National Trademark Investigations and Santoni Investigations are affiliated investigation services firms with offices in Los Angeles and Orange County, California, and conduct investigations nationwide. </p><p>Santoni Investigations, founded in 1975, provides professional investigative services for the management of insurance fraud, including surveillance, location of persons, asset identification and process of service nationwide (<a href="http://www.santoni-investigations.com" target="_blank">www.santoni-investigations.com</a> or 800-966-5715). </p><p>National Trademark Investigations, founded in 1980, provides trademark usage, acquisition, compliance and infringement investigations to brand owners and trademark professionals. The firm specializes in anonymous specimen acquisition for anti-counterfeiting efforts, including documented chain of custody control, and the anonymous negotiation and acquisition of Internet domain names (<a href="http://www.nationaltrademarkinvestigations.com" target="_blank">www.nationaltrademarkinvestigations.com</a> or 800-498-1097).</p><p></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107087 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=LAW">Legal Issues</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/VPLVuydpelY" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Top 3 Ways To Save On Car Insurance Published</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107065</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:11:09 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[There is no question that saving money is on the minds of car owners and drivers everywhere. The current state of the economy has left many drivers in financial uncertainty so news on unique ways to s...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There is no question that saving money is on the minds of car owners and drivers everywhere. The current state of the economy has left many drivers in financial uncertainty so news on unique ways to save on driving is always welcome. According to an article recently published on InsuranceAgents.com, drivers can save money on their cars three unique ways.</p><p>The article titled, &#39;Top 3 Ways To Save On Your Car Insurance&#39; warns drivers against falling victim to expensive luxuries that aren&#39;t needed and not maximizing the value of their car insurance policies. When it comes to car insurance, the InsuranceAgents.com article urges consumers to not make one important mistake. &#39;Never sacrifice coverage for cost. The results should you ever have to file a claim will be financially devastating. Compare car insurance quotes online before you buy your car and ask your car insurance agent about possible discounts you might be eligible for,&#39; the article states.  </p><p>For those drivers who are more serious about saving money on their cars there is the option of buying from a private seller. Unfortunately, this option doesn&#39;t include a warranty but it comes without the lot fees, closing fees and other extraneous costs that can really add up for a car owner on a budget.</p><p>And although it should go without saying, those car owners who are strapped for cash should avoid sprucing their ride up with fancy DVD players and other gadgetry. Not only are those items expensive to purchase but they are also expensive to insure. The risk associated with those kind of accessories falling victim to damage or loss is often enough for car insurance companies to raise premiums in response.</p><p>Visit InsuranceAgents.com today to find out more about more ways to save on driving.<br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107065 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/PegF1G_rrqg" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>MassMutual Approves $1.23 Billion Dividend for Policyholders</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107045</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 11:05:18 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Payout reflects commitment to mutuality, continued strong financial position -   -  (Springfield, MA) - Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced it has approved an estimate...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Payout reflects commitment to mutuality, continued strong financial position</p><p>(Springfield, MA) - Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) today announced it has approved an estimated payment of $1.23 billion in dividends to eligible participating policyholders in 2010. The total dividends for 2010, approved by MassMutual&#39;s Board of Directors, include a dividend interest rate of 7.0 percent on new eligible participating life insurance policies1 and reflects the company&#39;s continued strong financial position.</p><p>&#39;As a 158 year-old mutual company, MassMutual is committed to delivering long-term value to our policyholders, and our history of continued strong dividends on eligible participating policies is proof of that pledge,&#39; said Roger W. Crandall, President and Chief Operating Officer, MassMutual. &#39;Paying a strong dividend is core to our corporate strategy, and we&#39;re proud to validate that strategy and continue this tradition with our approved 2010 payout. The market volatility and economic conditions of the past year have heightened the importance of doing business with a financially strong company, and our strategic commitment to pay strong dividends is evidence of the continued strength and stability that our policyholders have come to expect from MassMutual.&#39;</p><p>Customers who purchase eligible participating products from MassMutual receive an equitable share of the company&#39;s divisible surplus in the form of dividends as approved by MassMutual&#39;s Board of Directors each year. MassMutual has paid dividends each year since the 1860s.</p><p>&#39;Receiving consistent, competitive dividends is perhaps the most tangible benefit of doing business with a mutual company,&#39; Crandall said. &#39;Dividends can help our policyholders build value in their participating policies and also help contribute to the overall financial strength of the company by increasing the size and quality of our policy base &#8211; two attributes that illustrate the confidence, security and trust that MassMutual has offered for nearly 150 years.&#39;</p><p>The dividends, which are not guaranteed, come primarily from three sources: investment results, favorable mortality experience and savings on expenses. Nearly all of MassMutual&#39;s dividends are paid to eligible participating policyholders who have purchased whole life insurance, the company&#39;s core product. Of the total dividend payout of $1.23 billion, an estimated $1.20 billion in dividends has been approved for more than 1.2 million eligible participating whole life policyholders.</p><p>&#39;Dividends are one of the many benefits of whole life insurance,&#39; said Michael R. Fanning, Executive Vice President and head of MassMutual&#39;s U.S. insurance business. &#39;In addition to providing a death benefit, cash value and premiums that are all guaranteed, whole life insurance offers stability, security and flexibility and serves as an excellent foundation for a financial strategy. We have seen newfound, growing interest in the value that whole life insurance delivers, which has helped fuel the outstanding sales growth and momentum we have seen in MassMutual&#39;s core product.&#39;</p><p>Policyholders can use dividends from participating products such as whole life for a wide variety of purposes. Options include receiving dividends in cash, or using them to reduce premiums, purchase additional insurance coverage, accumulate at interest, or repay policy loans and policy loan interest.</p><p>MassMutual maintains among the highest financial strength ratings of any company in any industry, and the 2010 estimated dividends reflect MassMutual&#39;s continued financial strength. As of November 2, 2009, financial strength ratings for MassMutual and its subsidiaries, C.M. Life Insurance Company and MML Bay State Life Insurance Company are as follows: A.M. Best Company, A++ (Superior); Fitch Ratings, AAA (Exceptionally Strong); Moody&#39;s Investors Service, Aa1 (Excellent); and Standard &#38; Poor&#39;s, AA+ (Very Strong). Ratings are subject to change.</p><p>For more information on MassMutual&#39;s financial strength, visit the company&#39;s Web site to view the following resources:</p><p>Take Comfort in a Trusted Relationship: Understanding the Value of a Mutually Owned Company<br />Explains the mutual form of ownership and how MassMutual works for the benefit of its members and participating policyholders.</p><p>Strength and Stability in Uncertain Times<br />Provides an overview of MassMutual&#39;s financial strength, investment philosophy, and products and services in light of recent economic and market conditions.</p><p>What are Insurance Policy Dividends?<br />Explains what dividends are, how they are calculated, and other important facts.</p><p><br />1 This refers to business issued since the MassMutual-Connecticut Mutual merger in 1996. For policies issued prior to the merger, the dividend interest rates are 6.85% for those issued by MassMutual and 6.70% for those issued by the former Connecticut Mutual. The dividend interest rate is not the rate of return on the policy. Dividends consist of an investment component, a mortality component and an expense component. Therefore, dividend interest rates should not be the sole basis for comparing insurers or policy performance.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107045 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/GWMTC7YFOYI" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Aetna Supports Physicians, Pharmacists, Members in H1N1 Flu Response</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107035</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:43:00 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Aetna offers electronic roster billing for pharmacies and non-traditional providers; Aetna offers free CME course for physicians on flu preparedness; Aetna reaching out to high risk members to encoura...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Aetna offers electronic roster billing for pharmacies and non-traditional providers; Aetna offers free CME course for physicians on flu preparedness; Aetna reaching out to high risk members to encourage vaccination</p><p>HARTFORD, Conn. &#8212; Aetna (<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=AET" target="_blank">NYSE: AET</a>) is providing free electronic roster billing for pharmacies and other non-traditional providers to use when submitting claims for the administration of the H1N1 flu vaccine.  Health plan members receive coverage for H1N1 immunizations under their medical benefit, not as part of their pharmacy coverage, and typically, pharmacies are not able to bill for medical services.  However, with &#39;mass immunizers&#39; including pharmacies, community centers, and health clinics now authorized to administer the H1N1 vaccine, Aetna has adjusted its claims processing and payment policies to accept claims for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine from these providers and facilitate the prompt and accurate payment of these claims.</p><p>&#39;Accepting roster billing is yet another example of Aetna&#39;s continuing efforts to remove barriers to vaccination for our members, and eliminate administrative complexity that could hinder access,&#39; said Bill Fried, MD, Aetna&#39;s medical director heading the company&#39;s pandemic flu response initiative.  &#39;Our goal is to support members by being flexible so they can obtain the H1N1 vaccine at a convenient location.  Likewise, we are extending this flexibility to the health care professionals who are taking on the task of administering the vaccine to our members as part of the national effort to respond to the H1N1 flu pandemic.&#39;</p><p>Roster billing is a simplified process that makes it easier for mass immunizers to bill health plans in bulk by submitting a single claim with a list of health plan members they have immunized, rather than filling out separate paperwork for each individual they vaccinate.  Aetna has contracted with ZirMed&#174; to provide electronic roster billing for administration of the H1N1 vaccine.  Providers will access ZirMed&#39;s website to enroll in the program, download the Excel template roster bill, and then upload the completed rosters electronically.  Pharmacies that already have a process in place with a vendor to file individual electronic medical claims may continue to do so.  Providers who are unable to submit H1N1 vaccine administration claims electronically can print a paper copy of the roster bill and mail it to Aetna.  Aetna has established a dedicated P.O. Box to accept paper billing rosters for the H1N1vaccinations.<br />Additional information on how providers can bill Aetna for administration of the H1N1 vaccine is available on the fact sheet posted on the healthcare professionals section of Aetna&#39;s website.<br /><a href="http://www.aetna.com/pharmacy-insurance/healthcare-professional/H1N1_billing.html" target="_blank">http://www.aetna.com/pharmacy-insurance/healthcare-professional/H1N1_billing.html</a> </p><p>Aetna Offers Free CME Courses on Flu Preparedness<br />Aetna is offering physicians a free CME course that provides information and resources to help prepare for the pandemic flu or similar health crisis.  The CME for physicians entitled &#34;Pandemic Flu: Aware and Prepared CME&#34; is a one-hour course. The course is available online at AetnaEducation.com, Aetna&#39;s education site designed specifically for health care professionals.</p><p>Physicians who complete the course can earn one category 1 credit toward the AMA Physician&#39;s Recognition Award.  All other health care professionals, including office staff, who complete the course will earn a non-physician certificate.</p><p>Aetna Continues to Reach out to Members to Encourage Vaccination<br />Aetna continues to expand its educational resources for health plan members.  Updated information on its public website includes a new H1N1 Self Evaluation tool made available by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and developed in collaboration with Emory University School of Medicine.  <a href="http://www.flu.gov/evaluation/" target="_blank">http://www.flu.gov/evaluation/</a>  This tool helps members understand their flu symptoms so they can make informed decisions about whether they need to see their doctor or even proceed to the nearest emergency room.  Aetna&#39;s DocFind search tool now includes information on flu shot clinics.</p><p>In addition, Aetna is taking the extra step of proactively identifying members who may fall into the categories of &#39;priority individuals&#39; defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). </p><p>&#39;Aetna is using the CareEngine&#174; to identify and reach out to members who fall into several of the CDC&#39;s H1N1 vaccine &#39;priority&#39; categories, including those who are younger than 65 years of age with chronic disease, persons 6 months to 24 years of age, and women who are pregnant,&#39;  Fried explained.  &#39;Because members in these groups are at higher risk of complications from the H1N1 virus, Care Considerations will be posted to their secure and confidential Personal Health Record with information on H1N1 flu, their specific risk factors, and the suggestion that they speak with their physician about the vaccine.&#39; </p><p>Personal Health Records compile an individual&#39;s health information gathered from across the health care spectrum, including physician offices, laboratories, diagnostic treatments and pharmacies. Aetna&#39;s CareEngine automatically checks this information against clinical guidelines searching for patient safety issues or potential gaps in care.  If the CareEngine finds an opportunity to improve care, the member will receive a Care Consideration alerting them to<br />that information.  The CareEngine and Aetna Personal Health Record are available to members of most of Aetna&#39;s fully insured plans and many self-funded plans.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107035 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=IDC">Infectious Disease Control</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MTC">Medical / Pharmaceuticals</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/-8JxvheIIb8" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Aetna Signs Agreement With New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=107028</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:33:41 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[HHC&#39;s 11 hospitals, six Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and four nursing homes join Aetna&#39;s Provider Network -   -  NEW YORK CITY.&#8212; Aetna (NYSE: &#38;#913;ET) announced today that it has reached an agreement...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>HHC&#39;s 11 hospitals, six Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and four nursing homes join Aetna&#39;s Provider Network</p><p>NEW YORK CITY.&#8212; Aetna (<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?q=" target="_blank">NYSE: </a>&#38;#913;ET) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to offer Aetna members in New York City in-network access to in-patient and out-patient services from HHC&#39;s 11 acute care hospitals, six Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and four nursing homes.</p><p>The new three-year agreement expands Aetna&#39;s current relationship with HHC&#39;s Elmhurst Hospital Center and Queens Hospital Center. All Aetna plans are covered under the new contract.</p><p>&#39;Aetna is happy to announce that all of the HHC facilities will now be included in our New York City network,&#39; said Michael Costa, Aetna&#39;s head of network operations for the New York City market. &#39;This agreement will enhance our ability to offer our members access to a wide range of hospitals and physicians in and around New York City.&#39;</p><p>Aetna provides health benefits to approximately 1.8 million members in the New York Metropolitan area. Those members have access to a network that includes 172 contracted hospitals and more than 56,000 health care providers, including primary-care and specialist physicians, in the New York Metropolitan area.</p><p>New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation&#39;s hospitals &#8211; which are affiliated with all of the city&#39;s major medical schools and comprise the largest municipal hospital system in the country &#8211; include six level 1 trauma centers, nine designated stroke centers and two regional perinatal centers. In addition, HHC facilities include the only hospital in New York City to receive a &#39;Baby-Friendly&#39; breast-feeding achievement designation by the World Health Organization. </p><p>&#34;We are delighted that our contract with Aetna will offer more New Yorkers access to care at all of HHC hospitals. Our entry into this vast network of commercial health insurance underscores our competitive, quality services and our recent significant achievements at the leading edge of patient safety, health information technology and chronic disease management,&#34; said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. &#34;This new partnership also supports our work to further diversify our patient base and attract more referrals from the thousands of community physicians with whom we have forged relationships.&#34;</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID107028 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MTC">Medical / Pharmaceuticals</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/DjINe2nDo0A" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>The Childrens Mutual launches CTF Cashback site to help families save while they spend</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106944</link>
     <pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 10:10:24 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[The Children&#39;s Mutual, leading Child Trust Fund provider, has revealed that expectant parents can earn over &#163;200 by using its new shopping portal CTFCashback.co.uk to kit out their babies&#39; nurseries. ...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Children&#39;s Mutual, leading Child Trust Fund provider, has revealed that expectant parents can earn over &#163;200 by using its new shopping portal CTFCashback.co.uk to kit out their babies&#39; nurseries. </p><p>Research shows that on average, British parents spend &#163;3,383 decorating and furnishing a nursery with a further &#163;605 spent on prams, buggies and car seats. If parents did this shopping through CTF Cashback, they could be earning financial rewards of up to &#163;215.</p><p>Free to use, the site enables online shoppers to build up cash in &#163;10 increments which can be placed directly into a bank account or a Child Trust Fund with The Children&#39;s Mutual.</p><p>The site, which offers members up to 20% cash back and lists over 1,000 retailers - many with additional voucher codes - can help parents and the wider family continue to save as the baby grows up too. By using CTFCashback.co.uk to purchase ongoing essentials such as nappies and baby wear right through to buying presents and even holidays.</p><p>Tony Anderson, Marketing Director at The Children&#39;s Mutual, said: &#34;All parents quickly realise that buying everything they need and want for their child can be an expensive business. We created our CTF Cashback site to assist parents in getting great value for money on all their purchases, whilst being able to save towards their child&#39;s future&#34;.</p><p>Over 1,000 major retailers have already signed up to the scheme including leading brand favourites such as Mothercare, John Lewis, Kiddicare.com and Marks &#38; Spencer. Collectively, retailers are offering <a href="http://www.CTFCashback.co.uk" target="_blank">www.CTFCashback.co.uk</a> members average returns of over 5% through the site, with some offering up to 20% or lump sums of up to &#163;85.</p><p>Tony Anderson continued, &#34;When questioning expectant and new parents through our monthly poll, nearly 90 per cent* suggested that they would like to receive &#39;money back&#39; for their nursery shopping. We have taken this one step further so, whether it&#39;s buying baby grows and nappies or school uniforms and family holidays we wanted cash-strapped parents to be earning money every time they spend online.  With so many pulls on household budgets, <a href="http://www.CTFCashback.co.uk" target="_blank">www.CTFCashback.co.uk</a> offers a practical way of helping families to be savvy with their money and encourage them to save towards their children&#39;s futures.&#34;</p><p>- Ends -</p><p>Notes to editors:<br />Figures from Gurgle.com Baby Budget April 2009 and from CTFCashback.co.uk as of 28 October 2009<br />* Source: The Children&#39;s Mutual Brand Tracker Wave 19</p><p>About The Children&#39;s Mutual - Home of the Child Trust Fund<br />The Children&#39;s Mutual&#39;s mission is to help parents, grandparents, family and friends fulfil their hopes for today&#39;s children. The Children&#39;s Mutual is the only UK company that specialises in long term savings for children and is now the choice of 1 in 4 parents for their child&#39;s Child Trust Fund, with more than 725,000 CTF accounts.  This expertise has led several financial institutions and family-focused high street retailers to choose The Children&#39;s Mutual as their stakeholder Child Trust Fund provider.</p><p>The Children&#39;s Mutual PR contact<br />Katie Donlan<br />Consolidated PR<br />22 Endell Street, <br />London <br />WC2H 9AD<br />020 7781 2376<br /><a href="http://www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk" target="_blank">www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk</a></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106944 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/i0q498CFn9s" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>ING agrees to sell three of its U.S. broker-dealers to Lightyear</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106938</link>
     <pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:44:55 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Amsterdam - ING announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell three of its U.S. independent retail broker-dealer units, which comprise three-quarters of ING Advisors Network, to Lightyear C...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Amsterdam - ING announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell three of its U.S. independent retail broker-dealer units, which comprise three-quarters of ING Advisors Network, to Lightyear Capital LLC. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The transaction is not expected to have a material impact on ING&#39;s earnings.</p><p>The transaction concerns Financial Network Investment Corporation, based in El Segundo, Calif., Multi-Financial Securities Corporation, based in Denver, Colo., PrimeVest Financial Services, Inc., based in St. Cloud, Minn., and ING Brokers Network LLC, the holding company and back-office shared services supporting those broker dealers, which collectively do business as ING Advisors Network.</p><p>ING will retain ING Financial Advisers, Inc., based in Windsor, Conn., and ING Financial Partners, Inc., based in Des Moines, Iowa. ING chose to retain these broker-dealers because they are closely-affiliated and play a key role in ING&#39;s strategy in the U.S. which focuses on Retirement Services, Life Insurance and Rollover Annuities.</p><p>&#39;This transaction simplifies ING&#39;s structure in the U.S., and allows us to focus resources and capital on our core Retirement Services, Life Insurance, and Rollover Annuity businesses,&#39; said Tom McInerney, member of the Management Board Insurance of ING Group. &#39;It is also in the best interest of the broker-dealers, their employees, and the affiliated representatives and financial institutions, to find a new ownership structure. We believe that Lightyear will be an outstanding owner of these broker-dealers and be able to ensure a promising future for these businesses.&#39;</p><p>Lightyear is a recognized private equity firm in the U.S. that specializes in investing in financial services companies. With a successful track record of investing in well-managed, high-performing companies poised for strong future growth, Lightyear currently manages approximately US $3 billion in committed capital. Lightyear&#39;s principals average more than 25 years of experience across the financial services industry.</p><p>Financial Network, Multi-Financial, and PrimeVest together represent one of the largest and most accomplished broker-dealer networks in the U.S. industry. With strong and experienced management teams, exceptional back-office technology, plus a diversity of field management structures to accommodate a wide variety of financial professionals&#39; businesses, these broker-dealers have been leaders in the broker-dealer industry for many years. In 2008, collectively, the broker-dealers had more than 5,000 affiliated independent registered representatives and generated total concession revenue of approximately US $600 million. A broker-dealer firm generally executes the buying and selling of securities on behalf of its registered independent representatives, otherwise know as affiliated brokers.</p><p>This transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to be closed in the first quarter of 2010.</p><p>ING Profile</p><p>ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of about 110,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.</p><p>Important legal information</p><p>Certain of the statements contained herein are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements. These expectations are based on management&#39;s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or events may differ materially from those in such statements due to, among other things, (i) general economic conditions, in particular economic conditions in ING&#39;s core markets, (ii) performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, (iii) the frequency and severity of insured loss events, (iv) mortality and morbidity levels and trends, (v) persistency levels, (vi) interest rate levels, (vii) currency exchange rates (viii) general competitive factors, (ix) changes in laws and regulations, (x) changes in the policies of governments and/or regulatory authorities, (xi) conclusions with regard to purchase accounting assumptions and methodologies, (xii) ING&#39;s ability to achieve projected operational synergies and (xiii) the implementation of ING&#39;s restructuring plan to separate banking and insurance operations. ING assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this document.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106938 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MFD">Financial Markets</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/IBcPo4FvHWs" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Health-on-Line Adds More Choice To Customers With New Options</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106919</link>
     <pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 09:34:45 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Health-on-Line, the online Private Medical Insurance (PMI) company, has recently announced the addition of 2 new Options to their modular product, Personal Choice, giving consumers further flexibility...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Health-on-Line, the online Private Medical Insurance (PMI) company, has recently announced the addition of 2 new Options to their modular product, Personal Choice, giving consumers further flexibility when choosing the right level of health insurance. </p><p>Mike Dalby, Director of Health-on-Line, commented: &#39;Health-on-Line were the innovators of flexibility, and introduced modular policies to the health insurance market nearly 10 years ago. Since then, many things have changed in the financial services industry and we have always aimed to develop our product in line with the needs of the consumer.&#39;</p><p>&#39;We recognise that many individuals value the protection that health insurance can offer but are conscious of existing financial commitments. That is why we have introduced 2 new options that will enable individuals to have a direct impact on the premium they pay whilst continuing to offer an excellent level of cover.&#39;</p><p>The design of Health-on-Line&#39;s modular product, Personal Choice, allows consumers to tailor a plan to meet their needs by adding Options to the core benefits known as Essential Cover. This core benefit covers some of the main costs associated with admittance to hospital and on its own constitutes a basic PMI plan, if a consumer wishes to add other Options such as out-patient cover or therapies for example, they are able to. Each Option attracts a specific premium load thus allowing the consumer to tailor a plan to their needs or budget. </p><p>The introduction of Essential Extra provides cover for a limited number of out-patient consultations and unlimited diagnostic tests and attracts a lower premium loading then the alternative out-patient options. The 6 Week Option offers a substantial discount on the basis that the policyholder uses the NHS for in-patient, day-patient and out-patient surgical procedures where the treatment can be delivered within 6 weeks. The introduction of these options will see Health-on-Line emerge stronger in the budget marketplace and provide consumers with a real alternative to cancelling their health insurance altogether.  <br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106919 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/67JOLtHqr3A" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>San Bernardino County Sales Increase for Third Consecutive Quarter</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106875</link>
     <pubDate>Tue, 3 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[San Bernardino is showing signs that the worst is over.  However, according to Robert Martinez, Director of Research for MarketPointe&#8482; Realty Advisors, Inc, &#39;there is always the possibility that the t...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>San Bernardino is showing signs that the worst is over.  However, according to Robert Martinez, Director of Research for MarketPointe&#8482; Realty Advisors, Inc, &#39;there is always the possibility that the tiny light at the end of the tunnel is actually a high-speed train.&#39;  Sales volume this quarter increased more than 15 percent, the third consecutive quarterly increase.  In the attached sector, this quarter&#39;s net sales represent a 16 percent decline while the detached sector posted a 24 percent increase.  More importantly, current net detached sales volume denotes a 5 percent increase from the third quarter of 2008 and a slight 0.5 percent increase from the third quarter of 2007.  But this is where the good news stops.</p><p>Overall weighted average home price fell more than 13 percent from last quarter.  That drop, along with the 8 percent decrease in overall weighted average home size, resulted in a value ratio decline of more than 5 percent.  ResidentialTrends&#8482; Housing Market Overview further reports a more than 1 percent decrease in the average value ratio in the attached sector as well as a decline of 6 percent in the average value ratio in the detached sector.  </p><p>Inventory has taken a significant hit as well.  Overall total inventory declined 15 percent this quarter, dropping nearly 900 units.  Offered and unsold inventory decreased a whopping 55 percent.  By utilizing sales rates over the past four quarters, Martinez reports that unsold inventory in the region represents less than one month of supply in the attached sector and nearly six weeks in the detached.  However, if all the inventory in unreleased future phases was suddenly released to the marketplace the available supply would increase to six months of attached and 31 months of detached.</p><p>MarketPointe&#8482; Realty Advisors, Inc. provides new housing market statistics throughout California via its ResidentialTrends&#8482; new-home database and its LandTracker&#8482; proposed development database, as well as site specific, tailored housing market research and consulting services.  Comprehensive &#39;Housing Market Overviews&#39; providing new home sales, pricing, housing inventory trends, future housing supply, and new and leading developments are available for regions across California by going to <a href="http://www.marketpointe.com/landing" target="_blank">www.marketpointe.com/landing</a>.  Phone San Diego at 619-233-3781, Orange County at 714-528-2554 or Sacramento at 916-710-1396; url:www.marketpointe.com.<br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106875 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=CST">Architecture / Construction / Building</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MFD">Financial Markets</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/JmDkvkHrObE" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Mold Victims Beware of Failed Mold Remediation Projects</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106861</link>
     <pubDate>Mon, 2 Nov 2009 09:15:40 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[When a family or business is faced with a mold problem it often leads to disruptions in people&#39;s lives and significant financial costs.  Unfortunately, stories of failed mold remediation in public and...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When a family or business is faced with a mold problem it often leads to disruptions in people&#39;s lives and significant financial costs.  Unfortunately, stories of failed mold remediation in public and private properties are all too familiar.  The end result leads to more people suffering health problems and additional financial burdens.  </p><p>All mold needs to grow is moisture, ambient temperatures, a food source (most building materials and building contents are ideal food sources) and as little as 24 to 48 hours to begin growing.  All too often inexperienced contractors or others specializing in other fields, such as smoke and fire restoration, are hired to fix mold problems only to make matters worse.</p><p>When a mold problem occurs it is crucial to hire experienced and qualified mold professionals that understand how to identify and properly fix the problem.  It is equally important to contact references and to be sure that any quote received is inclusive of getting the total job completed.  A qualified mold remediation professional should:</p><p>&#8226;	Identify and ensure that the moisture source has been resolved so mold does not reappear; extracting all excessive moisture from interior spaces.<br />&#8226;	Carefully enclose and create negative pressure in damaged areas before beginning remediation to prevent aerosolizing the mold spores.<br />&#8226;	Remove damaged materials that cannot be cleaned.  <br />&#8226;	Thoroughly clean and treat materials that can be saved.<br />&#8226;	Treat new materials to prevent future mold growth.<br />&#8226;	Receive clearance testing from a qualified neutral third party environmental consultant.<br />&#8226;	Return the property to like-new conditions with an insurance backed warranty. </p><p>Global Prevention Services (GPS), one of the nation&#39;s largest mold remediation and prevention providers, has been on the forefront of protecting properties from microbial contaminants for years using the latest technologies.  &#39;Our PureSpace&#174; Process is guaranteed and GPS is one of the few firms in the nation with a true insurance backed warranty to return properties to healthy conditions the first time,&#39; reported Jeanette Kurtz, Executive Vice President of Global Prevention Services.  </p><p>To learn more about the GPS&#174; Network please visit <a href="http://www.NoMold.com" target="_blank">www.NoMold.com</a>, email <a href="&#109;&#97;&#105;&#108;&#116;&#111;:info&#64;NoMold.com">info&#64;NoMold.com</a> or call 877.NoMold5.</p><p>About Global Prevention Services<br />Global Prevention Services has been on the forefront of treating buildings with microbial problems and providing preventive solutions to residential and commercial facilities.  The company has offices across the country providing complete microbial solutions.  <br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106861 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=CST">Architecture / Construction / Building</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=ENV">Environment</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=IDC">Infectious Disease Control</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/FcHUgM_vYl8" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Halloween Insurance Liabilities Highlighted </title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106817</link>
     <pubDate>Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:20:30 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[On one of the scariest nights of the year, homeowners insurance is often the last thing a person thinks about when they are opening their home to party guests and trick-or-treaters. According to a new...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On one of the scariest nights of the year, homeowners insurance is often the last thing a person thinks about when they are opening their home to party guests and trick-or-treaters. According to a new InsuranceAgents.com article, &#39;Get More Home Insurance For Halloween Mishaps,&#39; Halloween poses a variety of risks and liability issues to the unexpecting homeowner.</p><p>&#39;The key to having fun on Halloween is having sufficient home insurance and preventing any possible dangers from occurring that may turn a festive night into a horror story you&#39;ll be cringing at for years to come,&#39; the article states. </p><p>Homeowners face liability on a regular basis as it is, but hardly as much as on Halloween night. Decorations and lit candles for a spooky Halloween party can harm or burn guests, and cluttered pathways to the front door can trip up and hurt trick-or-treaters. Any injuries or property damage is the financial responsibility of the homeowner who, without sufficient homeowners liability insurance, will have to pay for the repairs or medical and legal expenses out-of-pocket. </p><p>However, there are a few tips each homeowner can practice to keep liability risk and financial loss down to a bare minimum.</p><p>First, a homeowner can seek additional homeowners insurance, even if it&#39;s just for the night of Halloween. A higher liability risk calls for an increase in insurance. </p><p>Homeowners can also keep the path to their home lit and clear, and keep their general property well-lit. This will help others navigate the property more easily so they don&#39;t trip or get hurt. A well-lit property will also help thwart vandals and burglars. </p><p>Additionally, homeowners can be extra careful about lighting candles and Jack O&#39;Lanterns. Home fires are the among the top causes of insurance claims on Halloween. </p><p>It&#39;s also a good idea to keep pets away from the festivities, as well as far from the front door, where they can get at little trick-or-treaters. A family pet may be well-tempered most of the time, but the chaos of Halloween&#8212;with all those strangers around the property&#8212;can cause them to get aggressive and possibly bite a guest. </p><p>Following these safety tips will not only help a homeowner reduce their liability risk, but it will also help them find additional homeowners insurance at a more affordable rate. </p><p>Halloween is a time for partygoers to have fun and let loose. So it&#39;s important not to let something like insufficient insurance get the party down. For more information, visit InsuranceAgents.com.  <br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106817 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=LSS">Lifestyle / Society</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=CHI">Youth / Children</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/Cr797bpRhOE" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>MassMutual Conference for Female Agents Focuses on Success Strategies, Reinforces Reputation as Company-of-Choice for Women</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106726</link>
     <pubDate>Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:48:18 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[(San Antonio, TX) - Building on its reputation as a great place for women professionals, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) held its fourth annual conference to help its female a...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>(San Antonio, TX) - Building on its reputation as a great place for women professionals, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) held its fourth annual conference to help its female agents grow their careers and practices last week.</p><p>Agents from across the country gathered to learn from top MassMutual agents and each other about how to enhance their practices and serve new clients, particularly women who often are underinsured and underserved by the financial services industry, and as a result, under-prepared in terms of planning.</p><p>&#39;A lot of independent observers, such as Working Mother magazine, regard MassMutual&#39;s corporate office as a great place for women to work, and one of the reasons is that we give them the professional and personal support they need to succeed,&#39; said Beth Wood, assistant vice president, United States Insurance Group, MassMutual.</p><p>&#39;That same supportive environment permeates to our field sales force,&#39; Wood continued, &#39;which may mean everything from starting the staff meeting later in the morning to accommodate school drop-off schedules to matching a new recruit with a mentor to provide instruction on how to run a successful practice.&#39;</p><p>Agents at the two-day conference learned about the latest in retirement income planning strategies, and received advice on how to meet the needs of female consumers, business owners, and families with members with special needs, among other groups. In most cases, the advice was doled out by veteran female agents and financial services professionals who have built successful careers at MassMutual.</p><p>Among the guest speakers were MassMutual Chief Operating Officer Roger Crandall, Executive Vice President Elaine Sarsynski (who is also chairman and CEO of MassMutual International LLC), business expert Andrea Nierenberg, and actress Geena Davis, founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Attendees also heard from Heidi Floyd, ambassador of the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, which MassMutual is supporting through an innovative program that will raise money for research.</p><p>&#39;Of all the networking and industry conferences I attend each year, this one is special because we learn from women who are successes in this industry and who are now giving back by sharing their knowledge,&#39; said Tracy Timmerman, a financial services professional with Levin Financial Group, a MassMutual general agency in Tampa, Fla. &#39;It&#39;s a great way to pass along valuable institutional knowledge and priceless insights.&#39;</p><p>The conference is one of the many ways in which MassMutual works to support women agents in the field and women clients in the community, including key sponsorships of organizations such as Women in Insurance and Financial Services (WIFS), American Woman&#39;s Society of CPAs (AWSCPA), the Center for Women&#39;s Business Research, Women on Course and New York Women in Film and Television, organizations that provide women with opportunities for networking, development and community building while also promoting gender awareness and education.</p><p>In addition, MassMutual provides all eligible agents and employees with a host of services and opportunities intended to enable them to strike a healthy and productive work-life balance.</p><p>MassMutual has long been recognized as a leader in educating and serving female consumers. For many years, it has promoted greater awareness of financial decision-making through its Pearls of Wisdom&#174; financial education workshops and other educational resources specifically designed for women. It also sponsors a variety of research and educational events focused on greater understanding of women&#39;s health, wellness and financial well-being. Annually, MassMutual and its agents raise substantial amounts of money for national and local cancer organizations as part of its Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiatives.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106726 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HEA">Health Care / Hospitals</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/yVZsfTx3aUg" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Chubb Launches New Cyber-Security Insurance Policy for Commercial Organizations</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106623</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:18:42 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[WARREN, NJ. - CyberSecurity by ChubbSM , a new insurance policy from the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, is designed to help protect all types of commercial organizations against losses resulting ...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>WARREN, NJ. - CyberSecurity by ChubbSM , a new insurance policy from the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, is designed to help protect all types of commercial organizations against losses resulting from data security breaches.  In addition, customers can utilize Chubb&#39;s Risk Matrix, an online security assessment tool, to help evaluate the overall effectiveness of the organization&#39;s risk controls against a cyber-security breach.</p><p>&#34;In the past, cyber criminals tended to focus on early adapters of technology, such as financial institutions.  Today, nearly every company is at risk of a cyber-security breach: It isn&#39;t a matter of if they will experience a data security breach, but when,&#34; said Tracey Vispoli, vice president, Chubb &#38; Son, and Chubb&#39;s global cyber-solutions manager.  &#34;Our original cyber-liability insurance product for financial institutions was so successful that we&#39;ve expanded it to meet the needs of all types of commercial enterprises. Chubb&#39;s next generation cyber-liability insurance solution addresses the growing risks associated with conducting business electronically, from identity theft to e-business interruption.  It offers virtually any company-from large to small-broad cyber coverage and several options to customize coverage to meet the organization&#39;s needs.&#34;</p><p>The Verizon 2009 Data Breach Investigation Report found that size does not matter to cyber criminals-50% of companies hit by a cyber breach had 1,000 or fewer employees.  The Ponemon Institute 2009 Annual Study found that as many as 85% of U.S. organizations, from private corporations to government agencies, may have been hit by one or more data breaches within the past 12 months. </p><p>CyberSecurity by ChubbSM consists of third-party (cyber-liability) and first-party (cyber-crime expense) protection in one worldwide policy.  Third-party liability insurance provides coverage for:</p><p>    * disclosure injury, including lawsuits alleging unauthorized access to or dissemination of the plaintiff&#39;s private information;<br />    * content injury, including suits arising from intellectual property, trademark and/or copyright infringement;<br />    * reputational injury, including lawsuits alleging disparagement of products or services, libel, slander, defamation and invasion of privacy;<br />    * conduit injury, including suits due to system security failures that result in harm to third-party systems; and<br />    * impaired access injury, including suits arising from system security failure resulting in an insured&#39;s system being unavailable to its customers.</p><p>CyberSecurity by Chubb buyers may also select from six optional first-party cyber coverages such as privacy notification expenses.  Many states require companies to notify all their customers if a breach is even suspected; these costs are estimated at up to $30 or more per customer.  Privacy notification expenses will pay for costs to notify and monitor the credit of affected customers, even when not required by the state. Other coverages include crisis management and reward expenses, e-business interruption, e-communication loss, e-theft and e-vandalism expenses.</p><p>&#34;A company&#39;s existing policy most likely will not help protect against these data security exposures or may only offer protection for specific exposures, leaving gaps in their coverage,&#34; said Vispoli.  &#34;A cyber-insurance policy should be an indispensable part of any company&#39;s risk management program.&#34;</p><p>Chubb has been insuring cyber-security risks for complex financial institutions since 2001.  The member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 5,000 agents and brokers. Chubb&#39;s global network includes branches and affiliates throughout North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.</p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106623 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=BUA">Business Announcements</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=ECM">Electronic / Internet Commerce</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=MFD">Financial Markets</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=ITE">Internet Technology</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/VdaNGqn7pbs" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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     <title>Find Assurance With Renters Liability Insurance</title>
     <link>http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=106569</link>
     <pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:31:46 EST</pubDate>
     <description><![CDATA[Experts and anyone who has been on the wrong end of a damage to their rented residence, can tell you that renters liability insurance may not be mandatory but it is most definitely needed. According t...]]></description>
     <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Experts and anyone who has been on the wrong end of a damage to their rented residence, can tell you that renters liability insurance may not be mandatory but it is most definitely needed. According to an article recently published on InsuranceAgents.com, a quality renters insurance policy includes extensive liability coverage along with contents coverage and coverage for external living expenses.</p><p>Chances are, the landlord&#39;s master policy has liability coverage as well but it is the renter who will need to prove that the landlord was responsible if an accident ever happens on their property. &#39;Unless the renter is okay with filing the claim with their insurance company and risk getting their premiums raised, they will have to prove that their landlord was responsible for the accident,&#39; states the article titled, &#39;Renters Liability Insurance: For Tenant Or Landlord?&#39;</p><p>Unfortunately, if the renter cannot prove that the accident occurred as a result of the landlord&#39;s negligence then they will have to file a claim under their renters insurance policy (if they have one) and will be subject to higher premiums or a cancelled/non-renewed policy.</p><p>So how does a renter prove that the landlord should be responsible for the liability of an accident? According to the InsuranceAgents.com article, the renter must prove:</p><p>-The incident was foreseeable and could&#39;ve been avoided<br />-The landlord was responsible for the accident<br />-Fixing the problem beforehand was doable <br />-The accident occurred from not fixing an easily fixable problem<br />-The landlord neglected to take reasonable steps in preventing the accident<br />-The landlord&#39;s negligence caused the accident which, in turn, caused the injury</p><p>If the renter fails to prove these points then they will be forced to pay the damages of the accident. This can be financially devastating without a renters insurance policy. That is why a renters insurance policy (with plenty of liability coverage) is important for any renter should they find themselves in an unfortunate situation.<br /></p><p>&mdash; WebWireID106569 &mdash;</p><div class="related" style="float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><ul><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=FIN">Banking / Financial Services</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=HOU">Household / Consumer / Cosmetics</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=INS">Insurance</a></li><li><a href="http://www.webwire.com/industry-news.asp?indu=RLT">Real Estate</a></li></ul></div><div class="terms" style="clear:both; float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px;"><a href="http://www.webwire.com">WebWire&reg;</a> Copyright &#169; 2009 Warmtone Corp. | Use of this content is subject to our <a href="http://www.webwire.com/ServTerms.asp">Terms of Service</a> | <a href="http://www.webwire.com/webwire-industries-rss-feeds.asp">More Feeds</a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/WebWire-News-Insurance/~4/ATzGUD5cKEA" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded>
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