Last month the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”) adopted a proposal to develop a uniform system for collecting the market conduct information of insurance companies.  Market-conduct information includes, for example, how often a company cancels policies, delays claim payments or is in litigation. 


Read More Adopted Proposal Aims to Collect and Aggregate Insurance Company Market Conduct Information into a Centralized Database

Brazil’s Superintendencia de Seguros Privados (SUSEP) recently granted IRB Brasil Resseguros S.A. (IRB), the government-controlled entity that formerly held a reinsurance monopoly in Brazil, an extension of time through December 31, 2008 to conform to the new regulations that opened the Brazilian reinsurance market to local and foreign competition. 
Read More Brazil: IRB Brasil Resseguros S.A. Granted Extension of Deadline to Conform to Resolution No. 168

As it prepares to compete in the country’s newly de-monopolized insurance, Costa Rica’s state insurance giant, the Instituto Nacional de Seguros (INS), has recently announced the creation of four new insurance entities: INS Internacional, INS Servicios, INS Vida and INS Comercializadora.  The move is part of an effort by INS to restructure, retain customers and grow its business in the face of new competition. 
Read More Costa Rica’s INS Prepares for Opening of Insurance Market

A joint statement was issued by United States Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Benjamin Bernanke, and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) Chairman Sheila Bair regarding the role each governing body will play in bolstering public confidence in the United States banking system and the restoration and stabilization of market liquidity needed to support economic growth. 


Read More Government Officials Announce Three Measures Taken to Shore-Up the United States Financial Market

The FSA has fined British bank Alliance & Leicester plc (A&L) a record £7 million over regulatory failings relating to telephone sales of payment protection insurance (PPI) to customers seeking personal loans. 


Read More UK: FSA fines Alliance & Leicester a Record £7 Million Over Failings in Sales of Payment Protection Insurance

The Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee of the European Parliament recently approved changes to the text of the Solvency II Directive. The changes included amendments to the group supervision regime so as to ensure that local supervisors of subsidiaries in a group have a greater role in the overall supervision of that group. 
Read More EU: Solvency II – European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee Votes on Solvency II

Last August, Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced that nine health insurers submitted insurance coverage plans to provide healthcare insurance under the Cover Florida plan.  The names of participating insurers were to be announced in early October, but have now been delayed due to scheduling conflicts during negotiations. 
Read More Announcement of Cover Florida Participating Health Insurance Companies Delayed

Since 2005, the FSA has been carrying out a thematic review of the sale of PPI, the principal aim of which is for firms to improve their sales standards. The third phase of the FSA’s thematic review on PPI involved a mystery shopping exercise in respect of face to face sales of PPI alongside unsecured personal loans. 


Read More UK: Financial Services Authority (FSA) Provides an Update on the Third Phase of its Thematic Review of the Sale of Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)

Neel Kashkari has been named the interim head of the new Office of Financial Stability within the United States Department of Treasury.  The Office of Financial Stability was created under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, previously discussed here
Read More Treasury Secretary Paulson Selects Interim Head of Financial Rescue Program

Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed the Senate’s revised version of the $700 billion bailout bill, H.R. 1424, by a vote of 263-171.  This was a significant turnaround from last Monday’s House vote of 205-228, which rejected the first version of the bailout bill.  H.R. 1424 was signed into law by President Bush the same day. 
Read More UPDATE: House Passes Revised Bailout Bill