Bugged by Bedbugs? Insurance Won’t Pay
Amid the seething tide of bedbugs terrorizing the population these days is yet another uncomfortable fact: most infestations are not covered by insurance, with just a couple of exceptions.

Vanguard Introduces Web Comparison Service for Annuities
Vanguard announced Wednesday, September 8, that it has launched a new Web comparison service for individuals that allows them to compare income annuities from a number of insurance companies.

Safety-Seeking Americans Wary of Annuities, Stock Market
The constant drumbeat of bad financial news has taken its toll on Americans in more ways than one, according to a survey released Wednesday, September 8, by Allianz Life Insurance Company of America

Aegon Appoints Global Head of Sustainability
Aegon, an international insurer, pension and investment company, announced Tuesday, September 7, that Marc Van Weede, executive vice president, will be the Global Head of Sustainability.

SEC Charges Colorado Advisor With Fraud and Breach of Fiduciary Duty
Neal Greenberg, an investment advisor based in Boulder, Colorado, was charged Tuesday, September 7, with fraud and the breach of fiduciary duty by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

U.S. Insurers Not Likely to Fall in Sovereign Debt Crisis: Fitch
Life insurers’ foreign sovereign debt exposure is ‘restrained.’

Labor Day Survey: Many Workers Think Retirement Will Never Happen
Nearly two-thirds doubt they’ll have the money.

Do Your Clients Employ Nannies, Dog Walkers, Bear Handlers? Insurance Review May Be in Order
Clients who hire nannies to care for their kids or dog walkers to watch their furry loved ones might want to think about whether their insurance is broad enough to cover such workers.

Value of M&A’s Edge Up, but Potential Deals Fight Constraints, Report Finds
A report from the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP indicates that, while the M&A market is still weak, deals are rising slightly in dollars if not in volume.

Republicans, Expecting November Victory, Eye Choice Congressional Posts
Barney Frank’s seat on the financial services committee is just one of the coveted positions.

Big Insurance Losses Worldwide, as More Than 2 Million Homes Are Affected
According to the “Monthly Recap Report” from Aon subsidiary Aon Benfield, the month of August was a tough one throughout the world, as fires, heat waves, flooding, monsoons, and storms took their toll.

Life Settlements Shaped by Regulation, Underwriting, Markets
Although they took a hit from the recession and from factors endemic to a relatively young product, life settlements are on their way back up, according to stories from NU Online News Service.

SEC Charges New Jersey Advisor With Fraud
Investment advisor Sandra Venetis of Branchburg, New Jersey, and three of her firms have been charged with operating a multimillion-dollar offering fraud.

Makers of Champagne, Chocolates, Artisanal Foods Go Green but Not Mean
Champagne, chocolate, and local foods all boast environmental benefits.

Product Recall Insurance Debated in Wake of Egg Recall
In the wake of the recall of over half a billion eggs due to contamination by salmonella, economic losses are still being calculated; how much of those losses are insured is yet to be determined.

MetLife Finds Big Life Insurance Gender Gap
Women carry nearly half the coverage as men, study finds.

Cloud Computing’s Little-Known Liability Risk
Some outsourced, third-party functions are overlooked.

Life Insurance/Long-Term Care Combos: Opportunity, but Questions on Value
Option offers greater flexibility but not one-size-fits-all.

Environmental Disaster Creates Web of Liabilities
Spill originator is not sole party at risk.

Insurance Update: Is It Really a CLASS Act?
How the new government long-term care insurance program may affect your clients

Bond Bubble Debate Bubbles Over
Long-term investors and those seeking safety not found these days in the stock markets have been fleeing to bonds, giving rise to speculation about a “bond bubble.”

Jobs, Other Reports in September Likely to Make Investors Gloomy
With reports on jobs, services, and manufacturing in the wings for the month of September, investors are bracing for dark skies ahead.

Fidelity Finds 401(k) Savings Rise, as Do Withdrawals and Loans
Data from Fidelity Investments for the second quarter of 2010 shows that while investors are saving more in their 401(k) plans, hardship loans and withdrawals are also on the rise.

White Paper: Buy-and-Hold Has Failed; Dividends Preferable
According to a white paper released by WBI Investments, “The Unconventional Dividend Based Investment Approach,” the strategy touted so much over the years to investors to buy and hang onto stocks within their portfolios is no longer valid

Small Investors Fleeing Stocks as Bond Prices Soar
Investors are pulling out of stock mutual funds in droves, though foreign stock funds are still attracting cash.