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INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 16, 2008
Giving credit where it is due

Those with poor credit scores might be deadbeats.

WIREHOUSES NOV 16, 2008
Recruitment deals slim down

The bull market in broker recruitment deals has peaked.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 16, 2008
IPO offers lone asset: a $4.6B lawsuit

In an unprecedented move that some are comparing to gambling on the legal system, a $4.6 billion lawsuit is being packaged as the sole asset of a special-purpose company that is preparing an initial public stock offering.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 14, 2008
The Hartford makes bid to become S&L

The Hartford (Conn.) Financial Services Group Inc. today announced that it has applied to the Office of Thrift Supervision to become a savings and loan holding company.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 14, 2008
In a first, Prudential cuts dividend

Shareholders will receive an annual dividend of 58 cents per share of common stock Dec. 19, down by about 50% from the dividend paid out in 2007.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 14, 2008
Consumer sentiment inches up

Consumer sentiments improved slightly in November, according to the Reuters/University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 14, 2008
Retail sales dive to record low

Retail sales fell 2.8% in October to a seasonally adjusted rate of $363.7 billion, marking the largest decline since the data were first tracked by the Department of Commerce in 1992.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 13, 2008
Minorities and middle market underserved niches

Agents and advisers are overlooking an opportunity for new life insurance sales: the middle market and minorities, said Catherine H .Smith, chief executive officer of U.S. insurance at ING North America Insurance Corp., in Atlanta.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 13, 2008
Three cheers for fed regulation, insurers cry

“Ultimately, the consumer ought to benefit from greater regulation, provided that we heed the lesson of the current crisis,” said Christopher “Kip” Condron, president and chief executive of AXA Financial Inc. in New York.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 13, 2008
Execs chide carriers for 'stupid' behavior

Egregious risk taking in the name of impressive earnings has led to massive losses in the insurance industry, and now carriers need to think realistically about their pricing models and investments, executives said at a conference today.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 13, 2008
Jobless claims hit 25-year high

The number of individuals receiving unemployment benefits reached 3.9 million last week — an increase of 65,000 from the previous week — the highest level since January 1983.

ALTERNATIVES NOV 13, 2008
Hedge fund registration again raised in Senate

Legislation requiring hedge funds to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission will be reintroduced by the ranking minority member of the Senate Finance Committee.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 13, 2008
Fortress posts $57 million loss

Fortress Investment Group LLC posted a third-quarter loss of $57 million, or 66 cents per share, as the alternative-asset management firm proved susceptible to financial market turmoil.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 13, 2008
Conseco puts LTC policies in independent trust

Despite vehement objections from state regulators, Conseco Inc. yesterday completed its transfer of a group of long term care policies to an independent trust.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 13, 2008
Index annuities likely to become securities

The controversial proposal would move most EIAs from the status of insurance products, which are regulated only by states, to that of securities, which are federally regulated.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 13, 2008
Financial services industry losses near $1 trillion

Losses in the financial services industry since early 2007 are inching closer to the $1 trillion mark, according to data compiled by Bloomberg LP.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 13, 2008
Citi Global Markets fined $300,000

Finra has fined Citigroup Global Markets, the brokerage and securities arm of Citigroup Inc., $300,000 for failing to reasonably supervise the commissions that its brokers charged their clients on stock and options trades.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 12, 2008
ING books first-ever quarterly loss

The company posted a third-quarter net loss of 478 million euros ($602 million), or 22 cents a share, compared with a profit of 2.31 billion euros ($2.9 billion), or 1.08 a share, in the year-ago period.

LIFE INSURANCE AND ANNUITIES NOV 11, 2008
Bear pays $27.3M to wronged insurer

Under orders from a federal judge, Bear Stearns has paid $27.3 million to the now-defunct National Heritage Life Insurance Co., which lost money invested with Bear on collateralized mortgage-backed obligations and collateralized debt obligations.

INDUSTRY NEWS NOV 11, 2008
State Street forecast leaves some unconvinced

Shares of State Street Corp. briefly soared 9% today after its CEO confirmed an upbeat fourth-quarter earnings report. They subsequently settled back near their opening levels as investors questioned the estimate.