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BNY to Pay $5M Over Swaps Reporting

The reduced penalty reflects BNY’s self-reporting, the CFTC said. Last year, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. also settled cases with the CFTC over swaps reporting. “Accurate reporting is a core pillar of the regulatory regime for swaps, and every individual data field matters,” Ian McGinley, the director of the CFTC’s division of enforcement, said in a statement. “It is essential that swap dealers get this right.” Credit: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

PLATFORM Expands Reach Across Alberta & Western Canada with New Calgary Office 0

PLATFORM Expands Reach Across Alberta & Western Canada with New Calgary Office

Toronto, ON (Aug. 5, 2024) – Platform Insurance Management Inc. (PLATFORM), a leading P&C insurance brokerage with a vertical focus on Construction, Infrastructure and Development, is excited to announce the opening of a new office in Calgary, Alberta. This expansion is a significant milestone in PLATFORM’s strategic growth plan, furthering their commitment to providing localized expertise and tailored solutions for clients nationwide. Overseeing PLATFORM’s operations across Alberta, will be led by Fraser de Walle, an industry veteran with a notable background in construction. Joining him are Stephanie Kuntz, Colin Hasick and Mitchell Taylor (based in Edmonton), who bring extensive experience and deep expertise in the construction risk sector from their previous roles. Their leadership and knowledge will ensure PLATFORM delivers the highest standards of service and innovation that their clients have come to expect. Industry specialists Deanna Walker and Barbara Murphy, also joining the team, will further solidify and expand PLATFORM’s reach in the province. With their strong reputations in the construction risk sector, they will serve clients across Alberta and Canada. Commitment to Localized Expertise The expansion into Alberta underscores PLATFORM’s dedication to offering personalized and locally-informed insurance solutions. The team will focus on serving the unique needs of...

Insurance experts provide guidance amid devastating wildfires 0

Insurance experts provide guidance amid devastating wildfires

Toronto, ON (Aug. 5, 2023) – With nearly 200 active wildfires in Alberta, including a devastating fire in the Municipality of Jasper that forced thousands of people to evacuate, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has deployed its Virtual Community Assistance Mobile Pavilion (V-CAMP) to provide general insurance information to affected residents. IBC is in close contact with the provincial and federal governments and emergency management officials, as well as with municipal officials in the affected communities. This situation is changing extremely rapidly. “Unfortunately, the wildfire that has impacted the Municipality of Jasper was confirmed by Parks Canada to have caused structure loss. As the extent of the damage is being assessed, our thoughts continue to be with the impacted residents whose lives have been disrupted and whose property has been damaged,” said Rob de Pruis, National Director of Consumer and Industry Relations, IBC. “We applaud all the first responders who have been working tirelessly to protect lives and property. While recovery efforts continue, rest assured that anyone whose property or vehicle was damaged can contact their insurance representative when they are ready to start the claims process.” Insurers serve as “second responders” in the recovery period after catastrophe strikes. IBC’s...

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Louisiana Insurers Required to Submit Hurricane Season Data by Aug. 30 Deadline

Article 0 Comments Insurers in Louisiana have until Friday, Aug. 30 to compete a data call relating to property and casualty homeowners’ insurance policies and commercial lines property policies during the 2024 hurricane season. Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple issued Directive 224 to all authorized property and casualty insurers and surplus lines insurers to collect information for policies in place for the months of June 1, 2024, through July 30, 2024. The directive asks insurers to complete the report through the Louisiana Department of Insurance’s Industry Access Portal, found here. According to the directive, the report shall include, but not be limited to, information for personal lines property policies and for commercial lines property policies and totals for each item specified, including premiums written for each property lines of business. The report shall include information for each parish, among them: Total number of policies in force. Total number of policies cancelled. Total number of policies nonrenewed. Number of policies cancelled due to hurricane risk. Number of policies nonrenewed due to hurricane risk. Number of new policies written. Insurers should refer to the LDI website for more information. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Carriers Data Driven Louisiana Hurricane Was this article valuable?...

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Ex-Edelman Advisor Sues Over Non-Solicitation Rules

What You Need to Know The advisor alleges that company policies degraded his ability to serve clients. One provision bars him from contacting past, present and potential clients for two years post-employment. Felix Kwan also alleges that the firm breached his employment agreement. A recently resigned Edelman Financial Engines advisor has filed suit against the firm and related entities, challenging the non-solicitation provisions in his employee contract as unenforceable. The lawsuit, filed earlier in August in California Superior Court for Contra Costa County, also touches on shifts in custodial arrangements following Charles Schwab’s TD Ameritrade acquisition. Felix Kwan started working at Edelman as an associate director, financial planning, in April 2012, and entered into an employment agreement with a non-solicitation provision, according to the complaint, which seeks a jury trial. Barred from Soliciting Clients The provision, among other points, purportedly prohibits Kwan from initiating contact with past, current or potential clients to induce them to leave the firm for two years following the end of his employment, and from accepting business from clients during that period, the suit says. The employment contract’s non-solicitation provision is not enforceable under California laws banning non-compete and non-solicitation provisions, Kwan asserts.  “It is well...

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Jonathan Bloomer, Morgan Stanley International Chair, Dies

Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International and onetime chief executive of Prudential Plc, was confirmed as among the fatalities in the Aug. 19 sinking of a luxury yacht off Italy. He was 70. His wife, Judy, was also among those killed. They had been guests on the superyacht Bayesian to mark the acquittal of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch at a trial in which Bloomer had been a defense witness. Lynch also died in the sinking, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified. “Our parents were incredible people and an inspiration to many, but first and foremost they were focused on and loved their family and spending time with their new grandchildren,” the Bloomers’ children said in a statement. “Together for five decades, our only comfort is that they are still together now. This is an unimaginable grief to shoulder. Our only ask is that our family’s privacy is respected at this time,” they added. A total of six people likely were trapped and died inside the Bayesian when it was hit by a tornado near Porticello, Sicily, according to authorities. In June, a jury in San Francisco acquitted Lynch of criminal charges...

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Only 8% of Workers Say They’ll Wait Till 70 for Social Security: Survey

What You Need to Know In a Schroders survey, 43% of respondents said they planned to claim benefits before age 67. Non-retiree respondents, on average, forecast that they would need $4,947 a month to live comfortably. Thirty-eight percent of employer plan participants said their plan provides a retirement income solution. Half of non-retired Americans said they are concerned or very concerned about outliving their assets in retirement, Schroders reported in a new survey this week. At the same time, 43% of respondents said they plan to take Social Security before they turn 67, the full retirement age for those born in 1960 or later. Twenty-three percent said they would start their benefits at 65, and 12% said they would do so at 62. Only 8% said they would wait to claim until age 70, when they will reach their maximum monthly benefit. The decision to sacrifice Social Security income is not an oversight for most Americans, Schroders noted, as 74% of non-retired investors are aware that waiting longer earns higher payments. Rather, they are doing so for these reasons: Will need the money: 39% Concerned that Social Security may run out of money or stop making payments: 38% Want access to the money...

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Fires Spotted on Red Sea Tanker Drifting With Oil on Board

Article 0 Comments The UK Navy said that three fires have been observed on a ship attacked in the Red Sea earlier this week. The Sounion’s crew were evacuated from the ship in the past few days after the vessel was struck by multiple projectiles. On Friday, the UK Maritime Trade Operations, which is a part of the country’s Navy, said that it received a report that three fires were observed on the vessel, which was attacked on Wednesday, and that the tanker appeared to be drifting. The vessel was carrying 150,000 tons — about a million barrels — of Iraqi oil when it was attacked, and the European Union’s naval force in the region said it poses both a navigational and environmental risk. “Delta Tankers is doing everything it can to move the vessel (and cargo),” the ship’s owner and operator said in a statement, before the UKMTO release on Friday, in response to questions about whether there had been a further incident. “For security reasons, we are not in a position to comment further.” The company added that it was grateful for the assistance it received from the French navy. Photograph: Merchant ships in the Red Sea. Photo...

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Texas and Southwest Face Scorching Heat Wave

Article 0 Comments AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Summer heat scorched Texas and the Southwest this week, pushing Phoenix to nearly 90 consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures and putting millions of people under excessive heat warnings. Meanwhile, energy demand in Texas hit an unofficial all-time high Tuesday, according to data from the state’s grid operator. A major heat alert is in place for Texas, reflecting what the weather service called “rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief.” An extreme heat alert was issued for eastern New Mexico. This area of high pressure, sometimes referred to as a heat dome, is a slow moving, upper-level high pressure system of stable air and a deep layer of high temperatures, meteorologist Bryan Jackson said. “It is usually sunny, the sun is beating down, it is hot and the air is contained there,” Jackson said. “There are dozen or so sites that are setting daily records … mostly over Texas.” Record high temperatures were expected in cities such as Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Amarillo. In Phoenix, monsoon rains have provided brief respites since Sunday, although daytime highs continue to top 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius). The dome was expected...

Three-quarters of Insured Drivers Prefer to Pay Out-Of-Pocket Rather Than Filing Insurance Claim 0

Three-quarters of Insured Drivers Prefer to Pay Out-Of-Pocket Rather Than Filing Insurance Claim

Charlotte, NC (Aug. 20, 2024) – While auto insurance is meant to be a financial safeguard for drivers, many are opting not to use it. In its latest analysis, LendingTree®, one of the nation’s leading online marketplaces for loans, credit cards and insurance, found that 39% of insured drivers who’ve been in an auto accident or incident have bypassed their insurance for repairs. Additionally, 24% have filed a claim and later regretted doing so. LendingTree conducted an online survey of 2,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 to 78 to get a clear picture of how drivers handle accidents and insurance. Key Findings Many prefer to pay out of pocket for auto damage. Among insured drivers in an accident or incident, 39% have bypassed their auto insurance for repairs. When asked why, 59% said the damage was minimal, 44% said their deductible was higher than the cost and 42% didn’t want their insurance to increase. Some keep these incidents to themselves. 57% of those who’ve paid out of pocket didn’t disclose the incident to their insurer. A high deductible doesn’t appear to be a barrier for many drivers since 76% had a deductible of less than $1,000 when they paid out of pocket, and...