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JPMorgan to Hire This Year on Wealth, Dealmaking Revival

Morgan Stanley had to set aside $353 million in severance cost last year, while Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said its number of staff decreased 7% during 2023, which reflected a “headcount reduction initiative” across the firm. Overly Optimistic Separately, Pinto joined other Wall Street executives in predicting that investor expectations for a series of interest-rates cuts this year might prove over-optimistic. “The market was pricing until yesterday six cuts which is a very unlikely scenario,” he said. “If you put yourself in the shoes of the Fed, if that is the scenario and the unemployment rate is so tight and the economy is doing fine, why are you going to rush it?” Pinto said he expects the Fed to cut rates if “everything continues to go this way” but said any change would probably come later in the year. Pinto also cautioned that many investors may not have priced in the geopolitical risk which he called “substantial.” “The geopolitical situation is stable to deteriorating: terrible things happening in Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East, the tension between China and the U.S., electoral cycles,” he said. “There are issues that for sure have not been priced in the market and that’s a time to...

Foxquilt Announces Strategic Collaboration with Markel 0

Foxquilt Announces Strategic Collaboration with Markel

North American digital MGA Foxquilt will broaden distribution of their proprietary insurance products in the US through a key collaboration with Markel Toronto, ON (Jan 25, 2024) – Foxquilt, a leading North American company specializing in embedded small business insurance technology, is thrilled to announce a strategic and long-term capacity relationship with global specialty insurance provider, Markel. This meaningful collaboration spearheads embedded insurance innovation for more small business owners, agents/brokers, and enterprise partners across North America. Foxquilt utilizes a full-stack underwriting platform, powered by data analytics, to recommend tailored coverage and pricing from Foxquilt’s own proprietary commercial insurance products. Small business and micro-enterprise owners can also, in turn, quote and bind entirely online – creating a true end-to-end insurance journey. All of Foxquilt’s IP has been built in-house, allowing for an agile response in integrating to each unique agent, broker, and enterprise partner’s ecosystem – ultimately creating embedded success and enhanced underwriting profitability. “In a world where buyer autonomy and instant end-to-end results have been normalized, the insurance space has lacked the technology investment that affords this, now, table-stakes experience. Small business owners should have the opportunity to access fair value business insurance at any point of sale or trading...

Blink Parametric Launches InsurTech Solution with MAWDY Ireland’s InsureandGo Travel Insurance 0

Blink Parametric Launches InsurTech Solution with MAWDY Ireland’s InsureandGo Travel Insurance

MAWDY brand InsureandGo Ireland now offers world-wide flight disruption cover to Irish travel insurance customers Launch follows the October 2023 announcement of partnership to explore parametric travel insurance solutions across the global MAWDY assistance product portfolio. Cork, Ireland (Jan. 15, 2024) – Following its October 2023 agreement with MAWDY, a global insurance, reinsurance and services company and part of the MAPFRE Group, Blink Parametric has extended its partnership with MAWDY Ireland. The partnership commenced by covering segments of the direct book of travel insurance business, and the Blink Parametric flight disruption solution is now being rolled out across the MAWDY Ireland InsureandGo travel insurance brand, making the solution accessible to consumers directly. The new parametric-powered benefit will be applicable to InsureandGo single trip and annual multi-trip travel insurance customers who purchase either a platinum or gold policy. When a flight is disrupted by more than three hours, the eligible insureds are automatically notified and offered real-time access to one of 1,300+ executive airport lounges worldwide or a real-time cash payout alternative. Speaking of the launch, Sid Mouncey, Chief Executive Officer of Blink Parametric, said, “This project is a great demonstration of how we can deliver on the needs of a...

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Bob Doll Named Crossmark CEO

Crossmark Global Investments announced that its chief investment officer, Bob Doll, has taken on the additional role of president and chief executive officer, effective Tuesday. Doll, a 44-year industry veteran known for his annual 10 Predictions lists, succeeds Mike Kern, who is stepping down from these positions at the faith-based investment management firm to pursue other opportunities. Doll has been Crossmark’s chief investment officer since June 2021 and portfolio manager for the firm’s multiple U.S. large-cap equity strategies. He has held leadership roles at several global asset management firms, including chief equity strategist and senior portfolio manager at Nuveen Asset Management and positions  at BlackRock, Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and OppenheimerFunds.

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US Supreme Court to Hear Case on Starbucks Firing Pro-Union Workers in Tennessee

Article 0 Comments (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a challenge by Starbucks to a judicial decision that required the coffee chain to rehire seven employees at one of its cafes in Memphis, Tennessee who a federal agency determined were fired for supporting unionization. The justices took up a Starbucks appeal of a lower court’s ruling that found that the company likely discouraged other employees from exercising their rights under U.S. labor law by firing the Memphis workers in 2022. This is the first case to reach the Supreme Court involving an ongoing nationwide campaign to unionize Starbucks stores. Topics USA Tennessee Was this article valuable? Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article. Submit No Thanks Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it. Submit No Thanks Here are more articles you may enjoy. The most important insurance news,in your inbox every business day. Get the insurance industry’s trusted newsletter

10 major causes of distracted driving 0

10 major causes of distracted driving

Whether you’re driving professionally or on your own time, minimizing these causes of driving distracted can help save lives Toronto, ON (Dec. 19, 2023) – Understanding that drivers are human and can create a number of risks on the road, some tech companies and auto manufacturers are working to make self-driving cars a reality (though there has been much discussion and debate about potential dangers of this advancing technology). Until these vehicles become more proven and widely available, though, distracted driving will continue to be a major contributor to vehicle crash-related injuries and deaths. Although states and the federal government enact and enforce laws to limit cellphone use and prohibit texting while driving, employers also have a responsibility to address causes of distracted driving in their fleets. Even where companies have policies pertaining to mobile phone use, these guidelines may not go far enough to address the full causes of distracted driving. Whether you employ drivers or simply want to help protect employees who travel to work every day, raising awareness of common causes of distracted driving can help reduce risks … and maybe even prevent a tragedy. Common distractions while driving: 1. Talking on cellphones While there may be...

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Ukraine in Talks With Marsh on War Risk Insurance for Air Transport

Article 0 Comments Ukraine is discussing military risk insurance for air transportation with insurance broker Marsh and consulting firm Oliver Wyman, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council said on Friday. Air traffic over Ukraine has been suspended since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. But Kyiv wants to reopen Boryspil International Airport just outside the capital as soon as possible once conditions permit, which it sees as a victory for Ukraine’s economy. A statement on the defense council’s website said it had held talks about “further steps of cooperation on military risk insurance in air transportation and business travel to Ukraine, as well as large-scale investment insurance in the reconstruction.” It did not provide additional details. Reuters contacted Marsh for comment. Marsh with other insurers and Ukrainian state banks already runs a war risk ship insurance program aimed at cutting costs of claims for damage to ships transporting grain through the Black Sea corridor, set by Kyiv to circumvent a de facto Russian blockade in the sea. In December, Boryspil airport saw the departure of a Boeing 777-300 on a technical flight, a sign Ukraine’s infrastructure remains in working condition and safety can be granted despite constant Russian air attacks....

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Judge Limits Delaware’s Sweeping Climate Change Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuel Companies

Article 0 Comments A judge has rejected several claims lodged by Delaware’s attorney general in a lawsuit alleging that the fossil fuel industry has downplayed the risks of climate change. Tuesday’s ruling significantly narrows the scope of the suit seeking to hold the industry liable for the effects of air pollution in the state. Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Jennings filed the lawsuit in 2020, joining forces with a California law firm that has sued the oil industry on behalf of other state and local governments. While refusing to dismiss come claims, Superior Court Judge Mary Johnston ruled, for example, that the federal Clean Air Act preempts the state’s claims seeking damages for injuries resulting from out-of-state or global greenhouse emissions and interstate pollution. However, Johnston noted that the Clean Air Act doesn’t preempt alleged claims and damages resulting from air pollution originating from sources within Delaware. “Air pollution prevention and control at the source is the primary responsibility of state and local governments,” she wrote. Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney representing Chevron Corp., said he was pleased that Johnston recognized that claims regarding out-of-state or global greenhouse emissions and interstate pollution are preempted by the Clean Air Act. “The global...

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A New Year, and a New ‘Advisor-Driven Experience’ at Orion

It was a little more than three months ago that Natalie Wolfsen took the helm at Orion as CEO, inheriting the reins from Eric Clarke, the firm’s founder and longtime chief executive officer, at a pivotal moment for the financial services technology company. Under Clarke’s leadership, Orion completed seven major acquisitions between 2018 and 2022, including those of Brinker Capital and Redtail Technology. The goal of the big-ticket acquisitions, Clarke has explained, was to enable thousands of advisors to achieve independence and “go out there as true fiduciaries, supported by the technology they need to serve a significant number of households at scale.” Now, in a new interview with ThinkAdvisor, Wolfsen said that vision is quickly becoming a reality, with the firm’s developers and product team working to break down internal silos and create a unified platform that brings together all the aspects of a modern advisor’s practice — across investments, client relationship management, operations, compliance and more. Wolfsen was joined in the conversation by her colleague Brian McLaughlin, president of Orion Advisor Technology. Before Orion’s acquisition in June 2022, McLaughlin was the CEO and co-founder of Redtail. Ultimately, according to the duo, 2024 is an important and exciting year for...

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Vanguard Blocks Spot Bitcoin ETFs From Its Trading Platform

What You Need to Know The new funds don’t align with Vanguard’s focus, the company says. Merrill and UBS and confirmed they were making spot bitcoin ETFs available to certain clients; Wells Fargo says they’re on its WellsTrade platform. Dennis Kelleher of Better Markets cheered Vanguard’s decision. Investors won’t be able to buy the newly approved spot bitcoin ETFs through Vanguard Group, a spokesperson confirmed Thursday, saying the products don’t fit with the fund giant’s focus. Social media users indicated Merrill Lynch also was prohibiting customers from investing in the new funds Thursday, when the ETFs started trading; a Merrill spokesperson indicated Friday, however, that the company would open access for certain clients later in the day. The Securities and Exchange Commission made a landmark decision this week to approve the country’s first 11 ETFs investing in bitcoin. Fidelity, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, ARK Investment Management, WisdomTree and Grayscale are among the firms offering the new ETFs. Vanguard, in contrast, didn’t pursue permission to market a spot bitcoin ETF.  “While we continuously evaluate our brokerage offer and evaluate new product entries to the market, spot Bitcoin ETFs will not be available for purchase on the Vanguard platform. We also have no...