AM Best Affirms Ratings of Hong Leong Insurance (Asia) Limited

HONG KONG, Feb 07, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength rating of A- (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of "a-" of Hong Leong Insurance (Asia) Limited (HLIA) (Hong Kong). The outlook for both ...

5 post-divorce insurance do’s and don’ts

This post comes from Barbara Marquand at partner site Insurance.com.   While lovebirds are nesting in honor of Valentine's Day, the less lucky in love may be planning a hasty -- or not so hasty -- exit. Sadly, when good lovin' goes bad, there's more to the fallout than emotional baggage and bickering over who gets the dog.   Insurance plays a role, too. Here's how in five heartbreaking scenarios:   1. You break up, and your ex is still the beneficiary on the life insurance policy. "No matter what your will says, the life insurance policy is a contract, ...

Midwest Voices | Catholic objections to birth control insurance benefits …

Spiking insurance rates prompts suit against Citizens – Sarasota Herald

TALLAHASSEEJoe Freitas bought his home for $109,000 in September and budgeted $917 for annual insurance costs, so he was upset when Citizens Insurance Corp required $236,000 worth of home insurance at an annual rate of $1,846.Freitas thought Citizens had made a mistake. He hired an independent home appraiser who confirmed that Citizens had overestimated his replacement cost by $100,000. But the company would not budge.So on Tuesday Freitas, 44, joined another homeowner from New Port Richey in a class action lawsuit against Florida’s state-owned insurance company.Freitas’ lawsuit accuses Citizens of inflating home values to collect excessive premiums without applying for ...

How Prepaid Debit Cards Can Improve Their Image

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — By many measures, the prepaid debit card industry is booming. During the past few months, new cards have hit the market, enhancements have been added to existing ones, fees have been reduced and celebrities have entered into partnerships with various companies. But each new product, feature or face has been accompanied by an equally widening wave of scrutiny, the gist of which is always the same: The cards offer high fees and low incentives to “unbanked” or “uncreditworthy” consumers who shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege to spend their own money.   While ...

Credit-Card Borrowing Surged Over Holiday Period

By Jeff Bater and Jeffrey Sparshott U.S. credit-card debt posted the second solid increase in a row during December, an indication Americans stuck with meager wage gains borrowed to pay for their holiday celebrations. The increase helped raise the level of consumer credit outstanding by a whopping $19.31 billion to $2.498 trillion, Federal Reserve data Tuesday said. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a $7.5-billion increase. Revolving credit, which includes credit-card debt, increased in December by $2.76 billion, to $800.98 billion. November revolving credit ...

Lantis Laser's Operating Affiliate TAG Minerals Zimbabwe (Private) Limited Diversifies into Barite, Limestone, Talc …

FREEHOLD, N.J., Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Lantis Laser Inc. (OTCQB symbol:  LLSR), is pleased to announce today that its operating affiliate TAG Minerals Zimbabwe (Private) Limited (TAG-Z) has acquired 100% of World Class Dodge Mine Blocks 1-6 in exchange for $433,000 cash. The property consists of three hydrothermal mountains representing 123 hectares containing multiple deposits of superior grade barite, limestone and talc. The smallest mountain was partially drilled in 1966, consisting of only 5 drilling holes with related ADIT portals.  The results of the drilling program indicated that there were proven reserves of 359,000 tons of barite, 1,000,000 tons ...

Zimbabwe coach suspended in match-fixing fallout

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)—The Zimbabwe Football Association has suspended national coach Norman Mapeza in the match-fixing scandal that has already implicated more than 80 players and lead to corruption charges against the federation’s former chief executive. ZIFA said Tuesday Mapeza’s assistant ...

Nigeria Names Ex-Anti-Graft Boss Ribadu as Oil-Task-Force Head

Nigeria named Nuhu Ribadu, a former anti-corruption chief, as head of a special oil-revenue task force set up to “enhance probity and accountability” in Africa’s top crude producer, Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison- Madueke said. The task force will “determine and verify all petroleum upstream and downstream revenue due and payable to the government” and take steps to recover debts, Alison-Madueke said today in an e-mailed statement from Abuja, the capital. Alison-Madueke last month set up panels to investigate management and controls in government companies, including the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp., to ...

Bomb rocks army barracks in Nigeria’s Kaduna

By Garba Mohammed KADUNA, Nigeria | Tue Feb 7, 2012 11:48am EST KADUNA, Nigeria (Reuters) - A suspected suicide bomber disguised in military uniform was killed on Tuesday when his car bomb exploded under fire from soldiers outside a military base in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, the army said. It was the latest in a series of ...