Worldwide disasters push commercial insurance rates higher

In the past 16 months, natural disasters all over the world have cost the insurance industry more than $100 billion. The financial impact of these catastrophes is compounded by the worldwide recession which severely impaired the industry as a whole. Insurers are struggling to reassert themselves in the world as the economy improves, and the only way to do so is by offsetting the cost of natural disasters with higher insurance premiums. Some commercial companies have already begun the process, raising rates on commercial insurance for the first time in…

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Alabama tax deductions for small business insurance prolonged

Alabama governor Robert Bentley recently signed into law a bill that would extend the state’s existence income tax deductions for small businesses offering health insurance benefits. The new law will apply to the current tax year and state officials hope that it will drive down the unemployment rate. Small businesses all over the country have had to make cuts to the benefits they offer employees. Currently, the state’s unemployment rate is at 9.2%. Lawmakers believe that if they can encourage employers to hire more, many of the financial problems the…

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