The world's oldest mutual life insurance company isn't aging well. The Equitable Life Assurance Society, founded in 1762, provided life insurance, annuities, pensions, and permanent health insurance to some 650,000 customers in the UK, Germany, and Ireland, until it ceased writing new business in 2000 after a House of Lords ruling that it underpaid some 90,000 guaranteed-annuity policyholders. After losing its court battle, it sought a buyer. Mortgage bank Halifax plc bought much of the troubled company and formed Halifax Equitable (part of Lloyds Banking Group, formerly HBOS plc). Equitable Life has given up hopes of a buyer and intends to just let its business continue until there are no more policy holders.

The its founding nearly a half century ago, Republic Indemnity has served the workers' compensation needs of small and medium-sized businesses in California and the western United States. That has always been our sole focus and remains so today. There customers have justifiably come to rely on our knowledgeable professionals, who combine responsive service to policyholders with innovation in developing customized programs. For its many satisfied customers, Republic Indemnity provides the peace of mind they need and they deserve.

HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty, surety, group life, accident, and health insurance coverage, as well as related agency and reinsurance brokerage services to commercial customers and individuals worldwide. It underwrites financial insurance risks in its financial products line of business, which includes directors’ and officers’ liability, employment practices liability, errors and omissions liability, surety and credit, and fidelity insurance products. The company writes medical stop-loss insurance that provides coverage to companies, associations, and public entities that elect to self-insure their employees’ medical coverage for losses. It also engages in insuring aviation risks, which include coverage for antique and vintage military aircrafts, cargo operators, commuter airlines, corporate aircrafts, fixed base operations, military and law enforcement aircrafts, private aircraft owners, and rotor wing aircrafts. The company offers hulls, engines, avionics and other systems, liabilities, and cargo and other ancillary coverage. Its London market account business consists of marine, energy, property, and accident and health businesses. In addition, HCC Insurance Holdings underwrites property and liability businesses, such as event cancellation, contingency, public entity, and U.K. liability; and writes facultative or individual account reinsurance, and treaty reinsurance businesses. The company markets its products directly to customers, as well as through a network of independent and affiliated brokers, producers, agents, and third party administrators. HCC Insurance Holdings was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

Allianz ROSNO Life Ltd. was formed in 2004 as a fully-owned subsidiary of ROSNO (one of the largest insurance providers in Russia, whose majority shareholder -- with about 97% of the company -- is Allianz). Since opening, Allianz ROSNO has expanded to more than 40 branch offices throughout the country. Allianz ROSNO Life works to protect the life of the party. The company provides a range of life insurance services and retirement plans including endowment, term fix, term, pension, and annuity insurance products. Allianz ROSNO employs a multichannel strategy of distribution that encompasses banks and brokers. It makes most of its sales to individuals looking for life insurance (about 80%), and the rest to corporate clients.

Hilltop Holdings Inc., through its subsidiary, NLASCO, Inc., operates as property and casualty insurance company in the United States. The company’s personal line products include homeowners, dwelling fire, manufactured home, flood, and vacant policies. Its commercial line products comprise commercial, builders risk, builders risk renovation, sports liability, and inland marine policies. Hilltop Holdings Inc. distributes its insurance products through a network of independent agents and managing general agents. The company was formerly known as Affordable Residential Communities Inc. and changed its name to Hilltop Holdings Inc. in July 2007. Hilltop Holdings Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

Chairman Peter Wood started Esure Holdings Ltd. in 2000, offering auto and homeowners insurance using the Internet as its primary sales channel. Since then, esure has added travel and pet insurance as well as personal loans to its stable of offerings. It jointly sells car insurance with Sainsbury's Bank; esure also underwrites and manages Halifax Car Insurance. With offices in Glasgow, Manchester, and Reigate, esure boasts more than 1 million customers. A management group led by Wood bought the majority of the company back from former parent Lloyds Banking Group in 2010.

Think of the Society of Lloyd's (dba Lloyd's of London) as a busy market where groups who have risks can meet up with groups who have money to insure risk. As the world's leading insurance exchange, Lloyd's regulates about 80 syndicates run by more than 50 managing agents. Customers include corporate underwriters and wealthy individuals transacting specialty property/casualty insurance business worth billions in premiums each year. Also part of the picture are Lloyd's brokers, who bring business to the market. Lloyd's is a top conduit for aviation and marine insurance, as well as its more specialized specialty insurance covering celebrity body parts or protecting against acts of terrorism.

SBLI USA Mutual Life Insurance Company began life in 1939 as The Savings Banks Life Insurance system, which had been promoted by former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis as a means to provide "ordinary working people" with life insurance sold through more than 20 savings banks in New York. Today SBLI USA and subsidiary S.USA Life Insurance serve 300,000 policyholders across the US. The company has stuck to its original mandate and sells individual and group life insurance and other products through banks, though its primary source is direct marketing. In addition to life insurance, SBLI USA's offerings also include accident insurance and annuities.

Physicians' Reciprocal Insurers (PRI) was founded by the doctors, for the doctors. The company is one of the largest writers of medical malpractice insurance in the state of New York, serving more than 12,500 physicians, chiropractors, dentists, and other health care professionals. PRI also offers general and specialty liability coverage for hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care facilities. The company's day-to-day operations are conducted by a third party, Administrators for the Professions (AFP), and its policies are distributed through independent brokers. PRI was founded by a group of physicians in 1982 and is owned by its policyholders.

ACSTAR writes many difficult contract and commercial surety bonds. ACSTAR make relationship driven decisions on borderline cases based on solid and supported recommendations from agents.ACSTAR is licensed in all 50 states. At ACSTAR, the company view the agents as strategic partners, thereby eliminating unnecessary and time consuming layers of underwriting. Whether coverage is needed for a standard or difficult case, ACSTAR is interested in discussing your client's needs. ACSTAR is committed to developing special relationships with proven surety professionals.ACSTAR is rated A by A.M. Best, U.S. Treasury-Listed, and can write bonds up to $11 million with the reinsurance. However, ACSTAR don't consider any bond too small.

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