Business - Insurance Industry

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The chief executive of North Carolina's largest health insurer is retiring Feb. 1. Full Story »

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Health insurer Humana Inc. said Friday its board has renewed for two more years a share repurchase authorization set to expire this month. Full Story »

AMSTERDAM - ING Groep NV, the Dutch bank and insurer, said Friday it will repay euro5.56 billion ($7.4 billion) in government bailout money on Dec. 21 with cash raised from investors. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Bond insurer Ambac Financial Group Inc. said Thursday it plans to raise its stock price above $1 within six months to avoid being delisted by the New York Stock Exchange. Full Story »

ST. LOUIS - Health insurer Centene Corp. said Thursday it expects profit to remain flat in 2010, citing startup costs for a new Mississippi contract, along with rate changes and other expenses. Full Story »

PHILADELPHIA - Insurer and investment manager Lincoln National Corp. said Tuesday it priced an offering of $300 million worth of 10-year fixed-rate senior notes with an annual interest rate of 6.25 percent. Full Story »

Rumbles of a deal on a government-run insurer and fading public attention have left some Republicans increasingly anxious that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is close to the 60 votes he needs to pass health care reform. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - MetLife Inc forecast 2010 earnings that could beat average Wall Street expectations, helped by cost cuts, improved investment returns and higher revenue, but said it did not see a return to historical growth levels until at least 2011. Full Story »

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five senior executives at American International Group told the insurer last week they may quit if their compensation was cut significantly by the U.S. pay czar, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Full Story »

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans forced Democrats to vote in favor of cutting billions from providers of home care for older people as partisan debate flared Saturday during a rare weekend session on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of Ambac Financial Group Inc. rose sharply in heavy trading Thursday after the beleaguered bond insurer's credit rating was upgraded by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services. Full Story »

NEW YORK - A Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst upgraded bond insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. on Wednesday, saying the public offering of 23.9 million shares announced late Monday will help shore up its capital base and protect its investment-grade rating. Full Story »

INDIANAPOLIS - Managed care company UnitedHealth Group Inc. affirmed its 2010 guidance Tuesday at its annual investor conference in New York but said it expects commercial health insurance enrollment to continue to fall next year. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Bond insurer Assured Guaranty Ltd. said Tuesday it plans to cut between 15 percent and 20 percent of its staff by March. Full Story »

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi's largest insurer is getting nearly a 20 percent wind insurance rate increase for Gulf Coast policyholders, state Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said Monday. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of American International Group Inc. tumbled nearly 15 percent Monday after an analyst stirred concerns that the troubled insurer doesn't have enough reserves to pay some potential claims. Full Story »

NEW YORK - Shares of Aflac Inc. climbed modestly Monday after Credit Suisse upgraded the insurer to "Outperform" from "Neutral." Full Story »

SAN FRANCISCO - Insurer American International Group Inc. said it has cut the salaries of three top executives to comply with pay restrictions for companies that took federal bailout money, according to a regulatory filing Wednesday. Full Story »