Despite some common misconceptions, life insurance isn't just for those of us who are married with children. If you're a single, you can benefit from it, too -- first, because you're probably more connected to people than you may think, and second, because it can be a great investment.
Everyone realizes that homeowners need insurance policies, but many renters overlook the fact that they need coverage too. The average tenant has a lot to lose if they fall victim to a fire, flood or other disaster, which means they have a lot to gain from buying a low-cost renters policy.
AIG's successful run of getting lawsuits against it dismissed has ended. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain gave the green light to a securities fraud class action case regarding AIGs credit default swap portfolio and its actions in the subprime mortgage market.
In Monday's legal news, Prudential is being investigated for the way it handles death benefits to soldiers' families and a U.S. district judge continues his efforts on behalf of 9/11 workers by rejecting their lawyers' requests for additional fees.
The New York attorney general's office has launched what it's calling a "major fraud investigation" into whether life insurance companies are putting clients' money into potentially risky accounts to earn higher interest for themselves.
With the season now officially underway -- and predictions call for a doozy -- coastal regions along the Gulf and the Atlantic are facing the potential for major losses. State-run insurers could feel the most financial pain.
The sale allows MetLife to expand into Japan, Europe and the Middle East, helps AIG continue its radical restructuring -- and lets the U.S. government recoup some more of the $130 billion in bailout funds it fronted to AIG. Investors seem to like the transaction, too.
Shares of AIG are on the move Monday after the insurer agreed to sell its Alico unit to MetLife for $15.5 billion. The deal is AIG's second major asset sale this month as it attempts to whittle down its bailout tab. Click inside to see what other news is influencing Wall Street today.
An S&P credit warning and two investment firm stock upgrades of MetLife this week highlight a difference of opinion in the investment community about the acceptable level of risk involved in a merger that could make the insurance giant a lot bigger but perhaps a lot more indebted.
