Cricket: Awesome Aussies

While England trod water, Australia continued their domination of international cricket in 2002, and when the two sides met there could be only one outcome.

In April, Nasser Hussain's side lost their final Test in New Zealand to tie the series 1-1.

And they followed victory over Sri Lanka by blowing a 1-0 lead in their home series against India, dropping to fifth in the Test rankings.

The men in baggy green, meanwhile, began the year in emphatic style by downing South Africa, officially the second-best side in the world, 5-1 in a home-and-away Test series.

Off the field Steve Waugh was sacked as one-day skipper, and his twin brother Mark was dropped from the Test side.

But on it they remained dominant in whitewashing Pakistan 3-0 in the warm-up to the Ashes.

And England's fears were realised on the very first day of the first Test when Hussain's decision to bowl saw the hosts reach 364 for two, on their way to a 384-run victory.

The die was cast, but innings defeats in Adelaide and Perth were more than even the most pessimistic England followers could have expected.

Australia had taken on Pakistan in the neutral venues of Colombo and Sharjah as security fears continued on the sub-continent.

Earlier in the year New Zealand were forced to pull out of their tour on the morning of the second Test after a bomb exploded outside their hotel in Karachi, killing 14 civilians.

Playing in New Zealand, England's cricketers were shocked by the news that one-day all-rounder Ben Hollioake had been killed in a car crash near his off-season home in Perth.

Hollioake's county Surrey dedicated their season to the 24-year-old, and his brother Adam captained the side to an emotional third County Championship crown in four years.

Title holders Yorkshire, meanwhile, suffered the ignominy of relegation and a fraud squad investigation, with the C&G Trophy scant compensation.

Hollioake's was not the only loss suffered by the cricket world, as former South Africa captain Hansie Cronje died in a plane crash near his home in the Western Cape.

Preparations continued in South Africa, though, for the eighth Cricket World Cup, beginning in February 2003.

A major milestone for the leading teams was the ICC Champions Trophy, held in Sri Lanka in September, but the tournament was shrouded by off-field controversy.

The world's leading players only agreed at the last minute to turn out after a row over sponsorship rights.

And a chaotic rain rule saw the title shared after the final was washed out twice.

England ended the year wishing for similar luck.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk

World Cup: Brazil bounce back

Brazil reclaimed the World Cup as Ronaldo cast off the ghost of France 98 with two goals in the final to sink Germany.

His double strike secured the Golden Boot award - and Brazil their fifth World Cup crown.

Ronaldo bounced back to form after the disappointment of a 3-0 final defeat by France four years earlier and subsequent injury troubles.

German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn was voted the tournament's best player despite fumbling Rivaldo's shot to gift Ronaldo an opener.

The final capped a memorable tournament in South Korea and Japan, where England and the Republic of Ireland secured notable successes before elimination.

European football: 2002 review

Skipper David Beckham's penalty saw off old adversaries Argentina as England qualified from the 'Group of Death'.

But his side fell to Brazil in the quarter-finals, with veteran goalkeeper David Seaman blamed for failing to stop Ronaldinho's speculative, looping free-kick winner.

Ronaldinho was later controversially dismissed for a foul, but England could not take advantage in the stifling Shizuoka heat.

Irish hopes suffered an early blow when captain Roy Keane went home after a dramatic bust-up with boss Mick McCarthy.

But another Keane, Robbie, took to the stage and helped fire his side through a tough qualification group which included Germany.

McCarthy's men finally fell in a second round penalty shoot-out against Spain.

Spain went on to suffer their own spot-kick heartache in the quarter-finals, as the march of South Korea continued.

The co-hosts eventually succumbed 1-0 to Germany in the last four, while the other surprise package, Turkey, went down by the same scoreline to Brazil.

Few would have predicted their appearance in the semi-finals, but the early stages claimed several big name casualties.

French boss Roger Lemerre was sacked after the reigning champions and Euro 2000 winners went out following shock losses to Senegal and Denmark.

Argentina's defeat by England hastened their premature exit, while Italy edged though to the second round before enduring a golden goal winner from South Korea's Ahn Jung-Hwan.

Korea's march onto the footballing map helped maintain a carnival atmosphere at matches, where even England's notorious hooligans were absent.

More than three million people took to the streets of Korean capital Seoul to celebrate the defeat of Italy.

And at the World Cup's conclusion, organisers were toasting a successful event which Germany will do well to better when hosting the next finals in 2006.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk

Allstate Insurance

Company History: Allstate was originally founded in 1931 by Sears Roebuck and was part of that company until the 1980's when the shares of Allstate were distributed to Sears' Shareholders. Additional shares were later sold to the public. Allstate is listed on the NYSE with the symbol = ALL

Allstate is the second largest U.S. personal lines property and casualty insurer (ranked by earned premiums) and the 13th largest life insurer (based on life insurance in force). The Allstate Corporation was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware on November 5, 1992 to serve as the holding company for Allstate Insurance Company. Its business is conducted principally through Allstate Insurance Company, Allstate Life Insurance Company and their affiliates. Allstate is primarily engaged in the personal property and casualty insurance business and the life insurance, retirement and investment products business. It conducts its business primarily in the United States and Canada. The Allstate Corporation is the largest publicly held personal lines insurer in the United States. Allstate provides insurance products to more than 17 million households through a distribution network that utilizes a total of approximately 14,800 exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists in the United States and Canada. Allstate has a multiple channel alternative distribution system utilizing financial institutions (banks), independent agents, brokers, broker-dealers, the internet and telephone sales. The primary business of Allstate is private passenger automobile insurance and homeowner’s insurance in the U.S. It ranks second in both of these businesses with about 11% or 12% market share respectively (State Farm is first at 18% and 22%). In 2006, standard auto insurance policies accounted for about 61% of Allstate’s premium, non-standard auto for 5%, homeowner’s coverages for 24% and other lines for the remaining 10%. For Allstate’s auto and homeowner’s insurance business, the states which accounted for the most 2006 premium are California (10.9%), New York (10.1%), Texas (9.7%), Florida (9.4%) and Pennsylvania (5.2%).

Allstate Financial, previously known as Allstate Life, offers life insurance, annuities, savings and investment products as well as pension products through agents and alternative distribution channels.

Allstate’s range of products also includes:
Asset Protection products such as auto, homeowner’s, condominium, renters, scheduled personal property, business umbrella, commercial auto, commercial inland marine, small business owner, customizer and business package policy, landlord package, manufactured home, motor home, motorcycle, boat, personal umbrella, recreational vehicle, and motor club and federal flood coverage. Estate planning products such as business succession planning products, fixed survivorship life, and variable survivorship life are offered as are Family protection coverages such as, term life, universal life, variable universal life, long-term care and supplemental health insurance. Asset Management and Accumulation products include fixed annuities, variable annuities, equity indexed annuities, single premium immediate annuities, universal life, variable universal life, single premium life, structured settlement annuities, mutual funds, qualified plans, such as IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, Educational Plans (529 and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) and institutional funding agreements. Short-term Asset Management Products offered by Allstate include checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts and mortgages.

Principal Methods: Allstate sells insurance through career agents and independent insurance agents, the Internet, direct call centers and through exploiting its service operations to sell more policies to existing customers. The company focuses on developing and maintaining "high value lifetime" customers. Allstate has good brand awareness with the advertising theme the "Good Hands" company.

Allstate provides insurance products to more than 17 million households through a distribution network that utilizes a total of approximately 14,800 exclusive agencies and exclusive financial specialists in the United States and Canada. Allstate has a multiple channel alternative distribution system utilizing financial institutions (banks), independent agents, brokers, broker-dealers, the internet and telephone sales. The primary business of Allstate is private passenger automobile insurance and homeowner’s insurance in the U.S. It ranks second in both of these businesses with about 11% or 12% market share respectively (State Farm is first at 18% and 22%). In 2006, standard auto insurance policies accounted for about 61% of Allstate’s premium, non-standard auto for 5%, homeowner’s coverages for 24% and other lines for the remaining 10%. For Allstate’s auto and homeowner’s insurance business, the states which accounted for the most 2006 premium are California (10.9%), New York (10.1%), Texas (9.7%), Florida (9.4%) and Pennsylvania (5.2%).

Life Annuity Business: Allstate is a top 25 writer of life insurance policies in the U.S.

Allstate Financial, previously known as Allstate Life, offers life insurance, annuities, savings and investment products as well as pension products through agents and alternative distribution channels.

Auto Business: Allstate is the 2nd largest automobile insurance comopany in the United States. Automobile insurance represents approximately 70% of Allstates business.

Homeowners Business: Allstate is the 2nd largest Homeowner Insurance company in the United States. Homeowner Insurance policies represent approximately 25% of Allstates business.

Health Business: Allstate is a top 25 writer of health insurance policies in the U.S.

Company Rating:
Best Insurance Reports: A+
Best Rating: Allstate has gotten mostly superior ratings (A+) from Best's for the past five years, (except for a B+ for its Allstate Floridian Insurance Company Subsidiary). The Group gets high marks on a number of levels. it is deemed generally conservative in its policies, with a good investment strategy, efficient in its operations and technology, good in underwriting and good in its selling efforts.

Company Financial Status:
Ticker Symbol: ALL
Assets & Premiums: Allstate Insurance Group is primarily a national insurance company specializing in automobile and homeowner insurance. It also sells life insurance, annuities and personal financial products. It has a subsidiary that provides banking services.

Premiums and income has been steadily increasing for five years, but more from price increases than from acquiring new customers. The company has over $47 billion dollars in assets. Capitalization has gone up and down because the parent company often takes dividends and because of underwriting and investment losses. Leverage is reasonable with approximately 22% of capital represented in debt and preferred stock as of December, 2004.
In 2005, Allstate took a major hit from gulf hurricanes ($5.8 billion in losses). However, while profit and return on equity were down other financial indicators seem to have remained fairly steady. This is the nature of property casualty insurance. It is a sign of a strong company that singificant losses do not cause extensive financial distress.

Source : http://insurance.freeadvice.com

AIG Insurance

Company History: AIG’s General Insurance operations include the largest U.S. underwriters of commercial and industrial insurance, the most extensive international property-casualty network, a personal lines business with an emphasis on auto insurance and high-net-worth clients and mortgage guaranty insurance operations. AIG’s leadership is a result of its underwriting skill, innovative insurance solutions, financial strength, superior service and responsive claims handling. The AIG claims operation gives clients access to a vast worldwide network of dedicated experts and top legal firms.

AIG is a publicly traded insurance group, with a holding company structure, headquartered in New York City and operating in the United States and internationally. AIG is a world leader in international insurance operations, doing business in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions through more than 100 U.S. and foreign subsidiaries. AIG companies serve commercial, institutional and individual customers for property and casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement services, financial services and asset management services. The four main areas of business are General Insurance (commercial, industrial and personal lines of property and casualty insurance as well as mortgage guaranty business), Life Insurance and Retirement Services (individual and group life insurance and fixed and variable annuities), Financial Services (aircraft finance, capital markets services, consumer finance and insurance premium finance) and Asset Management (institutional, retail and private fund management). Foreign operations accounted for about 50% of total revenues in 2004. Life Insurance and Retirement Services accounted for about 51.5% of 2004 operating income, General Services about 19.7%, Financial Services 17.1% and Asset Management 11.7%. AIG has about 92,000 employees.

AIG’s operations developed out of the insurance agency interests of C. V. Starr in Shanghai in 1919 and several subsequent acquisitions and consolidations of property and casualty and life insurance companies in the U.S. and abroad.

Problems with regulatory and accounting issues are being dealt with by new management installed during 2005

AIG’s General Insurance segment includes many lines of business written by many AIG companies in the U.S. and internationally, but workers’ compensation business is the largest class of business written here and represented approximately 15 percent of net premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2006. During 2006, 8 percent and 7 percent of the direct General Insurance premiums written were written in California and New York, respectively. No other state accounted for more than five percent of such premiums. Within General Insurance, an operation called Domestic Brokerage Group (DBG) conducts business within the U.S. and Canada and accounted for 54% of AIG’s net premiums written in 2006. DBG writes substantially all classes of business insurance through insurance brokers. DBG also provides numerous specialized forms of insurance and various risk and environmental products. A reinsurance subsidiary owned 59.2% by AIG is also included in General Insurance. AIG’s personal lines operations provide automobile insurance through AIG Direct, a mass marketing operation, the Agency Auto Division and 21st Century Insurance Group (21st Century is 61.9% owned by AIG) and provides coverages for high net worth individuals through the AIG Private Client Group. Residential mortgage guarantee insurance (both in the U.S. and internationally) and Foreign General Insurance make up the rest of the General Insurance segment of AIG’s business.

AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services Operations segment provides insurance and retirement savings products both domestically and abroad. These include individual and group life insurance, annuities (including structured settlements), endowment and accident and health policies and retirement savings products (especially fixed and variable annuities). The foreign life insurance subsidiaries of AIG operate through more than 270,000 full and part time agents as well as independent producers selling to indigenous persons in local currencies as well as through direct marketing channels, brokers, financial institutions and other channels. The domestic part of AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services business operates through multiple distribution channels including independent producers, brokerage, career agents and banks to sell life insurance, annuity, accident and health products and services and financial and investment products. In 2006, AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services premiums came 78% from foreign operations and 22% from domestic operations.

AIG’s Financial Services Operations segment is engaged in activities that include aircraft and equipment leasing and various types of financing.

AIG’s Asset Management Operations segment includes a variety of investment related services and investment products including private banking and mutual funds.

Principal Methods: AIG sells insurance via www.aigdirect.com and also through it's agency company 21st Century.

AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services Operations segment provides insurance and retirement savings products both domestically and abroad. These include individual and group life insurance, annuities (including structured settlements), endowment and accident and health policies and retirement savings products (especially fixed and variable annuities). The foreign life insurance subsidiaries of AIG operate through more than 270,000 full and part time agents as well as independent producers selling to indigenous persons in local currencies as well as through direct marketing channels, brokers, financial institutions and other channels. The domestic part of AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services business operates through multiple distribution channels including independent producers, brokerage, career agents and banks to sell life insurance, annuity, accident and health products and services and financial and investment products. In 2006, AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services premiums came 78% from foreign operations and 22% from domestic operations.

Life Annuity Business: AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services Operations segment provides insurance and retirement savings products both domestically and abroad. These include individual and group life insurance, annuities (including structured settlements), endowment and accident and health policies and retirement savings products (especially fixed and variable annuities). The foreign life insurance subsidiaries of AIG operate through more than 270,000 full and part time agents as well as independent producers selling to indigenous persons in local currencies as well as through direct marketing channels, brokers, financial institutions and other channels. The domestic part of AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services business operates through multiple distribution channels including independent producers, brokerage, career agents and banks to sell life insurance, annuity, accident and health products and services and financial and investment products. In 2006, AIG’s Life Insurance & Retirement Services premiums came 78% from foreign operations and 22% from domestic operations.

Auto Business: AIG’s General Insurance segment includes many lines of business written by many AIG companies in the U.S. and internationally, but workers’ compensation business is the largest class of business written here and represented approximately 15 percent of net premiums written for the year ended December 31, 2006. During 2006, 8 percent and 7 percent of the direct General Insurance premiums written were written in California and New York, respectively. No other state accounted for more than five percent of such premiums. Within General Insurance, an operation called Domestic Brokerage Group (DBG) conducts business within the U.S. and Canada and accounted for 54% of AIG’s net premiums written in 2006. DBG writes substantially all classes of business insurance through insurance brokers. DBG also provides numerous specialized forms of insurance and various risk and environmental products. A reinsurance subsidiary owned 59.2% by AIG is also included in General Insurance. AIG’s personal lines operations provide automobile insurance through AIG Direct, a mass marketing operation, the Agency Auto Division and 21st Century Insurance Group (21st Century is 61.9% owned by AIG) and provides coverages for high net worth individuals through the AIG Private Client Group. Residential mortgage guarantee insurance (both in the U.S. and internationally) and Foreign General Insurance make up the rest of the General Insurance segment of AIG’s business.


Source : http://insurance.freeadvice.com

AAA Insurance

Company History: Company organized in the early 90's and is focused on PA and NJ where it has 80% of its business. It derives much of its success, impact and name recognition from its affiliation with the nationally famous Automobile Association of America. The AAA is divided into regions and The Mid Atlantic region sponsors this company. ...


Source : http://insurance.freeadvice.com