ISDA : position on Greek debt insurance is due March 1 2012

A global body for contracts used as insurance against sovereign defaults, the ISDA, will say on Thursday if a deal to cut Greek debt justifies payouts that could upset financial markets. 

The International Swaps and Derivatives Association said on Wednesday that it would take a position on policies known as credit default swaps (CDS) which might determine whether Greece has defaulted.

The ISDA was acting in response to a query from an unidentified private creditor, and the declaration of a so-called credit event might lead to the payout of billions of euros (dollars) in insurance against a Greek default.  A meeting will be held at 1100 GMT on Thursday, March 1 to determine whether a credit event has occurred, its statement said.

If so, it could trigger payments of CDS which totalled about 3.2 billion euros ($4.3 billion) as of February 10, essentially putting Athens in default.

Greece has reached a deal with private creditors to cut the value of the debt they hold by about 107 billion euros, which would substantially reduce overall Greek debt of 350 billion euros.  Athens and European Union officials are trying meanwhile to avoid Greece having officially to declare a debt default, which would be a first for the 17-nation eurozone.  In the case of sovereign debt, three situations generally qualify as a credit event.

The first is being unable to reimburse loans on the date they are due. The

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Posted by Laura Lopez 03 08, 12
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Can you save more money by avoiding price comparison websites?

Recent statistics suggest that around 45% of people now begin their search for travel insurance on a price comparison website. 17% of those then go on to purchase their policy through one of these ‘web aggregators’.

So do these price comparison websites actually save you money? Can they really help you search out the best policy? Let’s take a look.

Price comparison websites take a large slice of premium profits

Have you ever wondered how price comparison websites fund those prime time television advertising slots? When

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Posted by Laura Lopez 03 01, 12
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7 most dangerous household appliances for you — and your home insurance

Toasters that turn on by themselves and short-circuiting dishwashers can spark fires costing you thousands of dollars in home repairs. Unfortunately, not all damage caused by appliances is covered by your home insurance policy.

The following appliances caused the greatest number of home fires between 2002 and 2009, according to a Consumer Reports article that relied on data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Depending on the situation, you may not be covered for damage triggered by an appliance, says Kevin Foley, owner of PFT&K Insurance Brokers in Milltown, N.J.

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Posted by Laura Lopez 02 13, 12
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SEH Technology Introduces myUTN-150 – Next Generation of USB Device Servers for Professional Networks

PHOENIXVILLE, PA SEH Technology, a leading network solutions provider, extends its USB device server series by introducing the myUTN-150. The myUTN-150 USB device server offers assignment and port key control for the safe management of attached USB devices. Plus, the myUTN-150 USB device server is ready for operation in Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN), in virtual environments, and Gigabit networks. The myUTN-150 USB device server is now available for the recommended retail price of $499.99.

The IPv6- enabled myUTN-150 Gigabit USB device server is a virtual USB solution for up to three USB devices.

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Posted by Laura Lopez 01 29, 12
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IFB appoints new Director

The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has appointed Phil Bird to the role of IFB Director on a six month secondment, effective from February 1.

Since the beginning of December, Phil has been overseeing the day-to-day operations of IFB while continuing to manage the customer services operations for MIB.

Phil will report to the IFB Supervisory Board, which will meet in February for the first time since it was established, and during the next 6 months the Board members will consider the responsibilities and requirements of the IFB Director role.

Part of the organisation’s new 3-year strategy is to deliver enhanced services to its customers, including developing fraud detection capabilities at the application stage.

David Neave, Chairman of the IFB Supervisory Board said, “Phil will work closely with the new members of the IFB Supervisory and Technical Boards to build their familiarity with the IFB’s operations.

“This will ensure that the strategy is rolled out as planned and that the investment is delivering the fraud detection services required by the industry. These c

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Posted by Laura Lopez 01 19, 12
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My World First competition update! Win a Kindle, again!

December might be a busy month, but we still received plenty of entries into our monthly travel writing competition, My World First. Just like last month, theres no shortage of rousing reads and the overall standard of writing is great. Thank you to everyone who entered. Our judging panel are about to get to work and the winner will be announced in our newsletter shortly. You can sign up at .

My World First is a competition that rolls from month to month and weve already been sent the first few entries for Januarys competition.

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Posted by Laura Lopez 01 14, 12
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Wood-burning stoves stoke concerns about homeowner’s insurance

Sales of wood-burning stoves are heating up. The number of U.S. households being heated with wood jumped by 34 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. That’s a bigger increase than for any other type of heating fuel.

Using a wood-burning stove as primary or secondary source of home heat can be a great way to cut your energy costs. But it also brings up questions about your home insurance and concerns about safety.

Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit Insurance Information Institute, suggests that before you install a wood-burning stove, you should contact your home insurance agent. I

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Posted by Laura Lopez 01 03, 12
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