In the world of health care, fast food is a common topic of discussion for its links to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. However, it turns out that fast food may be affecting the health of the United States in a different way altogether: by insuring, or not insuring, its employees.

ING Groep may see a flurry of activity in the near future as it has received multiple bids for their asset management operations in Asia, as well as seeing multiple parties squaring up to bid on their Asian life insurance assets. ING must sell off their global insurance business in order to fulfill their agreement with the European Commission and repay the US$7 billion bailout it received in 2008.…

Liberty Mutual Group, based in the US state of Massachusetts, has announced the postponement of the initial public offering (IPO) of Liberty Mutual Agency Corp. (LMAC), citing the lacklustre demand from investors and the uncertain state of the US economy as main causes. Not so long ago it was heralded as the biggest IPO of 2010 in the US, Liberty Mutual Group had initially sought to raise almost US$1.3 billion (EUR 956 million) by selling 64.3 million Class A LMAC shares at an initial price of between US$18 (EUR 13.5) and US$20 (EUR 15) per share.

Liberty Mutual, the Boston-based American insurance group, has submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) an application to take public Liberty Mutual Agency Corp. (LMAC). According to the details in the IPO application form, Liberty Mutual plans to sell over 64 million shares at between US$18 (EUR 13.5) and US$20 (EUR 15) per share.

Allianz Global Automotive and Volkswagen Financial Services have recently signed a letter of intent which will see the two companies agree to continue collaborating and strategically expand their 60 year old successful partnership.

ANZ, the New Zealand-based banking giant, has recently announced its plans to launch the new brand OnePath to market their specialist fund management and life insurance businesses, currently under the ING brand, in both Australia and New Zealand.

China last year saw a half of a percentage point increase in its aged population, defined as those people 60 years old or above, equivalent to 7.25 million people, taking the total number of elderly to 167.14 million or roughly 12.5 percent of its total population. This increase is the largest one observed in an annual basis and raises concerns about the huge challenge it represents to the frail retirement system and medical insurance services for the elderly and the impact to the economy in the future.

In less than five years Indian Life Insurance company, Reliance Life Insurance, has crossed the 6-million policy milestone it had set and now aims to achieve an overall premium of US$4.28 billion (EUR 3.4 billion) within the next two years. Reliance Life Insurance is an associate partner of Reliance Capital, part of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

Altegrity Inc. will acquire Kroll Inc. from Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (MMC) in an all-cash transaction valued at US$1.13 billion (EUR 942 million), according to a joint announcement recently released. The deal is expected to be finalised by late September and it is still subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJGC), an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm with headquarters in the city of Itasca, Illinois in the US, has recently reported their acquisition of Risk & Reward Group (R&RG), an employee benefits consultant and insurance broker, based in the UK.