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Insurance

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Grassley introduces bill to raise SEC fines

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley has introduced a bill with Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to impose tougher penalties on firms and individuals convicted of financial fraud.    Currently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) can fine…
By BPC Staff | Jul 23, 2012
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Insurance cooperative now CoOportunity Health

Midwest Members Health, a Des Moines-based nonprofit health insurance company in the formation stages, has changed its name to CoOportunity Health, according to information posted on its website. 

The new name reflects the company’s unique structure …
By BPC Staff | Jul 23, 2012
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Spain worries cause big drop in opening numbers

Global worries about the Spanish economy triggered a worldwide sell-off in the stock market this morning, causing stocks to fall at least 2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 200 points, the Standard and …
By BPC Staff | Jul 23, 2012
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Economic activity is perking along

Economic activity picked up in June, according to an index compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Increases in production and income lifted the Chicago Fed National Activity index to -0.15 from -0.48 in …
By BPC Staff | Jul 23, 2012
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BERKO: Long-term bonds a bad bet

Dear Mr. Berko:

We have plenty of money but little income. We’d like more income, and our broker recommends we invest $50,000 each (a total of $250,000) in five different corporate bond funds yielding 4 …
By MALCOLM BERKO | Jul 20, 2012
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BERKO: Dividend growth likely for Microsoft, Wal-Mart

Dear Mr. Berko:

We got into the market in January 2004, when the Dow Jones industrial average was at 10,400, and held our positions throughout the crash of 2009 when the market fell to 7,400. …
By MALCOLM BERKO | Jul 20, 2012
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BERKO: Linn Energy a good recommendation

Dear Mr. Berko:

My broker recommends that I buy 200 shares of Linn Energy for dividend income, dividend growth and capital gains. I’m not sure about the stock, as gas doesn’t seem to interest me. …
By MALCOLM BERKO | Jul 20, 2012
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Spain receives bailout from Germany

Germany has voted to help Spain by bailing out Spanish banks with a stimulus of about $123 billion, or 100 billion euros. 

Germany’s lower house voted 473 to 97 in favor of the bailout in …
By BPC Staff | Jul 19, 2012
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Stocks gain despite negative reports

Stocks have risen in the past two days on bets that the Federal Reserve will do something to stimulate a slowing U.S. economy.

Despite two negative economic reports out today, the Standard & Poor’s 500 …
By BPC Staff | Jul 19, 2012
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Capital One to pay $210 million for misleading customers

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) took its first enforcement action today as the government’s watchdog agency, penalizing Capital One Financial Corp. for misleading customers to purchase “add-on products,” Reuters reported.   Capital One will pay…
By BPC Staff | Jul 18, 2012