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Insurance

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2012 in Preview: Finance & Insurance


Asia, rural Iowa both growth opportunities for insurers

Recent trade missions to China could provide an entree into retirement investment markets there for Iowa-based insurance companies, said Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development …
By JOE GARDYASZ | Jan 6, 2012
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Diamonds are not an investor’s best friend


Dear Mr. Berko:

I’m a 35-year-old physician, and I’m finally getting married. A jeweler in Chicago has shown me a nearly flawless, $58,000, 5-carat diamond for my fiancee. It’s a wonder to look at and …
By MALCOLM BERKO | Jan 6, 2012
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Analysts predict big gains for largest banks this year

Analysts predict big gains for largest banks this year   Analysts’ failure to foresee declining earnings per share for the biggest U.S. banks last year hasn’t stopped them from predicting an even bigger profit surge…
By BPC Staff | Jan 4, 2012
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SEC charges Illinois adviser for social media fraud

SEC charges Illinois adviser for social media fraud   The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today charged an Illinois-based investment adviser with offering to sell fictitious securities on LinkedIn, and issued two alerts in an…
By BPC Staff | Jan 4, 2012
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ARAG receives call center excellence award

ARAG receives call center excellence award ARAG, a global provider of legal solutions with U.S. headquarters in Des Moines, announced today that it has been awarded the Center of Excellence honor for its call-center operations…
By BPC Staff | Jan 4, 2012
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Market rallies on 2012’s first trading day

Market rallies on 2012’s first trading day     Hoping for something better than 2011’s flat stock market, U.S. investors pushed shares higher on Tuesday to begin the new year, though questions remain about whether…
By BPC Staff | Jan 4, 2012
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West Bancorporation schedules earnings call

West Bancorporation schedules earnings call West Bancorporation Inc., parent company of West Bank, announced it will report its fourth-quarter earnings before the markets open on Jan. 27. The company will discuss its results in a…
By BPC Staff | Jan 4, 2012
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FBL Financial Group closes sale of EquiTrust Life

FBL Financial Group Inc.announced last Friday that it has closed the sale of EquiTrust Life Insurance Co. unit to a controlled affiliate of Guggenheim Partners LLC in an all-cash transaction with initial sale proceeds of …
By BPC Staff | Jan 3, 2012
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Proposed fees on large banks would top $100 million annually

Proposed fees on large banks would top $100 million annually   The U.S. Treasury Department issued a proposed rule Thursday for determining fees to be paid by large financial institutions to cover the cost of…
By BPC Staff | Dec 30, 2011
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A volatile trading year ends

A volatile trading year ends   CNNMoney reported that U.S. stocks opened slightly lower today, the final trading day of 2011, as investors bid farewell to a volatile year.   U.S. stocks rose Thursday in…
By BPC Staff | Dec 30, 2011