Comments on: Why Are We Bailing Out Insurers? http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/ Macro Perspective on the Capital Markets, Economy, Geopolitics, Technology, and Digital Media Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:43:00 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: TARP being extended to insurance companies « Zeropoint Field http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-177244 TARP being extended to insurance companies « Zeropoint Field Fri, 29 May 2009 11:33:12 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-177244 [...] why indeed are they getting money? Supposedly, because they need it but why is that where is the connection [...] [...] why indeed are they getting money? Supposedly, because they need it but why is that where is the connection [...]

]]> By: gordon http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172385 gordon Sat, 16 May 2009 23:42:59 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172385 I'm really surprised nobody here wonders about CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS on the insurers, who owns them, another Goldman-at-par payout in the works? JPM? I’m really surprised nobody here wonders about CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS on the insurers, who owns them, another Goldman-at-par payout in the works? JPM?

]]> By: New Jersey CFO » Insurers need money? http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172339 New Jersey CFO » Insurers need money? Sat, 16 May 2009 19:49:00 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172339 [...] Why Are We Bailing Out Insurers? - Barry Ritholtz, Big Picture [...] [...] Why Are We Bailing Out Insurers? – Barry Ritholtz, Big Picture [...]

]]> By: ZackAttack http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172229 ZackAttack Sat, 16 May 2009 11:17:39 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172229 Not so sure about the annuities/pensions angle. What's the acronym for I Am Not an Insurance Analyst? But my understanding is the annuity money is, in a sense, firewalled. Somebody like a Lincoln National is kind of a fund-of-funds manager that disperses the annuity money to funds at other companies. On the secession issue, it would solve a lot of problems if we could just convince Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada to secede. Not so sure about the annuities/pensions angle. What’s the acronym for I Am Not an Insurance Analyst?

But my understanding is the annuity money is, in a sense, firewalled. Somebody like a Lincoln National is kind of a fund-of-funds manager that disperses the annuity money to funds at other companies.

On the secession issue, it would solve a lot of problems if we could just convince Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada to secede.

]]> By: Greg0658 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172215 Greg0658 Sat, 16 May 2009 04:16:44 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172215 I just made this for ya's in TBP http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwqxFHB0kZI A patriotic compilation of high school band music .. (Illinois) Ottawa High School class of 1977 .. top tier band. One Nation, Indivisible & Star Spangled Banner narration by Everette Lunning - OHS English dept. Testiment of An American narration by John Kinnison - Ottawa Grade School Band director My brother Keith, played percussion in these selections, my trumpet was in the 2nd tier band. I just made this for ya’s in TBP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwqxFHB0kZI

A patriotic compilation of high school band music .. (Illinois) Ottawa High School class of 1977 .. top tier band.

One Nation, Indivisible & Star Spangled Banner
narration by Everette Lunning – OHS English dept.

Testiment of An American
narration by John Kinnison – Ottawa Grade School Band director

My brother Keith, played percussion in these selections, my trumpet was in the 2nd tier band.

]]> By: matt http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172189 matt Sat, 16 May 2009 00:18:02 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172189 VennData: "Oh, and one national regulator for insurance. Why all the wasteful duplication of effort times all fifty states? It’s a monstrosity." Except that the state regulators, in aggregate, managed to regulate insurers better than your "one-national-agency" idea did for banks. Diversification of regulation is a fantastic model as it 1) makes it harder (more expensive) for the industry to capture, especially a small number of too big to fails and 2) makes it so when some prick creates poor policy, only his state suffers the consequences (instead of the entire nation). It takes a lot more work for the crony capitalists to create a gigantic systemic risk when they have to lobby 50 separate regulators than it does to lobby 1 big regulator. VennData: “Oh, and one national regulator for insurance. Why all the wasteful duplication of effort times all fifty states? It’s a monstrosity.”

Except that the state regulators, in aggregate, managed to regulate insurers better than your “one-national-agency” idea did for banks. Diversification of regulation is a fantastic model as it 1) makes it harder (more expensive) for the industry to capture, especially a small number of too big to fails and 2) makes it so when some prick creates poor policy, only his state suffers the consequences (instead of the entire nation).

It takes a lot more work for the crony capitalists to create a gigantic systemic risk when they have to lobby 50 separate regulators than it does to lobby 1 big regulator.

]]> By: Christopher http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172095 Christopher Fri, 15 May 2009 19:53:32 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172095 ie Texas.....love San Antonio and Austin.....the rest is just Southern Oklahoma.... It's all fun and games until you run out of freshwater. Desalination is very expensive/inefficient. That's why I think all the areas bordering the Great Lakes are very attractive areas....and will be getting MUCH more valuable over the next few decades. JMO. ie Texas…..love San Antonio and Austin…..the rest is just Southern Oklahoma….

It’s all fun and games until you run out of freshwater. Desalination is very expensive/inefficient.

That’s why I think all the areas bordering the Great Lakes are very attractive areas….and will be getting MUCH more valuable over the next few decades.

JMO.

]]> By: Transor Z http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172046 Transor Z Fri, 15 May 2009 18:44:25 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172046 June had 31 days last year. Didn't you get the memo? Dispersed arrays of audio receivers with micro power sources. <i>Mobile</i>. Audio upload to satellite. Audio download to computer w/ voice-recognition software (remember it isn't a privacy violation if it's done by computer). Scan for red-flag words and voice identification. Print report with time code for human audio replay. New meaning to the word "bug," eh? June had 31 days last year. Didn’t you get the memo?

Dispersed arrays of audio receivers with micro power sources. Mobile. Audio upload to satellite. Audio download to computer w/ voice-recognition software (remember it isn’t a privacy violation if it’s done by computer). Scan for red-flag words and voice identification. Print report with time code for human audio replay.

New meaning to the word “bug,” eh?

]]> By: Mark E Hoffer http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172040 Mark E Hoffer Fri, 15 May 2009 18:30:03 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172040 Transor, see: Project started on 1.1.2004 Project terminated on 31.6.2008 Last modified: 15.01.2008 from your link.. one of those things is not like the other.. Transor,

see: Project started on 1.1.2004 Project terminated on 31.6.2008 Last modified: 15.01.2008
from your link..

one of those things is not like the other..

]]> By: Transor Z http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/05/why-are-we-bailing-out-insurers/comment-page-3/#comment-172034 Transor Z Fri, 15 May 2009 18:20:06 +0000 http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/?p=26576#comment-172034 @Mark: Yes, I hear you too. A lot of people wonder about the existence of medicines that cure (as opposed to merely treat) gathering dust, "The Formula" for synthetic fossil fuels buried in a vault, Who Killed the Electric Car?, and in general why lightbulbs and razor blades aren't all long-lasting. But I know too that you are also concerned about "spooky tech" becoming ever more invasive in the name of law enforcement/public safety efficiencies. This is one of my favorites from the "what you don't see" department: http://www.i-swarm.org/ @Mark:

Yes, I hear you too. A lot of people wonder about the existence of medicines that cure (as opposed to merely treat) gathering dust, “The Formula” for synthetic fossil fuels buried in a vault, Who Killed the Electric Car?, and in general why lightbulbs and razor blades aren’t all long-lasting.

But I know too that you are also concerned about “spooky tech” becoming ever more invasive in the name of law enforcement/public safety efficiencies. This is one of my favorites from the “what you don’t see” department:

http://www.i-swarm.org/

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