The Final Straw
February 28, 2013My Insight column for the February 18, 2013 issue of Insurance Advocate magazine, which I had titled “The Final Straw,” calls for the drastic remedy of dismantling of the NY Liquidation Bureau. My column, which the editor of Insurance Advocate decided to turn into the cover story for the issue, describes how the Executive Life Insurance Company of New York (ELNY) fiasco has shown a bright light on the covert mismanagement of insolvent insurers by the Bureau, and discusses why the institution is beyond simple fixes and requires a full re-examination of the process. A copy of my article can be accessed here.
In future columns, I will explore some dos and don’ts and some specific recommendations for a more efficient, effective and open process for handling insolvent insurers — not just for NY but for any US jurisdiction. This is particularly important considering the concerns for Federal oversight of insurer solvency regulation, and the holes and inconsistencies that ELNY has exposed in the state guaranty fund structure.
What do you think?