Billionaire Paying Off College Students’ $40 Million Debt Has Ties to Insurance Industry

insurancejournal | May 20, 2019

The billionaire technology investor and philanthropist who has promised to assume the $40 million student debt of the entire graduating class at More house College has ties to the insurance industry.
Robert F. Smith, who addressed the nearly 400 graduating seniors of the all-male historically black college in Atlanta on Sunday, is founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity firm that invests in software, data and technology companies. Among his firm’s investments is Vertafore, a leading provider of software to the property/casualty insurance broker and carrier market. Vista Equity Partners and Bain Capital completed a buyout of Denver-based Vertafore in June 2016.Vista Equity also owns Orlando, Florida-based PlanSource, which supplies software for benefits administration and human resources professionals. Vista Equity acquired PlanSource in April 2019.Vista Equity’s insurance portfolio also includes Texas-based Solera, a digital technology firm that owns automotive and home-related businesses, including insurance services firm Enservio, which offers claims management software for carriers. Vista Equity completed a take-private of Solera in March 2016.

Spotlight

No single insurer is spared by fraud. Globally, fraud is estimated to cost the insurance industry hundreds of billions of GBP per year. This figure isn’t just fraud on an individual or opportunistic scale, but also the result of insurance fraud networks who represent an industry unto themselves.

Spotlight

No single insurer is spared by fraud. Globally, fraud is estimated to cost the insurance industry hundreds of billions of GBP per year. This figure isn’t just fraud on an individual or opportunistic scale, but also the result of insurance fraud networks who represent an industry unto themselves.

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LIFE INSURANCE, INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

In Force Data Solutions from MIB Provide Unique Insights to the Life Insurance Industry

PRnewswire | March 20, 2023

MIB, the life insurance industry's most trusted and secure partner for data-driven insights and digital services announced the launch of a new suite of solutions that leverage a unique database consisting of in force and pending application data as well as terminated policy data to provide new critical insights to the industry. The MIB In Force Data Solutions portfolio leverages a contributory database, maintained by MIB on behalf of the life insurance industry, to provide insights that address a critical industry challenge – the need to understand an applicant's total coverage exposure. The only data solution of its kind, the database was developed in partnership with TAI (Tindall Associates, Inc.), the premier reinsurance administration software in use in the U.S., and in conjunction with carriers and reinsurers who are MIB's members. The first services available within the portfolio enable the industry to identify potential risks and behavioral trends tied to total coverage exposure while minimizing hidden financial risks: The MIB Jumbo Service enables participating carriers and reinsurers to take a retrospective look at their highly insured individuals to proactively identify and resolve jumbo treaty breaches during the contestability period. Launched in April of 2022, the service to date has helped the industry identify over 600 insureds with combined in force and pending coverage levels near or above jumbo treaty limits, helping mitigate more than 16 jumbo treaty violations, and saving the industry an estimated $75 million of unanticipated claims. Newly launched, the MIB Total Line Service provides total coverage exposure data at the time of underwriting. With this new data, underwriters can verify an applicant's reported coverage level, and also proactively identify risk patterns and behaviors that may warrant further investigation. Based on initial MIB case studies, the service has significant potential to help identify behavioral risk of applicants and producers. Since the In Force Solutions contributory data vault leverages existing system interfaces that many carriers already have in place with TAI and MIB, most MIB members can take advantage of the new services without the burden of an IT spend. In force data is contributed through TAI's reinsurance software and pending application data is contributed through MIB's Code Solutions platform which is e-connected to 99.0% of the insurance companies in North America. Committed to developing innovative solutions that address the life insurance industry's evolving needs, MIB sees significant future potential to leverage the database for services that extend beyond fraud prevention. "As our access to data continues to grow, there are many opportunities to introduce new services and deliver additional insights," said Patti DeWitt, Vice President of Member Services at MIB. "We are excited about the possibilities for new innovative solutions, leveraging protective value studies, data analytics and behavioral sciences that can safeguard against fraud, improve claim processes, inform underwriting rules, and more." "Before now, the industry lacked the opportunity to see a full picture of in force, applied for, and terminated coverage. Now that we can examine the picture in full, there is great potential to uncover novel insights and valuable learnings for the industry," said Chris Murumets, CEO, TAI. "This is a perfect example of how data and analytics can be leveraged to help move the industry forward." About MIB MIB Group Holdings, Inc. is the insurance industry's most trusted and secure partner for data, insights and digital solutions that support underwriting and actuarial decision making and improve industry efficiencies. With deep connections to the life insurance companies who are its members, and a sole focus on improving the insurance industry, MIB is uniquely positioned to provide data-driven solutions that address common industry challenges and enable clients to gain efficiencies, manage their risks, and grow profitably. MIB Group Holdings, Inc. provides services through its wholly owned operating subsidiaries, MIB, LLC, MIB Services, LLC and MIB Solutions, LLC. For more information about MIB, visit www.mibgroup.com.

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CORE INSURANCE, RISK MANAGEMENT

Inszone Insurance Completely Acquires Donna Ledwick Insurance Services

Inszone Insurance | March 08, 2023

On March 7, 2023, Inszone Insurance Services announced the conclusion of its acquisition of Donna Ledwick Insurance Services, previously owned and operated by Donna Ledwick. The move is part of Inszone Insurance's plan to increase its national reach and solidify its position as one of the best insurance companies in the United States. Donna Ledwick expressed, "I'm excited to join forces with Inszone Insurance, which will enable us to better meet the demands of our clients in every way." She continued, "Inszone Insurance places great importance on serving each client, especially those with extremely specialized needs, which aligns perfectly with the values we hold dear." (Source – Business Wire) Chris Walters, CEO of Inszone Insurance Services, remarked, "Donna has been a strong leader in the insurance industry, and we are thrilled to have her on our team." "Our clients can expect the same personalized care they are used to, with the added benefit of extra resources offered by a larger agency. We look forward to working together to help streamline efficiencies, add resources, and continue expanding throughout the state," he concluded. (Source – Business Wire) Besides, Inszone Insurance Services is set to announce several high-profile acquisitions in the coming months. Even though the company has grown quickly, it is still committed to giving customers excellent nationwide service and new insurance options. About Inszone Insurance Services California-based Inszone Insurance Services has developed substantially in the insurance industry since 2002. It covers all 50 states, with offices in California, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Missouri, Texas, and Illinois. Inszone Insurance Services, which offers both personal and business insurance, has expanded by prioritizing customer satisfaction and agent-customer relationships. Its edge in the insurance industry comes from its professional, disciplined agents and its partnerships with many different carriers. The competitive benefits of these long-standing ties allow Inszone to use its expertise and access to provide actual value to its customers.

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CORE INSURANCE, COMPLIANCE

Utmost Group Upgrades Financial Compliance Capabilities with Napier

Napier and Utmost Group | February 01, 2023

On January 31st, 2023, Utmost Group, which offers insurance and savings solutions, enhanced its financial compliance capabilities in collaboration with Napier, a customizable anti-financial crime compliance provider. Napier's client screening solution, which started operations in just 21 days, was implemented to bolster the company's existing compliance strategy and to facilitate future expansion. The Napier team met these stringent deployment deadlines to meet the time constraints imposed by the expiration of licenses held by the outgoing partner. The Client Screening solution from the company will enhance existing systems by automatically screening clients against sanctions, PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) lists, and other essential watchlists at appropriate intervals. In addition, the AI capabilities will allow for faster screening and help lower the number of false alarms. Paul Smith, Chief Risk Officer at Utmost International Isle of Man, shared, "We needed to rapidly migrate and then implement our existing screening protocols to the new system, so we were delighted that Napier was able to merge two legacy systems neatly into a single hosted instance while levelling up our capabilities. This really made the difference when managing the upgrade of systems that were being made end-of-life earlier than expected." He added, "Compliance requirements inevitably evolve over time as risks also change and criminals become more sophisticated, so we are delighted to have a robust system now in place that will keep us one step ahead of our obligations and enhance our overall services." (Source – Business Wire) About Napier London-based Napier is a compliance technology specialist that operates a platform based on extensive experience and in-depth knowledge. Combining big data technologies with AI and machine learning, the company offers products that improve efficiency and reduce risk. Its strategy underpins the client's policy, process, and procedure, allowing them to concentrate on specific outcomes. The compliance platform is quick, scalable, easily configurable, and intuitive. It rapidly bolsters AML defense and trade compliance capabilities while achieving the compliance requirements and challenges of any industry. About Utmost Group Utmost Group, headquartered in London, is a leading insurance and savings solutions provider. The company offers innovative, adaptable solutions that help clients secure their financial futures. The main divisions of the Group are Utmost International, Utmost Life and Pensions. The key business lines of Utmost International consist of Utmost Corporate Solutions and Utmost Wealth Solutions. The Group has approximately £58 billion in AUA and 550,000 customers as of June 30th, 2022, with over 1,500 employees across all its businesses.

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