Dec. 27, 2010 at 10:41 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Insurance,
Technology
By Becky Yerak
When plugged into a car's computer, the Allstate Drive Wise device can monitor driving habits and reward the good ones.
Allstate has launched a voluntary program that uses a device installed in a car to reward safe and low-mileage Illinois drivers with savings of up to 30 percent.
The Northbrook-based auto insurer plans to expand the program, called Drive Wise, to other states as early as the second quarter of 2011.
Allstate Drive Wise participants get a small, wireless gadget that plugs into their vehicle’s onboard computer through the diagnostic port, usually under the dashboard.
For consumers concerned about Big Brother, Allstate said the device tracks only factors used to calculate a driving score, including mileage; driving time of day; hard or extreme braking; and maximum speed.
Get the full story »
Dec. 8, 2010 at 11:58 a.m.
Filed under:
China,
Economy,
International,
Policy,
Politics
By Becky Yerak
Only one in five Americans believe that the U.S. has the world’s strongest economy, while 47 percent believe that China deserves that honor, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Northbrook-based Allstate Corp. and the National Journal.
It’s the first time that the Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll has posed the question.
The survey also found that 67 percent of Americans believe that their financial situation will get worse or remain the same in 2011, rather than improve. Get the full story »
Dec. 2, 2010 at 12:07 p.m.
Filed under:
Banking,
Chicago executives,
Policy,
Politics
By Becky Yerak
Chicago’s Arie and Ida Crown Memorial, the Crown Investment Fund, the Edgar D. Jannotta Jr. Revocable Trust and Allstate were among the “material investors” in various trusts and funds that borrowed under Federal Reserve programs aimed at easing the financial crisis, newly released records show.
The Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility, or TALF, was set up by the Fed in November 2008 and began lending in March 2009. Get the full story »
Nov. 29, 2010 at 2:58 p.m.
Filed under:
Chicago executives,
Insurance,
Personnel moves
By Becky Yerak
Allstate Corp. has hired a high-level Willis Group executive to head its emerging business unit.
The Northbrook-based auto and home insurer confirmed Monday that it has hired Don Bailey as senior vice president of emerging businesses, the unit that was set up in 2007 and includes a motor club and coverage for jet skis, motorcycles, boats and commercial vehicles.
Bailey was previously chairman and chief executive of Willis North America, part of the worldwide insurance brokerage Willis Group Holdings. Get the full story »
Nov. 18, 2010 at 8:48 a.m.
Filed under:
Autos,
Consumer news
By Wailin Wong
Allstate Corp. has launched a pay-per-use roadside assistance program that doesn’t require annual fees.
The Northbrook-based insurer cited studies showing that the average driver uses roadside assistance services just once every three years. Allstate said its Good Hands Roadside program meets the needs of 35 million households in the U.S. without such services, as well as 52 million households that pay annual fees for roadside assistance. Get the full story »
Nov. 9, 2010 at 4:28 p.m.
Filed under:
Insurance,
Investing
By Reuters
Insurers Allstate Corp. and Prudential Financial announced plans to return cash to shareholders Tuesday with a stock buyback plan and dividend increase, respectively. Get the full story »
By Becky Yerak
TalentDrive, the Chicago-based online resume search engine company founded by a former Leo Burnett executive, has hired former Allstate Corp. manager Jeff Tomaszewski as its chief technology officer.
TalentDrive’s chief executive is Sean Bisceglia, who in 1998 sold his technology marketing firm to Leo Burnett and later became the ad firm’s technology group CEO.
In May TalentDrive was highlighted in a U.S. News & World Report article on “How to Stand Out from the Crowd.” The company’s search engine is called TalentFilter. Get the full story »
Daily Herald | Allstate has bought the former headquarters of HSBC Corp. in Prospect Heights. The insurance company said it would demolish the two buildings there immediately and hold the land for future development.
Oct. 27, 2010 at 6:02 p.m.
Filed under:
Earnings,
Insurance
By Dow Jones Newswires
Allstate Corp.’s shares tumbled in late trading after the insurer’s third-quarter profit missed analyst estimates.
Operating earnings of $452 million, or 83 cents a share, were down 16 percent from the same period a year earlier as Allstate’s homeowners unit reported an underwriting loss on costs tied to settling a class-action lawsuit. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters had expected an operating profit of 98 cents a share. Get the full story »
By Becky Yerak
Less than a year after taking the chief marketing job at Allstate Corp., Mark LaNeve is taking on a greater role at the Northbrook-based home and auto insurer.
As part of a leadership shakeup, the former General Motors Corp. sales executive will also oversee Allstate’s agency sales operations, in addition to his current role in marketing. The combined marketing and sale unit will report to both Chief Executive Tom Wilson and to Joe Lacher, president of Allstate Protection. Get the full story »
Oct. 18, 2010 at 5:21 p.m.
Filed under:
Insurance,
Litigation
By Reuters
Home and auto insurer Allstate Corp said on Monday it will pay 45 states a $10 million settlement after a review found it was inconsistent in the way it managed and used software to review bodily injury claims.
But the 18-month probe under the auspices of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners also found Allstate had not systemically underpaid claims, a finding that could have had much more serious implications. Get the full story »
Oct. 5, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.
Filed under:
Insurance,
Litigation,
Recalls,
Updated
By Los Angeles Times
Allstate Corp. has sued Toyota Motor Corp. over sudden-acceleration-related claims it has paid, alleging that the accidents were caused by vehicle defects.
Sep. 29, 2010 at 3:26 p.m.
Filed under:
Insurance,
Litigation
From The New Orleans Times-Picayune | A whistleblower suit alleging that Allstate Insurance Co. defrauded taxpayers by overbilling the National Flood Insurance Program has been unsealed in federal court in New Orleans.
Sep. 14, 2010 at 8:49 a.m.
Filed under:
Magazines,
Media,
Work culture
By Kathy Bergen
Eight Illinois companies were among the 100 companies nationwide deemed best by Working Mother magazine, whose 2010 list opens a window onto a widening array of corporate assistance programs.
Tuition assistance, a concierge service to help with errands, leadership training for women, assistance for employees with special-needs children, paid maternity and paternity leave, and extensive flexible work arrangements were among the benefits at the top 10 firms. Get the full story »
Sep. 10, 2010 at 1:05 p.m.
Filed under:
Economy,
Government,
Jobs/employment,
Policy,
Politics
By Becky Yerak
Americans are more pessimistic about the country and the economy than they were four months ago, and it’s also showing in their approval rating of President Barack Obama, according to a study released Friday by Northbrook-based Allstate Corp. and the National Journal.
The sixth Heartland Monitor Poll also found that a significant “jobs now” sentiment outweighs concerns about the deficit or the size of government. Get the full story »
