The purchase gives MetLife a much larger presence in Japan and in high-growth markets in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. American Life Insurance, known as Alico, operates in more than 50 countries. MetLife currently offers services in 17 countries. Full story »

The Richfield transportation insurance company said fewer large claims and improved investment performance brought its profit up to $46 million, or $2.40 a diluted share, during the full year that ended Dec. 31.  Full story »

American International Group Inc. is set to pay out about $100 million in a fresh round of bonuses to employees of its financial products division, the unit whose risky bets helped sink the company leading to a $180 billion government bailout, according to reports published Tuesday. Full story »

Progressive Corp., the Mayfield auto insurer, said today that its profit nearly doubled in its fourth quarter because of investment gains and improved revenue. Full story »

AIG's sale of the Canadian mortgage division is the latest business unit to be sold by the insurance giant, which has been selling assets and spinning off divisions in an effort to help repay a government bailout package received last year when it was on the brink of collapse.  Full story »

AIG said Wednesday that vice chairman and general counsel Anastasia Kelly has resigned, effective immediately. Full story »

Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services Group said Monday it has received a $225 million reinsurance protection from Lakeside Re II Ltd. to cover the risk of earthquakes in California over the next three years. Full story »

Progressive Insurance Corp. is inviting those who say they're good drivers to prove it. The company is offering discounts in exchange for access to real-time information about customers' driving habits.  Full story »

Fort Dearborn Life Insurance Co. is laying off 63 employees at it Cleveland office, but the Illinois-based company will give them the option of transferring to offices out of state, a company spokesman said Friday.  Full story »

Open enrollment period, the annual window when people get to update their health insurance choices, is winding down. The opportunity to change coverage under some employer- and union-sponsored plans has already passed, but many will continue to accept updates for a few more weeks. Medicare participants have until the end of the year to choose or make changes to their Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug coverage. Full story »

American International Group Inc. says it reached an agreement to settle all legal disputes with its former chairman Maurice "Hank" Greenberg. Full story »

AIG is under close government scrutiny after receiving a bailout package worth up to $182.5 billion from the government in exchange for an 80 percent stake in the company. That bailout package also includes restrictions on compensation for the insurer's 100 highest-paid employees. Full story »

A MetLife Inc. subsidiary and three other affiliates have been fined a total $1.2 million for alleged failures to ensure supervisors could review brokers' e-mails with the public. Full story »

Benmosche announced his intentions in a letter to employees released by AIG following a report in The Wall Street Journal saying he was threatening to quit. The Journal said Benmosche has been frustrated by heavy government scrutiny and cumbersome restrictions on executive pay.  Full story »

The dramatic change in strategy caps a year of cutting costs and selling operations since the financial crisis struck, when ING was kept afloat only with two major rounds of assistance from the Dutch state. Full story »