Assurant Inc. (AIZ:NYSE)

A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings and issuer credit ratings of the property/casualty and life/health insurance subsidiaries of Assurant, Inc. [NYSE: AIZ]. Additionally, A.M. Best has affirmed the ICR of “bbb” and debt ratings of Assurant.

Assurant Health®, a leading national provider of individual medical, small group and specialty health insurance products, has formed a marketing alliance with USAA to be the exclusive provider of individual medical insurance to its more than 7.3 million members over the next four years.

MZ Consult NY, a leading global investor relations and financial communications firm, invites all market participants to vote on the Investors' Choice award through December 16, 2009. For the 2010 edition, the Investors' Choice awards are for the categories of Best IR Program and Best IR Officer.

Assurant, Inc., a premier provider of specialty insurance and insurance-related products and services, announces that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $.15 per share of common stock.

BestCalls conference calls are directly accessible via the Conference Call Search Function at the BestCalls website by referencing the company ticker symbol. Conference calls are often impacted by market trends, geopolitical conditions, news coming from conferences and economic releases. FinancialWire is a fully independent, proprietary news wire service.

Assurant, Inc., a premier provider of specialized insurance and insurance-related products and services, today reported results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2009. Third Quarter Results Net income in the third quarter 2009 was $144.7 million, or $1.22 per diluted share, versus a net loss of $111.4 million, or per diluted share, in the third quarter 2008.

Suppose that, besides being the Enemies of All Mankind, health insurers are actually right. Some companies noted last week that Congress' plans to mandate that everyone buy health insurance include only weak penalties. Suppose they're right. If we're toting up the cost of Obamacare, there's surely a ledger line for the demolition of an industry, even an unpopular one.