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A cashier's check (also called an "official" check) is a type of bank-issued check where the bank itself guarantees that the funds will be available when the check is cashed. Here's an overview of how much a cashier's check costs at some of the biggest banks:What to do if your cashier's check is lost or stolenIf your cashier's check is lost or stolen, call your bank as soon as possible to let them know. According to the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, you could ask the person who gave you the cashier's check to buy you another cashier's check. How to avoid cashier's check scamsReal cashier's checks are one of the safest forms of payment, but cashier's check scams do exist. Cashier's check alternativesFor large transactions, like a real estate closing, wire transfers are the main alternative to cashier's checks.

☆ Ship insurers to cancel war cover for Russia, Ukraine from Jan 1
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Ship insurers said they are cancelling war risk cover across Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, following an exit from the region by reinsurers in the face of steep losses. P&I (protection and indemnity) clubs American, North, UK and West are no longer able to offer war risk cover for liabilities in the region from Jan. 1, they said in recent notices on their websites. The clubs are among the biggest P&I insurers who cover around 90% of the world’s ocean going ships. "The Club's reinsurers are no longer able to secure reinsurance for war risk exposure to Russian, Ukrainian or Belarus territorial risks," it said. Ships typically have P&I insurance, which covers third party liability claims including environmental damage and injury.

☆ Oil tankers are getting stuck in the Black Sea. That could become a problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A further nine tankers were waiting to cross southbound from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean. The snag is linked to a Western price cap on Russian oil that came into effect on Monday. Countries including Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan use the Turkish straits to get their oil to world oil markets. The traffic jam in the Turkish straits arose following the imposition this week of the price cap on Russian oil. Turkish officials say this position is “unacceptable” and on Thursday reiterated demands for letters from insurers.

☆ Factbox: Why are oil tankers stuck in Turkish waters?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers that don't carry appropriate insurance letters, adding that insurance checks on ships in its waters were a "routine procedure". The logjam is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets and comes as the G7 and European Union introduce a price cap on Russian oil. Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean. Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance, which covers third party liability claims including environmental damage and injury. Turkish authorities introduced new requirements, which came into effect at the beginning of December, in which every ship must have P&I insurance cover in place for all circumstances when sailing through Turkish waters or when calling at ports.

[1/2] Oil product tanker Lila Fujairah sails in the Bosphorus, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey December 6, 2022. REUTERS/Yoruk IsikCompanies Ingosstrakh SPAO FollowLONDON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Western officials are in talks with Turkish counterparts to resolve oil tanker queues off Turkey, a British Treasury official said, after the G7 and European Union rolled out new restrictions on Dec. 5 aimed at Russian oil exports. "The UK, U.S. and EU are working closely with the Turkish government and the shipping and insurance industries to clarify the implementation of the Oil Price Cap and reach a resolution," the official told Reuters. At least 20 oil tankers continue to face delays to cross from Russia's Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean as operators race to adhere to the Turkish rules. "The (insurers) have agreed that they cannot and should not issue such a letter," UK P&I said in a statement on its website.

☆ EU sanctions, Russian oil price cap cause tanker bottleneck as crude moves through Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Buddhika Weerasinghe | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesNew Turkish insurance rules on oil tankers carrying Russian crude continue to slow down the movement of tankers off the coast of Turkey and between Russia's Black Sea ports and the Mediterranean. Sixteen vessels (none Russian-flagged) are waiting for insurance clearance, according to MarineTraffic, and that number is expected to grow. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards"The majority of crude is going to Turkey, followed by Greece, Italy, and India," Ashiq said. Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates, tells CNBC that concerns about the age and quality of the shadow fleet carrying Russian crude oil through the Bosphorus will only grow. "As the EU sanctions take hold, these transit delays will impact Chinese and Indian refiners who remain the largest and grow in importance for Russian oil sales," Lipow said.

Brent crude futures gained 38 cents to $83.06 a barrel by 0458 GMT. Crude futures on Monday recorded their biggest daily drop in two weeks, after U.S. service sector data raised worries that the Federal Reserve could continue its aggressive policy tightening path. In China, more cities are easing COVID-19-related curbs, prompting optimism for increased demand in the world's top oil importer. The country is set to announce a further relaxation of some of the world's toughest COVID curbs as early as Wednesday, sources said. But the oil price gains could prove fragile, as it would take time to confirm a sustained recovery in Chinese consumption, as well as the supply impact of Russian sanctions.

☆ Oil tankers queuing to transit Turkish straits face more delays - sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Companies Ingosstrakh SPAO FollowISTANBUL, Dec 6 (Reuters) - At least 20 oil tankers queuing off Turkey to cross from Russia's Black Sea ports to the Mediterranean face more delays as operators race to adhere to new Turkish insurance rules added ahead of a G7 price cap on Russian oil, industry sources said. The new rule was announced before a $60 per barrel price cap was imposed on Russian seaborne crude this week, Western insurers are required to retain proof that Russian oil covered is sold at or below that price. Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean. Tribeca shipping agency said nine oil tankers were waiting to transit the Dardanelles southbound on Tuesday. The only tanker passing the straits after the deadline, Vladimir Tikhonov, was insured by Russia's Ingosstrakh (INGSI.MM), the source added.

☆ The EU price cap on Russian oil is already disrupting the market - tankers are piling up off Turkey after Ankara demands insurance paperwork
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The EU's price cap on Russian crude and its ban on seaborne Russian crude kicked in Monday. Oil tankers have begun piling-up off Turkish shores, as Ankara demands proof of insurance coverage. Shipping insurers rejected the request, as Turkey's asking for coverage that could expose them to a breach of sanctions. The pile-up comes just as an EU price cap of $60 a barrel price cap for Russian crude kicked in. ET Monday, while international Brent crude oil futures were 0.8% higher at $83.36 a barrel.

☆ Despite ongoing Covid risks, more employees consider cutting back on health-care benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Almost 159 million Americans rely on employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. Health insurance plansFor starters, consider what your health coverage costs you. But "don't just look at the monthly cost of your health insurance," Cosgray advised. To be able to use an HSA, you need to be enrolled in a high-deductible health plan, or HDHP. Other voluntary benefits offered through an employer can provide additional protection, including hospital indemnity insurance, critical illness coverage and accident insurance.

☆ Factbox: Western governments struggle to agree on Russian oil price cap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Western governments want to set a maximum purchase price for Russian oil on the world market to limit Moscow’s ability to raise money for its war on Ukraine. Here is what you need to know:WHO'S IN THE PRICE CAP COALITION? The EU had earlier agreed to impose an outright ban on Russian oil imports starting Dec. 5. The U.S. guidance further sketched out which types of companies would be obligated to participate in the cap plan. But traders point to parallel fleets that can handle Russian oil using Russian and other non-Western insurance.

☆ Here's how those looking to 'age in place' can fund home health-care services
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Deborah Nason | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty ImagesSome 70% of people want to age at home, yet only 10% have long-term care insurance, a recent HCG Secure/Arctos Foundation study found. Furthermore, about half of respondents had no idea how much in-home care would cost. "Basically, I try to segment the risk into a short-term need and a long-term need, and to fund them separately," he said. "And most of them can't afford long-term care insurance." Digging into any corporate retiree benefits beyond just a pension, as there's often additional services for in-home care, he said.

Many in the art and insurance world, however, say it may be only be a matter of time before art works are vandalised, especially if protests spread beyond climate activism. The art insurance market globally earns around $750 million in premiums. PRESSURE ON PREMIUMSLosses and levels of insurance availability tend to dictate insurance premiums. Commercial museums and galleries, however, buy art insurance, and its use is also more prevalent among larger museums in the United States than in Europe. While five insurers contacted by Reuters said they were not yet factoring climate attacks into premiums, some artists say they already face increased costs.

☆ FTX seeks indemnity for unidentified individuals helping to protect assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX is seeking to indemnify unidentified individuals for actions they took and continue to take in connection with assets that represent a significant share of the company's estate, according to a Tuesday court filing. Sealed indemnification requests are unusual at the start of a bankruptcy case. FTX said that it was communicating with U.S. regulators and bankruptcy court officials, but did not mention Bahamas regulators. The company said that keeping details of its indemnification request confidential for now could ward off "cyber-attacks and other malicious activity." Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FTX seeks indemnity for unnamed individuals for steps taken to protect assets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Nov 22 (Reuters) - Bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX said on Tuesday it was seeking to indemnify unidentified individuals for actions they took and continue to take in connection with assets that represent a significant share of the company's estate. Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj KalluvilaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Here are the known and unknowns so far:WHO'S IN THE PRICE CAP COALITION? Britain said Thursday it could ban countries from using its services to transport Russian oil purchased for a price exceeding the cap. WHAT WILL THE PRICE CAP LEVEL BE? Moscow could end up cutting production as a result, which would apply upward pressure on global oil prices. Worries about potential sanctions, even if unfounded, can cause traders to avoid deals, another factor that can boost oil prices.

☆ These 13 sell-rated global stocks have serious downside risk, Wall Street analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Equity analysts have slashed estimates and price targets over recent days as companies continue to report disappointing third-quarter results. Thirteen of these stocks — all part of the MSCI World Index — have median analyst price targets below their current share price, according to FactSet data. Global stocks Other stocks with price targets below current trading levels include Japanese multinational retailer AEON , U.S.-listed Clorox , and U.K. financial services company Abrdn plc. Equity analysts have slashed estimates and price targets over recent days as companies continue to report disappointing third-quarter results. Thirteen of these stocks — all part of the MSCI World Index — have median analyst price targets below their current share price, according to FactSet data.

☆ $228 Million Privacy Ruling Against Rail Giant Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Third-Party Risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Companies have paid out eye-popping sums in recent years to settle claims they violated Illinois’s biometric privacy law. Last week, a historic legal judgment against BNSF Railway Co. highlighted that data lapses by third-party contractors also don’t come cheap. A jury’s award of $228 million to truck drivers whose fingerprints were scanned without proper consent signaled that businesses can’t blame data violations on vendors, privacy lawyers say. Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act provides little distinction between companies and contractors that process data on their behalf, upping the ante for firms as they vet potential vendors’ data practices and structure contracts. There is no comprehensive federal privacy law.

Estimates that 80-90% of Russian oil will continue to flow outside the cap mechanism are not unreasonable, a U.S. Treasury official told Reuters. "Oil traders dealing in Russian oil are no longer in Switzerland, Geneva or London. P&I services heeding EU law insure 95% of the world's shipborne oil trade, meaning the EU move could have halted most of Russia's exports. Insurance and shipping industry figures still saw themselves at risk of sanctions which could upend the trade even in the G7 price cap workaround. The EU ratified the price cap this month but details on implementing it remain forthcoming.

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