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To: Eagle who wrote (39594)	3/12/2009 7:20:24 AM
From: Bucky Katt	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 48461

Futures not looking so good this am... More lining up for govt handouts> The Next Big Bailout Decision: Insurers Life insurers are being dragged down by tumbling markets and hope a government lifeline is imminent. A dozen life insurers have pending applications for aid from the government's $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, and the industry is expecting an answer to its request for a bank-style bailout in the coming weeks. The government so far hasn't said whether insurers will be eligible for the program. Life insurers have taken a beating in recent weeks. The Dow Jones Wilshire U.S. Life Insurance Index has fallen 59% since the beginning of the year, leaving it down 82% since its May 2007 all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has lost 21% year to date, off 51% since its October 2007 record. Some of the hardest-hit companies are century-old names that insure the lives of millions of Americans. Shares of Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., which already received a capital injection from German insurer Allianz, are down 93% as of Wednesday's close from their 52-week high. MetLife Inc. and Prudential Financial Inc. are both suffering as the value of their vast investment portfolios declines. Some life insurers are faring better than others, and some of the nation's giants retain triple-A ratings, including Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., New York Life Insurance Co., Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. and TIAA-CREF. But as the economy buckles, analysts say many insurers face losses that can eat away at the capital cushions regulators require them to maintain. online.wsj.com