Through its many titles, the companies of North American Title Group (NATG) have accommodated all sides of the home buying and building process for many years. As a title agency, the company operates in more than a dozen states, offering title insurance policies from all major underwriters in addition to its own underwriting subsidiary. That subsidiary, North American Title Insurance Company (NATIC) does business in more than 20 states. NATG supports both residential and commercial transactions and, in addition to issuing title insurance, provides other real-estate settlement services to lenders, realtors, and builders. North American Title Company is a subsidiary of homebuilder Lennar.

At the Old Republic Title Insurance Group (ORTIG), ORTIG provide title insurance policies and related real estate transaction and mortgage lending products and services to individual consumers, mortgage lenders, businesses and government agencies. ORTIG products and services protect the customers from financial loss and hardship related to unknown judgments and liens, forged transfers, inconsistencies within a property's title or misapplication of fiduciary funds. The distribution channel for ORTIG products and services spans across the nation and includes independent title insurance agents, ORTIG wholly owned insurance company branch offices, owned/affiliated agencies and ancillary services subsidiaries.

Old Republic Title Holding holds the Old Republic Title Insurance Group, which, naturally, is part of Chicago-based insurance holding company Old Republic International. The company provides both residential, commercial, and government housing title insurance and related products and services. Some 2,000 independent agents distribute the company's products and services including escrow services and lender and builder-developer services. Old Republic Title Holding was founded in 1969 as Founders Title Company. The company acts as the insurer for Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund in Florida..

OneBeacon was one of the first glimmers of the insurance biz in the US. OneBeacon provides specialty property/casualty insurance policies, including marine, travel, professional liability, medical malpractice, data privacy, umbrella property, and even tuition coverage for when a student is forced to leave school unexpectedly. Its subsidiaries include International Marine Underwriters and OneBeacon Professional Insurance. Products are sold to businesses and individuals through a network of 3,400 independent agents and brokers across the US. OneBeacon was founded in 1831 as Potomac Fire Insurance Company. Holding company White Mountains Insurance owns a controlling stake in OneBeacon.

Southern California home buyers aren't the only ones who can partake of Orange Coast Title's (OCT) services. OCT and its subsidiaries provide commercial and consumer title insurance and closing services to homebuyers and lenders in more than 40 states from dozens of offices located mostly in the West, though the company does have offices in Pennsylvania and Texas. Its operating subsidiaries include California Title Company, Advantage Title, Equity Title, and First Centennial Title. OCT's Lender Services division, headed by subsidiary National Asset Management Group, offers foreclosure processing, appraisals, and other services nationwide. Chairman and CEO John Marconi founded Orange Coast Title in 1974.

Provident Title Company offers title insurance and related services and products to home buyers in Southern California. Its products are underwritten by insurance providers United General Title, Fidelity National Title, and Stewart Title. Established as a Los Angeles-based company, it announced its expansion into Orange, Riverside, San Bernadino, San Diego, and Ventura counties in 2005. Provident Title Company was founded in 1986.

Radian Asset Assurance backs up bonds. The Radian Group subsidiary, is in the financial guaranty business, meaning that it insures and reinsures state and municipal bonds and provides direct financial guarantees of smaller debt obligations. The company reinsures in the US and Puerto Rico; its UK-based subsidiaries, Radian Asset Assurance Limited and Radian Financial Products Limited, provide financial guaranty products in Europe. As Radian Asset Assurance was heavily involved in insuring collateralized debt obligations and asset-backed securities, in 2008 its ratings were downgraded and the company ceased writing new financial guaranty business.

Radian Group is glowing from a conflagration of private mortgage insurance claims. Through subsidiaries Radian Guaranty, Amerin Guaranty, and Radian Insurance, Radian Group provides traditional private mortgage insurance coverage to protect lenders from defaults by borrowers who put down a deposit of less than 20% when buying a home. Such coverage provides protection on individual loans and covers unpaid loan principal and delinquent interest. Its pool insurance covers limited exposure on groups of loans. Radian still insures municipal bonds through its financial guaranty business, but is winding down that business. Radian Group's customers include mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and savings institutions.

Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is an industry-financed insurance plan that protects clients of most broker-dealers registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). SIPC insures customers' securities (up to $500,000 per account) against losses due to the financial failure of brokerage firms. Losses caused by fluctuations in market value are not protected. The not-for-profit membership corporation was mandated by the Securities Investor Protection Act and has more than 6,000 members. Its board is appointed by the US president, the treasury secretary, and the Federal Reserve Board. Assessments from members and investments in government securities provide money for the SIPC Fund.

Stewart Information Services is happy to have a place in that mountain of papers you sign when buying real estate. The company writes title insurance through its Stewart Title, National Title, and other subsidiaries and distributes policies through more than 8,500 offices and independent agencies in the US and abroad. Unlike most insurance that covers future events or losses, title insurance protects lenders and buyers against past problems with titles. The company also provides real estate information services through its PropertyInfo subsidiary while its Stewart Lender Services offers a variety of mortgage origination process services such as credit reports, property valuations, and tax services.

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