Conseco's Net Income Surges by 20 Percent

Conseco's net income surges by 20 percent. Bankers Life excels, but insurance unit struggles.

Conseco Inc. issued modest surprises Monday, beating the expectations of Wall Street analysts with its fourth-quarter profits and reporting that it now is compliant with a strict new federal law.

The Carmel-based insurance company saw strong performance from its Bankers Life & Casualty unit and rising investment income, although its Conseco Insurance Group continued to struggle.

Conseco's somewhat unexpected compliance with the internal reporting requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is an encouraging sign, analysts said.