State Insurance Commissioner J.P. Schmidt has requested information from the local unit of American International Group Inc. as financial turmoil swirled about Wall Street and AIG mounted a frenzied effort to raise more cash.

Schmidt said he had requested information relating to AIG Hawaii's financial position and the impact of events going on with its parent company. AIG Hawaii is the state's third-largest automobile insurer and also provides homeowners' and life insurance here.

AIG's finances have come under scrutiny because it sold banks and other investors protection on $441 billion of fixed-income assets, including those tied to subprime mortgages. It had tried to raise cash to prevent credit ratings downgrades that would trigger more than $13 billion in collateral calls.

Late yesterday, Bloomberg News reported the credit ratings were downgraded, threatening AIG's efforts to gain emergency funds.

"We're watching it because it can have an impact here," Schmidt said. He said he also has been in contact with insurance commissioners in other states because AIG's local unit has pooling agreements with sister subsidiaries in other states.