WASHINGTON (AP) -- Antitrust regulators on Wednesday cleared specialty insurer Assurant Inc.'s purchase of General Electric Co.'s warranty management business, a government agency said.

As part of the deal, Assurant also agreed earlier this month to enter into a 10-year agreement to market extended warranties and service contracts on GE-branded major appliances in the United States.

Assurant said it would pay GE $140 million in cash for the sale and transfer of certain assets and will also assume certain liabilities. GE will pay Assurant $115 million in cash in return for Assurant assuming some debts.

GE's warranty management group sells warranties and service contracts for appliances and consumer electronics.

The Federal Trade Commission included the deal on a list of transactions released Wednesday that received an "early termination" of their antitrust reviews. Early termination refers to the completion of a review by the FTC or Justice Department before the end of a 30-day period required under antitrust law.

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