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Crashes on snow and ice are leaving hundreds of local drivers with pretty big bills at the body shop.

But before you file a claim with your insurance company, make sure it's worth it. As strange as it sounds, in some cases, you may be better off leaving your insurance company out of it.

No one plans on getting in a wreck when they left the house. But once the damage is done, don't assume your insurance policy will automatically cover the damage. A lot depends on how bad the damage is, and a lot depends on your policy. [read more]

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It's a good bet 2009 will become known as a year for living frugally, as cash-strapped Americans try to stretch their dollars amid a weak economy.

So let's warm up with some tips and observations about insurance.

It's easy to overlook various types of property insurance when drawing up your budget, yet proper coverage can mean the difference between financial survival and ruin if calamity strikes. Conversely, you can waste a lot of money on unneeded coverage.

So here are some suggestions for doing it right in the year ahead. [read more]

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High Point Auto Insurance is one of the largest auto insurance companies exclusively serving New Jersey customers. Customer Service is #1 for High Point customers. High Point Auto Insurance is a Plymouth Rock Managed Company and underwritten by High Point Property and Casualty Insurance Company, 331 Newman Springs Road, Suite 304, Red Bank, NJ 07701-5692. For more information go to http://www.highpointins.com.

According to A.M. Best's November 27th press release, the Group's financial strength rating and issuer credit rating with a stable outlook is based on the company's capitalization, earnings history and a well-established market position as a leading writer of personal lines business in New Jersey. [read more]

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Drivers can learn how to make their vehicles run better, cheaper and cleaner Saturday at a free car care checkup at the Tucson Convention Center.

The event, sponsored by the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality and the Automotive Services Association, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at TCC Parking Lot C.

Something as simple as underinflated tires can decrease gas mileage and accelerate tire wear, said Jacqui Harry, president of ASA and owner of JayBees Auto Service.

"If your tires are 4 pounds low, it can cost you one to two miles per gallon." [read more]

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AutoQuoter.com network gives consumers access to hundreds of companies nationwide so they have a wide selection of car insurance quotes to choose from [read more]

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CarInsurance.com offers its Online Insurance Marketplace(TM) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, along with auto insurance quote services in Canada and the United Kingdom. In 39 states and the District of Columbia, they offer car insurance products through their independent agency system.
On carinsurance.com one can compare rates and purchase a policy immediately through their website so you get a single-site shopping experience for car insurance. [read more]

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New Jersey Chamber of Commerce President Joan Verplanck and High Point Safety and Insurance Management Corporation President Jim Tignanelli announced today the formation of a new auto insurance partnership. Under the new Chamber Auto Insurance Program ("CAIP"), employees of Chamber member companies, a total population of 500,000, are now eligible for specially discounted personal auto insurance policies to be sold by High Point. [read more]

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Teachers' Insurance Plan of NJ has joined a yearlong statewide safety initiative supporting organizations that promote the priority of safety in New Jersey. Originally launched in June 2008 by its parent High Point Auto Insurance, Teachers' first safety campaign initiative includes the sponsorship and coordination of a Keep Kids Alive Drive 25(R) (KKAD25) tour in New Jersey communities from October 28th through November 1st. The tour celebrates KKAD25(R)'s 10th anniversary and reveals alarming new statistics on how speeding in residential neighborhoods causes pedestrian injury and death.[read more]

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Calls from sponsors aren't coming in as regularly to shops all across NASCAR. The weakening economy has made funding difficult to come by, and the financial meltdown has put once-solid teams on perilous ground.

"It's a scary time right now," said driver Jeff Gordon. "We see strong teams struggling to get sponsorship." [read more]

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It's no secret that insurance companies don’t like the people they cover to drive fast. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the industry has been removing a policy loophole that insured drivers on racetracks.

That has left weekend warriors uninsured if they participate in track days or attend high-performance driving schools. Jerry Kunzman, executive director of the National Auto Sport Association, said that participation at its track events had jumped fivefold since 2003 and that many of those drivers had no idea they were not covered. [read more]

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One element of car insurance which many consumers cannot get their head around is the fact that you buy a car, you insure the car for the value at the time (with the premiums calculated on the situation then) but if you are involved in some kind of crash of accident and your car is written off you do not always receive the full value on the insurance documentation. So how does this work? [read more]

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Insuring you car may be non-negotiable, but your auto insurance bill is open to adjustment.

Eric Dinallo, the state's superintendent of insurance, says updating your insurance company about any life changes is one way to trim costs.

"Maybe you have aged into a certain class where you get a better senior's discount," said Dinallo. "Maybe you are a member of an organization, whether it's the AARP or AAA, or you went to a certain school and that will qualify you for what is often called a mass-marketing discount. Maybe you had two accidents, but now it's been greater than five years, and you would sort of qualify for a re-start on your accident history."

Also, make sure your mileage is consistent with what is stated on the policy. You may be driving less, and therefore owed a discount. [read more]

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After two years of declines, car insurance rates in New York are climbing again.

That's bad news for New York drivers, who already pay the second-highest premiums in the country and are dealing with sky-high gas prices. [read more]

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You've got groceries to get at Safeway, laundry at the cleaners and that French restaurant to check out in the suburbs, but, no car.

Soon, that may not be a problem thanks to an intriguing urban trend being studied for Sacramento.

Just walk to a nearby parking lot, swipe a plastic card in a "members-only" car, drive it like it was yours for a few hours, then drop it off where you got it. [read more]

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Instead of getting your driver's license at the age of 16, a prominent group backed by insurance companies says the driving age should be raised to 17 or even 18 years old.

The Institute for Highway Safety says raising the age of new drivers could save lives and the group cites statistics, saying 5,000 teens die in car crashes each year. [read more]

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ASK almost anyone about insurance on jewelry and you hear, “Oh, it’s covered by my home insurance policy.”

Not exactly.

True, nearly every home insurance policy in America comes with a provision that pays for stolen jewelry. But that provision is very small. Many policies pay up to $2,500 for a stolen item, regardless of how expensive it may be. Some pay as little as $1,000, and a few provide coverage of up to $5,000.[read more]

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Just put in a security system? Did you get one of those GPS tracking services like OnStar? Did you recently buy one of those steering wheel locking devices? If you've done anything to make your car a little safer, it's a good idea to consult with your agent. [read more]

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You can probably figure out that buying smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and a home security system will reduce your homeowners insurance rates. After that, the brainstorming gets cloudier. Is there a trampoline in your backyard? A swimming pool? Getting rid of those would help, but if you have homeowners insurance, your agent has probably told you that. [read more]

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Tempting travelers who might want to fly rather than
drive, agencies like Avis, Enterprise and Hertz are
offering special deals in which rates are cut by as
much as 50 percent.

One way rental-car companies make up for the cost
difference is by selling you insurance coverage you
might not really need. [read more]

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Consumers have enjoyed lower auto insurance rates for a
few years, but now they're heading back up.

Rates in Missouri and Illinois increased 3.8 percent from
April through June, according to Insurance.com, an online
auto insurance agency.

A Missouri car owner who was paying $1,569 a year now
pays $1,629. An Illinois owner who was paying $1,512 now
pays $1,570.

Missouri and Illinois were among the 10 states with the largest
percentage increase in premiums, the study says.


Nationwide, this was the second consecutive quarter for rate
increases, reversing a trend of steady or falling auto rates.

Eric Gerst, a lawyer, insurance industry critic and author of the
book Vulture Culture expects insurance rates to go up as gas
prices continue to rise.

He writes that the companies have fixed costs to pay (just like us).
So when some consumers can't afford to renew their policies,
insurers keep profits up by:

— Increasing rates to existing customers.

— Decreasing benefits.

— Increasing deductibles. [read more]

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A study by Insurance.com, an online insurance agent,
found that on average, its lowest quotes increased an
average of 3.4% nationally during the second quarter
of 2008, compared with the previous quarter. It was
the second consecutive period that prices rose.

The average quote was $1,893 per year. The report is
based on quotes given to consumers by 15 insurance
companies in most states.[read more]

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Those would be the Geico cavemen, jumping for
joy over a bill (A. 11693/ S.8624) that would allow
auto insurance companies to raise rates up to 5%
each year without approval from state regulators.

The bill is scheduled to report out of committee
today. The auto insurance deregulation provision
is attached to a bill that relates to underwriting
insurance policies for coastal areas.

New York state has the second highest auto
insurance premiums in the nation, with lower-
than-average claims payout.

A Consumer Federation Report found that rates
rose significantly more slowly over the last twenty
years in states that require prior approval, than in
states with weaker regulatory systems. The two
states with flexible rating, Texas and Alaska, had
significantly higher rate increases from 1989 through
1996, than states with a prior approval scheme
(70.8% versus 54%). [read more]

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Government Employees Insurance Company, or
GEICO, has introduced a new auto insurance rate
plan that is expected to deliver insurance savings
to many Michigan drivers.

According to the company, the changes will go into
effect on July 3, 2008, for new policyholders and
October 1, 2008, for renewal policies.

Overall premium changes for individual motorists
will vary based upon factors such as coverages
purchased, geographic area, type of vehicle, risk
characteristics, and other discounts for which they
qualify, the company added. [read more]

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Rate Your Overall Experience With GEICO Insurance (PLEASE CLICK HERE)

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by: Jeff Slokum

Cars are like electric lights. We often
don’t appreciate them until they go
on the blink. Regular maintenance
checks and simple service can greatly
reduce the cost of car ownership
and keep you a much happier traveler!

Don’t let the thought of car maintenance
intimidate you. There are actually
several car maintenance tips you can
do – even if you’re totally mechanically-
challenged! [read more]

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by: Jenny McLane

Since it was introduced back in 2002,
Honda Insight's 1.0-liter three-cylinder
gasoline engine and Integrated Motor
Assist (IMA) motor-generator have been
modified, and the CVT (Continuously
Variable Transmission) model's final drive
ratio is considerably lower, at 5.69:1
compared to 3.21 for the manual, to take
advantage of the CVT's wider-spread
"gear'' ratios.

Powered by Honda's Integrated Motor
Assist (IMA™) system that pairs a 110-hp,
8-Valve, SOHC, i-VTEC® 4-Cylinder engine
with an electric motor, the Insight comes
fully loaded with dual front airbags (SRS),
power windows, mirrors and door locks, a
remote entry system, 160-Watt AM/FM/CD
Audio System with 6 Speakers, Available
Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System™
with Voice Recognition, average fuel
consumption indicator, alloy wheels and much
more. [...]

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The upkeep of your vehicle can be
quite an expense - from initial
purchase to insurance to maintenance.
And sometimes we get the sinking
feeling that every time we need a car
repair, we’re going to get taken for
a ride. (pardon the pun!) Actually
there are some ways to make sure
you don’t get a raw deal when
dealing with a local body shop. [...]

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So you bought a car...Good! Enjoy your purchase. But here is a list of things to think about after the sale. [...]

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by: Mike Scurria

Automobiles are sizeable investments.
As a car becomes older, its maintenance
becomes increasingly important. There
are many tools that every auto owner
should have. Auto shops can sometimes
charge exurbanite amounts for a simple
fix that could have been done at home
for much cheaper. Having the proper
tools and knowledge will allow any
auto owner to save money, learn
more about their automobile, and
maintain their car. [...]

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The upkeep of your vehicle can be
quite an expense - from initial
purchase to insurance to maintenance.

And sometimes we get the sinking
feeling that every time we need a
car repair, we’re going to get taken
for a ride. (pardon the pun!)

Actually there are some ways to
make sure you don’t get a raw deal
when dealing with a local body shop. [...]

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Consumer advocates says Ontario's auto insurance industry is turning people's pain into record profits with the help of government regulations.

Richard Halpern of the Ontario Bar Association's auto insurance group says profits have skyrocketed since the province made regulatory changes in October 2003.

The current regulations deduct $30,000 off insurance compensation awards and toughens a victim's responsibility to prove real harm after an accident.

Former associate chief justice Coulter Osborne likens the deductible to a "tax on pain." [...]

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For auto insurers, 2008 is shaping up to be another tough year.

Insurance prices are being driven down by tough competition even as accident costs are edging up after years of steady declines. The price of competition is rising, too, with the top insurers spending around $500 million a year to keep their names in front of potential customers.

Allstate Corp., the nation's largest publicly traded auto insurer by market share, says it is poised to outperform its rivals in the toughest auto-insurance market in years. It won't be easy.

Allstate is locked in a fierce battle for U.S. drivers with State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co., Progressive Corp. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s Geico unit. In 2007, Allstate's overall premiums dropped a bit, with decreases in its homeowners business outweighing a 2.1% increase in auto premiums. [...]

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You've just bought your morning coffee and you're driving along your everyday route to school. For half a second you take your eyes off the road to change the radio station, and then it happens. BAM! The dreaded car accident your parents warned you about since the day you started driving. Breathing heavily, pulse racing, you may be unsure what to do. No worries, you're alive, and that's what's important.

Count to five and follow these quick tips.

Have insurance information

One of the most important things to do is always keep your auto insurance information in your glove box.

Call for help

If someone is injured, it's important to call 911 so that help arrives quickly.


Know your policy

Review your insurance policy.


If you're unsure of your policy, or don't understand it, talk to your parents or call your agent and/or state insurance department.

Be sure to file a claim with your insurance company the same day the accident occurs. [...]

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So you have multiple credit cards and some have a zero balance. Would the extra credit cards negatively affect your credit score?

And increase your car insurance rate in the process?

What is the "magic" number of credit cards you should have?

Here is a great article that answers these questions and more.

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After more than five hours of testimony and deliberation on Colorado House Bill 1389, the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee has amended a controversial bill that insurance associations said would have imposed a prior approval regulatory system on insurance. The amendment exempts automobile insurance from the legislation. The bill now is headed for the House Appropriations Committee. [...]

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If you're single, you're probably accustomed to a little nagging from your friends and family. Maybe you've also got a concerned therapist, boss, or mailman who can't understand why someone as fabulous as you isn't paired up. Now here comes someone else to drive you crazy: those folks at your auto insurance company.

Since April 1, insurers have been competing for our business and offering discounts to nab the customers they want most. And, according to a report by two consumer groups, they want married people. The report says (though the insurance industry denies) that with competition, singles will see their premiums rise and married couples will see theirs fall – driving records notwithstanding. So, if you're single, slowing down and perfecting your parallel parking will not earn you a rate break. You'll need to get married for that. [...]

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Ever wondered about these?

• Car colour affects your premium?
  
• Two-door vehicles cost more to insure than four-door models?
  
• Parking tickets will affect your insurance rate? [read more]

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MASS DRIVERS LOVE NEW AUTO INSURANCE WEBSITE

The state's Web site that gives motorists a place to compare automobile insurance rates does not give consumers accurate price comparisons, Attorney General Martha Coakley said Tuesday.
Officials cautioned consumers about relying upon rate information obtained from the commonwealth’s Division of Insurance's Web site InsureMASS. A letter sent Tuesday from the attorney general’s office to the commissioner of insurance expressed concerns that the Web site does not allow for accurate price comparisons for the majority of consumers. [...]

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Legislation requiring Colorado auto insurance consumers to purchase mandatory medical benefits coverage is unnecessary and will drive up insurance rates for all consumers, according to the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC).

“Insurance consumers should not be forced to purchase insurance coverage they can currently purchase voluntarily if they so desire,” said Christian J. Rataj, Western state affairs manager for NAMIC. “Each person should have the legal right to determine how best to address his or her health insurance needs, including what type of medical benefits coverage to purchase, the amount of their deductible or co-payment responsibilities, and the scope of the coverage benefits.” [...]

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PROGRESSIVE VS GEICO

Online car insurance customers looking for a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, don't have to look any further than progressive.com according to a recent study by The Customer Respect Group (CRG). The group ranked Progressive #1 for positive Web-based customer experiences.

Progressive earned a 7.5 on a 10-point scale - an "Excellent" rating - on the Customer Respect Index, which measures customers' online interactions with a company. The auto insurance industry as a whole earned a 5.5 rating. CRG called progressive.com "strikingly interactive and innovative" thanks to its RSS feeds, blogs and other features. [...]

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WHY CHOOSE AIG AUTO INSURANCE?

AIG Agency Auto, a division of the personal lines property and casualty insurance subsidiaries of American International Group, Inc. (AIG), today announced it has entered the New Jersey marketplace to offer personal auto insurance to New Jersey drivers through independent insurance agents.

To learn more about AIG Agency Auto product offerings and services, and how to gain an agent appointment, visit http://www.aig4auto.com. [...]

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COMPARISON SHOPPING COMES TO MASS DRIVERS

The state Division of Insurance's new auto insurance Web site apparently has been popular with consumers, generating an average of about 19,500 hits a day since its launch a month ago.

But the InsureMASS site, which is designed to be a roadmap to help navigate the competitive insurance market that begins here next month, isn't winning any popularity contests in insurance industry circles.

The Web site does offer a useful database of insurance agents. But drivers who log on to the site will most likely focus on its insurance premium comparison tool.

That rate comparison system has created plenty of buzz among insurance agents, although it's probably not the kind of buzz that Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes would have wanted. [...]

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ALL STATE - AUTO INSURANCE

California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner has ordered Allstate Corp., which covers about one out of every 10 insured cars in the state, to cut its automobile rates by 15.9% -- an average savings of $124 per car, according to state regulators..

The order, which came at the close of a lengthy proceeding before an administrative law judge, was more than twice what the Northbrook, Ill., company wanted to grant its policyholders. Allstate is considering whether to appeal the rate cut order.

"California's consumers deserve a competitive marketplace in which to shop around for the best rates that meet their needs," Poizner said in a statement. "This reduction reaffirms my commitment to ensuring that excessive rates are not charged. At the same time, the rate reduction is fair and reasonable for the company." [...]

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Consumers have been researching and comparing auto insurance quotes online for a few years now, but lately the process of getting quotes and purchasing policies been on the rise.

In 2007, just over 32 million consumers requested auto insurance quotes online, compared to 28 million the year before. That’s a rise of around 15%. The percentage rise in the number of policies purchased was greater – rising 37% from 1.5 million in 2006 to 2 million last year. [...]

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BENEFITS OF GEORGIA SENATE BILL 276

On Monday, a House subcommittee and later a committee agreed to tack an amendment onto a fairly innocuous Senate bill an amendment onto a fairly innocuous Senate bill. The amendment would let insurers raise rates on all but the minimum required coverage without having to first get approval from State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine.

On Thursday, the House passed the amended bill 141-3 with little discussion. The sponsor told his colleagues what the original bill did, but didn't explain fully the changes and didn't answer questions. Less than two hours later, the measure won final passage in the Senate 43-10 while insurance lobbyists stood outside, shaking hands.

The bill now heads to Gov. Sonny Perdue for his signature.[...]

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AUTO INSURANCE CHECKLIST

We wanted to find out from an insider exactly what goes into those prices and what we can do to keep our car insurance costs down. We talked to Patrick Lawson, a 25-year veteran auto insurance agent.

Have you ever wondered how they come up with these numbers? Lawson mentioned the common factors like age, sex, car type and driving record but also noted a new, little known factor. "Companies are now, of all things, checking credit because people with poor credit, statistically, can be susceptible to more claims," he said. [...]

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PROGRESSIVE $10,000 GIVEAWAY

In a recent study, Progressive Insurance found that bikers who buy new motorcycles are nearly 70 percent more likely to crash than riders who keep the same bike.

"Most people already know that riding can be especially dangerous for new bikers," said Rick Stern, a Progressive motorcycle product manager who's also a rider. "But our data shows that the less familiar you are with your bike, the more likely you are to be involved in a collision regardless of your experience."[...]

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GEICO VS. ESURANCE

Profit from selling policies at car insurer Geico Corp. fell 49 percent to $158 million before taxes as claims costs rose and the company increased its advertising budget. Geico added 120,000 new policyholders in the fourth quarter, after cutting prices to compete with companies including Progressive Corp., which also reduced rates last year to customers that it reaches over the phone and Internet. [...]

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PROGRESSIVE VS. GEICO?

Many drivers in Nebraska should see lower car insurance rates because there have been fewer accidents.

State Farm insurance says its auto insurance rates in the state were 18% less expensive at the end of 2007 than they were at the end of 2003.

The decrease in Nebraska was the 11th biggest decrease in rates that State Farm reported. The biggest rate decrease of 29% came in New Jersey between 2003 and 2007.

Nationwide, the company's auto insurance rates fell nearly 15% between 2003 and 2007. [...]

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IS GEICO INSURANCE REALLY NUMBER ONE?

Auto insurance rates at State Farm have dropped four consecutive years and while Tennessee's has decreased as well, it's near the bottom in terms of savings.

Tennessee's State Farm auto insurance rates declined 7.1 percent from Jan. 1, 2004 to Dec. 31, 2007, the 45th best among U.S. states and territories. [...]

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CANADA LAWMAKERS MAY RAISE INSURANCE

Albertans who suffer soft-tissue injuries in auto accidents can now seek damages over $4,000 -- though how long they'll be able to do so is uncertain.

The judge who dealt a blow to the Alberta government's 2004 auto insurance reforms dismissed a government application today to put the decision's impacts on hold until an appeal is heard.

It was a little more than two weeks that Court of Queen's Bench Associate Chief Justice Neil Wittmann concluded it was unconstitutional to have a $4,000 cap on compensation for people who suffer soft-tissue injuries in car accidents. [...]

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WHAT IS ESURANCE?

A 23-year-old Camarillo resident has been charged with felony auto insurance fraud, Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten announced Thursday.

David Glen Snader reported his car stolen Sept. 28 and filed a stolen vehicle claim two days later with his insurance company, Esurance, according to detectives from the Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force.

However, one week earlier, a Ventura County sheriff's deputy found Snader's car abandoned in a Camarillo parking lot. The car was then towed to a nearby lot, according to the District Attorney's Office.

The car was still in the lot when Snader claimed that he last drove it. [...]

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SUPERHERO WARREN BUFFETT SAVES THE DAY

Five former insurance company executives were found guilty Monday of a scheme to manipulate the financial statements of the world's largest insurance company, American International Group Inc.

The defendants, including four former executives including a onetime CEO of General Re Corp., and a former executive of AIG, sat stone-faced as they were convicted of conspiracy, securities fraud, mail fraud and making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

General Re is part of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which is led by the billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

In their closing statements, defense attorneys repeatedly invoked the name of the widely admired Buffett in arguing there was no wrongdoing and only a routine deal between AIG and Gen Re.

Buffett was not charged with any wrongdoing and did not testify at the trial. [...]

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WHY CHOOSE AIG FOR YOUR AUTO INSURANCE?

Completing an auto insurance quote
comparison is a smart way of obtaining competitive rates. Doing so usually
involves having to contact multiple companies individually to request
quotes which can be quite a time consuming process and can quickly become
frustrating.

In today's world of technology, auto insurance has combined nicely with
the internet allowing consumers to compare rates online, complete extensive
research and even purchase a policy online. What took hours a few years
ago, now only takes minutes thanks to online technology. Consumers can log
into websites like http://www.OnlineAutoInsurance.com to obtain instant
online auto insurance quotes from a variety of carriers such as
Progressive, Infinity, AIG and other leading carriers with one simple
process. [...]

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SAVING ON CAR INSURANCE WHEN YOU TRAVEL

With so many options at the car rental counter, it may be tempting to buy whatever insurance protection is available to safeguard your trip. But many travelers don't realize they're more than likely duplicating coverage they already have.

Not only does a driver's insurance policy protect against theft or damages to a rental vehicle, but often so does a major credit card used to pay the rental fee.

The best thing to do is to call your insurance agent and credit card company in advance. Just because you've used a gold or platinum card in the past, don't assume that it still offers the same protection plans — the cards' insurance benefits can change. [...]

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WHERE YOU LIVE DETERMINES WHAT YOU PAY - IS THAT FAIR?

Good news for Michigan motorists who are involved in accidents.

The state Office of Financial and Insurance Services has prohibited insurance companies from denying coverage to policyholders who don't get their vehicles inspected by insurers within a certain number of days following an accident. [...]

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PROGRESSIVE VS. GEICO CAR INSURANCE

The claims-processing method practiced in service centers opened by The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos. in 54 markets across the country, including Amherst, now has patent protection.

The service centers allow drivers to receive a "concierge" type of claims service in which Progressive takes responsibility for the vehicle claims and repair process following a crash.

Using the Progressive method of claims processing, the driver reports the claim, drops off the car and drives away in a rental car. Progressive then writes an estimate for the damage and contacts a repair facility to pick up the car and fix the damages. Once the car is repaired, it is returned to the center, the repairs are inspected and the customer is notified. When the customer returns, he or she picks up the car and drives away knowing that the repairs are guaranteed by Progressive and the shop.

The insurer received a patent for this process of dealing with vehicle damage claims at the end of January. The process also was recognized for fast claims resolution by J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Insurance Claims Study. [...]

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected Allstate Corp.'s challenge to a Texas law that restricts insurance company ownership of auto collision repair shops.

Allstate sought review of its case at the high court, arguing the Texas law violates the constitution. A federal appeals court has upheld the law, which bars Allstate from opening new collision repair shops.

The law, enacted in 2003, also restricts Allstate from participating in the business of 15 repair shops it owns in the state. Allstate purchased Sterling Collision Centers in 2001, a move that gave it nationwide entry into the automobile repair business.

The company has argued the law, which aims to protect smaller in-state collision repair companies from insurance industry competition, violates restrictions the Constitution places on state regulation of interstate commerce. [...]

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ING Canada Inc., which describes itself as the largest property and casualty insurer in Canada, expects to raise car insurance rates this year, citing rising costs in Ontario and legal uncertainty in Alberta. [...]

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"We don't want people to be apathetic about this," Burnes said. "They need to challenge their agents and get the best deal possible."

For the first time in 30 years, Massachusetts motorists can today start comparison shopping for competitively priced auto insurance.

The Division of Insurance has launched a website - http://mass.gov/autorates - that allows consumers to get competitive quotes from the roughly 20 companies that sell auto insurance in the state. The average driver could save $200, according to Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes. She wants drivers to spend the time to get the best deal. [...]

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Claims for bodily injuries climbed 6.6 percent in the third quarter, said PCI, which does not have fourth-quarter data. That was driven by more expensive hospital visits, which rose 6.7 percent in 2007, according to the Department of Labor.

Automobile owners, take note: You may soon pay more to insure your car, truck or SUV.

State Farm and Progressive are leading the push by auto insurers to raise premiums in at least 20 states as the $160 billion industry moves to end two years of price reductions.

So far, the price increases don’t appear to have touched drivers in Kansas and Missouri.

Insurers say they need higher prices to counter climbing repair and medical costs. Allstate, ranked second by premiums, said collision bills rose 2.2 percent in the fourth quarter from a year earlier and payouts for injuries gained 9.3 percent. Safeco Corp., which gets almost half its total premiums from drivers, reported a $19 million loss on auto underwriting.

Rising prices for new vehicles and expenses for labor and replacement parts contributed to a 45 percent increase in car repair costs during the past decade, according to information compiled by the Highway Loss Data Institute in Arlington, Va.

Collision costs rose 2.4 percent in the third quarter from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America. The cost of auto-body work was up 3.3 percent in 2007, the U.S. Department of Labor reported. [...]

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The chairman of the American Federal Reserve Board, Ben Bernanke, has found it impossible to calm the panic arising from the sub-prime crisis. Yet all it took was a few casual sentences from Buffett last week to garner headlines around the world and quell a raging storm. Again.

For a few brief moments early last week, it looked as if the world's markets were facing another of those "black" days which pepper modern financial history.

Wall Street was teetering on the brink of crashing as the shockwaves from the sub-prime mortgage crisis - in which banks had lent vast sums to high-risk borrowers who were unable to pay back the loans - continued to reverberate.


This time, it was the turn of an obscure branch of financiers - the monoline insurers - to feel the heat. The main job of these little known, secretive companies is to protect institutional investors in bonds against risk.

Basically, if an institution buys a bond, it can take out insurance to cover repayment of the original investment plus the interest.

This is an arcane branch of finance - but vital. If the monolines fail, it could have a devastating impact not only on banks but also on the budgets of thousands of towns, cities and municipalities which had taken out insurance to protect them against losses on their fund-raising bonds.


The effects of such failure would have been catastrophic - and swept around the world.


As share prices from Hong Kong to Wall Street and the City of London shuddered at the very thought, a 78-year-old in Omaha, Nebraska, appeared on television.

If people were worried, he said, then he would shoulder some of the $800bn of insurance risk. "It can be solved at one stroke of the pen," he said.


It was an offer which even for Warren Buffett, with his Midas touch and willingness to take on risks greater than anyone else involved in investment, was audacious in the extreme.


After his intervention, market confidence returned. Share prices rallied across the world with the FTSE 100 index in London climbing 3.5 per cent in a matter of minutes. The Dow Jones also soared. The very suggestion that Buffett might be interested in saving the monoline insurers was enough to convince the financial herd that all might not be lost.


With a big smile, mid-Western drawl and a few gentle words, Warren Buffett saved the day. [...]

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Cavemen are, by their very nature, extremely insecure. Anyone who has seen them in Geico's auto insurance commercials knows that they take any slight very seriously, whether it be from their shrinks or from television newscasters.

So it was only natural, we suppose, that Geico's cavemen would feel impugned by a TV show about cavemen -- inspired by them! -- that didn't use cavemen to play the roles of cavemen. [...]

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Bottom line: Regardless of what kind and how many trucks you own or operate, regularly reviewing business expenses like insurance costs can save you money and keep your business moving forward.

Fuel "drives" the trucking industry, and truckers are feeling the pinch at the pump now more than ever. In fact, diesel fuel costs have increased nearly 85 cents a gallon in the past year.

A recent survey by commercial auto insurer Progressive found that 69 percent of truckers say fuel costs are their most concerning business expense.

To offset these costs, truckers have tried:

-- Downsizing staff (16 percent)

-- Lengthening their workdays (12 percent)

-- Taking fewer vacation days (8 percent)

But while many truckers are taking serious steps to offset costs, a surprising 41 percent say they've done nothing.

"When times are tough, simple things like keeping up with regular vehicle maintenance and shopping around for insurance can save truckers hundreds of dollars," says Ken Bowman, with Progressive's commercial lines group. [...]

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The open house takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 5 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Lakeland regional office, 3535 West Pipkin Rd., Lakeland, Fla.

GEICO’s regional office in Lakeland is recruiting new associates and will hold an open house for anyone interested in starting a career with GEICO.

GEICO has service and claims career opportunities available at entry-level and college graduate levels, as well as opportunities in its Supervisor Leadership Program and Insurance Development Path. GEICO’s career opportunities offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits and advancement opportunities.

Candidates interested in attending the open house should submit an application online prior to attending. To submit an application online, readers should go to http://www.geico.com and click on ‘Careers’ under the ‘About GEICO’ tab. Applicants can view job listings available in Florida in the ‘Find Jobs’ box and then continue the employment applications process by clicking on ‘Apply.’

Geico Caveman Costume

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In some insurance companies, underwriters have long used credit records in cases where additional information was needed.

Keep a good credit rating

Many insurance companies use your credit rating to determine whether to insure you and how much to charge.

Whether we like it or not, society equates the ability to manage credit responsibly with responsible behavior, even if individuals have a bad credit record through no fault of their own.

The use of credit-related information in underwriting and rating for many insurers has become routine. Insurers use insurance scores to different extents and in different ways. Most use them to screen new applicants for insurance and price new business.

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If you think you have to buy from a friend or relative, get some advice from a neutral, credentialed professional.

Seek out good advice.
Your brother-in-law may be a great guy, but do you really want to take his advice on auto insurance? For a few hundred dollars, you can hire a pro to look at your specific family and financial situation and recommend an insurance plan.

If you're shopping for an agent, ask about experience. In many places, agents need only a week of training before they can sell insurance, says Hungelmann. His recommendation: Seek out a pro who has gone back to school to earn industry credentials. Designations to look for include: CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters), which requires about 1,000 hours of extra classes; CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), which requires about 100 extra hours; and the AAI (Accredited Adviser in Insurance), which also requires about 100 hours of study. [...]

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Although green products may be sold initially at a premium in some areas, in the future, homeowners who build to greener standards may be seen as lower risks and could be rewarded with insurance discounts or credits. That's already happening on the commercial building side and in auto insurance, where insurers in some states are offering breaks to hybrid-car drivers.

Two major insurers are launching "green" insurance programs that will let homeowners reconstruct their property with more environmentally friendly building materials, appliances and landscaping, even if it costs more than the policy's replacement value.

One major insurer, Fireman's Fund, is launching its "green" insurance program in southern California at no extra charge to its clients, who were hurt by a dozen wildfires that killed seven people and destroyed nearly 2,200 homes in October. And Lexington Insurance Co. is testing a new "green" policy in a handful of East Coast states.

"It ties back into our view about climate change," said Scott Steinmetz, Fireman's director for personal insurance and catastrophe management.

Spurring clients to rebuild to greener standards is an insurer's hedge against climate change, and the worse and more frequent natural disasters that could be brought on by warming global temperatures, he said.

Green insurance products are also a way for insurers to hook a consumer market that's grown increasingly conscious of environmental issues. The budding residential green building market is forecast to grow to $40 billion to $50 billion by 2010 from $7.4 billion today, according to a construction report by McGraw-Hill Cos.

"This has emerged as a new way to attract and retain customers," said David Valzania, vice president of personal lines at Lexington, a unit of American International Group. "We're seizing on what we see as a significantly growing green movement."

Sean Walsh's mother, Patricia, has a policy from Fireman's Insurance, and Sean says he plans to use the green upgrade program to make the new home more environmentally sound -- with a focus on fire safety. Patricia Walsh's $2.3 million home, which she and her late husband John, bought two years ago, was built in the 1980s and remodeled in 2000.

It had some fire-retardant materials in it, Walsh said. "The unfortunate part was that this fire was so hot and so fast."

The new home will likely be built with wood framing that is forest stewardship-certified, which means it has been grown and harvested sustainably. The house will be outfitted with more efficient plumbing fixtures and solar paneling -- ways to save utility costs and resources in water- and energy-strapped southern California.

"My parents had looked at going solar even before this happened," Walsh said. "We had a lot of problems with rolling blackouts. It's expensive to do, but it does pay for itself."

Fireman's is offering other types of green upgrades, including paying for less chemical-heavy paints and carpeting, flooring made from eco-friendly bamboo, and energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems -- even if the upgrades cost more. [...]

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“Low wintertime demand for gasoline has helped push the price of fuel in Rhode Island down for the second straight week,” according to AAA Southern Rhode Island.

AAA’s Jan. 21 survey of local stations found the average self-serve price for regular unleaded was $3.079 per gallon, 4 cents less than in the Jan. 14 survey and 6 cents less than on Jan. 7, though still 72 cents above the year-ago average of $2.359.

Nationwide this week, the average self-service price for unleaded regular plunged 10 cents to $3.019, or 6 cents below the average price in the Ocean State. [...]

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Consider buying an umbrella policy.

If you have considerable assets or are likely to have them in the future, consider an umbrella policy that would cover both your home and auto. Umbrella policies usually start at $200 to $300 a year for up to $1 million worth of coverage.[...]

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Don't just look at your total liability -- also look at your coverage per person.

Many insurance policies specify that the company will pay up to $300,000 in total liability coverage if you are found liable for an accident, but only $100,000 for each person injured. That means if you are at fault in an accident that leaves someone with a $200,000 lawsuit, you will be on the hook for half -- even though you thought you had $300,000worth of coverage. [...]

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"Nobody should carry less than $500,000 per person" says Jack Hungelmann

Spend your insurance dollars wisely.

"Shift the money around to the things that could wipe you out," says Jack Hungelmann, an agent/consultant with Corporate 4 Insurance Agency of Edina, Minn., and author of Insurance for Dummies.

While most people could cover a $500 deductible, a $500,000 lawsuit would be a different matter. So why do so many consumers pay extra for low deductibles and carry close to the minimum on liability coverage?[...]

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"First and foremost, we're back in business in Florida," Allstate spokesman Adam Shores said after the ruling.

In at least a temporary win for Allstate, an appeals court Friday blocked a decision by state regulators that had stopped the insurer from selling new homeowners and auto policies.

The 1st District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee issued a stay, setting aside a state order that suspended Allstate's licenses to write new property casualty business.

Tom Zutell, a spokesman for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, said the state expects to ask the court to lift the stay next week and reinstate the suspension.

The ruling gave a reprieve to Allstate agents whose right to sell new homeowners and auto policies was suspended Thursday when the state insurance commissioner issued his order.

"First and foremost, we're back in business in Florida," Allstate spokesman Adam Shores said after the ruling. [...]

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For additional information, visit http://www.dtag.com or http://www.thrifty.com.

Thrifty Car Rental, a subsidiary of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. is thawing the winter snow and putting a little extra spring in travelers' footsteps.

Beginning January 15, 2008, customers can earn triple frequent flyer miles/points with eight airlines at participating Thrifty Car Rental locations worldwide. The offer is valid on rentals booked in advance on THRIFTY.com from January 15, 2008 through May 15, 2008. [...]

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A full list of these
savings is available here.

Using Prop 103, The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) has helped Californians save more than $800 million by challenging other companies' auto, homeowners, and medical malpractice insurance rate proposals since 2003.

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"If he can't drive, I'm sure he'll accept it. He'll just have to wait until the convictions fall off."

EXTREME STICKER SHOCK

Barbara Wellensiek knew her son's insurance bill would be steep because of his driving record, but when the renewal notice arrived she was shocked to see the annual premium was $104,566.63.

"I thought it was a typo," Wellensiek said today. "I didn't panic - I thought it was a mistake."

When she phoned her insurance broker, Access Insurance Group, she got confirmation that the figure on the notice was accurate, the rate having been hiked from $1,300 per month.

"I just about fainted - how could this be?"[...]

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Warren Brown has covered the car industry for The Washington Post since 1982.

"Union health insurance adds $1500 to the cost of a new car." -Warren Brown[...]

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Before making any changes, however, check with your auto insurer.

Look at ways to lower your auto insurance. Increase the deductibles, if possible, to lower premiums. If you're a AAA Auto Club member, for instance, remove the towing charge on your auto policy. Why have towing when it's already covered by AAA?

If you're adequately covered by health insurance (such as an employer-sponsored health plan), remove the medical payments line item charge from your auto policy, which can reduce premium costs. Before making any changes, however, check with your auto insurer.[...]