Latest Insurance News

POLITICS: Drivers With 'City Guilt'

Almost 20 per cent of motorists experience "green guilt" about driving in cities, according to a survey out today. Men and those living in south east England are the most concerned about how their urban motoring is potentially harming the environment, the poll from Prudential Car Insurance found. But about 74 per cent of motorists still drive every day, while some ten per cent own three or more cars, the research showed. (c) 2007 Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK). Provided by ProQuest In...

State Farm to Issue Refunds

By TED GRIGGS About 18,000 of State Farm's auto insurance customers in Louisiana will be getting checks of more than $1,000 in June as the result of accidental overcharges between 2003 and 2006, a company spokesman said Monday. In 2003, State Farm adjusted rates nationwide for auto insurance and adapted its plan to each state, spokesman Morris Anderson said. State Farm inadvertently included a rating factor - accidents where the customer was not at fault - that is not allowed under Louisi...

Redlining's End a Pinch for Some

By MARIEL GARZA I gagged on my coffee Wednesday morning as I scanned the pile of bills I had been ignoring. My auto insurance carrier, Woodland Hills- based 21st Century, had sent the usual biannual renewal notice. But for some reason, my rate had doubled. Normally, my rate goes down a few bucks every year as my car depreciates and I get closer to being an old-lady driver. I hadn't had any change in address or speeding ticket since the last bill. Perhaps, I reasoned, the company had simpl...

Price-Focused Insurers Brave Reprimand From FSA

By Bowery, Joanna The majority of UK insurance firmsare main tain ing their price- led advertising, despite the threat of a crackdown by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Last week the FSA warned that companies could face regulatory action unless they stop using savings claims that could be misleading. It stated: 'Insurance ads can he misleading if they give the impression that most consumers are eligible for such savings when only a few arc. They can also be unclear if the basis of...

EDITORIAL: No-Fault Needs a Fix

By Detroit Free Press Apr. 15--A 2004 Michigan Supreme Court ruling known as the Kreiner decision has prevented some motorists from collecting non-economic damages from drivers who caused their injuries. The state House has passed a bill, introduced by Rep. Paul Condino, D-Southfield, that would effectively undo the ruling. It's a strong bill, and the state Senate should pass it, or at least a similar plan, to allow some victims of negligent drivers to collect for pain and suffering. Th...

Your Money: Pound Notes

By MELANIE WRIGHT WE'RE WITH PAT pounds THE soap character most Britons identify financially with is Pat Butcher from East-Enders, claims Credit- Expert.co.uk. Only around one in 10 of us think we are as financially astute as Ian Beale - another character in the show. CAR COST FALLS pounds THE average cost of car insurance fell slightly over the first quarter of 2007, after ending last year at an all-time high. According to research by the AA, the average quoted premium for annual com...

2 Insurers Offer Discounts to Drivers of Hybrids

By Julie M. Mckinnon, The Blade, Toledo, Ohio Apr. 13--If saving money on gas isn't enough reason to buy a Toyota Prius or other hybrid vehicle, maybe a 10 percent discount on car insurance will be. Travelers Cos. Inc. and Farmers Insurance Group of Cos. both offer such discounts on at least a limited basis in Ohio and Michigan. Preliminary research at Travelers indicated hybrid owners tend to be lower-risk drivers, according to the company. Farmers, meanwhile, chose to add hybrid disco...

Huge Rise in Parking Costs ; Home News IN BRIEF

Car parking charges have soared by an average of 25 per cent in the last six years. Some, including those in Hertfordshire and Kent, have risen by 90 per cent since 2000, according to the car insurer Direct Line. Londoners fork out the most to park, with Westminster charging [pound]7.99 for two hours' parking. (c) 2007 Independent, The; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Rental Dilemma: No Easy Answer on Temporary Car Insurance

By Dave DeWitte, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Apr. 11--On the list of questions that property and casualty insurance agents are asked all the time, one just about always lands near the top. "Does my car insurance cover a rental car?" The question is a good one, according to veteran insurance agent Ron Sunderman of Skogman Carlson Insurance in Cedar Rapids, and the answer used to be simple. If the policyholder had comprehensive and collision on their auto insurance policy and a gold...

Investing in New Suit

Menswear retailer Moss Bros backed its store refurbishment plans today after after seeing a further sales fall. Pre-tax profits for the retailer of pounds 5.3m in the year to January 27 came amid a 1.3% drop in like-for-like sales - its first fall in five years. Sales in the first 10 weeks of the current year were down 1%. However, the company said that it had seen an improvement in profit margins following increased investment in its IT systems, supply chain and store portfolio. Car insu...