Latest Insurance News

Grand Forks Leaf Collection Starts Soon

By Grand Forks Herald, N.D. Oct. 3--Grand Forks Vacuum Leaf Collection will begin on Monday with crews planning to make two complete passes through town. Weather permitting, the leaf collection is expected to take 3-4 weeks to complete. To take advantage of vacuum leaf collection, residents can pile leaves loosely on between curbs and sidewalks and away from obstacles such as trees and mailboxes. Streets and gutters must remain clear of debris. No bagged leaves or leaves placed in contain...

Congress Looks into Credit Score-Based Auto Insurance Rates

WASHINGTON _ Putting the pedal to the metal has always put people at risk of higher car insurance premiums, but what about making late credit card payments? Over the last decade, insurers increasingly have relied on customers' credit scores as a factor in determining how much to charge them for automobile insurance. It's a practice that has some lawmakers crying foul because of evidence that it disproportionately affects some minority groups. A Federal Trade Commission report, requested...

WALES: If I'M Fined for Doing 35 ... What About Man Who Hit My House?

By DAVID POWELL POLICE have re-opened investigations into the bizarre case of a car which ploughed into a house, causing pounds 20,000 damage. RayOwen, 52,was appalled when after five months North Wales Police said they wouldn't press charges against the driver of the Vauxhall Vectrawhich wrecked the living room. It smashed into his home in London Road, Holyhead on April 9. Mr Owen had been slapped with a pounds 60 fine for speeding at 35mph on London Road in March. He only found ou...

State Motorists Entering a No No-Fault Zone

By Beatrice E. Garcia, The Miami Herald Oct. 1--For Florida drivers, a new era is here. After 36 years with a no-fault auto insurance system -- where most medical expenses for accident victims are paid upfront without deciding which driver caused the accident -- the law expired at 12:01 a.m. today. Unless the Legislature acts during a 10-day special session that begins Wednesday, all accidents -- even a small fender bender -- could end up in court to determine who caused it. But chances...

The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va., Local Briefs

By The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va. Oct. 1--West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Jane L. Cline warns motorists to be wary of wildlife now that the fall season has arrived. Fall brings an increase in the number of auto-related accidents involving deer and other wildlife, especially during October, November and December -- both hunting and mating seasons. Cline's office recently conducted its annual study of the top auto insurers with 5 percent or more of the state automobile insuranc...

'No No-Fault' Zone Ahead for Drivers: Florida's No-Fault Auto Insurance Law Expires Today, and Chances to Extend the Measure Now Look Dim

By Beatrice E. Garcia, The Miami Herald Oct. 1--For Florida drivers, a new era is here. After 36 years with a no-fault auto insurance system -- where most medical expenses for accident victims are paid up front without deciding which driver caused the accident -- the law expired at 12:01 a.m. today. Unless the Legislature acts during a 10-day special session that begins Wednesday, all accidents -- even a small fender bender -- could end up in court to determine who caused it. But chance...

Your MONEY: Insurance Website's Nifty for Over 50s ; CASHPOINT

By James Coney HELP The Aged has launched a website comparing insurance deals for the over-50s. Intune checks out the cost of insurance, funeral plans, care fees and accident and emergency plans for older people. All of its profits go to the charity. The over-50s are frequently left out in the cold by financial service firms as travel, home and car insurance costs spiral. More than a third of insurance policies will refuse to cover anyone over 65, and this rises to three-quarters of a...

Motoring Costs Driven Up

By Peter Woodman The annual cost of running an average family car has leapt 10% since 2005, it has been revealed. Big rises in the cost of servicing and MOT tests have contributed to the overall increase, figures from Sainsbury's Bank showed. Based on driving 10,000 miles a year in a Ford Focus, the statistics showed that it costs around pounds 2,259 a year to run a car in 2007. This is around 2.6% more than last year's figure of pounds 2,205 and 10% more than the total of pounds 2,05...

Deal to Keep PIP Likely Faces Opposition

By Joe Follick, The Ledger, Lakeland, Fla. Sep. 28--A deal to keep the state's "no fault" auto insurance requirement may face bipartisan opposition if lawmakers try to revive the controversial mandate next week. "It's about taking our system from (one) that has zero personal responsibility to a system based on personal responsibility," said Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, in advocating the end of "no fault" requirements. Aronberg and Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Winter Haven, said Thursday ...

Why Not Richmond?

AOL's executives are heading to New York so they'll be in the middle of the undisputed capital of media, advertising, and money. But New York doesn't hold a monopoly on creative thinking. Nor do its denizens always possess a firm understanding of attitudes in Middle America. Manhattan, after all, is an island. Some pretty good thinkers right here in Richmond have proven that innovation and original approaches sprout frequently in the hinterlands. The Martin Agency's ads for GEICO not only r...