CarInsurance.com technology provides a real-time connection with multiple insurance carriers. CarInsurance.com takes it beyond just comparing rates; shoppers can instantly purchase insurance with any of their car insurance companies using their single-site experience. The technology combined with years of insurance experience gives shoppers benefits that are unequaled in the industry. CarInsurance.com is an independent agency that only works with insurance companies that consumers trust. CarInsurance.com has knowledgeable, in-house licensed agents to give consumers reliable, skilled advice to make sure they get proper protection and the best prices available.
CarInsurance.com offers an exclusive lineup of auto insurance carriers including Direct General, Progressive, Esurance, Unitrin Direct, Travelers, Safeco Insurance, The Hartford, Encompass - An Allstate Company, and Arrowhead (QBE, Meritplan Insurance, and Newport Insurance). CarInsurance.com offers its Online Insurance Marketplace(TM) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, along with referral services in Canada and the UK. In 37 of the states, we offer products through our agency system. "It is exciting to see growth in these tough economic times. We are proud to offer Main Street a way to compare and save with financially stable insurance companies. Giving consumers choice, security, and protection is important," said Executive Vice President David Fitzgerald. Continued...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
CarInsurance.com Grows Into Four More States and the District of Columbia
CarInsurance.com has expanded into Alabama,Iowa,Maine,Oklahoma, and theDistrict of Columbiathis week. CarInsurance.com is a leading online independent insurance agency that offers car insurance online or over the phone. You can compare rates and purchase a policy immediately through their website so you get one-stop shopping. When purchasing, the insurance companies gather all the available rating information so you get a final, accurate price from a trusted insurance agent. You can print your proof of insurance, set up future payment options, and do everything online or over the phone.
CarInsurance.com added more security benefits for shoppers this month. VeriSign's EV SSL Certificate now protects the site. The green address bar offers immediate reassurance that the visitor has reached a site that has added benefits to protect you from identity theft. The new security implementation and this month's expansion allow CarInsurance.com to offer its online agency services to 93% of the U.S. population. This is significant because now consumers in 37 states can securely click, compare, and save online with insurance choices from leading insurance companies. Continued...
CarInsurance.com added more security benefits for shoppers this month. VeriSign's EV SSL Certificate now protects the site. The green address bar offers immediate reassurance that the visitor has reached a site that has added benefits to protect you from identity theft. The new security implementation and this month's expansion allow CarInsurance.com to offer its online agency services to 93% of the U.S. population. This is significant because now consumers in 37 states can securely click, compare, and save online with insurance choices from leading insurance companies. Continued...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Jeweler Zale, Car-Dealer AutoNation Seek Aid As Financial Cos
By Rob Curran
Atlas Energy, added Thursday, says capital raising contributes about a quarter of its gross margin, but most of that capital isn't raised by its broker-dealer unit.
"The regulators have offered stabilization for all companies that qualify," said Brian Begley, spokesman for Atlas Energy. "We're not a financial-services company, but what we do in syndication and fundraising is provide a financial service."
Curiously, one of only four companies to opt out of the list so far is JMP Group Corp. (JMP), parent of San Francisco broker and money-manager JMP Securities, a company in the center of the banking and brokerage crisis. The president of that company, Craig Johnson, said it opted out because of a belief that short-selling is a crucial function of financial markets.
Source
Atlas Energy, added Thursday, says capital raising contributes about a quarter of its gross margin, but most of that capital isn't raised by its broker-dealer unit.
"The regulators have offered stabilization for all companies that qualify," said Brian Begley, spokesman for Atlas Energy. "We're not a financial-services company, but what we do in syndication and fundraising is provide a financial service."
Curiously, one of only four companies to opt out of the list so far is JMP Group Corp. (JMP), parent of San Francisco broker and money-manager JMP Securities, a company in the center of the banking and brokerage crisis. The president of that company, Craig Johnson, said it opted out because of a belief that short-selling is a crucial function of financial markets.
Source
Monday, October 20, 2008
Jeweler Zale, Car-Dealer AutoNation Seek Aid As Financial Cos
By Rob Curran
The number of stocks protected under the Securities and Exchange Commission's financial-stock short-sale ban is now about 970, as the New York Stock Exchange added another seven candidates including jeweler Zale Corp. (ZLC) and car-dealer AutoNation Inc. (AN).
The rule, issued on Sept. 19 to help stabilize shares of banks, lenders and brokerages, now encompasses a range of other businesses with sometimes tenuous links to finance. For fiscal year 2008, the "All Other" part of Zale's business, which includes its insurance unit, accounted for less than 1% of its overall revenue.
Last weekend, the SEC furnished exchanges with a set of criteria for additions to the original list of 799 companies, namely that a company is or owns a bank, savings association, insurance company, or various other entities. With that, the SEC passed the responsibility for additions to the exchanges. The Nasdaq selected 66 companies at its discretion; the NYSE called for applications from eligible companies.
The NYSE and the Nasdaq, for their part, insist that all companies added to the list fit the "strict" criteria. A rule cordoning off a hard-to-define part of the market, the "financial" sector, appears to have left room for loopholes.
Zale's financial unit markets insurance to holders of its store credit card, and contributed $12.4 million to overall revenue of $2.14 billion for the fiscal year ended July 31.
Similarly, finance and insurance made up about $281 million, or roughly 3.6%, of AutoNation's first-half revenue of $7.91 billion.
These companies join International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), which qualified thanks to a finance unit that contributed 4% of its second-quarter revenue; driller Atlas Energy Resources LLC (ATN), on the strength of a broker dealer that raises a minority of the money needed for its drilling operations; and drug-plan manager Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX), which described its insurance operations as "minute."
Continued...
The number of stocks protected under the Securities and Exchange Commission's financial-stock short-sale ban is now about 970, as the New York Stock Exchange added another seven candidates including jeweler Zale Corp. (ZLC) and car-dealer AutoNation Inc. (AN).
The rule, issued on Sept. 19 to help stabilize shares of banks, lenders and brokerages, now encompasses a range of other businesses with sometimes tenuous links to finance. For fiscal year 2008, the "All Other" part of Zale's business, which includes its insurance unit, accounted for less than 1% of its overall revenue.
Last weekend, the SEC furnished exchanges with a set of criteria for additions to the original list of 799 companies, namely that a company is or owns a bank, savings association, insurance company, or various other entities. With that, the SEC passed the responsibility for additions to the exchanges. The Nasdaq selected 66 companies at its discretion; the NYSE called for applications from eligible companies.
The NYSE and the Nasdaq, for their part, insist that all companies added to the list fit the "strict" criteria. A rule cordoning off a hard-to-define part of the market, the "financial" sector, appears to have left room for loopholes.
Zale's financial unit markets insurance to holders of its store credit card, and contributed $12.4 million to overall revenue of $2.14 billion for the fiscal year ended July 31.
Similarly, finance and insurance made up about $281 million, or roughly 3.6%, of AutoNation's first-half revenue of $7.91 billion.
These companies join International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), which qualified thanks to a finance unit that contributed 4% of its second-quarter revenue; driller Atlas Energy Resources LLC (ATN), on the strength of a broker dealer that raises a minority of the money needed for its drilling operations; and drug-plan manager Express Scripts Inc. (ESRX), which described its insurance operations as "minute."
Continued...
Friday, October 17, 2008
50+ vehicles recovered in Warren auto theft ring
By KIM NORTH SHINE
The majority of the stolen vehicles, 24, came from Detroit, 13 came from Warren and the rest from Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Harper Woods, Dearborn Heights and Hazel Park. Three of the vehicles were never reported stolen. They all have been returned to their owners, all in one piece as opposed to in pieces had the thieves sold to a true chop shop, Sheriff Hackel said.
The sting operation started when a police got a tip about how chop shops find their car thieves to buy from. The task force set up a storefront in Warren - the location is being kept confidential - and began buying stolen vehicles.
The transations between the officers and thieves were clearly captured on video recordings, which were shown at the news conference Wednesday. Several of the suspects smiled, looked casual as they dropped off their stolen cars in exchange for $200.
They each face several years in prison if convicted.
The team of undercover officers formed a yearround task force called the Macomb Auto Theft Squad, which is made up of investigators from the Sheriff's Department and several cities, including Warren, Sterling Heights, Eastpointe and Clinton Township.
HEAT, Help Eliminate Auto Theft, assisted in the investigation and the National Insurance Crime Bureau provided information and financial suipport.
Dwyer called auto theft "a disease" and noted that after a drop in car thefts in Warren, which is the state's third-largest city with the second-highest auto theft rate in Michigan, they could be going back up.
In Warren in 2006, there were 1,805 vehicle thefts. In 2007, there were 1,246. This year there have been 1,004 so far.
Statewide in 2007, 42,151 automobiles were stolen, he said.
Source
The majority of the stolen vehicles, 24, came from Detroit, 13 came from Warren and the rest from Grosse Pointe, Grosse Pointe Farms, Harper Woods, Dearborn Heights and Hazel Park. Three of the vehicles were never reported stolen. They all have been returned to their owners, all in one piece as opposed to in pieces had the thieves sold to a true chop shop, Sheriff Hackel said.
The sting operation started when a police got a tip about how chop shops find their car thieves to buy from. The task force set up a storefront in Warren - the location is being kept confidential - and began buying stolen vehicles.
The transations between the officers and thieves were clearly captured on video recordings, which were shown at the news conference Wednesday. Several of the suspects smiled, looked casual as they dropped off their stolen cars in exchange for $200.
They each face several years in prison if convicted.
The team of undercover officers formed a yearround task force called the Macomb Auto Theft Squad, which is made up of investigators from the Sheriff's Department and several cities, including Warren, Sterling Heights, Eastpointe and Clinton Township.
HEAT, Help Eliminate Auto Theft, assisted in the investigation and the National Insurance Crime Bureau provided information and financial suipport.
Dwyer called auto theft "a disease" and noted that after a drop in car thefts in Warren, which is the state's third-largest city with the second-highest auto theft rate in Michigan, they could be going back up.
In Warren in 2006, there were 1,805 vehicle thefts. In 2007, there were 1,246. This year there have been 1,004 so far.
Statewide in 2007, 42,151 automobiles were stolen, he said.
Source
Thursday, October 16, 2008
50+ vehicles recovered in Warren auto theft ring
By KIM NORTH SHINE
Police in Macomb County say they got an extraordinary view into the world of auto theft during an undercover investigation that started in June and ended Wednesday with the arrests of 10 men in Warren, most of them teenagers willing to quickly steal and sell cars and trucks for $200 a pop to what they believed was a chop shop operation.
Five suspects are at large and another arrest was made separately July 29, when it was discovered by an undercover officer that one stolen car had been carjacked from an 79-year-old Eastpointe man earlier in the day in Warren.
The announcment of the arrests and details of the operation came today during a half-hour news conference at Warren City Hall, where the team of undercover officers looked on from the back of the room while Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel and Warren Police Commission William Dwyer lauded their work and hailed the undercover operation as the first of a multi-phase plan to catch car thieves.
"This was a long, tedious process," Hackel said.
They described the undercover chop shop operation as a laborious effort that required undercover officers be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week whenever a call to buy a stolen vehicle came in. The officers had to get to know the suspects, coordinate with insurance companies and work multiple law enforcement jurisdictions to zero in on the stolen cars and thieves.
Hackel said the experience provided a lesson that law enforcement agencies can use in future car theft investigations.
"They got to meet with them. It was hand-to-hand buying," Hackel said. "It was a very intense operation."
Altogether the suspects, all Detroiters, are accused of stealing 53 vehicles, all but two of them Chryslers.
Nine men between the ages of 17 and 21, were arraigned on multiple charges today in 37th District Court in Warren. The tenth suspect, a juvenile, was arraigned in Macomb County Juvenile Court Thursday.
Together the vehicles they are accused of stealing are valued at $600,000, Hackel said.
Continued...
Police in Macomb County say they got an extraordinary view into the world of auto theft during an undercover investigation that started in June and ended Wednesday with the arrests of 10 men in Warren, most of them teenagers willing to quickly steal and sell cars and trucks for $200 a pop to what they believed was a chop shop operation.
Five suspects are at large and another arrest was made separately July 29, when it was discovered by an undercover officer that one stolen car had been carjacked from an 79-year-old Eastpointe man earlier in the day in Warren.
The announcment of the arrests and details of the operation came today during a half-hour news conference at Warren City Hall, where the team of undercover officers looked on from the back of the room while Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel and Warren Police Commission William Dwyer lauded their work and hailed the undercover operation as the first of a multi-phase plan to catch car thieves.
"This was a long, tedious process," Hackel said.
They described the undercover chop shop operation as a laborious effort that required undercover officers be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week whenever a call to buy a stolen vehicle came in. The officers had to get to know the suspects, coordinate with insurance companies and work multiple law enforcement jurisdictions to zero in on the stolen cars and thieves.
Hackel said the experience provided a lesson that law enforcement agencies can use in future car theft investigations.
"They got to meet with them. It was hand-to-hand buying," Hackel said. "It was a very intense operation."
Altogether the suspects, all Detroiters, are accused of stealing 53 vehicles, all but two of them Chryslers.
Nine men between the ages of 17 and 21, were arraigned on multiple charges today in 37th District Court in Warren. The tenth suspect, a juvenile, was arraigned in Macomb County Juvenile Court Thursday.
Together the vehicles they are accused of stealing are valued at $600,000, Hackel said.
Continued...
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Insurance companies more willing to take risks on young drivers
By Mike Copeland
The Wall Street Journal reports that a changing market is behind the way young drivers are viewed today.
Auto insurance premiums have been flat or even down in much of the U.S. because of safer cars, reduced theft rates, better fraud prevention and greater competition. U.S. auto insurance premium rates rose just 0.4 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tech-savvy youngsters, meanwhile, are more likely to shop the Internet for the best deals on insurance, which is another reason insurance companies are courting them with discounts.
Still, young drivers remain riskier than other groups. Drivers under age 20 were only 6.4 percent of the nation’s drivers in 2006, but they were involved in 13.2 percent of all fatal crashes.
Technology is allowing parents to keep a closer eye on teen drivers.
OBS Inc., a Colorado-based mobile surveillance company, has launched the HD1, a video-camera system for cars that is aimed at parents with teenagers. It starts at $965 and works like a digital-video recorder, filming everything that goes on in and around a car with as many as four cameras. Parents can remove the hard drive from the system using a key and connect it to their TV or personal computer to view the video.
Some programs aimed at keeping young people safe behind the wheel are more geared to personal responsibility.
John E. Fadal, who has a Farmers Insurance Group agency in Waco, said Farmers will give young drivers up to age 21 a 10 percent discount on their liability, personal injury and collision insurance if they maintain a B average in school, complete a driver’s safety course and watch a safety video.
But Fadal said there is “no question” that insuring young drivers remains more risky.
“There are some we have insured for years, and we never hear anything from them. Some we can’t run off,” Fadal said. “I can remember a 16-year-old kid that we had insured only a few weeks when he was involved in a bodily injury accident in which a person was killed. We paid a $100,000 claim.”
Ramona Cunningham, an agent with Germania Insurance locally, said she offers a 10 percent discount on collision and liability insurance to young people who take a driver’s education course.
She said it benefits youngsters to stay on their parents’ policy for six months to a year so they can establish a good driving record. That will help them when they pursue a policy on their own, she said.
Local Allstate agent David Wilson said that company offers a 15 percent discount on collision, comprehensive and liability coverage to young people who maintain a B or better average in school. They can pick up another 10 percent discount by attending driving school.
“That’s a total of 25 percent,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he insures a family with a 17-year-old son who drives a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup. The family pays $439.10 every six months to insure the pickup, but that represents a discount of $102 because the 17-year-old is a good student who has taken driver’s training.
“If that teenager bought insurance on his own, he would be paying twice that rate, I guarantee you,” said Wilson, adding that he and the family benefit from discounts on multivehicle coverage.
Source
The Wall Street Journal reports that a changing market is behind the way young drivers are viewed today.
Auto insurance premiums have been flat or even down in much of the U.S. because of safer cars, reduced theft rates, better fraud prevention and greater competition. U.S. auto insurance premium rates rose just 0.4 percent in 2007, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tech-savvy youngsters, meanwhile, are more likely to shop the Internet for the best deals on insurance, which is another reason insurance companies are courting them with discounts.
Still, young drivers remain riskier than other groups. Drivers under age 20 were only 6.4 percent of the nation’s drivers in 2006, but they were involved in 13.2 percent of all fatal crashes.
Technology is allowing parents to keep a closer eye on teen drivers.
OBS Inc., a Colorado-based mobile surveillance company, has launched the HD1, a video-camera system for cars that is aimed at parents with teenagers. It starts at $965 and works like a digital-video recorder, filming everything that goes on in and around a car with as many as four cameras. Parents can remove the hard drive from the system using a key and connect it to their TV or personal computer to view the video.
Some programs aimed at keeping young people safe behind the wheel are more geared to personal responsibility.
John E. Fadal, who has a Farmers Insurance Group agency in Waco, said Farmers will give young drivers up to age 21 a 10 percent discount on their liability, personal injury and collision insurance if they maintain a B average in school, complete a driver’s safety course and watch a safety video.
But Fadal said there is “no question” that insuring young drivers remains more risky.
“There are some we have insured for years, and we never hear anything from them. Some we can’t run off,” Fadal said. “I can remember a 16-year-old kid that we had insured only a few weeks when he was involved in a bodily injury accident in which a person was killed. We paid a $100,000 claim.”
Ramona Cunningham, an agent with Germania Insurance locally, said she offers a 10 percent discount on collision and liability insurance to young people who take a driver’s education course.
She said it benefits youngsters to stay on their parents’ policy for six months to a year so they can establish a good driving record. That will help them when they pursue a policy on their own, she said.
Local Allstate agent David Wilson said that company offers a 15 percent discount on collision, comprehensive and liability coverage to young people who maintain a B or better average in school. They can pick up another 10 percent discount by attending driving school.
“That’s a total of 25 percent,” Wilson said.
Wilson said he insures a family with a 17-year-old son who drives a 2002 Ford F-150 pickup. The family pays $439.10 every six months to insure the pickup, but that represents a discount of $102 because the 17-year-old is a good student who has taken driver’s training.
“If that teenager bought insurance on his own, he would be paying twice that rate, I guarantee you,” said Wilson, adding that he and the family benefit from discounts on multivehicle coverage.
Source
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Insurance companies more willing to take risks on young drivers
By Mike Copeland
State Farm, the nation’s largest automobile insurer, has been offering discounts up to 15 percent for drivers under age 25 in most states who take part in its “Steer Clear” safety program that involves keeping a log of driving habits.
“We try to make the program available to everybody we can get a hold of,” said Blake Harrell, a local State Farm agent. Harrell said insurance companies indeed are stepping up efforts to get young customers.
“People want future clients,” he said. “If Mom and Dad die and Junior is not already on the books, he will go somewhere else. We’ll take losses with the idea of getting future clients.”
Harrell said the log that drivers keep poses questions they must answer after taking trips. They may have to comment on whether they were distracted at any time during the drive, how many passengers they were carrying or whether they used a cell phone.
State Farm also offers a driver’s training discount of 10 percent and a good student discount of 15 percent.
A company called Safeco has rolled out its “Teensurance” program for drivers typically up to age 25. It offers as much as a 15 percent discount for participants who pay $15 a month for a satellite-tracking service that traces young drivers. Safeco pays for the equipment.
“We think it’s a great idea. It just hasn’t taken off in Texas, possibly because they haven’t pushed it very hard here,” said Don McKinney at Brazos Valley Insurance Agency in Waco.
He offers Safeco products, including “Teensurance.”
A company called Fireman’s Fund has a “Youthful Driver” program for young adult drivers, and it is available in Texas.
It allows young adults to qualify for their parents’ discounts and credits until they reach their 27th birthday. By that time, if they have kept their record clean, their premiums should decline.
Continued...
State Farm, the nation’s largest automobile insurer, has been offering discounts up to 15 percent for drivers under age 25 in most states who take part in its “Steer Clear” safety program that involves keeping a log of driving habits.
“We try to make the program available to everybody we can get a hold of,” said Blake Harrell, a local State Farm agent. Harrell said insurance companies indeed are stepping up efforts to get young customers.
“People want future clients,” he said. “If Mom and Dad die and Junior is not already on the books, he will go somewhere else. We’ll take losses with the idea of getting future clients.”
Harrell said the log that drivers keep poses questions they must answer after taking trips. They may have to comment on whether they were distracted at any time during the drive, how many passengers they were carrying or whether they used a cell phone.
State Farm also offers a driver’s training discount of 10 percent and a good student discount of 15 percent.
A company called Safeco has rolled out its “Teensurance” program for drivers typically up to age 25. It offers as much as a 15 percent discount for participants who pay $15 a month for a satellite-tracking service that traces young drivers. Safeco pays for the equipment.
“We think it’s a great idea. It just hasn’t taken off in Texas, possibly because they haven’t pushed it very hard here,” said Don McKinney at Brazos Valley Insurance Agency in Waco.
He offers Safeco products, including “Teensurance.”
A company called Fireman’s Fund has a “Youthful Driver” program for young adult drivers, and it is available in Texas.
It allows young adults to qualify for their parents’ discounts and credits until they reach their 27th birthday. By that time, if they have kept their record clean, their premiums should decline.
Continued...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Insurance companies more willing to take risks on young drivers
By Mike Copeland
Insurance companies used to avoid teenage drivers, fearing they would prove a costly headache with their accidents and immature driving.
But things are changing.
Insurance agents say they now are offering discounts to teenagers and other young drivers, hoping to attract their business. That’s something unheard of a few years ago.
The move comes amid greater competition among insurance companies, and at a time that young drivers are not quite the risk they once were for a variety of reasons.
Many states, including Texas, have placed restrictions on teenage drivers. Some can’t drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., or they can’t have a cell phone or other mechanical device in the car. Others can’t pack their cars with other teenagers.
Some parents are getting involved. They’re investing in the latest in monitoring systems to watch their youngsters drive.
Something called the DriveCam, for example, can record what’s going on inside a car and the view outside through the windshield.
Ricky Palmer sells security and tracking systems at a Waco company called Shades Custom Tint. He offers a GPS-like vehicle tracking system called Street Eagle that monitors the location and speed of a vehicle. It even can be used to shut down a car.
These movements can be watched on the Internet by anyone with the correct log-in information, Palmer said.
“We sell these for a lot of different reasons,” Palmer said. “Some parents are looking to track kids, but most of our business involves installing the systems in fleet cars.”
Palmer said the system costs $350 plus a monthly fee that varies with usage.
Continued...
The system can greatly help the parents monitor their kids while they drive. On the other hand, for the insurance companies, this is a good opportunity to market on young drivers with the system already available in the market.
Insurance companies used to avoid teenage drivers, fearing they would prove a costly headache with their accidents and immature driving.
But things are changing.
Insurance agents say they now are offering discounts to teenagers and other young drivers, hoping to attract their business. That’s something unheard of a few years ago.
The move comes amid greater competition among insurance companies, and at a time that young drivers are not quite the risk they once were for a variety of reasons.
Many states, including Texas, have placed restrictions on teenage drivers. Some can’t drive between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m., or they can’t have a cell phone or other mechanical device in the car. Others can’t pack their cars with other teenagers.
Some parents are getting involved. They’re investing in the latest in monitoring systems to watch their youngsters drive.
Something called the DriveCam, for example, can record what’s going on inside a car and the view outside through the windshield.
Ricky Palmer sells security and tracking systems at a Waco company called Shades Custom Tint. He offers a GPS-like vehicle tracking system called Street Eagle that monitors the location and speed of a vehicle. It even can be used to shut down a car.
These movements can be watched on the Internet by anyone with the correct log-in information, Palmer said.
“We sell these for a lot of different reasons,” Palmer said. “Some parents are looking to track kids, but most of our business involves installing the systems in fleet cars.”
Palmer said the system costs $350 plus a monthly fee that varies with usage.
Continued...
The system can greatly help the parents monitor their kids while they drive. On the other hand, for the insurance companies, this is a good opportunity to market on young drivers with the system already available in the market.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Financial News
Students told to inform car insurance companies of circumstances
Students are being urged to inform insurers of any changes in circumstances to avoid invalidating policies.
Mike Powell from Defaqto has stated that those moving away to university must inform their motor insurance provider of where their car will be parked.
He commented: "Failing to do this may mean that your insurer could refuse to deal with any claim made under the policy."
Students should also make the necessary amendments to their vehicle registration documents as this is a legal requirement, he added.
Recently, a study by the Children's Mutual discovered that youngsters as young as 11 have already started saving for university.
They are doing so because they have seen older relatives struggling to handle student debt, the research claimed.
Furthermore, it showed that 78 per cent of parents think the credit crunch has affected their ability to financially support their children through higher education.
The children should be taught on how to save for their education. Teaching them the value of saving at a young age will enable them to inculcate the value until they reach adulthood. They will become responsible individuals.
Students are being urged to inform insurers of any changes in circumstances to avoid invalidating policies.
Mike Powell from Defaqto has stated that those moving away to university must inform their motor insurance provider of where their car will be parked.
He commented: "Failing to do this may mean that your insurer could refuse to deal with any claim made under the policy."
Students should also make the necessary amendments to their vehicle registration documents as this is a legal requirement, he added.
Recently, a study by the Children's Mutual discovered that youngsters as young as 11 have already started saving for university.
They are doing so because they have seen older relatives struggling to handle student debt, the research claimed.
Furthermore, it showed that 78 per cent of parents think the credit crunch has affected their ability to financially support their children through higher education.
The children should be taught on how to save for their education. Teaching them the value of saving at a young age will enable them to inculcate the value until they reach adulthood. They will become responsible individuals.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Car Choice: Sensible student wltm cheap little mover with good mpg
James Ruppert
Harry Barton, 22, is a student in Dundee who works part time. He wants a three-door hatchback that's diesel powered, cheap to run and to buy.
This is what every motorist wants these days: a small, economical car that costs buttons to run. So we will do our best to recommend small and cheap vehicles, but I do have an issue with the fact that the car must be diesel. There are some tiny petrol engines that are almost as economical and, significantly, will be cheaper to buy than a diesel. Some of the older diesels which have the old technology can be very sluggish and may need more servicing than a well-looked-after petrol, so Harry should bear this in mind. As Harry is a student, insurance is always going to be an issue, never mind the cost of servicing and repairs. Ideally, £1,000 should be put to one side, and the only way to reduce such a high sum is to find a car in a low insurance group which is cheap to buy in the first place. Trouble is that everyone is after these sorts of vehicles, which means that values have been on the rise, especially if Harry is buying in and around Dundee where there are not as many cars around as in the South-east.
A car for the head
Keeping it simple and basic is the key here, and ideally Harry should find himself a 1.0 litre Vauxhall Corsa. Here is a tiny engine that can return pretty much 50mpg, provided Harry drives sensibly. Best of all, the most basic versions will fall comfortably into the lowest insurance group, number one. Although this would be the old Corsa, it is still good to drive and does not feel out of place on the motorway.
Inside, the driving position is very good, with a good view out and plenty of storage options and a very large boot. There won't be many extras on the Corsa, but I doubt that will bother Harry because power steering means he will finding parking a doddle. Here is the driving school favourite that is easy to live with and cheap to run.
However, Harry now has to go out and find one, for, say, £1,500 or so. I searched in a 30-mile radius of Dundee and found just six Corsas that answered the basic description, which included examples from 2006, which may not be in Harry's budget. The cheapest was an 80,000-mile, year 2000 example for £895. The next cheapest was £2,650.
Continued...
Harry Barton, 22, is a student in Dundee who works part time. He wants a three-door hatchback that's diesel powered, cheap to run and to buy.
This is what every motorist wants these days: a small, economical car that costs buttons to run. So we will do our best to recommend small and cheap vehicles, but I do have an issue with the fact that the car must be diesel. There are some tiny petrol engines that are almost as economical and, significantly, will be cheaper to buy than a diesel. Some of the older diesels which have the old technology can be very sluggish and may need more servicing than a well-looked-after petrol, so Harry should bear this in mind. As Harry is a student, insurance is always going to be an issue, never mind the cost of servicing and repairs. Ideally, £1,000 should be put to one side, and the only way to reduce such a high sum is to find a car in a low insurance group which is cheap to buy in the first place. Trouble is that everyone is after these sorts of vehicles, which means that values have been on the rise, especially if Harry is buying in and around Dundee where there are not as many cars around as in the South-east.
A car for the head
Keeping it simple and basic is the key here, and ideally Harry should find himself a 1.0 litre Vauxhall Corsa. Here is a tiny engine that can return pretty much 50mpg, provided Harry drives sensibly. Best of all, the most basic versions will fall comfortably into the lowest insurance group, number one. Although this would be the old Corsa, it is still good to drive and does not feel out of place on the motorway.
Inside, the driving position is very good, with a good view out and plenty of storage options and a very large boot. There won't be many extras on the Corsa, but I doubt that will bother Harry because power steering means he will finding parking a doddle. Here is the driving school favourite that is easy to live with and cheap to run.
However, Harry now has to go out and find one, for, say, £1,500 or so. I searched in a 30-mile radius of Dundee and found just six Corsas that answered the basic description, which included examples from 2006, which may not be in Harry's budget. The cheapest was an 80,000-mile, year 2000 example for £895. The next cheapest was £2,650.
Continued...
Friday, October 10, 2008
Car Choice: Sensible student wltm cheap little mover with good mpg
James Ruppert
A car for the heart
I know that Harry is not much bothered by whether the car makes his heart beat just that bit quicker. However, there is an alternative to the Corsa, which is made by Ford and isn't a Fiesta. Actually it is even better and smaller than that: it is a Ka. This model has recently been discontinued, but it still looks very contemporary and it has always been interesting to drive and cheap to run.
However, the fuel consumption is good rather than great, but 42.2mpg overall is not too bad. The most basic Ka will certainly be perfect for Harry, but he should be aware that the early versions did not have power steering as standard. Otherwise around town the Ka is easy to live with, and on the open road – and there are plenty of open roads around Dundee – this model is very much at home. It feels sporty and sharp, and for such a small car it is surprisingly refined.
The great news is that there are more than 30 Kas available in Harry's area, but the problem is that the starting price is £1,995. That buys a 2001 with 93,000 miles.
This is a good option in this time of economic recession.
A car for the heart
I know that Harry is not much bothered by whether the car makes his heart beat just that bit quicker. However, there is an alternative to the Corsa, which is made by Ford and isn't a Fiesta. Actually it is even better and smaller than that: it is a Ka. This model has recently been discontinued, but it still looks very contemporary and it has always been interesting to drive and cheap to run.
However, the fuel consumption is good rather than great, but 42.2mpg overall is not too bad. The most basic Ka will certainly be perfect for Harry, but he should be aware that the early versions did not have power steering as standard. Otherwise around town the Ka is easy to live with, and on the open road – and there are plenty of open roads around Dundee – this model is very much at home. It feels sporty and sharp, and for such a small car it is surprisingly refined.
The great news is that there are more than 30 Kas available in Harry's area, but the problem is that the starting price is £1,995. That buys a 2001 with 93,000 miles.
This is a good option in this time of economic recession.
Q&A Insurance questions: Here are some answers
By PURVA PATEL
Q: If I make temporary repairs without running it by my insurance company first, will I still be reimbursed?
A: Insurance policies usually require policyholders to make repairs necessary to prevent further damage, such as temporary roof repairs.
Prior authorization is generally not required, Nicholson said. But trouble occurs if the property owner incurs a large bill for temporary repairs, and the insurance company disagrees that the temporary repair was necessary or doesn't think the cost was reasonable.
For instance, some contractors may charge as much for a temporary repair as a permanent repair. If that happens, the insurance company will probably refuse to pay for the temporary repair and the homeowner will be left with the bill, she said.
To be on the safe side, she suggests getting the insurance company to authorize repairs in advance and give you an estimate.
Q: I live in Galveston, and I called in my claim but couldn't get in to photograph damage until recently. Replacement costs must be recovered within a certain time limit. When does the clock start: When I called in the claim, when an adjuster shows up at my house, when I start permanent repairs or some other time?
A: Most policies first pay actual cash value — how much it would cost to replace the house after accounting for depreciation. When you get that initial payment to start repairs, that's when the clock starts ticking, Mostyn said. Insurers usually pay the rest of the replacement cost funds once the house is actually repaired or replaced. Homeowners usually have 12 months under most policies to complete the repairs, he said. Many policies also grant an extra six months if a policyholder makes a request in writing.
Q: My power went out at my business. Can I be reimbursed for lost income?
A: Generally, if you have business interruption coverage you should be able to recover lost income, but it will be subject to your windstorm deductible if hurricane winds caused the damage, Williams said. Coverage usually only applies if you had physical damage to your property.
If you bought special coverage for loss of power "off premises," you may also have coverage. But that coverage depends on whether the power outage was caused by downed transmission lines or direct damage to a generating station; sometimes power outages caused by downed lines are excluded. If they're covered, there's often a limit on how far from your business the downed lines are before they're excluded and then there may be a waiting period and/or deductible that would apply depending on what the policy specifies.
Q: Will my auto insurance cover something that fell on my car or flood damage to my car?
A: It will if you have "other than collision coverage," also called comprehensive coverage, on your policy, the Texas Department of Insurance said. This information can be found on your policy's declarations page.
This is a great help. Many may have the same questions.
Source
Q: If I make temporary repairs without running it by my insurance company first, will I still be reimbursed?
A: Insurance policies usually require policyholders to make repairs necessary to prevent further damage, such as temporary roof repairs.
Prior authorization is generally not required, Nicholson said. But trouble occurs if the property owner incurs a large bill for temporary repairs, and the insurance company disagrees that the temporary repair was necessary or doesn't think the cost was reasonable.
For instance, some contractors may charge as much for a temporary repair as a permanent repair. If that happens, the insurance company will probably refuse to pay for the temporary repair and the homeowner will be left with the bill, she said.
To be on the safe side, she suggests getting the insurance company to authorize repairs in advance and give you an estimate.
Q: I live in Galveston, and I called in my claim but couldn't get in to photograph damage until recently. Replacement costs must be recovered within a certain time limit. When does the clock start: When I called in the claim, when an adjuster shows up at my house, when I start permanent repairs or some other time?
A: Most policies first pay actual cash value — how much it would cost to replace the house after accounting for depreciation. When you get that initial payment to start repairs, that's when the clock starts ticking, Mostyn said. Insurers usually pay the rest of the replacement cost funds once the house is actually repaired or replaced. Homeowners usually have 12 months under most policies to complete the repairs, he said. Many policies also grant an extra six months if a policyholder makes a request in writing.
Q: My power went out at my business. Can I be reimbursed for lost income?
A: Generally, if you have business interruption coverage you should be able to recover lost income, but it will be subject to your windstorm deductible if hurricane winds caused the damage, Williams said. Coverage usually only applies if you had physical damage to your property.
If you bought special coverage for loss of power "off premises," you may also have coverage. But that coverage depends on whether the power outage was caused by downed transmission lines or direct damage to a generating station; sometimes power outages caused by downed lines are excluded. If they're covered, there's often a limit on how far from your business the downed lines are before they're excluded and then there may be a waiting period and/or deductible that would apply depending on what the policy specifies.
Q: Will my auto insurance cover something that fell on my car or flood damage to my car?
A: It will if you have "other than collision coverage," also called comprehensive coverage, on your policy, the Texas Department of Insurance said. This information can be found on your policy's declarations page.
This is a great help. Many may have the same questions.
Source
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Q&A Insurance questions: Here are some answers
By PURVA PATEL
Q: Will I get reimbursed for not being able to live in my house?
A: Most homeowner policies provide living expenses — called "additional living expenses" on policies — to pay for the increased costs of being out of your home because it's uninhabitable.
This could include hotel bills, additional travel, additional meal costs, boarding of pets, long-distance calls or any costs that you wouldn't normally incur, said Steve Mostyn, a Houston attorney who represents consumers. You may even have reimbursable expenses while living in the house, for example, if your kitchen was destroyed, forcing you to eat out.
Some policies will pay if you don't have damage but can't live in your house because of a power outage or an evacuation order — though that's rare.
Usually the home must be uninhabitable because of physical damage from something you're insured for, such as a hurricane or fire. So if your house was flooded — which most private home insurance policies don't cover — you may not be able to get any living expenses from your home insurer. If wind damaged your home, you'll likely get paid by the company you have your windstorm coverage with, Mostyn said.
Policies issued by the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program won't pay for living expenses.
Q: Can I get paid for loss of use?
A: Loss-of-use coverage typically applies when the home is used to generate income and that income is lost because of something you're insured for, such as a hurricane or fire, said Chris Martin, a Houston attorney who represents insurers. For example, he said, the owner of a rental house can get the rent value if the tenants have to move out because of damage.
Q: Why is my deductible so high?
A: Many homeowners policies have had separate deductibles for wind damage since Hurricane Andrew pummeled South Florida in 1992, but in recent years they've been transitioning from flat amounts to a percentage of a home's insured value.
A hurricane deductible applies to wind damage from Hurricane Ike in coastal areas, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group. Depending on the policy, hurricane deductibles usually vary between 1 and 15 percent of the amount the property is insured for.
If you live on the coast and are insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, deductibles range from a standard 1 percent to 5 percent, though policyholders also could have selected a $100 or $250 flat deductible.
Q: Should I get a public adjuster?
A: A public adjuster is an insurance claims adjuster that policyholders can hire to represent them, helping through the claims process, presenting their case to the insurer and doing follow-up. They can help fill the gap between what a policyholder knows and what the insurance adjuster knows, said Mark Kincaid, an insurance attorney in Austin representing consumers.
But they can't argue about what a policy legally covers, he said.
The cost also comes out of your pocket — usually based on a percentage of the claims payment you receive — so it may not be worth it on a small claim. You could also hurt your relationship with your insurance company come renewal time by bringing in your own expert, so it may be something you'd want to consider after working with your insurance company's adjuster first, said Joe Williams, a risk management consultant in Houston.
Continued...
Q: Will I get reimbursed for not being able to live in my house?
A: Most homeowner policies provide living expenses — called "additional living expenses" on policies — to pay for the increased costs of being out of your home because it's uninhabitable.
This could include hotel bills, additional travel, additional meal costs, boarding of pets, long-distance calls or any costs that you wouldn't normally incur, said Steve Mostyn, a Houston attorney who represents consumers. You may even have reimbursable expenses while living in the house, for example, if your kitchen was destroyed, forcing you to eat out.
Some policies will pay if you don't have damage but can't live in your house because of a power outage or an evacuation order — though that's rare.
Usually the home must be uninhabitable because of physical damage from something you're insured for, such as a hurricane or fire. So if your house was flooded — which most private home insurance policies don't cover — you may not be able to get any living expenses from your home insurer. If wind damaged your home, you'll likely get paid by the company you have your windstorm coverage with, Mostyn said.
Policies issued by the government-backed National Flood Insurance Program won't pay for living expenses.
Q: Can I get paid for loss of use?
A: Loss-of-use coverage typically applies when the home is used to generate income and that income is lost because of something you're insured for, such as a hurricane or fire, said Chris Martin, a Houston attorney who represents insurers. For example, he said, the owner of a rental house can get the rent value if the tenants have to move out because of damage.
Q: Why is my deductible so high?
A: Many homeowners policies have had separate deductibles for wind damage since Hurricane Andrew pummeled South Florida in 1992, but in recent years they've been transitioning from flat amounts to a percentage of a home's insured value.
A hurricane deductible applies to wind damage from Hurricane Ike in coastal areas, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group. Depending on the policy, hurricane deductibles usually vary between 1 and 15 percent of the amount the property is insured for.
If you live on the coast and are insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, deductibles range from a standard 1 percent to 5 percent, though policyholders also could have selected a $100 or $250 flat deductible.
Q: Should I get a public adjuster?
A: A public adjuster is an insurance claims adjuster that policyholders can hire to represent them, helping through the claims process, presenting their case to the insurer and doing follow-up. They can help fill the gap between what a policyholder knows and what the insurance adjuster knows, said Mark Kincaid, an insurance attorney in Austin representing consumers.
But they can't argue about what a policy legally covers, he said.
The cost also comes out of your pocket — usually based on a percentage of the claims payment you receive — so it may not be worth it on a small claim. You could also hurt your relationship with your insurance company come renewal time by bringing in your own expert, so it may be something you'd want to consider after working with your insurance company's adjuster first, said Joe Williams, a risk management consultant in Houston.
Continued...
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Q&A Insurance questions: Here are some answers
By PURVA PATEL
As homeowners start the claims process, they're asking a lot of questions about what's covered.
The Chronicle surveyed attorneys, the Texas Department of Insurance and other insurance experts to answer some common questions.
The answers are general in nature and can vary from policy to policy, so readers should closely read their insurance policies and talk to their agents to verify coverage:
Q: I had to throw away food at my house. Can I be reimbursed or claim that on my deductible?
A: Some policies specifically cover or exclude the loss of refrigerated or frozen food due to a power outage, said Tina Nicholson, a Houston attorney who represents policyholders. If the policy doesn't specify, she suggests adding the value of the food to your claim as damage to "contents" or "personal property."
"More than likely, the value of your lost food, standing alone, will be less than your deductible," she said. "If you add that loss to your contents or personal property claim, it will help to meet your deductible."
Q: Will insurance reimburse me for the time I spent cleaning?
A: Your time has value, and you should be reimbursed for the time you spent cleaning or removing debris as you would have otherwise paid someone to do it, Nicholson said. So log how much time you spent cleaning up and what you did.
Many insurance companies will balk at paying you for your time, she said, but you don't have to accept the company's argument that it can't put a value on your time.
"They have special estimating programs that tell them exactly how much someone in the area would charge for that work," she said. "It may be a good idea to call around and find out how much a company would charge you for cleaning or debris removal."
How successful a homeowner is may depend on how many and which other points they dispute with the insurer.
"Once you're disputing a claim, at that point everything becomes a negotiation," she said.
Continued...
This is very helpful.
As homeowners start the claims process, they're asking a lot of questions about what's covered.
The Chronicle surveyed attorneys, the Texas Department of Insurance and other insurance experts to answer some common questions.
The answers are general in nature and can vary from policy to policy, so readers should closely read their insurance policies and talk to their agents to verify coverage:
Q: I had to throw away food at my house. Can I be reimbursed or claim that on my deductible?
A: Some policies specifically cover or exclude the loss of refrigerated or frozen food due to a power outage, said Tina Nicholson, a Houston attorney who represents policyholders. If the policy doesn't specify, she suggests adding the value of the food to your claim as damage to "contents" or "personal property."
"More than likely, the value of your lost food, standing alone, will be less than your deductible," she said. "If you add that loss to your contents or personal property claim, it will help to meet your deductible."
Q: Will insurance reimburse me for the time I spent cleaning?
A: Your time has value, and you should be reimbursed for the time you spent cleaning or removing debris as you would have otherwise paid someone to do it, Nicholson said. So log how much time you spent cleaning up and what you did.
Many insurance companies will balk at paying you for your time, she said, but you don't have to accept the company's argument that it can't put a value on your time.
"They have special estimating programs that tell them exactly how much someone in the area would charge for that work," she said. "It may be a good idea to call around and find out how much a company would charge you for cleaning or debris removal."
How successful a homeowner is may depend on how many and which other points they dispute with the insurer.
"Once you're disputing a claim, at that point everything becomes a negotiation," she said.
Continued...
This is very helpful.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Car Insurance Megastore Helps Consumers Avoid the Credit Crunch
The Car Insurance Megastore is also proud to offer an interest free scheme for a short term repayment plan. So if you are in the market for a new car insurance policy, you would be wise to visit The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com website for the latest savings and low interest rates on all of their policies.
The Car Insurance Megastore unique compare.com type pricing structure ensures that you not only get a fair quote but that you also have many options for your repayments ranging from 0% up to a modest 12.5% APR on your policy repayments. Also providing a full policy information specification sheet prior to committing to a purchase, makes The Car Insurance Megastore stand out from the ever increasing crowd of high street and direct insurance providers and the typical compare.com type websites which so often frequent our television screens and the media.
For fair and truly transparent car insurance quotes and policies, contact The Car Insurance Megastore today and save money on your car insurance and your monthly repayments.
A visit to the Car Insurance Megastore is highly recommended.
Source
The Car Insurance Megastore unique compare.com type pricing structure ensures that you not only get a fair quote but that you also have many options for your repayments ranging from 0% up to a modest 12.5% APR on your policy repayments. Also providing a full policy information specification sheet prior to committing to a purchase, makes The Car Insurance Megastore stand out from the ever increasing crowd of high street and direct insurance providers and the typical compare.com type websites which so often frequent our television screens and the media.
For fair and truly transparent car insurance quotes and policies, contact The Car Insurance Megastore today and save money on your car insurance and your monthly repayments.
A visit to the Car Insurance Megastore is highly recommended.
Source
Monday, October 6, 2008
The Car Insurance Megastore Helps Consumers Avoid the Credit Crunch
The Car Insurance Megastore's massive reduction of interest rates has created quite a stir in the market place and other high street and direct insurers with such great overheads are having great difficulty in matching such a low interest rate, less than half that of many of the major insurers and compare.com type websites.
Here at The Car Insurance Megastore, we urge all car insurance shoppers to check not only the initial quote of the car insurance policy, but also the interest rate and monthly repayments as it is quite common for mainstream insurers to hide a substantial amount of profit within the interest rates themselves. Many high street, direct and compare.com type insurers keep the initial cost of the car insurance quote to a minimum to coax the client into purchasing and then increase the interest rates of the monthly repayments.
Many of the UK's lowest quoters refrain from boasting about their high interest rates of 28% which if paying your insurance repayments over a full year can increase that quote by almost a third. Which means that possibly they may not have been the lowest quote after all when considering the interest rates paid over that year. Continued...
This is great!!!
Here at The Car Insurance Megastore, we urge all car insurance shoppers to check not only the initial quote of the car insurance policy, but also the interest rate and monthly repayments as it is quite common for mainstream insurers to hide a substantial amount of profit within the interest rates themselves. Many high street, direct and compare.com type insurers keep the initial cost of the car insurance quote to a minimum to coax the client into purchasing and then increase the interest rates of the monthly repayments.
Many of the UK's lowest quoters refrain from boasting about their high interest rates of 28% which if paying your insurance repayments over a full year can increase that quote by almost a third. Which means that possibly they may not have been the lowest quote after all when considering the interest rates paid over that year. Continued...
This is great!!!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Car Insurance Megastore Helps Consumers Avoid the Credit Crunch
The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com website avoids the credit crunch on huge interest charges. Consumers are already feeling the continuous battle to gain cheaper car insurance and then the added pain of having to pay over the odds for there cheap car insurance quote over monthly instalments. The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com website have now revealed that they are reducing their interest rates on monthly car insurance payments to 12.5%, compared to some insurers with whopping interest rates of 28% and above, The Car Insurance Megastore can now save you even more money.
The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com type website avoids the credit crunch on huge interest charges. Consumers are already feeling the continuous battle to gain cheaper car insurance and then the added pain of having to pay over the odds for there cheap car insurance quote over monthly instalments. The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com website have now revealed that they are reducing their interest rates on monthly car insurance payments to 12.5%, compared to some insurers with whopping interest rates of 28% and above, The Car Insurance Megastore can now save you even more money.
Continued...
The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com type website avoids the credit crunch on huge interest charges. Consumers are already feeling the continuous battle to gain cheaper car insurance and then the added pain of having to pay over the odds for there cheap car insurance quote over monthly instalments. The Car Insurance Megastore compare.com website have now revealed that they are reducing their interest rates on monthly car insurance payments to 12.5%, compared to some insurers with whopping interest rates of 28% and above, The Car Insurance Megastore can now save you even more money.
Continued...
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Dubuque woman on cell phone hits patrol car
A Dubuque woman is facing several charges after she allegedly hit a sheriff's deputy's patrol car while talking on her cell phone.
Officials with the Dubuque County sheriff's office says the deputy's car was blocking an intersection with its emergency lights on while firefighters fought a house fire when Jasmine Fallen approached the intersection. The deputy told Fallen to get off her phone but she didn't.
When she began to turn left she hit the door of the deputy's car.
Fallen is charged with failure to maintain control, not having insurance and failure to properly restrain a child.
This applies to all. We should be responsible enough. When using the cellphone, park the car and answer it.
Officials with the Dubuque County sheriff's office says the deputy's car was blocking an intersection with its emergency lights on while firefighters fought a house fire when Jasmine Fallen approached the intersection. The deputy told Fallen to get off her phone but she didn't.
When she began to turn left she hit the door of the deputy's car.
Fallen is charged with failure to maintain control, not having insurance and failure to properly restrain a child.
This applies to all. We should be responsible enough. When using the cellphone, park the car and answer it.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Financial crisis: What you should know
Crisis sparks confusion, questions about personal finance
By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Consumer credit
For many Americans, the credit crunch that is a key factor in the current financial crisis has been a relatively abstract idea, affecting mainly large financial institutions. As the crisis unfolds, economists say we could start to see more of an impact on people’s everyday lives.
Consumers who are trying to borrow money for a new car or new home, for example, might find it harder and more expensive to get a loan. Some might find it tougher to get a new credit card, said David Wyss, chief economist with Standard and Poor’s.
People who already have credit cards likely won’t see much change, although Wyss said some credit card companies are starting to reduce credit lines for riskier clients.
“They’re getting tougher on who they lend money to,” he said.
Bethune said those conditions could get even worse now that the bailout is up in the air.
Business credit
Economists are watching closely to see if the credit crunch is going to make it harder for small- and midsized business owners to borrow money.
That, in turn, could crimp their ability to do business, leading to layoffs and affecting related businesses. It also could make it tougher for entrepreneurs to find money for starting new businesses.
Mortgages
The crisis on Wall Street shouldn’t have a direct impact on people who are paying their mortgages on time.
If you are seeking to refinance your mortgage or take out a second mortgage, however, you may find it to be more difficult, if not impossible, because of stricter lending requirements.
Source
By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Consumer credit
For many Americans, the credit crunch that is a key factor in the current financial crisis has been a relatively abstract idea, affecting mainly large financial institutions. As the crisis unfolds, economists say we could start to see more of an impact on people’s everyday lives.
Consumers who are trying to borrow money for a new car or new home, for example, might find it harder and more expensive to get a loan. Some might find it tougher to get a new credit card, said David Wyss, chief economist with Standard and Poor’s.
People who already have credit cards likely won’t see much change, although Wyss said some credit card companies are starting to reduce credit lines for riskier clients.
“They’re getting tougher on who they lend money to,” he said.
Bethune said those conditions could get even worse now that the bailout is up in the air.
Business credit
Economists are watching closely to see if the credit crunch is going to make it harder for small- and midsized business owners to borrow money.
That, in turn, could crimp their ability to do business, leading to layoffs and affecting related businesses. It also could make it tougher for entrepreneurs to find money for starting new businesses.
Mortgages
The crisis on Wall Street shouldn’t have a direct impact on people who are paying their mortgages on time.
If you are seeking to refinance your mortgage or take out a second mortgage, however, you may find it to be more difficult, if not impossible, because of stricter lending requirements.
Source
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Financial crisis: What you should know
Crisis sparks confusion, questions about personal finance
By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Brokerage accounts
While most of us expect to see gains and losses as a result of investing in the stock market, some have raised concerns about what happens if the company that holds your investments runs into trouble.
If you are concerned, check to see whether your firm is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corp., or SIPC. Created by Congress in 1970, SIPC covers investors for up to $500,000 in the event a brokerage fails or securities are stolen.
It’s important to note that this does NOT protect people whose investment portfolios lose value because of drops in the market or bad investments. That’s because investing in stocks and bonds is considered to be a risky endeavor, with upsides and downsides.
“They’re not guaranteeing the value of the stock,” said Barry Ritholtz, chief executive of the research firm FusionIQ and author of the forthcoming book “Bailout Nation.” “They’re guaranteeing $500,000 against the company going belly up.”
Some brokerage firms also have supplemental insurance for certain investments, should their brokerage fail.
Money markets
Money market funds often have been considered a safe haven for stashing cash that you don’t want in riskier investments, such as stocks. Recent troubles at one large money market fund sparked concerns that even these investments — considered by some to be safe as cash —are not completely secure.
Hoping to quell the anxiety, the Treasury Department recently stepped in to provide guarantees for money market funds, using a Depression-era fund to back them.
Mutual fund firms, also, have taken steps to comfort worried investors, including disclosing money market fund holdings and posting information about their investment decision-making.
Russ Kinnel, director of mutual fund research with Morningstar, said the best way to assure that your money is safe in a money market fund is to choose a relatively large, low-cost fund from a large company. Those steps should make it less likely the fund will make riskier investments, and more likely that the firm itself will make investors whole should the fund “break the buck,” or fall below the target of $1 per share.
Continued...
By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Brokerage accounts
While most of us expect to see gains and losses as a result of investing in the stock market, some have raised concerns about what happens if the company that holds your investments runs into trouble.
If you are concerned, check to see whether your firm is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corp., or SIPC. Created by Congress in 1970, SIPC covers investors for up to $500,000 in the event a brokerage fails or securities are stolen.
It’s important to note that this does NOT protect people whose investment portfolios lose value because of drops in the market or bad investments. That’s because investing in stocks and bonds is considered to be a risky endeavor, with upsides and downsides.
“They’re not guaranteeing the value of the stock,” said Barry Ritholtz, chief executive of the research firm FusionIQ and author of the forthcoming book “Bailout Nation.” “They’re guaranteeing $500,000 against the company going belly up.”
Some brokerage firms also have supplemental insurance for certain investments, should their brokerage fail.
Money markets
Money market funds often have been considered a safe haven for stashing cash that you don’t want in riskier investments, such as stocks. Recent troubles at one large money market fund sparked concerns that even these investments — considered by some to be safe as cash —are not completely secure.
Hoping to quell the anxiety, the Treasury Department recently stepped in to provide guarantees for money market funds, using a Depression-era fund to back them.
Mutual fund firms, also, have taken steps to comfort worried investors, including disclosing money market fund holdings and posting information about their investment decision-making.
Russ Kinnel, director of mutual fund research with Morningstar, said the best way to assure that your money is safe in a money market fund is to choose a relatively large, low-cost fund from a large company. Those steps should make it less likely the fund will make riskier investments, and more likely that the firm itself will make investors whole should the fund “break the buck,” or fall below the target of $1 per share.
Continued...
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Financial crisis: What you should know
Crisis sparks confusion, questions about personal finance
By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Checking and savings accounts
News that major banks including Washington Mutual and Wachovia have been pulled down by the crisis has sparked fears about whether Americans should trust their banking institutions to stay solvent.
Most banks are expected to continue functioning normally. Still, it pays to take a few simple steps to protect your assets in the event of a bank failure.
First, make sure that your bank is backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., better known as the FDIC. If your bank is a member of FDIC, then your individual accounts will be insured for up to $100,000, and your joint accounts should be insured for up to $200,000.
If you bank with a credit union, make sure that it is insured under the National Credit Union Insurance Fund, which provides similar protections for credit union account holders.
Retirement investments
The FDIC also provides coverage of up to $250,000 for certain retirement accounts, such as IRAs that are held in FDIC-insured financial institutions. If you have more than $100,000, it pays to check out the FDIC's online deposit insurance estimator.
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By Allison Linn
Here’s what you should know about how the crisis might affect your personal finances.
Checking and savings accounts
News that major banks including Washington Mutual and Wachovia have been pulled down by the crisis has sparked fears about whether Americans should trust their banking institutions to stay solvent.
Most banks are expected to continue functioning normally. Still, it pays to take a few simple steps to protect your assets in the event of a bank failure.
First, make sure that your bank is backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., better known as the FDIC. If your bank is a member of FDIC, then your individual accounts will be insured for up to $100,000, and your joint accounts should be insured for up to $200,000.
If you bank with a credit union, make sure that it is insured under the National Credit Union Insurance Fund, which provides similar protections for credit union account holders.
Retirement investments
The FDIC also provides coverage of up to $250,000 for certain retirement accounts, such as IRAs that are held in FDIC-insured financial institutions. If you have more than $100,000, it pays to check out the FDIC's online deposit insurance estimator.
Continued...
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