Celebrity Insurance Policies

Peterhead, AB -- Every week it appears as though one celebrity or another is in the news for an outlandish insurance policy. Whether it’s reports that America Ferrera has insured her smile for $10 million, or Heidi Klum’s legs, celebrity insurance policies are always big news in the gossip world. Seen as conspicuous consumption by some, and a necessity by others, it can be difficult to separate the truth from fiction with these policies. No Claims Discount sheds some light on this insurance news, and offers a rare inside look at the truth behind celebrity insurance policies. In most cases, the policies are taken out, but the media machine may blow the amount out of proportion, while publicists work hard to spin their clients as much coverage as possible. Somewhere in the middle however, the truth can be found, and that’s the fact that like or not, insurance coverage is vital, in any walk of life. Whether it’s health insurance or business insurance for a movie production, insurance policies are a necessity. Indemnifying against loss or risk is a practice that everyone can benefit from, whether they are the latest up and coming Hollywood starlet, a theater company, or an everyday person. The risks are real, and without proper protection, the potential for loss can be staggering. No Claims Discount offers the public the ability to easily access custom insurance quotes on a number of different types of policies. From insuring your car, to protecting your pet, the company makes it easy to find the coverage you need. We may not all be in the limelight, but the need for insurance is one that is universal. About the Company: No Claims Discount offers consumers the opportunity to get real pricing from real insurance companies, without all the hassles. Thousands of customers have been able to find the right insurance plan thanks to their efforts. By offering consumers real world information about insurance policies, the site provides a valuable, unique service that is unmatched.

Best Ways To Save On Vehicle Auto Insurance

The ability to choose the right vehicular insurance policy is vital for your car and your financial being while on the road . There is no reason, however, to spend thousands of dollars annually just to get quality vehicular insurance coverage! Here are some highly recommended ways and tips to help you out:
1. Save around 10% and even more by shopping for vehicular insurance coverage on the Internet. The great selection of vehicular ins2. Take good care of your driving history. providers access your record periodically so they will get a good idea of the level of risk you carry as a driver, the safer and more responsible you are, the reduce your premiums get and the more money you can save on your vehicular insurance coverage.
3. Take defensive driving courses . Not only will you learn how to better effectively avoid automobile accidents while on the road, you will also qualify for a Defensive Driver Discount which can be as much as 10% off your premiums. Check to see if the class you plan to take is state licensed to make sure you are given this discount.
4. Have intelligent student drivers under your coverage ? You can get an added Good Student Discount towards your vehicular insurance, as long as they maintain an average grade of B or higher in school.
5. Those aftermarket security alarms and measures for your automobile are handy in reducing the risk of car theft and vandalism, which also means you get your premiums reduced . Dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, automatic seatbelts and other mechanisms to protect your car’s passengers from serious injuries or death in case of a car crash will also get you added discounts.
6. If possible opt for as high a deductible as you can afford , which will reduce the regular premiums you’re paying. Driving a lower , older model would also need smaller vehicular insurance coverage, aim at reducing your yearly mileage to no more than 15,000 miles will not only get you added discounts, but will also do your part in saving the environment.
urance providers and websites

Firm offers broad range of insurance

K. Stephen Carter and Nicholas S. Carter have opened CIA Carter Insurance Agency, 303 S. Tamiami Trail, Nokomis.AC = -->
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The agency writes home, auto, condominium, motorcycle, boat, umbrella, business, life and health policies.
Stephen Carter has been a licensed agent selling insurance in Florida since 1993. Prior to this he was a division manager for AAA Auto Club South for 17 years, managing offices in Marietta, Ga., and Port Charlotte.
Nicholas Carter is a licensed certified professional service representative. He graduated in 2008 from the University of South Florida with a bachelor's degree in criminology.
Phone: 484-4341.
Maria Daly has opened Telework International LLC.
The company is a one-stop-shop telecommute job board and education Web site. The site offers current, real, scam-free jobs from credible employers. New jobs are added to the site twice daily and cover domestic and international opportunities in a multitude of categories -- from accountancy, medical, legal and government through the more traditional telework areas of customer service/call center, transcription, and IT. Telework International notifies individuals through its "Insider Update" of new job listings, new employers and fresh blog articles.
Job seekers pay a nominal fee to access the specific jobs database portion of the site. They can elect to use the site one time only or take a yearly subscription. An employer can choose applicants from the site, and can also advertise on the site.
Robert C. Lerow has opened RMDT Consulting LLC -- a global health care and employee benefit consulting business.
The business specializes in providing consulting support for U.S. and non-U.S. based employers, assistance companies and health care payers interested in implementing practices with a specific focus on health care claim and customer service solutions.
Lerow has 30 years of experience as a senior business executive, most recently with Aetna Global Benefits as head of its Global Service Operations. He also has established independent contracting and consulting relationships with Fortune 500 companies.
Phone: 504-4270.
Lane L. Diedrick, president of Englewood Bank, has announced that the bank has relocated its Gulf Cove office to 12651 S. McCall Road.
The 3,500-square-foot Key West-style office will is managed by Michelle Ravagni and her team from the Gulf Cove Plaza office. "I look forward to serving our existing friends and meeting many new friends at this beautiful new office," Ravagni said. "We can now offer customers the convenience of a drive-through facility, a 24-hour drive-up ATM, an expansive office and additional safe deposit boxes."

Phone: 697-5011.
Donna Ortman, licensed massage therapist, has moved her office to the Tandem Center of Venice, 333 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 305, Venice.
Ortman is trained in a wide range of massage modalities, including neuromuscular, advanced deep tissue, Swe-Thai, reflexology and pre-natal massage, assessing which particular blend of techniques is appropriate for each client.
Phone: (410) 688-2168.

Has insurance coverage shrunk?

COLUMBUS — Let’s face it: When it comes to auto insurance policies, nobody really reads all that fine print.
But it’s in the hard-to-decipher clauses that Ohio’s insurance carriers are shrinking insurance protection, leaving drivers uncovered or under-covered in common accident scenarios, according to a report by the Ohio Association for Justice, a trade group of trial attorneys.
“Ohioans would be shocked to learn that their full coverage auto policy is often useless when they need it the most: after a serious accident to a family member or loved one,” the report said.
The association detailed how legislative changes and court decisions during the past eight years have favored the insurance industry.
“Consumers need to be aware that their full coverage policy is probably meaningless in a whole host of situations,” said Brian Wilson, an attorney in Canton. “They need to ask their agents some hard questions.”
Wilson estimated that fewer than 5 percent of consumers actually read and understand the fine print in insurance policies, which are typically mailed out weeks after they are purchased.
The Ohio Association for Justice focused on three common exclusions found in auto insurance policies that are designed to limit payouts on claims:
Family Exclusion: Relatives are barred from collecting money under the policy’s liability coverage if another family member is at fault. Example: Dad loses control of the car and seriously injures his wife and two children. Although their policy includes $500,000 in liability coverage and $5,000 per person in medical payments, the family can collect only $15,000 in medical payments.
Immunity Exclusion: Emergency vehicles responding to emergency calls are immune from liability under Ohio law. Example: You’re clobbered at an intersection by a fire truck with its lights and siren on and your family is seriously injured. You can’t sue the fire department and because of a 2007 court decision you can no longer file an uninsured motorist claim with your own carrier.
Non-Duplication Clause: Drivers may pay separate premiums for different coverage, such as liability, uninsured motorist and medical payments but that doesn’t mean they can collect on all three. Example: Jane is injured by an uninsured drunken driver and has $30,000 in medical bills. She bought medical payment coverage of $25,000 and uninsured motorist coverage of $50,000. Her insurer pays out $25,000 for medical bills but later when she files a $50,000 uninsured motorist claim, her carrier subtracts what they paid in medical bills and sends her a check for another $25,000 instead of $50,000.

Auto insurance revamp blocked

A lberta's Automobile Insurance Rate Board is looking to revamp how drivers' premiums are calculated in the province, by moving away from an annual industry-wide rate adjustment, which could produce more options and potentially better rates for motorists.
But the proposal has been rejected by the Stelmach government, which maintains the current system is working well.
The province doesn't foresee major reforms and certainly won't make any changes pending an Alberta Court of Appeal ruling, expected shortly, that will determine whether a$4,000 cap on pay-outs for soft-tissue injuries is unconstitutional.
The rate board, which regulates the annual premium changes for basic automobile insurance in Alberta, wants to scrap the "one-size-fits-all" industry-wide adjustment and instead review companies on an individual basis to see whether their rate proposals are appropriate.
The new model would pro-vide more insurance options for drivers, reduce market uncertainty and lower rates over the long term, the board argues, while still allowing the AIRB to ensure companies don't apply exorbitant premium increases.
"You could shop some more so you might be able to find a better rate,"explains Merle Taylor, the rate board's consumer advocate. "I don't think it's in anyone's interest if the (annual rate caps) are the same across all companies."
In 2008, the board permitted companies to increase premiums for basic auto insurance by up to five per cent, effective last Nov. 1.
Axing the industry-wide cap could see insurance companies target their preferred niche markets of motorists -- either good drivers or high-risk ones--and potentially offer reduced premiums to their customers, Taylor believes.
The Stelmach government, however, has no plans to accommodate the rate board's proposal to reform insurance, arguing there's too much uncertainty in the system as all sides wait for the precedent-setting soft-tissue injury ruling from the Alberta Court of Appeal.
"The government is very satisfied with the current strategies,"said Finance Minister Iris Evans. "I don't see a reason for change."
Evans said it's critical that any reforms to automobile insurance must be transparent so the consumer can easily understand the system and know what options various companies are offering.
The industry argues that under an individual approval process (as proposed by the board), insurers wouldn't be subjected as much to the risk-sharing pool and could adjust their rates accordingly, both up and down depending on circumstances.
"Competition will be the greatest regulator of price," said Jim Rivait, regional vice-president with the Insurance Bureau of Canada, which supports the rate board's proposal. "Competition doesn't fire on all cylinders when you're looking at an industry-wide approach."
The current system often produces "sticky pricing," Rivait said, as companies will often take the maximum allowable premium increase, rather than reducing rates, because of uncertainty over what the rate board will demand from all the insurers.
The Alberta Motor Association also backs the board's proposal, believing it would allow insurance companies to go after their own target market for drivers.
"If you've got good drivers, you can afford to keep your rates lower,"said Robert Katzell, the AMA's director of claims.
Liberal finance critic Dave Taylor contends the current system isn't benefiting drivers as much as it should. The Grits favour, in principle, public auto insurance like that found in other provinces, and aren't certain the proposed reforms will produce the desired results for motorists.
"There's been, supposedly, a competitive insurance system in this province. It hasn't worked very well for motorists as far as we're concerned," Taylor said. "I don't know more competition is going to result from the proposal."
All sides believe the Court of Appeal case, regardless of the ruling, is likely headed for the Supreme Court of Canada, further delaying any more changes to auto premiums.

Saving A Buck On Insurance

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - With money tight, we wanted to know if local drivers are cutting back on state required auto insurance coverage.
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Area insurance agents say they haven't seen a drastic increase or decrease in business. But they do say more motorists are revisiting their auto insurance plans, looking for ways to cut back.
State Farm Agent Larry Ice II says he's not sure how much the economic downturn has effected business because State Farm doesn't track why clients may drop a policy.
But he has noticed more financially strapped customers looking for a discount.
“There’s a lot more focus on saving money,” said Ice.
He says foot traffic is increasing at his small business, as consumers become more financially conscience.
“And I think that overall that goes from health insurance, auto, home every type of insurance,” said Ice.
Ice says he’s seeing a new and surprising trend; more clients are purchasing health insurance policies.
“People are a lot more concerned about what might happen if my husband losses his job, or if I loss my job, I might not be able to continue that health insurance coverage,” said Ice.
But the financial concern isn’t limited to auto and health insurance.
Indiana’s NewsCenter spoke with several area auto repair shops that say customers are waiting longer to get an oil change.
But what's most concerning, auto experts say more motorists are waiting until the last minute to repair their breaks.
Auto experts warn that the metal on metal grind could become dangerous not only for the driver but also other motorists.
Ice says his company recognizes the financial strains on families and is taking steps to speak with clients about ways they can reduce their rates without lowering their coverage.

No vehicle insurance?

Uninsured motorists in Beaumont have less than 60 days to get policies before they run the risk of having their vehicles towed.
Beaumont City Council on Tuesday approved a policy allowing officers to tow uninsured vehicles if police already pulled them over for another traffic violation or if a had wreck occurred.
Cost to uninsured drivers is $85 for towing plus $20 a day for vehicle storage. Additional fees could apply in special situations. The ordinance is effective July 15.
"Hopefully we will have fewer people on the road without insurance," City Manager Kyle Hayes said after the meeting.
Statewide, about 20 percent of motorists, or one in five drivers, are uninsured, said Jerry Hagins, Texas Department of Insurance spokesman.
That department, along with the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Department of Information Resources, launched the TexasSure program last June in an effort to reduce the number of uninsured motorists in the state.
The program is a secure database that matches the records of registered passenger vehicles to personal auto insurance policy data submitted by Texas insurance companies, according to the program Web site.
It allows law enforcement officers to instantly verify whether a vehicle has the auto liability coverage required by state law, the Web site states. However, the decision to tow is strictly a local policy, said Tom Vinger of the Texas Department of Public Safety.
According to the towing guidelines, approved by Police Chief Frank Coffin, once a vehicle has already been pulled over, officers will make a "reasonable effort" to determine if a driver has car insurance.
The officers first should ask for proof of insurance. If the driver does not have that on hand, the officer can check the TexasSure database, which is updated weekly. If neither method provides proof of insurance, the officer can ask the driver to name his or her insurance provider and call the firm if it is between 8 and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Hayes said.
"We ought to be bending over backwards to work with people before we tow their vehicle," Hayes told the council.
The city now will ask for proposals from towing firms interested in the contract. Hayes said the city wants to deal with one company, just as they already do for towing abandoned or city vehicles. There have been situations where they rotated among several companies.
Motorists can retrieve their vehicles from the towing storage yard once they pay the posted rates, show proof of insurance and show a government-issued photo ID.
Joe Watt, a retired Lamar University professor, spoke out against the policy prior to the council's vote.
Watts, 75, who is insured, said he felt the policy disproportionately affects the poor. He suggested that drivers be ticketed, which is already the case, and be given a chance to secure auto insurance.
Texas law requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per injured person, up to a total of $50,000 for everyone injured in an accident and $25,000 for property damage, according to the TexasSure Web site. Liability coverage pays other people's expenses in accidents caused by the insured driver, the Web site states.
Lt. Mark Pierce of the Beaumont Police Department said the department surveyed 22 other Texas cities and 14 of them tow uninsured drivers. He said most have been doing so for about a year, so he could not say how effective the program is at lowering the numbers of uninsured drivers on the road.
State auto insurance requirements: Texas law requires minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per injured person, up to a total of $50,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage. Liability coverage pays other people's expenses in accidents caused by the insured driver.
If you go without: Driving without liability insurance can result in a fine of up to $350 and possibly hundreds of dollars more in court costs and additional fees. Repeat offenders also are subject to a two-year driver license suspension.
Source: TexasSure Web site.
Exceptions to the rule
When you can't be towed:
 If all occupants including the driver are 18 and younger
 If the driver and occupants would be placed in an unsafe situation because of the towing. Officers must make a "reasonable effort" to ensure the safety of the driver and occupants. This includes taking them to a safe location or allowing them to call someone for transportation.
 Officers should consider several factors including time of day, location, driver's physical condition, weather and the presence of pets or other animals before deciding to tow the vehicle.
Source: City of Beaumont

Greedy Insurers

Don't Delay in Lowering Premiums for Auto InsuranceAuto insurance policyholders have often complained that they are forced to pay higher premiums than they deserve because insurers are only seeking profit at the expense of consumers. The average ratio of insurance claims to premiums dropped to 69.8 percent last year, hitting a record low in six years. The ratio below the 70-percent mark means that local auto insurance firms have enough room to cut premiums. The nation's non-life insurance companies have enjoyed a combined total of one trillion won or more in net profit each year since 2001. There is no doubt that excessive premiums collected from auto insurance policyholders have greatly contributed to solid profits. Against this backdrop, the Korea Insurance Consumer Federation and other consumer rights groups are calling for a cut in auto insurance premiums. They point out that it is irrational for the insurers to refuse to ease the financial burden on policyholders even though they continue to remain in profit. Of course, the insurance claims-to-premium ratio showed a sudden fluctuation in the first four months of this year. The monthly ratio surged to 76.3 percent in January and then plummeted to 68.9 percent in February and 66.9 percent in March. But it rebounded to 72.5 percent in April.The rebound was attributable to an increase in car accidents as more drivers hit the road amid plunging oil prices. For now, it is uncertain whether the ratio will go up further or fall. But this uncertainty should not allow insurance companies to justify their refusal to accept growing calls for lower premiums. Insurers cannot deny that they have long reigned over policyholders, ignoring consumer interests.Everyone knows that insurance firms have been quick to raise premiums but slow to curtail them. They are now under criticism for spending more on business operations in an apparent bid to make it harder to slash premiums.The percentage of operational expenses over premiums reached a five-year high of 31.8 percent on average in the October to December period of last year, up 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier. The figure means that insurance firms spent 31.8 won of each 100 won in premiums on their operations. Green Non-Life Insurance recorded the highest figure (40.7 percent), followed by Hanwha (40 percent), LIG (36 percent), Meritz (33.7 percent) and Hyundai (32.5 percent).It goes without saying that insurance companies have spent too much to cover their operational costs. If they cut the spending, they can collect lower premiums from policyholders and maintain their profitability. Thus, it is necessary for regulators to make sure those insurers who are lavish in operational spending face stricter restrictions in the raising of premiums.Greedy insurers have long been stigmatized for trying to pay as little as possible in insurance payments when accidents occur. They should no longer be engaged in the bad practice of pocketing policyholder money. It's time for insurance companies to play fair and better protect consumer rights.

Insurance surprises in Doyle's budget

By State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf
Gov. Jim Doyle's state budget bill, now before the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, determines taxes and spending over a two-year period. However, the budget bill includes more than just revenue and expenditure items found in a typical budget. The governor also included 80 nonfiscal policy items identified by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.
While it is not uncommon for governors to include nonfiscal policy items in their budget proposals, in recent sessions, the co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee have agreed to remove them and introduce them as individual bills. Unfortunately, this session the co-chairs removed less than half of these policy items and left in the budget some items that will have significant impact on our everyday lives and have nothing to do with state taxing or spending.
A couple of surprises in the budget would directly impact insurance premiums for cars and liability insurance for organizations such as businesses, churches and charities.
The first proposal would mandate dramatically higher auto insurance coverage limits. It is estimated this would increase auto insurance premiums by as much as 33 percent. It would increase minimums of $25,000 for each person injured, $50,000 for each accident and $10,000 for property damage to $100,000, $300,000 and $25,000 respectively. Wisconsin has the most affordable auto insurance premiums in the nation, but that would change quickly if this budget provision stays.
The second proposal would redefine who pays liability damages for injury costs. Current law says a defendant must meet a 51 percent threshold to be held responsible for up to 100 percent of the injury cost. However, the governor's budget says an individual, employer, charity or church that is even 1 percent liable could be held responsible for 100 percent of damages. It is worth nothing that if one is simply present, he or she is partially liable.
Regardless of our positions, we should not cower from having a direct vote on these issues. That is why I have joined with more than 30 of my colleagues in asking the Joint Finance Committee co-chairs to pull these provisions from the budget bill and introduce them as separate bills.
Harsdorf, R-River Falls, represents the 10th District in the state Senate.

New insurance law

The North Carolina General Assembly, in its seemingly endless wisdom, enacted a law last year requiring motorists to carry coverage protecting them if they are in an accident with an uninsured motorist.That law recently went into effect and what it means is that some area vehicle owners will see their auto insurance rates climbing.Up until now, North Carolina motorists who purchased auto insurance had the choice of whether to cover themselves should they be in a wreck caused by an uninsured motorist.The idea of such coverage is that, if someone is injured in a wreck caused by an uninsured motorist, or their vehicle is damaged, the person who carries uninsured motorist protection is still covered, by his or her own insurance.Of course, that cost motorists more on their auto insurance, and up until now North Carolina auto owners could choose whether to fork over that extra to their insurance company, or to keep the money in their own pocket while risking such an accident.Now the state is forcing all motorists to purchase this additional insurance.Most insurance professionals — who stand to reap additional revenue — say the typical car owner isn’t going to see that much of in increase in their annual premium. And, the truth is that more than 90 percent of insured motorists already carried this protection.The addition cost and the relatively small number of people who would be affected, however, are not the issue here. What is the issue that we find onerous is the state government finding yet another way to reach its tentacles into the private lives of state citizens.At the very least if the state is going to force a mandate on its citizens, it should cough up the money to pay for it. Otherwise, this just might be another example of government issuing regulations simply because it can, leaving private citizens to foot the bill.

Free Insurance Quotes

Free Insurance Quotes! - MedicalQuoteFinder Announces Heavily Discounted Insurance Plans
The American people from all sections of society stand to benefit with what free insurance quotes that offers in terms of heavily discounted health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance and life insurance plans from the leading insurance companies of US.
Mountain Pine, Arkansas ( May 22, 2009 -- The American people from all sections of society stand to benefit with what free insurance quotes that offers in terms of heavily discounted health insurance, auto insurance, home insurance and life insurance plans from the leading insurance companies of US.
MedicalQuoteFinder.com, one of the leading US facilitators of all your insurance needs for individuals and families through partnered network agencies, announced their nationwide network coverage, which means "affordable insurance quotes for every American!" in the words of Natasha Wilson, CEO of Healthcare Services, Inc. "Spanning all the 52 States, our operations are nationwide!"
What does this entail in monetary terms for an average American citizen? "Not only monetarily, Average American citizen also stands to gain in terms of convenience of access to almost all the major Insurance companies operating in the country today. Besides a handsome savings of up to 60% on their insurance plans, folks will also have access to the quote in just 1 minute or less!" informs Natasha.
And what if the visitor on the site is novice and hardly knows a thing about insurance? "Well, we have an extensive Resource section to cater to the needs of less-informed visitors. Besides, there are whole lots of pages that contain invaluable information helpful in selecting the right choice of insurance plan."
What are the costs for these services? "Our services don't cost a cent to the insurance buyers. We don't believe in charging from the consumers who are already reeling under controversial insurance plans." Whether you're shopping for free insurance quotes for health, home, life or auto insurance you have come to the right place.
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AUTO INSURANCE

Auto insurance board with new rules for motorcyclists
Sun, 2009-05-24 22:22.
David Cohen
The auto insurance board is hoping to cut down on motorbike accidents by raising the minimum age to drive them.
The SAAQ will restrict access to high-powered sport bikes to riders either over 25 or those with more than five years experience.
Stats show the risk of accidents is directly linked to the cylinder size and type of motorcycle.
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ALLSTATE INSURANCE

Allstate Insurance Co., the nation's second largest auto insurer, announced plans today to re-enter the Massachusetts auto insurance market starting this fall.
If approved by regulators, Allstate would be the latest in a string of major insurers to enter the Massachusetts market since the state started allowing companies to start setting their own rates starting last year.
Geico, the country's third largest auto insurer, just started offering auto insurance in Massachusetts today. And Progressive, the country's fourth largest auto insurer, entered the market a year ago. A number of smaller companies have also started marketing auto insurance since the state stopped setting auto insurance rates.
According to Massachusetts Insurance Commissioner Nonnie S. Burnes, the new system is intended to give car owners more choice and help lower rates in Massachusetts. Indeed, some consumers say they have been able to save hundreds of dollars or more by switching insurance plans since the state introduced its "managed competition" plans.
But the state hasn't released figures yet showing how much consumers statewide have saved, if anything, under the new system.
Allstate, based in Northbrook, Ill., said it filed proposed rates and other paperwork today with the Massachusetts Division of Insurance. It hopes to start marketing auto insurance in the state under the Allstate brand starting Nov. 2.
The company said Massachusetts consumers will be able to sign up for policies online at , calling (800) ALLSTATE, or contacting the company's agents in Connecticut, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island.
Allstate already sells insurance in Massachusetts to a limited degree through a subsidiary, Encompass Insurance, but does not currently market the insurance under its own better known brand. A spokesman said Encompass has a tiny market share of the Bay State's auto insurance market. But Allstate hasn't marketed auto insurance policies under its own brand in two decades.
An Allstate spokesman said the company's insurance rates would be "very competitive," but couldn't say more precisely how they would stack up against competitors.

CAR INSURANCE

Six months ago, the Springfield, Missouri, property supervisor found a policy that gives him a break. So far he's saved about $48 -- or ten percent -- over six months compared to a traditional premium.
There's a catch; his insurance company, Progressive, is monitoring every move he makes behind the wheel.
Goodwin is fine with it, and says that just knowing that a small transceiver is reporting his driving behavior back to the insurance company helps him drive more carefully.
"There's this 'Big Brothe'r thing, but it's good," Goodwin said. "Since I know I'm being watched, I'm on my best behavior." AOL Autos: Check out other Big Brother devices
Goodwin noted that he's now less likely to speed.
"You'll, in effect trade a degree of privacy for a lower rate" in such a pay-as-you-drive policy, explains Mike Barry, vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute. "They know not only how many miles you drive but how and when you drive."
Don't Miss
AOL Auto: BuickCars
AOL Autos: Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
AOL Autos: Mini Cooper
For now, MyRate is the only widely available pay-as-you-go auto policy -- available now in nine states (Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, and Oregon), with at least three more expected by the end of the summer.
There are "tens of thousands" of drivers already enrolled, according to Progressive, and one in four existing customers of the company who've become eligible for the program have opted in.
Progressive says that MyRate may save up to 25 percent versus a traditional premium if you travel less than 10,000 miles per year, are a defensive driver, and rarely drive past midnight.
What bad behaviors does the system look for? Sudden starts and stops, and driving during higher-risk times, will raise the rate -- by up to 9 percent in states where a surcharge is permitted.
Progressive says that if you drive even once a week between midnight and 4 a.m. the policy probably isn't a good choice. On the flip side, smooth rural drivers who cover more than 15,000 miles a year could also save 20 percent or more. AOL Autos: Can your car last 1 million miles?
Several other insurers, including Allstate, Unigard, and The Hartford, are testing usage-based policies; and GMAC Insurance now offers a low-mileage discount of up to 54 percent to drivers of late-model GM vehicles -- with mileage reported by the onboard OnStar communication and safety system.
Another company, MileMeter, offers a system (only in Texas) through which customers pre-pay for a certain number of miles of coverage, as verified simply through the vehicle's odometer reading. AOL Autos: How to cut your insurance in half
In various forms, pay-as-you-drive policies are already offered in Canada, the U.K., Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, and South Africa, but for now the wider adoption of such policies in the U.S. has been slowed by the differences between in requirements in each state.
Why so long coming?
Tully Lehman, a spokesman for the insurance industry in California, a state that has recently laid the framework for pay-as-you-drive policies, says that the biggest concern with surveillance-based systems like Progressive's is privacy.
But there are also worries with the misinterpretation of the driving-style data.
"For instance, when the company sees hard braking," it could be driver inattention or carelessness, Lehman said. "Or, it could be a dog in the road." It also could be any number of things that have nothing to do with the driver's behavior.
Another issue is that the very vehicle you drive might not qualify you for much of a discount if it has touchy brakes or spirited acceleration; the company doesn't correct for the fact that some cars are more "responsive" than others. A Buick driver, for instance, might get more of a discount than a Mini Cooper driver simply because of the way the vehicles respond. MyRate doesn't differentiate between drivers, either.
MyRate users are able to log in and see an assessment of their driving style, along with charts and graphs and a running trip record.
While privacy advocates might already be up in arms over the data set -- which won't be shared with third parties but could be kept for up to six years -- they'll be somewhat relieved to hear that MyRate doesn't have GPS capabilities. The system knows "when" and "how" you drive, but not "where." For that, we'll leave the controversy to the GPS locators in cell phones.
Tracking exactly where users go would create serious privacy concerns, admits Steve McKay, product manager for MyRate
"Knowing location wouldn't add a lot to the predictive value either," McKay said.
The state of California in 2006 outlawed the pricing of policies by zip code, along with several other factors.
Although the future of pay-as-you-drive plans might rest in GPS-based systems that do track where you go, it's now looking like a distant future. California has also recently adopted new regulations that set the framework for pay-as-you-go policies, but the state's insurance commissioner, Steven Poizner, is especially conscious of the privacy concerns that the technology brings.
"I will not approve any auto insurance policy that aims to utilize GPS devices in order to obtain location data from consumers," Poizner said in a release last year.
State and federal governments also have their eye on GPS systems as a new way of figuring road tax in the future. With the projected long-term market swing away from conventional gasoline vehicles toward more efficient plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, many state officials are worried about dwindling revenue for highways.
Currently, road taxes are collected via a per-gallon gasoline tax. Just earlier this year, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposed a mileage-based method for calculating road tax, and several states, including Oregon, have tested a GPS-based system that would assess road tax.
Nudges drivers to be safer and greener
Drivers might simply choose pay-as-you-drive policies to get a break on their premium. But it'll likely save them even more in the long run; because they'll probably drive their cars gentler, get better gas mileage, put less wear on their vehicles, and be less prone to getting tickets.
"Just leaving the device in your car changes your behavior," Allstate spokesman Raleigh Floyd said. Because the company is scoring the driver's actions and there are measurable rewards for good behavior. "It becomes more game-like--and the benefit is that you're a safer driver." AOL Autos: How to avoid a speeding ticket
Even Goodwin admits that he finds restraint in his Tahoe when he wouldn't have before.
"Now when I just want to floor it, I don't," he said.
They're likely to reduce their trips as well. According to a report from the Brookings Institution, if motorists paid for their auto insurance by the mile, driving would decline by about eight percent nationwide, significantly reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and gasoline consumption, and nearly two-thirds of drivers would pay less for auto insurance. AOL Autos: How to get 100 MPG
Major environmental groups and safety advocates are also on board; the ten-percent decline in driving anticipated by the Environmental Defense Fund would not only reduce air pollution and toxic runoff but also translate to saved lives, through a 17-percent reduction in crashes.
Even Progressive agrees that a pay-as-you-drive policy won't be right for everyone. Those who value their privacy or want to drive however they please can rest assured; there will still be traditional policies for the foreseeable future, experts say.

DOG INSURANCE

Saikou and Kozette are as safe as dogs can be when they go for car rides. The border collie and boxer are always strapped in tight, says Lonnie Olson, 55, of St. Helen, Mich.
Still, Olson says, when she heard that the auto insurance policies offered by Progressive now include coverage for pets injured in vehicle crashes, she decided to move her business to the company.
"Any company that supported animals like that, I wanted to support," she says. "I just hope I never have to use it."
At least four U.S. auto insurers have added — at no extra cost to customers — coverage of $500 to $1,000 for pets injured or killed in car accidents.
With 196 million licensed drivers nationwide, according to the Federal Highway Administration, "it's very competitive," says Lori Conarton of the Insurance Institute of Michigan. "If other companies find that people want this type of coverage, they're going to want to start offering it, too."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Detroit Michigan Allstate
Progressive, the third largest auto insurer in the nation with 10.4 million customers in all 50 states, was the first to offer pet accident coverage in summer 2007, says Miriam Deitcher, the company's director of marketing.
"We did it because we know how much our customers love their dogs and cats," Deitcher says. "At first we provided $500 worth of coverage, but in March, we increased that to $1,000, to make sure we're covering even more."
Auto-Owners Insurance, which has 4.6 million policyholders in 25 states, and Farmers Insurance, with 10 million auto customers in 20 states, also offer coverage for pets injured in vehicle crashes.
"We estimate more than 63% of our customers have pets, and caring for them after an accident can be expensive," says Brian Dwyer, a Farmers senior vice president.
People whose pets are injured in a vehicle accident can file a claim under property damage if their insurance provider does not offer specialized pet coverage, says Krissy Posey, a spokeswoman for Allstate insurance, which does not offer pet coverage. What auto insurance companies consider legitimate property damage differs from company to company and state to state, says Jeanne Salvatore of the Insurance Information Institute. In traditional policies, it wouldn't be unusual for a company to deny a claim of pet injuries based on property damage liability limits, she says.

Insurance

Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium, and can be thought of a guaranteed small loss to prevent a large, possibly devastating loss. An insurer is a company selling the insurance. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount, called the premium, to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice.

Principles of insurance

1. A large number of homogeneous exposure units. The vast majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of very large classes. Automobile insurance, for example, covered about 175 million automobiles in the United States in 2004.^[2] The existence of a large number of homogeneous exposure units allows insurers to benefit from the so-called “law of large numbers,” which in effect states that as the number of exposure units increases, the actual results are increasingly likely to become close to expected results. There are exceptions to this criterion. Lloyd's of London is famous for insuring the life or health of actors, actresses and sports figures. Satellite Launch insurance covers events that are infrequent. Large commercial property policies may insure exceptional properties for which there are no ‘homogeneous’ exposure units. Despite failing on this criterion, many exposures like these are generally considered to be insurable.
2. Definite Loss. The event that gives rise to the loss that is subject to insurance should, at least in principle, take place at a known time, in a known place, and from a known cause. The classic example is death of an insured person on a life insurance policy. Fire, automobile accidents, and worker injuries may all easily meet this criterion. Other types of losses may only be definite in theory. Occupational disease, for instance, may involve prolonged exposure to injurious conditions where no specific time, place or cause is identifiable. Ideally, the time, place and cause of a loss should be clear enough that a reasonable person, with sufficient information, could objectively verify all three elements.
3. Accidental Loss. The event that constitutes the trigger of a claim should be fortuitous, or at least outside the control of the beneficiary of the insurance. The loss should be ‘pure,’ in the sense that it results from an event for which there is only the opportunity for cost. Events that contain speculative elements, such as ordinary business risks, are generally not considered insurable.
4. Large Loss. The size of the loss must be meaningful from the perspective of the insured. Insurance premiums need to cover both the expected cost of losses, plus the cost of issuing and administering the policy, adjusting losses, and supplying the capital needed to reasonably assure that the insurer will be able to pay claims. For small losses these latter costs may be several times the size of the expected cost of losses. There is little point in paying such costs unless the protection offered has real value to a buyer.
5. Affordable Premium. If the likelihood of an insured event is so high, or the cost of the event so large, that the resulting premium is large relative to the amount of protection offered, it is not likely that anyone will buy insurance, even if on offer. Further, as the accounting profession formally recognizes in financial accounting standards, the premium cannot be so large that there is not a reasonable chance of a significant loss to the insurer. If there is no such chance of loss, the transaction may have the form of insurance, but not the substance. (See the U.S. Financial Accounting Standards Board standard number 113)
6. Calculable Loss. There are two elements that must be at least estimable, if not formally calculable: the probability of loss, and the attendant cost. Probability of loss is generally an empirical exercise, while cost has more to do with the ability of a reasonable person in possession of a copy of the insurance policy and a proof of loss associated with a claim presented under that policy to make a reasonably definite and objective evaluation of the amount of the loss recoverable as a result of the claim.
7. Limited risk of catastrophically large losses. The essential risk is often aggregation. If the same event can cause losses to numerous policyholders of the same insurer, the ability of that insurer to issue policies becomes constrained, not by factors surrounding the individual characteristics of a given policyholder, but by the factors surrounding the sum of all policyholders so exposed. Typically, insurers prefer to limit their exposure to a loss from a single event to some small portion of their capital base, on the order of 5 percent. Where the loss can be aggregated, or an individual policy could produce exceptionally large claims, the capital constraint will restrict an insurer's appetite for additional policyholders. The classic example is earthquake insurance, where the ability of an underwriter to issue a new policy depends on the number and size of the policies that it has already underwritten. Wind insurance in hurricane zones, particularly along coast lines, is another example of this phenomenon. In extreme cases, the aggregation can affect the entire industry, since the combined capital of insurers and reinsurers can be small compared to the needs of potential policyholders in areas exposed to aggregation risk. In commercial fire insurance it is possible to find single properties whose total exposed value is well in excess of any individual insurer’s capital constraint. Such properties are generally shared among several insurers, or are insured by a single insurer who syndicates the risk into the reinsurance market.