September 18, 2015 Insuring your car for storm damage Category 5 coverage: Is your policy hurricane-proof? No one expects to have their car float away in 12 feet of floodwater and end up perched atop a tree, or pinned under a house. But there were a lot of those kinds of insurance claims filed…
September 16, 2015 Car Repairs From Deer Collisions Will Cost More The latest insurance data show that the risk of hitting a deer with your car has not changed much from a year ago. But the cost of repairing your car if you’re unlucky enough to strike one is on the rise. State Farm reports that…
August 18, 2015 What does my credit rating have to do with my driving? Most auto-insurance companies use your consumer credit rating as a significant factor in determining what rate to charge you.Who knew?Maybe you. But two-thirds of customers didn’t know, according to a Government Accountability Office survey. Spokesman Mike Barry of the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade…
July 2, 2015 Dropped! 3 steps for dealing with a car insurance cancellation You reach into your mailbox and retrieve a letter from your auto insurance company. It says you and your car are being kicked to the curb. That’s right — you’re being hit with a car insurance cancellation. “What am I going to do?” you ask…
June 9, 2015 The auto gap insurance dilemma at the dealership: Take the coverage or leave it? While you’re signing a stack of paperwork in the dealer’s office and eyeing the set of keys to your brand-new ride, your salesman asks if you’d like to add another $500 to your final tab for something you’ve never heard of called “auto gap insurance.”…
May 17, 2015 Being A Loyal Auto Insurance Customer Can Cost You Many companies reward their most loyal customers with incentives, discounts and freebies. But in car insurance, the opposite can actually happen. A driver can be punished with a higher premium just for being loyal to the company. It’s called price optimization, and it happens to…
April 22, 2015 No secrets: What insurers know about you and how they use your personal data Before they decide how much you have to pay for your auto insurance, carriers probe deep into your background to determine how likely you are to file claims. Most consumers would be surprised to learn how much personal information is available to insurers, says Amy…
April 20, 2015 Will I really save on auto insurance as soon as I turn 25? If you’re a driver under 25, you’ve probably heard of the money magic that’s supposed to happen when you reach the quarter-century milestone, such as being able to rent a car at a standard rate — without young-driver surcharges. Another big plus of hitting the…
March 30, 2015 Should You Bundle Your Insurance Coverage? Maybe you saw an ad on TV touting cost savings associated with bundling insurance — purchasing multiple policies, such as for home and auto, through the same company — or your insurance agent suggested it. “Usual discounts are about 5 to 20 percent depending on…
March 24, 2015 Best Insurance Moves for April: Spring Cleaning for Your Insurance As you’re tackling dust bunnies and cluttered closets in your spring cleaning, don’t forget your insurance policies. They may need to be dusted off and refreshed, too. Reviewing and adjusting your insurance coverage is an important part of overall financial planning. Here’s what to look…
March 23, 2015 Price Optimization Allegations Challenged, NAIC Investigating Practice By Don Jergler | December 18, 2014Reaction to industry-wide price optimization allegations from a consumer group known to call out insurers has been somewhat critical yet guarded – however it appears regulators may already be starting to look into the practice.Consumer Federation of America this…
February 27, 2015 TOTALly worth the effort If your car is damaged in an accident to the point where repairs would cost more than the car is worth – it’s a “total loss.” Your, or the other driver’s insurance company, is supposed to offer you the actual cash value of your car.…
February 19, 2015 Insurance Commissioner notifies insurers to cease illegal pricing SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones today issued a notice to all property and casualty insurers doing business in California advising them that so-called “price optimization” in ratemaking is unfairly discriminatory and violates the law.Price optimization is used by insurers to set rates based…
February 2, 2015 Divorce and auto insurance: Splits boost cost If your marriage or domestic partnership ends, get ready for a possible hike in your car insurance premium. People often get discounts of up to 5 percent just for being part of a couple, says Jim Armitage, an insurance agent in Arcadia, Calif. That’s because…
August 28, 2014 Buying the Right Auto Insurance for Your Teen Driver When parents of a teen first watch their baby take the wheel, they may be too busy seeing the years flash before their eyes to focus on insurance for the family’s newest driver. Putting a new teen driver on the road can be scary —…
August 20, 2014 Finding the best car insurance for teens When parents of a teen first watch their baby take the wheel, they may be too busy seeing the years flash before their eyes to focus on insurance for the family’s newest driver. Putting a new teen driver on the road can be scary —…
July 15, 2014 Can Technology Disrupt The Consumer Insurance Market? In the late 1980s – before there was a Web – I had the privilege of working for the late great attorney Gene Anderson, hero of corporate policyholders, scourge of insurance companies. I was his ghostwriter – on legal briefs, articles, and the occasional speech…
June 24, 2014 Lyft your limits? People who live in neighborhoods where it’s been hard to get a cab are cheering the era of Uber and the rise of Lyft (pardon the pun). Getting stood up by a cab that was supposed to drive you to the airport? Hauling yourself out…
