Ole Miss Law Hosts Forum on Health Care
Friday, October 30, 2009
Oct. 30--OXFORD -- Five panelists brought vastly differing perspectives on America's health care reform to a discussion on Thursday at the University of Mississippi School of Law. Panelists included Aaron Sisk, senior attorney with the Mississippi Insurance Department; Gerard Gibert, CEO of Venture Technologies; Richard Roberson, special assistant to the executive director of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid; Gerald Wages, executive vice president for external affairs, North Mississippi Health Services, Inc., and member of the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association; and Dr. Randy Easterling, president of the Mississippi State Medical Association. Asked by moderator Andy Taggart what the role of the federal government should be in health care, Wages said it should be that of providing "a safety net."...

 DRIVE DOWN YOUR COSTS ; Insurance Tips for Younger Motorists
Friday, October 30, 2009
YOUNG drivers could steer clear of big increases in car insurance costs by acting on a few simple tips, it's claimed.Spokesman Gary Bucke said: "There are many ways to cut premiums and all of them are legal. Mr Bucke said: "Join a club - members of owners' clubs can get discounts of up to 15 per cent on car insurance through them and there's a club for just about every car from a Trabant to a Micra or even a Ferrari....

 State Auto Moves Nativity Scene
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oct. 29--One of central Ohio's long-running holiday traditions is getting a makeover and a new location this year. The State Auto Insurance Companies' Nativity display -- an elaborate exhibit erected at Christmastime since the 1950s in front of the insurance company's headquarters, 518 E. Broad St. -- will move around the corner to a park on the east side of the property. "We think it will deliver much more of an experience for visitors," spokesman Kyle Anderson said....

 EDITORIAL: Process Bypassed, so Shut Up and Pay Up
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Oct. 29--It's pretty apparent why state Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson got into politics. Nelson and his fellow Democrats passed a state budget this summer that contained a number of nonbudget items. One such provision will, for the first time, require everyone licensed to drive in Wisconsin to have auto insurance....

 2Insure4Less.Com Makes Researching and Choosing Auto Insurance Easy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- To find the best car insurance, consumers need to examine their options. 2Insure4Less.com, an online comparison service for insurance quotes (http://www.2insure4less.com), has facilitated such research by devoting an entire section of its free Web site to helping individuals find and compare quality auto insurance."Researching the best options for insurance quotes and benefits is a definite 'must' for people with a newly purchased car, but it is also a very good idea for those with existing policies," said Furkat Kasimov of 2Insure4Less.com....

 Texas Pedestrian Accidents Jump 23% During Halloween ; Allstate Asks Texans to Avoid Texting While Treating
Thursday, October 29, 2009
IRVING, Texas, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On average, the number of Texans hit by cars spikes 23.3% during Halloween week, according to Allstate Insurance Company. Last year, Allstate says its number of claims involving pedestrians more than doubled over Halloween week compared with the rest of 2008.The Allstate data coincides with a report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that found October 31 is the second highest pedestrian death day of the year behind Fourth of July....

 Life Quotes, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Life Quotes reported revenues of $3.2 million for the third quarter of 2009, a decrease of 22 percent from revenues of $4.1 million for the same quarter of 2008. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, the Company is reporting a net loss of $1,085,000, or $0.16 per share, as compared to a loss of $344,000, or $0.05 per share in the same period last year.Our Q3 2009 results were also affected by approximately $117,000 in expenses related to the October 9, 2009 sale of our name and specified website assets, which we are required to recognize as Q3 expenses, even though the sale did not close until October."...

 GEICO Will Hire 40 Customer Service Professionals for Dallas Office By Year End
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
GEICO's Dallas operations center is actively recruiting and plans to hire 40 new associates during by the end of 2009. Since GEICO's Dallas operations center opened in 1986, the office has grown to employ more than 1,200 associates -- and it has no plans of stopping.Because of GEICO's continued growth, the company is hiring career oriented candidates to take care of their customers....

 AXA Assigns Car Insurance Brief
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
French insurer AXA has appointed ad agency MWO to help develop its planned car insurance brand. The agency has been hired to shape the proposition, which, according to AXA group marketing and distribution director Olivier Mariee, will focus on 'more discerning and experienced' consumers.AXA has briefed MWO to create the tone and positioning of the brand, and the agency is also creating the launch advertising....

 EDITORIAL ; Dems' License to Kill
Monday, October 26, 2009
Democrats on Beacon Hill are all about standing up for the little guy. At the bidding of public employee unions and some car insurance providers, the party in power is doing its best to kill a pilot program that allows thousands of Massachusetts motorists to renew licenses and car registrations without waiting in endless Registry lines.The Registry of Motor Vehicles has coped with the fiscal crisis by closing seven branches since July - doubling wait times - but has been operating a pilot program that allowed members of the American Automobile Association to conduct routine business at AAA offices in Newton and Worcester....

 EDITORIAL: Dems' License to Kill
Monday, October 26, 2009
Oct. 26--Democrats on Beacon Hill are all about standing up for the little guy. At the bidding of public employee unions and some car insurance providers, the party in power is doing its best to kill a pilot program that allows thousands of Massachusetts motorists to renew licenses and car registrations without waiting in endless Registry lines. The Registry of Motor Vehicles has coped with the fiscal crisis by closing seven branches since July -- doubling wait times -- but has been operating a pilot program that allowed members of the American Automobile Association to conduct routine business at AAA offices in Newton and Worcester....

 Wis.: No one taking blame for higher car insurance
Monday, October 26, 2009
MADISON, Wis. - As insurance companies begin mailing notices to Wisconsin customers telling them that their auto premiums are likely to increase soon, state politicians are scrambling to avoid the blame.The new insurance requirements were approved by the Democratic-controlled Legislature earlier this year.Assembly Majority Leader Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna, said in an Oct. 7 letter to a constituent who inquired about higher premiums that "any premium increases are due to the business decisions of insurance providers rather than any action taken by the Legislature."...

 Stealer's Wheel Bill
Sunday, October 25, 2009
MY car was stolen and when the police recovered it the alloys were damaged. YES but it may be difficult to pursue if he has no money or assets. You could bill your car insurer if you have fully comprehensive cover but this may affect your no-claims bonus....

 Star Tribune, Minneapolis, John Ewoldt Column: Buy or Skip Insurance at the Rental Car Counter?
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Oct. 25--In 2005 I advised readers to refuse all of the extra insurance offered at the car rental counter. I declined the $20 per day insurance that would cover me for loss of use and downtime, but I called my insurance agent for reassurance. If a rental car agent in search of a commission could almost convince me that I need this insurance, it's worth a reminder that anyone with auto insurance purchased in Minnesota is automatically insured for $35,000 of coverage when renting a car....

 Changes to Auto Insurance Laws Are Complex and Have Deadlines
Friday, October 23, 2009
Oct. 23--JANESVILLE -- Requirements for Wisconsin automobile insurance change Nov. 1, and by June 2010 every Wisconsin driver will be required to have liability insurance. The new mandates were approved by the Legislature and signed into law in June by Gov. Jim Doyle as part of the state budget. Andrew J. Franken, president of the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, answered questions about the changes:...

 Calling All Student Artists and Filmmakers, GEICO Wants You to Spread Word on Safety Belts
Friday, October 23, 2009
Attention all budding filmmakers and artists, it's time to grab a camera and a sketch pad and get to work to enter the GEICO Safety Belt Video and Poster Contest.The national contest is all about who can best illustrate the message that safety belts save lives, and everyone needs to make sure they buckle up.Close to 100 students won GEICO cash awards at the end of last year's contest....

 Perot Systems wins Esurance contract
Thursday, October 22, 2009
PLANO, Texas - Perot Systems Corp. said Thursday it had won a 5-year contract to migrate and host the PeopleSoft application at auto insurer Esurance, as well as provide service desk assistance.Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.Perot Systems currently manages over 3 million policies for more than 30 life insurance and annuity providers globally....

 Driven Mad By Insurance Hike
Thursday, October 22, 2009
THE cost of car insurance is rising at the fastest rate on record, research showed yesterday.Average premiums for comprehensive cover jumped by 5.6 per cent in the three months to the end of September, the biggest increase since the AA first started monitoring the market in 1994. The annual rate at which the cost of the cover is rising hit a newhigh of 14 per cent....

 Schwarzenegger Vetoes Bipartisan Bill to Extend Low-Cost Auto Insurance Program for Low Income Californians
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Program Has Insured About 50,000 Californians at No Cost to TaxpayersSANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Despite unanimous support from the State Assembly, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed legislation that would have extended California's Low Cost Auto Insurance program for low-income families. Since its inception in 2000, when it was just a pilot program, through last month, 48,940 low-cost policies have been purchased by Californians, between 80-96 percent of whom were uninsured prior to enrolling....

 Admiral Group Trumpets the Arrival of Elephant Auto Insurance in Virginia ; US Operation Launched in Virginia - Elephant Brings Big Coverage, Big Savings to the US Auto Insurance Market
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Admiral Group plc, a leading auto insurer in the UK, is proud to announce the launch of Elephant Insurance, its first operation in the United States. Elephant will follow Admiral's successful direct-to-consumer business model, serving customers via the phone and internet. Elephant, Admiral's fifth insurance operation outside of the UK, is debuting following the rising trend in online shopping in the US auto insurance market....

 GIS' Pangea for Insurance Implemented By State Auto to Streamline Processes
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The State Auto Insurance Companies have implemented Pangea for Insurance, a product of General Information Services, Inc. (GIS), enhancing State Auto's position as a technologically advanced insurance company.The insurance solution was implemented on June 29 and is helping State Auto remain on the cutting edge."Like State Auto, we strive to be technologically advanced," explained GIS owner and CEO Raymond Conrad....

 Admiral Group Trumpets the Arrival of Elephant Auto Insurance in Virginia
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Admiral Group plc, a leading auto insurer in the UK, is proud to announce the launch of Elephant Insurance, its first operation in the United States. Elephant will follow Admiral's successful direct-to-consumer business model, serving customers via the phone and internet.Elephant, Admiral's fifth insurance operation outside of the UK, is debuting following the rising trend in online shopping in the US auto insurance market....

 Texas Auto Insurance Rates Decline 14.2 Percent in 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Other Texas median rates by demographic group include:Men in Texas have a median auto insurance rate almost seven percent higher than women.Drivers in Texas 19 years of age or younger pay a median auto insurance rate that is over 140 percent higher than drivers age 75 or older....

 Bank of Illinois, Parent BOI Financial Working to Get House in Order Under Agreement With Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago: Executive Who Had Criticized Wal-Mart's Banking Ambitions Must Submit Plan for Strengthening Bank
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
and its $246.7 million-asset Bank of Illinois unit must submit a plan to strengthen the bank board's oversight of management and hire an independent third party to review the loan portfolio. "The failure of Wal-Mart would pose an enormous systemic risk to the FDIC insurance fund," Larry Maschhoff, Bank of Illinois president, testified at FDIC offices in Arlington, Va. "What if Enron ... Bank of Illinois, which bills itself as, "The locally owned leader since 1914," said it's working with customers and regulators to address issues laid out in the agreement, and is committed to serving its community "for many years to come."...

 Insurer Starts Small / Elephant's Light Mood Belies Heavy Emphasis on Cutting Costs
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Insurer starts small Elephant's light mood belies heavy emphasis on cutting costsYou've got to watch your step in the offices of Virginia's newest auto insurer. The atmosphere at Elephant Insurance Co. is not what most people would expect of a British insurance giant's first venture into the U.S....