Doherty in court on motoring charge
Posted 2:23 AM Feb-04-2010
Rock star Pete Doherty (right) is to appear in court accused of letting his manager use his car without insurance.Andrew Boyd was driving a Daimler -- allegedly Doherty's -- when he hit a pedestrian in Hadleigh, Suffolk, on September 27 last year.A police spokeswoman said: "A 30-year-old man has been summonsed to court to answer a charge of permitting the use of a vehicle without insurance following a road traffic collision."...

 Geico is United Way's largest donor ? again
Posted 9:23 PM Feb-03-2010
Feb. 3--Geico and its employees once again have been named United Way of Central Georgia's top contributor. Geico's Macon office pledged $838,429 for the 2009 United Way campaign -- an increase of $70,000, or 9 percent, more than last year's total, according to a news release. "The money they raised will go a long way in helping strengthen our local communities and help people in need in these still challenging economic times," Jim Manley, 2009 United Way's campaign chairman and president/CEO of SunTrust Bank, Middle Georgia, said in the release....

 CarInsurance.com Expands Car Insurance Options in 2010
Posted 7:23 PM Feb-03-2010
CarInsurance.com recently added Infinity Insurance in California and Starr Indemnity & Liability Company in Arizona. CarInsurance.com also expanded their car insurance tools at http://www.carinsurance.com/Premium-Index.aspx....

 Inflated Medical Bills and Bogus Claims Drive Up Cost of No-Fault Auto Insurance in New York, I.I.I. Finds
Posted 2:23 PM Feb-03-2010
New York's Automobile Insurance System Is Currently 'Under Siege,' I.I.I.'s President To TestifyALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fraud and abuse in New York's no-fault auto insurance system cost consumers and insurers nearly $230 million in 2009, constituting a "fraud tax" of $1,561, or 22 percent of every no-fault claim, according to Dr. Robert Hartwig, an economist and president of the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).Since 2005, no-fault fraud has cost the state's consumers and insurers more than $600 million, Dr. Hartwig estimates, pointing out that the average cost of a no-fault auto insurance claim in New York State soared 55 percent between 2004 and 2009 as dishonest medical providers submitted inflated and sometimes bogus bills for services rendered to insurers....

 Six-Month National Median Car Insurance Rate Now $702
Posted 11:22 AM Feb-02-2010
The national median car insurance rate for a six-month policy is currently $702 according to InsWeb, a leading online insurance comparison provider. InsWeb also released national median rate data for specific demographic groups including men, women, and age groups ranging from teenagers to seniors. "While much of what determines a driver's auto insurance rate is beyond his or her control, many are still paying more than they have to," said Brad Cooper, Senior Vice President at InsWeb....

 Insurance rules unveiled
Posted 8:22 PM Feb-01-2010
Massachusetts Toyota owners who believe they got into accidents due to pedal problems can appeal recent or even old car-insurance surcharges, the state Division of Insurance has ruled.Regulators decided Friday that owners of vehicles covered by Toyota's massive recall can ask to reverse surcharges if consumers can prove that uncontrolled auto acceleration caused their accidents."In light of the recently announced recall of certain models of Toyota vehicles for unintended acceleration, the Division of Insurance is issuing this (ruling for) drivers who may have received an at-fault determination as a result of (an) accident," officials wrote in a consumer alert....

 Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates Qualifies Initiative for June 2010 Ballot ; Measure expands auto insurance discount for California drivers
Posted 1:21 PM Feb-01-2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates, a coalition of consumer advocates, businesses, senior organizations, taxpayer advocates and insurers, announced today that the Secretary of State has certified the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act for the June 8, 2010 Primary Election ballot. CalFAIR submitted 726,199 signatures and needed 433,971 valid signatures in order to qualify. The Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act fixes this inconsistency and makes the discount portable....

 Cincinnati Financial Corporation Announces Addition to Board
Posted 10:21 AM Feb-01-2010
CINCINNATI, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cincinnati Financial Corporation - The Cincinnati Financial board of directors, at its regular meeting on January 29, 2010, added a fourteenth seat to the board, appointing Linda W. Clement-Holmes to fill the seat effective February 1, 2010. She also will serve on the audit committee.Clement-Holmes is senior vice president, Global Diversity and Global Business Services, for The Procter & Gamble Company....

 Cincinnati Financial Corporation Subsidiaries Announce Appointments and Promotions
Posted 10:21 AM Feb-01-2010
New Appointments to Associate Counsel: Thomas C. Hogan Paul J. Johnson Joseph A. McGeeCincinnati Financial Corporation offers business, home and auto insurance, our main business, through The Cincinnati Insurance Company and its two standard market property casualty companies. The same local independent insurance agencies that market those policies may offer products of our other subsidiaries, including life and disability income insurance, annuities and surplus lines property and casualty insurance....

 Insurance rise to be welcomed
Posted 2:21 AM Feb-01-2010
I refer to your recent article on car insurance ('Motor insurance up 20% in year', January 29).If someone is injured and suffering because of someone else's negligence, that person is absolutely within his rights to claim fair redress -- regardless of the severity of the injury.The fact that more people are becoming aware of their rights should be welcomed and it should also be noted that a claim for compensation cannot succeed unless negligence is proven....

 Swinton Warns Drivers of Sat Nav Dangers
Posted 8:21 PM Jan-31-2010
Swinton, the UK's leading high street insurance retailer is warning motorists to beware of the potentially dangerous effects of in-car navigation systems.A survey of 1,200 Swinton car insurance customers showed that one in five had hesitated on a busy road as a result of their sat nav. One in fifty also admitted that their sat nav had either caused or nearly caused an accident.Steve Chelton, insurer development manager at Swinton, the UK's leading high street car insurance retailer said: "We are seeing more drivers making claims for damage to their vehicles after following their sat navs to unsuitable roads....

 Consumer Advocate Harvey Rosenfield Hosting Telephone News Conference Wednesday, January 20 @ 11:00 AM PST
Posted 12:20 AM Jan-30-2010
Will Release Smoking Gun Video Showing How Mercury Insurance Ballot Initiative Will Legalize Massive Increases to Californians' Car Insurance PremiumsSANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Harvey Rosenfield, founder of Consumer Watchdog and author of Proposition 103, will host a telephone-news conference tomorrow, Wednesday, January 20 at 11:00 a.m. to show how a deceptive 2010 ballot initiative sponsored by Mercury Insurance will subject California motorists to massive increases to their car insurance premiums. The Campaign for Consumer Rights will release a video Wednesday, January 20, at http://StopTheSurcharge.org, that will blow the case wide open against Mercury Insurance, which denies that its initiative will result in substantial premium hikes....

 BRIEF: State insurance department recovers $4 million for consumers with coverage complaints
Posted 6:36 PM Jan-27-2010
Jan. 27--The Idaho Department of Insurance says it recovered more than $4 million for Idaho consumers in 2009. Consumer affairs officers helped hundreds of Idahoans settle disputes with insurance companies, the agency said. Auto insurance issues accounted for 19 percent of complaints....

 Get Mileage Out of One's Insurance Quotes at InsuranceQuotesUS.com
Posted 10:35 AM Jan-25-2010
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers have their hands full with this bill and that bill in a tough economy.If consumers find themselves in need of auto insurance, a drive over to InsuranceQuotesUS.com gives them the opportunity to save money on their auto insurance and be properly covered at the same time.Submit an auto insurance online quote to the service and the company will use that information to locate the best results for the consumer....

 Help Wanted: Seeking a Friendly Hard-Worker Who Has a Passion for Insurance to ˜Help Flo'
Posted 7:34 AM Jan-25-2010
The Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City on Jan. 28-29Video try-outs can also be submitted at www.helpflo.com beginning January 25 through March 21."It's been really busy in our Superstore and I'm psyched to have an extra pair of hands to help all of my friends, I mean, our customers," said Flo, Progressive's always-happy-to-help insurance clerk....

 C0ST OF CAR INSURANCE SOARS 20% ; Average premium pounds 564
Posted 2:34 AM Jan-25-2010
THE cost of insuring a car has raced ahead in the last 12 months, new figures show.The average annual premium is now pounds 564.19 - almost 20 per cent more than it was this time last year, according to market research firm Consumer Intelligence.Those who have endured the biggest rise are 17 to 24-year-olds, with the average premium going up nearly 25 per cent to pounds 1489....

 GEICO Teams up with Junior Achievement to Teach Students at Burdell-Hunt Magnet School for 7th Consecutive Year
Posted 10:33 AM Jan-22-2010
For the seventh consecutive year, 24 GEICO associates are taking on teaching assignments at Burdell-Hunt Magnet School next week, Jan. 25 -- 29, to assist the Junior Achievement of Georgia. "It's a tremendous honor to have business leaders in our community like GEICO come to our school to provide instruction about the importance of economics," said Burdell-Hunt Principal Tanya Allen. The partnership with GEICO and Junior Achievement provides real-world financial and educational activities whereby the students will gain life goals for their spending habits."...

 INTERNET SAVINGS ; Go online to get the best deals
Posted 4:32 AM Jan-21-2010
ALMOST a fifth of Britons don't use the internet, but it is an essential tool for anyone who is serious about saving money.Going online to handle your finances and track down the best deals on everything from bank accounts to gas and electricity could save more than pounds 500 a year."In the end, I decided to go with Aviva, but I wouldn't have known they were the best if I hadn't looked at the comparison websites."...

 Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates Qualifies Initiative for June 2010 Ballot
Posted 9:32 PM Jan-20-2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates, a coalition of consumer advocates, businesses, senior organizations, taxpayer advocates and insurers, announced today that the Secretary of State has certified the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act for the June 8, 2010 Primary Election ballot. CalFAIR submitted 726,199 signatures and needed 433,971 valid signatures in order to qualify. The Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act fixes this inconsistency and makes the discount portable....

 Consumer group assails auto insurance initiative
Posted 8:32 PM Jan-20-2010
Jan. 20--An initiative that would change the way auto insurance premiums can be calculated under California's landmark Proposition 103 was certified Wednesday to appear on the June 8 ballot, just hours after the author of the existing law assailed it as a deceitful attempt to raise insurance rates for millions of drivers. Harvey Rosenfield, founder of the group Consumer Watchdog and the author of Proposition 103 in 1988, said the new initiative would raise rates substantially for any motorist who, for whatever reason, has gone more than 90 days without insurance. To dramatize his claim, Rosenfield unveiled a video in which he used a Mercury Insurance Web site to obtain a rate quote using an address in Nevada, where surcharges are allowed for drivers who have had a lapse in coverage....

 Cal-FAIR Responds to Opposition of the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act ; Comparing California to Nevada?; Really?; Opponents of the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act Are Comparing Apples to Oranges in Baffling Attempt to Fight A Measure That Will Lower Auto Insurance Rates for More Than 80% of CA Drivers.
Posted 8:32 PM Jan-20-2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates, a coalition of consumer advocates, businesses, taxpayer advocates and insurers, issued the following statement today in response to opponents' conference call news conference opposing the Continuous Coverage Auto Discount Act which will be on the June 2010 ballot. "Contrary to what opponents have said about the measure, the fact is that the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act will encourage competition and choice in the auto insurance marketplace. It will save consumers money on their auto policies, and it will reward the more than 80% of responsible California drivers who maintain auto insurance as required by law....

 Cal-FAIR Responds to Opposition of the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act
Posted 5:32 PM Jan-20-2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Jan 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Californians for Fair Auto Insurance Rates, a coalition of consumer advocates, businesses, taxpayer advocates and insurers, issued the following statement today in response to opponents' conference call news conference opposing the Continuous Coverage Auto Discount Act which will be on the June 2010 ballot. "Contrary to what opponents have said about the measure, the fact is that the Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act will encourage competition and choice in the auto insurance marketplace. It will save consumers money on their auto policies, and it will reward the more than 80% of responsible California drivers who maintain auto insurance as required by law....

 New Evidence: Mercury Insurance Ballot Initiative Will Legalize Massive Increases In Californians Auto Insurance Premiums
Posted 3:32 PM Jan-20-2010
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Motorists pay surcharges of 73% or more for auto insurance in states where Mercury Insurance is allowed to penalize people for not having prior insurance coverage, according to Mercury's own web site.The Campaign for Consumer Rights released a video at http://stopthesurcharge.org/ that shows how a deceptive 2010 ballot initiative sponsored by Mercury Insurance would legalize such surcharges in California, despite claims by Mercury that its proposal will not lead to higher premiums.The video shows that Mercury Insurance charges Nevada drivers a $1,200 surcharge if they are not carrying auto insurance when they apply to Mercury Insurance....

 Benefits of Online Auto Insurance Comparisons Highlighted
Posted 7:32 AM Jan-20-2010
DALLAS, Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The Internet has given consumers many tools and advantages which can be utilized to help find the best products at the right price; OnlineAutoInsurance.com believes that having these valuable resources at one's fingertips can be extremely beneficial when making a purchase as important as auto insurance coverage.The Internet allows for motorists to obtain the rates of competitors in a fast and convenient manner and also allows an individual to research the insurers that may be considered for protection to ensure quality and reputation.All of these issues can be researched and clarified in a very efficient manner online....

 Henrico-based insurer gets stronger / It signs long-term reinsurance agreements with 2 German firms
Posted 4:32 AM Jan-20-2010
Henrico-based insurer gets stronger It signs long-term reinsurance agreementsElephant Insurance, the Henrico County-based company that is a subsidiary of a British insurance giant, has signed deals that give it even more financial muscle.The company said yesterday that it has signed reinsurance contracts with Munich Re and Hannover Re, two of the world's largest firms in the business of insuring insurers....