Farmers Insurance Agreed to Pay $750,000 to the State... [Derived Headline]
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Farmers Insurance agreed to pay $750,000 to the state of North Dakota to settle claims of unfair auto insurance settlement practices, the state insurance department reported Thursday.Insurance Commissioner Jim Poolman said the fine is a result of unfair and arbitrary benchmarks that rewarded Farmers employees for limiting the amount paid in claims. Under North Dakota law, the insurance regulator has the right to examine a company's claim payment practices....

 Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Ga., Tim Chitwood Column: Gecko's Accent Irks Chap
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Jul. 2--So easy a caveman can Jerry Luquire called about a May 28 Monday Mail in which he was quoted, and he said the next time he's quoted in this column, he would like his comments to appear above the fold of the newspaper. Veterinarian Hank Hall called to offer congratulations on our Georgia Press Association awards:...

 GEICO Names Suzanne Worthen Assistant Vice President of Claims in Dallas
Monday, July 02, 2007
GEICO's board of directors recently announced that Suzanne Worthen of Macon, Ga., has been named assistant vice president of claims in the company's Dallas office.Originally from Dallas, Worthen began her career with GEICO in 1986 as a total loss evaluator in the company's North Dallas regional office. "I'm very excited about the new challenges ahead of me and look forward to working with the associates in Dallas again," Worthen said of her new opportunity....

 Car Cover Alert ; PERSONAL FINANCE INSURANCE
Sunday, July 01, 2007
More than 17 million Britons may be "driving in the dark" because they don't know if their car insurance will cover them abroad, says the price comparison site uSwitch.com In fact, many providers offer only third party cover south of Calais, which protects only the damage caused to another vehicle and its driver - the minimum they are required to offer by EU law. Says Aron Thompson: "This is a major issue for holidaymakers as they can end up facing an unpaid claim if they drive their car abroad without insurance lined up."(c) 2007 Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)....

 Internet AIDS Shopping Around for Finance Deals
Sunday, July 01, 2007
The internet is transforming so many personal finance transactions by making it easier to compare online the relative attractions of mortgages, bank accounts, personal loans, home or car insurance, credit cards and other financial products. But comparison sites are under attack in a campaign by insurer Direct Line, part of Royal Bank of Scotland, which claims they are "middlemen" providing "inaccurate" and "misleading" information. Direct Line says 41 per cent of consumers mistakenly believe that price comparison websites quote all major insurers, and 35 per cent believe all insurers, both big and small, are quoted....

 Admiral Insurance 'Multi-Car Couple'
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Simon Butler (my other half in the creative director role here at Grey) is away on holiday, and the workload has quadrupled. By complete coincidence, the first ad on my list is for Admiral motor insurance. What happen is as follows: the Admiral informs us that Andy and Jane have two cars in their household and that they have to go to the expense of insuring them separately....

 GEICO's Message to Holiday Drivers: Stay Focused--Don't Drive Distracted
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The 4th of July holiday is the most dangerous time of the year for drivers. It's when Americans experience the highest number of driver fatalities, according to research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company) is the fourth-largest private passenger auto insurer in the United States....

 Your MONEY: Play the Name Game and Save Big Money ; CASHPOINT
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A CREATIVE job description can cut your car insurance by a third, but be careful - get it wrong and the price goes up. Insurers raise premiums if they think your job makes you a bigger risk, so altering your job title can save you money. A barrister, for example, would pay pounds 459 to insure a Fiat Brava....

 Bristol West Launches Select 2.0 in Nebraska
Friday, June 29, 2007
DAVIE, Fla., June 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Bristol West Holdings, Inc. today announced that it has begun writing private passenger automobile insurance in Nebraska. With the addition of Nebraska, Bristol West now writes insurances in twenty-six states.Jeffrey J. Dailey, Bristol West's Chief Executive Officer, said "We are very pleased to be able to offer independent agents and insurance consumers in Nebraska, the 38th largest auto insurance market in the United States, additional choices for their auto insurance needs....

 Co-Op Members Share Pounds 158,000
Friday, June 29, 2007
CO-OPERATIVE Group members in North Wales are to share a pounds 158,000 dividend payout for the half year under a newprofits scheme.Payments of up to pounds 175 will be made by the consumer-owned group to almost 19,000 members in the region who qualify as a reward for their custom. Mark Robinson-Field, the group's Welshpool-based secretary in Wales, said: "Last yearwas a good one for the groupas awhole and, following the launch of our newmembership scheme, for the first time members can reap the rewards of our success across our diverse family of businesses."...

 Crist: PIP Session is Possible: Gov. Crist Said a Special Session to Discuss the State's No-Fault Auto Insurance Law is Possible, but That He Isn't Sure When It Would Occur
Friday, June 29, 2007
Jun. 28--TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist said Wednesday he "would be in favor of a special session" on auto insurance to be called before Florida's no-fault law expires on Oct. 1 but he wouldn't commit to how soon the session might be. Because Florida lawmakers have failed to renew the law, it will expire in October, leaving thousands of drivers free to carry no insurance at all. Crist acknowledged that because many drivers may see their insurance policies come up for renewal before October and rates adjusted because of the law, a session should be called "sooner rather than later."...

 Thanasin Insurance's Future Rests With Chinese Partner
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Jun. 26--The future of troubled Thanasin Insurance now hinges on its Chinese partner, TSB Trading Co, now that property tycoon Boon Vanasin has decided to back away from a deal. "I am committed to investing no more than 400 million baht in Thanasin, but the company has been found to need up to 560 million baht to cover its liabilities," said Dr Boon, who earlier had offered to lead a group with Chinese partners to rescue the debt-ridden firm. However, Dr Boon said he would still be active in advising the Chinese if they wanted to pursue a deal for Thanasin, whose main business is car insurance....

 J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Honda Models Capture Most Awards in 2007 APEAL Study
Thursday, June 28, 2007
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., June 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Honda captures four model segment awards -- more than any other vehicle nameplate this year -- according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study(SM) released today.Honda's four segment-leading models are the Fit (in a tie), CR-V, Ridgeline and Odyssey. BMW and Mercedes-Benz receive three segment awards, while Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen each garner two awards....

 CSC Licenses Legal Solutions Suite to State Auto Insurance
Thursday, June 28, 2007
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that Columbus, Ohio-based property and casualty (P&C) insurer State Auto Insurance Companies has licensed CSC's Legal Solutions Suite (LSS). State Auto will use LSS to streamline its management of legal expenses and improve communication with its panel of more than 500 external attorneys.CSC's Legal Solutions Suite, formerly known as Litigation Advisor, is Web-based legal management software comprised of Legal e-Bill, Legal Bill Analyzer and Legal Matter Manager, which can work together or as individual components....

 Hospitals Want Extension of No-Fault Law Required Personal Injury Protection Auto Insurance Will Expire on Oct. 1.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
A hospital lobbying group asked Gov. Charlie Crist Tuesday to call a special legislative session to hash out the future of no- fault automobile insurance before the state law sunsets Oct. 1. Hospitals rely on the mandatory medical coverage provided by auto insurers to help pay for care provided to accident victims, especially those without health insurance. In the special session, the Florida Hospital Association would like lawmakers to agree to extend or reform the No-Fault law, or replace it with some other form of mandatory medical coverage....

 A Premium Job
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Your occupation could dramatically cut the cost of your car insurance, research has revealed. Website confused.com, which is owned by Cardiff-based Admiral, shows a legal professional would pay only pounds 376.22 for a Fiat Brava if they were to describe themselves as a "lawyer", but if call themselves a "barrister", the insurance would increase to pounds 459.Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning....

 Hospitals Pass Resolution Asking for Special Session on PIP
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Jun. 26--TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Hospital Association Board of Trustees is asking Gov. Charlie Crist to call a special session on no-fault automobile insurance before it expires on Oct.1. Furthermore, 40 percent of all patients treated for motor vehicle crashes in Florida's hospital emergency rooms and trauma centers have no health insurance coverage to pay for necessary medical care other than PIP, the board said. If action is not taken to renew the law, Florida could be the only state in the nation with no mandatory automobile insurance coverage, trustees warn....

 WALES: Computer Comparison Sites Attacked ; Your MONEY
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
THE internet is transforming so many personal finance transactions - by making it so much easier to compare online the relative attractions of mortgages, bank accounts, personal loans, home or car insurance, credit cards and other financial products. Consumers clearly like to shop around: about 90% of income earned by www.moneysupermarket.com comes, directly or indirectly, from commission earned by sales. But comparison sites are under attack in a campaign by insurer Direct Line which claims they are providing "inaccurate", and "misleading" information....

 Silanis's Paperless Future ; Small Talk
Monday, June 25, 2007
Predictions about the paperless office have been around since the dawn of the computer age, but if The Independent's offices are anything to go by the elimination of paper is still an awfully long way off. Silanis, a Canadian software developer, is hoping to take us all one step closer to the paperless utopia as it lists on the Alternative Investment Market tomorrow. The company has a long track record for a new listing on the junior market, beginning trading way back in 1992, and is trading profitably, having been in the black for the past two years....

 CastlePoint Holdings, Ltd. And AequiCap Insurance Company Announce Risk Sharing Arrangement
Saturday, June 23, 2007
AequiCap Insurance Company, headquartered in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, is a leading provider of Workers Compensation and Commercial Auto Insurance in the state of Florida. In 2006, Aequicap Program Administrators generated total writings in excess of $150 million.About CastlePoint Holdings, Ltd....

 Editorial Political Risk Rocky Has to Come Clean -- but His Word Alone Isn't Enough
Saturday, June 23, 2007
IT'S hard to believe it, but City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo has managed to make Paris Hilton into a sympathetic creature.But it's getting hard for Delgadillo to explain away the increasing litany of alleged violations of city policy and state law against him and his wife.If Hilton's scofflaw behavior landed her in county jail, as Delgadillo demanded, shouldn't his own wife get a similar lesson in responsible citizenship?...

 QUOTE ME UNHAPPY ; Norwich Voted Worst Car Insurer
Friday, June 22, 2007
CAR insurance giant Norwich Union is the worst in Britain, say motorists. The biggest car insurer was marked down on value, quality of call centre staff, helpfulness and communication. NFU Mutual came top for the second year, praised for helpful staff and local offices instead of faraway call centres....

 Dallas Woman Earns GEICO Community Volunteer of the Year Award
Friday, June 22, 2007
Award ceremonies took place June 18 in Washington, D.C.Exler, a claims supervisor in GEICO's Dallas regional office for 18 years, has served as a court appointed guardian through CASA for three years.I am proud to be a CASA volunteer and I'm proud to work for an organization like GEICO that recognizes and rewards my efforts."...

 Insurance.Com Helps Navigate Deadliest Days to Drive This 4th of July Holiday
Friday, June 22, 2007
Insurance.com, the largest online auto insurance agency in the United States, encourages all motorists to drive safely during the upcoming 4th of July celebrations.A recent article published on Insurance.com, "Top Ten 4th of July Driving Tips", outlines a selection of safety suggestions intended to keep drivers and pedestrians safe this holiday."July 3rd and 4th are two of the most dangerous days on the roads, and statistically we see a spike in auto-related injuries and deaths," said Dave Roush, CEO of Insurance.com, in reference to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (previously featured in the Insurance.com article, "Deadliest Days to Drive.")...

 New Insurance Plan Comes Under Criticism
Friday, June 22, 2007
China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) has been criticized for increasing auto insurance rates in a draft measure announced on June 15.The Measures on Floating Premium Rates for Compulsory Vehicle Liability Insurance will be implemented on July 1. "CIRC will extensively listen to suggestions and improve measures to make sure they are scientifically and reasonably effective," Yuan Li, spokesman of CIRC said yesterday....