| An Independent Approach To Car Insurance
(NAPSI)-Many consumers are finding they can drive down the cost of car insurance-and the time it takes to select the right policy-by contacting an independent insurance agent or broker. Because they represent many different insurance companies, independent agents have the flexibility to review rates and coverage from competing carriers and get you the best deal. Plus, they can offer affordable protection for your home, business and other assets. So rather than spending hours gathering quotes from various companies, you can get it done with one simple call or visit to your independent agent or broker. If you're thinking of contacting an independent agent, here are a few things to consider: • What's your lifestyle? Many factors determine auto insurance rates, not just vehicle year, make and model.
Citizens Insurance Company of America Launches Connections(TM ...
HOWELL, Mich., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizens Insurance Company of America today announced the launch of a new homeowners insurance product, Connections(TM) Home, in Michigan. This announcement follows the launch of Connections Home by its affiliate, The Hanover Insurance Group, in Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New York, Ohio and Tennessee, where the product has increased homeowners' quotes for the company since its launch. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051031/NEM023LOGO ) Connections Home makes it easier for agents to sell and retain more business by providing a total account solution, competitive coverage packages, enhanced premium choices, an expanded appetite and reliable, more convenient service. The introduction of Connections Home completes Citizens' total account solution for personal lines, giving the company's agent partners the products they need to sell and retain more business.
MetLife may get new Beijing partner -sources
BEIJING/SHANGHAI, March 22 (Reuters) - The Shanghai partner of MetLife Inc. (MET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) has entered exclusive negotiations to team up with the top U.S. life insurer to restructure its joint venture in Beijing, sources close to the deal said on Thursday. If it goes ahead, MetLife would be able to consolidate its operations in China, a market with huge potential as only fewer than 4 percent of its 1.3 billion population have life insurance coverage. MetLife's premiums in China more than tripled last year to 392.9 million yuan ($51 million). At present, the company has two 50/50 joint ventures in China: United MetLife Insurance Co. in Shanghai and Sino-US MetLife Insurance Co. in Beijing. Its partner in Shanghai is Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., which is run by the son of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin and is an investment arm of the city government.
Bill's aim is to ease big pain for docs
Dr. Randy Wexler spends about an hour and a half each day away from patients, working on health-insurance paperwork. This includes going over changes in contracts and verifying for insurers that even longtime patients are indeed patients. On top of the time the Gahanna family physician spends on insurance is the time his nurses and office workers spend on the phone with insurance companies checking patients' coverage, resubmitting claims and updating Wexler's credential forms. "Right now, we spend an inordinate amount of time on paperwork," Wexler said. That could change. A bill introduced in the Ohio Senate and House aims to reduce the insurance paperwork. The bill, backed by the Ohio State Medical Association, would mandate clearer contracts, Web-based access to check patient coverage, and a standard online form for credential verification.
One Cat Dies and One Survives as Pets Best Insurance Processes ...
BOISE, ID -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 03/22/07 -- One cat dies and one survives as Pets Best Insurance pays first pet insurance claims caused by tainted pet food that has been recalled. Angela Taylor of Southern California fed tainted food from the recall list of cat food to her two cats. Some time after feeding the tainted food, she noticed that her two cats, Choco and Chunky, appeared listless, were staggering and were drinking water excessively. As the symptoms became more pronounced, she rushed both cats to an emergency veterinary hospital last week. Sadly, shortly after arrival Choco died of kidney failure. Chunky made it through initial treatments and appears likely to recover though continued visits to the veterinarian and more treatments are required. "We love our cats and we have never experienced any medical issues in their short lives.
State Farm Car Insurance: California Overcharges
Los Angeles, CA: According to consumeraffairs.com, the consensus regarding State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is that it may be a good company, just as long as you never have an accident. And you don't live in California. State Farm has been charging an inappropriate insurance surcharge to its California policy holders from 1997 to 2002. If the insurance company could not verify previous auto insurance, a surcharge would be placed on the insurer's premium, claiming that their accident record could not be properly verified. State Farm allegedly violated the California insurance code by charging California drivers an illegal fee for previously uninsured motorists. The California Insurance Code prevents insurance companies from discriminating against new drivers and previously uninsured motorists and consequently charging those people higher insurance rates.
Turn Lukewarm Leads into Loyal Customers
Zag Inc.'s CEO shows dealers how to use patience, consistency and some common sense to turn up the heat on those lukewarm online leads. Sure, you'd rather be able to feed your sales team hot leads of ready-to-buy consumers; people who want appointments for that very afternoon. That's an understandable, even good, strategy. But what about online window shoppers? How do you make the most of "lukewarm" online leads to seed future sales? The immediacy of the internet means it's easier than ever to find people close to a purchase, since consumers often have similar goals: find what they want and buy right away. Or, in the case of shopping for cars, get as close to the actual transaction as possible while online. Of course, there are some buyers who know what they want and if you don't have it, they won't be back.
Be careful with reverse mortgages
South Florida is one of the hottest markets in the nation for reverse mortgages. And yet, these types of loans -- which allow people age 62 and older to get payouts on the equity in their homes -- are more expensive in South Florida than many areas of the nation.
That's the situation in a nutshell. And it's easy to see how it came about. People are pressed for money, particularly post-hurricane needs for repairs and condo assessments. Reverse mortgages look attractive, because they don't require the borrower to pay the loan back unless they sell or move out of their home.
Add in low interest rates and some huge marketing efforts with such stars as Robert Wagner and James Garner as pitchmen. Borrowers are lining up. The number of loans, nationwide, doubled last year.
Silver lining in dark cloud of real estate
It's not true that reporting upbeat stories on the real estate beat is, for me, akin to Maynard G. Krebs' trying to say the word "w-w-w-w-work." However, since some readers continue to blame the messenger (me) for the message (home sales and prices are slowing; inventory is growing), it's time to empty our inbox of all of the pleasant news in residential real estate. .
Dental Insurance, Caregivers' Preventive Dental Visits ...
Children's dental insurance and caregivers' preventive dental care visits play a significant role as determinants of underserved African American children seeing a dentist, according to a study in this month's Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA).
The objective of the study, according to University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) researchers, was to investigate determinants of dental care visits among young, low-income African American children. They found that children with private dental insurance were five times more likely and children receiving Medicaid were about two times more likely to have visited a dentist than those without dental insurance.
Caregivers' preventive dental visits related to their children seeing dentist The researchers also found an association between a caregiver's prevention-oriented dental visit and their child seeing a dentist.
Dallas-based Direct Pet Health to acquire assets of First Pet Life
DALLAS Direct Pet Health Holdings Inc. announced today the finalization and agreement to acquire certain assets of First Pet Life. Through this acquisition Direct Pet Health has acquired the insurance contract as well as the back end support of a trusted pet insurance company, enabling DPHG to start writing policies and generating revenue instantly. .
Insurance company offers option for the 'well to do' and their ...
He hadn't been in the market for a new insurance company until he got his bill from State Farm Florida Insurance Co.
The price to insure Richard Halpern's home, on the Loxahatchee River in Tequesta, was set to rise to $28,000 from $9,000 the year before. And that was with a $5,000 credit Halpern received for being a good customer.
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Bill takes care of in-laws
California soon could become the first state where workers are paid for leaving their job to care for a seriously ill mother-in-law.Or father-in-law.Or brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild.Pending legislation would expand a 3-year-old, state-run program that provides temporary pay for bonding with a new child or caring for an ill parent, child, spouse or domestic partner.State Sen. Sheila Kuehl, a Santa Monica Democrat who proposed the new measure, Senate Bill 727, said it would create flexibility to help most families respond to health emergencies.California's current paid family leave program excludes too many people in a state of 37 million people, where it is not uncommon for extended family members to live together, Kuehl said."It was sort of artificial to say that if you happen to have a parent to take care of you, that's fine, but if you happen to only have your brother or sister, they can't take time off," Kuehl said.Carina Barlow, 42, of Vallejo said she could benefit from SB 727 some day.Barlow, a medical records clerk, said her employer balked two years ago when she sought a temporary leave to care for a diabetic brother who had suffered a heart attack.The incident forced Barlow to ask herself: What if she personally needed care? She is unmarried, with a young daughter, and her 80-year-old mother is in declining health, she said."Who's going to take care of me?" Barlow asked.
It's a Chronic Condition
April 16, 2007 issue - Jonathan Cohn has studied health care for more than a decade, and in that time he's heard hundreds of grim tales—people who skimp on doctors' visits and skip medications so they can make the rent; patients who died because, as he writes in his new book, they "literally could not afford" to fall ill. That book, "Sick: The Untold Story of America's Health Care Crisis—And the People Who Pay the Price," focuses in heart-rending detail on nine of those stories, the kind of which may well find their way into stump speeches in 2008. But it also brings a fresher perspective to the health-care debate, thanks to a second, more surprising source: Depression-era documents that tell nearly identical stories. Then, too, ailing people went without care as politicians and physicians sparred over its spiraling costs.
Is it time to buy a condo?
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- I was wondering if I was wise to buy a condo during this period where the market is falling? -Chima We all love bargains. But hey, if you're going to fish at the bottom of the pond, make sure you're at the bottom. Some County Board of Realtors put the price and sales stats online. You'll want to take a look at all of those numbers. .
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