State Farm snags top spot in customer satisfaction survey

When it comes to property and casualty (P&C) insurance, State Farm appears to be leading the way in keeping its customers happy. The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), developed by the University of Michigan, periodically measures consumer satisfaction with products and services – and State Farm recently snagged the top spot for P&C insurance. Read on…

Are lipstick laws next? Stop the driving ban craziness!

In the latest campaign against texting and driving, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a sample state law that would authorize police to stop a vehicle and issue a citation to drivers who are texting while driving. It’s intended to help states that are crafting new laws to prohibit texting while behind the wheel. Read on…

Who should pay for you to stop smoking?

There’s an effort underway by the American Lung Association to require group health insurance plans to pay for comprehensive smoking-cessation programs — meaning counseling combined with coverage for prescription and over-the-counter treatments. In its recent State of Tobacco 2009 Report, the association points to states like Pennsylvania as weak on insurance mandates for smoking-cessation programs. Read on…

Oops, we forgot to fix your insurance records – our bad!

Imagine being in a car accident and having your insurance company wrongly find you at fault. You then get the at-fault finding overturned, and think your insurance record has been rectified.

Countless Massachusetts residents found that their auto insurance companies never bothered to clean up their insurance records, and they ended up paying premiums based on at-fault accidents in their records. Read on…

Winter delivers $1 billion wallop

Heavy snow storms, aided by wind, are the third-largest cause of headaches for insurance companies each year. Only hurricanes and tornadoes cost more than winter. The Insurance Information Institute (III) recently announced that winter storms result in roughly $1 billion in insured losses each year. From 1999 to 2008, winter’s price tag was $7 billion in insured losses, according to III. Read on…

Dodge or death spiral? Health insurance rate hikes ruffle feathers

Health insurers are posting record profits these days. Despite this, many of them insist that they need to keep raising their rates substantially to remain viable. How is it that they can justify charging consumers more money when they’re already making money hand over fist? Read on…

Be careful when giving others permission to drive your car

The fine details of insurance policy language can make all the difference in the world. If you’re the policyholder, you can give someone permission to drive your car and he or she would be covered under your car insurance policy in the event of an accident. But let’s say your teenager – who is insured under your policy – gives someone else permission to drive, without your knowledge. Are they covered? Read on…

If I sold my life insurance policy. . . .

There’s a growing market for life insurance policies that are no longer needed — it’s called the life settlement market. Sellers of life insurance policies are generally over age 65 with health conditions that shorten their life expectancy. Read on…

State Farm considers going after Toyota

Will car insurance companies start suing Toyota to seek reimbursement for customer claims made as a result of faulty parts? State Farm, the nation’s largest home and auto insurance company, recently announced that it’s considering subrogation action against Toyota for claims State Farm paid due to defects that have been the subject of Toyota’s recalls. Read on…

Sleepy? Don’t drive

We know it’s against the law to drink and drive. But, if you live in New Jersey, it’s also against the law to sleep and drive. Sound strange? The law makes it illegal to knowingly drive a car while impaired by lack of sleep. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), New Jersey is the only state with such a law on the books, although other states have considered it. Read on…