Mercury is looking to raise its auto insurance rates by $89 million in California, a move that consumer advocates are calling “illegal.” Consumer Watchdog, a group concerned with making the California insurance industry more consumer friendly, claims that the insurer is looking to pass a new law that would allow it to raise rates for good drivers that have, simply, not driven for a period of time for any reason. Mercury Chairman George Joseph claims that the legislation the company is backing would save policyholders money, but Consumer Watchdog calls such…
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Auto Insurance in California – What you need to know
California has stringent requirements when it comes to car insurance. As of 2006, drivers must provide proof of financial ability to cover the expenses related to a motor vehicle accident. Any uninsured vehicle will be impounded immediately and in addition to the expenses related to impounding the car, the driver will receive a large fine. Drivers are also financially liable for any accident in which they are involved. Providing proof of financial ability can take one of several forms in California. Drivers can provide the state of California with a…
Read MoreCalifornia awarded federal grants to make insurance rate review process more efficient
The state of California has been struggling to rein in one rampant rate increases coming from a number of health insurance companies. High rates are spurred by rising costs in health care and the state has been having trouble coping with the sheer number of rate proposals coming in. Short falls in the rate review process can, sometimes, put consumers at unnecessary financial risk. To help the state establish a more efficient review process, the federal government has awarded California with more than $4.3 million in grants. The California Department…
Read MoreFine for using mobile phone while driving increases to $528 maximum
Legislation created to increase the number of tickets issued for driving while using a handheld mobile phone and to increase the maximum fine to $528, has been sent to Governor Jerry Brown (D) from the California legislature. The California Senate has already given Senate Bill 28 its final approval by a 23 to 13 vote. The Assembly had previously voted for it by 51 to 21 in July. The bill will raise the current fines for using a hand held mobile phone while driving from $208 to $328 for the…
Read MoreSome California cities will continue with red light cameras
Various cities in Southern California have chosen to continue their commitment to enforcing red lights with cameras, regardless of L.A.’s decision to terminate the program. There was a unanimous vote in the Los Angeles City Council (13-0) in favor of ending the program after city officials deemed the payment of the fines for tickets issued by the cameras to be voluntary. This angered many motorists who had already paid their own tickets. Cities who remain committed to the program include Beverly Hills, where the program for red light cameras has…
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