Agents concerned of GM free MetLife insurance offer

Independent insurance agents in the Pacific Northwest have been voicing their apprehension over a promotion made by General Motors that offers auto buyers in the area a year of free MetLife Auto & Home liability and damage coverage.  In an effort to encourage more drivers in Washington and Oregon to purchase new GM vehicles, the auto manufacturer has announced that until September 6, when customers in those two states purchase a new 2010, 211, or 2012 car, crossover, or truck, they would also receive a free year of MetLife Home…

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NICB reveals top cities and states known for suspicious insurance claims

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) has released a report that has indicated that almost half of all of the suspicious property/casualty insurance claims made to insurance companies come from California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Michigan. In fact, those five states alone make up 49 percent of the total number of “questionable claims” in the entire country, according to the NICB’s calculations, as presented in the report. The NICB’s definition of a questionable claim is one that is passed on to the NICB by insurance companies who are members…

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U.K. regulators claim aggregators putting consumers at risk

Insurance regulators in the United Kingdom have found some problems with several online insurance quote aggregators, raising concerns as to whether the companies responsible for these websites were treating customers fairly. The Financial Services Authority has found instances of compliance failure with websites dealing in home and auto insurance. The regulatory group has been reviewing this particular sector of the insurance industry for several months now in an attempt to curtail fraud. So far, 19 companies have been found as failing to adhere to regulatory rules. Investigators reportedly discovered failures…

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NAIC survey reveals ways consumers have been saving money on car insurance

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has released the results of a survey that determined the top ways that consumers have made lifestyle changes within the last year in order to save money with their car use to reduce their insurance fees. Over the last twelve months, 53 percent of Americans made this type of change with car insurance costs in mind. The insurance commissioners’ survey showed that the following changes were made by consumers: Among automobile owners, almost 20 percent exchanged their car for a less costly model…

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American Agents Alliance initiative seeks discount for consumers maintaining car insurance

A California agents group, the American Agents Alliance, is moving forward with an initiative that would offer a discount to consumers who have persistently maintained their vehicle insurance, no matter their insurer or insurance company.  The current law states that this persistency discount is allowed only when the coverage has been continually kept with the same company.  However, the initiative sought by the Agents Alliance is comparable to Proposition 17 in 2010 – which lost by only 2 percent – and would have permitted consumers to carry their persistency discount…

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