Unless you are extremely wealthy, chances are you want to purchase quality auto insurance at the lowest rate possible. There are in fact a number of ethical and well-respected car insurance providers that offer affordable coverage at prices even people with tiny budgets can manage. The trick is to know how to evaluate all the options so that you choose the one that will be the best fit for your state. Here are some tips on how to find and establish insurance with a provider that offers excellent coverage at cheap prices.
Learn what your local jurisdiction requires in terms of auto insurance coverage. This will help you focus on insurance providers who can at least provide the minimum amount of coverage required by law, and not waste time on other providers who cannot meet those requirements.
Assemble a comprehensive list of how and when you use your vehicle. You want to include details such as whether or not the vehicle is musty as transportation to and from work, the approximate amount of mileage incurred each week, and who besides you will operate the vehicle. Also have details about your driving record for at least the last five years on hand, as well as a list of any safety equipment that is on the vehicle. All these factors can impact the amount of the quote you receive.
Obtain a quote from a well-known and respected auto insurance provider. What you are attempting to do is establish a standard that you can use to compare other offers from less expensive companies. This will succor you know if a given quote for the same amount of coverage is cheaper, the same, or more expensive than what you could get with the larger providers.
Get rates based on the duration of the coverage period. Most companies offer annual and semi-annual periods. You may catch a slightly lower rate by going with a longer period of coverage.
Consider higher deductibles for your coverage. This can mean a lower rate for several of the components of the overall coverage. Make clear the deductibles you specify are reasonable for your financial situation.
Get some references before you notice anything. The coverage may be cheap, but you also want to know the company provides everything they claim. Look online for consumer reports or check with the local government agency that maintains data on all insurance providers accepted to operate in your area.
Read the terms and conditions carefully, and ask questions if you don’t understand any clause or stipulation found within the body of the documents. While you want a cheap rate, you also want to make determined you understand how your coverage works. Policies with a gross rate but convoluted terms may not be your best option in the long run.
Avoid any insurance provider that attempts to coerce you into making a snap decision, no matter how dazzling you find the rate. Reputable companies will be as interested in making sure you understand the coverage as they are in getting your business.
Filed under Mercury Auto Insurance by on Mar 13th, 2011. Comment. 
If you live in the state of California, it is a good idea to know what laws, regulations and protections the state has created regarding car insurance. Understanding California state auto insurance laws will form shopping for a policy much easier, and will allow you to make decisions based on your inherent rights as a resident of the Golden Station.
Access to Auto Insurance Quotes
According to the California Department of Insurance, the state of California passed Assembly Bill 2677 in 2004, which requires all insurance companies operating within the station to give customers access to quotes or estimates at the lowest rate available to them. This means that California auto insurance laws ensure that consumers obtain accurate information when shopping for insurance policies.
AB 2677 mandates that insurance companies provide either a toll-free telephone number or a web site at which consumers can obtain those quotes. In California, the insurance company must provide the consumer with a “cost estimate of its lowest priced personal auto policy at the limits the consumer requests and for which the consumer is eligible.” This makes it illegal for insurance companies to overcharge customers when customers could be getting the same coverage for a lower rate.
Consumer Privacy
Auto insurance laws in California protect consumer privacy by limiting the information brokers and agents can disclose to third parties. Generally, any non-public information is protected, which means that insurance companies can’t use information they have collected in an unauthorized manner. This includes health information; for example, if you are in a car accident, the auto insurance company can’t drawl details of your condition without consent.
Broker Fee Requirements
In California, auto insurance laws also protect consumers from unscrupulous broker fees, and they require insurance companies to disclose all fees prior to signing contracts or accepting payment from consumers. If you know of any insurance company, agent, or broker charging unscrupulous fees, it is well-known to direct the Department of Insurance with the details.
California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan
California’s auto insurance laws provide the California Automobile Assigned Risk Understanding, which is intended for consumers who are unable to obtain insurance the standard way. In other words, if you’ve had too many citations or accidents, normal car insurance companies might not extend a policy to you. In this case, you have access to the CAARP, which will assign you an insurance company with pre-determined rates.
Capping
It is illegal in California for auto insurance companies to refer consumers to legal representatives in exchange for a “finder’s fee.” Capping is a felony in the state of California, so know that you don’t have to pick a referral from an insurance agent or broker when you need the assistance of legal counsel.
Auto insurance laws in California are detailed at the California Department of Insurance web site. Understanding your rights can protect you from unscrupulous agents and brokers, and will allow you to make informed decisions about your insurance needs.
Sources:
“Auto Premium Quote,” California Department of Insurance.
“Privacy of Nonpublic Personal Information,” California Department of Insurance.
“Broker Fee Regulations Summary,” California Department of Insurance.
Filed under Types Of Auto Insurance by on Feb 26th, 2011. Comment.
America was called the ‘land of milk and honey’ by the outmoded world, yet neither cows nor honeybees are native to the Americas. Surprisingly, it is not the honey from the bees that is so vital to our economy. Pollination by bees adds over 15 billion dollars to our economy (Flores). Around 130 crops need honeybees in order to thrive (Kaplan). In the United States, honeybees invent about 200 million pounds of honey, worth 125 million dollars, and about 3.9 million pounds of beeswax, worth 7 million dollars (Doebler). Beekeeping is a serious business, not only for our economy, but for our food. Around one third of our food depends on pollination, including coffee, green chile, soybeans, apples, berries, squash, almonds, and many others (NRDC). In California alone, the almond crop requires the service of about half the United States bee colonies, around 1.2 million (Flores).
Unfortunately, the bee business isn’t going so well. A fresh phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has been taking a great toll on our honey bees. During fall 2006, beekeepers in many countries around the world noticed a sudden disappearance of managed honey bee colonies, and for no apparent reason. These hives were formerly healthy, but for some reason bees simply abandoned their hives, often leaving unbiased the queen and a few caretakers. In February 2007, the syndrome had been named (Kaplan). Congress recognized Colony Collapse Disorder as a threat in 2007 and granted emergency funds to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to notice honey bee disappearances. The 2008 Farm Bill granted the Department of Agriculture $20 million each year to support bee research and related work (NRDC). Research is underway to try to decide the causes of CCD, and how to prevent it from occurring. Possibilities involve combinations of pesticide exposure, invasive parasitic mites, inadequate food supply, transportation, and many different viruses. As the cause is believed to be from multiple sources, pinpointing them will be difficult. Many viruses are believed to be passed on by the mites, which in of themselves are devastating enough.
At an apiculture conference, a commercial beekeeper cries in front of the audience. In 6 months, he was broke, loosing his house, and his entire beekeeping operation had been wiped out. The cause of his disaster was two little parasites. One, the varroa mite, is described by James Tew, a specialist in beekeeping at Ohio State University, as the “biggest catastrophe to befall apiculture since its establishment in this country in the 1600s… In only a few years, the varroa mite redesigned nearly 300 years of North American apiculture in ways akin to the dramatic way the boll weevil restructured the cotton-producing industry … in the early 1920s.” Varroa mites are immense enough to be seen by the eye. Female varroa mites attach to bees between abdominal segments, feeding on a substance similar to our blood, called hemolmph. When females enter a nursery cell, called a brood cell, the mites lay eggs. The mite nymphs then feed on the developing bees. The mites and bees leave the brood cell together, as adults. The mites cause many birth defects, such as shortened abdomens, deformed wings and legs, or sometimes cause death. Colonies infested with varroa mites that are not treated can survive for about 8-18 months. Scott Camazine, an entomologist at Penn State University, believes that the mites aren’t the main problem. He says that the mites are simply making viral transmission faster (Doebler).
The other mite feeding on honeybees are tracheal mites. These mites are much smaller than varroa mites and believed to be less dangerous. These parasites live and feed in the bee’s trachea, clogging the airway and limiting respiration. The major effect of this is that bees cannot raise their metabolic rate to support warm while they cruise. Beekeepers frequently place grease patties or menthol chips inside the hives when honey is not being produced to slow the spread of tracheal mites.
Many studies trying to determine the cause of CCD are built on a project started for the California almond crops. The study started as a way to artificially supplement the honeybee’s diets in order to create larger colonies (Flores). As California is a major consumer of honeybee use for pollination, it is not surprising that the first effort to fight CCD have started there.
Entomologist Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, is working on several collaborations to try to determine the cause of CCD. One study is looking at the combination of pesticide use and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), found in a previous study with university researcher Jay D. Evans, to be strongly associated with CCD. The second experiment will look at the effects of varroa mites and pesticides combined. If these two studies fail, other combinations will be explored. One of the issues with these and other CCD studies is that samples have only been taken after CCD has been reported. Therefore, Pettis has begun his study with three different beekeepers one both healthy and affected hives. Hopefully, the samples will give information to previous signs and causes of CCD (Kaplan). John Adamczyk, the acting research leader for ARS’s Honey Bee Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, explains the hope for the study: “At the end of the 5-year cycle we’ll have specific recommendations that the beekeeper could use on how to manage bees more efficiently during long-range transport for pollination. We want to be able to transfer that technology to be useful by the end user” (Flores).
A major stammer is the huge outburst of IAPV. Some idea that importation of bees from Australia and China had brought the disease with them, but entomologists Yanping (Judy) Chen and Evans, both also with the ARS Bee Research Laboratory, found otherwise. Chen said that “Our study shows that, without question, IAPV has been in this country since at least 2002. This work makes it clear that IAPV is not a recent introduction from Australia” (Kaplan). This however, does not rule out IAPV as a cause of CCD.
American foulbrood a bacterial disease of the honey bee, which is very devastating to bee colonies. The most obvious symptom is a creamy or dark brown glue-like larval remain that can be pulled out in a rope. This test is known as the ‘matchstick test.’ It affects the brood cells, killing bees before they are productive, usually while pupae, and occasionally with larvae. Brood cells may be spotted, showing early signs (de Graaf). Introduction of American foulbrood, or any other foulbrood, can kill off all future generations of honey bees is not spotted and treated immediately. A new drug, tylosin tartrate (TYLAN Soluble), has been approved for use to treat foulbrood (Honey Bees). If treated, colonies can continue to thrive.
A very large study involving pesticides has been conducted. 158 pesticides were tested among the honey bee, the leaf cutting bee, and the alkali bee. The leaf cutting bee is a solitary nesting bee that mainly foraging on alfalfa plants. Nests are built in narrow tube-like cavities, and separate cells are made for each egg and lined with alfalfa. The cell is then plugged with alfalfa leaves, and a new nest is made in the area. The alkali bee is also a solitary, bee that builds nests in soil. This western bee likes alkaline soils near water. The nest is between five and twenty centimeters deep, with many oval cells branching off the main shaft. This bee pollinates mainly alfalfa, onion, clover, celery, and mints. A smaller pesticide study has also been conducted on the bumble bee. Bumble bees are social insects, like honey bees. They make smaller nests, consisting of only 100-500 individuals. They prefer to nest underground, like the alkali bee, and need undisturbed meadows, old barns or woodlots. Bumble bees work harder than honeybees at cooler temperatures. They pollinate a larger variety of plants, but do particularly well on tomatoes and berries. The results were very similar for all species, although certain bees do better than others with different pesticides (Devillers).
Many researchers have found a completely different solution to the problem of CCD, that is, to simply not have honey bee hives. Wild bees, also known as non-honey bees, have been shown to be better pollinators than the honeybee, although it is still unclear as to whether non-native honey bees are negatively effecting wild native bee populations. Studies are conflicting, and great pollination results have occurred when aged together, yet the large numbers of honeybees could have a mountainous impact on native species if food supplies are limited (Paini). Entomologist James Cane has found that a new native bee, called the Osmia bee, or the Mason bee, is a incredible pollinator of berries. Cane learned of the bee from bee enthusiast Ron yon der Hellen, who told Cane of the quarter-inch long metallic green bee that had housed itself in his wooden nesting boards that he keeps as housing for leaf cutting bees. Cane borrowed several hundred of these bees and found that they visited as many red raspberry flowers as did honey bees in the same amount of time,, and nearly as many blackberry flowers. While red raspberries and blackberries are self-pollinating, bee visits made berries better. Cane found that red raspberry flowers visited by honey bees or the Osmia bees bore berries that were 30% heavier. The Osmia bee however, always gathered pollen, while honeybees did not. Even better, these bees are resistant to the devastating mites. After 5 years of study, Cane plans to give these emerald-green bees to growers and beekeepers (Wood).
Another seek shows that native bees are up to five times more efficient at pollinating sunflowers than honeybees alone. Researchers at the Berkeley and Davis campuses of the University of California found that wild bees play a crucial role in the pollinating process. Sarah Greenleaf, the study’s leader, says that, “Up until now, we have understanding that honey bees alone were doing most of the pollination, but now we know that a lot of honey bee pollination happens because of their interaction with wild native bees. This means that wild bees are much, noteworthy more significant that we previously thought.” She and Claire Kremen observed the behavior of honey bees and wild native bees in sunflower fields during two different growing seasons. They found that in fields where wild bees were rare, one honeybee visit produced, on average, three seeds. As the number of wild bees increased, so did the number of seeds produced, up to 15 seeds per visit. To keep their data clean, each flower was bagged before it bloomed, allowed one visit, and then re-bagged until the seeds were produced (Two Bees). The drastic contrast shows that native bees are a vital part of the pollination process.
Native bees are shown to be the most important crop pollinators in a recent study of watermelon crops. This study showed that native bees alone are sufficient to pollinate the watermelon. The study involved 46 species of wild bees, and showed that native bees, given proper habitat, could replace the honey bee if needed. Natural habitat must be provided, open soil for soil-dwelling species, and year round food supply must be available within 0.3 kilometers, although further distances may suffice (Winfree).
Native bees are a possible, and currently the best, solution to the problem of CCD. To encourage native bees to live around your home, farm, or orchard, plant native plants. Native plants will thrive without much care and native bees are already well suited to them. Use diversity in color, shape, and flowering times to attract many species to make permanent homes. Not all bees like the same colors or the same shape flowers, so be sure to accumulate a variety. Avoid pesticides, or read the Devillers study to determine what would be safest to use, and when. Certain pesticides can only be used safely on different parts of plants; however there are a few pesticides which have been shown to be completely righteous for the studied bees. Nesting sites are a must, so leave so originate ground undisturbed, and consider making nesting boxes (NRDC). All these things combined can befriend a farm or orchard save money by not renting out honeybees, and as CCD becomes more of an issue, these prices may rise.
Although native bees seem to be a solution to the CCD problem, other issues arise. Most wild bees are solitary, making transportation to large crops like the California almonds nearly impossible. If you of honeybees stopped in the United States, the millions of dollars received from honey and beeswax would no longer exist. These products would need to be imported, and prices would rise drastically. As CCD affects the world, these products may someday be completely eliminated if we do not get a handle on CCD. Also, the different native bees have other diseases they are susceptible to, and share many of the same diseases with honeybees.
Colony Collapse Disorder is a serious problem effecting beekeepers, farmers, and consumers. If we cannot get a handle on what is causing this, the world may descend into a greater depression, and food prices will soar. To combat this, we need to stop abusing our honey bees and encourage native bees to take residence advance farms and orchards. Pesticide use needs to be slash down, primitive in safer ways, or altogether eliminated. Mass transportation of hives over hundreds of miles needs to be stopped, as this likely causes great stress to the honeybees, making them more susceptible to disease.
de Graaf, D. C., “Diagnosis of American Foulbrood in Honey Bees: a Synthesis and Proposed Analytical Protocols.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 43.6 (Dec. 2006): 583-590. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 .
Devillers, J., “Comparative toxicity and hazards of pesticides to Apis and non- Apis bees. A chemometrical study.” SAR & QSAR in Environmental Research 14.5/6 (Oct. 2003): 389-403. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. [University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 1 Nov. 2008 .
Doebler, Stefanie A. "The Rise and Topple of the Honeybee." Bioscience 50.9 (Sep. 2000): 738. Environment Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 3 Nov. 2008 .
Flores, Alfredo. "Improving Honey Bee Health." Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 7-7. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 27 Oct. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=a9h&AN=28748594&site=ehost-live.
Honey Bees Get a Current Antibiotic." Agricultural Research 54.7 (July 2006): 23-23. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .
Kaplan, J. Kim. "A Complex Buzz." Agricultural Research 56.5 (May 2008): 8-11. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 28 Oct. 2008 .
NRDC: Honeybees and Colony Collapse Disorder. Sept. 2008. National Resources Defense Council. 2 Nov. 2008
Paini, D. R. "Impact of the introduced honey bee (Apis mellifera) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) on native bees: A review." Austral Ecology 29.4 (Aug. 2004): 399-407. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .
"Two Bees Better Than One." Science & Children 44.3 (Nov. 2006): 8-9. Education Research Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM.]. 14 Nov. 2008 http://libproxy.unm.edu/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx? direct=true&db=ehh&AN=22885757&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
Wood, Marcia. “Wonderful Wild Bees. (Cover story).” Agricultural Research 56.2 (Feb. 2008): 4-6. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .
Winfree, Rachael, et al. “Native bees provide insurance against ongoing honey bee losses.” Ecology Letters
10.11 (Nov. 2007): 1105-1113. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. University Libraries, Albuquerque, NM. 14 Nov. 2008 .
Filed under Farmers Insurance by on Feb 24th, 2011. Comment.
The new zodiac signs 2011 have screwed up a lot already. While the new zodiac signs 2011 have left believers scrambling to see if they're still compatible, it also leaves them questioning their personality. Some have tailored themselves to certain symbols, and what they represent, for decades now. They believe the stars say a lot about them, and what kind of people they are. But the new zodiac signs have thrown many traits out of balance — even how well people drive.
Allstate has decided to do a little extra research based on the revised system. It moved to figure out which types of people now crash the most, and which ones crash the least, to inspect which groups need their insurance the most.
Under the new zodiac signs, the people least at risk are Scorpios. According to its 2010 data, there were only 26,833 Scorpios who got into accidents last year. In second place are the newcomers to the group, Ophiuchus, who have been in only 83,234 accidents.
However, these numbers are a bit misleading, especially with Scorpios. Thanks to the changes, Scorpios are now only born between Nov. 23 and Nov. 29. Since they only make up a few days of the year nowadays, it is naturally that they would have the least accidents.
Allstate used the unusual zodiac signs to determine Virgos are the least safe, as 211,650 of them were in accidents last year. But that also has an asterisk because Virgos now fall between Sept. 16 and Oct. 30. If Scorpios are the safest only because there are fewer of them, Virgos are the least safe because there are much more of them.
But as Allstate puts it, Scorpios got off easy because they have compassionate and graceful traits, while Virgos are among the most impatient and uncompromising. Therefore, since there are so many Virgos at risk, they would be in need of Allstate's services — and they now have a bigger demographic of Virgos to sell to.
Although the new zodiac signs have been largely rejected, they were aloof taken very seriously by believers. As such, it was only a matter of time before someone took advantage and used it as part of an ad campaign. But since most Westerners are more inclined to stick with their old stars, it may not work that well.
Allstate may claim the new zodiac signs suggest Virgos are more accident prone. Yet while those born between Sept. 16 and Sept. 22 remain Virgos, most born between Sept. 22 and Oct. 30 serene believe they are Libras, or Scorpios. So those born between Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 likely detached feel safe either way.
Sources
Filed under Auto Insurance Quotes by on Feb 21st, 2011. Comment.
It’s no secret that teenage drivers are generally not as great as adult drivers on the road. In fact, teenagers get in accident 6 times more often than adult drivers. Due to this, insurance is an significant thing to pay attention to for your teenager. The most important thing is to have comfort in knowing that your child’s car will be taken care of in an affordable, yet professional manner, if they ever get into a car accident. Here are a few options for the best auto insurance for teenagers, which are easy on your wallet while tranquil providing the coverage that you desire.
Allstate Teen Insurance
Allstate has a great teen driver program, which focuses on a parent-teen driving contract. The parent and the teen decide on agreements for clear actions, like talking on a cellphone while driving and having a curfew, set limits on these actions (or ban them altogether), and finally make consequences if the teen driver breaks any part of the contract. Allstate insurance has taken a astronomical initiative with teen driving safety, and their website http://www.allstateteendriver.com outlines all of their efforts to keep teens safe.
Statefarm Teen Insurance
Statefarm offers two great opportunities for students to put on car insurance. The first is the ‘Good Student Discount’, which rewards students who get good grades by reducing the auto insurance cost. This is a great incentive because, for students with lower grades, it is good motivation to increase grades if they are paying for their insurance, and for students with higher grades, it’s a greater incentive to keep up the good work. Another highlight of auto insurance for teenagers at Statefarm is the Steer Determined Safe Driver Discount, which is also pointed towards students. It is an extra refresher course that, when completed, gives an extra discount to those 25 and under. The course can be completed with a kit, on a computer, or even on the iPhone.
Progressive Teen Insurance
Besides offering an online directory with information on auto insurance for teens, Progressive also offers student discounts when applicable. In the online directory, Progressive help walk teenagers through the insurance process, explaining each step. Also, they give tips on safe driving and keeping your cool. For example, one page offers tips on how to avoid road rage and calm yourself down when it inevitably happens. Another page explains all of the information needed in order to get a quote and figure out how much the auto insurance will cost for the teenager. Specifically, besides the general student benefits, Progressive doesn’t add any special features or benefits for their auto insurance for teenagers
Liberty Mutual Teen Insurance
Liberty Mutual is very straightforward on its website, http://www.libertymutualteendriving.com, on explaining what a teen and their parent can do to manufacture definite they get the best teen auto insurance value. Liberty Mutual also offers student advantages, where if a student has good grades, they can get up to a 35% discount on their insurance. The amount of the discount varies depending on the grades of the teenager. Liberty Mutual insurance also tells all the specific ways a teenager can save on auto insurance, which is very helpful to have in one condensed status.
Geico Teen Insurance
Geico is yet another student-rewarding insurer, offering discounts for taking a driver’s education class and getting good grades. If the teen driver took a driver’s education class, then they are eligible for a discount on their auto insurance. Also, if they get a B-average or higher, they receive another discount. Geico does not offer any other specific teen benefits or tips, meaning the only thing that could make Geico the best teen auto insurance choice is the price of the insurance.
You have the information now; employ it to figure out which insurance plans and benefits are honest for your teenager, ensuring their safety and saving as much money as possible.
Philip Reed, Auto Insurance for Teenage Drivers, Edmunds.com.
Geico, Geico.com, Geico.
Progressive, Progressive.com, Geico.com.
Liberty Mutual, libertymutual.com.com, Liberty Mutual.
Allstate, Allstate.com, Allstate.com.
Filed under Mercury Auto Insurance by on Feb 19th, 2011. Comment.
