Blog Archives

March 13th 2011

Gender equality and premium rates

Whenever you ask a talking head paid by the insurance industry, “How do you calculate the premium rate?” the answer is always the same. There’s a big smile of sincerity and that reassuring voice says, “We look at the driver. It’s all about who you are and what you drive.” And that, of course, is how it should be. Actuaries are paid to estimate the risk of accidents and, as they keep telling us, the statistics never lie. These actuaries are like pack rats. They collect every last detail of every accident that gets reported. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a police report, a claim to the insurers from a hospital for treating accident victims, or reports in local newspapers. They have information about accidents going back to the time we were switching over from real horses to horse-powered engines. So ask how many men aged 33 have had an accident at 2 a.m. while driving a red Ford Contour in the rain with a new moon and, with the click of a mouse, you will have the answer by return. It’s the detail that’s so impressive. More importantly it shows exactly how many claims are made by male as opposed to female drivers, and what the average value of the claims is.

All around the world, the statistical evidence shows women making fewer claims and, when they are involved in accidents, the amount claimed tends to be lower.

The reason for this is that, in general, women drive within the law. They do not try to beat the lights or drive too fast on city streets so, if there is an accident, they are traveling more slowly and the impact is less damaging both to the vehicles and the people inside. Not surprisingly, this excellent safety record has been rewarded by lower premiums. Where the risk is lower, drivers pay less. Except, in Europe, this will change next year.

The European Court for Human Rights has just ruled that men and women must pay the same premiums. At the end of 2012, there must be a new system in place to calculate premiums without relying on gender as a key factor. So what’s going on? Well, ask yourself, is it fair to charge someone more to insure their vehicle just because they are male. No one asks to be born male or female so why penalize all those who have the bad luck to be born male? Keeping this real, men don’t crash because their sexual apparatus gets caught in the steering wheel. People get into accidents because they drive badly. There’s no point in forcing people to pay more because of something they are powerless to control. There’s every reason to base auto insurance quotes on actual driving records because, if the record is bad and the premium rate is high, it gives those drivers an incentive to improve their driving. Calculating premiums should be very personal, looking at how well each individual drives. Grouping everyone together on the basis of their gender for issuing auto insurance quotes is arbitrary and unfair (at least, in Europe).

No Comments yet »

December 26th 2010

What Does No Win No Fee Really Mean?



If you’ve had an accident then maybe you’re tempted to see if you can claim. You might have seen adverts for No Win, No Fee solicitors, and wonder what it really means, and what’s involved.

Here’s what you should be aware of.

1. No Win No Fee was introduced to help people claim who didn’t qualify for legal aid. It meant that people could claim without having to be out of pocket.

2. A successful No Win No Fee claim will provide compensation for injury, loss or suffering, lost earnings, and for other issues that have arisen due to the accident.

3. Whilst it may seem that there is a compensation culture, it should be remembered that for people who have been injured, or are suffering, there could be dramatic change in their lifestyle as a result of the accident. Perhaps you will need years of rehabilitation, or changes to your home, or you’ll never be able to work again.

4. No Win No Fee cases are designed so that you will get to keep all of the compensation, rather than have to pay solicitors and other legal fees out of it.

5. There is an insurance policy which is used to cover the costs if compensation claim case is unsuccessful. This insurance will also cover the fees of your solicitor too.

6. There should be no hidden costs even if you lose the case, so you’ll never have to pay legal fees. Medical negligence cases may incur a charge in some instances.

7. Despite it’s popularity, and publicity, the concept of No Win No Fee can be complicated to understand, and it’s not always the best option for a compensation claim.

8. TV and other adverts encourage people to claim for all sorts of accidents. This is so that the compensation claim companies can take on a high number of cases, and the experience often won’t be the same as using a dedicated personal injury solicitor.

9. Many of these claim companies will use high pressure sales tactics in order to get you to use them to make your claim.

10. Whilst using a TV advertised company might seem appealing, it’s not the same as seeking the advice of an experienced solicitor, who will be able to give you the personal touch and the advice and help you need at this difficult time.

Now you know more about No Win, No Fee, perhaps you need to speak to a personal injury solicitor.

No Comments yet »

December 6th 2010

Payday loans on urgent situations

Do you ever felt that you have to get money instantly? Do you always face unpredictable accidents and you take not enough money at that time? Poor you if you pass this accidents without any help. Now there is a help that can solve your problems. Many loaning companies offer you a payday loan. You can use this program to help your financial disaster. You only meet the company and the company will give you a simple process so you are no need to confuse. You can get the money instant and your financial problems will be solved. You can find the loaning company that gives you payday loan to solve your financial disaster on the Internet. There is lots of loaning company that have a website about their company. They will show you about their payday loan program and show you that make this loan are simple and not take any days or even weeks. But read it carefully before you take a payday loan. There is lots of loaning company that only write on their websites that if you make a loan with them you will get the money easy without any complicated ways. But in fact after you faced them, they give you a long process of having a payday loan otherwise. This is wasting your time whereas you are in hurry. You have to read the loaning company carefully, because with reading the website you can decide that this loaning company is good on loaning money or not. Or maybe if you need an instant way, you can ask your friend about the loaning company, who know they have a good recommendation, reliable, and trustworthy. If after you choose to make a loan to a company but it is not comfortable on you, you can change the loaning company for the next time.

No Comments yet »

November 30th 2010

Florida Car Insurance Quote Basics

If you’re moving to Florida, there are some things you should understand about Florida car insurance, as it operates differently than most other states. Florida has two important laws governing car insurance. The first is the “no fault” law, meaning that Florida is a no fault state where accidents are concerned. The second is the Financial Responsibility law, which applies only to some drivers.

The No Fault Law

In a no fault state, each party’s insurance makes payment for their property damage and injuries, regardless of who is actually at fault in the accident. florida car insurance does require that all drivers carry Property Damage Liability with a minimum $10,000 Limit and Personal Injury Protection, also known as PIP with a minimum $10,000 limit. This coverage is to cover your own damage and injuries in an accident.

In addition to the insurance required by Florida law, you may also want to purchase higher limits on your property damage liability and your Personal Injury Protection insurance, since the minimums are fairly low. It’s important to have enough coverage to adequately repair or replace your vehicle in the event of an accident and to pay your medical bills. You can find out what the difference in cost is by getting a Florida car insurance quote.

The Financial Responsibility Laws

In addition, some drivers fall under the Financial Responsibility Law, which requires purchase of additional insurance. Not only are you required to carry insurance to cover your own vehicle and injuries, but you must also carry insurance to cover damage and injuries to the other party.

No Comments yet »

November 28th 2010

Ohio Car Insurance Quote – Instant Online Rates



Here are three quick tips to help you save money on auto insurance:

1. Your driving record as you know is very important. The better your record, the lower your premium. If you’ve had accidents or serious traffic violations, you will pay more than if you have a clean driving record. You may also pay more if you haven’t been insured for a number of years. You should never go more than a year without being insured.

2. The number of miles you drive each year are key. The more miles you drive, the more chance for accidents, as expected. If you drive a lower than average number of miles per year, less than 10,000, you will pay far less, often 15% less. For instance, some companies will give discounts to policyholders who state that they carpool.

3. So where do you live? Insurance companies look at local trends, such as the number of accidents, car thefts, as well as the cost of medical care and even auto repair. You would be amazed the difference in costs from one major city to another. For example, Baltimore to Detroit has a 15% difference in price on average.

Ohio Car Insurance Quote

One of the best ways to learn more about Ohio insurance is to go to an insurance quote website and request free quotes online. Immediately after you complete their short form, you will get a number of low quotes from the major carriers while still online. After you get your quotes, you then compare plans and visit their websites for more detailed information.

No Comments yet »

« Prev - Next »