Life Insurance Quote Overview

Advance planning can cut recovery time

As the nation braces for the hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and floods that accompany the spring and summer disaster season, a new survey shows that nearly half of U.S. consumers are insufficiently prepared - in terms of their insurance coverage - to deal with potential losses.

Class actions against Blue Cross of California heat up

Want to keep your health insurance in California? Be sure you don’t get sick.

Remote, top-down federal management falls short of meeting urgent needs

Hurricane season is just around the corner, so consumers should know where to turn to if disaster strikes.

Pre-existing conditions not covered, response time often lengthy

"Protect your home, save money, and avoid the hassles of home repair now!" began the junk e-mail I received about American Home Shield, one of the largest providers of home warranties.

Consumers save $250 million

California drivers with Allstate auto insurance will save a quarter-billion dollars under an order issued by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner that requires Allstate to lower its premiums by 15.9%.

Discount plan is not insurance but confusion is common

For the self-employed and the unemployed, finding good, affordable health insurance can be a challenging task. Consumers who mistake a medical discount service for a health insurance policy can wind up losing money and still having no insurance.

Overpricing policies, underpaying claims pays off big
State and national consumer organizations have released a new study concluding that the property/casualty insurance industry continued in 2007 to systematically overcharge consumers and reduce the value of home and automobile insurance policies, leading to profits, reserves, and surplus that are at or near record levels.

Insurer agrees to pay $6 million and reform its practices

Insurance giant Travelers Companies has signed a consent degree with nine states and the District of Columbia, agreeing to pay $6 million to settle charges linked to its role in a nationwide bid-rigging scheme devised by insurance broker Marsh & McLennan.

Companies agree to pay $700,000, customers to be reimbursed
A law firm, mortgage company and real estate broker will pay $700,000 in fines, forfeitures and restitution to the state of Connecticut to settle allegations they engaged in illegal kickback and inducement schemes.

Wildfire victims get the chance to go green when they rebuild
Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is offering a "green" upgrade to some of its California homeowners policyholders.

Price-gouging, crooked contractors, insurance chiseling often follow disasters

As the Southern California wildfire crisis subsides, at least for now, homeowners surveying their damaged and destroyed homes, cars and businesses need to be alert to price-gouging, crooked contractors and insurance chiseling.

Hurricane fears lead to rash of cancellations

Thousands of homeowners in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have lost their homeowners insurance, thanks to growing fears that a major hurricane could strike the region.

Illegal actions inflated consumers' premiums by 40%, state charges

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has filed an antitrust lawsuit against one of the world's largest reinsurance brokers for anticompetitive practices that he says illegally inflated insurance costs for insurance companies and consumers nationwide.

Insurers dumping policies in hurricane zones

Thousands of Florida home owners are trying to replace their homeowner insurance policies after Nationwide Insurance announced it is canceling 39,000 more policies, mostly in Florida’s hurricane belt.

Americans earning more but fewer have health insurance

Americans are earning more money, but the number of people without health insurance is also up, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau.

A new Consumer Reports study identifies the “underinsured” -- accounting for 24% of the U.S. population -- living with skeletal health insurance that barely covers their medical needs and leaves them unprepared to pay for major medical expenses.

Insurer Asks Court to Seal Documents in Katrina Lawsuit
Consumer advocates are asking a New Orleans federal court to keep public key documents from a Hurricane Katrina-related lawsuit against Allstate Insurance Company.

FTC Report Should be Rejected by Congress, Groups Argue
Representatives of consumer and civil rights organizations are condemning a congressionally-mandated report on insurance credit scoring by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as biased insurance-industry propaganda.

The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. has agreed to pay $115 million to settle allegations by Connecticut, Illinois and New York that it faked bids and allowed illegal trading in some mutual funds.

GMAC Insurance plans to use the new digital OnStar system from General Motors Corp. as a tracking system to verify mileage claims by policyholders participating in a program to reduce their insurance rates.