After Alanta Nationwide Insurance appraiser Katie English and agent Joseph Michael Nighbert in Marietta Ga. (a.k.a. Marietta Insurance Services)completely screwed my wife and I regarding our one and only claim after (12) twelve years of service, we decided to contact Geico Insurance via the Internet to see if Geico.com was honestly telling the truth, especially after they finally got rid of the caveman in their TV commercials?

Fortunately, Geico.com has came to our rescue and offered us an insurance policy that is ironically $323.00 cheaper per year versus Nationwide Insurance after all these 12 years of dealing with our “so-called” Nationwide agent called Joseph Michael Nighbert located in Marietta, Ga.

(Hopefully this terrible insurance agent is reading this truthful fact-based article). The only thing this agency seemed to care about was sending us the bill each month, with absolutely NO contact over these years. They could have at least thanked us for renewing our policy each year.

Please Note: Geico Insurance did NOT pay me to write this true fact-based article. Legally I can't disclose all of the details regarding this accident/incident insurance claim. I just get really mad after being a dedicated paying customer for over (12) twelve years and these Nationwide company representatives (or any company) treat my wife and this terrible. I have personally been dealing with automobile insurance agents for over 40 years, and this agency has got to be the worst I have ever seen!

Be sure to record all conversations with any Nationwide representative in-person and or over the phone. Nationwide Atlanta, Ga. on-site automobile appraiser Katie English told me over the phone that my wife and I would receive a check in the mail for $250.00 more that what she sent us. I asked her distinctly (3) three different times over the phone? Is this the property settlement price AFTER the $250.00 deductible and she distinctly stated over the phone “Yes it is!” I also asked her in-person to email me the facts and figures regarding the settlement price. Which she did NOT.

My wife and I have had this automobile insurance policy for years luckily without having to file any claim(s) until one day we had to unfortunately file an automobile property wound claim with Nationwide Insurance “who ironically also claims to be on your side? ” Not True with certain representatives? Even our “so-called” year after year insurance agent named Joseph Michael Nighbert in Marietta Ga. has never been seen or heard from since the date of our original policy was purchased in the year of 1999 or since we filed this recent October 2010 claim?

“Where in the hell has this insurance agent person been all these years of our policy? Does this person actually exist? He or she has never contacted us regarding our policy renewal? Do Nationwide Insurance representatives occupy the little people policy holders for granted? What gives this Nationwide Insurance agent the right to treat us so badly after being such good customers throughout these years with reporting only (1) one accident claim which was not even my fault to begin within twelve years?

Thankfully, Geico.com Insurance has decided to erase the Caveman in their TV commercials, which is one of the reasons why we never contacted them in the first place. Now days they seem to be more subtle in their commercials and more “down to earth”. Progressive Insurance TV commercials seem to be getting more repetitious and “stupid” with the beautiful female actor FLO. Progressive Insurance was actually higher in mark than Nationwide regarding this particular automobile policy rate.

21st Century Insurance had the highest rate of anyone! Although they advertise to be the cheapest of any automobile insurance company in their continuous same TV commercial, which means nothing to most drivers, especially if they have never filed an automobile accident claim. Statefarm and Allstate always have the highest automobile insurance policy rates.

These two companies do pay more for property damage as opposed to the smaller companies. However, they refuse to pay for personal injuries (large or small) if you strike another vehicle personally as the driver of the vehicle and the victims in the other automobile(s) have sustained a large amount of medical bills. You will most likely have to go to court with year after year required depositions before your trial date.

Please remember? Lawsuits are based on the other driver that hit you and NOT the insurance company. Ironically? Your attorney can NOT even mention the word “insurance” in front of a jury. If your case has to be tried in court, these court depositions can take up to (5) five years or longer to settle. Unfortunately, Statefarm and Allstate Insurance have the monetary resources to over-come your little town attorney. Whether you are the plaintiff and or the defendant in any automobile accident claim/case.

Since the mid-1990s, insurance companies have tightened their eligibility requirements for new policyholders. In addition, the entire insurance industry has bound together to relay information between them. Allstate Insurance has just as much vested interest in the information contained in these reports as Nationwide Insurance and other leading carriers do. This is all to keep policyholders from being dishonest or simply inaccurate regarding their insurance history. Each secret below is no secret to the insurance carrier you’re getting a quote from.

Secret number one
Standard insurance carriers run credit checks prior to giving you an auto insurance quote. These are referred to as Financial Responsibility Scores. The insurance agent can’t see the relate but rather it goes through the system and simply tells the agent whether or not you are eligible to be written in that company. If you are not eligible, you can collected get a quote but it will be with a higher rate. Although these are not the same credit reports as when you apply for a loan, the characterize does affect your eligibility and your rates.

Secret number two
Any claim you’ve submitted in the past 10 years is visible to anyone in the insurance industry. Insurance companies have developed reporting procedures to inform each other of claims called an Auto loss history picture. If you’ve submitted many small claims or even one big claim, you’ll either be charged more or you won’t be eligible for a standard policy at all.

Secret number three
There could not be a more important secret. Never, ever let your insurance cancel. The most steadfast rule in the insurance industry is proof of prior insurance. If you are uninsured for over 30 days, you can bet on higher insurance prices for at least the next year. Not only will being uninsured put you into a higher premium bracket; you may have to stay there for a period of time before the company will consider lowering your rates.

Sure, there are benefits to keeping your business with the same company for several years but it’s also good to shop and compare pricing. By keeping these three things in line, you’re more likely to get the best rate possible.

Since 1977 insurance has been a gargantuan part of my life. Especially since it is costing me an arm and a leg to keep buying it. For years the insurance industry has been telling us how they save us money. Yet it seems that every time things were going well along came a rate hike. They said it was because costs were going up. Well what has happened to all the money I have paid into the system.

My insurance carriers have paid one claim to my family. That was $550 paid to a body shop after a deer ran in front of my car during the wee hours of the morning. I paid more in premiums that year than was paid out in the claim. As a whole we have had only 2 speeding tickets and 1 wreck in a combined 68 years of driving experience between my wife and I. I do not count my children but they have not had any tickets or accidents either.

So why do I keep getting rate hikes when all the advertising tells me that they can set me $500 over my recent carrier.

Today I spent all day getting quotes from insurance carriers. My original carrier is Allstate. For our cars we currently pay $103.76 per month. That is over $1200 per year. We do not have new cars and the cars we have are both paid for completely so we carry the required insurance by law with additional liability coverage just in case. I spent a lot of time today getting quotes. About 45 minutes to fill out all the online forms and 4 hours fending off phone calls which started less than an hour after completing my first online form.

I was really surprised at how posthaste the response was actually. And of course the first question from everyone was when do you want your novel insurance to go into effect. The one thing that bothered me is that my current company even called me and offered me a quote.

Now you shouldn’t be surprised at the results. In fact no company wanted to actually give me a quote that I could hold them to. Every quote that I received had a disclaimer on it. All of the disclaimers basically said the same thing. They said that this quote is not binding until the policy is actually issued and may go up after we have completed your checks. What checks I gave them all the information that was requested what are they going to do now? Well the biggest thing it seems is your credit rating. Poor credit results in higher premiums even if you have a fair driving record. (Our credit is unbiased average I guess at approximately 688) One representative actually told me if my credit was over 700 they would discount the policy after the first 6 months. All but one would not let us pay except by automatic draft from our checking account. I asked about bundling our house insurance for additional discounts and two of the agents said they couldn’t do it but would make a note and a local agent would contact us for that.

I was really kind of disappointed in the level of care that I got. Especially after all the money they are spending on commercials to score me to call. The agents I spoke with were not really agents at all but were “customer representatives” and any questions out of the ordinary would have to be relayed to a licensed agent. So for all the big talk about trust and good hands and saving money it all comes down to a really big company spending an bad lot of money on advertising and very little money on actually delivering a quality product at a decent trace.

All said and done. I will stay where I am for the time being. No single company could save me more than $100 on my yearly cost and no single company was willing to provide me reasons why they were not saving me the promised $500.

When you need insurance. Pull out your local phone book. Call all your friends and family and find someone that has a good reputation for service. Don’t look to the lizard in a suit that steals money from the boss’s desk. Look to a quality reputation.

You objective purchased a original car and now it’s time to get auto insurance at a reasonable price. But who has time to look in the Yellow Pages and dial every insurance agency that has a ‘Call Now for a Free Quote’ listed by their ad. It’s not free if you’re using your cell phone minutes or trying to make time to get off work to call. That is time and money well spent. The majority consumers today use the Internet to do their shopping especially when it comes to comparing auto insurance. You have the advantage of getting a free instant quote in a matter of a few clicks.

Saving time is essential when it comes to finding the right insurance agency on the Internet. There are certain websites you can go to where it will give you a comparison of price from competitors. You can see a speedily overview of what other companies are offering and at what sign they are quoting. I have seen where some sites will give you a whine link to that company’s website just by clicking on their name or logo. We all want auto insurance that is cost effective and of course full coverage at the same time. Having the ability to compare coverage and prices on the expeditiously speed Internet gives us a fast lickety-split decision when selecting the right company. Besides who have time to call up different insurance companies answering a serious of questions repeatedly and being on the phone anywhere from 5-20 minutes when your time is microscopic.

In addition, saving money is also a key attend when using the Internet to shop for a quote. Where else can you go and get an instant quote in a matter of minutes just by submitting your personal information and driving history? The convenience of comparing prices online is quick, efficient and secure. You can best believe most of these companies such as Geico, Progressive, Nationwide, etc. normally honor that quote or come close to it. So make sure your information such as driving history is accurate as possible in order to get the best and fair quote. In a matter of minutes, you can use the Internet not only to get a car insurance quote but also to purchase the insurance, manage your policy, report a claim, find repair locations and make a payment via electronic check or credit card.

Insurance is all about statistics and risks. Unfortunately for students, the statistics show that they are more likely to be involved in vehicle accidents and to show poor driving skills based upon their lack of driving experience and age. Affordable car insurance rates can be had for students who do their homework and manufacture some concessions.

Defensive Driving - State approved defensive driving courses could offer a discount for student drivers. More education and driving instruction means safer drivers on the road. Many insurance carriers will give a discount for such instruction. However, classes that are mandatory because of traffic violations will not qualify for such discounts. The whole point of a defensive driving discount is to reward for knowledge and safety; traffic violations run contrary to profitable driving practices.

“A” For Effort - Here’s another reason for students to hit the books. Good grades can pay off in the genuine world in the create of auto insurance discounts. Insurance companies often give discounts to students who absorb good grades.

Family Policy - A students insurance can be cheaper if they are insured on their parents policy instead of taking out their own insurance separately. A few calls and some research can determine the contrast in rates for being insured with their parents or going it alone. Provided that the student qualifies to stay on their parents insurance and the parents allow it, it may be more cost efficient to judge doing so.

Resident Student – In addition to riding on a parents policy, students can receive a lower rate from the insurance companies that give a discount if the student is attending a school that is closer to home.

Higher Deductible - This insurance tip applies to everyone. A higher deductible can save you money on your policy, but you have to be prepared to cover the deductible should a collision occur. You have to weigh the cost versus the possibility that you won’t be able to afford to pay the higher deductible if the need arises.

Insurance Friendly Cars - A students dream car is rarely a car that will inquire a low insurance rate. Instead of opting for sports cars, a student driver should pick a car with a lower associated insurance risk to accomplish a better rate.

Skip Collision - Provided you don’t have a car note, you can probably skip collision coverage if your car has a low value. If you are driving around a cheap junker, then you can probably do without the extra expense.

Safety Features - If you do have a newer, more expensive car; you can shave some insurance cost off with safety features. Things like automatic seatbelts and anti-theft devices can net you some savings on your premiums.

Multiple Policy Discounts - Insurance companies want all your business. If they offer different insurance coverage, then they will usually give you a discount for bringing all your business to them. Renters insurance is a possibility for students who are away from home while going to school. For students who are on their parents policies, life insurance or homeowners insurance are options for additional coverage.

Shop Around - Sometimes a little extra leg work can mean big savings. Instead of automatically renewing with the same company; shop around and see what other companies have to offer and how they compare.

All discounts and savings may not apply to certain students or be grand in certain states or with certain insurance companies. Accomplish definite you have all the facts about what discounts you are eligible for. One final tip; know that you can change insurance in mid-policy. There is no need to end with a company until your policy expires if you find somewhere else you would rather be.

Resources
Money Smart Life – College Student Car Insurance, Tips on getting the best rates for students

Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association – Teens Shopping For Auto Insurance

Auto Insurance Discounts vs “Discount Auto Insurance” – Discounts On Auto Insurance

One does of swine flu vaccine may suffice

United States and Australian research has discovered that one dose of the much talked about two-dose swine flu vaccine can protect adults from infection. Within 10 days of receiving a single dose of the swine flu vaccine an adult can be between 75 percent and 96 percent protected from the virus.

Congressman Joe Wilson apologizes for ‘You lie!’ outburst

In the middle of President Barack Obama’s health care speech, Republican congressman Joe Wilson shouted the words “you lie!” Some conservatives have spoken out against Wilson’s behavior and his fellow congressmen demanded he phone the White House and apologize to the President. The President has favorite Wilson’s apology, seemly brushing off the misconduct as a “mistake”. In response to the outbursts, liberals and supporters of President Obama rallied to raise around half of one million dollars in less than 24 hours.

Auto industry appeals EPA ruling on Calif. emissions standard

The National Automobile Dealers Association and U.S. Chamber of Commerce are provocative the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) July decision that gave California the liberty to place standards for greenhouse gas emissions in automobiles.

More Americans turning to gov’t health insurance programs

The number of Americans covered by government health insurance programs like Medicaid, Medicare and military insurance rose to 87.4 million from 83 million in 2007. This figure indicates that more and more Americans are going without health insurance programs offered by employers.

VA man arrested during Obama’s health care speech Wednesday

Joshua Bowman was arrested Wednesday for attempting to drive into a restricted access region and for carrying a rifle and ammunition in his vehicle near the Capitol. At the time, President Barack Obama was delivering his health care reform speech to Congress. U.S. Capitol Police searched Bowman’s vehicle with his consent and discovered the weapons. He faces unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition charges.

UNICEF 10,000 fewer children die each day

The UNICEF reported Thursday that, compared with 1990 numbers, ten thousand more children under age five will survive each day. The United Nations Millennium Development Goal intends to see the 1990 numbers cut by two-thirds by 2015, which is unlikely at the current rate of improvement. Today, approximately 18.8 million children under age five die each year. That is 24,000 deaths each day.

References

Studies: One dose of swine flu vaccine works

Obama accepts lawmaker’s apology for floor remark

Car dealers appeal ruling on California emissions

Growth of gov’t insurance outpaces private care

Police: Armed man arrested during Obama address

Death rate for children under 5 continues

It is the new Millennium, yet the equilibrium between women and men in the corporate world still has not been reached. Even though society has come a long way in attaining more opportunities for women, there is still a long way to go in order to reach good equality. This inability to reach equality is sometimes called the “Glass Ceiling” which refers to an artificial barrier that prevents qualified individuals advance within their organization and reach their full potential. Specifically, in the Information Technology field, there has been significant evidence which shows that both women and minorities have been prevented from attaining their legal potential and have been undermined when it comes to wages and executive positions in this particular industry. The problem in a wide range of careers had become so troublesome that The Glass Ceiling Commission was created as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Its responsibility was to identify glass-ceiling barriers in order to promote employment opportunities for minorities and women, however barriers in the IT profession still need to be further discussed. 

Interestingly enough, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has done research on women and men in the labor force and the numbers seem to be somewhat unsettling. In terms of managerial and professional specialty, it is stated that men, on average, in the year 2000, had 15,739,000 workers while women had 15,866,000 workers in the same fields. In the year 2001, the numbers were very similar, men with 15,947,000 workers compared to women with 16,155,000 workers. Nevertheless, even though the numbers for women workers are somewhat larger, the wages they earn are significantly lower. For the year 2000, median weekly earnings for men were recorded at $1009 compared to $726 for women. Similarly in the year 2001, median weekly earnings for men were $1046 compared to $742 for women. That is a $15,000 annual income difference for people who are supposedly completing the same jobs and receiving a drastically different amount on their paycheck 

However, the numbers can be somewhat explained under the present conditions. Characteristically, individuals in upper level Executive positions earn more than those in lower positions, and since women only hold a small fraction of the upper level positions, it is no surprise that women earn less money. Thus, the question becomes as to why women do not hold more of the upper level positions in the IT profession. For example, out of the Chief Information Officer’s or CIO-equivalents at 300 Fortune 1000 companies and the 100 fastest-growing companies recently surveyed by Amsterdam, N.Y.- based Sheila Greco Associates, there were only 41 women (13.7 percent), compared with 259 men (86.3 percent). Sheila Greco Associates say that the percentage of women CIO’s has not changed since their research consultancy began its annual survey in 1998(Paul). 

According to the 1996 Information Week 500 list of leading IT users, women held the highest-ranking IT positions at only about 7% of the 500 companies listed. Five years later, the number only rose by 1.8 percent to 8.8% of the positions held by women or 44 out of 500 Executives. Among them were Farmers insurance Group, Cecilia Claudio, and New York Life Insurance Co., Judith Campbell. Not surprisingly, the Society for Information Management, an organization of senior IT executives, counts only 195 women among its 2700 members. According to ongoing research by Robert Zawacki, professor emeritus of management and international business at the University of Colorado and distinguished scholar in residence at accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick in Recent York, just 20% of senior IT executives are women, while nearly 40% of all IT employees are female. These findings were based on a study conducted every year for 20 years in IT departments at 200 companies in different industries (Wilde). 

Amid all of these statistics, it looks like companies are getting the idea, slowly but gradually allowing women to be active in its upper level positions. Xerox, for example, received several awards for its diversity programs. Now, the company has about one-third of its IT department detached of women workers. Xerox CIO Wallington says that 10 years ago a woman in the computer industry had to be “a harder worker, a smarter person, a more honorable” than her male peers to fade beyond the ranks of programming into management. Now that she has arrived, Wallington says, being a woman often makes it easier for her to be heard than her male counterparts. Peaceful, Wallington notes that outside the walls of Xerox, IT is like the rest of corporate America- dominated by white males. She adds, “But hope can be taken from the fact that you can point to those exceptions, exceptions that weren’t there 10 years ago, so clearly there has been progress (Paul).” It seems that having a woman already in a higher position at a company makes it easier for other women to follow suite.

It seems that in IT at least, women are beginning to become a winning force in the Glass Ceiling war. Ann Winblad, founder of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, a $95 million venture-capital fund in Emeryville, Calif., says the software industry is a meritocracy. “Skills matter more than gender,” she says, “It’s an industry where the intellectual capital wins.” For men and women, Winblad says, keys to success are intellectual stamina and accepted sense. Winblad, who started her career as a systems analyst in 1973, encourages women to be themselves, and to not adjust their personalities to fit a man’s world. “Having a personality that is the same whether it’s with friends or business colleagues is the key to success- and so far less stress, ” she adds (Paul). Thus, individualism is supposed to give women the upper hand when going out for jobs in the upper ranks of the IT field. 

IT, it seems, when it comes to sexism, is not much different from other careers. Computer consultant and author Ellen Ullman is quoted as saying “Sexism is everywhere, but technology is one place where for the first two-thirds of your career- if you’re good at it- you’ll be on equal footing with people around you. Other consultants agree with Ullman that “IT is one of the best equal-opportunity areas in our society today,” says Victor Janulaitis, president of Positive Support Review, an IT management and consulting firm in Santa Monica, Calif. “It doesn’t care what race, color, creed, or sexual preference you are. If you as an individual can produce results, you’ll be rewarded, and you’ll proceed and progress (Wilde).” While this sounds very reassuring, it might still be a little far advanced into the future for current times.

As far as minorities are concerned, a study was done in order to attribute the Glass Ceiling as a factor in the advancements or lack thereof of black IT workers. The Glass Ceiling Commission has suggested that there might be a glass ceiling that prevents them from reaching the top levels of IS and non-IS management positions. The commission’s figures show that managers were 92% white and 8% minority in 1988, identical to percentages found in 1980 and 1985. A sample of 138 employees were used, 50% black and the other half white, and 52% of the sample were women. Eighty-two of the IS participants held managerial positions, and the remaining 41% percent held professional positions without supervisory responsibilities. The sample used was also of similar age. The measurements were done through a job performance rating and job performance attributions with a rating scale included on the Supervisor Survey. The study confirmed the presence of accelerate differences in job performance evaluations, attributions, career advancement prospects, and career satisfaction. Black IS employees received lower job performance ratings, were less likely to have their job performance attributed to internal causes, were less successful in their jobs, were perceived as having less favorable advancement prospects, were more likely to be plateuad in their careers, and experienced lower career satisfaction than white IS employees (Igbaria, Wormley). 

Alright, so there are fewer women Executives in IT then men, and minorities face a glass ceiling when trying to excel. The question is, why is this the case? Quite frankly, as some put it, women collect the demands of IT a little bit too demanding. Karen Hogan, acting deputy CIO of the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. says that she wouldn’t want to take the CIO job at her agency because the time demands the position would impose on her life would be too much to bear. Women, due to the fact they need to care for children, derive themselves more at odds with the near-constant travel and intense 24/7 demands of being a CIO (Paul). However, several surveys have found that the problem of balancing work and life are a major trouble of male CIO’s as well. According to a unique online sight by CIO of 310 IT professionals, almost as many men as women (57% versus 63%, respectively) felt they did not have an appropriate work and life balance in their current job. “Both men and women realize this is an issue,” says Judy Rosener, professor at the Graduate School of Management of the University of California at Irvine. Rosener believes the eventual dismantling of the glass ceiling in IT will take pressure off both sexes. Rosener says, “A lot of men are saying they no longer want the burden of feeling they have to gather to the top.” However, still more men than women are willing to sacrifice their personal lives in exchange for a successful professional life, while women may not be ready to leave their instilled domestic responsibilities.

Even though all of this sounds very promising, the numbers themselves show that this equality serene has a long way to go in order to reach reality. Another reason why IT might not favor women is because of the sheer fact that women, throughout history, have not been the major proponents of math and technology. According to Charles W. Moore, the dissatisfaction of females in the IT profession can be explained through a simple observation of the way that women and men act on a daily basis. Men, when they get together, tend to talk about cars and the intricate parts of their hardware in their different machinery systems. Even though women might be better IT workers they will never get ahead due to the fact that they do not have the drive in IT that men have, thus giving them less satisfaction from working in the industry (Moore). While this is a very risky argument and exceptions do occur, it does tend to make sense. When most women use a computer, they are more interested in the software and what the computer can do for them than the machine part of the system and the means it takes in order to achieve the ends. Thus, in the job aspect of IT, that drive from the enthusiasm gained from the machine aspect in Information Technology, can be the factor that accept men most of the executive level positions. Just as when women win out a car, most women tend to care more about the color and accessories of the automobile than the gas per mileage of the auto. Thus, grouped with the fact that women through history have had more domestic demands put on them, this lack of enthusiasm might be a factor that keeps women out of the front lines of the field.

Information Technology might be one of those modern careers of skill that acts very similarly to the oldest game of skill: the game of Chess. Being the oldest game, Chess if distinguished more than just a game of skill. Few people realize this but the queen is the only share on the board that represents a woman, and she is the most much piece of the game. In medieval times, the surrender of the king would mean the loss of the kingdom to invading armies and that could mean change for the worse. The king is the most important, but not the most mighty share in Chess. Thus, if the king is not protected, the game is lost. Perhaps, not powerful is different in world of Information Technology. Even though women might have the same or more skill in IT, they are also bound by the demands of domestic responsibility, and their female drive may not include the same interests in technology and machinery as the drive expressed within the male characteristic, giving males full control of the game. Furthermore, putting a woman in a high level plot might be seen as a risk to many companies, not knowing how the public will retort to a woman race game. Thus, when it comes to wages, executives and workers in upper positions tend to make more money. When it comes to those upper positions, women may not possess the characteristics or the time needed to fill those positions, and that is why it might seem that women are more prone to fall prey to lower pay and lower jobs while in reality it might unbiased be a consequence of the historical trends still evident in modern life today. Contrastingly from the recommendations of the Glass Ceiling Commission, affirmative action should not be applied; rather women and minorities should be promoted due to their efforts, drive, and skill, and not because of their gender or ethnicity. Therefore, until the queen and other minor pieces makes it evident that they rule the chess game, there will be, for some time to advance, a struggle of women and minorities trying to attain higher level positions, and white men will continue to rule the field.

Bibliography

Moore, Charles W. “Female Dissatisfaction in the IT Industry.” (2001) 8 Feb. 2002
http://www.lowendmac.com/misc/01/0611.html.

Paul, Lauren Gibbons. “Why IT Hates Women (and the Women Who Quit Anyway).”
CIO Magazine 15 Sept. 2001: 1-10.

Wilde, Candee. “Women Cut Through It’s Glass Ceiling.” InformationWeek 20 Jan.
1997: 83.

Wormley, M. Wayne and Igbaria, Magid. “Race Differences in Job Performance and
Career Success.” Communications of the ACM March 1995: 82.

The previous article concluded the discussion on how to save on variable costs. Now, we will move on and explore ways to lower fixed expenses such as insurance.

There are four major types of insurances available for your purchase: auto, home, life, and health. If you belong to specific professions, you may also have a particular insurance related to your job added to the bill. With the exception of this last one, let’s review the others one by one.

Auto

When it comes to auto insurance, according to SmartMoney it is better to check on rates every year instead of just blindly renewing with your current company.

Checking auto policies on the Internet is easier than ever and, with companies such as Progressive, which claims to check several companies for cost comparison, it will not take long to find out the best deal. Other companies will check and compare different rates on car insurance.

For example, Insurance.com offers up to four different rates from up to twelve insurance companies. You can also shop for better car rates at Insweb.com.

Aside from shopping around, according to Consumer Reports there are other ways to cut down on auto insurance costs. One way is to raise your deductible. The higher the deductible is, the less money you have to pay on premiums.

You do need to make sure you have the money set aside to cover a higher deductible, should you need to file a claim. However, Consumer Reports says it well when it states that insurance premiums are a reality while accidents might not become one.

Take a look at your vehicle. If your vehicle is old, chances are its value in the company’s book is less than what it would cost you to keep comprehensive insurance. Insurance companies have a formula they use to calculate whether the vehicle is worth repairing or should be considered a total loss. When the value of the repair is higher than the value the vehicle has in their book, you will not recover enough money to warrant the higher coverage. So, if this is your situation, think about dropping your collision coverage.

If you have teenagers in the home, consider waiting a little while before letting them get the driver’s license. They can unexcited get the permit, and they can still drive with a licensed adult by their side. Holding out for a couple of years on their license might benefit you get lower premiums. Honest make sure they don’t drive on their contain and let your insurance carrier know you are delaying the licensing process.

When your teenager does end up with the license, many insurance companies give discounts for good grades and defensive driving courses. State Farm even has its absorb program that allows for a discount. The young driver needs to read a book, answer a few questions, and turn it in. The answers are then sent to the central office and the discount will follow, if the answers are correct. Ask your insurance company for more discount options.

Home

Yearly insurance shopping works for home owners and renters policies as well. The two previously mentioned insurance brokers offer cost comparison for home insurance as well. Whether you are renting or buying, this type of insurance covers you in the event of loss due to theft, fire, and storm damage. Flood insurance is not part of a regular policy but can be purchased separately. If you live in a flood zone area, it will serve you well to cost compare this coverage as well with the different companies.

Ask the insurance agent for any additional discounts they may offer. Many will discount the policy if you have an alarm system. However, obtain sure that the discount will cloak the cost of your monthly monitoring system. If you destroy up paying more in monitoring fees than what you would get off on the premium, installing a system may not be the best idea. There are other ways to secure your home. After all, you are trying to save money.

As with the auto insurance, a higher deductible will yield to a lower premium. Check to see what your options are.

If you need to file a claim, with both auto and home insurances, before you file it get an estimate on the cost of the repair without insurance. Most repair shops will charge a much lower fee to the individual (possibly even lower than your deductible for certain expenses) than they charge the insurance company. If that is the case, don’t file a claim, just pay the out of pocket expense and go on your merry way. This will avoid a possible insurance premium hike due to a claim.

Life and Health

For these two types of coverage, you need to shop around before you acquire them, but once you have found them, you better cling to them. The older you get, the higher the chances the insurance company has to pay out. This translates to higher premiums.

Your physical and mental health play a expansive role in the calculations of your premium. So do your regular habits, from drinking and smoking to eating and driving. Companies begin questioning your last 12 months, but can go back as far as five years.

Most companies will require a basic physical exam, done by one of their contracted nurses, before they accept to insure you. Some companies may offer a second check to possibly lower the premium quoted the first time around. If you are quoted an amount based on your current health and you believe that you could lower it based on a second physical examination, ask your broker if they offer a second exam a month down the road.

If you purchased life insurance when the children were young, and they are now grown and gone their way, ask your agent if it might be possible to lower the coverage amount, thus lowering your premium.

If you purchased a cash-value insurance policy, ask if you can change it to a paid-up policy. The support will decrease, but you will no longer have to pay the premium on it.

Here is a last item to consider for all insurance policies. Most companies, if not all, run credit checks on potential and existing customers. To avoid jumps in premium, make positive you are up to date with all bills and check your credit portray for any errors. You can check the credit report, free of charge, three times a year (once a year per credit agency). You can request all three at once, if you so choose; however, you won’t be able to monitor your credit for the remainder of the year.

These fixed costs may be harder to work with, but they may unexcited yield some savings. If your goal is to save as much as you can every month, in order to compose your savings, then you may want to look into some of the above mentioned tips.

The next article in the series, How Can I Make My Home Energy Efficient? , will remove a look at lowering the cost of your utilities.

Scrutinize you next time.

Selecting a paperless vehicle insurance policy can have a large number of advantages, of which consist of discounts, less clutter, safer for the environment, and far more alternatives for insurance organizations This article will examine the advantages of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy and if it is the correct selection for you.

Advantages of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy- DiscountsAutomobile insurance providers provide discounts to clients that switch over to paperless automobile insurance policies Why provide discounts The discounts are given due to the fact it saves the insurance business funds on paper, postage, and time Paperless insurance policies are less difficult to send and give to clients in comparison to conventional paper policies Some auto insurance businesses in fact charge a premium for not selecting a paperless policy, which just tacks on funds to an already pricey plan Advantages of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy- Less ClutterWe all know how cluttered papers and critical documents can get in the residence office, so why not switch to a paperless policy Paperless policies eliminate the clutter since all the paperwork is now on the web under your account and can be accessed anytime anywhere The benefit of not having to search for all the papers associated with your policy in the event of a claim can be a substantial benefit to a paper policy Advantages of selecting a paperless vehicle insurance policy- Safer for the EnvironmentThe truth is that paperless vehicle insurance policies are safer for the environment; they decrease the waist of paper, energy required to ship the documents, and does not require to be mailed each and every time there is a change in the policy Selecting a paperless vehicle insurance policy over a conventional policy is an simple way to do your component for the environment, and you could even get a slight discount for your great deed.Advantages of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy- Extra choices for vehicle insurance businessesThe net era produced a large number of various on-line vehicle insurance providers that do not send out paper policies 1 of the advantages of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy is that you can now pick from any of these on-line corporations and get rates that are additional competitive.Should really you select a paperless automobile insurance policy?The option of selecting a paperless automobile insurance policy is entirely up to you, but the advantages do outweigh the possible cons Some customers prefer a physical document stating what they bought, and would rather file that at residence than deal with the web Not web savvy Paperless vehicle insurance policies are most likely not for you if you are not world wide web savvy since they need you to use the world wide web extensively Overall, by switching to a paperless automobile insurance policy you can get discounts, support protect the environment, and you can decrease clutter at your residence.Sources:Personal experience .

GEICO has not called me but I love those commercials when the man turns a very serious face to the camera and says ” Can GEICO save you money on your car insurance, then he asks an obvious question like “Did Elmer Fudd have problems saying his R’s? ” I knows GEICO or their ad agency mean to call me and ask for some ideas for future commercials using this same format. So I have been pleased to consider some up. And as a fun exercise, when you see a line you like, image what visual would go with it.

Okay here we go – Can GEICO save you money on your car insurance –

Did Attila have exasperate management problems
Did Custer need a haircut?
Did Three Mile Island have a small accident?
Did Brett Favre retire?
Did Ben Franklin have troubles flying a kite?
Did Amelia Earhart have problems with directions?
Did John McEnroe have a temper?
Did the Titantic like icebergs?

Is every boy under ten diagnosed with ADD?

Does every blind date have a “good personality”?

Does Mel Gibson know when to shut up?

Do Evangelists look like used car salesmen selling the latest model of God?

Is it a good thought to have a tattoo of your ex-girlfriend’s name?

Does Jimmy Carter remind you of Mr. Rogers?

Does Rap rhyme with Crap?

Is Lady Ga Ga a marketing genius?

Did Abe Lincoln like attending plays?

Is productive meeting an oxymoron?

Did JFK have a Boston accent?

Was Ted Kennedy a good driver?

Is the push-up bra the best invention ever?

Is most of the world two drinks behind?

Does a man eye your eyes first?

Can the Cubs collect new ways to lose games?

Has Joe Paterno hung around too long?

Can Tim Wakefield throw a knuckleball?

Do men just ice fish to escape their wives?

Can Superman kick Spiderman’s butt?

Is there really such a thing as “fun for the whole family? “

Does Aunt Franny give you a fruitcake every Christmas?

Is Aunt Franny a fruitcake?

Did Socrates piss people off.

Was 100 Elm Street, Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.

Was General Sherman a pyromaniac?

Did Sarah Palin pass the third grade?

Are there too many Elvis Presley impersonators?

Can Microsoft find fresh ways to piss you off?

Were the bankers ecstatic to receive bail-out money?

Were Pepperoni Potato Chips a good idea?

Does the Coyote Ever Catch the Roadrunner?

Does Acme Supply sustain ripping off the Roadrunner?

Did Porky Pig stutter?

Should a five foot two field goal kicker decide a football game?

Did Nicole Anna Smith marry for money?

Did you wife really contain “Bambi” was impartial a friend.

Should you really wrestle an alligator?

Was Barney Rubble short?

Feel free to add to this list!