Stopping car thieves before they take your ride

Boston police Officer Michael Santry has tracked down stolen cars all over the city in his 18 years as an auto theft investigator. But he'd rather see car owners take a few steps to avoid all the trouble and expense.

"The biggest thing is prevention," he said. "The police department doesn't want cars to get stolen."

Nationally, auto theft has dropped in the past four years. Still, according to the most recent figures available from the National Insurance Crime Bureau, a car was stolen every 26 seconds in 2006. And that ends up costing everybody, Santry said, when it gets passed along as higher insurance premiums.

But take note: Thieves aren't just looking to snag hot rod sports cars. In fact, 1995 Honda Civics were the most stolen car nationwide in 2006. And, Santry noted, thieves can steal any car. "If they want your car," he said, "they'll get it."

So why not make it harder? Santry said owners should add antitheft devices to their vehicles to deter thieves. He recommends a three-prong approach: car alarms with a blinking light, visible steering wheel locks, and hidden ignition switches that prevent the car from starting. Some companies offer tracking devices that come into play once the car is stolen, but Santry prefers methods that stop the car from disappearing in the first place.

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SafeAuto Insurance Offers Road Readiness Tips for Drivers

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeAuto Insurance Company is offering drivers ten Road Readiness Tips to ensure driver safety and prevent accidents and breakdowns before they happen. SafeAuto's Road Readiness Tips are based on market experience and by tracking the most frequent customer reports from SafeAuto's free roadside assistance program.

"We pioneered the concept of keeping our customers legal for less, and keeping them safe is simply an extension of that spirit," said SafeAuto president Jon Diamond. "Our customers know that if they need assistance we'll be there for them. However, If we're able to keep our drivers on the road, or prevent a roadside tragedy, that's a benefit that can't be beat."

The company unveiled its free roadside assistance program in July of 2007. Since the program's initial roll out, more than 8,000 customers have used the service, adding up to more than 140 people every day. Based on emergency calls received from these customers, SafeAuto has compiled a list of the most frequent roadside emergencies and ten simple tips to avoid them.

    SafeAuto recommends that all drivers should:

  1.    Make sure tires are inflated to the proper pressure.
  2.    Have a jack in the trunk and an inflated spare.
  3.    Have an extra set of car keys kept in a secure and accessible
        location.

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Are You Over Paying for Auto Insurance?

We're increasingly relying on the Internet to research, find that great deal and add convenience to balance out our hectic lives.

That's why more of us are looking for car insurance online. We want a company that's reliable, gives us the best rate and offers online convenience. But with so many Web sites to choose from, how do you know which one will serve you best?

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Ensure you have best rates

When I walk someone through the process of making cuts in their budget, whether it's because they need to beef up their retirement savings or pay down their debt, I generally find at least a handful of things that can be cut out -- take out, premium cable, unused gym membership. Then there are things that can't be cut out -- but can be cut down. Insurance falls into that category.

There's no way out of it -- having enough homeowners and auto insurance is an absolute necessity. But a recent report from the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) indicates that insurance companies are over-charging us. And with the record profits posted by companies in 2007, I'm inclined to believe it.

"We figure that the average American family has paid nearly $900 too much for property insurance and casualty insurance over the last four years," says J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance at the CFA. What can you do to make sure that doesn't happen again this year?

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What Insurances?

Insurance is one of the most important aspects of sound financial planning and is the foundation for providing protection for yourself, your family or your business. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium. The fundamental concept of insurance is that it balances costs across a large, random sample of individuals. An operational definition of insurance is that it is the benefit provided by a particular kind of indemnity contract, called an insurance policy, that is issued by one of several kinds of legal entities called an insurer, in which the insurer promises to pay on behalf of or to indemnify another party, called a policyholder or insured. The insured is then protected against loss caused by those perils subject to the indemnity in exchange for consideration known as an insurance premium.
There are many types of insurances to cover various contingencies. Home insurance is an insurance policy that covers your house, the garage, other related structures, and also personal possessions inside the home against damages caused by everything from fire to natural disasters and even theft. Auto or car insurance is mandatory for registering and driving your car, and it protects the owner of the car and also other drivers and by standers. Life insurance is protection against financial loss resulting from death. Medical service and health insurance is the fastest growing segment of the insurance industry, and it offers coverage to help people get timely medical care and improve their lives and health. .Uninsured people receive less medical care and less timely care, they have worse health outcomes, and lack of insurance is a fiscal burden for them and their families. Dental insurance is often part of an employer's benefits package, along with health insurance. Travel insurance is an insurance cover taken by those who travel abroad, which covers certain losses such as medical expenses, lost of personal belongings, travel delay, personal liabilities, etc. Mortgage insurance is a form of credit insurance, although the name credit insurance more often is used to refer to policies that cover other kinds of debt. Surety bond insurance is a three party insurance guaranteeing the performance of the principal. Builder's risk insurance is typically written on an "all risk" basis covering damage due to any cause including the negligence of the insured.
Pet insurance is also a another fastest growing insurance finding popularity among pet owners.
So as you can see you can take insurance against any risk possible in the future even a risk as certain as death through funeral insurance.