Posts Tagged ‘women’

Are women safer drivers than men?

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Europe’s car insurance industry has been left spinning by the recent big ban by the European Court of Justice of the use of gender to assess risk and calculate premiums. As the full impact of the ruling is debated by the nation, motor insurance companies will be under close scrutiny as they try and attempt to deal fairly with the choas.

Car insurance for women at moneysupermarket.com have benefited from cheaper insurance premiums than men for a long time now. In calculations for health insurance, life insurance, car insurance and annuities, the fact that women are seen statistically as a lower-risk group than men has meant women benefit from lower costs.

“In all studies, without exception, men have been shown to have a higher rate of crashes than women. This gender difference is most marked in the population under the age of 25 years, but is also evident in older drivers.”

Female-focused car insurance companies such as Diamond and Sheila’s Wheels were started to cater especially to women, with their rates wholly unavailable to men. Womens car insurance from Moneysupermarket rates are now set to rocket by as much as a quarter on their current premiums, in line with the new ‘fairer’ ruling.

A statement from the insurance group said: “It is completely disadvantageous to the very people it was intended to protect and prevents insurers from using a legitimate rating factor.”

The price of an insurance premium for a woman under the age of 24 is expected to rise by an average of 24 per cent, with the youngest female drivers facing a 60 per cent price hike.

Annuity Junction

Upon reaching retirement, people will often buy an annuity with their pension fund to guarantee them a fixed income for the rest of their life. Because women statistically live longer than men, a woman will more often than not be offered lower payouts than those offered to men with an identical pension fund.

The ECJ ruling now means that as of December 2012, men and women will be seen as equals when purchasing annuities, meaning men’s will now fall by as much as eight per cent, women’s could rise by as much as six per cent.

George Ladds, Head of Pensions at Fair Investment Company, said: “Either rates for men and women will be brought in line to create ‘unisex’ annuity rate, which will probably see men’s rates go down more than women’s go up - or annuity providers will have to start looking at each case individually, which is more expensive, and that cost will be passed onto the consumer. “Either way, the consumer loses out on both choice and value. Annuity rates are already low, and this could be the excuse providers need to pull them even lower.”

“Either way, the consumer loses out on both choice and value. Annuity rates are already low, and this could be the excuse providers need to pull them even lower.”

Life

She said: “Not all customers will be equally affected as the use of gender can vary significantly between products and different companies. Each company will have to respond to the ban in a way they feel is in their customers’ interests.”

But the news is not all in the favour of females. Annuities have favoured men in the past, as their life expectancy is statistically lower, meaning they would receive a higher pay out based on the same retirement fund as a woman. However, the ECJ’s ruling will prevent annuity providers from differentiating in this way and annuity rates for men are expected to drop by eight per cent.

Life insurance premiums could rise by a fifth when the ruling takes effect, while men are expected to benefit from a 10 per cent saving on their cover.

He said: “Either rates for men and women will be brought in line to create ‘unisex’ annuity rate, which, will probably see men’s rates go down more than women’s go up - or annuity providers will have to start looking at each case individually, which is more expensive, and that cost will be passed onto the consumer.

However, only time will tell how British insurers will manage these monumental and historic changes, and the public can only wait in hope that they have enough time between now and December 2011 to level out insurance rates across all areas of the industry, making the insurance industry a truly fairer, more customer-friendly one.

More top car insurance tips including a list of the top womens car insurance can be found at moneysupermarket.com

Is the Cost of Britain’s Car Insurance Set to Shoot up?

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

With cars having always been a generally expensive commodity anyway, the economic downturn has really seen drivers suffer. The last few years have also seen the price of pretty much everything grow, not only has car insurance risen over the last year, having increased at a rate of 40 pence per day, but we have seen a significant increase in the price of fuel as well, paying an average of 15.8p per litre more than we were only a year ago. But why?

The European Court of Justice’s new ruling that sex discrimination is no longer a valid means of calculating the cost of insurance is going to have a huge impact on the insurance industry practice as a whole, but specifically when it comes to car insurance, and premiums across the board as well.

With women set to pay an average of 25% more than they do now, and men seeing an average 10% decrease on their insurance, it’s more important than ever to make sure you find the most competitive insurance company in business.

When it comes to companies like car insurance comparison websites like moneysupermarket.com, they can provide help and info about any price hikes in the industry by using their car insurance comparison tool - the great thing about it is that you just have to enter your details once and they do all the searching and hard work for you by obtaining quotes from over 50 car insurance companies. This relieves you from having to obtain quotes from lots of different companies. When the time comes for you to renew your policy, and so there’s absolutely no excuse for just remaining with your current insurer and paying the hefty price.

The car insurance comparison website estimates that 1.7bn per year is lost collectively by the UK’s 6.3 million drivers, simply because consumers don’t shop around for their car insurance. An insurance expert for the comparison site giant, Peter Harrison, believes that we’re an apathetic nation when it comes to shopping around for car insurance: “Insurers count on customer apathy to reap the profits, so it is alarming so many motorists are prepared to waste their hard-earned cash by not looking for a better deal.”

The problem of uninsured driver accidents is also a huge contributory factor to the rising cost of our car insurance. The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), who has itself been lobbying for a regulatory system since 2004, estimates that it costs every policyholder an average of 30 per year, and that 160 are killed and 22,000 injured every year, all at the hands of uninsured drivers.

According to the MID, the UK also has one of the worst records in Europe for uninsured driving. Costing the nation’s drivers a whopping 500m per year, an estimated one in twenty cars on the road is driven either completely without or incorrect (and therefore invalid) insurance.

A new Act due to come into effect in April 2011 though, is aiming to deal with the problem. The Continuous Insurance Enforcement Act will mean that cars may no longer be owned without either insuring them first or registering their vehicles with a Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN). This means that even those owners whose cars remain physically off the road, in the garage or on the drive (even if it’s jacked up on bricks and without vital components), will be breaking the law if they haven’t either insured it or applied for a SORN.

While the Act has been welcomed by many, concerns that it doesn’t quite go far enough have been voiced by some. Direct Line’s Andy Goldby, director of motor underwriting for example has commented: “We welcome this initiative, but with uninsured drivers costing British society around 500m each year, the severity of penalties must act as a deterrent to those considering driving without insurance.”

After all, what’s the point of imposing a 300 fine on somebody who would have had to pay over 2,000 in the first place for their insurance? It remains to be seen whether or not this act will have a positive effect on the cost of car insurance.

Another huge cost incurred by car insurance policyholders is that generated by accident claims and the burgeoning personal injury lawyer business.

Insurers claim they are paying out more than they are taking in, with a survey carried out by industry experts EMB and actuarial consultancy revealing that in 2009, for every 1 the retail motor industry received in premiums, it had to pay out 1.20 in costs and claims, making 2009 one of the industry’s most costly years on record.

A different report, again from EMB, presented to the Commons Transport Select Committee in 2010, said: “Over 40 per cent of personal injury lawyers pay referral fees to receive work from insurers or claims management firms. Fees range from 200 to 1,000 per referral.”

The report also stated: “In our view, the biggest single factor driving price increases is the burgeoning cost of bodily injury claims… We estimate that twenty years ago bodily injury claims accounted for around 20 per cent of UK motor insurance claims costs. In 2010 we now estimate that proportion to be 50 per cent.”

Statistics show that 341,592 people were killed or injured in 1989, compared with 222,146 people were killed or injured on Britain’s roads in 2009, highlighting that the increase in costs just doesn’t add up.

The Jackson Report, published in January 2011, found that personal injury claims now account for an astonishing 50 per cent of the cost of our car insurance premiums. Insurance premiums increased by 40 per cent in 2010 and are set to see a further increase of 20 per cent in the year ahead.

So now, more than ever, it’s essential that you make sure your insurance provider is giving you the best value on the market.

MoneySuperMarket car insurance for young drivers is the place to find the best prices and deals - so get online now!

The End of Sex Discrimination in Insurance: What Happens Now?

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

With the historic ban on gender discrimination by the ECJ in the insurance industry, it now reveals the monumental task for the UK’s insurance industry to completely change the way it works. But what does it mean for men and women across Britain?

The case, brought by the Belgium Consumers Association, challenges Article 5 of the EU Gender Directive which allows insurers to charge men and women differently based on their sex if it is a “determining factor” in risk assessment, and where it is also based on “relevant and accurate actuarial and statistical data”.

This equalling of the playing field means that the cost of car insurance policies will significantly decrease for men & increase for women - a change to which a lot of media attention has been given. But what about the rest of Britain’s insurance industry?

With statistical evidence having shown concretely over the years that women are safer drivers than men, the ruling has been met with a great deal of trepidation.

As of the end of 2012, insurers will no longer be allowed to evaluate risk based on a person’s sex, and as a result, premiums for women are expected to rise greatly, while premiums for men are set to reduce.

However, it’s not all good news when it comes to insurance for men. The ruling applies not only to car insurance but across the entire insurance industry, so the ruling will carry some negative implications for them, too.

Annuities

An annuity is usually bought with a pension fund when a person approaches retirement, and with this they are guaranteed an income for life.

Data such as gender, age and health are all used to decide the annual income they can buy with their retirement pot - estimating how long they are likely to live.

According to statistics, women usually live longer than men, and have always generally been offered lower annuity payouts than a men with exactly the same pension fund.

However, the new ruling has changed all this, and will inevitably see women paying less. The ABI (Association of British Insurers) estimates that men approaching retirement will see an 8% fall in annuity rates, while women will benefit from a growth of about 6%.

Joint annuities, typically purchased by men, are also set to see a price escalation, so women who rely on their husband’s pension fund will also suffer a lower retirement income.

Head of pensions at Fair Investment Company, George Ladds, has warned that if annuities are to stay appealing, the industry has to rethink how it prices annuities: “Either rates for men and women will be brought in line to create ‘unisex’ annuity rate, which will probably see men’s rates go down more than women’s go up - or annuity providers will have to start looking at each case individually, which is more expensive, and that cost will be passed onto the consumer.” He added: “Either way, the consumer loses out on both choice and value. Annuity rates are already low, and this could be the excuse providers need to pull them even lower.”

Life insurance

Men are more likely to die earlier than women according to statistics, paying higher premiums than women for their life insurance.

The ABI assesses that women will see their premiums rise by as much as a 20%, while men will see an estimated 10% fall on the cost of their cover.

ABI’s acting director general, Maggie Craig, warned women not to reconsider buying cover that they need. “Not all customers will be equally affected as the use of gender can vary significantly between products and different companies. Each company will have to respond to the ban in the way they feel is in their customers’ interests.”

Health insurance

Health insurances such as payment protection policies and critical illness cover, unlike life insurance, cost women more, because statistics say that they’re more likely to suffer illness and claim. As of December 2012, then, this will not be the case.

Car insurance

The British Insurance Brokers’ Association and the AA both advise that this will see women paying around a 1/4 more than they currently do for their car insurance, while younger female drivers will see an even bigger increase.

Describing the ruling as “flying in the face of common sense”, insurance group RSA argued: “It is completely disadvantageous to the very people it was intended to protect and prevents insurers from using a legitimate rating factor.”

Head over to the MoneySupermarket website for information about temporary car insurance from moneysupermarket.

What To Do When You Are Involved In A Vehicular Accident

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Minor accidents and mishaps are common with any car or vehicle. Even with an insurance agreement governing you, this occurrence stands to create some negligible stress and anxiety in us.

However all said and done you will be left fretting in times of an accident not knowing what to do next. It is always better to know what process is required to be followed in such cases.

If the mishap is minor in nature more like a bumper-to-bumper hit, you may drive over to the side of the road and part. The traffic needs to move on and you can avoid blocking the road.

If your cars are in the middle of the road, it can cause further accidents and injuries to others. Therefore switch on the hazard lights of both the vehicles to warn the others.

Once you park by the side of the road, call the police to report in. If they do not respond immediately as it is a minor mishap, make sure you follow up and get the report filed. This would later be required for insurance claim process.

After reporting to the police, wait there and note down all details of the driver of the other vehicle and note down the car number, registration, color and other details besides getting the driver’s details including name, address, license number, insurance details etc.

There is no need to have any conversation as to who was wrong and to admit that you were at fault. The police will decide who was at fault and report to the insurance.

You would need to inform the insurance agency about the accident and they will take over from there and deal with things. If possible make sure you photograph both vehicles in detail and provide it to the insurance agency.

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Ways To Save On Your Automobile Insurance Plan

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Due to the economic hard time that most people are finding themselves in today, men and women are looking for lower prices just to get by. The monetary crisis has really changed how we as consumers make decisions each day.

This can be especially accurate when looking for automobile insurance policy plans. You can find numerous things which you need to consider. For instance, your monetary standing, car as well as the sort of protection you desire to have.

The larger query is - can you nevertheless get all of the advantages with an inexpensive vehicle insurance plan organization? To understand the solution to this query, you might begin searching for a temporary vehicle insurance plan which will not be considered a large burden for you.

Buying an insurance policy plan can be an expensive process. Nonetheless, there some actions which you can take in order to obtain a cost-efficient insurance policy.

Some people will shop around among different companies to find the best rates. There is not any need to go to the business directly, as you can do all of this from your home. Do this via the internet and you’ll save time and gas money. That’ll get you off to a great start!

You might commence by creating exploration on several businesses and see how their items differ from each other. Don’t be blinded by providers of inexpensive premiums that don’t deliver when you need them to.

You ought to concentrate on the variety of advantages every package provides. Then you might persist by analyzing your specific requirements and attempt to match these requirements using the info you’ve gathered.

If you haven’t yet purchased your new car, you may want to consider the cost of insurance. The type of car you drive can greatly impact the cost of insurance.

Drivers of luxury cars are likely to find themselves paying the highest insurance rates. However, if you might have a rarely-used automobile which can be tiny in size and not really new, then the premium rates are not likely to be a large deal.

Get various other articles created by this same writer regarding topics including xbox ethernet cord and the custom built computer.

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Car Insurance For Women: Knowing How To Get The Best Deals

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Car insurance for women is well known to provide some great deals, but are women really better drivers than men? The truth is that they aren’t, but statistics show that women make fewer, less expensive claims than men do. Women also generally drive less miles, which is known to drive down insurance prices. In short, as long as the care insurance companies feel they are less likely to pay out for female drivers, they will over lower premiums.

Considerations When Choosing Cheap Car Insurance for Women

Like any car insurance deal, policies aimed specifically at women will have major differences. For example, some may be fully comprehensive, whereas others may offer third party only, or third party with theft and fire. Choosing more comprehensive policies will increase your overall premium, though you may find that female friendly policies are only included by some insurers at the comprehensive level - it all depends on which insurer you choose.

Another more common trend in the car insurance world is for add-on deals aimed specifically at women. For example, many car insurance companies are now offering coverage for purses and their contents should they be stolen from the car.

It’s also important to remember that simply being female doesn’t guarantee any low prices or extras. Your history and circumstances will always be taken into account, as with any standard car insurance policy. And, like all insurance policies, younger women (just like younger men) may find it more difficult to get cheap car insurance for women due to a lack of experience.

Men Can Even Benefit From Cheap Female Insurance Deals

It may seem contradictory to even suggest it, but there are ways in which men can also benefit from cheap car insurance for women. If you share a car with a female relative or partner, it’s well worth comparing the cost of being added as a named driver to the cost of taking out your own insurance policy. Men can also help to bring their costs down by adding a female as an additional driver to their own policy. There are no hard and fast rules, so it pays to do your research and compare options.

Whether you are female or a male who wants to get a great deal, car insurance for women can be a fantastic way of keeping your costs down. You’ll just have to spend a little time researching and comparing to find the best deals.

Want to save time and money when it comes to getting cheap car insurance for women? Comparison is the key when it comes to getting the best deal, so head on over to Car Insurance for Women and find out just how much money you could save.

When Does Wintertime Start Get Your SnowTires Ready

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

It amazes many who live in warmer climes that those up north regularly as a matter of course as a vehicle owner have to get their “car ready for winter”. Many think its simply a matter of checking your antifreeze coolant levels in their radiators , making sure that that windshield washer antifreeze is good for 40 below zero , that their batteries hold a good charge ready to start their vehicles on the coldest January Northern Alberta night and lastly that their interior heaters work “just right”. Few think of their tires when it comes to the pre-winter seasonal tune ups at their local garage or auto dealership.

Some people and authorities will hold that all season year round radial tires are “just fine”. Others will say not and that you need a distinct set of tires for the winter-time season , these are referred to as “Snow Tires”. To the greatest extent it depends on what geographic areas that you live in and traverse, your climate and your driving habits and trips. You may have roadside assistance offered as part of a package from your new or used car dealer that you purchased your auto , tires or battery from , but why take the chance of inconvenience and delay ?

One point to note and remember - winter tires , can be noisy on dry pavement - never mind the clicking sound emanating from studded tires at high traffic speeds. On the other side of the road so to speak - the nosier the tread design or designs the overall better performance on the roadway by your wintertime tires in the snow. Compromise to reduce noise also reduces tire and vehicle pulling power in loose snow and mud driving conditions. All in all it can be said by auto service and vehicle safety experts , that full-circle , welded-lug chains provide several times more pulling power than even the most highly rated , and expensive snow tires , but are of course a lot less convenient and even unsightly for automobile owners and motorists.

In terms of tire” studs” as mentioned earlier that due to their destructive affect on highways and roads many locales do not allow the use of studs or “studded wintertime tires” on their roadways. Note though that if allowed in your driving areas - that on both packed snow and ice these devices work very well at reducing stopping distances.

In terms of tire chains the experts state that all considered that the welded lug types are the best type to purchase and choose if you do install and use the chains often. This can well be the case if you live in an area of the Rocky Mountains or are planning a ski trip to Banff , Lake Louise or Montana. Consider also the the overall convenience to motorists of chains involved for simple , simpler and easy to install alternate models, These models are a very good choice for the driving demands of many drivers and motorists that can easily and simply be installed without jacking up or moving your vehicle - be it truck, car or S.U.V..

Wintertime Dodge Ram Truck Winter Tires Studs ChainsNorthern Alberta and Winnipeg Used Auto Info

Save Money On Auto Insurance Go Direct

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

If you’re like millions of other people across the country these days, you may be looking for ways to economize and stretch your dollars. If so, you may want to take a look at direct auto insurance as an alternative to using the traditional insurance agency for insuring your car.

Would you trade lower rates for dealing with a website rather than a human being? If you are considering direct auto insurance, that’s the question you have to ask yourself. Two factors have combined to create direct auto insurance: no-fault insurance and the Internet. With direct insurance, you deal directly with the insurer rather than through an independent agent. Cutting out the middleman allows direct insurers to offer lower rate. Some provide offices; some are strictly available over the phone or across the Internet.

Many direct auto insurance companies confine their reach to states or localities that mandate some variation on a no-fault insurance system for all drivers. Under no fault programs, the need for insurance agents is greatly reduced. Under no-fault legislation, insurance companies compensate their insured drivers (and the driver’s passengers) for their losses in an accident without the need for an assignment of blame.

Which party pays the cost for damages and losses incurred in a traffic accident is determined by a finding of fault provinces and states without no-fault legislation. As of spring, 2009, there are twelve states in the US with some form of no fault auto insurance; Massachusetts, Minnesota, Utah, California, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Dakota, New Jersey, Hawaii, Florida, Kansas, New York, and Michigan.

The no-fault states, which include the three states with highest populations (New York, California, Florida) enacted no fault legislation in part to simplify and speed payments to accident victims, and in part to reduce the number of time consuming cases in our bulging civil court system. Claims appraising becomes the only bottleneck and no-fault states ease that by instituting approved collision centers. In some jurisdictions the claim centers are government-run.

But for consumers, the real weakness in the direct insurance business model is the position it puts the consumer in when at his/her most vulnerable. The human body is not a machine and evaluations of what it will take to recover from injury are not always reliable, primarily because full recovery, while always the goal, is not always possible. These types of claims are where a good agent is worth their weight in gold. The agent stays up to speed on your condition and navigates you through the claims process.

All things considered, going with a direct auto insurance firm rather than through an insurance agent is a risk - reward question. If you are adequately covered, are the savings worth having to act as your own agent? That is the question you’ll need to ask yourself, but then again, millions of satisfied customers have asked and answered that same question in the affirmative.

Getting auto insurance direct isn’t going to be as cheap as getting it at a thanksgiving sale but you will be able to get a great price. When you go searching for a way to spend the money you save you will wait for the Cyber Monday Sales

Most Vehicle Drivers Take Their Vehicles Auto Coolant System For Granted

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Driving along in their vehicles - be they truck , car or van most standard homeowners or automobile owners think little of their automotive cooling system in their vehicle until either disaster or inconvenience results. It might be overheating and a major repair bill at the dealership or it be a cold drive on Alberta winter highways with no heat output from their vehicle’s interior heater.

Its like brake or transmission in a vehicle - be it car , truck or SUV. Few think about their fluid levels or the last time maintenance was done on the vehicle. Add in the fact that the car or truck is second hand or used and its anyone’s guess. Yet it is a simple and easy matter to check fluid levels and the protection afforded to cold weather freeze-up of the coolant fluids.

How can anyone be taught how to check the coolant level. Simply open up the engine hood when your car has been sitting for a couple of hours. Look for a coolant canister . Its the overflow bottle container and looks simply like a plastic jug. If you do not know how to open your hood - often bonnets today can be a puzzle to open - then consult the auto manual that came with the car , online , or at the worst call your factory dealer or local garage. Just have your auto make , model and year available handy. To judge fluid levels simply look on the side of the coolant overflow container. There will be a marking “cold” or “cold fluid level”. Simply compare the two marks - that of the level of the fluid in the coolant container and the mark on the side of the bottle. Do you have an adequate amount ?

Maintenance of proper fluid levels and an adequate amount of antifreeze is everything. You will maintain your engine and transmission within proper temperature ranges. The benefits - less wear and tear on your engine itself , no heat damage or buckling from excessive heat of engines running “hot” as well as the convenience of sufficient heat from your interior heater of your passenger compartment.

Most of the problems we encounter both in life and as auto owners are relatively simple and come down to basics. In this case its a matter of proper ongoing maintenance of your vehicle’s cooling system. If you are unsure of the steps and procedures ask professional help . Your local mechanic , a neighbor or the service department of your local nearby car or truck dealership will be only too obliging to help you out.

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Routine Maintenance Of Your Auto Cooling System

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

When most drivers think of their autos cooling system all that comes to mind is their radiator ” the humble rad. The cooling system of your car keeps your autos engine within normal ranges and provides you both comfortable maintenance free driving and heat from their interior car heater during the cold winter time or to defrost their windshield.

Its like brake or transmission in a vehicle - be it car , truck or SUV. Few think about their fluid levels or the last time maintenance was done on the vehicle. Add in the fact that the car or truck is second hand or used and its anyone’s guess. Yet it is a simple and easy matter to check fluid levels and the protection afforded to cold weather freeze-up of the coolant fluids.

How can anyone be taught how to check the coolant level. Simply open up the engine hood when your car has been sitting for a couple of hours. Look for a coolant canister . Its the overflow bottle container and looks simply like a plastic jug. If you do not know how to open your hood - often bonnets today can be a puzzle to open - then consult the auto manual that came with the car , online , or at the worst call your factory dealer or local garage. Just have your auto make , model and year available handy. To judge fluid levels simply look on the side of the coolant overflow container. There will be a marking “cold” or “cold fluid level”. Simply compare the two marks - that of the level of the fluid in the coolant container and the mark on the side of the bottle. Do you have an adequate amount ?

Maintenance of proper fluid levels and an adequate amount of antifreeze is everything. You will maintain your engine and transmission within proper temperature ranges. The benefits - less wear and tear on your engine itself , no heat damage or buckling from excessive heat of engines running “hot” as well as the convenience of sufficient heat from your interior heater of your passenger compartment.

Most of the problems we encounter both in life and as auto owners are relatively simple and come down to basics. In this case its a matter of proper ongoing maintenance of your vehicle’s cooling system. If you are unsure of the steps and procedures ask professional help . Your local mechanic , a neighbor or the service department of your local nearby car or truck dealership will be only too obliging to help you out.