Scooter Sales Accelerate; So Do Thefts, Injuries

by Bill Chappell

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93721351

NPR.org, August 21, 2008 · It’s easy to spot signs that America’s scooter industry is surging: The little bikes are everywhere now, their appeal benefiting from high gas prices. Annual sales reached 131,000 last year, revved up from 83,000 in 2003, the Motorcycle Industry Council reports.

Two other markers of their popularity have emerged: higher rates of theft and injury.

A study released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau shows a dramatic increase in the number of scooters stolen: from 2,728 in 2003 to 3,527 in 2007. That’s a rise of nearly 30 percent, though sales increased by 58 percent over the same period. Thefts rose nearly 12 percent from 2006, when 3,155 scooters disappeared.

Cheap Insurance

Car Insurance Prices On The Rise, Survey Says

http://www.one38.org/200808/car-insurance-prices-on-the-rise-survey-says/

The price of auto insurance has been growing throughout 2008, says an Insurance.com survey whose results were released today. Insurance.com, the biggest Internet-based provider of automobile insurance in the USA, publishes its findings regarding the state of auto insurance in America every fiscal quarter in its quarterly Car Insurance Rate Report.

The company’s Car Insurance Rate Report for the second quarter of 2008 shows that auto insurance provider’s estimated quotes have risen by 3.4% during this quarter–continuing their trend of climbing since early 2008. At the beginning of the second quarter of 2008, auto insurance cost an average of $1,831 for a year of coverage. Presently, as of July 2008, auto insurance costs an average of $1,893 for a year of coverage.

Cheap Auto Insurance – Going – Going – Gone?

Social Pressure Leads to Social Mistakes

December 6, 2008 · By Vincent Wright

While, ultimately, each individual is accountable for managing themselves and must take ownership of their personal mistakes, almost none of us can withstand each and every type of social pressure a society such as America can place upon us.

Social pressure can lead many us into making social mistakes.

A spousal argument, a bout of sibling rivalry, poor parental relationship, a loss of employment, threats of foreclosure, business failure, and an endless multitude of persistent personal problems can cause us to take a wrong turn in trying to relieve the pressure from problems.

Some of us choose to grab a quick drink to address societal pressures. A quick drink leads to one more – and you know the rest of the story – we drink more than we should.

Of course, what too often accompanies too much to drink is being too far away from home – so, of course, we decide to drink and drive.

If we’re unlucky, we never make it home – or – prevent someone else from making it home.

If we’re completely, 100% lucky we make it home, get to bed and sleep it off – this, unfortunately, is likely to catch up with us each time we repeat the process. Meaning: luck runs out even for those who may at one time have been 100% lucky.

If we’re moderately lucky – yes, LUCKY – an officer of the law will pull us over, arrest us, and cause our insurance premiums to go up.

Handled correctly, this could be the wake up call to help us break the habit of over drinking and DUI.

However, the challenge with being moderately lucky is the insurance company – they will not rub your forehead and make you a cup of hot coffee – they will raise your insurance.

Unfortunately, this may make life quite miserable for you and your family for YEARS.

Fortunately, there is an insurance service which can help you regain your footing after you’ve stumbled onto a DUI charge on your record.

If you’ve encountered a DUI charge on your record and you need an insurance company which can and will work with you, Serenity Insurance understands customers that other car insurance companies are reluctant to help.

Whether you are a preferred driver looking for cheap auto insurance or a high risk driver required to carry Form SR 22 insurance, Serenity Insurance can meet your needs.

Other auto insurance companies are often reluctant to serve DUI and DWI offenders or High Risk clients. Filing SR22 insurance forms has always been a large part of Serenity’s business. Serenity operates in a confidential manner to preserve the dignity and privacy of its clients. Check out their full range of services.

Serenity can provide affordable car insurance quotes for both preferred drivers and high risk drivers because of the experience we have gained by serving high risk DUI and DWI insurance clients for the past 14 years in 47 states.

For Cheap Car Insurance call (800) 546-5470. For SR22 Insurance call (800) 774-0520 or visit Serenity Insurance on the Web at: http://www.serenitygroup.com/

And by the way: Stay SAFE out there and drink responsibly.

Extra Precautions During Daylight Savings 11/03/08
Pedestrians Should Take Extra Precautions During Daylight Savings, According to GMAC Insurance

Auto Insurer Encourages Safety Awareness Among Pedestrians and Drivers During Time Switch

During Daylight Savings, clocks and smoke alarms aren’t the only things needing attention; according to GMAC Insurance, drivers and pedestrians should also pay attention to their habits to stay safe.
Last year, a study confirmed that pedestrians are three times more likely to be killed in the month during the Daylight Savings switch (both in spring and fall).  In response, GMAC Insurance surveyed over 5,000 licensed Americans to determine if they take additional safety precautions during the time change. The findings reveal that two-thirds of respondents – amounting to approximately 133 million Americans – do not
take extra precautions while walking during this time.
“It’s our duty as an insurance company to remind both drivers and pedestrians of the steps they can take to ensure their safety during this transitional period,” said Wade Bontrager, vice president, marketing, GMAC Insurance. To help keep drivers and pedestrians safe from dawn through dusk, GMAC Insurance offers the following tips: Drivers

Keep your eyes moving and away from glare. By focusing on the white lines on the
side of the road ahead, you’ll both avoid oncoming headlights and be able to see
any upcoming pedestrians.

Pedestrians are more likely to cross the street when you are turning at a green light
or turning right on red. Take an extra look to make sure your path is clear.

Remember that pedestrians always have the right of way. Even if they are crossing
where they’re not supposed to, you must stop.
Pedestrians

Wear reflective or bright clothing. You can never assume that vehicles will see you,
but this makes you easier to spot on the side of the road.

Always cross the street at a crosswalk, and look left and right and then left again for
cars coming before crossing the street.

Keep on the sidewalks if possible. If there are none, make sure you are walking
against traffic.

Whether you are a preferred driver looking for Cheap Auto Insurance or are a high risk driver required to carry Form SR 22 insurance, Serenity Insurance can meet your needs. Do you need affordable car insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Cheap Auto Insurance

Credit card companies quick to raise rates, fees

Paying late bills barely better than never

By CARRIE TEEGARDIN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Greg Fischer was already fed up with Bank of America for doubling his credit card’s interest rate to 28.99 percent — the price for being a couple of weeks late with a payment in April.

What sent him over the top, he said, was the bank’s decision to rule his September payment late, too. He paid on the due date on the bank’s Web site. But he paid at  4:10 p.m. — past a 3:30 cutoff that Fischer said he wasn’t aware of.

That payment cost him not just a late fee. It also meant he would have to live even longer with the “default” interest rate, which the bank applied retroactively to the balance on his account. Bank of America told him it would not consider lowering the rate until he paid on time for six months straight.

“Ten years of a great track record as a customer, conversations and detailed notes with several customer service folks got me absolutely nowhere,” said Fischer, who lives in Macon. “A 40-minute ‘late’ payment is going to cost me hundreds of dollars in interest payments if I cannot come up with the money to pay off this card in full.”

Read the rest here:

Whether you are a preferred driver looking for cheap car insurance or are a high risk driver required to carry Form SR22 insurance, Serenity Insurance can meet your needs. Do you need affordable car insurance right now? Put us to the test! We work with a large number of companies to get the most competitive auto insurance rates for our customers.

Serenity Group can now be found on Myspace.  Although MySpace is a social networking website that is predominantly seen as music related, it can be used for much more.

Visit the Serenity Group Myspace page and you can add us as a friend, Meet Featured Employee Kevin Corcoran, see who our other friends are, view a slideshow of pictures of our employees, read our blog articles and more.

Please visit the site and give us feedback on what you think, say hi to your favorite insurance agent, or would like to see what’s new or let us know what you are thinking.

If you need a quote you can pick up the phone and call us at 1-800-774-0520 or visit the web site at http://www.serenitygroup.com/ to chat live with an agent, have an agent call you or fill out the Quick Quote Form.

The High Cost of Cheap Car Insurance

Car insurance is legally mandated in most states. When you and your car are out on the road, it is important to have the proper auto insurance coverage. When you buy your car, you probably don’t think first about the cost of insuring it but that really ought to be one of your first concerns.

Auto insurance can take quite a bite out of your wallet and if you simply go with one of the big car insurance companies without shopping around, you might find yourself in a precarious financial position. Finding ways to reduce your annual car insurance premiums is important. A large range of policies and options are available and the type of coverage you purchase will depend on your car, your needs, and your finances. Cheap Car Insurance policies vary so much that it is important to use a broker that can easily compare insurance rates from many different insurance companies.

Car insurance companies are not all the same. Car Insurance policies are not all the same. Cheap car insurance is great when the bill comes due but if you pick the wrong company you may find that your cheap car insurance policy becomes a nightmare. Serenity Insurance can save you from that nightmare.

Read some of the wonderful testimonials from Serenity Insurance Group insurance policy holders and then pick up the phone and call them at 1-800-774-0520 or visit their web site at http://www.serenitygroup.com/ to chat live with an agent, have an agent call you or fill out their Quick Car Insurance Quote form.

The Designated Driver

DUI Decoy

A police officer was surveying a particular bar, waiting for the patrons to leave. He figured that at closing time he may be able to catch a person or two for possible DUI violations.

When the bar closed he saw one man stumble out of the bar, trip over the curb and then try to open several cars before finding the one that actually belonged to him.

The officer then watched the man fumble his way into the front seat and sit there for several minutes trying to get his keys into the ignition. While the officer waited, everyone else from the bar got into their cars and left.

Eventually the man managed to start his engine and went to pull away.

The police officer swooped in on him, stopped the car and read him his rights.

He then gave the man a field sobriety test and a breathalyser test in order to test his blood-alcohol content.

Amazingly, the results came back with a reading of 0.0.

Naturally, the officer demanded an explanation.

The man replied, ‘Tonight officer I am the designated decoy’.

Read about DUI Penalties in various states.

SR22 Insurance

Kimberlee from Washington State sent a letter saying, “I would like to thank you for your professionalism and compassion in working with me over the last couple of years.  With the situation of me having to apply for SR22 insurance at the age of 54, needless to say I was humiliated.  You were always cheerful, helpful and courteous. Thank you very much.”