Oklahoma home insurance and auto insurance buyers are among the special few who can count on their state for information.  The Oklahoma state insurance website was recently rated excellent by the Consumer Information of America, one of only  six sites to earn that accolade.

The reasons the site was rated so highly included offering information on things like Complaints and Claims Assistance, and Public Enforcement of state insurance laws.

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Winter storms are coming soon, and based on what happened last year, home owners in Tennessee need to get ready. This includes not only preparing their homes, but making sure all Tennessee Home Insurance policies are ready for the challenge as well.

The first weekend in 2008 included a storm that resulted in 19 counties being declared federal disaster areas. Will that happen again in 2009?

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Building codes change constantly.  If your home is ten years old, it probably does not meet current codes; in fact, with all the latest “green” code changes,  it’s possible that your home won’t make it even if it is just five years old.  That means if something happens to your home, you’ll be required to bring it up to code when you repair it.  Is your home insurance policy big enough to cover that? 

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The Michigan Court of Appeals has decided that insurance companies can no longer use credit scores to determine premiums for auto and home insurance.  Some are celebrating that this means lower rates for people with poor credit, but ultimately it could cost every Michigan resident even more for insurance. 

Organizations like the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and the Insurance Institute of Michigan maintain that low credit scores show a pretty direct relationship with things like car accidents and homeowners claims. 

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The athletes have gone home, the cameras are unplugged, and the countdown has begun  until the 2012 Olympics in London.  But for the 302 Gold Medal winners, life will never be the same.  Even though the medal is really mostly silver and only about six percent gold, it’s the most important medal of their lives.  So the next question is – How to protect it and insure it?

Lloyd’s of London tackled that question on their website.  Although the actual cost of the medals may not be as high as one might think, the sentimental value is enormous.  Things like that can be insured at whatever value the owner and insurance company agree on, especially since it may be impossible to actually replace the medal.

The value of the medals is also affected by geography and sport.  While Morten Joergensen’s gold medal for rowing is huge in Denmark, its value in the US is much less.  But just think what one of Michael Phelps’ gold medals would go for on eBay?

The bottom line is this – Olympic medals represent the crowning achievement of a lifetime devoted to training and the pursuit of excellence, which makes them absolutely priceless. 

By the way, if you’ve never seen an Olympic medal, visit the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in Chicago.  Several of the gold, silver and bronze medals won by swimmer Matt Biondi in the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympics are on display there, and they are amazing to behold.

Most of us gain a few pounds each year, thanks to Valentine’s Day candy, Xbox, and Christmas cookies.  But now those extra pounds just might raise your health insurance rates, whether you have an individual policy or are part of a group health insurance plan at work.

Health insurance premiums are based on likely medical expenses, and overweight workers usually incur more medical costs than smokers or problem drinkers. 

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A new survey by J.D. Power and Associates shows that drivers who are happy with their current auto insurance company usually won’t change regardless of price.  But that begs the question – are they still getting the best deal?

Most people consider five factors when choosing an auto insurance company – interaction, policy offerings, price, billing and payment, and claims. 

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Jonathan was angry that he was being evicted, so he planned revenge.  Once he’d moved out all of his belongings, he stopped the kitchen drain, then turned the water on in the sink, locked the door and left.  By the time Tom, the landlord, came to clean the place the next day, thousands of dollars in damage had been done.

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For many small businesses, this time of year slows down a bit.  Back-to-school shopping is over, Christmas shopping hasn’t started yet, and consumers are in a quiet “Indian  Summer” mood.  If you own a small business, this is your chance to catch up on all those things you’ve been meaning to do, but haven’t had the time.

You’ve probably got a mental list of things already.

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Are you renting your home?  87 million Americans are now, especially as the number of foreclosures increases.  But while homeowners are required to purchase home insurance  as a mortgage requirement, renters aren’t forced to buy renters insurance. 

Only 40% of renters have the coverage they need.  As a result, over 50 million people are unprotected from loss of their personal property.

Renters insurance usually is pretty cheap because it only protects your stuff, like your clothes, TV, computer, camera, etc. 

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