| Electronic verification urged
Immediate, computerized, roadside verification of mandatory auto insurance is set for another round of debate in Montgomery. A small group of influential Alabama agents has been advocating such a measure for the past two years. Some of them served last year on a joint legislative committee that's developing a policy paper on the matter. A group of independent agents, typically small businessmen who sell insurance coverage from a variety of underwriters, met last week with Gov. Bob Riley's executive staff to recommend electronic verification. "The current system is a sloppy one," said Birmingham agent Joe Fuller, who met with the governor's staff. "If the right people get behind it, electronic verification could happen real quick." Electronic verification would computerize and centralize the record-keeping of car registrations, license tags and insurance policy numbers.
Q4 2006 Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc. Earnings Conference ...
OPERATOR: Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Affirmative Insurance Holdings 2006 Fourth Quarter Earnings Conference Call. My name is Latisha, and I will be your coordinator for today. [OPERATOR INSTRUCTIONS] As a reminder, this conference is being recorded for replay purposes. At this time, I will turn the presentation over to Mr. Mark Pape, Chief Financial Officer. Please proceed, sir. MARK PAPE, CFO & EVP, AFFIRMATIVE INSURANCE HOLDINGS INC.: Thank you, Latisha. Good morning, and welcome to the 2006 year-end earnings conference call for Affirmative Insurance Holdings. As Latisha said, I'm Mark Pape, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President. With me on the call today are Kevin Callahan, our CEO and Chairman; Sean McPadden, Executive Vice President and the President of our Insurance Company; and Joe Fisher, our General Counsel.
Confusing mortgage terms: part II
FIXED-RATE MORTGAGE: A mortgage with an interest rate that remains constant for the life of the loan. The most common fixed-rate mortgage is for a term of 30 years, but there also are terms of 15 years and 10 years, and some lenders can even make your fixed rate period whatever you desire. .
Contact Center: Genesys Exhibits Key Capabilities Of Dynamic
From the VoiceCon Conference in Orlando, FL. recently, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories, Inc., an Alcatel-Lucent company, unveiled key capabilities of the Dynamic Contact Center (DCC). The DCC showcases how customer service can be elevated to a strategic business asset designed to increase overall customer loyalty and business value. A DCC stops customer frustration, drives contact center efficiencies and accelerates business innovation. VoiceCon attendees will have the opportunity to observe a DCC implementation powered by the Genesys 7.5 Customer Interaction Management Platform at booth 1004 at the Gaylord Palms Hotel, March 6-8, 2007. As contact centers become increasingly important corporate assets, customer service organizations must transform themselves into service centers that automatically optimize customer traffic, internal resources and business outcomes.
Prep softball: 5 top story lines
1 Who will win the loaded Lake? Five or six teams could contend for the conference title in the 11-team league. "Last year Rosemount had such a special season," Burnsville coach Hillary Hansen said. "[The Irish] proved over the season they were the best in the conference and the state. The rest of the teams fought hard for second place. Now all those pitchers have had a chance to mature and a lot of [teams] will be fighting for the top spot." A Lake team has won the Class 3A title the past five seasons.2 Will Chaska's Brynne Dordel be as unhittable as she was last season? If she is, this could be the Year of the Hawks. Dordel had a 0.00 ERA in the regular season and, in Chaska's last conference game, pitched a no-hitter and struck out 19 in a 2-0 victory over Rosemount. "We made her famous, and now the word is out," Irish coach Jim Matheson said.3 How will injuries effect several top teams?Benilde-St.
California Mother Recovers from Loss to Help Families with Sick ...
A California woman survived a personal tragedy with a commitment to help others that is keeping the memory of her late son alive. VOA's Mike O'Sullivan spoke with Valerie Sobel, who lost her son to cancer, and now helps the parents of seriously ill children. .
Lack Of Renter’s Insurance Can Compound Tragedy For Fire Victims
More than once Thompson has been the bearer of bad news and explained to fire victims that their landlords insurance doesnt cover their belongings. "The landlord," Thompson explains, "does not provide any protection for them." After nearly 20 years in the insurance business, Thompson says hes seen a steady decline in interest in renters insurance. "Often people only buy insurance when the bank requires them to carry it," he said. "Young people dont think about it. They dont realize the need or urgency." Hard-Hit Students College students renting off-campus apartments should check with their parents because occasionally theyre given protection under the parents homeowners insurance, Thompson says. But most, he adds, really do need coverage.
Health Highlights: March 18, 2007
A Canadian manufacturer of pet foods marketed under a number of popular brand names in North America is recalling 60 million containers of its "wet" cat and dog food because of unexplained kidney failure and some reported deaths. The Associated Press reports that Menu Foods, headquartered in Streetsville, Ontario, has announced the recall of 37 cat food brands and 46 dog food brands, some of which are high end and others that are sold in giant retailers such as Wal-Mart and Krogers. The wire service quotes company spokeswoman Sarah Tuite as saying the problem may have occurred when Menu changed suppliers of wheat gluten, a protein used in pet food preparation. An undisclosed number of kidney failures have been reported, and at least 10 deaths have also been confirmed, the company says.
A Shadow in the field
It dwindles around the December holidays, as errant spouses retreat to the comforts of hearth and family. Among other things, that means a dip in business for private investigators, who are often called on to track the movements of illicit lovers.
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Travel Guard Offers Free Assistance To Greek Cruise Ship Evacuees
STEVENS POINT, Wis., April 6 /PRNewswire/ -- AIG Travel Guard announced that it will provide emergency travel services and medical assistance services free to evacuees of the Sea Diamond cruise ship and their families after it ran aground and began taking in water off the Greek Island of Santorini on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
Of the 1,200 passengers aboard, three-quarters are American, including many groups of U.S. college students. The services Travel Guard is offering to those affected include emergency medical arrangements, cash wire transfers from their families, passport replacement, translation services, message relay and emergency travel arrangements, such as airline or hotel reservations, and luggage tracking if items were left on board when they evacuated. Family members seeking these services for their relatives can call Travel Guard's 24- hour World Service Center at 1-800-826-1300.
Security Benefit Introduces Low-cost, Simplified Variable Annuity ...
TOPEKA, Kansas, March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- A new variable annuity product from Security Benefit has been designed for investors who are concerned about the cost and complexity of many annuities, yet wish to maximize their retirement financial assets. Available through independent financial representatives and advisors, the new product, EliteDesigns, combines a very low-cost variable annuity with powerful investment options and an optional living benefit. "We believe EliteDesigns is an innovative annuity that combines simplicity and affordability with an investment platform that can support professional advice and sophisticated investment strategies," said Doug Wolff, vice president, Business Development, Security Benefit. EliteDesigns features 73 underlying investment options, including a wide range of Rydex mutual funds.
Texas High School Helps Put the Brakes on the Number-One Killer of ...
BLOOMINGTON, Ill., April 2 -- Shallowater High School of Shallowater, Texas, was named the "Best of the Best" for their 2006-07 Project Ignition safe driving campaign at The 18th Annual National Service-Learning Conference. State Farm and the National Youth Leadership Council selected the Shallowater High School team as the winner because of its dedication to educate its own students about the dangers of driving and for taking its campaign on the road to other schools. Shallowater's involvement in Project Ignition began three years ago with their campaign "Safety Starts with Step One," which was a platform used to educate elementary and junior high students on safety issues. Their efforts over the last three years have cumulated into their award winning campaign "Roll Right: Get R.E.A.L." From September 9 through December 24, 2006, 11 teens died in car crashes in the area known as the South Plains of Texas.
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