5 ways to save on auto insurance

Even a small annual savings on car insurance can pay off over several years. There are many savings tips out there, but here are five ways you can save on your car insurance rates that you may have overlooked.

1. Multi-policy discounts for renters

Look for an insurance company that will give you a multi-policy discount for carrying both your auto and renters insurance with them. Home owners can usually save money by combining auto and home insurance policies together, but some companies will also extend multi-policy discounts to tenants who carry their renters insurance.

2. Keep up with the changes in your life

Small changes in your life could result in a discount, or a reduction in your car insurance premium. For example, if you've made the last payment on your auto loan, be sure to remove Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP) coverage from your policy.
If your vehicle is stolen or involved in a wreck, GAP insurance covers the difference between a car's actual and the amount you owe to the leasing or finance company. Maintaining this coverage after your vehicle has been
Likewise, if your commute changes, or you stop using your car for business, make sure to let your auto insurance company know. Every change could mean fewer dollars spent.

3. Good student discounts

Parents often inquire about the discount for driver's education, but the real savings is the good student discount. Hold your children accountable to make good grades, and it will keep costs down.

4. Ditch the kids as soon as you can

No one wants to create a hardship for their children, but your teen driver can drive up your auto insurance cost. You don't want their tickets or accidents to cause your premiums to rise. Plus, your children don't have as many assets to protect as you do, so they can afford to carry lower liability limits. Set them up on their own auto insurance policy, and subsidize the cost.

5. Trim auto insurance coverage when your needs decrease

Unless it is a collectible, sell a car you are not using. The cost of keeping an unused or seldom-used vehicle ready to go far outweigh the cost of renting one when you need it.
Ryan Hurlbert
Ryan Hurlbert lives and works in the Pacific Northwest. As an insurance agent, he produced and presented educational seminars on various topics from insurance basics to strategies for dealing with teen drivers. He has researched and produced marketing materials in the insurance, auto, and financial industries. Ryan majored in business and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Portland State University.

The basics of universal life insurance

The basics of universal life insurance

Cash value life insurance offers the opportunity to earn interest while also protecting your loved one's financial future. Of all the cash value policies available, universal life insurance is often considered the most flexible. These plans give policyholders greater freedom to change their benefit level and even reduce their premium payments.

Understanding universal life insurance

Universal life insurance is a type of permanent life insurance. That means the policy lasts for as long as you live, as long as premium payments are made. In addition, permanent life insurance plans earn cash value over the course of the policy. This money can then be used to pay for expenses such as college tuition, business start-up costs or other personal needs.
While other types of permanent life insurance may have fixed premiums and benefit amounts, universal life insurance policies allow individuals the flexibility to adjust these levels. This is possible because of the way in which these plans are administered. Premiums are deposited into a policy account which earns interest. The cost of the insurance and any other charges are deducted from the account. Once the account has gained a significant amount of interest, policyholders can reduce or even stop their premium payments and allow the interest to pay the cost of insurance instead.

Pros and cons of universal life insurance

For many individuals, the greatest benefit of universal life insurance is the ability to change premium payments as needed. Rather than having their policy lapse for lack of payment, those facing a difficult financial situation can let the interest in their account maintain their insurance. In addition, the death benefit is not fixed and may be adjusted as well.
Although universal life insurance can be a convenient financial product, it does not come without risk. By using the interest to pay for the insurance policy, you will be reducing the cash value. Should the interest become insufficient to pay the premiums, your policy may lapse. According to the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE), some universal life insurance policies come with a secondary guarantee that can prevent the cancellation of your plan.

Who should buy universal life insurance

Like other forms of permanent life insurance, it can take time for universal life insurance plans to build cash value. The Oregon Insurance Division says it can take anywhere from three to five years for a plan to create cash value. Therefore, the division suggests these plans are best for those who can continue to make premium payments for 15 to 20 years.

Since universal life insurance is dependent upon market conditions, look for a plan with a guaranteed rate of return. The cash value of these plans is dependent on market conditions, and policies with a guaranteed return can provide peace of mind that your investment will continue to grow.
Overall, universal life insurance is best for individuals ready to make a long term commitment to their policy but who want the flexibility to make changes down the road. Consider one of these plans as a way to purchase financial protection and build cash value on a payment schedule that works best for you and your family.

AT&T Wireless Services

AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., was a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the stock symbol "AWE", as a separate entity from its former parent.
On October 26, 2004, AT&T Wireless was acquired by Cingular Wireless, a joint venture of SBC Communications and BellSouth, to form the largest wireless carrier in the United States at the time. On 2004-11-16, AT&T Wireless stores were rechristened under the Cingular banner. The legal entity "AT&T Wireless Services, Inc." was renamed "New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc."^[1]
In late 2005, SBC (the majority partner in Cingular) acquired the original AT&T, and rebranded as "the new AT&T". Cingular became wholly owned by the new AT&T in December 2006 as a result of the new AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth. After the merger, Cingular was renamed AT&T Mobility in early 2007 and remained the largest wireless carrier until 2009 when Verizon acquired Alltel to retake its position as the number one carrier.

History

AT&T Wireless began as McCaw Cellular, and was based in Redmond, WA, United States. It was founded by Craig McCaw.
In 1994, AT&T purchased McCaw for $11.5 billion and kick-started their cellular division with 2 million subscribers.^[2][3] That year, Steven W. Hooper, a long time McCaw Cellular executive, was tapped by AT&T to be the CEO of the newly acquired division. Under his direction, AT&T Wireless grew to be the nation's largest cellular provider by the end of 1997, at which point Hooper and many of the remaining McCaw era executives departed. By 1999 and 2000 the cellular industry began to consolidate and Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless became the first and second largest national carriers.
The year 1999 also brought John D. Zeglis as chief executive in October, followed a few months later by Dan Hesse's departure, who had been head of the division since 1997. Over the next year and a half all six McCaw regional presidents left the declining company.
In April 2000, AT&T Wireless became a separately traded entity with the world's largest initial public offering at that time. Just over a year later in July 2001, AT&T Wireless became a separate company rather than a division of AT&T Corp.
In 2003, AT&T Wireless was granted several mobile licenses for Caribbean countries including Barbados, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.^[4] AT&T Wireless' decline climaxed in 2003 with the FCC mandating the allowance of porting numbers to other carriers. AT&T Wireless experienced a mass exodus of many customers who were fed up with years of degrading service and poor coverage. By the end of 2003, AT&T Wireless faced a public relations nightmare when a new system for adding subscribers and porting numbers in/out was implemented and botched. Realizing that it faced an impossible situation, AT&T Wireless Services, Inc began accepting bids in early 2004 to be acquired.
As of January 1, 2004, the largest single shareholder of AT&T Wireless was Japan's NTT DoCoMo, which was one of the first to place a bid to buy the company.
In the middle of 2004 much of the Caribbean operations and Bermuda were agreed to be sold to Digicel Group.

Acquisition history

On February 13, 2004, AT&T Wireless accepted bids for acquisition of the wireless company. The two top bidders were British carrier Vodafone and American competitor Cingular. Cingular was owned by two Baby Bells; 40% by BellSouth and 60% by SBC Communications, Inc. Vodafone owns 45% of Verizon Wireless and had it succeeded in the bid, their share of Verizon Wireless would then have been sold to parent company Verizon Communications. Cingular emerged victorious February 17 by agreeing to pay more than $41 billion, more than twice the company's recent trading value, to acquire AT&T Wireless. Some analysts have said that although Vodafone, the world's largest mobile operator, was unsuccessful in acquiring the company, it was nonetheless successful in forcing a competitor to overpay for the acquisition of AT&T Wireless.
The sale received US government approval and closed on October 26. The AT&T Wireless brand was retired by Cingular on April 26, 2005, six months after the close of the merger. This was per a pre spin-off agreement with AT&T Corp. that stated that if AT&T Wireless was to be bought by a competitor, the rights to the name AT&T Wireless and the use of the AT&T name in wireless phone service would revert back to AT&T Corp.
AT&T Wireless' prepaid services, Go Phone, was adopted by Cingular Wireless after the merger closed, and is still in use today by the current AT&T Mobility.

California Lemon Law

California Lemon Laws and the federal Lemon Law (the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act) provide for compensation to California consumers of defective automobiles and trucks  and other vehicles and products including motorcycles, RV’s, boats, computers and other consumer appliances and products. To qualify under the California Lemon Law or the federal Lemon Law, you must generally have a product that suffered multiple repair attempts under the manufacturer’s factory warranty. Lemon Law compensation can include a refund, replacement or cash compensation. If you think you qualify for a Lemon Law, click here for a free California Lemon Law case review or for an immediate evaluation, simply fax your repair records to 866-773-6152. An experienced Lemon Law attorney will personally review your inquiry and records and quickly contact you for a free consultation.
For other useful California Lemon Law information, click here to visit the California section of our State Lemon Laws Statutes and Guide pages. Or just keep reading below for the entire California Lemon Law, or click here to read the federal lemon law.

California Lemon Law

Civil Code Section 1793.22 - 1793.26
Sale Warranties
Tanner Consumer Protection Act
Used Car Disclosures

alifornia Lemon Law 1793.22.

(a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the Tanner Consumer Protection Act.
(b) It shall be presumed that a reasonable number of attempts have been made to conform a new motor vehicle to the applicable express warranties if, within 18 months from delivery to the buyer or 18,000 miles on the odometer of the vehicle, whichever occurs first, either

(1) the same nonconformity has been subject to repair four or more times by the manufacturer or its agents and the buyer has at least once directly notified the manufacturer of the need for the repair of the nonconformity or
(2) the vehicle is out of service by reason of repair of nonconformities by the manufacturer or its agents for a cumulative total of more than 30 calendar days since delivery of the vehicle to the buyer. The 30-day limit shall be extended only if repairs cannot be performed due to conditions beyond the control of the manufacturer or its agents. The buyer shall be required to directly notify the manufacturer pursuant to paragraph (1) only if the manufacturer has clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the buyer, with the warranty or the owner's manual, the provisions of this section and that of subdivision (d) of Section 1793.2, including the requirement that the buyer must notify the manufacturer directly pursuant to paragraph (1). This presumption shall be a reputable presumption affecting the burden of proof, and it may be asserted by the buyer in any civil action, including an action in small claims court, or other formal or informal proceeding.

(c) If a qualified third-party dispute resolution process exists, and the buyer receives timely notification in writing of the availability of that qualified third-party dispute resolution process with a description of its operation and effect, the presumption in subdivision (b) may not be asserted by the buyer until after the buyer has initially resorted to the qualified third-party dispute resolution process as required in subdivision (d). Notification of the availability of the qualified third-party dispute resolution process is not timely if the buyer suffers any prejudice resulting from any delay in giving the notification. If a qualified third-party dispute resolution process does not exist, or if the buyer is dissatisfied with that third-party decision, or if the manufacturer or its agent neglects to promptly fulfill the terms of the qualified third-party dispute resolution process decision after the decision is accepted by the buyer, the buyer may assert the presumption provided in subdivision (b) in an action to enforce the buyer's rights under subdivision (d) of Section 1793.2. The findings and decision of a qualified third-party dispute resolution process shall be admissible in evidence in the action without further foundation. Any period of limitation of actions under any federal or California laws with respect to any person shall be extended for a period equal to the number of days between the date a complaint is filed with a third-party dispute resolution process and the date of its decision or the date before which the manufacturer or its agent is required by the decision to fulfill its terms if the decision is accepted by the buyer, whichever occurs later.
(d) A qualified third-party dispute resolution process shall be one that does all of the following:

(1) Complies with the minimum requirements of the Federal Trade Commission for informal dispute settlement procedures as set forth in Part 703 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as those regulations read on January 1, 1987.
(2) Renders decisions which are binding on the manufacturer if the buyer elects to accept the decision.
(3) Prescribes a reasonable time, not to exceed 30 days after the decision is accepted by the buyer, within which the manufacturer or its agent must fulfill the terms of its decisions.
(4) Provides arbitrators who are assigned to decide disputes with copies of, and instruction in, the provisions of the Federal Trade Commission's regulations in Part 703 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations as those regulations read on January 1, 1987, Division 2 (commencing with Section 2101) of the Commercial Code, and this chapter.
(5) Requires the manufacturer, when the process orders, under the terms of this chapter, either that the nonconforming motor vehicle be replaced if the buyer consents to this remedy or that restitution be made to the buyer, to replace the motor vehicle or make restitution in accordance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 1793.2.
(6) Provides, at the request of the arbitrator or a majority of the arbitration panel, for an inspection and written report on the condition of a nonconforming motor vehicle, at no cost to the buyer, by an automobile expert who is independent of the manufacturer.
(7) Takes into account, in rendering decisions, all legal and equitable factors, including, but not limited to, the written warranty, the rights and remedies conferred in regulations of the Federal Trade Commission contained in Part 703 of Title 16 of the Code of Federal Regulations as those regulations read on January 1, 1987, Division 2 (commencing with Section 2101) of the Commercial Code, this chapter, and any other equitable considerations appropriate in the circumstances. Nothing in this chapter requires that, to be certified as a qualified third-party dispute resolution process pursuant to this section, decisions of the process must consider or provide remedies in the form of awards of punitive damages or multiple damages, under subdivision (c) of Section 1794, or of attorneys' fees under subdivision (d) of Section 1794, or of consequential damages other than as provided in subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 1794, including, but not limited to, reasonable repair, towing, and rental car costs actually incurred by the buyer.
(8) Requires that no arbitrator deciding a dispute may be a party to the dispute and that no other person, including an employee, agent, or dealer for the manufacturer, may be allowed to participate substantively in the merits of any dispute with the arbitrator unless the buyer is allowed to participate also. Nothing in this subdivision prohibits any member of an arbitration board from deciding a dispute.
(9) Obtains and maintains certification by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 472) of Division 1 of the Business and Professions Code.

(e) For the purposes of subdivision (d) of Section 1793.2 and this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) "Nonconformity" means a nonconformity which substantially impairs the use, value, or safety of the new motor vehicle to the buyer or lessee.
(2) "New motor vehicle" means a new motor vehicle that is used or bought for use primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.
"New motor vehicle" also means a new motor vehicle that is bought or used for business and personal, family, or household purposes by a person, including a partnership, limited liability company, corporation, association, or any other legal entity, to which not more than five motor vehicles are registered in this state. "New motor vehicle" includes the chassis, chassis cab, and that portion of a motor home devoted to its propulsion, but does not include any portion designed, used, or maintained primarily for human habitation, a dealer-owned vehicle and a "demonstrator" or other motor vehicle sold with a manufacturer's new car warranty but does not include a motorcycle or a motor vehicle which is not registered under the Vehicle Code because it is to be operated or used exclusively off the highways. A demonstrator is a vehicle assigned by a dealer for the purpose of demonstrating qualities and characteristics common to vehicles of the same or similar model and type.
(3) "Motor home" means a vehicular unit built on, or permanently attached to, a self-propelled motor vehicle chassis, chassis cab, or van, which becomes an integral part of the completed vehicle, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency occupancy.

(f)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall sell, either at wholesale or retail, lease, or transfer a motor vehicle transferred by a buyer or lessee to a manufacturer pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 1793.2 or a similar statute of any other state, unless the nature of the nonconformity experienced by the original buyer or lessee is clearly and conspicuously disclosed to the prospective buyer, lessee, or transferee, the nonconformity is corrected, and the manufacturer warrants to the new buyer, lessee, or transferee in writing for a period of one year that the motor vehicle is free of that nonconformity.
(2) Except for the requirement that the nature of the nonconformity be disclosed to the transferee, paragraph (1) does not apply to the transfer of a motor vehicle to an educational institution if the purpose of the transfer is to make the motor vehicle available for use in automotive repair courses.