Best Cheap Insurance Quotes

This is a site about business insurance, so this post may be a bit out of context.

There is a phishing/trojan e-mail scam going around. The e-mail (got one this morning) is very official looking. It claims to come from the IRS and claims that the recipient has “unreported” or “under-reported” income. It includes a link. It is a scam. Do not open the e-mail and do not open the link.

The IRS does not send out e-mails like this. The IRS has posted information about the scam on its site.

I am a sucker for insurance fraud stories. The bad guys come up with ingenious methods of committing fraud and I am often just stunned that someone comes up with some of these schemes. In most cases, the bad guys get caught…eventually. Fraud steals from every legitimate insured business. And, because these are bad guys and thieves, I enjoy reading about their capture and demise.

As a kid, prior to being old enough to drive, I remember sitting in the back seat of an old station wagon while adult relatives discussed Ohio moving to mandatory auto insurance. See, at the time, auto insurance was optional. That meant when some truly horrific accidents happened those involved could not pay their hospital and repair bills because the other guy was uninsured.

But, what I remember most, was hearing a claim by some insurance industry representative that auto insurance rates would decline by 25% or more if everyone was required to purchase auto insurance. I recall an uncle stating that claim was a lie. Seemed harsh. Harsh, but prescient. Ohio did pass mandatory auto insurance, rates never declined, and competition was non-existent.

For those observing Yom Kippur, I wish you an easy fast.

If you are a business owner in Georgia recovering from recent flooding, here are a list of resources that may help:

• The Georgia Department of Insurance website has a number of links to insurers and general information.
• The National Flood Insurance Program website is another website with links and information.
• The Georgia Department of Insurance Consumer Services Division is available to answer questions at 404-656-2070 or toll-free at 1-800-656-2298 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

There are a few things that insurers seem to do wrong over and over and over again. Sometimes these are little things. Other times, like when your car is disabled, a child is sick, or your business is flooded, these little annoyances become traumatic experiences that quickly turn even the most capitalistic among us into insurance company hating zealots.

I invite you to share your experiences with others. Here are some of my observations:

• Failing to work Business Hours Based on Eastern Standard Time – With all due respect to California, most people in the U.S. live in the EST. Customer service should be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST and preferably before and after work hours.