My car insurance renewed automatically at the end of November. It was with Lloyds TSB the previous year, and I had been told via letters that they were changing to a company called BISL. I could not believe it when my December direct debit came out of my account and, compared to the £40 I’d been paying, it had shot up to a whopping £230.

I called BISL today and yes, apparently my premium has jumped to more than £2,500. I had been sent no correspondence about the change in my premium and was given no chance to refuse such a hefty price. I

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To understand why vehicle age so strongly correlates with car insurance premiums, you need only look at the retail values of identical vehicles from different model years. For example, a 1999 Toyota Camry has a suggested retail value of about $3,500; a 2006 Toyota Camry, about $10,000; and a 2012 Toyota Camry, about $25,000. Based on these retail prices, it’s easy to see that the later-model vehicles would cost significantly more to repair or replace in the event of an accident. For this reason, new car insurance policies tend to have substantially higher premiums than old car insurance coverage. Generally speaking, the later the model year, the more you’ll pay.

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The majority of insurance agency owners say they will not be giving bonuses or gifts to their employees to celebrate the holidays or the end of the year, according to the latest IFAwebnews.com poll.

Exactly 66% of survey participants say they will give no bonus or gifts to their employees this year.

Another 19% say they will reward all employees with a bonus, while 6% of participants will only award their top employees a bonus this year.

Yet another 6% of respondents plan to give bonuses based on peoples time at the agency, and the remaining 3% of participants will give their employees a gift like a ham, according to the IFAwebnews.com poll.

Take part in our next IFAwebnews.com poll.

Great plains states have been hit hard with snow and many holiday travel plans are changing.  This information comes from The Associated Press article, Deadly snowstorm halts travel across Great Plains, by Jeri Clausing and Roxana Hegeman.  A terrible car crash in Colorado killed two people and injured nine more because of the icy road conditions.  Road crews have been out in full effect, but areas of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma have not been able to catch up with the heavy snow fall.  Many drivers have been forced to detour and stay put where they dont necessarily want to be.  Insurers like Encompass auto insurance are glad to have drivers off the roads in these snowy conditions and away from the danger of car accidents or breakdowns.

Northern New Mexico is no stranger to closed roads during snowy weather because it tends to happen every winter.  Hotels are at full capacity in the town of Clayton, which is near the borders of New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma.  Travelers heading to Colorado for skiing are not happy about being stranded, but they are lucky to be safe.  Travel on the roads throughout the Great Plains was difficult and Clayton police reported multiple drivers stranded on the roadways.  Its always wise to have an emergency kit in your car; top car insurance companies may provide them or give you a checklist of items to have in case you are stranded or your car breaks down.  While drivers, insurers and others may be inconvenienced by all of this snow, farmers are grateful for the moisture.