(Dow Jones) – A proposal to cut government payments to the private insurers that administer the U.S. crop insurance program could cause some insurers to drop out, said the chief of their trade group.

Insurers “are going to have to take a hard look at the financial wall that is before them,” said Bob Parkerson, president of National Crop Insurance Services, a trade group that represents the 16 private insurers that participate. Crop insurance is backed by the Department of Agriculture and covers about 80% of the land tilled in the U.S. Read more…

American International Group bailed out of the auto insurance business on Thursday, selling Woodland Hills-based 21st Century Insurance to Farmers Insurance Group for $1.9 billion. Los Angeles based-Farmers, a subsidiary of Zurich Financial Services Group, will keep the 21st
Century brand. Read more…

Indianapolis – From groceries to appliances, prices are going up. You can now add insurance premiums to that list.

It’s the sort of rate hike that quickly raises the ire of insurance policy holders. Insurance companies, watching their own profits and portfolios fall, are passing the buck to consumers. Americans can expect to pay higher premiums for auto, home and life insurance. Read more…

(CNN) – Insurers used to suggest that home and auto insurance policies were fairly recession-proof, with drivers and homeowners typically maintaining the same coverage each year, no matter what.

Not anymore.

Auto-insurance coverage quotes obtained online at insurance-shopping Web site Insurance.com dropped an average $100 in March from six months ago, the result of drivers who are doing everything they can to cut their coverage to the bone, said one of the site’s operators. Read more…

The next time you hit the road, there’s a good chance the person driving next to you may not have car insurance.

According to a new report by the Federal Highway Administration, 1 in 6 drivers nationwide go uninsured. The study blames the tough economy and people cutting back where they can make ends meet. Read more…

Electric Insurance Company, a national, leading provider of personal and commercial lines insurance products, announced today that it has extended its agreement with TeleGlass National to provide mobile glass repair service and zero-cost glass repairs for policyholders (in states where permitted by law). An additional benefit of the program provides for full replacement glass coverage at no out of pocket expense other than the policy deductible.

Should an Electric Insurance Company policyholder experience a cracked, broken, or chipped window on their automobile, policyholders simply call the toll-free number listed on their policy to report the incident. They indicate when and where they would prefer to have their window repaired or replaced, and a specialist is dispatched accordingly. Read more…

Buyers choosing the smallest cars for low price and high gas mileage could be endangering themselves and their passengers, says a major auto-safety researcher.

In new crash tests, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rammed three automakers’ smallest cars into their midsize models. Although the small cars had passed other IIHS tests, they flunked in collisions with larger but still-fuel-efficient sedans. “The safety trade-offs are clear,” IIHS President Adrian Lund says. “There are healthier ways to save gas.” Read more…

In the last four months, 2.6 million jobs have disappeared from the American economy. About half the people who held those jobs also lost their health insurance.

But a job loss doesn’t have to mean a loss of insurance coverage, too. A provision in the recently passed economic stimulus bill makes health insurance significantly more affordable for the involuntarily unemployed. The federal government will now subsidize premiums for insurance plans purchased under the terms of a law called “COBRA.” Read more…

How can you do you save some money? By reading the following tips:

RAISE YOUR DEDUCTIBLES. Many people have the frame of mind that, in the event of a loss, they want to pay a little as possible. While this does make sense, looking long term, the average person files a claim once every 13 years. If you raise your deductibles up from $500 to $1,000 or more, you can easily save 10–15% off your annual premium. If you are paying $800 per year, this easily translates into $80 – $120 per year. Multiply that by 13 years and ($1040 – $1,560) you have saved REAL money. Read more…

(CNN) – The 10 most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history all have occurred in the last decade. These catastrophes have resulted in insurance companies having to cover losses averaging $10 billion each year since 1989, compared with just $2 billion yearly from 1980 to 1988.

With the potential catastrophe payouts insurers face far exceeding their reserves, it’s no surprise that major companies, including Allstate and State Farm, are raising catastrophe-policy premiums and deductibles. Read more…