By KEN BELSON For many drivers, trying to figure out where auto insurance premiums are headed is like trying to catch butterflies: just when you get close, they fly off in another direction. Many indicators that analysts typically use to forecast premiums have been in flux. Highway miles driven nationally have risenbut not as much as last year, and the millions of unemployed drivers are using their... 

By Sam Costello For small, expensive, often-dropped devices like cell phones, insurance is becoming an increasingly common add-on purchase. After all, if you spent $300-$400 on a phone, what’s another $50 to ensure that it will keep working for the life of you cell phone contract? Not from Apple or AT&T That thinking – and fear of needing to extend cell phone contracts to get new phones... 

By Glenn Curtis Homeowners’ insurance can be very expensive. Those that live in high-risk areas such as close to major waterways, known earthquake fault lines or other high claims areas will pay the most for coverage. In fact, those in high-risk areas are often forced to pay annual premiums in the many thousands of dollars. But even homeowners in relatively sedate, suburban neighborhoods (with... 

By Paul Sullivan My column on the costs of pets apparently struck a chord last week with readers. There were a fair number of e-mails from people who thought that the points I made were valid but the costs I cited were too high. This may be true, but how people view pet care costs is a bit like how they see a mortgage payment: both are relative to a person’s income. Several other readers felt that... 

You can’t change many of your risk factors. But you can save money by taking advantage of discounts that insurers offer for behavior that lowers your risk. That could be anything from driving less than the average number of miles per year to quitting smoking. Certain types of people — senior citizens, for instance — also are eligible for price cuts. You’ll also save by installing... 

It may come as a shock to male drivers, especially those who assert vehemently that women are clumsy and therefore dangerous drivers that most accidents are caused by men. In a survey conducted by the reputable charity Brake, only 46% of the people thought that men were poorer drivers, and 42% believed that men and women are in fact equally prone to get into accidents. Home Office statistics show... 

The biggest insecurity in a person’s life is that of the future, with what it has to offer when it comes. The question keeps nagging you in the corner of your mind whether you have enough savings and funds for an emergency situation or not, as you never know when you may have to face one. As an individual, everyone tries to have enough and sufficient to cover all the contingencies. Life would...