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On Oct 25, 9:15 pm, "Ed Huntress" wrote:

Not the spending for war material. It was the deficit spending, including
the investments made in updated manufacturing, and the debt-based income
that suddenly was in the pockets of workers producing war material. The war
material itself was a dead loss in economic terms.

Since the economy doesn't need that kind of stimulus now, and because the
stimulus now is a smaller proportion of GDP, most of what we see from war
production is the part that's a dead loss.



And it is not exactly nonproductive activity. There will be an
increase in demand for building materials which will create jobs.


But the building materials are not creating *growth* in the housing stock.
They're just replacing the stock that was burned. After the buildings are
rebuilt, there will be no net increase in the housing stock. After all of
that money and that work, we will just be back to where we were before the
fire.



I am not advocating creating wars or forest fires to stimulate the
economy, but just noting that they will stimulate the economy, not
create a recession.


If we were in a recession and needed stimulus, it might help. As it is, not.

--
Ed Huntress


Never meant to say it would have a lot of effect, or that we needed
it. Just that it would not tip us into a recession. The effect, if
any, would be the other direction. It reduces the supply of some
things. And therefore tends to increase prices.

You are right in my opinion. It will not have a long term effect.

Dan

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On Oct 25, 1:57 pm, " wrote:
On Oct 25, 2:36 pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:

I would tend to disagree.


Where will the money come from to fuel this economic activity?


One possibility is that people will collect insurance. Another is
that faced with loss of property, more wifes will go to work.

Credit has all but dried up.


As far as I can tell credit has not dried up. I keep getting
applications for credit cards, and the advertisements on TV still say
borrow money from DiTech. The fed lowered the discount rate recently,
so more money is available.

The people who have lost their homes and businesses do not have the
cash sitting in the bank.


The banks will not loan them money without state and federal
guarantees.


Did they have state or federal guarantees in order to borrow the money
to buy the houses before? What has changed to make federal or state
guarantees necessary now? Would a bank not loan money to someone
with a job and land to build on?
Do banks no longer require insurance on houses that they loan money
on?

The housing report just yesterday noted a drop of 8%.


You don't build more product in a market that has an excess...unless
you want to lose money...and the banks have been dealt massive losses
already with the majority yet to come.


If there was an excess of houses on the market, then this will help
eliminate the excess and therefore stimulate the economy.



It was also just recently reported that the size of loans needed to
finance this activity has essentially ceased.


I think the troubles of our neighbors here in California have just
begun.


And let us not forget that the rebuilding in New Orleans is years
behind....because the promised Federal aid has not happened.


Why should California be any different?


As for a recession....better do some homework, one is coming just in
time for the 2008 election year.


Lets see, the stock market is near all time highs, the unemployment
rate is fairly low. Nope, I see a recession a bit further in the
future even though we have had a long ride in the present boom. A
recent editorial in the WSJ predicted a recession if the Democrats
pass large increases in taxes. But Charles Rangel seems to be smarter
than that.

Dan



And that was before this disaster in California.


TMT- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


Not to be insulting but you obviously need to do some homework.

Walk into your bank and ask the loan officer for a 500K loan.

You won't get it.

The people who just lost their homes will need this kind of money.

Their asset just burned to the ground.

Insurance money...IF it is paid out...will not cover rebuilding.

Companies are already trying to weasle out of paying....it was an act
of God.

Meanwhile the bank still wants their mortgage payment by the end of
the month.

TMT

TMT

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Default OT - Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes


wrote in message
ups.com...

snip


Never meant to say it would have a lot of effect, or that we needed
it. Just that it would not tip us into a recession. The effect, if
any, would be the other direction. It reduces the supply of some
things. And therefore tends to increase prices.

You are right in my opinion. It will not have a long term effect.


It probably will cost no more than a few days' expenditure in Iraq. That one
is the big drain that's going to be felt sooner or later. The building
trades in CA ought to get a good shot in the arm, as you say.

--
Ed Huntress


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On Oct 26, 12:42 am, Too_Many_Tools wrote:

Not to be insulting but you obviously need to do some homework.

Walk into your bank and ask the loan officer for a 500K loan.

You won't get it.


I kind of did that a few months back. It was not going to be a
problem. Of course I was looking at about 400k$, but I did not get
any indication that more would be a problem.

The people who just lost their homes will need this kind of money.

Their asset just burned to the ground.

Insurance money...IF it is paid out...will not cover rebuilding.

Loan companies are usually very good at being sure that the collateral
for any loan is insured for more than the amount of the loan. Now
often the amount owed is based on what the cost was to buy, not the
cost to rebuild. So the insurance may not be enough to cover
rebuilding, but is almost sure to cover more than the amount owed.

Companies are already trying to weasle out of paying....it was an act
of God.


Fire insurance is fire insurance. On the other hand insurance for
wind damage is not flood insurance. I don't have any flood insurance,
but don't expect I will need any.
Dan


Meanwhile the bank still wants their mortgage payment by the end of
the month.

TMT



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Default OT - Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes


"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...
Steve R. wrote:
"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
ups.com...

On Oct 23, 1:12 pm, Gunner Asch wrote:

On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:11:52 -0700, "Stuart & Kathryn Fields"

wrote:

I'm in amazement "authorities said. Hundreds of homes were lost in the
same
communityfours years ago." It seems like there is some flaw in our
education system.
Stu Fields

yet the same group that controls the educational system demands we
rebuild New Orleans at taxpayer expense......






"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
. ..

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
oglegroups.com...

Quite a fire we have burning here....

TMT

I have a bit less sympathy for people that build in wilderness areas,
flood plains or below sea level and then are surprised when Mother
Nature
intrudes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So Gunner...when is Bush scheduled for his photo op?

You know...like in New Orleans?

TMT


Never mind, help is on the way. British Columbia is sending the giant
Martin Mars water bombers. I have seen them working when they fought some
fires near where I live. Back in the 1960s I used to park a Cessna 150
under the starboard wing of one, with several other light aircraft. The
Mars were being converted to water bombers at that time.


Steve R.




Steve?
The Mars in NOT an amphibian, is it?
So just how deep were you parking that 150?


Yes, they are amphibians, at least I thinks so. They had wheels at the time.
Dollies would be no problem though, as one end of the main runway is just
across the road from a beach. There has been a ramp to haul out sea planes
since WW2. The airport here is on a peninsula, There were 4 Martin Mars to
start with. One pranged, and another became a parts plane. Two are still
flying. They are based at Sprout Lake in central Vancouver Island. The water
tanks can hold 7,200 US gallons of fire retardant, or just water. They can
skim the surface of a water body to refill, literally on the fly!
Fascinating to watch!



Steve R.


--
Reply address munged to bugger up spammers






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Default OT - Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes

Steve R. wrote:
"cavelamb himself" wrote in message
...

Steve R. wrote:

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
groups.com...


On Oct 23, 1:12 pm, Gunner Asch wrote:


On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 08:11:52 -0700, "Stuart & Kathryn Fields"

wrote:


I'm in amazement "authorities said. Hundreds of homes were lost in the
same
communityfours years ago." It seems like there is some flaw in our
education system.
Stu Fields

yet the same group that controls the educational system demands we
rebuild New Orleans at taxpayer expense......







"Tom Gardner" wrote in message
.. .

"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
ooglegroups.com...


Quite a fire we have burning here....

TMT

I have a bit less sympathy for people that build in wilderness areas,
flood plains or below sea level and then are surprised when Mother
Nature
intrudes.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So Gunner...when is Bush scheduled for his photo op?

You know...like in New Orleans?

TMT


Never mind, help is on the way. British Columbia is sending the giant
Martin Mars water bombers. I have seen them working when they fought some
fires near where I live. Back in the 1960s I used to park a Cessna 150
under the starboard wing of one, with several other light aircraft. The
Mars were being converted to water bombers at that time.


Steve R.




Steve?
The Mars in NOT an amphibian, is it?
So just how deep were you parking that 150?



Yes, they are amphibians, at least I thinks so. They had wheels at the time.
Dollies would be no problem though, as one end of the main runway is just
across the road from a beach. There has been a ramp to haul out sea planes
since WW2. The airport here is on a peninsula, There were 4 Martin Mars to
start with. One pranged, and another became a parts plane. Two are still
flying. They are based at Sprout Lake in central Vancouver Island. The water
tanks can hold 7,200 US gallons of fire retardant, or just water. They can
skim the surface of a water body to refill, literally on the fly!
Fascinating to watch!



Steve R.




The Mars has no landing gear. They are strictly a seaplane. They have
mistakenly been called a float plane by the local media but that's not
the case either. A floatplane is an aircraft fuselage with external
floats, such as the Beavers, etc. that are used extensively in Alaska.

Jim Chandler
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Default check on the State's insurance coverage ....Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes

After a Computer crash and the demise of civilization, it was learned
Gunner Asch wrote on Tue, 23 Oct 2007
15:46:56 -0700 in rec.crafts.metalworking :
On Tue, 23 Oct 2007 14:07:02 -0500, Jon Elson wrote:



Too_Many_Tools wrote:
Quite a fire we have burning here....


This certainly seems to be an EPIC event! There have been some bad
fires in Ca before, but this one seems to be FAR, far worse than
anything I remember. Loss of life has been minimal so far, but the
number of temporarily displaced and homeless is just astounding!
And, it isn't OVER, yet! How much worse will it get?

I am very sorry for these losses, and I hope none of the people on this
group have lost their shops or other property.

Jon



With the California (and national) housing market bubble
bursting...perhaps one can be comforted by thinking of this as
wholesale "jewish lightning "

G

Gunner


I remember when Greyout Davis was governor, and those fires
occurred. The question raised then was "Considering the state of
California's finances, has anyone checked the State's insurance
policies?"


pyotr

So nu, how does one start a flood?
--
pyotr filipivich
"Quemadmoeum gladuis neminem occidit, occidentis telum est. "
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, circa 45 AD
(A sword is never a killer, it is a tool in the killer's hands.)
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On Oct 25, 7:42 pm, " wrote:
On Oct 26, 12:42 am, Too_Many_Tools wrote:

Not to be insulting but you obviously need to do some homework.


Walk into your bank and ask the loan officer for a 500K loan.


You won't get it.


I kind of did that a few months back. It was not going to be a
problem. Of course I was looking at about 400k$, but I did not get
any indication that more would be a problem.

The people who just lost their homes will need this kind of money.


Their asset just burned to the ground.


Insurance money...IF it is paid out...will not cover rebuilding.


Loan companies are usually very good at being sure that the collateral
for any loan is insured for more than the amount of the loan. Now
often the amount owed is based on what the cost was to buy, not the
cost to rebuild. So the insurance may not be enough to cover
rebuilding, but is almost sure to cover more than the amount owed.

Companies are already trying to weasle out of paying....it was an act
of God.


Fire insurance is fire insurance. On the other hand insurance for
wind damage is not flood insurance. I don't have any flood insurance,
but don't expect I will need any.
Dan





Meanwhile the bank still wants their mortgage payment by the end of
the month.


TMT- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


Dan,

The credit crisis didn't exist a couple of months ago.

I have talked to several bankers...they aren't lending to anyone who
represents risk.

And let us not forget that the asset they did have is gone.

The value of the land has also declined....they are in a known burn
zone now.

What do you think the homes that burned in 2003 and now in 2007 will
sell for? The answer is less..far less than what they were worth just
a few days ago. Meanwhile someone still has a financial obiligation to
pay a mortgage for that burnt out house.

Fire insurance is NOT fire insurance.

Just because you have been paying premiums does not guarantee any
payout later.

Act of God, torch your own house, neglect to protect your home...there
are many ways to get out of a policy.

I had a neighbor have a house burn down...and then they found out the
mortgage company had not been paying the insurance company.

Take a hard look at Katrina and the insurance mess down
South...California has the problem coming.

Insurance companies don't like to lose money...ever.

TMT

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On Oct 27, 6:09 am, Too_Many_Tools wrote:


The credit crisis didn't exist a couple of months ago.


Actually the credit situation has not changed much in the last few
months. The general public is a lot more aware now that the mortgage
companies are tightening their requierments to get a loan. But that
happened a few months back.

My credit union is advertising that rates are lower now.

I have talked to several bankers...they aren't lending to anyone who
represents risk.


I don't think they loaned to anyone that represented risk before.
They just have adjusted their idea of risk. A year ago they counted on
the price of housing to rise and used that assumption to make loans.
I am sure that I can still get a loan and expect that I will get a
loan sometime next year. Even though I am not employed, I do not
represent risk.

And let us not forget that the asset they did have is gone.

The value of the land has also declined....they are in a known burn
zone now.


The price of the land ought to have declined, but I doubt if it has.
The price is certain to increase in the next ten years.


What do you think the homes that burned in 2003 and now in 2007 will
sell for? The answer is less..far less than what they were worth just
a few days ago.


Houses that burned are not really houses anymore.

Meanwhile someone still has a financial obiligation to
pay a mortgage for that burnt out house.

Not for the burnt out house. An obligation to pay on the loan.

Fire insurance is NOT fire insurance.

Just because you have been paying premiums does not guarantee any
payout later.

Act of God, torch your own house, neglect to protect your home...there
are many ways to get out of a policy.


I don't think you will find Act of God.

I had a neighbor have a house burn down...and then they found out the
mortgage company had not been paying the insurance company.

So the mortgage company is liable because they did not pay for the
insurance.

Take a hard look at Katrina and the insurance mess down
South...California has the problem coming.

Insurance companies don't like to lose money...ever.


I don't either. But sometimes thing don't go like I plan.

TMT



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On Oct 27, 1:57 pm, " wrote:
On Oct 27, 6:09 am, Too_Many_Tools wrote:



The credit crisis didn't exist a couple of months ago.


Actually the credit situation has not changed much in the last few
months. The general public is a lot more aware now that the mortgage
companies are tightening their requierments to get a loan. But that
happened a few months back.

My credit union is advertising that rates are lower now.

I have talked to several bankers...they aren't lending to anyone who
represents risk.


I don't think they loaned to anyone that represented risk before.
They just have adjusted their idea of risk. A year ago they counted on
the price of housing to rise and used that assumption to make loans.
I am sure that I can still get a loan and expect that I will get a
loan sometime next year. Even though I am not employed, I do not
represent risk.



And let us not forget that the asset they did have is gone.


The value of the land has also declined....they are in a known burn
zone now.


The price of the land ought to have declined, but I doubt if it has.
The price is certain to increase in the next ten years.



What do you think the homes that burned in 2003 and now in 2007 will
sell for? The answer is less..far less than what they were worth just
a few days ago.


Houses that burned are not really houses anymore.

Meanwhile someone still has a financial obiligation to pay a mortgage for that burnt out house.

Not for the burnt out house. An obligation to pay on the loan.

Fire insurance is NOT fire insurance.


Just because you have been paying premiums does not guarantee any
payout later.


Act of God, torch your own house, neglect to protect your home...there
are many ways to get out of a policy.


I don't think you will find Act of God.

I had a neighbor have a house burn down...and then they found out the
mortgage company had not been paying the insurance company.


So the mortgage company is liable because they did not pay for the
insurance.

Take a hard look at Katrina and the insurance mess down
South...California has the problem coming.


Insurance companies don't like to lose money...ever.


I don't either. But sometimes thing don't go like I plan.



TMT- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


Dan, it would seem that we have to agree to disagree.

I know that everything that I have said is based on personal
experience and knowledge ..I know it is and has happened.

If it differs with you, so be it.

I am more than willing to sit back and watch this play out...check
back in six months and I would wager that my comments match reality.

If you want to do some homework...check out my comments after
Katrina...I was right on the money.

TMT




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On Oct 27, 7:33 pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:


Dan, it would seem that we have to agree to disagree.

I know that everything that I have said is based on personal
experience and knowledge ..I know it is and has happened.

If it differs with you, so be it.

I am more than willing to sit back and watch this play out...check
back in six months and I would wager that my comments match reality.

If you want to do some homework...check out my comments after
Katrina...I was right on the money.

TMT


It is also likely that what you see depends on where you sit. The
Seattle real estate market is still going up. Zillow shows my house
value has gone up by 82 % since Jan 2003 and is currently at a peak.
But even so I think the media is making it as big a deal as they can
of the news.

Where are you located?

Dan

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On Oct 27, 1:33 pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:
On Oct 27, 1:57 pm, " wrote:





On Oct 27, 6:09 am, Too_Many_Tools wrote:


The credit crisis didn't exist a couple of months ago.


Actually the credit situation has not changed much in the last few
months. The general public is a lot more aware now that the mortgage
companies are tightening their requierments to get a loan. But that
happened a few months back.


My credit union is advertising that rates are lower now.


I have talked to several bankers...they aren't lending to anyone who
represents risk.


I don't think they loaned to anyone that represented risk before.
They just have adjusted their idea of risk. A year ago they counted on
the price of housing to rise and used that assumption to make loans.
I am sure that I can still get a loan and expect that I will get a
loan sometime next year. Even though I am not employed, I do not
represent risk.


And let us not forget that the asset they did have is gone.


The value of the land has also declined....they are in a known burn
zone now.


The price of the land ought to have declined, but I doubt if it has.
The price is certain to increase in the next ten years.


What do you think the homes that burned in 2003 and now in 2007 will
sell for? The answer is less..far less than what they were worth just
a few days ago.


Houses that burned are not really houses anymore.


Meanwhile someone still has a financial obiligation to pay a mortgage for that burnt out house.


Not for the burnt out house. An obligation to pay on the loan.


Fire insurance is NOT fire insurance.


Just because you have been paying premiums does not guarantee any
payout later.


Act of God, torch your own house, neglect to protect your home...there
are many ways to get out of a policy.


I don't think you will find Act of God.


I had a neighbor have a house burn down...and then they found out the
mortgage company had not been paying the insurance company.


So the mortgage company is liable because they did not pay for the
insurance.


Take a hard look at Katrina and the insurance mess down
South...California has the problem coming.


Insurance companies don't like to lose money...ever.


I don't either. But sometimes thing don't go like I plan.


TMT- Hide quoted text -


- Show quoted text -


Dan, it would seem that we have to agree to disagree.

I know that everything that I have said is based on personal
experience and knowledge ..I know it is and has happened.

If it differs with you, so be it.

I am more than willing to sit back and watch this play out...check
back in six months and I would wager that my comments match reality.

If you want to do some homework...check out my comments after
Katrina...I was right on the money.

TMT- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



In reference with my discussion on fire insurance.....

TMT

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1029/p13s03-wmgn.html

How to ensure good insurance
States and watchdog groups track 'complaint ratios' and more.
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald | Correspondent of The Christian Science
Monitor
As Californians scorched by this month's wildfires pick through the
charred remains of hundreds of lost homes and businesses, the dire
scene points to a weighty question: Will insurers cover costs to
rebuild?

Fire victims aren't the only ones with a stake in the answer.
Insurance consumers everywhere want to know they're dealing with fair
underwriters, and few situations suggest fairness - or lack thereof -
as poign*antly as a company's response to a natural disaster.

But according to consumer advocates, people wanting to buy insurance
from an ethical operator need not rely solely on cautionary tales from
the grapevine. There are additional ways, they say, to figure out
which companies treat their customers fairly and which ones don't.
These include information tracked by state departments of insurance
and by industry and watchdog groups.

"You need to go to someplace that provides some comprehensive
information, as opposed to stories and anecdotes from individuals with
bad experiences," says Sally Greenberg, executive director of the
National Consumers League, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy
group. The reason: Horror stories aren't necessarily representative of
client experience with a company.

The ethical practices of insurance companies have come under fresh
scrutiny in recent years. On the downside, Gulf Coast claimants who
lost just about everything in hurricane Katrina are in many cases
still fighting for payouts more than two years after the disaster.

On the upside, insurers have at times won praise for waiving
deductibles after multiple disasters hit a region, a trend reportedly
jump-started by MetLife after a series of hurricanes hit Florida in
2004.

Consumers eager to work with the insurance industry's good guys should
weigh two primary considerations, advocates say: access and claims.
That's because people across the spectrum need to be able to get
coverage at affordable prices, just as they need their policies
honored when they have a legitimate claim, says Bob Hunter, director
of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), an advocacy
group. He's also former insurance commissioner for Texas. But this
dual consideration means consumers sometimes need to make some tough
choices. "Poor people need insurance just as much as we do - or maybe
more, in some regards, because they're more vulnerable," Mr. Hunter
says, "and yet they tend to be priced out. So if a company has systems
that, in my view, really target poor people as people to raise prices
on - if that's true, and I think it is - then that's a serious
potential problem, an ethical problem for me as a buyer."

Hunter cautions that some companies seem to harbor biases against
minorities and low-income people. He objects, for instance, to auto
insurance giant GEICO's use of education and occupation as factors to
determine a driver's risk. Through a formula, he says, domestic
workers and high school dropouts pay higher premiums to GEICO than do
their better-educated counterparts who have identical driving records.
His tip for ethical consumers: Beware when an insurer starts asking
about your schooling and your job. Even though you might get a good
rate, your less-educated neighbor may be paying an exorbitant fee due
to an unfair process.

"A lot of people don't think about how this classification system
works," Hunter says. "I think most people say, 'Oh, the rate is $50
less, I'll take it.' They don't [realize], 'The reason I'm paying $50
less is because some poor people over there have to pay $100 more.' "
GEICO spokeswoman Christine Tasher declined to comment on company
practices.

The American Insurance Asso**ciation (AIA), a trade group for property
and casualty insurers, defends such risk-calculating means as
legitimate ones that have passed muster in a highly regulated
industry.

Industry defends risk yardsticks

"It's absolutely incorrect to argue that those things that are
permitted by state law are in any way improper for the companies that
do them," says David Snyder, vice president and assistant general
counsel at AIA. "The best definition of fairness is a rate which most
accurately reflects risk. Some advocacy groups don't like some risk
measurements versus others. That's a matter of preference.... But all
[measurements] comply with the law. The law punishes things like
discrimination on the basis of race, religion, and national origin.
And that's vigorously enforced by state regulators."

To determine a company's track record for settling claims fairly,
consumers have a range of tools at their disposal. Armed with a little
knowledge about where to look and which questions to ask, they can
discern a firm's ethical portrait without investing a lot of time or
money.

One core indicator is a company's complaint ratio. This figure
indicates how a company's track record for satisfied customers stacks
up against the competition. A ratio of 0.1 to 0.3 suggests good
performance vis-à-vis the median for a particular insurance market
(marked by a score of "1"). A number higher than 1 suggests a
relatively large number of complaints per customer served.

'Complaint ratios' available online

To see a company's complaint ratio in a particular state, try visiting
the website for that state's department of insurance. To view a firm's
national performance, check out aggregated complaint data on the
website of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. One
tip from NAIC president-elect and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy
Praeger: Watch out for firms mired in disagreements over benefits.

Her example: Companies "sometimes will dispute whether a house hit by
a tornado was totally destroyed," Ms. Praeger says. "If a portion of
the house is left standing, they may not want to pay the policy limit.
Those kinds of complaints, I think, demonstrate that perhaps a company
is not living up to its contract."

She echoes advice from advocates: Call the state insurance department.

Some websites offer quick summaries of many customers' experiences
with particular companies. J.D. Power and Associates, for instance
shows which auto insurers got the highest and lowest marks from
surveyed customers who had been in collisions. Best ratings go to USAA
and Amica. Worst ratings: Allstate, Farmers, Progressive, and Safeco,
among others.

For certain information on perceived fairness, ethically minded
consumers need to pay. Greenberg recommends Consumers' Checkbook for
shoppers in metro areas covered by its service. For a $30
subscription, consumers can research a firm before they buy and
determine from aggregated feedback whether other customers have, on
the whole, felt that they received fair treatment.


What behavior of stock reveals

Still, thrifty consumers can learn a lot just by reading between the
lines. Kevin Flynn, president of HealthCare Advocates, a private
advocacy firm in Philadelphia, suggests using two proxies that help
predict when an insurance company is likely to get more aggressive in
denying claims. If an insurer's stock price is falling faster than
stock market indices, he says, it's probably only a matter of time
before the firm starts clamping down on claims paid or hiking premiums
to raise funds. He also suggests asking a company's communications
office about claims paid as a percentage of revenue. The closer to 100
percent, he says, the better.

Unethical behavior among some insurers "is always there," Mr. Flynn
says. "You'll simply find it as they get into cash flow crunches."


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Default OT - Raging Calif. fires burn scores of homes

248 lines?

Trying to boost your stats?


Look, if you won't pretend you wrote all this,

I won't pretend I read it.
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