Highlights From the 2006 NAIASMSN Autos highlights the eight things

Highlights From the 2006 NAIAS
MSN Autos highlights the eight things you should know about this year's show in Detroit.
Ann Job

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation , today announced Mr. James R. Gober, Chairman, President and CEO will speak at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, February 15, 2006 at 3:45 p.m. .

2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Coverage of the world's toughest sports car endurance race.
Editors of MSN Autos

Camry to Get Hybrid Version Soon
The best-selling passenger car in the U.S. will soon get a hybrid version.
Editors of MSN Autos

AARP offers safe driving class for all (The Clarion-Ledger)
BRANDON Motorists who want a refresher course on the rules and the road - and a break on insurance costs for those over 55 - can take advantage of a safe driving courses offered by AARP in Richland.

High-End Luxury Vehicles Without Rival
Luxury automobiles priced above $100,000.
Editors of MSN Autos

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference (The Auto Channel)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 9, 2006 -- Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation , today announced Mr. James R. Gober, Chairman, President and CEO will speak at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, February 15, 2006 at 3:45 p.m. (ET). A live webcast will be available at http://ir.ipacc.com/.

Direct General profit falls 22% in Q4 (bizjournals.com via Yahoo! Finance)
Automobile insurance seller Direct General Corp. earnings dropped more than 22 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the final quarter of 2004 and came in well below analysts' expectations.

Tri-County Insurance Relocates To Better Serve Customers (Scott County Times)
Tri-County Insurance Agency owners have been busy the past couple of months relocating the Forest branch and remodeling the Morton office.

Insurance commissioner to drivers: Drive safe, pay less (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
WATSONVILLE The Central Coast ZIP code you covet could translate into a higher automobile insurance bill. Rates across the state may change as Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi forges ahead with plans to overhaul prices making motorists' driving records the No. 1 factor.

Business: Auto insurance splits groups (The Fresno Bee)
The California Farm Bureau Federation is rallying its members to oppose new auto insurance rate proposals, saying drivers in rural communities will be unfairly targeted with higher rate increases.

Vote for Your Favorite!
Vote now for the best concept car of the NAIAS 2006 in Detroit.
Editors of MSN Autos

Electric Insurance Revises Maine Auto Product (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
BEVERLY, Mass.----Feb. 10, 2006--Electric Insurance has expanded its automobile product reach in Maine by introducing additional price points. Using a multivariate pricing model, Electric has developed rate levels that will improve the Company's competitive position for a broader range of clients.

lanelogic Announces Exclusive Partnership with Great American Insurance Group (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DALLAS----Feb. 10, 2006--lanelogic announced today its partnership with Great American Insurance Group to insure all lanelogic guaranteed vehicles through Great American. This partnership allows lanelogic to reduce a dealership's wholesale loss by offering a 45-day buyback guarantee.

High-End Luxury Vehicles Without Rival
Luxury automobiles priced above $100,000.
Editors of MSN Autos

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference (The Auto Channel)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Feb. 9, 2006 -- Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation , today announced Mr. James R. Gober, Chairman, President and CEO will speak at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, February 15, 2006 at 3:45 p.m. (ET). A live webcast will be available at http://ir.ipacc.com/.

Tri-County Insurance Relocates To Better Serve Customers (Scott County Times)
Tri-County Insurance Agency owners have been busy the past couple of months relocating the Forest branch and remodeling the Morton office.

Camry to Get Hybrid Version Soon
The best-selling passenger car in the U.S. will soon get a hybrid version.
Editors of MSN Autos

Infinity Property and Casualty Reports 14.1% Increase in Book Value and 19.9% Increase in Operating Earnings (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation , a national provider of personal automobile insurance with an emphasis on nonstandard auto insurance, today reported for the fourth quarter of 2005:

lanelogic Announces Exclusive Partnership with Great American Insurance Group (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
DALLAS----Feb. 10, 2006--lanelogic announced today its partnership with Great American Insurance Group to insure all lanelogic guaranteed vehicles through Great American. This partnership allows lanelogic to reduce a dealership's wholesale loss by offering a 45-day buyback guarantee.

The Hartford's Ramani Ayer to Speak at Merrill Lynch 2006 Insurance Investors Conference (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Ramani Ayer, chairman, president and CEO of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. , will be the opening speaker at the 2006 Insurance Investors Conference sponsored by Merrill Lynch on Tuesday, February 14, at approximately 8:20 a.m. at The Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.

Chop-Shop Bust Sheds Light On Insurance Rates (WREG-TV Memphis)
SOUTHWEST MEMPHIS -- If you want to give somebody a piece of your mind about your insurance rates, come meet Kenneth Barber in court February 9.

Preview: 2007 Toyota Camry
With sleeker styling, a more powerful engine and a new hybrid version, America's best-selling car sets a new benchmark.
Ann Job

Insurance Australia tapping into China (International Herald Tribune) Insurance Australia

Insurance Australia tapping into China (International Herald Tribune)
Insurance Australia Group, the nation's largest auto and home insurer, said Tuesday that it would buy 24.9 percent of China Pacific Property Insurance, tapping a market with annual growth of more than a fifth in the past five years.

Business: Auto insurance splits groups (The Fresno Bee)
The California Farm Bureau Federation is rallying its members to oppose new auto insurance rate proposals, saying drivers in rural communities will be unfairly targeted with higher rate increases.

2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Coverage of the world's toughest sports car endurance race.
Editors of MSN Autos

Camry to Get Hybrid Version Soon
The best-selling passenger car in the U.S. will soon get a hybrid version.
Editors of MSN Autos

Direct General profit falls 22% in Q4 (bizjournals.com via Yahoo! Finance)
Automobile insurance seller Direct General Corp. earnings dropped more than 22 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the final quarter of 2004 and came in well below analysts' expectations.

Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation to Present at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference (PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance)
Infinity Property and Casualty Corporation , today announced Mr. James R. Gober, Chairman, President and CEO will speak at the Merrill Lynch Insurance Investor Conference in New York on Tuesday, February 15, 2006 at 3:45 p.m. .

U.K.'s Norwich Union's "Bizarre Motor Claims" Roundup (Insurance Journal)
Frozen squirrels and falling reindeer top the list of the U.K.'s Norwich Union's strangest recent automobile related insurance claims. The U.K insurer, a division of Aviva Plc, notes that "freak incid

Buick Enclave Debut
This luxury crossover SUV with high-tech features, which debuted at the auto show in Detroit, should be in production during 2007.
Editors of MSN Autos

Tri-County Insurance Relocates To Better Serve Customers (Scott County Times)
Tri-County Insurance Agency owners have been busy the past couple of months relocating the Forest branch and remodeling the Morton office.

Lincoln's New Luxury CUVLincoln unveils a feature-rich crossover-utility vehicle with

Lincoln's New Luxury CUV
Lincoln unveils a feature-rich crossover-utility vehicle with advanced safety features.
Editors of MSN Autos

Direct General profit falls 22% in Q4 (bizjournals.com via Yahoo! Finance)
Automobile insurance seller Direct General Corp. earnings dropped more than 22 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the final quarter of 2004 and came in well below analysts' expectations.

INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINESE INSURER (Asia Pulse

INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINESE INSURER (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Insurance Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX:IAG) has made a major move in its campaign to expand into Asia, revealing it intends to take a stake in China's second largest general insurer.

Preview: 2007 Toyota Camry
With sleeker styling, a more powerful engine and a new hybrid version, America's best-selling car sets a new benchmark.
Ann Job

Insurance Australia to Buy 24.9% of China Pacific (Update4) (Bloomberg.com)
Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Insurance Australia Group Ltd., the nation's largest auto and home insurer, will buy 24.9 percent of China Pacific Property Insurance Co., tapping a market with annual growth of more than a fifth in the past five years.

Insurance Australia tapping into China (International Herald Tribune)
Insurance Australia Group, the nation's largest auto and home insurer, said Tuesday that it would buy 24.9 percent of China Pacific Property Insurance, tapping a market with annual growth of more than a fifth in the past five years.

Volvo to Offer New Small Car
The Swedish automaker unveils a small car intended for young professionals in urban areas.
Editors of MSN Autos

U.K.'s Norwich Union's "Bizarre Motor Claims" Roundup (Insurance Journal)
Frozen squirrels and falling reindeer top the list of the U.K.'s Norwich Union's strangest recent automobile related insurance claims. The U.K insurer, a division of Aviva Plc, notes that "freak incid

Va. House Panel Blocks Gov. Kaine's Insurance Tax Plan (Insurance Journal)
The heart of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's transportation funding plan higher car sales and insurance premiums taxes died Monday in the House Finance Committee. On party-line votes, the tax

2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Coverage of the world's toughest sports car endurance race.
Editors of MSN Autos

Kidnapped woman denied worker's compensation (Greensboro News-Record) GREENSBORO -- Tabitha

Kidnapped woman denied worker's compensation (Greensboro News-Record)
GREENSBORO -- Tabitha Sells was at work in 2004 when her manager and his wife walked into the Glass Pro automobile glass repair shop on Lee Street and attacked her.

Insurance Australia to Buy 24.9% of China Pacific (Update4) (Bloomberg.com)
Feb. 7 (Bloomberg) -- Insurance Australia Group Ltd., the nation's largest auto and home insurer, will buy 24.9 percent of China Pacific Property Insurance Co., tapping a market with annual growth of more than a fifth in the past five years.

Insurance Australia Group Signs Agreement With Chinese Insurer (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Asia News)
MELBOURNE, Feb 8 Asia Pulse - Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX:IAG) has made a major move in its campaign to expand into Asia, revealing it intends to take a stake in China's second largest general insurer.

Insurance Australia tapping into China (International Herald Tribune)
Insurance Australia Group, the nation's largest auto and home insurer, said Tuesday that it would buy 24.9 percent of China Pacific Property Insurance, tapping a market with annual growth of more than a fifth in the past five years.

Medmarc Insurance Group & The Hartford to Co-Sponsor Medtech Insight's ``Investment In Innovation'' Conference (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
IRVINE, Calif.----Feb. 7, 2006--Leading healthcare technology insurance underwriters Medmarc Insurance Group & The Hartford announced that they are co-sponsors of Medtech Insight's prestigious "Investment In Innovation": A Preview of Early Stage Medical Technology Companies" Conference, taking place February 23-24, 2006 at the Hyatt in Irvine, CA.

Lexus Claims 'World's Best Car'
The luxury carmaker claims to have the world?s best car in an all-new flagship.
Editors of MSN Autos

Perry Names Local Man To Auto Theft Prevention Board (KWTX-TV Waco)
Gov. Rick Perry named Waco executive Michael Frank Gerik to the state s Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Tuesday. Gerik is vice president and state manager for the Texas Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

Va. House Panel Blocks Gov. Kaine's Insurance Tax Plan (Insurance Journal)
The heart of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's transportation funding plan higher car sales and insurance premiums taxes died Monday in the House Finance Committee. On party-line votes, the tax

INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINESE INSURER (Asia Pulse

INSURANCE AUSTRALIA GROUP SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH CHINESE INSURER (Asia Pulse via Yahoo! Australia & NZ Finance)
Insurance Insurance Australia Group Ltd (ASX:IAG) has made a major move in its campaign to expand into Asia, revealing it intends to take a stake in China's second largest general insurer.

Camry to Get Hybrid Version Soon
The best-selling passenger car in the U.S. will soon get a hybrid version.
Editors of MSN Autos

Volvo to Offer New Small CarThe Swedish automaker unveils a

Volvo to Offer New Small Car
The Swedish automaker unveils a small car intended for young professionals in urban areas.
Editors of MSN Autos

Transportation Funding: Tax Increases Die in General Assembly (WAVY 10)

Transportation Funding: Tax Increases Die in General Assembly (WAVY 10)
(AP) - The heart of Governor Timothy Kaine's transportation funding plan, tax increases on car sales and insurance premiums, died Monday in the General Assembly.

Shoring up water's edge (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) Conservation experts

Shoring up water's edge (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Conservation experts fear that many healthy shore communities could face sharp declines over the next 25 years if land consumption and growth in automobile use continue unchecked.

In debt, even with insurance (The Wichita Eagle)
For the past 10 years or so, Rachel Serrano's bills for eye doctor visits, insulin, testing strips, syringes and other costs of having Type 1 diabetes have been piling up.

State Farm cuts auto insurance rates, but not for all users (Detroit News)
State Farm is lowering overall rates for auto insurance in Michigan, but not all customers will get a break.

Lincoln's New Luxury CUV
Lincoln unveils a feature-rich crossover-utility vehicle with advanced safety features.
Editors of MSN Autos

Insurer facing running repair (Herald Sun)
INSURANCE Australia Group is poised for a rejig of its management line-up amid speculation that one of its senior executives is ready to resign.

Tougher auto insurance fraud laws proposed (The Palm Beach Post)
Florida Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher on Friday asked the legislature to enact reforms he says will help cut down on the state's rampant automobile insurance fraud.

Bureau seeks 6.7% auto insurance rate hike (Charlotte Business Journal)
The N.C. Rate Bureau is seeking a 6.7 percent increase in automobile insurance rates this year.

N.C. auto insurance rates to drop 2.5% (The The Business

N.C. auto insurance rates to drop 2.5% (The The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area)
N.C. Insurance Commissioner Jim Long has signed an order requiring a 2.5 percent reduction in automobile insurance rates and a 6 percent reduction in motorcycle liability rates, effective May 15.

2006 Rolex 24 at DaytonaCoverage of the world's toughest sports

2006 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Coverage of the world's toughest sports car endurance race.
Editors of MSN Autos

Premiums skyrocket (Florida Today)
Brevard County residents see big premium increases for homeowners' insurance.

A.M. Best Affirms Ratings of State Auto Insurance Companies (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
OLDWICK, N.J.----Feb. 3, 2006--A.M. Best Co. has affirmed the financial strength ratings of A+ and issuer credit ratings of "aa-" for State Auto Insurance Companies . A.M. Best has also affirmed the debt rating of "a-" on the $100 million 6.25% senior unsecured notes issued by State Auto Financial Corporation and its ICR of "a-".