Description - Allstate Insurance Company

Allstate was founded in 1931 as part of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and became a publicly traded company in 1993. At the time, the initial public offering of Allstate was the largest in U.S. history. On June 30, 1995, it became a totally independent company after Sears divested its remaining shares to Sears stockholders.

Description - The Hartford Financial Services Group

The Hartford Financial Services Group
Founded in 1810, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG) is one of the largest investment and insurance companies based in the United States, with offices in Japan, Brazil, Ireland, England, and the United States. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products – annuities, mutual funds, college savings plans – as well as life insurance, group and employee benefits, automobile and homeowners' insurance, and business insurance.

Description - State Farm Insurance Companies

State Farm Insurance Companies are a group of large US insurance and financial services companies started in 1922 by former farmer George J. Mecherle. In recent years, State Farm has expanded into the financial services arena, such as banking and mutual funds. State Farm's mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams.

Insurance categories - Insurance categories

Auto Insurance

Description - American International Group, Inc. (AIG)

According to Plunkett Research, life insurance in the United States was a $517 billion business (in gross premiums) in 2005, while life and health insurers earned about $34 billion in net investment income in that year.

• Avoid Travel insurance if your current health insurance policy covers you abroad.
• If you make more than two overseas trips a year- buy annual policy as it will be more cost effective.
• Consider f amily travel insurance – combining policies for couples or families is cheaper as the costs are higher 'per trip' than 'per person'.
• Over 65 old – many insurers offer discount packages for this age.

• Skip the cancer insurance – it is better off putting your money toward comprehensive health policies.
• Avoid Mortgage Life insurance - the cost of this policy can be three to five times as much as comparable term-life insurance.
• Neglect ID theft insurance – it will not fix your credit or give you back money stripped from your bank accounts.
• Keep your current policy and add on to your insurance protection rather replacing it - replacing policy incurs new costs and fees.