(Dow Jones) – Allstate Corp. (ALL) hopes to refashion its good hands image into a helping hand for anxious consumers: Anyone visiting an Allstate Web site can print out a free one-day pass to Sam’s Club, the discount warehouse owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT).

The main message “is to demonstrate we are not only helping to make insurance more affordable, but to make other areas of life more affordable too,” said Lisa Cochrane, vice president of marketing at Allstate, in a recent interview. Read more…

Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company, announced the second year of its domestic partnership with World Wildlife Fund for Earth Hour. The event urges individuals and businesses to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about the connections between energy use and our environment. This year’s event will take place Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in every time zone across the world. Read more…

(CompNewsNetwork) – Progressive Medical, Inc. today named Kevin Banion as president and chief operating officer. Founder Dave Bianconi will continue to serve as chief executive officer. The transition will become effective on March 1.

Banion, who currently serves as COO, will oversee the company’s direction and daily operations. He will ensure that all strategic plans support Progressive Medical’s business objectives. Banion will also continue to develop internal policies to maximize efficiency of operations and develop general operating goals and objectives. Read more…

Caution! Not all insurance companies are the same when it comes to fixing your car! In a blind survey of 50 New Jersey auto repair facilities performed by USA/Direct, an independent research firm, Teachers’ Insurance Plan of NJ was shown to be superior to AIG/21st Century, Liberty Mutual, GEICO, and Progressive.

The survey asked body shops to rate insurance companies on how well their practices and policies supported quality of repairs, speed of repairs, and the overall customer experience. Read more…

New York – based American International Group has announced an agreement to sell AIG Life Insurance Co. of Canada to BMO Financial Group.

AIG Life of Canada, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, offers various insurance and wealth products, including universal life and term life insurance plans, critical illness plans, permanent plans and immediate annuities. Read more…

GEICO is lowering rates an average 6 percent for more than 125,000 Hawaii policyholders beginning on Feb. 1.

The rates affect new customers and current policyholders renewing after March 16 and comes as local residents find ways to reduce spending in a severe economic downturn. Read more…

(BUSINESS WIRE) – Another risk of a faltering economy may be an increase in the number of drivers who travel American highways and byways without adequate auto insurance. Falling housing prices, rising unemployment and turmoil in the financial markets have hit consumers hard, and some may be cutting costs on protection on the road. As a result of the economic downturn, according to a recent study by The Insurance Research Council (IRC), as many as one in six drivers across the United States may drive without auto insurance by 2010.   Read more…

(BUSINESS WIRE) – The Insurance Research Council (IRC) recently reported that by the year 2010, nearly one in six drivers across the United States will be driving without auto insurance. Travelers (NYSE: TRV) is reminding consumers that dropping auto insurance coverage is illegal in most every state and could mean financial disaster for families. The company suggests reviewing all insurance coverages to make sure you’re properly protected against uninsured motorists and use the opportunity to talk to an agent about smarter ways to save on insurance costs. Read more…

(PRNewswire) – The Olathe, Kansas Chamber of Commerce has awarded the prestigious “Corporate Citizen of the Year” award to Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®.

Vince Donofrio, Vice President, HelpPoint Operations, Rod Johnson, Vice President of ServicePoint Operations and Rob Koch, Director of the National Property Claims Operations accepted the special award from Olathe Chamber of Commerce Chairwoman Char MacCullem and Chamber President Frank Taylor. “We are honored to be recognized as the Corporate Citizen of the Year. We are very proud of our team and the great work they are doing in our community. Thank you for recognizing our efforts,” Mr. Donofrio told the group. Read more…

(NCDOI) – North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin reported the arrest this week of another Eastern North Carolina resident for his part in what Department of Insurance of investigators are calling an auto insurance fraud ring that staged accidents for more than four years and stole more than $100,000 in phony insurance payments. Read more…