Expatriate International Auto Insurance

Automobile Primary Liability (also known as Third Party Liability) insurance is generally a required purchased in the country in which you are located. Local governments will require this in order to register your vehicle. Be aware that limits of coverage can be very low in some countries. If you are uncomfortable with the level of coverage available with Third Party coverage, you may wish to obtain Comprehensive Motor insurance. This type of plan can increase coverage to an appropriate level of protection.

Be aware when shopping for Third Party Liability insurance that rates may vary drastically. Do not assume that the premium quote you receive is the standard within that country. Shopping for competitive rates is as essential abroad as it is in the United States or Europe.

It is very difficult to transfer auto insurance from country to country. No Claims Discount (NCD) or No Claims Bonus (NCB) can be transferred however, and offer substantial discounts for expatriates world wide.

The main types of Auto (or Motor) insurance available internationally are:

* Third Party Coverage - This will provide coverage for an individuals liability at law to any third parties who have died or been injured, or any damaged to property resulting from an accident.
* Third Party Fire and Theft Coverage - Comprising the scope of cover described above with the addition of property insurance on the vehicle but only in terms of a loss resulting from fire or theft.
* Comprehensive Coverage - This is the insurance with the widest scope of cover. It includes both Third party, Fire, and Theft coverage with the addition of "all risks" insurance. Typically the premiums for Comprehensive Vehicle Cover are the highest on the market.

Different countries will have different requirements in regards to the minimum amount of coverage that an individual must have. These requirements are usually set forth by the country's Insurance Authority or Regulator. In nations that where previously British Colonies it is usually the case that every vehicle should be covered under a basic Third Party Liability Plan or ACT policy. ACT Insurance refers to the British Road Traffic Act of 1930, which laid out the basic requirements for motor insurance at that time. ACT insurance will only cover the insured for any death or injury resulting from an accident.

Expatriate International Health Insurance

If you are not covered under a group medical insurance program, an individual international medical policy should be purchased. These policies include worldwide medical protection and also can include evacuation services. Costs are reasonable and, in many cases, less expensive than coverage in the USA.

Generally an International Health Insurance policy will calculate premiums based on a policyholders age and area of coverage rather than on their claims history. These plans will normally offer two areas of cover; Worldwide or Worldwide excluding the USA. The reason for this is that medical care in the USA is the most expensive in the world, however, most international insurance companies (BUPA for example)will rank countries by medical costs and have premiums adjusted accordingly.

The majority of international health insurance plans for expatriates are, however globally portable. This allows foreign nationals overseas to move fluidly form one country to the next without any periods of no cover. This is a significant difference from Local health insurance plans and makes these policies attractive to many individuals. For the most part, however, an international health insurance policy will not cover an individual when they have returned to their home nation, making the investment practical only if the policyholder is planning to be overseas for an extended period of time.

Those traveling abroad for shorter periods of time, may wish to purchase a travel medical policy which can provide assistance during emergency medical situations abroad. These policies are less expensive as they are time specific rather than annual policies, this allows the policyholder to specifically tailor the plan to the exact length of their trip. A majority of international travel insurance policies will also allow the policyholder to be evacuated to the nearest center of medical excellence in the event of a serious illness or injury; it is also possible to obtain repatriation coverage.

It is important to understand how your medical policy will assist you should you need urgent medical care in your host country. May countries have less than adequate facilities and may require immediate payment for services. Therefore, it is advisable to understand the assistance your policy will provide to locate suitable medical facilities

Deadliest Days to Drive

Safe driving is no accident. As incentive for motorists to think safety-first, consider this sobering data on drivers' deadliest days, dates and times, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Deadliest Days of the Week To Drive

1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Friday
4. Thursday
5. Monday
6. Wednesday
7. Tuesday

Deadliest Times of the Day to Drive

1. 3 p.m.-6 p.m.
2. 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
3. 9 p.m.-midnight
4. noon-3 p.m.
5. midnight-3 a.m.
6. 6 a.m.-9 a.m.
7. 9 a.m.-noon
8. 3 a.m.-6 a.m.

Four Deadliest Days on Roadways

1. July 4
2. July 3
3. December 23
4. December 24

Three Deadliest Days for Pedestrians

1. December 23
2. January 1
3. October 31

Data Source: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The safe-driving theme and NHTSA data resonate with insurance industry insiders Brent Gregory, senior vice president of the American Safety Council, in Orlando, Fla.; Mike Barry, director of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute in New York; Dave Snyder and Jim Whittle, both assistant general counsels with the American Insurance Association in Washington, D.C.; and Lynn Knauf, director of personal lines for the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, in Des Plaines, Illinois. Drivers should be especially alert during major holiday periods, asserts Brent Gregory, senior vice president, the American Safety Council, in Orlando, Fla. Says Gregory: "Motorists should take extra precautions, particularly during the holiday periods ... Memorial Day, Labor Day, July 4, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Those seem to be among the deadliest days to drive according to data that we've looked at. Be that as it may, motorists should always practice safe driving no matter what the traffic conditions, 24-7. Doing so can be a life saver, maybe your own." Visit Insurance.com for more info.

Top Banking firms

This year's edition of the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Banking Employers rates 74 firms, all of which principally operate in either commercial banking or investment banking (or both). To begin our survey ranking process, we chose 74 investment and commercial banking firms this year, based on previous Vault surveys that gauged opinions of industry insiders, as well as on various factual data, including league table standing and size in terms of revenue or assets.

These days, corporate structures, and especially corporate structures of finance firms, can be as complicated as deriving the Black-Scholes model. That said, you'll notice that some of the 74 firms are holding companies (HSBC, ABN AMRO), others are subsidiaries (UBS Investment Bank, Morgan Keegan) and a few double as divisions of large institutions (Citigroup's Global Corporate and Investment Bank, Banc of America Securities). In deciding whether to include all or part of a firm, we identified that part (or whole) of a firm most appropriate for banking-position seekers in the U.S., based on how the company conducts its recruiting efforts and what services the firm provides in the States.

The 74 firms we identified were asked to distribute our online survey to relevant employees. The survey consisted of questions about life at the firm (or former firm) and a prestige rating. Participants were asked to rate companies with which they were familiar on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most prestigious. They were not allowed to rate their own employer. For those companies that did not distribute surveys, Vault sought contacts at the firm through other sources. Those finance professionals took the same survey as the employees at firms that participated. All surveys were completely anonymous.

All told, 603 finance professionals filled out Vault's 2003 finance employee survey from February 2004 through May 2004. Vault averaged the prestige scores for each firm and ranked them in order, with the highest average score belonging to our No. 1 firm.

Lycopene
Effective for
Prostate Cancer Treatment

Men with prostate cancer who take supplemental lycopene inaddition to surgical removal of the testicles may experience lessactive disease, less bone pain, and live longer than those who onlyhave surgical removal of the testicles, according to a new study inBritish Journal of Urology International (2003;92:375-8).This is exciting news for millions of men who have to undergoaggressive treatment for advanced prostate cancer.

In the new study, 54 men with advanced prostate cancer wererandomly assigned to have surgical removal of the testicles(orchidectomy) alone or orchidectomy plus oral supplementation with4 mg of lycopene a day. Measurements of PSA (a blood marker ofprostate cancer activity), bone scans, and urinary flow were takeninitially and every three months for two years. Men receivinglycopene started on the day of their surgery.

After six months, PSA had decreased in bothgroups, indicating a reduction in prostate cancer activity.PSA levels in those receiving lycopene more than 65%lower than in those who did not receive lycopene. After two years,PSA levels in the lycopene treatment group had fallen into thenormal range, while those who only underwent surgery still had PSAlevels more than twice the upper limit of normal. Urinary symptomssignificantly improved in both groups, but better improvement wasagain observed in the lycopene group. The lycopene group alsoexperienced less bone pain.

The survival rates after two years in the lycopene-plus-surgerygroup and surgery-only groups were 88% and 77%, respectively, astatistically significant difference. No adverse side effects wereobserved in men taking lycopene.LycopeneLycopene is one of a groupof compounds called carotenoids. It is found in high amounts intomatoes.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men over theage of 50 years, with more than 200,000 new cases each year in theUnited States. The cause of prostate cancer, like many othercancers, is unknown; however, some studies suggest alterations intestosterone metabolism may play a role in its development.Prostate cancer is generally slow growing and may not cause anysymptoms until late in the disease. Symptoms may include frequentor painful urination, dribbling after urination, sensation ofincomplete emptying of the bladder, or blood in the urine. Thesymptoms of prostate cancer are similar to those of a non-cancerouscondition called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), so menexperiencing these symptoms should consult their physician for anaccurate diagnosis.

The findings of this study corroborate the findings of othersimilar studies examining the effectiveness of lycopene in thetreatment of prostate cancer. However, the amount used in thecurrent study (4 mg per day) was substantially less than theamounts used in other studies (30 mg per day). It may also helpstimulate the immune system and has been shown to cause cancercells to die on their own. Although more research is needed toclarify what amount of lycopene is most effective, men withprostate cancer may benefit from taking daily lycopene supplements.Eating one moderately sized tomato a day also providesapproximately 4 mg of lycopene. Other tomato products, such as an8-ounce portion of tomato juice or tomato paste may provide up to25 mg of lycopene.

Gene That Creates Cerebral Cortex Discovered

Researchers have identified the gene responsible for creating the brain's thinking center, in a finding that could one day help people with brain injuries and neurodegenerative diseases.

The gene, called Lhx2, tells stem cells in the developing brain to form the cerebral cortex, which controls functions such as language, decision-making and vision, according to a University of California, Irvine, study published in the Jan. 18 issue of Science. Without the Lhx2 gene, these cells wouldn't form, the researchers said.

"This new understanding of Lhx2's role in cortical development can potentially be used in stem cell research efforts to grow new cortical neurons that can replace damaged ones in the brain," Dr. Edwin Monuki, an assistant professor of pathology at the university, said in a prepared statement.

"This finding has implications for continuing efforts to help people recover from a stroke or slow the progress of neurodegenerative diseases," he said.

Researchers in Monuki's lab are now trying to activate Lhx2 genes in neural stem cells to prompt the growth of cortical cells. If successful, their efforts could led to clinical studies that could one day help treat patients, he said.

Auto coverage explained

Understanding Your Auto Insurance

Auto insurance can seem confusing. But once you understand the different types of coverages that make up your policy, it’s not hard at all. Your auto insurance is really a package of seven primary coverages. Taken together, these coverages make up a standard auto policy. Each of these coverages has its own separate premium. Your premium payment is the total of these separate premiums.

In addition to the primary coverages, for additional premiums you can also add on coverages such as GEICO’s Mechanical Breakdown Insurance and Emergency Road Service.

1. Bodily injury liability provides protection if you injure or kill someone while operating your car. It also provides for a legal defense if another party in the accident files a lawsuit against you.

In the event of a serious accident, you want enough insurance to cover a judgment against you in a lawsuit, without jeopardizing your personal assets.

Bodily injury liability covers injury to people, not your vehicle. Therefore it’s a good idea to have the same level of coverage for all of your cars.

2. Medical payments, no-fault or personal injury protection coverage usually pays for the medical expenses of the injured driver and passengers in your car. There may also be coverage if you are injured by a vehicle as a pedestrian.

3. Uninsured motorists coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver or, in some states, a hit-and-run driver, in a crash that is not your fault. In some states there is also uninsured motorist coverage for damage to your vehicle.

Given the large number of uninsured motorists, this is very important coverage to have, even in states with no-fault insurance.

4. Comprehensive physical damage coverage pays for losses resulting from incidents other than collision. For example, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car if it is stolen; or damaged by flood, fire or animals. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket.

5. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle or other object.

To keep your premiums low, select as large a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. For older cars, consider dropping this coverage, since coverage is normally limited to the cash value of your car.

6. Property damage liability protects you if your car damages someone else’s property. It also provides you with legal defense if another party files a lawsuit against you. It is a good idea to purchase enough of this insurance to cover the amount of damage your car might do to another vehicle or object.

7. Rental reimbursement coverage pays for a rental vehicle (usually up to $25 a day) when the insured's vehicle is out of commission as a result of a loss covered under comprehensive or collision coverages.

Stages of Breast Cancer

Is it Stage II? Is it inflammatory breast cancer? Although learning where you fit in the scheme of breast cancer stages can feel like a jail term ("So now I guess I'm stuck at stage III"), this information is a key part of figuring out how you and your doctors will approach your treatment. The purpose of the staging system is to help organize the different factors and some of the personality features of the cancer into categories, in order to:

* best understand your prognosis (the most likely outcome of the disease)
* guide treatment decisions, since clinical studies of breast cancer treatments that you and your doctor will consider are partly organized by the staging system, and
* provide a common way to describe the extent of breast cancer for doctors and nurses all over the world, so that results of your treatment can be compared and understood.



3 spheres measuring 1 cm, 3cm, 5cm

Stage 0

This stage is used to describe non-invasive breast cancer. There is no evidence of cancer cells breaking out of the part of the breast in which it started, or of getting through to or invading neighboring normal tissue. LCIS and DCIS are examples of stage 0.
Stage I

This stage describes invasive breast cancer (cancer cells are breaking through to or invading neighboring normal tissue) in which

* The tumor measures up to two centimeters, AND
* No lymph nodes are involved.

Stage II

This stage describes invasive breast cancer in which:

* The tumor measures at least two centimeters, but not more than five centimeters, OR
* Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm on the same side as the breast cancer. Affected lymph nodes have not yet stuck to one another or to the surrounding tissues, a sign that the cancer has not yet advanced to stage III. (The tumor in the breast can be any size.)

Stage III

Stage III is divided into subcategories known as IIIA and IIIB.
Stage IIIA

Stage IIIA describes invasive breast cancer in which:

* the tumor measures larger than five centimeters, OR
* there is significant involvement of lymph nodes. The nodes clump together or stick to one another or surrounding tissue.

Stage IIIB

This stage describes invasive breast cancer in which a tumor of any size has spread to the breast skin, chest wall, or internal mammary lymph nodes (located beneath the breast right under the ribs, inside the middle of the chest).

Stage IIIB includes inflammatory breast cancer, a very uncommon but very serious, aggressive type of breast cancer. The most distinguishing feature of inflammatory breast cancer is redness involving part or all of the breast. The redness feels warm. You may see puffiness of the breast's skin that looks like the peel of a navel orange ("peau d'orange"), or even ridges, welts, or hives. And part or all of the breast may be enlarged and hard. A lump is present only half of the time. Inflammatory breast cancer is sometimes misdiagnosed as a simple infection.
Expert Quote

"When you're in the midst of the diagnosis and staging process, and the tumor information is coming back in bits and pieces, at many different times, it is an extremely stressful time in your life. Uncertainty really stinks! But you will feel SO much better once you know what you're dealing with, when your treatment plan has been worked out, and you start your treatment. Only then does much of that dreadful uncertainty lift, and you finally feel that you are doing something to get rid of the problem." —Marisa Weiss, M.D.

Stage IV

This stage includes invasive breast cancer in which

* a tumor has spread beyond the breast, underarm, and internal mammary lymph nodes, and
* a tumor may have spread to the supraclavicular lymph nodes (nodes located at the base of the neck, above the collarbone), lungs, liver, bone, or brain.

"Metastatic at presentation" means that the breast cancer has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, even though this is the first diagnosis of breast cancer. The reason for this is that the primary breast cancer was not found when it was only inside the breast. Metastatic cancer is considered stage IV.
Additional staging information:

You may also hear terms such as "early" or "earlier" stage, "later" or "advanced" stage breast cancer. Although these terms are not medically precise (they may be used differently by different doctors), here is a general idea of how they apply to the official staging system:
Early stage:

* Stage 0
* Stage I
* Stage II

Later stage:

* (stage II if there are many lymph nodes involved)
* Stage III (IIIA, IIIB)

Advanced stage:

* Stage IV

You may also hear the cancer described by three characteristics:

* size (T stands for tumor),
* node involvement (N stands for node), and
* whether it has metastasized (M stands for metastasis).

The T category describes the original (primary) tumor:

* TX means the tumor can't be measured or found.
* T0 means there isn't any evidence of the primary tumor.
* Tis means the cancer is "in situ" (the tumor has not started growing into the breast tissue).
* The numbers T1-T4 describe the size and/or how much the cancer has grown into the breast tissue. The higher the T number, the larger the tumor and/or the more it may have grown into the breast tissue.

The N category describes whether or not the cancer has reached nearby lymph nodes:

* NX means the nearby lymph nodes can't be measured or found.
* N0 means nearby lymph nodes do not contain cancer.
* The numbers N1-N3 describe the size, location, and/or the number of lymph nodes involved. The higher the N number, the more the lymph nodes are involved.

The M category tells whether there are distant metastases (whether the cancer has spread to other parts of body):

* MX means metastasis can't be measured or found.
* M0 means there are no distant metastases.
* M1 means that distant metastases were found.

Once the pathologist knows your T, N, and M characteristics, they are combined, and an overall "stage" of 0, I, II, III, IIIA, IIIB, or IV is assigned.

For example, a T1, N0, M0 breast cancer would mean that the primary breast tumor:

* is less than two centimeters across (T1),
* does not have lymph node involvement (N0), and
* has not spread to distant parts of the body (M0).

This cancer would be grouped as a stage I cancer.

lung cancer

Q. What causes lung cancer?

A. The vast majority - over 80% - of lung cancers are caused by smoking tobacco or by indirect exposure to tobacco smoke (passive smoking). The other main causes are breathing industrial chemicals such as asbestos, arsenic and polycyclic hydrocarbons or the natural radioactive gas, radon .


Q. Who is at risk?

A. Like most cancers, the risk of lung cancer increases with age. The longer you smoke, the greater your risk. Very few cases are diagnosed in people under 40 and the most common age of diagnosis is between 70 and 74. In the US 91,000 men and 79,000 women are diagnosed with lung cancer each year. In the UK the figures are 23,000 men and 15,000 women .


Q. Does lung cancer run in families?

A. There are very few, if any, inherited conditions that increase the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers. However, not all of the people who smoke get lung cancer and there may be an inherited component which influences whether or not smoking will cause lung cancer .


Q. Does diet affect the risk of getting lung cancer?

A. This is still being investigated, but research to date has not found any link between diet and lung cancer .


Q. Are there different types of lung cancer?

A. There are four main types of lung cancer: small cell lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Tobacco smoking is strongly linked to the first three but only weakly linked to adenocarcinoma. However, this type of lung cancer has been linked to the use of low-tar cigarettes .


Q. What are the symptoms of lung cancer?

A. There are a variety of symptoms of lung cancer, including difficulty breathing, coughing up blood, chest pain, loss of appetite, weight loss and general fatigue. Some lung cancers do not cause any noticeable symptoms until they are quite advanced and have spread to other parts of the body .


Q. How is lung cancer diagnosed?

A. Lung cancers are sometimes first detected on routine chest X-rays. However, the main method of diagnosis is bronchoscopy, in which a thin, flexible tube is inserted down the airways (under anaesthetic), allowing doctors to see the inside of the lungs and even take a biopsy (a sample small of the suspect tissue). A CT scan, liver ultrasound or bone scan may also be used to find out if the cancer has spread .


Q. How is lung cancer treated?

A. Drug treatment (chemotherapy) is the usual treatment for small cell lung cancers, because they usually spread too quickly for surgery to be useful. Radiotherapy is also often used. For the other types of lung cancer, surgery is first used to remove the main tumour, if it has not spread too far. If surgery is not possible, then radiotherapy is used instead. Depending on the type of tumour and how advanced it is, chemotherapy can be used in different ways: either to shrink the tumour before surgery or after surgery to kill off any remaining cancer cells .


Q. How effective is the treatment?

A. cancer is one of the most dangerous cancers. The available treatments can prolong the patient's life, but complete cures are very rare. Four out of every five lung cancer patients die within one year of being diagnosed. Only one in twenty is alive five years after diagnosis. Many of these are people diagnosed with early squamous cell carcinomas, which can be treated successfully by surgical removal .