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.