And You Thought the Insurance Companies Got Away with Everything...

Not this time, at least for Allstate. According to The Baltimore Business Journal, "The Maryland Insurance Administration fined national insurance provider Allstate Insurance Co. $750,000 Thursday for failing to give consumers adequate notice or any notice of policy coverage changes and increases in auto insurance premiums. The fine is the largest imposed by the state on a property and casualty insurer. State insurance officials said that the Illinois-based company and its subsidiaries that offer insurance products in Maryland didn't give customers required notices regarding premium increases for auto insurance, renewal notices for homeowners' policies and required annual statements of coverage for homeowners' policies."

On the whole, insurance companies are pretty accurate but sometimes they do mess up. These mess-ups are usually honest mistakes but sometimes there is intentional fraud. Being involved in your insurance decisions is the best way to know if your insurance is being handled accurately. Making sure your policy is accurate and legal along with knowing what laws your insurance company has to follow by their state commissioner are good ways to be involved in your insurance.