Is my Autoautomobile informations

NEW YORK, June 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — New technology that allows credit counselors to significantly speed up loan modifications and other solutions for homeowners caught in the nation’s mortgage crisis has spurred a $2 million investment from the ford Foundation.
The grant will support the Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta, which has piloted a new software platform that lets credit counselors eliminate lengthy delays faced by homeowners in urgent need of modified mortgages.
The foundation’s grant to CCCS is the first in series of major investments to address the impact of the foreclosure crisis on homeowners and communities. ford officials expect to provide some $8 million in grants through the summer to strengthen community efforts to address the crisis.
The grant to CCCS will allow it to increase its counseling staff by 80 employees and open an additional counseling facility in metro Atlanta. When fully trained, a counselor can use the new software to conduct about 1,000 counseling sessions a year, so the grant means that approximately 80,000 additional delinquent homeowners looking to avoid foreclosure can receive help annually.
“Keeping American homeowners in their homes is an urgent priority for us,” said Frank DeGiovanni, director of economic development at the ford Foundation. “Preventing foreclosure is beneficial to borrowers and lenders alike, yet confusion, delay and distrust on both sides have often stood in the way of sensible loan modifications. This new system is finally breaking down those barriers.”
Through early field testing of the new software platform, CCCS has already enlisted the participation of two national lenders–Wells Fargo and Bank of America. It hopes to attract additional lenders in the coming months.
The software supplies credit counselors with the criteria used by these lenders to determine whether mortgages can be modified. That way, when credit counselors are meeting with individual homeowners, they can immediately assess the borrower’s eligibility for a workout solution, such as a loan modification. The proposed solution is then sent to the lender for their review. This potentially eliminates months of back-and-forth between the borrower and lender that have often delayed modifications or led to foreclosure.
CCCS of Greater Atlanta is committed to expanding the new software platform to additional nonprofit counseling agencies that staff the Homeownership Preservation Foundation’s HOPE hotline. This is a national toll-free telephone number that connects homeowners in need with counselors from nonprofit agencies.
“The ford Foundation’s grant will help us expand the reach of this new work, ensuring that more borrowers have access to high-quality credit counseling services,” said Suzanne Boas, president of CCCS of Greater Atlanta, one of the highest performing nonprofit credit counseling facilities in the country. “Preserving homeownership is one of our agency’s highest priorities, and this new software platform will help us save the homes of many Americans.”
“The industry is committed to working collaboratively with homeowners, counseling agencies, lenders and local communities to reduce the impact of foreclosures across the country,” said Ed Delgado, senior vice president at Wells Fargo. “We are constantly seeking innovative approaches - by developing technology, enhancing business-to-business relationships and improving customer contact - in an effort to keep people in their homes.”
CCCS of Greater Atlanta, which provides housing counseling to homeowners across the nation, is committed to reaching many of the people hardest hit by the crisis in the housing market - a priority for the ford Foundation, whose mission is focused on creating opportunity and improving lives among the most vulnerable.
“With two to three million mortgages likely to go into default in the next two years, there is a real risk that the economic gains made by low-income and minority communities in the last decade will be rolled back,” said DeGiovanni. “Solutions for these and other American families facing this crisis will depend on all of us working together.”
The ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has been a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, guided by its goals of strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and injustice, promoting international cooperation and advancing human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Russia.
CCCS of Greater Atlanta serves clients in all 50 states and has 18 offices in four states. It is the headquarters for the CredAbility Network, a family of agencies serving consumers in north Georgia, south Florida, middle Mississippi and east Tennessee as well as nationally via telephone and Internet. CCCS is accredited by the Council o­n Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). Governed by a community-based board of directors, CCCS is funded by creditors, clients, contributors and grants from foundations, businesses and government agencies. Service is available at offices throughout metro-Atlanta and north Georgia in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. CCCS offers around the-clock help by phone at 1-800-251-CCCS or at its Web sites, and cccsenespanol.org.
Ford Foundation

NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ — STGMastek, a P&C Insurance solution provider, today announced that it has completed the deployment of its Renaissance Personal Auto ASP Service for Point of Sale, Policy Administration, Billing and Accounts Receivable and Claims functions to serve Interboro Insurance Company’s (”Interboro”) New York Personal Auto needs. STGMastek is also in the process of deploying Reinsurance and Dashboard reporting along with the Homeowners product as part of phase II for Interboro’s New York book of business, which is expected to go live in Q2, 2008.
Through this agreement, STGMastek’s Renaissance Suite, in its ready to deploy ASP mode, will replace the current legacy system for Interboro’s Personal Auto and Homeowners line of business in the State of New York. STGMastek is also responsible for all activities related to managing the application, making ongoing changes, help desk support, regulatory and statistical reporting. Interboro will reposition their products and overhaul their processing systems with the help of the Renaissance Suite.
Interboro CEO David Nichols stated, “I am very pleased with functionality offered through Renaissance as well as the support we have received with respect to our ASP relationship with STGMastek. Our Brokers have been very positive about the Point of Sales system and we feel this functionality will be the key to our continued growth and profitability.” David went on to say, “When we started the project STGMastek committed to delivering our Auto system in six months. I am pleased to say, STGMastek met that commitment.”
Billy McCarter, President for STGMastek said, “Interboro was looking for a business solution that empowers their agents. STGMastek’s Renaissance solution meets this requirement and more. Agents are able to quote, rate and bind online and service customers in real-time. With Claims, Billing, and Policy capability we have met Interboro’s needs while providing a complete application management service for Interboro’s implementation of Renaissance.”
About Interboro Insurance Company
Interboro Insurance Company, is a 90-year-old property/casualty insurer based in New York. Interboro, writes Personal Lines business in the state of New York; forty percent in Personal Auto and the remainder in Homeowners. Information about Interboro is available on their website at .
About STGMastek
Since its inception in 1991, STGMastek has positioned itself as a provider of product-based business solutions and services to the P&C Insurance Industry that includes licensing of onsite solutions, solutions on an ASP platform, industry specific professional IT services, application driven business support services and other value added services. STGMastek is the P&C solution subsidiary of Mastek Limited, a leading IT solutions player and publicly traded company in Mumbai India.
Contact Nikeeta Sarang at /646.731.1025/
STGMastek

NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire/ — MS — How safe are America’s highways? According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 6 million motor vehicle crashes take place in America each and every year, resulting in an injury every 11 seconds — and a motor vehicle fatality every 12 minutes.
(Photo: )
Establishing and maintaining good driving habits can have a profound impact on whether your vehicle becomes part of the statistics. There are a lot of factors that go into safe driving, particularly age and experience. Now, one of the nation’s leading insurance companies, MetLife Auto & Home, offers a series of materials targeted to help drivers on every stage of the age spectrum.
“While it’s impossible to control the habits of other drivers, it is possible to adjust your driving habits to make the time on the road as event-free as possible,” says MetLife Auto & Home president Bill Moore. “Every day, our Claim Department receives reports of claims that could have been prevented, had the basic principles of defensive driving and driver attentiveness been observed.”
Here are some important topics to consider that may be affecting your family and household.
— Teens behind the wheel: The strategy is to educate teens about safe
driving and make sure they’ve had plenty of instruction with a seasoned
driver prior to driving solo. “Teaching Your Teens to Drive (Without
Driving Each Other Crazy!)” can help. The step-by-step guide is
designed to help make the teen driving experience as painless as
possible. The booklet provides parents and guardians with important
guidelines to follow before their teenagers get behind the wheel, and
emphasizes the importance that preparation and planning can play in
defusing potentially stressful situations. As a complement, MetLife
Auto & Home also offers a free DVD entitled “Young Drivers, the
High-Risk Years.”
— Course for today’s driving conditions: Even drivers who’ve been behind
the wheel for years could use a refresher on important safety tips and
information. “In the Drivers Seat: About Driving Safely” offers an
important brush-up course for more experienced drivers. The booklet
contains information on safe driving basics, including defensive
driving tips, the facts on cell phone usage, what to do in the event of
a car breakdown or accident, tips on how to avoid collisions with deer
and other animals, and information about air bag and antilock brake
systems.
— Especially for seniors: It’s important for drivers of all ages to
continually and honestly gauge their ability behind the wheel.
“A Driver’s Life: Assessing Your Driving Skills as You Age” provides
essential information for older drivers who want to hold on to the keys
of their vehicles for as long as they safely can. The booklet outlines
some of the physical effects of aging that could impact driving
ability, as well as tips on coping with them in order to remain a safe
driver for the long run.

The materials are available for free by calling 1-800-MET-LIFE (1-800-638-5433).

MetLife Auto & Home

CHICAGO, April 29 /PRNewswire/ — Analysis of trends in the mortgage industry during the 4th quarter of 2007 was made available today on TransUnion.com. The report is the third in an ongoing series of quarterly consumer lending sector analyses focusing on credit card, auto loan and mortgage data to be released on TransUnion’s Web site.
Mortgage Statistics
Average mortgage debt per mortgage borrower nationally fell (-3.92 percent) from the previous quarter to $191,370. To no surprise, the largest state average was in California at $361,387 followed by the District of Columbia at $351,690 and Hawaii at $302,373. The lowest average mortgage debt was in West Virginia at $93,891.
Only two states showed any increases in average mortgage debt from the previous quarter — Hawaii (0.31 percent) and Alaska (0.22 percent), with West Virginia showing the smallest percent decline (-0.11 percent). Georgia experienced the largest drop in average mortgage debt (-6.4 percent), followed by Massachusetts (-5.87 percent).
Mortgage loan delinquency (the percentage of mortgage borrowers 60 or more days past due) hit a national average of 2.99 percent in the fourth quarter, up almost 17 percent over the previous quarter. It was highest in Nevada (4.68 percent), followed closely by Florida (4.49 percent). The lowest mortgage delinquency rates were found in North Dakota (1.13 percent), Alaska (1.23 percent) and Montana (1.34 percent).
Mortgage Analysis
“The market continues to see the effect of the mortgage crisis in the steeply increasing mortgage delinquency rates among borrowers across the country,” said Keith Carson, a senior consultant in TransUnion’s financial services group.
The top three areas showing the greatest growth in delinquency from previous quarters were Florida (34 percent), California (33 percent) and Arizona (32 percent). States such as Alaska and Montana actually experienced a drop in their delinquency rates over the previous quarter (-21 percent and -5.6 percent, respectively).
“Mortgage debt, on the other hand, is experiencing a downward slide not seen since 2005,” Carson said. “This is a direct result of the mortgage crisis and problems surrounding the housing markets. As home prices decline across most of the nation, the supply exceeds demand and buyers have their pick at the best deals for the money, especially for first-time shoppers who tend to concentrate on lower price houses. Moreover, lending policies have recently been showing increased scrutiny for mortgage loan applications, especially at the high end where risk to the lender may be greatest.”
Mortgage Forecast
The national 60-day mortgage borrower delinquency rate is expected to continue to rise throughout 2008 from a value of nearly 3.0 percent in the 4th quarter of 2007 to 4.0 percent or greater by year end. This is primarily due to the continued deterioration in economic activity throughout the country combined with the consequences of the mortgage crisis. However, in 2009 the rise in mortgage delinquency rates is expected to taper off as economic conditions improve and home prices begin to stabilize. As far as state projections go, Nevada (9.34 percent) is anticipated to be the area of the country that will experience the highest average delinquency rates in 2008, while North Dakota is forecasted to show the lowest levels of delinquency.
Overview of U.S. Consumer Credit Status — 4th Quarter 2007
The mortgage delinquency statistics, coupled with bank card and auto delinquency information released earlier this month on TransUnion.com, present an overarching credit picture of the U.S. consumer in the 4th quarter of 2007 and highlight geographic areas of concern. Statistics of note and forecasts for the auto and bank card sectors were as follows:
— Average credit card debt per bankcard user nationally rose
4.81 percent from the previous quarter to $1,694.
— Credit card loan delinquency (the percentage of bankcard users 90 or
more days past due) hit a national average of 1.36 percent in the
fourth quarter, up 32.04 percent over the previous period.
— The national 90-day bankcard user delinquency rate is expected to
climb to 1.9 percent by year end from 1.36 percent in the fourth
quarter of 2007.
— Average auto debt per auto loan borrower nationally rose 0.13 percent
in the fourth quarter to $12,738.
— Auto loan delinquency (the percentage of auto loan borrowers 60 or
more days past due) was highest in Louisiana at 1.44 percent, followed
closely by Mississippi at 1.43 percent. The lowest auto loan
delinquency rates were found in Alaska (0.16 percent), North Dakota
(0.40 percent) and Wyoming (0.47 percent).
— The national 60-day auto borrower delinquency rate is expected to
continue to rise 33 percent throughout 2008 from 0.79 percent in
fourth quarter 2007 to 1.05 percent by year end.

Additional information and statistics on the bankcard sector can be found at:
Additional information and statistics on the automotive sector can be found at:
(Related Graphs: )
(MP3 File Sound bites: )

TransUnion’s Trend Data database

The source of the underlying data used for this analysis is TransUnion’s Trend Data, a one-of-a-kind database consisting of 27 million anonymous consumer records randomly sampled every quarter from TransUnion’s national consumer credit database. Each record contains more than 200 credit variables that illustrate consumer credit usage and performance. Since 1992, TransUnion has been aggregating this information at the county, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), state and national levels.
About TransUnion
As a global leader in credit and information management, TransUnion creates advantages for millions of people around the world by gathering, analyzing and delivering information. For businesses, TransUnion helps improve efficiency, manage risk, reduce costs and increase revenue by delivering comprehensive data and advanced analytics and decisioning. For consumers, TransUnion provides the tools, resources and education to help manage their credit health and achieve their financial goals. Through these and other efforts, TransUnion is working to build stronger economies worldwide. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Chicago, TransUnion employs more than 3,600 employees in 25 countries on five continents.
TransUnion