Both the House and Senate bills severely limit the public plan to very small businesses, people who cannot get health insurance, or those whose health care costs are greater than 12.5 percent of their income. Nearly everyone currently covered by an employer would not be able to opt into the government plan.

Under the current bills, the government-run insurance option would be made available through Web-based insurance exchanges. But even those who are unhappy with their current health insurance plan would be locked out of these exchanges, which is likely to surprise many people.

Moreover, the public option health plan is not likely to be affordable to most. Health care experts estimate that a family of four earning $66,000 could pay an estimated 19 percent of its income on health care, under some versions of the bills. That comes to $12,540 per year, or over $1000 a month – a level higher than many people pay today for their private health insurance.

Supporters say that the proposed insurance exchanges would help small businesses by spreading risk among a greater number of companies, thereby lowering premiums. The exchanges would also allow small businesses to compare the services, quality, and price of numerous plans offered.

Under the bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee, companies with up to 100 employees would be able to enter into an insurance exchange. Sen. Olympia Snowe, a key supporter of the legislation, wants to do away with measures contained in the bill that would fine companies with over 50 employees who do not offer health care plans to their workers.

There is some debate as to whether insurance exchanges will be local, regional, or national. Many small business proponents are pressing for a national plan, arguing that some states do not have enough competing insurers to create an efficient exchange.

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, here are the top 10 most stolen cars in California. Surprisingly, the lists consists not of high-end exotic cars, but older, mass market vehicles, mostly by Japanese manufacturers.

1. 1991 Honda Accord. The most stolen car in California is not some flashy sportscar or SUV – it’s the lowly but dependable 1991 Honda Accord.
2. 1995 Honda Civic. Honda has the dubious honor of having the top two most stolen cars in the Golden State.
3. 1989 Toyota Camry
4. 1995 Acura Integra
5. 1994 Nissan Sentra
6. 2007 Toyota Corolla
7. 1988 Toyota Pickup 4×2
8. 1992 Ford F150 Pickup
9. 1995 Saturn Si
10. 1997 Nissan Altima

The crime bureau recommends using common sense when parking your car. Take you keys out of the ignition, close your windows, lock your doors, and park in a well li spot.

• Compare rates. Spending a few minutes online comparing rates from different carriers can make a huge difference in your monthly premiums. Sites like Really Cheap Car Insurance allow you to instantly compare rates from multiple insurers in your area. They have particularly useful information on getting cheap car insurance for young drivers, a group that is particularly difficult to insure. Insurance companies focus on different geographic areas and different types of drivers, so a few minutes shopping around can pay off handsomely.
• Check before you buy a new car. Your car insurance rate is determined by your personal profile and the type of car you drive. While you might not be able to do much about the fact that you’re young and single, or have a bad credit record, you can make smart decisions about the car you drive. Not surprisingly, sports cars or SUVs with bug engines can cost a fortune to insure. Compact cars are much more affordable to insure, but there can be big differences between models. A two door model can be more costly to insure than a similar four door model. Check with the Highway Data Loss Institute list of cars to see which have the highest and lowest rates.
• Ask for discounts. Insurance companies often have a wide variety of discounts available to drivers, but you have to ask for them when shopping. Safe driver discounts and low mileage discounts are two of the most common, but there are also potential discounts for military personnel, people in certain professions, and drivers who have taken defensive driving courses. these discounts can knock 10% off your premium, so be sure to ask.
• Increase your deductible. If you are comfortable with a higher deductible, increasing it to $1,000 or more can significantly reduce your car insurance premiums. Of course, in the even of an accident you will be out of pocket more money, but that can be more than made up for by the lower premiums you will have been paying.
• Check your medical insurance. If your existing medical insurance provides adequate hospital coverage, you may want to consider reducing he medical portion of your car insurance. Be sure to talk this over with both your health insurance company and you car insurance company to make sure there are no gaps.

Spending just a bit of time thinking about your car insurance coverage and comparing rates can save you money in the long term.

• Raise your deductible. The size of your deductible can make a huge difference in your monthly health insurance premiums. If you are young and healthy, consider increasing your deductible as high as $5,000. Yes, $5,000 is a lot to pay out of pocket, but if you rarely need medical care you can more than make up for it with lower payments.
• Get an emergency medical endorsement. If you are going to high deductible route, many health policies will allow you to add emergency medical coverage for which your deductible won’t apply. So if you break your leg and need to be hospitalized you won’t be out of pocket that $5,000.
• Compare all the costs between plans. Just because a health plan might be offering lower rates, make sure you understand what the tradeoffs are. Will you have higher co-pays? Are some essential services not covered? Think about how you are likely to use the plan’s services and whether they meet your needs.
• Participate in your employer’s health plan. If your employer offers a health plan, take it. In most cases you will be paying significantly less than if you try to obtain insurance on your own.
• Buy prescriptions through mail order pharmacies. Unlike brick and mortar pharmacies, mail-order pharmacies allow you to buy a 90-day supply of your prescription medication for the same co-pay you would pay for a 30-day supply. This can save you a lot of money over the course of a year.

Regardless of how you choose to save money on health insurance, there is one route you should not take: don’t forgo coverage.

The savings to you for not having to buy a car may be obvious, but your child can end up saving money as well. The first consideration is car insurance. Young drivers are among the most expensive groups to insure. Whether you or your kid will be paying the insurance, it will likely be $100 or more per month.

The high cost of gas is another consideration. With the stop-and-go driving of college campuses, even fuel efficient cars can rack up high gas bills. Add on the cost of parking passes or meters and you’re looking at another $100 per month in expenses.

These days most college campuses have excellent shuttle systems that can take your child around the school easily. So think about all the money both you and your child will be saving before agreeing to a campus automobile.

While insurance professionals are sure to disagree amongst themselves about it, there are several reasons to opt for term life insurance over whole life and universal life insurance policies. Term life policies will cost you a third or a quarter of whole or universal policies. With term life insurance you also keep your investments separate from your insurance – whole life and universal life policies intermingle them.

There are several ways to save on your life insurance, regardless of whether you end up with term, whole or universal:

• Keep your weight in check. You will pay more for life insurance if you are above the recommended level for your age and height.
• Keep your driving record clean. Most insurance companies will look at your driving record when determining their rates. If you have moving violations you’re considered a higher risk and will pay higher rates.
• Ace your medical exam. Life insurance companies will often want you to take a medical exam prior to issuing a policy. Of course, there’s not much you can do to improve your health overnight, but at least stay away from too much alcohol, caffeine and fatty food before the exam.
• Have a doctor explain any existing conditions. If you have conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, make sure your doctor can verify that you have the symptoms under control.

If you have dependents, it’s time to get life insurance. Follow these tips and you’ll get a great policy at a great rate.

The transaction would represent one of the biggest sales of assets runed by AIG, to repay government debts created after the state aid received in the last months from the United States.

The moment of reaching an agreement is not clear, since Japanese markets remain closed until Wednesday for a national holiday, the publication says.

AIG the largest insurer in the world in early 2008 after the market capitalization, was saved from bankruptcy in the last quarter of last year through a state aid of 85 billion dollars, extended, so far to over 170 billion dollars.

The group now runs a campaign for the sale of assets and operations around the world to repay debts to the state.