LeBron eyeing return from injury

CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James' injured finger passed the required practice test. It's game time.

James, who has missed Cleveland's past five games -- all losses _ with a sprained left index finger, is expected to be back in the lineup on Tuesday night when the Cavaliers host the Indiana Pacers.

Following practice on Monday, James said the finger has improved and that he didn't have any problems with it after two days of contact. The Cavaliers' megastar sounded confident that he would dress for the Pacers.

"We're going to leave it as a game-time decision," he said. "I've been through two contact practices OK. We'll see what happens."

James has been wearing a protective glove over the knuckle on his finger, which was injured on Nov. 28 when Detroit forward Nazr Mohammed whacked his hand while he was driving for a shot in a loss to the Pistons.

"It's better than it was a week and half ago," James said. "The pain is going away little by little. It's not 100 percent at all right now and it probably won't be until the offseason, and I don't have an offseason until 2009."

He will play for the United States in the Beijing Olympics this summer.

James, the NBA's leading scorer who was playing some of the best ball of his career when he got hurt, was surprised the Cavs played so poorly without him.

"Offensively not as much, but defensively we struggled," he said. "You have mental lapses offensively, but you can't have those defensively no matter who is playing. We had a couple games where we just didn't give effort."

Along with James, the Cavaliers may welcome back forward Anderson Varejao on Tuesday. Varejao, who ended a contract holdout by signing a three-year, $17 million deal last week, was in Canada getting his work visa.

If the Brazilian gets back in time, Cavs coach Mike Brown said he would likely play him against the Pacers.

Anderson's return, along with guard Larry Hughes being back after missing time with a leg bruise, has renewed confidence for the Cavaliers, the defending Eastern Conference champions who are off to a 9-12 start.

"It's starting to feel good around here, especially the last couple days of practice," James said. "Everyone is back now so we're ready to start playing winning basketball again."

James, who had never missed more than four games in a season, said not being able to play has been excruciating.

"It's not good for me," he said. "It's not like I'm learning anything from watching. I don't learn nothing from watching. It's tiring. I could really fall asleep on the bench if I wanted to."

The hottest mortgages? They pay you

Lenders have rolled out reverse mortgages with larger payouts and lower fees, giving older Americans new ways to take advantage of their home equity. But the options can be confusing.

It may sound hard to believe, but one part of the mortgage market is hot: reverse mortgages. That's giving older homeowners more options to tap the equity in their homes but also opening the door to more confusion and mistakes.

Only a year ago, homeowners interested in reverse mortgages had little to choose from beyond the plain-vanilla government-backed products that have long dominated the market. Such mortgages essentially allow homeowners at least 62 years old to sell a large chunk of their home equity back to a bank or another lender in exchange for a lump sum, monthly payments or a line of credit.

Now, nearly a dozen large banks and mortgage lenders have launched reverse-mortgage products with lower fees and larger payouts. One lender has reduced the minimum age requirement to 60; others are making loans on second homes and vacation rentals. "Jumbo" reverse mortgages, for houses valued at as much as $10 million, are becoming more common.

With a reverse mortgage, instead of the borrower making payments to the lender, the lender makes a payment or payments to the borrower. The borrower keeps control of the house and doesn't have to repay the money as long as he or she lives there. When the homeowner dies or moves out, the loan is typically paid off by selling the house, and any money left over goes to the homeowner or the homeowner's estate.

A better life in retirement

The product is evolving from meeting basic needs to fulfilling the desires of a new generation of retirees, from funding a vacation getaway or recreational vehicle to renting a Paris pied-à-terre. The new options, though, mean more potential for confusion among consumers and a bigger chance that they could miss out on getting the best loans for their situations.

And as home prices fall around the country, some homeowners stand to be disappointed. "We're seeing people apply for a reverse mortgage and find out their home is worth 5% less than they thought," says Jeff Taylor, the vice president of Wells Fargo's senior products group in Greensboro, N.C.

With so many competing offers to choose from, homeowners could easily wind up paying more in fees and interest rates than they should. Fees are typically steep -- more than 5% of the home's value -- and most borrowing limits are capped based on where the homeowner lives. Fees are paid upfront or financed, while interest rates affect how much of your equity the lender ultimately takes.

Reverse-mortgage lenders traditionally have charged variable interest rates. Now, fixed rates are available, but they may cost you more, says Barbara Stucki, the director of the National Council on Aging's home-equity initiative.

Because of all the choices, homeowners need to be "a lot more strategic" in how they shop for reverse mortgages, Stucki says, factoring in how they want to take the payments and how much money they want to take upfront.

The boom in reverse mortgages helped Ronald Prast, a 74-year-old Phoenix retiree. When he first applied two years ago, he was told by a loan officer that he wasn't a good candidate; government rules would have allowed him to cash out only a small portion of the value of his half-million-dollar home. But last November, when Bank of America introduced a reverse mortgage that allows homeowners to borrow as much as 65% of a property's value, up to $10 million, Prast and his wife, Carolann, quickly signed up.

The couple's house, for which they paid $105,000 in 1981, was appraised at $540,000, Prast says. They used an initial draw of $208,000 to pay off their outstanding mortgage, a home-equity loan, one year's property tax and loan fees, freeing $21,000 a year formerly used to make mortgage payments for travel and indulgences such as paying for a granddaughter's semester in Australia. They also have a credit line worth $75,000 that they are setting aside for medical expenses.

Protect Your Home

Some ideas:

GET REAPPRAISED. If the house has tumbled in value, your property taxes should, too. So get your house reappraised by your municipal assessor. You may even be able to petition, or sue if you must, to get back some taxes you overpaid in past months.

HOME OFFICE. Got a room you use to make a living? Dust off your receipts. You might be able to deduct some depreciation and a pro rata share of utilities and maintenance. The depreciation lowers your cost basis, which can come back to bite you when you sell at a profit. But if the property has lost value, this is not an issue.

Many caveats apply, since the Internal Revenue Service closely scrutinizes home-office deductions, warns Mark Nash, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers' private company services. If you are an employee, (a) the home office has to be not just permitted by but useful to your employer, and (b) only the amount exceeding 2% of adjusted gross income can be claimed (as "miscellaneous" items). If you are self- employed, the home office can only reduce your taxable income; it cannot create a loss. For both categories of worker, the room in question has to be used regularly and exclusively for work; a den where you occasionally write software won't cut it.

SALE-LEASEBACK WITH RELATIVE. Suppose the $1 million home you and your spouse bought five years ago in Washington, D.C. has been appraised at $1.8 million, but you're convinced your neighborhood is in for a 20% correction. Sell now and you'll pocket $500,000 of the $800,000 gain tax free, thanks to the exemption on profits from the sales of personal residences. You'll pay a 15% federal tax on the rest.

Sell the property to a wealthy relative you can trust, ideally a parent or grandparent who's got a few million tied up in safe yet stingy Treasury bonds. Then become a tenant. Your rent, which covers your property taxes and insurance but not utilities: less than $6,000 per month.

Have outsiders certify that the sale of the house and the rent are done at market rates so the IRS can't argue that the arrangement is a sweetheart deal designed to disguise a gift from the parents and thus keep their estate taxes low.

BUY IT BACK, POSTCORRECTION. If your parents had planned to pass along an inheritance to you worth more than $2 million, it faces a 45% estate tax on anything above that amount. Continuing the example from above, suppose in three years the housing market has corrected 20% and stabilized.

Your parents can sell the real estate to you now at the diminished value of $1.44 million. The $360,000 loss they've endured on your behalf is not, if the price was fair at the time of the transaction, a taxable gift.

This clever strategy can go wrong, though, notes PricewaterhouseCoopers' Nash. If the housing market surprises you and booms instead of tanks, you may have to buy back your house from your parents at the inflated value. They get stuck paying a 15% tax on the gain in their investment property.

Let's say they sell it on the open market instead of back to you. The $360,000 loss in value on the home is a capital loss because it was a commercial venture and they were landlords, so it can be used to offset gains on your parents' other investments.

FUTURES CONTRACTS. A year and a half ago the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (nyse: CME - news - people ) launched investment instruments that trade based on house price indexes for each of the ten largest U.S. cities. The indexes are managed by Case Shiller Weiss, a Cambridge, Mass. consultancy cofounded by Yale law professor Robert Shiller.

You can sell futures, buy puts or sell calls on this market to hedge losses in the value of your home. Example: You have a $3 million home in Los Angeles, and you're confident that it will shed 30% of its value by November 2009. You can have a broker sell futures contracts on your behalf in Chicago, where traders have lately been betting that the house-price index in Los Angeles will fall only 11.5% over the next two years.

Two-year L.A. futures contracts were trading recently for about $57,000 each. Selling 52 of them would cover a $3 million house. You'll need to put up $120,000 in a margin account to cover your trade, and a round-trip trade on a single contract with a discount broker will cost you $50 in fees.

For you to be right and earn a profit on your contracts, prices in Los Angeles must fall more than 11.5%. Thus a 20% drop in the L.A. housing index, say, would generate a $255,000 profit on your contracts, partly compensating you for the $600,000 loss in value on your home in L.A. A 30% fall in the index would generate $555,000 in profits on your contracts, making up a goodly portion of the $900,000 loss in value on your house.

But if housing prices in L.A. fall less than 11.5%, you'll pay the holder of your contracts out of pocket. So if, say, housing falls only 5% in L.A. in two years, you'll owe $190,000 on your contracts. (Plus you're out $150,000 in value on your home.) You face a high risk with this trade nowadays, explains New York housing derivatives broker Fritz Siebel, who trades the contracts daily for institutional clients, because "the market is already anticipating a correction in L.A."

PARTIAL SALE. A simple way to limit your downside is to sell a chunk of the equity in your house to an investor. Suppose you've paid off your $3 million Chicago home's mortgage and you have firm plans to sell it when you retire in three years and move to Palm Springs. Your neighbor covets your home and has a more optimistic view of its future worth than you do.

Offer to sell him 49% of the equity and the right of first refusal when you want to sell the whole thing. This is a way for him to lock in a partial price now and set himself up for a private (no brokers, no fees) purchase of the rest from you later. If the market surprises you and rises, you'll get only half the appreciation. But you've limited your downside.

The problem is that neighbors like this are hard to come by. A San Francisco firm called Rex & Co., backed by American International Group (nyse: AIG - news - people ), offers an intriguing alternative. Rex will buy 50% of the future change in value in your home over its current fair market value, paying you around 15% of the cash value of your home now (tax free) and taking back those funds plus half the appreciation--above what the house is worth now--when you sell your home after five years.

The deal is unappealing in a rising market but a good hedge when prices tumble. If Rex gives you $180,000 for the future appreciation of your $1.2 million home in Seattle and the house sheds 15% in value in the next five years, you pay back zero. Fees for title, escrow and other closing costs due at the outset are typically covered by Rex.

"It's ingenious," says New York financial adviser Michael Cohn, who has counseled some clients to consider taking the deal. (Most of Cohn's clients don't qualify because they own cooperative apartments in New York, and Rex won't purchase interests in co-ops.) Cohn says a deal with Rex is especially attractive in a falling market for homeowners who plan to sell in not much more than five years.

LEVERAGE UP, RENT OUT. Banks are still lending up to 95% of value to homeowners with the highest credit scores. California's Frank, a Realtor, is taking advantage of that. She has loaded $1.5 million in mortgage debt onto her three properties, eliminating higher-interest loans, and that leaves plenty of equity on the properties even if values sink considerably.

She's been charging $63,600 in yearly rent on two of the houses--she lives in the third--enough to cover the mortgage interest on those two at an aggregate of 6.1%, or $57,600 a year. She has $150,000 in leftover mortgage proceeds in bank certificates of deposit, yielding 5.5%. That provides valuable liquidity if the market gets even worse. "If I need the money, it's safe," she figures. That's more than can be said for the value of a house in Los Angeles these days.

VALUE DROPS

How much will your home values fall? Housing futures contracts data from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange offer a clue. Here's the expected decreases over the next two years, according to folks with money on the line, the traders.

Boston --11.6%

Chicago --6.9%

Denver --13.2%

Los Angeles --11.5%

New York --12.7%

Miami --16.1%

World's Most Expensive Estate

Along Australia's Gold Coast and across the French Riviera, they sit above the beach offering extraordinary views of the sea. In the U.K. they are palaces that humble the Queen's Belgravia mansions.

Others range from landed estates throughout continental Europe to nature preserves in Zambia.

These are some of the world's most expensive properties, and the prices are as unique as the homes. Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan's Aspen ski lodge lists for $135 million, while 6,000 miles away, a 64-room Istanbul waterfront mansion asks $100 million.

Dream Homes

Though it hasn't yet been built, Tim Blixseth is asking $155 million for his planned Montana lodge. He says that several members of the Forbes 400 have already expressed interest in what will be a 53,000-square-foot stone-and-wood mansion in the billionaire's members-only Yellowstone Club.

But until Blixseth finishes construction in 2008, this year's top property can be found in Beverly Hills, Calif. For $165 million, a buyer gets a 75,000-square-foot villa once owned by William Randolph Hearst.

$165 million
Beverly Hills, Calif.

Once owned by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, this expansive villa sits on six and a half acres in Beverly Hills.

The home was built in 1926 in the style of a Mediterranean villa and was featured in the 1972 film The Godfather. The compound comprises six buildings, three swimming pools and a movie theater.

A massive 75,000 square feet of living space is spread across three stories. The home boasts 29 bedrooms and 40 bathrooms.

Bran Castle
$140 million
Brasov, Romania

Once inhabited by Romanian prince Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Count Dracula, this castle, built in 1212, sits on 20 acres.

he 17-bedroom castle rests on the top of a cliff and offers views across the countryside and surrounding mountains.
The current owner, Dominic von Hapsburg, is running the home as a museum. For more information, contact Baytree Capital.

Tips for buying a house

Top things to know

1. Don't buy if you can't stay put.

If you can't commit to remaining in one place for at least a few years, then owning is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner.

2. Start by shoring up your credit.

Since you most likely will need to get a mortgage to buy a house, you must make sure your credit history is as clean as possible. A few months before you start house hunting, get copies of your credit report. Make sure the facts are correct, and fix any problems you discover.

3. Aim for a home you can really afford.

The rule of thumb is that you can buy housing that runs about two-and-one-half times your annual salary. But you'll do better to use one of many calculators available online to get a better handle on how your income, debts, and expenses affect what you can afford.

4. Don't worry if you can't put down the usual 20 percent.

There are a variety of public and private lenders who, if you qualify, offer low-interest mortgages that require a down payment as small as 3 percent of the purchase price.

5. Buy in a district with good schools.

In most areas, this advice applies even if you don't have school-age children. Reason: When it comes time to sell, you'll learn that strong school districts are a top priority for many home buyers, thus helping to boost property values.

6. Get professional help.

Even though the Internet gives buyers unprecedented access to home listings, most new buyers (and many more experienced ones) are better off using a professional agent. Look for an exclusive buyer agent, if possible, who will have your interests at heart and can help you with strategies during the bidding process.

7. Choose carefully between points and rate.

When picking a mortgage, you usually have the option of paying additional points -- a portion of the interest that you pay at closing -- in exchange for a lower interest rate. If you stay in the house for a long time -- say five to seven years or more -- it's usually a better deal to take the points. The lower interest rate will save you more in the long run.

8. Before house hunting, get pre-approved.

Getting pre-approved will you save yourself the grief of looking at houses you can't afford and put you in a better position to make a serious offer when you do find the right house. Not to be confused with pre-qualification, which is based on a cursory review of your finances, pre-approval from a lender is based on your actual income, debt and credit history.

9. Do your homework before bidding.

Your opening bid should be based on the sales trend of similar homes in the neighborhood. So before making it, consider sales of similar homes in the last three months. If homes have recently sold at 5 percent less than the asking price, you should make a bid that's about eight to 10 percent lower than what the seller is asking.

10. Hire a home inspector.

Sure, your lender will require a home appraisal anyway. But that's just the bank's way of determining whether the house is worth the price you've agreed to pay. Separately, you should hire your own home inspector, preferably an engineer with experience in doing home surveys in the area where you are buying. His or her job will be to point out potential problems that could require costly repairs down the road.

Oil Crisis

Most serious analysts do not contest that the peaking of world conventional oil production will occur within the relatively near future, which means sometime between now and 2020. The term “near future” applies to this seemingly long time horizon because preparation may require at least 20 years if the world is to avoid serious economic damage.

More than 60% of the oil used in the USA is imported. In the USA, about 25 barrels of oil per person are consumed each year, and 16 of those barrels are imported. At an average cost of $90 per barrel, imported oil costs the average person in the USA about $1,400 per year. The USA has just 3% of the known world oil reserves, yet we currently use about 25% of the world's annual oil production. In order to end our country's addiction to oil and combat global warming, we must focus on real solutions like increasing the energy efficiency of our homes, increasing vehicle fuel efficiency and increasing our sources of clean, renewable energy.

OIL price will be extremly expensive

Johannesburg - Geopolitical tensions pushed New York crude contracts for November delivery to a record high of US$89 a barrel on Tuesday night.
This prompted market watchers to revise their price forecasts, and some are even predicting a leap to US$300 a barrel should the US invade Iran.
Gary White, who writes a column published by Fleet Street Publications in the UK, said while he doesn't believe that US$300 a barrel was likely in the short- or even medium-term, he said that he does not think that oil is particularly expensive at the moment, despite it being at historic nominal highs.
"I expect the price to rise - we should easily see US$100 a barrel next year... maybe even this year should the White House warmongers hit the red Iran button," White wrote.
He added that if one adjusted for inflation, the oil price peak at the start of 1981 was in excess of US$100. 
"We are still below that figure. But this is not why I believe that the current oil price is cheap," he said. 
To demonstrate, he started with the question: how much crude is there in a barrel of oil? One barrel of oil officially contains 42 US gallons...this converts into 35 imperial gallons...and there are 8 pints in a gallon.
That means one barrel of oil contains 280 pints. With crude futures at, say, about US$87 a barrel that means one pint of crude oil costs 31UScents, or 15pence in real money, White said.
"The truth is that oil is NOT extortionately priced and it is almost inevitable that the price is going to rise," White warned.
He said it was also worth noting that in 1981, when oil hit its peak price because of the Iran-Iraq war, a pint of milk cost 17p - which is more expensive than a pint of crude costs today, and that is without even taking inflation into consideration.
According to US government forecasts, world petroleum liquids consumption is expected to increases from 83 million barrels per day in 2004 to 118 million barrels per day in 2030. 
That's an increase of almost 30% and there are not enough new oil reserves to meet this demand. 
"The price of oil has to increase otherwise it would be betraying the laws of economics," said White. 
"I bet that in 10 year's time after the Asian population has boomed and gentrified and peak oil has hit home hard, you will have to agree with me that oil at US$87 a barrel was cheap, cheap, cheap," he said.

Best- And Worst-Selling Vehicles Of 2007

Best selling

1. Ford F-Series

January to October '07 Sales: 588,952
Vs. January to October '06: Down 12.5%

If you simply take a look at the vast array of models, cab styles, bed lengths and styles and powertrains available for Ford's F-Series, you'll understand why it's been a bestseller for so long. The F-Series has a long-earned reputation for being a durable and long-lasting work truck.

2. Chevrolet Silverado

January to October '07 Sales: 526,575
Vs. January to October '06: Down 2.4%

The Silverado, which was redesigned for 2006, comes in a not-so-distant second place in sales. Like the F-Series, it's available with a wide range of engines, cab and bed styles to suit most work and recreational needs. Some V-8 models come with Active Fuel Management (its engine shifts from eight cylinders to four in situations where extra power is not necessary), which will help sideline worries about pump prices.

Worse Selling

1. Cadillac XLR

January to October '07 sales: 1,525
Vs. January to October '06: down 42.7%

The XLR roadster is a home-grown, elegant grand tourer, based on the Chevy Corvette, and assembled alongside it, yet with luxury and high-tech features to draw sales from buyers who might consider the Mercedes-Benz SL or BMW 6-Series. Unfortunately, the XLR isn't coming close to those models in sales, especially after this year's decline.

2. Mazda B-Series

January to October '07 sales: 2,363

Vs. January to October '06: Down 35.3%

The B-Series pickup, essentially a Mazda-badged version of the Ranger, one of Ford's most outdated products, doesn't necessarily keep with the "Zoom Zoom" image of the rest of the brand's car and SUV lines. Enough said.

Tips for Used Car Buyers

1 Decide how much you can afford
nclude the cost of insurance, MOT, road tax, petrol, repairs and servicing. Bear in mind that older prestige and sports cars may look cheap to buy, but that the maintenance, repair, insurance and fuel costs may be a lot higher. Ask dealers for estimates of typical repairs to get an idea. Don't rush into a decision - shop around, and compare prices from different sources.

2) View the car in clear daylight

Dark or wet conditions will easily hide a car's faults. Take a friend or relative as a second opinion (two pairs of eyes are better than one). Do not arrange a seller at a service station or lay-by – you need a place where you can safely make a thorough inspection. Don’t let the seller bring the car to you: you want to see where he (or she) is based and get a better idea of the person’s trustworthiness. Why would they not want you to come to them? In the case of private sellers, check that the seller's address is the same as that recorded in the logbook and seek additional reassurance that the seller lives where they claim to - are they in the 'phone book'?

3.Check all documentation

Make sure all the documentation you would expect to find is available. This will normally include the Registration Document or log book (V5), service and insurance records, MoT certificate (on vehicles over 3 years old) and receipts for repairs, maintenance, etc – as well as receipt or invoice that shows that the seller owns the car.

Then make sure everything tallies: check VIN numbers, registrations, dates, names and addresses and any other details you can cross check. Also investigate the keys - are they all there? Are there too many? Does the driver's door or boot need a different key from the rest of the car?. These clues may point to prior damage or theft – though they may be a perfectly innocent mechanical failure in the locks, too.

4) Consider an independent inspection

Once you’re satisfied the vehicle is probably in order, this is the next step. An expert from an organisation such as the RAC or Green Flag will help to identify potentially expensive mechanical problems and can also spot the signs of major accident repair. The results will either give you greater confidence that the vehicle is a good buy, tell you to walk away, or provide the basis for negotiating on price to take into account necessary rectification work. If the seller won't allow an inspection, that tells you something too!

5) Has it had an accident repair?

Over 5 million vehicles require bodywork each year. Given that there are about 24m cars on the road, this means we all have a 1 in 5 chance that our car will be accident damaged in any one year. Most damage is not disastrous, but the HPI Check will tell you if a vehicle has been so badly damaged that an insurer has declared it a total loss. But even where a car has not been "written off", don't assume it is free from major accident damage. But major accident damage can be acceptably repaired – and the HPI register will help tell you about how repairs have been certified.

6) Note details from the registration document

While the V5 is not proof of ownership, it does contain a lot of useful information. You can contact the previous keeper to confirm the car's history. Also you can compare keeper change dates with the result of the HPI Check to ensure you're not looking at a document which has been forged or altered. Also, use the service history to do a bit of detective work. What do the dates and mileages tell you about the car's past life? Is the "full service history" really full?

Buying the suitable car

Have you ever dreamed of owning your own car? Imagine driving down a tree-lined street with the windows down on a sunny day, a warm rush of air streaming through your hair... OK, snap out of your reverie. Before you start mapping out the route to the nearest beach, you just might want to learn some valuable car-buying tips.

Buying a car, whether it's a first-time purchase or not, can seem like a daunting task. You've probably seen your share of car commercials on TV and recall hearing phrases like "down payment" and "APR." Although some of the terminology may seem confusing, once you break it down, buying a car is pretty straightforward. There is certainly a lot of information you need to understand before you run off to your local dealership. But once you know what the acronyms mean and how financing works, you'll be ready to get the best possible price on the car you've chosen.

The first thing you must decide before you begin your automobile research is whether you want a new car or a used car. Of course, there are benefits and drawbacks on both sides. If you decide to buy a used car, there are several things you need to keep in mind.

First of all, there are more than 2 million car accidents annually and chances are if you are in the market for a used car, you will come in contact with at least one automobile that was in an accident. The most important thing about buying a used car is that you know everything about the history of the car, including:

• the number of previous owners
• if the car was ever involved in an accident
• any previous mechanical problems
• the maintenance history of the car

One of the largest benefits of buying a used car is that you can often get a great deal and in many cases, the car you buy may even be relatively new. Successful used car buyers often are just as happy with their used car as new car buyers are with a new vehicle. But remember, the most common car-buying horror stories do involve the purchase of used cars. When you have a good idea of what kind of car best fits your needs and budget, you can begin your research on used cars.

Finding a Used Car

There are several places to locate and buy a used car:

• a used car dealership
• a superstore dealership that specializes in used cars -- like CarMax or Hertz
• many new car dealerships also sell used cars
• used car Web sites like ConsumerGuide.com
• online and print classifieds

Keep in mind that classified listings are used by both dealers and individuals to sell used cars. Some dealers even post their used cars on used car Web sites. Person-to-person transactions through people you know, or via online and print classifieds can be a good option if you want to avoid a dealership. According to Car Buying Tips.com, no matter what option you go with, if you do decide to purchase a used car, there are four tasks that will increase your odds of success:

1. Have a mechanic put the car up on a lift for a full inspection and to check for damage -- anything that might indicate a previous accident or possibly flood damage.

2. Run a Vehicle History Report to get a full history of the car. You can get a Vehicle History Report at CARFAX.com. It will include everything you need to know about the car including:
   • if it was ever salvaged, stolen or recalled
   • the number of previous owners
   • if it ever failed inspection
   • if someone tried to create a fraudulent odometer reading

3. Never sign an "As Is" statement. Many used car dealers will mix that in with the other paperwork you'll be asked to sign. As with anything that requires a signature, READ BEFORE YOU SIGN. You should have at least 30 days to make sure the car is in good condition. If you sign an "As Is" statement, once you drive the vehicle off the lot, anything that goes wrong is your problem.

4. Have your own financing and loan approvals ready before you go to buy the car. (This can also be good if you're planning on making a new car purchase.)

If you follow these simple instructions, your used car-buying experience should go smoothly. Remember that buying a used car from a dealership is similar to buying a new car from a dealership. You want to be armed with all the relevant information before you buy any car, new or used.

10 Tips To Avoid Car Accident

1. Avoid the "fast lane." By using the center or right lane on multilane roads, you have more "escape routes" should a problem suddenly arise that requires you to quickly change lanes or pull onto the shoulder. Most highway accidents occur in the left lane. Furthermore, you are more conspicuous to highway patrol if you are in the "fast lane."

2. Keep your eyes scanning the area ahead. Don't just eyeball the car in front of you but watch the traffic in front of that car as well. This increases your chance of seeing a problem while still having enough time to react to it, and decreases your chance of rear-ending the vehicle in front of you should they make a sudden stop.

3. Beware of blind spots. Yes, adjust your side mirrors and rearview mirror to provide you with one near seamless panoramic scene of the view behind you, but don't rely solely on them. Actually turn to look directly into the lanes beside you to avoid missing something left undetected by your mirrors. Also consider the blind spots for other drivers around you, especially truckers, and try to minimize the amount of time you spend in them.

4. Drive with your hands in the 9 and 3 o'clock position. Instead of the lazy, typical way people drive with one hand at 12 o'clock or both hands resting at the bottom of the steering wheel, this recommended position facilitates maximum vehicle control when you're forced into quick maneuvering to avoid a potential car accident.

5. Get racecar driver control of the wheel. Another trick to maintain control of the wheel is to move your seat close enough to the steering wheel so that your wrist can rest on the top of the wheel with your arm outstretched and your back against the seat. This not only ensures your arms won't easily fatigue but they'll be in the optimum position for some last-minute evasive maneuvers.

6. Judge a driver by his/her car's condition. If a car's condition indicates an inattentive owner because of body damage or dirty windows, it could easily suggest an inattentive driver, too. Also, drifting in the lane often identifies a tired, drunk or cell phone-preoccupied driver — so you should get away from that person.

7. Know your car's limits. After getting behind the wheel of everything from minivans to exotic sport cars, our editors know the performance limits of the cars they drive. Pay attention to how your particular vehicle reacts in certain situations — if the vehicle leans a lot when you're rounding corners, this means that wrenching the wheel at high speeds to avoid an accident will be a scary proposition. It's also key to be familiar with the limits of your car's brakes and tires. How long does it take to stop when you apply maximum pressure? How much grip do your tires have? If you replaced your car's stock tires with a cheap set, chances are you've reduced its braking and handling capability.


8. Keep your car in good shape. We stick to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance schedule for our long-term cars. This ensures that they'll accelerate, stop and steer when we need them to. Reconsider the wisdom of "getting another 1,000 miles out of old tires" — if you encounter an unexpectedly slick road, you may find yourself rubbing up against the guard rail.

9. The nighttime is not the right time. Some people like to travel at night to avoid traffic, but with it comes certain hazards. In addition to your own increased fatigue and decreased field of vision, you need to be aware of joyriding teens and drivers who may be tired or drunk. Drive extra defensively around the witching hour, after midnight when some people are leaving bars, parties or sports arenas. And for goodness' sake, don't drive down a dark road with burned-out headlights or taillights.

10. Learn how to drive a race car. It may sound like a frivolous expense, but going to a high-performance driving school is one of the best ways to improve your skill as a driver. Here you'll learn what it feels like to drive a car "at the limits" and have an opportunity to practice accident avoidance maneuvers and skid recovery in a safe, controlled environment. Understanding how to make your car do what you want it to do in emergency situations could save your life.

How to Choose the Right Insurance Company

When it comes to auto insurance, you want to be adequately covered if you get in an accident but you don't want to pay any more than you have to. So how can you navigate your way through this murky subject?

Keep telling yourself there is money to be saved. How much? Hundreds, even thousands, per year. For example, one of our editors typed all of his insurance information into a comparative insurance service. The quotes (for very basic coverage on two old cars) ranged from $1,006 to $1,807 — a difference of $801 a year. If you're currently dumping thousands into your insurance company's coffers because of a couple of tickets, an accident or a questionable credit rating, shopping your policy against others may be well worth the effort.
5 Important steps

Look at it this way — you can convert the money you save into the purchase of something you've desired for a long time. Hold that goal in your mind.

1) Visit your state's department of insurance Web site. Although you may not be familiar with it, your state, and every state, has a department of insurance. Most departments have Web sites, and many publish "consumer complaint ratios" for all of the insurance companies that sell policies in their state. This ratio tells you how many complaints a car insurance company received per 1,000 claims filed.

Both experts recommended that consumers use complaint ratios to screen prospective insurers. "Just because they're a big name doesn't mean that they'll be a 'good neighbor' or that you'll be 'in their hands,'" Heller noted.

If you've done your homework, you should already have a list of car insurance companies with the lowest premium quotes. Now jot down the companies with the lowest (or best) complaint ratios. Then, compare your two lists — the companies that rank best on both lists merit your strongest consideration.

If you can't find complaint ratios for your state, Heller recommends examining the complaint ratios published by other states. Keep in mind that a single insurance company's practices can vary significantly from state to state — a subpar ratio in one state doesn't necessarily mean the situation is the same in your state. But watch for general trends. If an insurer is getting a lot of complaints in several other states, you probably don't want to get involved with this company. The I-CAN Web site provides links and contact information for every state's department of insurance.

Also note that insurance department Web sites often provide basic rate comparison surveys. These can give you a rough idea of which insurers might interest you on a financial basis without the hassle of typing in all your personal information (as you must when you use one of the online quote sites).

2) Find out which insurers body shops recommend. One of the best ways to identify reliable insurers, according to Howard, is to contact local body shops that you trust and ask for their recommendations. Body shop managers have a unique perspective to offer, since they regularly interact with insurance adjusters. They know which companies have the smoothest claim processes, which affects how quickly the work can be completed on a damaged vehicle. And they know which companies are pushing aftermarket parts, in lieu of genuine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts, to cut costs.

3) Check the J.D. Power Ratings. J.D. Power and Associates collects data from individual policyholders nationwide and rates them according to coverage options, price, claims handling, satisfaction with company representatives and the overall experience. A quick visit to the J.D. Power Consumer Center will give you a feel for how the major carriers stack up. J.D. Power also publishes an annual survey of major auto insurers — Amica and Erie have finished at the top for the last three years. These are also companies that Howard recommends: "Erie is sold by independent agents, who are very knowledgeable about the product. I like their claims handling approach. Almost all other companies look at a claim and find a way to not pay it. Erie and Amica will look at it and try to find a way to cover it."

4) Consider insurers' financial strength ratings. As a final check, you can take a look at the A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's ratings. Both companies publish financial strength ratings for all insurance companies — these "measure" an insurance company's ability to pay out a claim (they have nothing to do with the way a company treats its customers).

For the general consumer, looking up these ratings is only a formality, since most of the well-known carriers are going to be a safe bet. Moreover, independent agents would be unlikely to recommend a company with dubious financial standing. Still, if you're considering a smaller, unfamiliar insurance carrier, you might consider this research time well spent. Insurance companies often provide this information on their Web sites, but if not, you can run a search at the A.M. Best and Standard & Poor's sites.

The A.M. Best rating is expressed as a letter grade from A++ (the highest) to D. Some companies may be assigned ratings of E (indicating regulatory action regarding the company's solvency), F (in liquidation) and S (suspended). In any case, you should only work with companies that have at least a B+ rating.

The Standard & Poor's ratings range from AAA (the highest) to CC. Additionally, some companies receive ratings of R (under regulatory supervision) and NR, which means "not rated." The letter grades might be modified by a plus or minus mark. Consider only those companies that have at least a BBB rating.

5) Still confused? Consider working with an agent. It used to be that everyone purchased auto insurance from an agent, but now, car insurance companies like Esurance, Geico and others allow you to purchase insurance directly — over the phone from a customer service representative or online. Still, many of the major players have preserved their national networks of local agents — even if you use State Farm's or Allstate's Web site, you will still be assigned a local agent.

There are two kinds of agents:

a) the captive agent, who represents only one insurance company (major carriers like AAA, Allstate and State Farm sell policies through captive agents).

b) the independent agent, also known as a broker, who represents several insurance companies and therefore does not have a vested interest in selling you a policy from one particular company.

The main advantage in having your own agent is that this person has a vested interest in keeping you happy. Accordingly, he can become familiar with your situation and guide you toward a suitable policy. Howard favors the use of agents and advised, "Don't rule out direct providers, but my personal preference is to have an agent, preferably an independent agent, write your policy for you.... An independent agent would become aware of less advantageous conditions with one company [and help you move to another]. You can change carriers without changing your agent. I encourage consumers to develop a relationship with their agent."

The prospect of good working relations with an agent may help you to make a decision: When Heller purchased auto insurance for the first time, two insurers gave him similar quotes, but he went for the slightly higher one because the agent had been highly recommended by a friend. "You shouldn't go direct without always checking out other options," he said.

But, he cautioned, "Never feel pressured by a broker or an agent. Take the time to talk with an agent or a broker as well as do your online research. You may not need an agent — you may find a better deal with a company that operates direct."

Independent agents sometimes charge a fee for their services, but you may be able to negotiate that. You should agree upon any fee in writing before making a purchase. Look for agents who are certified by Independent Insurance Agents of America (Big "I") or Professional Insurance Agents (PIA).

Of course, we know you have better things to do with your time than think about car insurance. Realistically, most people won't be able to do everything on this list before choosing an insurance carrier. But if you feel that you've been burned during the claims process in the past, consider at least one or two of these suggestions — you'll thank yourself if you're ever involved in another accident.

Best Cars For First-Time Drivers

Extreme subject and very important for the beginnners

Still, when it comes to buying a car for a first-timer, many parents would agree with experts that those with impressive safety features are tops. Choosing a car with stellar crash performance and features such as mandatory air-bags and electronic stability control can boost your child's odds in an accident and preserve your peace of mind.

Beyond safety, my first-car is based on affordability, fuel economy and overall value. I've set $25,000 as a maximum base price, well below the average new car's cost. Each model achieves average or better fuel economy for its class, based on federal mileage estimates. Each also achieves average or higher ratings for ownership costs--including fuel, insurance, financing, repair and maintenance costs and depreciation

Safety First
In choosing a car that's apt to keep their kids in one piece, parents may have to balance competing interests. Subcompacts are often the most affordable, but usually not a good choice for a crash-prone driver.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which performs its own crash testing and ratings, takes a hard-line stand: It does not recommend any small cars or SUVs for younger drivers. Russ Rader, spokesman for the IIHS, says the institute favors midsize or full-size sedans, the latter being the safest vehicles overall.

Outside of wearing your seat belt, electronic stability control, or ESC, is now widely viewed as the biggest potential life-saver in an automobile. Electronic stability control can actually prevent accidents, reliably sensing and correcting a sudden loss of traction or control--something inexperienced drivers are least equipped to handle.

IIHS research of crash data--comparing models before and after ESC was installed--has shown that ESC systems reduce single-vehicle crashes by more than 40%, and fatal accidents by 56%. Projections indicate that equipping all cars with ESC could avoid up to 10,000 of the 34,000 fatal crashes each year.

The 2008 Subaru Impreza, one of three compact cars on our list, is the first and only compact car to be designated a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. The award goes to models that achieve the highest possible scores in front, side and rear crash tests; whose headrests work effectively in crash testing; and that feature head-protecting side air bags and ESC.

Among compact SUVs, the Honda CR-V and Element benefit from Honda’s ongoing effort to be an industry leader in safety. Their features include sophisticated body configurations that also aim to reduce pedestrian injuries if struck in an accident. The CR-V and Element also garner IIHS Top Safety Pick awards when equipped with optional ESC systems.

For parents who can't afford a new car, the IIHS recommends buying a used car--midsize or larger--with as many modern safety features as possible.

Great With Gas
At $3 and more a gallon, it’s costing about $110 a month to fuel up the typical new car, with pickups, SUVs and minivans averaging about $145 a month. So for younger drivers with limited funds, and a tendency to borrow from mom and dad, a gas guzzler isn’t the answer.

It’s here that parents may find themselves balancing their needs: Again, subcompacts may sip the least fuel, but their crash protection can’t compete with that of bigger cars that as a rule get lower mileage.

As a midsize sedan, the Toyota Prius combines the security of a larger car with class-best EPA-rated fuel economy of 48/45 mpg in city and highway driving. And even for parents who demand a beefy full-size sedan, the Chevrolet Impala still manages a frugal 29 highway mpg with its 3.5-liter V-6.

Most Valuable Players
A first car isn't just a lesson in driving responsibility. Shrewd parents can make the car the latest introduction to the grown-up world of monthly bills, on-time credit payments and financial responsibility. If parents are footing all or part of the monthlies, the young driver might be expected to track payments, pick up the insurance, or cover gas and maintenance.

David Wurster, spokesman for Vincentric, says that focusing less on a monthly payment and more on total ownership costs--including fuel, insurance, repairs and depreciation--will not only save parents money, but provide a valuable financial education.

“If a younger driver really sees how much money goes into a vehicle, they may become a little smarter about not stretching their budget,” Wurster says. “They can learn that just because you can technically afford something, doesn’t mean you should buy it.”

For three consecutive years, the Honda Civic has topped all entry-level compacts for Vincentric’s Best Value in America designation, thanks to its affordability, low operating costs and tremendous resale value.

The Honda Accord, meanwhile, topped all 2008 midsize competitors with the highest projected residual value from Automotive Lease Guide, which tracks depreciation; Honda’s lineup as a whole ranks No. 1 among non-luxury brands for its projected.

Compact car: Mazda3
Base price: $13,895
Base engine: 148 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder
EPA fuel economy: 24/32 mpg city/highway

Sharing its exceptionally safe body structure with the Volvo S40, the Mazda comes in sleek sedan and five-door hatchback versions. The Mazda features sophisticated standard equipment such as powerful anti-lock brakes with a panic-braking assist feature. Another strong point: its sporty, confident steering and maneuverability--a cut above that of the typical budget compact.

Compact car: Subaru Impreza 2.5i
Base price: $17,640
Base engine: 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder
EPA fuel economy: 20/27 mpg city/highway

The first-ever small car to garner an IIHS top safety pick--when equipped with optional electronic stability control, or ESC--the all-new 2008 Impreza sedan and hatchback also boast standard all-wheel-drive, making them a knockout choice for value, safety and secure handling in rain or snow.

Compact car: Honda Civic
Base price: $15,445
Base engine: 140 horsepower, 1.8-liter four-cylinder
EPA fuel economy: 25/36 mpg city/highway

Sedan or coupe, the Civic combines a spacious interior and silky four-cylinder engine with top mileage and legendary resale value. Standard safety features include everything from anti-lock brakes and curtain airbags to whiplash-protection headrests. Electronic stability control is available only on the sporty Civic Si model. A Civic hybrid version is pricey starting at $23,235, but boosts mileage to 40/45 mpg.

Most Satisfying Cars from last year

Ford Mustang two-door with V-8 engine
Base price: $25,275

Ford's Mustang has die-hard fans who have loved the car since the 1960s, and some consider the current Mustang--which Ford overhauled for 2005--the best edition ever. While the new Mustang was a smash hit last year, things have cooled a bit. American Mustang sales are down 9% this year. As of July 1, Ford had a bloated, 80-day, 47,000-unit supply of Mustangs.

Ford Mustang two-door with V-8 engine
While the entry-level Mustang's engine is a 4.0-liter, 210-horsepower, V-6 boat anchor, the Mustang GT uses a 300-hp V-8. This engine makes for a fast, fast car--zero to 60 in around five seconds--and for $25,000 the Mustang GT has perhaps the best power-for-dollars ratio in the business.



These are some distinctive vehicles. For example, Toyota Motor's (nyse: TM - news - people ) Scion tC coupe is J.D. Power's highest ranked compact sporty car, and its clean design makes it popular with young drivers. Honda Motor's (nyse: HMC - news - people ) Ridgeline may not look gorgeous, but its thoughtful construction makes for a smooth and very un-truck-like driving experience. And Honda's Odyssey minivan doesn't sound sexy, but it offers owners extras like leather seats and a navigation system with Zagat's restaurant ratings programmed in.

2007 Third Quarter Auto Insurance Pricing Report

Annual auto insurance rates continue to decline across the United States

Based on data from the lowest average auto insurance rates viewed by over 1 million car insurance consumers on the platform through September, auto insurance rates are continuing to decline according to Insurance.com’s 2007 Mid-Year Auto Insurance Pricing Report. “As the cost of gas and energy continue to increase, creating a financial burden for many Americans, we are happy to report that car insurance rates continue to decline for many states,” reports David Roush, CEO of Insurance.com. “In our 2007 Mid-Year Auto Insurance Pricing Report we saw a 1% decrease in car insurance rates. In our Insurance.com 2007 Third Quarter Auto Insurance Report, that shift continued with a 1.5% decrease in auto insurance rates from 2006.”

In 2006 Pricing Report the national average auto insurance premium was $1,916. In 2007 Third Quarter Auto Insurance Report, that average has dropped to $1,887 – a modest savings, but a nice bonus as the holiday shopping season starts to gear up.

So which states saw the biggest decline in car insurance rates? According to the Insurance.com 2007 Third Quarter Auto Insurance Report, North Carolina led the pack for the second time in a row as the state with the largest decrease in car insurance premiums, paying an average of $1,886 for car insurance – a 19.8% decrease from 2006. However, North Dakota crept up the charts to second place, bumping Arkansas down to third, paying an average of $1,725 in auto insurance – a 12.6% decrease from 2006.

While many states enjoyed a reprieve in auto insurance costs, not all states were so lucky. In fact, some continued to see an increase in their car insurance premium from January to the end of September. For instance, Nevada remained in the number one spot for the top 10 states with the largest percentage in car insurance premiums, paying an average of $2,080 for car insurance – a 6.6% increase from 2006. Washington remained in the number two spot, paying an average of $1,859 for car insurance – a 3.6% increase from 2006.

These findings in the Insurance.com 2007 Third Quarter Auto Insurance Report continue to support Insurance.com’s theory that where you live does play a large role in how much you pay for car insurance. This is because auto insurance companies take into account if your area has limited parking, a higher traffic population, a greater theft rate, and the amount of uninsured drivers in your area. So the worse your city’s statistics are, the more you will pay for auto insurance.

Make Safe Driving Your 2008 New Year's Resolution

Each year millions of people across the globe make a series of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking and get out of debt. But you never hear of anyone resolving to drive safer in the New Year. Why you might ask? Well, many Americans most likely think they are already good drivers and their driving skills aren’t in need of refining. Nice thought, but that is highly unlikely. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 2006 Traffic Safety Facts, there were 42,642 automobile accidents in 2006. Though this number has declined over the past five years, it is still a high number of accidents occurring in one year, which makes you think – are Americans really up to par when it comes to driving?

“Nowadays drivers are multitasking while they are driving,” stated David Roush, CEO of Insurance.com, the nation’s largest online auto insurance agency. “Drivers are talking on their phones, listening to their iPods, talking to passengers, eating or –sadly– trying to read the newspaper while driving. When you mix driving with hazards like these, you are not only putting yourself at risk for an accident, you are also putting everyone else around you at risk.”

Don’t think people are really doing all these things while they are driving? Think again. According to the Safe Driving Institute, Inc’s website:

• 77% of drivers said they talk on their cell phones while driving
• 60% said they either frequently or occasionally eat while driving
• 50% admitted to making obscene or rude gestures or comments to other drivers, particularly those who cut in front of them on the highway
• 50% reported that they have almost fallen asleep while driving
• And 53% of drivers pay a surcharge on their auto insurance policy because of their poor driving record

Commit to becoming a better driver as your 2008 New Year’s Resolution To help you become a safer driver in 2008, Insurance.com has some tips to improve your driving skills and make the roads a safer place for everyone.

1. Take a defensive driving course
While many of us don’t want to believe it, we could all use a little refresher course when it comes to driving. To help keep you safe on the road and remind you how to handle a car in bad weather conditions, many cities offer defensive driving classes. To find out if your city or town offers such a class, contact your local police department or DMV.

2. Ditch the cell phone
Talking on your cell phone can be as deadly as drinking and driving. Many times drivers begin to focus too much on the conversation and not enough on the road conditions surrounding them. If you have to take a phone call, pull over to the side of the road or wait until you can reach a rest stop and call the person back. This way you can give the caller your full attention and not have to try to do two things at once.

3. Follow the speed limit
If you habitually drive over the speed limit, you could be putting yourself and others at risk. And while it may not seem like it when you are in a rush, speed limits are created to help keep everyone safer. Plus, driving over the limit can cause you to receive speeding tickets, points on your driver’s license and potentially make your auto insurance premium go up.

4. Say goodbye to snacking in the car
Driving and eating at the same time can create a huge driving hazard while on the road, especially if you drop something and try to pick it up. In fact, it is such a hazard that the State of Michigan has a “no food within reach” driver’s license restriction for drivers who have been involved in numerous accidents related to food. So this year, make one of your 2008 New Year’s Resolutions to stop eating and driving. Not only will you be a safer driver, your waistline may thank you as well.

5. Use your turn signals
Often times drivers change lanes or turn without using their turn signals. If you are one of these drivers, consider making a conscious effort in 2008 to use your left and right turn signals while driving. It will help keep you safe and help notify other drivers around you of your next “move.”

6. Always look before moving
Along with not using turn signals, many drivers do not use their mirrors or look over their shoulder before they switch lanes. Carelessness like this often results in costly fender benders and lengthy traffic jams. So to help keep your car in optimal condition and to help keep everyone safe on the road this year, make sure to use your mirrors and look before you switch lanes. Your bumper and the other drivers on the road will thank you for it.

7. Update your car insurance
While this may seem silly, many people rarely update or even review their auto insurance policy. This can lead to paying higher car insurance premiums or having insufficient coverage in the event of an accident.

8. Say goodbye to road rage
We all have done it or experienced it at one time or another – road rage. And while it may seem justified as someone cuts you off or rides your bumper, it is not. Road rage only adds to the hazardous conditions of the road. In 2008, try taking a different approach and calmly and safely adjust to the hazardous situation at hand. This will help you stay calm and help keep everyone around you safe as well.

9. Reading while driving is never a good idea
Due to our busy lives many Americans try to multitask, including reading the daily newspaper while behind the wheel. If you are looking for something other than listening to the radio while driving to and from work consider picking up some books on tape. These can help you catch up on some “reading” while ensuring that your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel.

10. Wear your seatbelt

If you don’t already wear your seatbelt while driving, vow to make it a 2008 New Year’s Resolution. Not only is it the law, it can also help save your life.

These 2008 New Year’s Resolutions are brought to you by Insurance.com. If you are interested in switching your car insurance or are in the market for auto insurance, visit Insurance.com’s auto insurance comparison application. Here you will be able to evaluate multiple rates from best-in-class insurance providers, helping you save time and money on your auto insurance in the New Year.

Which Car Should You Own To Keep Your Insurance Rates Most Affordable?

Do you consider the cost of insurance before you buy your dream car? You should. The Highway Loss Data Institute analyzes the cost to insurance companies from theft, collision, and injury claims as they relate to cars. They look at the color of the cars, how many doors they have, and even break them down type.

The Highway Loss Data Institute is a nonprofit public service organization. It is closely associated with and funded through the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is wholly supported by auto insurers. HLDI gathers, processes, and publishes data on the ways losses vary among different kinds of vehicles.

4- Door cars have a 93% less chance of having a claim related to theft than their sibling 2-Door cars. Buy a Buick LeSabre and have relatively no chance of a theft loss. Compare that to the convertible Chevrolet Corvette that has over5 times the average theft rate. You may have known that. However, did you know that the Toyota Celica has a 67% higher chance of theft than the Toyota Camry?

In addition, even though the 2002 Lexus IS 300 gets a "best pick" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its performance on crash tests, previous years' models of the same car are some of the most costly in terms of collision claims. "One of the factors that come into play there is the cost of repairing an expensive vehicle," says Russ Rader, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These are the 2006 "best picks":

• Large
  • Ford Five Hundred
  • Mercury Montego
  • Audi A6
• Minivans
  • Hyundai Entourage
  • Kia Sedona
• Small
  • Honda Civic
  • Saab 9-2X
  • Subaru Impreza - big improvement from previous years
• Midsize
  • Saab 9-3
  • Subaru Legacy
  • Audi A3
  • Audi A4
  • BMW 3 series
  • Chevrolet Malibu
  • Lexus IS
  • Volkswagen Jetta
  • Volkswagen Rabbit

  What about safety? You may be surprised at some of the results. For example, the Porsche 911 has a 67% less chance for injury claims than the norm. Go figure. The Mitsubishi Lancer has almost double the injury claim rate over the norm.

  Where does you car fit for injury theft and collision? What about your dream car? Take a look at this run down:

• 

  Models that are among the most expensive for theft claims include:

• Cadillac Escalade four-wheel drive
• Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
• Lincoln Navigator four-wheel drive
• Jeep Cherokee four-dorm 3 series

Models that are among the least expensive for theft claims include:

• Buick LeSabre
• Buick Park Avenue
• Volvo V70 Station Wagon
• Mercury Grand Marquis four-door

Models that are among the most expensive for injury claims include:

• Suzuki Esteem four-door
• Kia Rio four-door
• Mitsubishi Mirage two-door
• Kia Spectra four-door

Models that are among the least expensive for injury claims include:

• GMC Sierra 2500 two-wheel drive
• Chevrolet Silverado 2500
• GMC Yukon XL 1500 four-wheel drive
• GMC Sierra 2500 four-wheel drive
• Chevrolet Tahoe two-wheel drive

Models that are among the most expensive for collision claims include:

• Subaru Impreza WRX four-wheel drive four-door
• Lexus IS 300 4 door
• Hyundai Tiburon two-door
• Porsche 911 Coupe
• Acura RSX

Models that are among the least expensive for collision claims include:

• Ford Excursion two-wheel drive
• GMC Safari four-wheel drive
• GMC Sierra 2500
• GMC Yukon XL 1500 four-wheel drive

Find a car insurance

Custom golf carts with stereo and iPod adapter

While others think of golf carts only as a way for getting from hole 1 to hole 2, the guys over at Berlinecart don’t seem to agree with that and tries to tell that golf can be more fun, so they came up with these custom golf carts, which include the Cadillac Escalade, the Smoothster and the Berline LS. They look good, right? Well, you haven’t seen the best part.

These cart feature Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo (speakers and removable face plate included), custom hard top and frame in matching color, chrome tilt steering wheel column, 15 inch custom rims, golf bag holder, Billet Grille (only for the Escalade models), fog lights and yes, an iPod adapter. Other features include 48 volt electric club car chassis, fiberglass body, upholstered seats, drink holders, storage boxes and the list could go on.

Now you may wonder how much this costs. Well, the prices range, with the most expensive one being the Escalade ESV (which has 6 seats) and is priced at $16,995, while the Smoothster, for example, is priced at $15,995
Mercedes Benz SLK 55 AMG Pedal Car
Let me guess, you don’t have enough money to buy a Mercedes Benz, right? Relax, neither do I, but the good news is that you can buy one for your son. It’s not a real one, just a pedal car toy and even though it doesn’t 0-60mph in 5 seconds, I’m sure your kid won’t notice the difference.The pedal car is part of the Mercedes-Benz Lifestyle Collection 2008, manufactured by toy maker BIG and it features a sports steering wheel, wheels which echo the aluminum counterparts on the original and two circular instruments. Perfect for Christmas!