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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, September 26, 2004
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Washington University, St. Louis, site of October 8, 2004 town forum debate.
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Washington University Site of Second Presidential Debate
ST. LOUIS, (PRNewswire) September 26, 2004 - Both President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry have agreed to three debates, including one on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis.
In a letter to both campaigns, the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed that the format for the debate, scheduled for 8 p.m., on October 8, in the Athletic Complex, will be that of a town-hall forum. The participants, to be chosen by the Gallup Organization, will be undecided voters from the St. Louis, Missouri, standard metropolitan statistical area. The 90 minute debate will be moderated by Charles Gibson, co-anchor, ABC News Good Morning America.
The war on terror and the economy continue to be the most important issues for adult Americans.
When asked to name the two issues which they think are most important for the government to address, the largest numbers mention the economy (30%) or jobs (14%) on the one hand and "the war" (24%), terrorism (14%), national security (6%) or Iraq (5%) on the other.
However, health care has been moving up the list and is now mentioned by 21 percent as one of the top two issues, compared to 17 percent in August and 10 percent in June. Another 3 percent mention Medicare specifically.
These are some of the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,018 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive(R) between September 9 and 13, 2004.
When they are asked to choose specifically between the economy and jobs on the one hand and Iraq and the war on the other, likely voters split equally 47 to 48 percent.
President Bush continues to have an edge, but not a huge one, on Iraq; a 51 to 39 percent majority of likely voters thinks he would do a better job in Iraq than would Senator Kerry. Senator Kerry continues to have a more modest edge on the economy and jobs; a 49 to 43 percent plurality prefers him over President Bush.
Consumers Warned About Receiving Fake Cashier's Checks That Appear Authentic
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) September 26, 2004 - Foreign con artists are trying to defraud Missourians by sending them authentic-looking cashier's checks and asking them to wire money from the cashed checks overseas.
Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon himself received a fake check last week for $5,000 payable to him. Nixon says the victims who cash the checks often are on the hook for thousands of dollars after banks discover the checks are fraudulent.
"These con artists don't seem to be particular about who they try to scam," Nixon said in a statement released by his office.
Nixon said many of the scams of this type reported to his office appear to originate in Nigeria, including the phony check he received. While the check Nixon received was not prefaced by any previous contact, some of the perpetrators apparently have first met their victims in online chatrooms. After they gain the victims' confidence, they may ask the victims to cash a check for them in the United States and send a portion of the check overseas. The victims are told they can keep part of the check.
"The scam artists come up with all kinds of stories about where the extra money will go and, unfortunately, some people believe them," Nixon said "Victims of this scam may lose thousands of dollars, and tracking down the overseas perpetrators is often very difficult."
The checks look very real, and use the logos of real banks in the United States, Nixon says.
"Several of these banks have reported millions of dollars in fake checks presented to them for payment," Nixon said. "By the time the fraud is discovered, in many cases the victims already have wired the money overseas."
An earlier variation of this scam reported to the Attorney General's Office in 2003 involved defrauding people who were selling items online. The purported buyer - often from Nigeria - would send a cashier's check for more than the agreed purchase price and ask that the difference be wired back to the buyer. Again, the check looked real but was fake.
Missourians who receive cashier's checks under these types of circumstances need to remember that banks will hold them accountable for the money if the check turns out to be a fraud.
If you receive a suspicious check or think you've been a victim of this scam, call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-392-8222 or get a complaint form.
Nearly Twice as Many Long-Term Homeowners are Shopping for
Property Insurance
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) October 3, 2004 - Despite the fact that homeowners insurance premiums have largely stabilized around the country and in some markets may even be falling, a record number of long-term home owners indicate they shopped for a new insurer in the past year, according to a recent J.D. Power and Associates 2004 National Homeowners Insurance StudySM.
Customers report spending a median of $600 annually in home insurance premiums in 2004-up from $580 in 2003, and up from $452 in 2001, an increase of 33 percent during the past three years.
"Overall, we haven't seen a significant increase in shopping behavior over the past three years. In the past 12 months, however, the rate of shopping has grown 22 percent among those customers who have owned their home for 20 years or more. These are typically the customers an insurer considers their most loyal and profitable," said Jeremy Bowler, director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power and Associates.
"While shopping has increased significantly in the auto insurance industry, similar premium hikes don't appear to have driven consumers to shop for homeowners insurance in the same way. Rather, it appears that those consumers whose increasing property values have caused their homes to become significantly underinsured may have experienced more substantial premium increases, prompting their rate of shopping."
The customer satisfaction index reveals that customer experience is driven by five factors (in order of importance): interaction with the provider; policy offerings and initiation; billing; cost; and claims. The study finds that while only a fraction of consumers filed a recent claim, those who have tend to be significantly more satisfied with their carriers than those who have not filed a claim.
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