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http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-ma...topc&src=fp Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale homes in Singapore are more unaffordable than private homes, PropertyGuru can exclusively reveal. They are also classed as being

What do you think will be the official response from HDB? ----------------------------- Mar 22, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg By Romesh Navaratnarajah Share40 | | Comment | E-mail to friend | Bookmark & Share Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale homes in Singapore are more unaffordable than private homes, PropertyGuru can exclusively reveal. They are also classed as being

Insurer ditches motorist Her coverage expires this month; another firm quotes premium of $6k By Christopher Tan, Senior Correspondent HOUSEWIFE Tan Poo Geok, 50, who has insured her car with AIG since 2004, was told two weeks ago in a letter from the insurer that it no longer wanted her business, citing 'claims experience'. She had filed claims amounting to over $10,000 for two accidents - one last December and another in June this year. With insurance on her Mitsubishi Lancer expiring at the end of this month, she has been looking around for another insurer. One firm quoted her a yearly premium of $6,000 - four times what she has been paying a year since 2004. She said: 'I feel quite helpless. I think I might give up driving and pass the car to my son.' She is not alone in this boat. The Straits Times understands that AIG, one of the biggest motor insurers here, could refuse to renew policies of motorists who have had two or more 'at-fault' accidents within three years. Several other insurers also apply the 'two strikes and you're out' rule. A senior executive of a Japanese insurer said: 'If you are such an accident-prone driver, perhaps it is best for everyone that you do not drive.' General Insurance Association (GIA) president Derek Teo noted that motor insurers generally decline to provide coverage for a policyholder who gets into two or more 'at-fault' claims during the policy term or within two years. 'However, the final decision not to invite renewal may differ from insurer to insurer, depending on the circumstances of the claims filed and commercial considerations.' A spokesman for NTUC Income, another major motor insurer, said it 'reviews every motor policy with claims in the past one year on case-by-case basis'. 'We may choose not to invite renewals for policies with high numbers of claims, drink driving, fraudulent claims and uncooperative policyholders,' he said. Madam Tan said she could not find anything in her contract stating that she could not make more than a certain number of claims within a specified period. There is, however a clause that says the insurer reserves the right not to renew the policy. She said: 'I feel it's quite unfair. Accidents are random and definitely not planned. How can an insurer accept business when times are good and abandon the client when accidents occur?' The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) said insurers should find a better way of handling customers. Case executive director Seah Seng Choon said it was better to encourage 'at-fault' motorists to undergo a safety orientation course conducted by an independent party as a condition to continuing with the policy. 'I believe this is a win-win solution - the insurer gets to keep its clients and motorists learn to be better drivers. I urge insurers to be more proactive and show corporate social responsibility in helping to keep our roads safe instead of pushing the problem to another insurer,' said Mr Seah. The GIA said it does not compile the number of motorists who are declined coverage each year, but reckoned the cohort to be 'relatively small', put against the total vehicle population of about 880,000. [email protected] http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNew...ory_285380.html