Jan. 13--Santa Fe residents Ray and Irene Wildenstein used to take defensive driving classes when they worked for the state but haven't taken any since their retirement. When they read about the American Association of Retired People Driver Safety Program in the Senior Scene newsletter, they thought they should take advantage of the opportunity.

An appellate panel, agreeing that one of the nation's largest insurance companies acted with malice, affirmed a trial court's $8 million punitive damage verdict. In the unanimous decision handed down Tuesday, the Missouri Court of Appeals' Western District ruled there was ample evidence showing that State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. wrongly prosecuted a former policyholder and her boyfriend's brother.

The following cases were dealt with at Cardiff Magistrates Court: Matthew Reed, 29, of Channel View Road, Grangetown, Cardiff, was jailed for four months and 42 days to run consecutively, after he was convicted of assaulting a woman and using threatening behaviour, and being in breach of a suspended sentence given for assaulting the same woman and using threatening behaviour. Andrew Gareth Meaney, 40, of Trowbridge Green, Rumney, Cardiff, was given a 12-month community order, banned from driving for three years and told to pay pounds 80 court costs, after he was convicted of failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis, driving without insurance and failing to surrender to bail. Stacy John Poole, 30, of Clos y Ffynnon, Pontprennau, Cardiff, was fined pounds 100 with pounds 40 court costs and pounds 15 victims surcharge and banned from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to drink-driving. He had 44mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

TREATING customers fairly is the central tenet of financial regulation. But major groups are using crafty clauses and sneaky charges to dodge the rules. Here, TONY HAZELL and JAMES CONEY highlight 12 abuses and demand action from the firms and their regulators ...

By W Mieczynski I READ the Birmingham Magistrates' Court section. A driver was fined pounds 50 and had his licence left intact. With fines like that I will be surprised if anybody will bother with car insurance. My 10-year-old car with a full no-claim bonus costs me pounds 365. A parking fine is pounds 60 and clampers can hijack a car and demand ransom money as much as pounds 450. Insurance is 10 times more serious than parking, but some magistrates think differently. W Mieczynski, Northfield

INSURERS are bracing themselves for big claims as weathermen forecast storms and snow ahead. But it's us who'll pick up the final bills in dearer premiums. Both home and car insurers offer no-claims discounts, typically 10 per cent off home insurance and 10 per cent for each claim-free year on car insurance. So it pays to avoid having to claim.

ANY remaining hope of a prosperous outcome for shareholders of DSG International in 2008 appears to have been firmly kicked into touch by Credit Suisse. The shares slumped 31/4p to another new low of 671/2p today in the wake of last week's profit warning. More than 30 million changed hands. Retail analyst Tony Shiret at Credit Suisse is no fan of DSG, which includes PC World, and Currys.digital, and warns DSG shareholders that they aren't seen nothing yet.

More Than, the direct financial services arm of Royal & SunAlliance, has launched two new initiatives designed to reward customer loyalty - free home contents cover and two months free car insurance cover - for life. All new buildings insurance customers will get free contents cover for the life of their policy, or until they make a contents claim. Even if they do make a claim, they will still be able to 'win back' free contents cover if they do not claim in the following year.

By CLINTON MANNING BRITAIN'S biggest car insurer is to protect customers' no-claims discounts from vandals. Direct Line says it will no longer jack up premiums if your motor falls foul of malicious damage. At least seven per cent of all claims are a result of vandalism such as slashed tyres, graffiti and "keying".

Jan. 7--The General Assembly will begin a study this month on auto-insurance rates, and state motorists deserve a good explanation of why our coverage is the way it is today. About one in every four North Carolinians is covered through the massive N.C. Reinsurance Facility for risky drivers. That risk pool is larger than any similar mechanism anywhere else in America.