Allstate announced on Dec. 6 that it supports graduated driver licensing in the state of California.

Graduated driver licensing, or GDL, is a set of laws, which restrict teens from driving at night and using cell phones until the driver turns 18. The laws effectively create a period between 16 and 18 where first-time drivers do not have the full privileges of normal drivers. Once the teen turns 18, he or she essentially “graduates” to a fully privileged driver.

A reports issued by the National Safety Council earlier this week advocated for a nation-wide adoption of GDL laws in order to save car insurance policy holders money and save teen lives.

“Teenage driving deaths are a real public health crisis,” said Phil Telgenhoff, Allstate California field vice president, to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. “What’s worse is that these deaths are avoidable.”

Supporters are hoping that enacting GDL laws will provide car insruance providers with savings, which they can in turn pass down to consumers who want to get the best price for auto insurance policies.

Progressive Insurance recently announced that it has settled its dispute with Allstate over its usage-based insurance service

Progressive’s Snapshot program uses a small device in your car to monitor how much you drive. The insurer uses this information in order to discount certain drivers who keep usage at a minimum.

But when Allstate unveiled a similar program, Progressive filed a patent infringement suit against the insurance company, a suit that was apparently settled last week.

On Oct. 3, Progressive announced that an agreement was reached, which includes a license for usage-based insurance issued by Progressive for Allstate. Both will offer the policies to drivers.

"This was about protecting and leveraging Progressive's investment of more than 15 years in usage-based insurance research, development, testing and piloting," said Chuck Jarrett, Progressive's chief legal officer in a company press release. "We have always said we are willing to license our intellectual property rights to others and that we will enforce those rights when necessary."

Unless you're showering your boss in praise and admiration, it's not a good idea to talk about them, and Allstate Corp. executive Joseph Lacher just found out the hard way.

In a move that rattled investor's confidence and sent the nation's largest publicly traded insurance company into a mini-tailspin, shares fell 5 percent when Allstate announced that their new president of auto and home divisions was no longer with the company.

Allstate, which purchased Esurance back in May of 2011, said in a press release that Mr. Lacher was, "leaving the company, effective immediately," but didn't say why. Executives who worked for Lacher were told to report directly to Thomas J. Wilson, Allstate's chairman, president and chief executive.

The explicit instructions to report to the head honcho were an effort to debrief employees on what is being reported as an alcohol induced outburst, explicit in nature, that got Lacher canned.

According to the Wall Street Journal some of Allstate's top-selling insurance agents heard the whiskey-fueled expletive, "f—ing a—," while sharing drinks with Lacher as part of a company event called the Leaders Forum, while others who are familiar with an internal investigation about the incident launched by Allstate all said Lacher was talking about Wilson, the chief executive at Allstate since 2007.

Another account has Lacher saying Wilson, "would have to be a f—ing a—," if he didn't feel responsible for the company's performance.

Whatever the case the message is clear, and clearly Allstate didn't agree with the slam against their CEO.

However, it seems that Lacher is the one laughing all the way to the bank with investors unsure of Allstate's future in auto and home insurance, which made up roughly 80 percent of the company's revenue last year.

"[Allstate has] tremendous opportunity, and I wish them all the best," Lacher told the Wall Street Journal on his way out the door.

—AJ Register

In a blockbuster deal estimated at over one billion dollars, Allstate has gone public with their plans to purchase both Esurance Insurance Co. and Answer Financial from White Mountains Insurance Group.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the deal will bring a huge chunk of the insurance market to Allstate's front door. Last year, Allstate wrote nearly $17 billion in car policy premiums, amounting to about a 10 percent share of the U.S. market. During the same period, White Mountains wrote $986 million, about 0.6 percent of total auto premiums written last year.

By purchasing the two companies from White Mountains, Allstate plans to update its online presence as well as offer its customers informational and quote comparison services.

Esurance has established itself as a key player in shopping for and purchasing auto insurance online. Since their introduction in 2005, Esurance has managed to provide cut-rate auto insurance in 30 states, and will surely bring more clients to the Allstate family.

Although Answer Financial doesn't actually write auto insurance policies, the company is a valuable acquisition for Allstate. By providing informational and quote comparison services, Answer Financial has a lot to offer Allstate and its customers.

"Esurance will expand our ability to serve customers that are more self-directed but still prefer a branded product," Allstate representatives said in a press release about the acquisition. "Answer Financial will strengthen our offering to individuals who want to be offered a choice between insurance carriers and are brand-neutral."

At the end of the trading day, the announcement made waves in the auto insurance industry with Allstate's stock finishing up about a tenth of a percent, while White Mountains stock jumped about 15 percent.

—AJ Register

Geico has the gecko, Aflac has the duck, and State Farm has LeBron James. Now, there’s nothing offensive about a silly lizard or duck, but after what LeBron did to the city of Cleveland in his infamous move to Miami, there is more than a little tension in the air. Allstate, State Farm’s biggest rival, is banking on this bad blood to use LeBron in their own way to sell car insurance.

State Farm, the number one auto insurance company when ranked by market share, has used LeBron as a spokesperson for several years, and has stuck by him through the tumultuous trade. However, after a recent State Farm TV commercial featuring LeBron playing the world’s smallest violin aired during the 2011 NBA All-Star weekend, Allstate is calling out “King James” and taking the side of Cleveland’s heartbroken basketball fans.

Allstate, the number two auto insurer by market share, based out of Chicago, took a direct shot at LeBron and rival State Farm by airing a radio ad in which longtime Allstate pitchman Dennis Haysbert asks, “So, are you ready to take your talents to Allstate?” The phrase wouldn’t bat an eye if it wasn’t for the infamous line LeBron dropped on the entire world in an overhyped ESPN special interview where he said he was going to, “take my talents to South Beach.”

LeBron’s betrayal of the Cleveland fans reverberated throughout America, and Allstate is hoping to capitalize on his newly demonized status to trump their biggest rival in auto insurance, LeBron’s long time sponsor, State Farm.

However, the tactics of this insurance giant may not be paying off. Going 1-on-1 with a guy whose nickname on the court is “King” would be foolish, and apparently his likeability off the court is almost as refined. Even though LeBron took a major shot to his public image with the move to Miami, State Farm’s new and renewing policy numbers show a slight increase since the TV commercial debut. It seems that the king has returned.

But, whether you like LeBron or not, it’s important not to let the NBA superstar sway your opinion on auto insurance. Don’t let your love or hatred for LeBron leave you vulnerable. State Farm and Allstate are number one and two for a reason, so let their prices and policies do the trash talking, not some trivial TV and radio adds.

—AJ Register