Market Mad House

In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Friedrich Nietzsche

Allstate

Crazy StocksStocks

Is Allstate Planning to Spy on Policyholders?

Basically, Allstate would be able to know exactly what you were doing in your car and if you were violating the terms of your auto insurance. For example, if you were using your car for Uber or pizza delivery, which would be a commercial use and a violation of your auto insurance policy.

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Market Insanity

All New Cars will be Self Driving by 2025

If that prediction is true auto insurance costs could drop by as much as 80% because accidents are the main risk ensured for. By the year 2040 your auto insurance bill could be $10 or $15 a month for a brand new car!! Naturally that won’t do Progressive (NYSE: PGR) and Allstate’s (NYSE: ALL) profit margins much good.

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Long Ideas

Uber Drivers in Good Hands with Allstate

Auto insurance could be a gateway for selling other products, such as disability insurance, bonding, life insurance and health insurance, to networked transportation drivers and others in the gig economy. The potential profits to be made could be enormous; a survey that Edelman Berland conducted for the Freelancers Union found that 53 million Americans, or 34% of the population, are involved in some sort of freelance work.

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Long Ideas

Progressive’s Wireless Device Could Be a Safety Threat

The whole telematics issue raises the interesting question of whether auto insurers are still a good investment. Value investors like Warren Buffett have long thought of auto insurers that way because of all the float their premiums generate, but is that still true in the face of all the competition in today’s insurance industry?

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