European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday february 8, 1969 letters to the editor High insurance rates exempt from tax t novt on Narinn inf Nimni inn ant Timpf Tel Tel Amo fit it lilo. I a few weeks ago after Pur chasing a Pov i applied for Auto liability insurance through German acquaintance of mine who is an insurance agent. La Ter the insurance company in formed me they would be More than Happy to insure my car at a rate of 300 per cent More than a German would pay. Receiving this information immediately looked for a Dif Ferent insurance company. Thebes buy i could find costs me about 100 do More per Yea than the government fixed rates for civilians with German plates. I would not question these differences except i believe it is in violation of German  years ago As an Amer ican civilian living in Germany i purchased Auto insurance. I was 19 but age was then not Factor. I was Given insurance at the same rate As everyone else regardless of age Etc. I was told at that time the German government fixes insurance rates according to Typ and horsepower of the vehicle. I was also informed that individual insurance companies did not have the right to increase rates at will but did however Reserve the right not to insure anyone they considered a bad  View of these facts per haps you can answer the Fol lowing questions is it Legal for German insurance companies to charge . Military personnel higher rates than germans for that matter anyone with German License plates ? if it is True they have this right How do they justify these High rates statistics prove that West Germany has an Auto fatality rate four time that of the United states spec. 4 Robert n. Stash Mannheim Germany editor s note in the first place your Assumption is wrong that the difference i Auto insurance rates charged . Forces and German Driver violates German Law because the West German insurance commission in Berlin has regu lated premiums for both since Jan. 1,1968. At the time the German insurance commissioner took Over control of military rates an american insurance executive explains the Bonn government official insisted that either a special Premium sched ule based on past statistical experiences in the coverage . Forces members be a guideline for the rates or the Standard German Tariff based on vehicle horsepower be sur charged at least 50 per cent and up to a maximum of 300per cent. The commissioner demanded this increased rate differential for . Forces motorists in Pareto protect future claimants As Well As the interests of policy holders by making sure companies underwriting such poli cies would not go broke As had happened in the past and is explained further on. As a result underwriters specializing in Auto insurance for servicemen use a special rat schedule for military motorists while other companies if the write any military business at All must increase their Stan Dard Tariff Premium rates in line with the surcharges a stipulated above by the Berlin  doubt As a civilian you were Able to buy car insurance under the regular German rates based on horsepower because German companies Are required to provide liability coverage to anyone but military car owners at the Standa drates. Servicemen also must be a Leto obtain insurance As Long As they have a valid Driver s License but special rates Are applicable to be based on experience or loss factors. This primarily is due to the fact the insurance commissioner has an obligation tomake certain that adequate rates Are charged by All insurance companies for various risks thus assuring the solvency of underwriters who might otherwise be hit with excessive losses from High risk clients where premiums Are insufficient to cover claims. Failure to enforce this Rule several years ago led to the bankruptcy of one american and one dutch company in Ger Many and some 10 companies in great Britain leaving thou Sands of policyholders without coverage and loss of premiums paid As Well As millions of Dol Lars in unsatisfied claims. Further under the Nat status of forces agreement the . And German taxpayer had to pick up the tab75 per cent .-25 per cent West Ger Many in settling third party claims to other than the policyholders. If they had claims against the defunct companies these were settled on the basis of liquidation of assets in some instances. A similar situation arose i France and the United King Dom when the Branch offices of insurers stopped paying claims there  View of these facts it is 1 not Only Legal for German and foreign companies to charge military Auto owner higher rates than German car owners but rather it is a requirement As established by the insurance  2the High German Auto fatality rate has nothing to do with these Premium charges As explained  Are Tricky however when comparisons Are  officials Point out the fact that Young Drivers world wide cause accidents both with respect to frequency an severity several times More frequently than the number of automobiles registered to this class of Driver justifies. Similarly statistics compiled by the companies catering specifically to military clients i Germany prove conclusively that single car owners regard less of rank but especially those under 25 Low ranking Drivers regardless of age and All ranks whether married or single under 25 Are greater risks with resulting higher premiums than those charged proven Good risks. Rank instead of age i would appreciate it if you could possibly answer my ques  insurance company can not help. Why is automobile insurance charged according to rank rather than age for example a tech sergeant 35 years of age and married pays $245.-95 for a 62 Volkswagen Sedan full coverage. Liability $147.40.an officer As Long As he is 25 years of age and married pays $146.30 full coverage liability $67.10, for the same Auto Mobile. There is yet another Price difference in comparing the same Auto with civilians e9 and e8 and still another rate for e7, e6 and e5. Does rank alone denote a responsible Driver mrs. R. W. Nichol Ramstein Germany editor s note the cos of automobile insurance is not based solely on the rank of Acar owner although the rates Are different Between grades inline with the loss claim ratio for the various  Premium charges be tween individuals however can Only be compared if amounts of coverage Are exactly the  reputable companies underwriting automobile policies for servicemen said an insurance executive fix their rates first and Foremost on marital status then on rank and  is whether the car owner is under or Over 25.in this connection we would also like to Point out that single officer pays a Premium surcharge higher rate just a does a single enlisted Man. Insurance officials agree that rank alone does not indicate the reliability of a Driver but companies do attach importance to whether an applicant la mar ried or single and whether or not he s Over 25, preferably older than 29, further premiums charged by responsible companies doing business in Germany Bot american and others based on risk data by groups and claimer loss statistics which must be approved by the West Ger Man insurance commission located in Berlin. These statistics compile Dover As Long As 20 years clearly show vast differences Saipan insurance official Between the various rating groups inthe frequency and severity of Highway and pedestrian  the Only Way rates could be equalized he maintained would be by shifting the Premium Burden of some of the poorer risks to the better risk car owners. This obviously would be unfair and undoubtedly would not be tolerated by the supervisory insurance  Early release i would like some information on the army s policy regarding Early release fro Active duty to attend College. Does the army in Europe permit up to 90-Day Early outs prior to ets to Atten College for other than the fall term Spring Quarter also do veterans educational benefits apply to Post graduate work please cite applicable regulations. A. P. Sbuttoni Bruggen Germany editor s note Earl release from Active duty is authorized by the army for the purpose of entering or return ing to College regardless of the starting Date of classes a Usa eur he official  authority is contained in Section Viii chapter 5 far 635-200. Educational benefits Are available to veterans at All Levels of schooling the official also said. This is explained he added in a pamphlet 360-528 titled once a Veteran and Veter ans administration fact Sheet Jan. 1999. I am seeking information concerning income tax. I am an army dependent employed by a non government. Agency the american express company part time. No in come tax is deducted from my pay Only social Security we Are not paid by Check simply by a credit Cash voucher. Last year i totalled the amount earned and sent it in on a signed statement As tax Able income and computed and paid tax on it. Since that time i have been told by several sources that a person in this situation who has been living in Germany for 17 months or More and has been employed As i have is exempt from Taxon the income earned while  you please confirm this or advise me where i May Beable to find adequate information on this problem. Mrs. Leona m.  Germany editor s note you Are exempt from paying . In come tax on your overseas earning with Amelco which snot a government Agency a. Though on Post american  facilities do Cater exclusively to . Forces . According to the internal Revenue service representative at the american embassy inborn for Federal income tax exemption while employed abroad by other than a . Government Agency you May either be a Bona fide Resi Dent of a foreign country Forone Calendar year or be physically present in foreign country for 510 Days 17 months within a period of18 consecutive months. Since you meet the 510-Dayrule, the irs expert said you should apply for a refund on Theta you paid last year on your Amelco earnings. You May do this by filing an amended re turn for 1967 on form 1040xwith a form 2555. If these forms Are not obtain Able through your husband s unit or Legal assistance office you May get them from the nearest american consulate. . Hippie garbage can you Tell me Why be stocks so Many British records there seems to be More of these than those produced by american , would it be possible to place this British hippie Gar Bage on separate Racks Why not Purchase More american recordings . Konzo Cribb Croughton England editor s note fro their sales records yes apparently does t  yes he buyer of record Ings says that 80 per cent fall Lon play and 45 rpm rec ords Are purchased  other 20 per cent is bought from companies making rec ords in Germany and England using the top ten and to fifty listings As Purchase guides. The yes official further pointed out phonograph rec ords As Well As All other Mer Chandise for retail consumption Are purchased on the basis of past sales and customer de  that is to say if cer Tain types of records did t sell they would t be  to your separate rack suggestion the area Exchange commander in the United King Dom said it s yes policy As Well As that of other retail rec Ord stores to segregate by category such As country an Western popular classic Etc., rather than by country primarily for the convenience of the majority of customers. Who s to blame i would like to comment on the news item ". Socks ism with antitrust suits a Jan. 19. Comment ism handles 74per cent of All computers in the nation. The Federal govern ment operates approximately 90 per cent of All computers i operation. Approximately 90 per cent of All government operated computers Are ism. Department of defense prob ably the world s largest single customer acquires Many com Puter systems through so called sole source procurement process by which competitive bidding for computer contract Sis eliminated. Question if ism is in fact a monopoly who made them one answer the Federal govern ment of course.  european edition it. Col. F. 8. Michael jr., u8afeditor in chief Mert Proctor Mana Llna editor Elmer d. Frank production manager Henry 8. Epstein circulation manager that newspaper it an authorized publication of the department of detente for u.8. Armed Force Over Eai. The Star and strip i published by the comm under in chef . European command a support of the command internal information program of the department of defense. Content of the Star and Stripe do not necessarily reflect the official View of the u.8. Government or the department of defence. The App Armce of do play in thl newspaper concerning commercial publication Doe not constitute an endorsement by the department of defense or any of it component. Military add Reni the Star and stripes Apo 09175, International Malli the tar and Stripe Pott Fach 1034, 61-Darmstadt, Germany. Tell Orl him i prefix we i Darmstadt Alt trip prefix 2379 741, telex 0419-j32. New York office my Wathington st., new York 10014, Tel Are Codo 21 wo-5771. Second Cla postage paid to new York . New bureaus London Bob Hoyer 3rd a he South re Lilly South re Lilly military 2067 or Viking w28 Augsburg Germany Al in May he sued Bayern sup dust Pao Reese Cavern Augsburg military 7w, no in Bra Germany Jay Logon . 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