I think my insurance company treated me unfairly. What can I do?

Try to resolve the problem with your agent or broker first. If that doesn't work, try calling the company headquarters and asking for a consumer complaint representative. If you still cannot resolve the dispute with the company, contact the Missouri Department of Insurance-especially if you think the company has violated a Missouri statute or regulation. You can call them toll free at 1-800-726-7390. They can't represent you in a legal sense, but they may be able to assist you.

Brenda Procter, M.S.,  Consumer and Family Economics, College of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia

If you'd like to learn more about this and other personal finance topics, the University of Missouri offers 'Personal & Family Finance,' a correspondence course, through the Center for Distance and Independent Study (800-609-3727). Information about this course is available at http://cdis.missouri.edu/CourseInfo/DetailCourseInfo.asp?1985.

Last update: Tuesday, July 05, 2005