NATION

NATION
Survey: Many to keep cell phone number, not provider
NEW YORK -- You can now be wedded to your cell phone number, while demanding a divorce from your wireless carrier. A new survey of 600 mobile talkers suggests plenty of folks are ready to do that when their current service contracts expire.
Fifty-nine percent of the respondents said they were aware of the new cell phone number "portability" law that took effect Monday, according to the survey by market research firm InsightExpress. Nearly a fifth, 18 percent, said they're likely to ditch a traditional phone line at home and use their mobile.
When choosing a wireless plan, the monthly fee and brand name were the most cited as the most important factors, by nearly half the people in the survey earlier this month. Coverage area was next, cited by 16 percent.
Auto-insurance know-how
NEW YORK -- When it comes to the fundamentals of auto-insurance rates, adults and teen drivers both have a few things to learn.
Quizzing a group of 1,000 teens and 1,000 adults, Progressive Corp. found the two groups were about equally knowledgeable on the basics of what affects rates.
Nearly three of four teens didn't know that your credit history plays a role in how much you pay, while more than half of adults (63 percent) didn't know this.
Nearly a third of adults, 30 percent, said the color of a car would affect the cost to insure it. More than a fifth of teens, 22 percent, also believed color was used to set rates. It's not.
Fortunately, most people do know the importance of age and experience. Only 2 percent of teens and 9 percent of adults believed age is not a factor in setting rates.
Associated Press