This week's column I note how the end of redlining nieghborhoods for auto insurance rates has made the next year fairly hellish for "bad drivers" such as myself.

Because of redlining, residents of certain ZIP codes - such as those in Van Nuys, East L.A and South L.A. - have historically paid higher rates for the same insurance package as those in ritzier communities, even if they were good drivers.

That's good news for good drivers in Van Nuys and South L.A. who will see their premiums go down substantially. But it's going to be an unpleasant discovery for anyone with a speeding ticket or a recent accident, especially if they live in neighborhoods that have been subsidized by redlined drivers, such as Thousand Oaks.

"They will find shocking rates if they are bad drivers," Heller said.

As a result, I'm thinking of selling the hybrid and going the biodiesel route with an old Mercedes. Stay tuned.