7 Tips Toward Helping You Reduce Your Insurance Costs
Not a year goes by that insurance rates go up. At least it seems that way. You can control – even reduce – your insurance expenses by following these seven easy to remember tips. 1. Combine Policies. If you own a home and you own a car, purchase your insurance from the same company. Some insurance companies reward those customers who choose to bundle their insurance together with discounts as high as 10%. 2. Adjust Your Deductibles. Perhaps you don’t need a $200 home deduction. If you can live with a deductible of $500 or more you can save significantly from year to year. 3. Special Discounts. Depending on your age, there may be special discounts you can take that will also reduce your premiums. 4. Examine Your Policy. Oh, we do think they are correct – right? Well, if your address is incorrect you could be paying more than you should. Check to make sure that your correct zip code is listed...it could cost you money if your insurer has you living in another neighborhood. 5. Abstain From Bad Habits. If you do not smoke or drink, make sure that your insurance company knows this. Your rate will drop accordingly if this is news to them. 6. Eat Your Losses. If you have a small claim, consider not submitting this information to the insurance company. Any claims you make can push up your rates down the road thereby costing your more in the long run. 7. Pay Now, Save Later. Instead of breaking up your premium into monthly payments, consider paying the entire premium at one time. Usually, insurers tack on a surcharge for the privilege of monthly payments. You may also be able to save yourself some money by sticking with one insurer as they will reward regular customers with "loyalty" discounts. In addition, it may pay for you to have an alarm installed on your car or home, especially if you live in a higher crime area. Finally, meet with your broker from time to time to see how you can reduce your payments. | Everything You Need to Know About Life Insurance
Life insurance is a type of protection that can be bought and insures the buyer in the event of death. The risk that is assumed by the insurer is the risk of death of the insured. Life insurance is a very good purchase in order to protect a family, especially if you are the sole breadwinner. Additionally, life insurance can help pay for funeral costs and therefore ensure that your death will not be a financial burden for your family. It is important to understand the process of life insurance in order to truly grasp its value. A life insurance transaction has three parties: the insured, the insurer, and the owner of the policy (the insured and owner of the policy are often the same person). One of the most important parties involved with life insurance is the beneficiary. The beneficiary receives the policy proceeds upon the death of the insured. Only the owner of the policy can change the beneficiary. If the beneficiary is an irrevocable beneficiary, then any changes in beneficiary must be agreed to by the irrevocable beneficiary. In order to solidify a life insurance plan with an insurer, the insurer must evaluate the insured’s lifestyle. The insurer evaluates the risk of insuring the customer. Some insurance companies will not grant insurance to people with serious health issues, or extreme lifestyles. Insurance companies charge differing amounts for life insurance based on the risk evaluation. Part of the risk evaluation is a health evaluation. There are for categories for people seeking life insurance: Preferred Best, Preferred, Standard, and Tobacco. Having no family history of illness or early cancer, and being extremely healthy and active can result in a Preferred Best rating. Depending on lifestyles, and family histories, a person is slowly moved down the ladder. It is easy to move down the categories but almost impossible to move up a category. Life insurance is a legal contract that has terms and conditions. In the event of the suicide of the insured, most insurance companies will declare the policy null and void. Misrepresentation by the owner or insured on the life insurance application is also a plausible reason for the policy to be nullified. Insurance companies are entitled to know the circumstances of the insured’s death and can decide whether or not the policy should be nullified if there is suspicion of suicide. A death certificate must be shown to the insurer to prove the death of the insured. As with any insurance policy, life insurance takes a substantial amount of time to mature. Once matured, the "face value" of the policy is given. A policy matures upon the death of the insured, or when the insured reaches a certain age. Depending on the policy, the insured can make differing amounts of payments over time. As with all insurances, failed payments result in the termination of the insurance. Life insurance is a very good thing to have because it protects your family’s financial well-being. In the event that you were the sole worker, life insurance can pay your family your salary for many years (depending on the policy). Life insurance can also cover the costs of funerals and therefore your death won’t be a burden on your family.
All Auto Insurance is Not Created Equal!
Contrary to what you may have heard all auto insurance is not created equal. A quick search on the net will quickly revealed different rates, different policies, and different terms, so how is one to sort through all the clutter. Well the first thing you may want to do is visit the all auto insurance center which is a resource center that explains auto insurance in detail. You can also search the net and visit plenty of other good sites to better understand your coverage.
There are many things that affect your insurance rates. Your driving record, how many tickets you’ve had in the past, where you live, how much you drive, what type of car you have, what type of coverage you buy, and where you buy your insurance company.
Many people have reported saving up to 40% by purchasing auto insurance online. The most important thing to remember when shopping online is to purchase your insurance from a reputable insurance company. You can always check the rating of the insurance company you are planning to deal with.
You should always get at least 5 or 6 quotes so you can compare thoroughly. When comparing make sure you are comparing same policies. If not it would rather be like comparing Victoria Secrets lingerie to Walmart lingerie. Not a fair comparison!
You will need to be able to provide the company you are asking for a quote from with information relating to your driving record. There is no point in fibbing. Because the auto insurance company will validate all information you provide. If you lie your rates will go up or the insurance company may cancel your policy.
All auto insurance is not created equal for many reasons. Companies use a formula to determine rates. We won’t get into the details of the formula but basically they calculate out the number of drivers they cover, the costs for the previous year including operating, accident, and liability claims, then they do some math and come out with their rates. Much is determined by the amount of payouts they’ve had.
We mentioned earlier about purchasing from an insurance company that is rated well. If you save a bundle of money but the insurance company you purchased your policy from has a tendency not to honor and pay out on claims but rather weasels their way out. Then the savings aren’t worth anything. Or if the insurance company is a fly by night operation here today and gone tomorrow, they’ll be gone with your money and you won’t have insurance. No savings in that scenario! So make sure to check! Unless of course you recognize the insurance company.
Companies like Geico, Allstate, Hartford, State Farm, Progressive, and of course several other big companies can be found online.
Most companies offer online quotes which is very handy. No more sitting on the telephone waiting to speak to an agent. No more driving half way across the city to get rates then driving half way around the city to get another rate then…. Okay I’m sure you get the picture! It’s tiring just thinking about it. It’s so much easier just to pull up a chair and put your mouse to work.
Hopefully we’ve brought to your attention that all auto insurance is not created equal. We thought we’d mention it again just incase J So shop around and save money!
Is Purchasing Travel Insurance Smart?
To answer the question "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" let's look at what insurance is. When you purchase insurance - health insurance, homeowner's insurance, car insurance, life insurance, or travel insurance - you're not making an investment. It's not the same as going to the bank and depositing money and expecting to reap financial rewards at some point. No, any insurance including travel insurance is about sharing risk in case of unforeseen catastrophic events. For thousands of years, risks have been shared during times of tragedy. The first formal insurance company, Lloyd's, was formed in 1769, and their insurance concept remains today - to gather the premiums of clients as a pool of resources to return to clients who experience covered events. Is purchasing travel insurance smart for you, then? Do you need a pool of resources from others' premiums to help you out in the event of a travel emergency? Or can you take care of any unforeseen circumstance on your own? It's not just about money, either. To decide if purchasing travel insurance is smart for you, let's take a look at just a few of the things that could happen while you're traveling. It's your first time in Europe and neither you nor your spouse speak any foreign language and your wallet is stolen. Your credit cards, your airline tickets, your passport and your money are all gone. What do you do now? Money may not be the primary problem here as you can always call your bank and have a wire transfer completed. Or can you? Do you know the international rules and capabilities for this? Where are the banks and do the tellers speak English? What about replacing your airline tickets? What about money to get to the airport and check out of your hotel? Your passports are the primary issue probably. They took a very long time to get. Now you can't get out of the country without them. Where do you go to replace them? If you had known this was going to happen, how would you have answered the question, "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" Your child is involved in an accident and must have medical assistance but you find out your insurance does not cover you outside of the United States, and medical care is not adequate where you are anyway. How do you get your child back to the United States for medical care? If you had known this was going to happen, how would you have answered the question, "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" So, to answer the question, "is purchasing travel insurance smart?" consider what could happen while you're abroad and determine if you might be grateful for outside assistance. Health Insurance for the Beginner There are two basic types of health insurance: indemnity plans, sometimes called fee-for-service, and managed care plans. With indemnity plans, you are allowed to use any medical provider. You also have a deductible to pay each year before the health insurance company starts paying. In this plan, fees for medical tests are prescription drugs are paid for. While indemnity plans offer choice of doctors and health care providers, managed care plans have contracts with certain physicians and providers to supply services to members at a lower price. A managed care plan has reduced costs, but smaller selection of doctors and services. Three forms of the managed care plan are: Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), and Point-of-Service (POS) Plan. Health care can be extremely costly; that's a given. But, just how expensive? There are quite a few different costs to take into account when looking into health insurance. First, there is the premium, or the monthly fee for coverage. Premiums range considerably depending on your coverage. Next comes the deductible, the dollar amount that has to be fulfilled before the company aids in your health care costs. And of course, there are co-payments and co-insurance; two more ways of dividing up expenses with your health insurance company. |
