Free Insurance Quotes - Cheap and Simple Way to Manage Our Savings

Have you checked your insurance for better insurance rate quotes lately? Many people ignore this just because they don't want to go through all the troubles looking for insurance rate information or comparing rates, and decide to stick with the old companies which they think have already given them the best rates and coverage even if the rates are raised by the companies. If that is what happen, they might have missed the chance of getting better rates and coverage offered by other insurance companies on the market.


In every insurance company, insurance rate is dynamically changed through time. There are so many aspects that can influence the rate changing whether it is an external or internal factor.


Government rules and policies, political and economic situation, business atmosphere such as number of competitors, or even a natural disaster could be considered as external factors that give effect to an insurance rate as well as the coverage. For example when the political situation is getting hot which might trigger some riots or civil commotions insurance companies will raise their rates since the risk factors are increasing, and they might lessen the extend coverage for RSCCTS (riot, strike, civil commotion, terrorism, and sabotage) or give an extra charge for the items. But if an insurance company finds a lot of competitors on the market selling the same insurance product, this could make the company lower their rate and sometimes offers a better coverage and service.


While the internal factors usually have something to do with the loss and profit of an insurance company. Let's say insurance company A provides auto insurance and homeowner insurance. Due to a catastrophic in one area, they have to pay out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims. To cover the loss over the homeowner insurance claims, the company may raise premiums for their auto insurance customers. But if the company is in a profitable year they might lower their rates to attract more customers. Beside that, certain record of costumers might also affect the insurance rate like credit history or driving record in the case of auto insurance.


Since there are so many factors that could affect the raise or decrease of insurance rates, we can be sure that there is no guarantee we will continue to receive the best rates from the time we signed with an insurance company. Like I said before, insurance rate is dynamically changes through time, so even if we still pay the same rate like the first time we signed with an insurance company or even lower than that, we still have a chance of getting a better insurance deal on the market.


To ensure we are getting the best rate, best is to make a regular review of our policy and then make a comparison against the offerings from other competing insurance companies. Not like in the past, when to obtain insurance quotes could take a lot of time and waste so much energy since we have to spend hours on the phone and having lots of meetings with different insurance agents, today we can easily get free insurance quotes from the internet. This could be done in a very short time, only by filling out the online questionnaire and without lifting the phone or leaving home, we already can obtain free insurance quotes from many different insurance companies.


We can get free insurance quotes from insurance company websites, insurance broker websites, or from any other insurance websites that have free insurance quotes tool. If we'd like to have a more detail information on coverage and services of an insurance product beside the rate, we can get a free insurance quote from insurance company websites. But this way, we're going to have to travel from website to website to get quotes from other insurance companies and also we have to fill the questionnaire form again and again. So if we'd like to save a little time and energy, we can get free insurance quotes from insurance consulting websites that offer free insurance quotes. We can easily find these websites by simply type "free insurance quotes" on the search engine, and we'll find hundreds of websites offering to give free insurance quotes. The best thing is we don't have to visit another websites to get insurance quotes from different insurance companies and usually we only have to fill the questionnaire form once. These kind of websites usually also give tips on how to get the best rate, coverage, and other insurance services.


To obtain sufficient information from free insurance quotes to be able to help us in making comparisons and determine which insurance company will we choose, here are some things should be noted:


o We must determine from which site we will ask for an insurance quote based on our needs. If we want more detailed information about coverage and services provided by an insurance company is better to directly ask for quotes from the insurance company's website. We should also do this if we want an insurance quote for specific types of insurance such as the antique car insurance which has many different aspects from the general car insurance. But if we wish to make a quick comparison and intend to more detailed information later on, we can go to any insurance site which provides a free insurance quote for many different insurance companies, and be sure we pick the site which has a large amount of insurance company database so we can have a lot of choices to compare.


o Determine what kind of coverage we really need and how much money we prepared, and what amounts of coverage needed to protect us. Because the insurance market is sometimes like a shopping mall that often tempt us with products that are irresistible, so we often fall and spend money on something that we don't really need.


o Fill the questionnaire form with accurate data, if we do not feel confident about what we have to fill in one column, it's better to ask or look for documents that can help us fill, in case of auto insurance maybe we can prepare the vehicle documents, driver license, and any related documents. If the insurance object is under insured, the policy's declarations page can help you a lot in filling the form. Answer all the questions in the form truly and don't hide anything, this is the only way for us to obtain an accurate quote.


o Ask free insurance quotes from at least three different companies to be able to get more alternatives. If we ask for quotes from different sites, make sure to enter exactly the same information so that we can get a balanced comparison.


o Do some experiments by changing information or value in various fields that can affect insurance rates and consider the results of the calculation to see which one best suits our needs and budget, then do the same thing with quotes from other insurance companies in order to make comparisons. For example, generally if we increase the deductible value and decrease the amount coverage then we shall have a lower rate. Or in case of auto insurance, number of drivers and average mileage can also affect the rate. But please notice that there are some fields which also affect the rate that we cannot change like driving record in case of auto insurance or health record in case of health insurance otherwise we won't get an accurate quote.


After getting a rate quote that suits our needs and budget, we can continue to do a further check to the insurance company and the insurance plan. Remember, that the cheapest quote doesn't necessarily mean you will get the best value on your coverage and good coverage doesn't always come from a big company. Here are what we have to do after getting rate quotes:


o Look beyond the amount of money to what the coverage actually covers. Pay attention to the several other factors that could affect the claim process and payment as well as the length of the claim process, also find out what is not covered in the policy exclusions. We can get the information on the website if it's available there or best is to contact the insurance agent to get more sufficient comprehensive information.


o Check the history and reputation of the company, since having insurance covers from an experienced and reputable company can give us peace of mind. Find out whether they provide high quality costumer care or if there were complains about the company performance. we can find testimonials or experts review on an insurance company concerning these issues.


o There's nothing wrong to follow our instinct as long as we also use common sense in deciding which insurance company we should choose. We can go with the company that makes us feel most comfortable as long as it gives a nice rate and coverage based on the insurance quote. Pay attention if the agent or company representative able to answer all our coverage and policy questions or whether the agent treat you with courteous and respect. After all, we always want to have insurance protection with the best rate and service.


After we have made our mind and choose one insurance company to insured us, we shouldn't stop trying to get more discounts or lower rate. Besides raising up the deductible amount which can give us up to 15-30% lower rate, there are still many other things that can lower the insurance rate such as:


o If the insurance company handles a wide range of insurance products consider having all our insurance provided by this company, this will give us a great discount on our premiums.


o In the case of auto or homeowners' insurance, ask the company about multi-family price reductions for coverage. If there is a price reduction, consider to purchase multi-family over a single type of insurance from the company. We can also get discount by having well-security system for the vehicle / house.


o We can also choose to make annual premium payment to save money. That's because most insurance companies do charge a service fee if we make quarterly or monthly payments since this increases the risk that we won't pay the next month. Some insurance companies don't charge these fees but do give us a discount if we pay our entire premium in one lump sum. While that might seem too expensive of a bill to pay at once, we could always put back the amount of the monthly premiums into a savings account each month then we'd have the full amount to pay the yearly premium


After we have got the best coverage with the best rate, all we have to do is to keep it that way by avoiding things that can cause us to lose some protection and rate increases. For example, in case of auto insurance, we should be a safe driver, avoid accidents, and try to avoid making too much claims. As for homeowners' insurance, we can try to minimize our liability risks by placing fence around the pool or having adult supervision when anyone is at home. We might also consider small repairs yourself without making a claim.


This way we can maintain the coverage and the low rate we already have although it's not 100% guarantee it will stay that way for a very long time. That's why we still have to make a regular review of our policy especially at the end of an insurance period to get the best deal on the market by taking advantage of free insurance quotes available, since the rate might easily changed every time.


Get more insurance tips at http://einsurancer.com Original post at einsurancer.com.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Muxin_Hamed
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21+ Useful Insurance Terms You Should Know

INSURED - A person or a corporation who contracts for an insurance policy that indemnifies (protects) him against loss or damage to property or, in the case of a liability policy, defend him against a claim from a third party.


NAMED INSURED - Any person, firm or corporation specifically designated by name as an insured(s) in a policy as distinguished from others who, though unnamed, are protected under some circumstances. For example, a common application of this latter principle is in auto liability policies wherein by a definition of "insured", coverage is extended to other drivers using the car with the permission of the named insured. Other parties can also be afforded protection of an insurance policy by being named an "additional insured" in the policy or endorsement.


ADDITIONAL INSURED - An individual or entity that is not automatically included as an insured under the policy of another, but for whom the named insureds policy provides a certain degree of protection. An endorsement is typically required to effect additional insured status. The named insureds impetus for providing additional insured status to others may be a desire to protect the other party because of a close relationship with that party (e.g., employees or members of an insured club) or to comply with a contractual agreement requiring the named insured to do so (e.g., customers or owners of property leased by the named insured).


CO-INSURANCE - The sharing of one insurance policy or risk between two or more insurance companies. This usually entails each insurer paying directly to the insured their respective share of the loss. Co-insurance can also be the arrangement by which the insured, in consideration of a reduced rate, agrees to carry an amount of insurance equal to a percentage of the total value of the property insured. An example is if you have guaranteed to carry insurance up to 80% or 90% of the value of your building and/or contents, whatever the case may be. If you don't, the company pays claims only in proportion to the amount of coverage you do carry.


The following equation is used to determine what amount may be collected for partial loss:


Amount of Insurance Carried x Loss


Amount of Insurance that = Payment


Should be Carried


Example A Mr. Right has an 80% co-insurance clause and the following situation:


$100,000 building value


$ 80,000 insurance carried


$ 10,000 building loss


By applying the equation for determining payment for partial loss, the following amount may be collected:


$80,000 x $10,000 = $10,000


$80,000


Mr. Right recovers the full amount of his loss because he carried the coverage specified in his co-insurance clause.


Example B Mr. Wrong has an 80% co-insurance clause and the following situation:


$100,000 building value


$ 70,000 insurance carried


$ 10,000 building loss


By applying the equation for determining payment for partial loss, the following amount may be collected:


$70,000 x $10,000 = $8,750


$80,000


Mr. Wrong's loss of $10,000 is greater than the company's limit of liability under his co-insurance clause. Therefore, Mr. Wrong becomes a self-insurer for the balance of the loss-- $1,250.


PREMIUM - The amount of money paid by an insured to an insurer for insurance coverage.


DEDUCTIBLE - The first dollar amount of a loss for which the insured is responsible before benefits are paid by the insurer; similar to a self-insured retention (SIR). The insurer's liability begins when the deductible is exhausted.


SELF INSURED RETENTION - Acts the same way as a deductible but the insured is responsible for all legal fees incurred in relation to the amount of the SIR.


POLICY LIMIT - The maximum monetary amount an insurance company is responsible for to the insured under its policy of insurance.


FIRST PARTY INSURANCE - Insurance that applies to coverage for an insureds own property or a person. Traditionally it covers damage to insureds property from whatever causes are covered in the policy. It is property insurance coverage. An example of first party insurance is BUILDERS RISK INSURANCE which is insurance against loss to the rigs or vessels in the course of their construction. It only involves the insurance company and the owner of the rig and/or the contractor who has a financial interest in the rig.


THIRD PARTY INSURANCE - Liability insurance covering the negligent acts of the insured against claims from a third party (i.e., not the insured or the insurance company - a third party to the insurance policy). An example of this insurance would be SHIP REPAIRER'S LEGAL LIABILITY (SRLL) - provides protection for contractors repairing or altering a customer's vessel at their shipyard, other locations or at sea; also covers the insured while the customer's property is under the "Care, Custody and Control" of the insured. A Commercial General Liability policy is needed for other coverages, such as slip-and-fall situations.


INSURABLE INTEREST - Any interest in something that is the subject of an insurance policy or any legal relationship to that subject that will trigger a certain event causing monetary loss to the insured. Example of insurable interest - ownership of a piece of property or an interest in that piece of property, e.g., a shipyard constructing a rig or vessel. (See BUILDERS RISK above)


LIABILITY INSURANCE - Insurance coverage that protects an insured against claims made by third parties for damage to their property or person. These losses usually come about as a result of negligence of the insured. In marine construction this policy is referred to an MGL, marine general liability policy. In non marine circumstances the policy is referred to as a CGL, commercial general liability policy. Insurance policies can be divided into two broad categories:


First party insurance covers the property of the person who purchases the insurance policy. For example, a home owner's policy promising to pay for fire damage to the home owner's home is a first party policy. Liability insurance, sometimes called third party insurance, covers the policy holder's liability to other people. For example, a homeowners' policy might cover liability if someone trips and falls on the home owner's property. Sometimes one policy, such as in these examples, may have both first and third party coverage.
Liability insurance provides two separate benefits. First, the policy will cover the damage incurred by the third party. Sometimes this is called providing "indemnity" for the loss. Second, most liability policies provide a duty to defend. The duty to defend requires the insurance company to pay for lawyers, expert witnesses, and court costs to defend the third party's claim. These costs can sometimes be substantial and should not be ignored when facing a liability claim.


UMBRELLA LIABILITY COVERAGE - This type of liability insurance provides excess liability protection. Your business needs this coverage for the following three reasons:
It provides excess coverage over the "underlying" liability insurance you carry.
It provides coverage for all other liability exposures, excepting a few specifically excluded exposures. This subject to a large deductible of about $10,000 to $25,000.
It provides automatic replacement coverage for underlying policies that have been reduced or exhausted by loss.


NEGLIGENCE - The failure to use reasonable care. The doing of something which a reasonably prudent person would not do, or the failure to do something which a reasonably prudent person would do under like circumstances. Negligence is a 'legal cause' of damage if it directly and in natural and continuous sequence produces or contributes substantially to producing such damage, so it can reasonably be said that if not for the negligence, the loss, injury or damage would not have occurred.
GROSS NEGLIGENCE - A carelessness and reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, which is so great it appears to be almost a conscious violation of other people's rights to safety. It is more than simple negligence, but it is just short of being willful misconduct. If gross negligence is found by the trier of fact (judge or jury), it can result in the award of punitive damages on top of general and special damages, in certain jurisdictions.


WILLFUL MISCONDUCT - An intentional action with knowledge of its potential to cause serious injury or with a reckless disregard for the consequences of such act.


PRODUCT LIABILITY - Liability which results when a product is negligently manufactured and sent into the stream of commence. A liability that arises from the failure of a manufacturer to properly manufacture, test or warn about a manufactured object.


MANUFACTURING DEFECTS - When the product departs from its intended design, even if all possible care was exercised.


DESIGN DEFECTS - When the foreseeable risks of harm posed by the product could have been reduced or avoided by the adoption of a reasonable alternative design, and failure to use the alternative design renders the product not reasonably safe.


INADEQUATE INSTRUCTIONS OR WARNINGS DEFECTS - When the foreseeable risks of harm posed by the product could have been reduced or avoided by reasonable instructions or warnings, and their omission renders the product not reasonably safe.


PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE - Liability insurance to indemnify professionals, (doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, etc.,) for loss or expense which the insured professional shall become legally obliged to pay as damages arising out of any professional negligent act, error or omission in rendering or failing to render professional services by the insured. Same as malpractice insurance.


Professional Liability has expanded over the years to include those occupations in which special knowledge, skills and close client relationships are paramount. More and more occupations are considered professional occupations, as the trend in business continues to grow from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-oriented economy. Coupled with the litigious nature of our society, the companies and staff in the service economy are subject to greater exposure to malpractice claims than ever before.


ERRORS AND OMISSIONS - Same as malpractice or professional liability insurance.


HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT - A contractual arrangement whereby one party assumes the liability inherent in the situation, thereby relieving the other party of responsibility. For example, a lease of premises may provide that the lessee must "hold harmless" the lessor for any liability from accidents arising out of the premises.


INDEMNIFY - To restore the victim of a loss, in whole or in part, by payment, repair, or replacement.


INDEMNITY AGREEMENTS - Contract clauses that identify who is to be responsible if liabilities arise and often transfer one party's liability for his or her wrongful acts to the other party.


WARRANTY - An agreement between a buyer and a seller of goods or services detailing the conditions under which the seller will make repairs or fix problems without cost to the buyer.


Warranties can be either expressed or implied. An EXPRESS WARRANTY is a guarantee made by the seller of the goods which expressly states one of the conditions attached to the sale e.g.,"This item is guaranteed against defects in construction for one year".


An IMPLIED WARRANTY is usual in common law jurisdictions and attached to the sale of goods by operation of law made on behalf of the manufacturer. These warranties are not usually in writing. Common implied warranties are a warranty of fitness for use (implied by law that if a seller knows the particular purpose for which the item is purchased certain guarantees are implied) and a warranty of merchantability (a warranty implied by law that the goods are reasonably fit for the general purpose for which they are sold).


DAMAGES OR LOSS - The monetary consequence which results from injury to a thing or a person.


CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES - As opposed to direct loss or damage -- is indirect loss or damage resulting from loss or damage caused by a covered peril, such as fire or windstorm. In the case of loss caused where windstorm is a covered peril, if a tree is blown down and cuts electricity used to power a freezer and the food in the freezer spoils, if the insurance policy extends coverage for consequential loss or damage then the food spoilage would be a covered loss. Business Interruption insurance, extends consequential loss or damage coverage for such items as extra expenses, rental value, profits and commissions, etc.


LIQUIDATED DAMAGES - Are a payment agreed to by the parties of a contract to satisfy portions of the agreement which were not performed. In some cases liquidated damages may be the forfeiture of a deposit or a down payment, or liquidated damages may be a percentage of the value of the contract, based on the percentage of work uncompleted. Liquidated damages are often paid in lieu of a lawsuit, although court action may be required in many cases where liquidated damages are sought. Liquidated damages, as opposed to a penalty, are sometimes paid when there is uncertainty as to the actual monetary loss involved. The payment of liquidated damages relieves the party in breech of a contract of the obligation to perform the balance of the contract.


SUBROGATION - "To stand in the place of" Usually found in property policies (first party) when an insurance company pays a loss to an insured or damaged to the insureds property, the insurer stands in the shoes of the insured and may pursue any third party who might be responsible for the loss. For example, if a defective component is sold to a manufacturer to be used in his product and that product is damaged due to the defective component. The insurance company who pays the loss to the manufacturer of the product may sue the manufacturer of the defective component.


Subrogation has a number of sub-principles namely:


The insurer cannot be subrogated to the insureds right of action until it has paid the insured and made good the loss.
The insurer can be subrogated only to actions which the insured would have brought himself.
The insured must not prejudice the insurer's right of subrogation. Thus, the insured may not compromise or renounce any right of action he has against the third party if by doing so he could diminish the insurer's right of recovery.
Subrogation against the insurer. Just as the insured cannot profit from his loss the insurer may not make a profit from the subrogation rights. The insurer is only entitled to recover the exact amount they paid as indemnity, and nothing more. If they recover more, the balance should be given to the insured.
Subrogation gives the insurer the right of salvage.
In its history of providing insurance services to its clients for over thirty years, Nausch Hogan & Murray has provided coverage for all areas of liability - both on land and at sea.


Over the years Nausch Hogan & Murray has found it helpful to draft a glossary of useful insurance terms that come up time and again in discussions with an insured concerning their coverage needs. We hope these help you as well.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carmen_A._Russo
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Finding cheap online auto insurance

Automobile car insurance is something that we all need and should command careful consideration. When in the market for auto insurance coverage, and with so many car insurance companies to choose from, it can be a bit confusing when trying to decide on the best and most affordable coverage for your vehicle. With the convenience of the internet, finding all the information required to get the best deals and rates can easily be accomplished online. 


Finding a reputable auto car insurance company is a job within itself, and like buying a home, it is imperative you clearly understand what you are getting.  When in search of cheaper car insurance rates you should take into account all the factors that can affect your car insurance premiums. So before you sign on the dotted line, read the fine print of Automobile Insurance Policy to insure you are getting the necessary coverage to protect yourself.  It happens time and time again, when the car owner gets into an accident or fender bender, the coverage they thought they were paying for is not part of their policy which can lead to out-of-pocket expenses. 


Get several car insurance quotes


Some key factors when shopping for cheap car insurance is to first make sure you get at least three or four quotes since the price you pay for your car insurance can vary by hundreds of dollars. Finding cheaper insurance rates depends on your previous driving records, to include any type of infraction such as speeding, seat belt and auto accidents. Age, gender and the type of car you are seeking auto insurance coverage on including the age of the vehicle, will clearly be critical factors in determining your annual car premiums.


It is equally important to find a car insurance company that can answer any questions you may have and how quickly they handle claims fairly and efficiently. Once you decide on a quote you are satisfied with, before agreeing to anything check with your state insurance department about the company’s history. Finding out the financial well-being of an insurable institution and the number ratio of consumer complaints, could avoid headaches or any future regrets.  


Learn the facts about car insurance


Some other ways of saving money is to ask your insurance broker or agent for a higher deductible. The deductive is the amount of money you pay before the insurance company pays out on your claim. The purpose of requesting a higher deductible can lower your auto rates substantially.  When you increase the deductible from $500 to $1,000 you can potentially save you over 40% on your car insurance rates simply because the insurance company will pay out less for your claim. However, if you know that you can not pay out the higher deductible should something happen to your car in the instance of an accident, and then it is best to remain at a lower deductible.


When figuring out the appropriate insurance coverage for your car, take into account the age of the car. This could also influence your auto premium, for example you may want to consider excluding the collision or comprehensive coverage on an older car. It is not cost saving to yourself when you continue to pay full coverage on a car worth less than amount you pay for your insurance coverage.  If the car has a market value of $2,000 or less, you would not want to pay more in premiums since you will never get back what you are paying out. 


You can easily find out the current market value of your car in order to find out what coverage you will require from a number of valued sources such as banks, auto dealerships, or go online and use the search term, “finding the value of your vehicle”. You can find several reputable services such as, www.kbb.com or www.nadaguides.com where all you have to do is type in the applicable information about your car and instantly you will have the market value. As the saying goes, an educated consumer is a smart consumer, the more you understand prior to purchasing auto insurance, you will be able to make an informed and valued decision. 


Written on behalf of http://www.insurancequote4you.com/ your premium source for finding the best online car insurance rates.

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Worst Case Scenario: Will Your Home Buildings Insurance Cover You?

Nobody likes to consider the ramifications of a worst case scenario, least of all the financial consequence. However, did you know that if a major storm (of the likes we experienced in the UK in the late 1980s) struck the UK today, almost one-half of all homes in the UK would have inadequate home buildings insurance to cover the cost of repairs!

Valuation of your home buildings insurance – is it being done correctly?


Before you consider the value of your home, ask yourself a quick couple of questions:
- what is the principal reason why you have home buildings insurance?
- who assess the value of your home buildings insurance?


In most cases, the answer to the first question is you need to have home buildings insurance because it is a requirement under your mortgage agreement.  The answer to your second question is also likely to be your home mortgage provider, because they feel they know the value of your home better than you do.  So, what’s the problem?  Well, the problem is, each year your home mortgage is going down, but hopefully the value of your home is going up.  As your insurance is principally to cover your outstanding mortgage, a disparity - between the value of your home and the outstanding mortgage amount - will rapidly arise. Therefore, it is vital that you keep control of valuing your home for home buildings insurance purposes and always ensure that the insurance relates to the actual value of your home, not the outstanding mortgage amount.


Improvements to your home – are they being included?


Likely as not, over time you are going to do some building work to your home.  Maybe you’ll add an extension.  Put in a greenhouse.  Add a conservatory.  Etc.  The question is – are all of these add-ons being included in the additional value they bring to your home, or are you only continuing to insure the main part of the home that was part of the original policy?


Increased costs – have you factored these in?


Nearly every insurance policy comes with an excess amount.  Essentially what this means is that you have to pay a threshold amount before you can claim against the insurance company.  Fine, let’s take an example: say you bought your home in 1980 and set the threshold amount at £500.  Would you get more or less in materials and labour today if you were still maintaining an excess sum of £500?  Answer, far less and you’d be claiming on your insurance far sooner, which in turn means your premiums are likely to be higher.


As you can see then, home buildings insurance is not as simple as guessing what you think the value of your home is.  It takes certain precision and year-on-year upkeep if you want to make sure you’ll be sufficiently insured should the unfortunate worst case scenario occur.

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Solid Auto Insurance Advice For Anyone To Use

Buying the right insurance for your car is essential to prevent financial difficulties when an accident occurs. The article below will describe how to ask the right questions from your broker or agent, what coverage to buy and how to avoid duplicate coverage. Read the article and ask the right questions from your insurance professional.


When buying a new car, look for one with as many safety features as possible. Certain features earn significant rate discounts, such as having a car alarm or extra air bags. These reduce potential damages and corresponding insurance claims. Consider installing additional safety features to an older automobile. Be sure to take care of outstanding tickets, before getting a new car insurance company. Insurance companies will check your driving history, so you want to make sure any outstanding fines are paid up. Taking care of these minor infractions is not just your responsibility, it can also keep your insurance costs down.


Understand basic insurance terms and coverage options before looking for an insurance policy. While each state has different requirements, the insurance basics are mainly the same. You should check quotes online and learn the terminology prior to speaking to a carrier. This will help you better understand your options so you will be sure to pick the best one for you. Thoroughly check your vehicle's insurance policy for possible errors. Inaccurate information on your policy can result in claim denials or delays in payment of your claim.


Does your policy list the correct home address? Is your vehicle's description accurate? Premiums include the cost of your annual mileage, so be sure your policy reflects how much you drive. Consider removing some of the coverage from your insurance policy that you no longer need. For older cars, it is not really important to have collision insurance. You can save a considerable amount of money by removing collision coverage. You can also consider dropping comprehensive and liability coverage.


If you have a valuable car and hardly any assets you should go with 100/200/100 coverage. Most states require motorists to maintain minimum liability coverage levels. Your policy should meet or exceed those levels. If you have multiple drivers insured on your policy, make sure that you report to your insurance company if someone stops using your vehicle. Adding more drivers to a policy will cost you money. Do you really need to cover more than one driver? Comparing the costs of different insurance policies for your car is not the only important factor. It will pay off in the long run if you look at the details, such as deductibles, limits and total coverage provided.


If you are contemplating making after market additions to your car, have a conversation with your agent to see how these would be covered. Expensive additions to your vehicle will increase your personal value for the car, yet may not increase the appraised value much, if at all. You do not have to switch cars to keep the premiums low. By keeping one driver attached to each vehicle, you can keep your costs low. Though it might be tempting to cancel your collision insurance to try to save money, you'll be glad to have the coverage if you cause an accident. Without it, you'll be responsible for the total cost of fixing your car. It is often difficult to gather the money needed to pay for auto repairs in full, rather than pay a much lesser amount to keep collision coverage on your vehicle.


When you get into an accident, car insurance can save your life. If you are going through a difficult time period, you can rest assured, because if you have good insurance you will be okay. This article will give you the answers that you need to get the right insurance.


W. Jackson is a licensed insurance agent in the State of Texas and is a noted writer in different genres of business. For more auto insurance information, quotes or coverages please call toll free 1-888-599-9464 to speak with a live phone representative or you can go to http://www.theneedforcoverage.com.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=W._Jackson
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What You Need To Know About Travel Insurance

Preparing for a major vacation or getaway requires you to pay all your travel expenses, such as cruises, airplane tickets and package tours in 100% advanced payment. The first two options require you to plan ahead of schedule. To avoid penalties, cancel your trip 60 days ahead of schedule. Companies, however, impose high penalties if you cancel close to your departure time.


Problems at home or diseases can also force you to drop the whole trip, so this can’t be avoided, which means you will try to get your money back. Additionally, your travel guide may also try to bail for his own reasons. Because these bail outs are inevitable, a lot of travel agencies in the industry have been forced to close down.


This makes travel insurance a very important part in planning a travel or a vacation. If you needed to cancel the trip halfway, it is good to have travel insurance so you could circumvent the issue. Among other things, travel insurances also cover for medications. After the September 11 terrorist attack, travel insurance become more of a demand. Years later, what used to be only 12% of travelers asking for travel insurance became 30%.


You have to see to it that your plans include; If you cancel the trip with an acceptable reason, the company will cover all of your expenditures. For example, if you become injured or sick, or a family member dies, it’s likely that you’ll be covered. Other reasons include deciding on the safety of your destination in the last moment, and the likes. If your travel agency somehow closes down, you should be compensated for supplier default. Also, your policy should include terrorism coverage which will reimburse you should your destination become a target of terrorism. Some insurance companies do not include medical care, and this can be really expensive, so you have to make sure it is included. Duplicating your previous health plans may result to conflicts of interest, so make sure you review the details painstakingly. Travel policies also need to include your previous medical conditions in the coverage.


You must buy the policy within a specified number of days after making your first trip payment; otherwise those conditions may be excluded. Finally, consider emergency medical evacuation coverage which provides for transportation in the event of a serious illness or injury. Your emergency medical insurance coverage should also include the transportation expenses of bringing you to the closest facility.


Travel insurance is not a priority for all situations, however. Travel insurance is necessary when; you are taking a multi-leg journey; you’re traveling to an area of unrest; or your trip is particularly expensive. Your travel agency should provide you with more information regarding coverage.


Source: http://www.travelarticles.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-travel-insurance/

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Advantages and Disadvantages Of Universal Health Care

What will universal health care cost us and what will be get from it?  


The costs of the new health insurance and health care system will include increased taxes.  In some ways, it won't matter who pays those taxes.  If they are paid by corporations, they will raise the price tags of the goods and services they sell, so the individuals will be hurt as well.  If they are paid by the consumer, then the consumer will have less to pay for goods and services, so the corporations will be hurt as well.


When we look at the cost of any socialized medicine proposal, we should also look at the price of the existing health care system to make comparisons.  In today's medical system, those of us who can pay for national health care subsidize those who can't or won't.  The exact amount is uncertain, but your health insurance premiums are higher because your provider has to raise the rates for those who do pay to make up for those who don't pay.


The costs of our existing health insurance and health care system include the cost of lower productivity when a worker is unable to work because of a medical condition he or she can't afford to treat.  The costs of our present system include the costs associated with more children growing up without a father of mother.  


One of the benefits or the present day system is our familiarity with it.  It's like an old car that has a broken driver's door and a big gash in the passenger seat.  We've gotten used to getting in the car from the passenger side and having a blanket over the gash in the seat.  Another car will have problems as well.  The car may be better or worse.  That part is unknown.  What is known is that the car will be unfamiliar and buying a car is a big commitment.


Once we make major changes to our health care system we will be unlikely to go back to the old medical system.  Even if the new system is decidedly worse, we will be stuck with it.  We may have higher price tags or worse care.  We may be able to tweak the new system and fix it or we may determine that the infrastructure is so poor that it too requires an overhaul.


National health care has the potential of boosting our economy.  Many people who are currently shackled to their employers because of the fear of losing their health insurance, may be able to move on to better jobs or start companies and hire others.  


Under the present day medical system many people are unable to pay for preventative care.  They often wind up in the hospital and get expensive surgeries that they can't afford to pay for.  These surgeries may extend their lives, but may or may not allow them to work again.  An individual who gets medical care when the problem is a small one may be able to work and pay taxes much longer than the individual who only gets care when the situation is critical.


We should strive to create a system that keeps our workers working longer and our parents parenting longer.


Although we may have a health care system that is broken, there is no guarantee that a new health insurance and health care system will be any better.  However, far too many people are hurt by the present day health insurance and health care system for us to just throw up our hands and do nothing.  If we can ignore the rhetoric and focus on the facts a better medical system can be created that will not only benefit the uninsured, but will make us all stronger.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-universal-health-care-1387901.html

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What are Series 7 Exam Requirements?

The Financial Industry National Regulatory Authority (FINRA (formerly NASD)) Series 7 exam requirements are similar to the usual requirements of generally the licensing test that one must pass in order to become a stockbroker. In order to take the exam, one must first obtain "sponsorship"/employment from a FINRA or exchange member firm. In addition, one must submit a set of fingerprints and undergo a basic background check. Typically to register with a firm and consequently the exam you have to complete a U-4 application. On this application you must disclose such things as prior work history, criminal background (if any), etc.
Series 7 Exam Overview


Time limit: 6 hours (the exam is broken into two parts, each part has a 3 hour time limit)
Exam administration: The Series 7 exam is multiple choice and is given on computer
Number of questions: 250 total (125 for each part).
Pre-requisites: You have to be sponsored by a broker/dealer to schedule to sit for the Series 7 exam through FINRA
Exam fee: $250. Note that this includes a $90 NYSE development fee.
Exam dates: The Series 7 exam is administered Monday through Friday


Common Series 7 exam candidate questions:


What is the Series 7 exam?


If you have come this far you should have a pretty good understanding of what you are in for. The Series 7 exam is probably the most well known securities exam to the general public. You have most likely heard of it before on the silver screen in such movies as Wall Street or Boiler Room. There is a good chance the Series 7 exam will be the most difficult exam you have or will ever take. The Series 7 exam is also known as the General Securities Registered Representative exam. A person who holds a Series 7 license is usually referred to as a stockbroker by the general public. The Series 7 license is the broadest securities license you can attain and will allow you to sell most all types of securities. Depending on your state you may also be required to obtain a Series 63 license, and you firm may require you obtain a Series 66 license in place of the Series 63 license depending on the capacity in which you will work.


What content specifically does the Series 7 exam cover?


The Series 7 exam covers content such as corporate securities (stocks and bonds), municipal securities and U.S. government securities, options, direct participation programs, investment company products, variable contracts and federal securities laws.


What happens if I fail the Series 7 exam?


First off you must be positive. If you study correctly you will pass this exam. However, if for some reason you don't get that magic 70% score and you fail your first attempt at the Series 7 exam, your sponsor can submit an amendment to reopen a window in which you can take the exam again. This window will not open until 30 days since your last exam attempt has transpired. At this point, your window will be open for 90 days.


There is no requirement for a sponsor firm to terminate your employment should you fail. However, every time you rewrite the exam, you must pay the required $200 registration fee. So your employer may require you to reimburse the fees paid to re-schedule the exam.


After three failed attempts, you must wait six months before you can re-take the exam for the fourth time. The six-month waiting period is appropriate since by that point you would have paid a total of approximately $600, and the cumulative expense by the fourth time would be $800. The six-month requirement is intended to provide a window in which an individual can ensure he or she is prepared for the fourth exam attempt. This process will then continue indefinitely, as there is no limit as to the number of times you can attempt the series 7 exam.


Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/what-are-series-7-exam-requirements-260114.html

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Who Are The Largest Life Insurance Companies?

One of the more profitable modern day businesses is life insurance companies. The most influential corporations in the world sell policies.

These popular and larger companies have great prices that help customers. The insurance Industry enjoys economic stability, and that is why these companies are able to make the best use of the money which the consumers have put in and get an attractive cash return.

Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (MetLife), Transamerica Occidental Insurance Company and American General Insurance Company (the AIG company) These are some of the brands that are recognized in the USA. These companies deal mostly with Life Insurance. Term and whole life insurance policies are both handled with ease and comfort by them.

Similar methods and principles are used by all of the largest life insurance companies. They serve their customers needs by offering life coverage policies. However, they differ in their coverage plans and terms.

The company gives assurance for compensation and after doing the needful about your health status it will insure your life for a certain sum for which you will pay regular installments.In big cities it is the Metropolitan life insurance company. offers definite service factors, simple policy administration and reliable operations. For financial planning, they can provide the services and solutions that their clients need. With a market share that includes $2 trillion worth of policies, MetLife is among the largest insurers in America. MetLife provides financial holding with a countrywide-chartered bank.

In addition, MetLife serves clients in the continents of Asia and Europe, as a member of Reinsurance Group of America. MetLife was certified in 2005 as being the largest life insurer in the US, including the implementation of both traveler's life as well as allowance group. MetLife offers both term and whole life policies at a cheap rate and avoids rider.

According to the press releases, American General insurance Company is another of the biggest insurance company in the United States. A leader in the world the company has dealings in financial services ,such as insurance,retirement planning and investment. Internationally spread over most parts of the world known this company is known as AIG ,It has presence all over Asia,North America, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. AIG, also known as American International Group.

There is provision in AIG for some savings on the policies related to life, and these are at reasonable rates, which can be afforded easily. Online quotes offer an effortless and hassle free shopping option to their customers. AIG plans include term life, whole life and universal life insurance coverage. However, their term life policy is the most widely used as compared to others.

The Transamerica Corporation is the holding company of a number of companies active in the field of life insurance and investment. Among these firms, Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company is the biggest insurer. They also handle affordable policies, including term, whole and universal.

All the above listed companies sell life insurance policies at affordable rates and assure security to their customers. Major players in the industry share some of the same qualities. The payments on customers' policies make enormous profits for these firms.

The success of the life insurance company is determined by the status of the floats, these floats are the premiums,which have been termed as floats. Certain financial rating companies such as A.A status of life insurance companies is evaluated annually by M Best, Fitch, Diamond Bond, Standard and Poor. Their findings show that, MetLife, AIG, TOIC and Prudential are the four biggest companies.

Larger companies are frequently chosen because of the confidence and security they offer, as opposed to seemingly sketchy, unknown brands. To see how much such things could cost you please consult one of the links below.

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A Look at Protection Insurance

A Look at Protection Insurance 

Protection insurance provides a vital role in making a homeowner sleep soundly at night or a worker not to have to worry about being off for a while sick. Despite the recent bad press about the way the insurance has been sold to the public in the past, the products offer good value and a range of covers.

Mortgage protection and income protection insurance are the two main types of insurance available on the market today.

On the face of it they appear to be very different products providing cover for very different items, however both are a type of protection insurance cover, originally known as 'permanent health' and it could be argued that they offer the same cover for the same risks, with a different marketing angle.

Both provide a monthly cash sum to cover out-goings when the policyholder cannot work due to sickness, an accident or a period of short-term unemployment.

Permanent health is more commonly known today as accident, sickness and unemployment insurance or protection insurance.

All protection insurance policies are designed to provide a monthly income on a short-term basis often no longer than a year, to people who cannot work due to one of these perils.

Policies pay out benefits if you are sick, injured or lose your job. Benefits are paid out on a monthly basis for the term agreed. The policyholder pays a small amount of premium each month by direct debit for the cover.

A brief history of protection products

Permanent health insurance emerged in the UK around 1900 and was sold in the days when insurance salesman knocked on your door touting their products. The 'Man from the Prudential' on his weekly visit with his notepad and receipt book, is a classic example of such door to door sales.

Permanent health insurance provided limited short-term protection for workers and their families if the main breadwinner suffered an accident or was injured at work. This was in the days before health and safety ay work, unemployment benefit, sickness pay, statutory sick pay and accident claims lawyers.

The concept of different types of protection insurance first emerged in the 1980's with the increasing home ownership and a consumerism zeitgeist, the market responded to a need for more flexible and desirable covers by promoting protection insurance.

Initially mortgage protection was sold in vast numbers to the new home owning public, often by the same company who was providing the mortgage or loan. The fact that it was often mis-sold to people who could not possibly claim such as the self-employed, or that people felt coerced into buying the product on fear of not being given the mortgage, did not seem to matter at the time.

People like to protect their property and religiously paid their monthly payments for cover.

The 1980's was also a time of boom bust and unemployment was high, as the Western economies restructured and heavy industry went into decline.

The insurance companies immediately saw a gap in the market and produced income protection insurance for unemployment. After all most workers had monthly expenditure, even if they did not own their own property.

Mortgage protection was only available to homeowners, however income protection insurance could be offered to everybody in work, tripling the market potential for sales. The fear of being unemployed at the time was enough to make the product an instant success.

The mis-selling scandal of the early twenty-first century has led to a drop in sales over recent years, however the products remain good value for those who are eligible.

Mortgage and Income Protection

Today both products are widely available to the public and can easily be bought online.

Mortgage and income protection often covers the same benefits for the same events and policyholders should only buy one or the other to avoid double indemnity problems.

The same personal data is collected in the same way in order to issue a policy, with the exception that a proposal for mortgage protection will ask for the current mortgage company details.

Both types of protection insurance are handled in the same manner from both an underwriting and claims perspective, although there are subtle differences between the two products and their respective policy wordings.

Terms and conditions regarding cover in the event of a claim are broadly the same for each types. Both types of policy will exclude people who do not fit strictly defined criteria, such as the requirement to have been in work for at least six months in order to qualify for cover, or not to have any pre-existing medical conditions.

The main difference between the two protection products is that in the case of mortgage protection, the benefits are designed to cover monthly mortgage costs alone.

To enable the benefits to cover the large costs of most mortgages, the amount of benefit paid under a mortgage protection agreement is usually significantly higher than the most that can be paid out under an income protection insurance policy.

Income protection is designed to cover monthly bills and out-goings and is usually restricted to a maximum of fifty percent of the proposer's monthly income.

Mortgage protection polices these days often allow the policyholder to top up the benefit to even higher limits to cover additional monthly costs such as public service bills and council tax. This additional cover is effectively to cover income.

With the ease of use of Internet, many protection insurance offerings are available today and it is very easy to shop around and compare prices, covers, exclusion clauses, and limits of indemnity for all variations of this type of insurance.

When looking for Protection insurance on the Internet search for a product such as Mortgage Protection Insurance. Shop around and visit regulated and time trusted suppliers of protection insurance such as Personal Accident for both types of protection insurance policies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Healey

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10 key reasons why a person needs life insurance

Insurance is designed to protect a person and the family from disasters and financial burdens. There are many kinds of insurance of which, the basic and most important is considered to be life insurance. 


It provides for the dependants after your death. Since there are certain financial commitments you need to meet throughout life and do contribute in some way to the family income, you need to provide something even in death--to secure the home, help the family meet expenses for a while, protect dependant parents, or secure the children or spouse. Financial obligations could include funeral expenses, unsettled medical bills, mortgages, business commitments, meeting the college expenses of the children, and so on. 


How much insurance a person needs would vary, depending on lifestyle, financial needs and sources of income, debts, and the number of dependants? An insurance adviser or agent would recommend that you take insurance that amounts to five to ten times your annual income. It is best to sit down with an expert and go through the reasons why you should consider insurance and what kind of insurance planning would benefit you. As an important part of your financial plan insurance provides peace of mind for any uncertainties in life. 


1. Life insurance correctly planned will on premature death provide funds to deal with monies due, mortgages, and living expenses. It offers protection to the family you leave behind and serves as a cash resource. 


2. It secures your hard earned estate on death by providing tax free cash which can be utilized to pay estate and death duties and to tide over business and personal expenses. 


3. Life insurance can have a savings or pension component that provides for you during retirement. 


4. Some policies have riders like coverage of critical illness or term insurance for the children or spouse. There are certain rules regarding eligibility for riders which you will need to determine clearly. 


5. Having a valid insurance policy is considered as financial assets which improves your credit rating when you need health insurance or a home loan or business loan. 


6. In case of bankruptcy, the cash value as well as death benefits of an insurance policy is exempt from creditors. 


7. Life insurance can be planned such that it will cover even your funeral expenses. 


8. Term life insurance has double benefits, it protects and you can get your money back during strategic points in your life. 


9. Insurance protects your business from financial loss or any liabilities in case a business partner dies. 


10. It can contribute towards maintaining a family's life style when one contributing partner suddenly dies. 


Insurance is vital to good financial planning and security but you would need to assess your personal risk and long term commitments. Insurance stands a person in good stead throughout life and can be used in case of emergencies during a life time by requesting a withdrawal or loan. 

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