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Thursday, 28 February 2008

Homeowners Insurance: Beyond the Home

Most people buy an insurance product - whether it is a homeowners insurance or another - without reflecting much over what they actually are buying. One thing is the premium or the price you pay for it. This is the single issue or part of the insurance purchase that seem to concern most people. When it comes to other elements of the insurance product they buy, their concerns are almost absent. Most people seem to take for granted that what the insurance you buy is the same, no matter which insurance company you buy it from. This attitude is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of what an insurance product is and how the insurance industry is functioning.




Of course it is important not to pay more for an insurance product than necessary as it is for any product. But sometimes we are unaware of what coverages we have with our homeowners insurance until we file a claim and find out too late that we weren't covered for a particular loss. Owners of motorcycles, boats and motorhomes may be surprised to learn that neither their homeowners insurance nor their auto insurance covers them for any loss associated with these items.




Non-traditional (or inland marine as some policies are called) insurance is a custom sector of insurance dealing with properties and items that would not traditionally fall under a typical property or automobile insurance. Such items include boats, snowmobiles, ATV's and person watercraft. You may find that your current insurance company does not even write policies for these types of goods, in which case you will need to check out a specialty insurance company.




Foremost Insurance of Caledonia, Michigan is just such an insurer. Insuring everything from motor homes to motorcycles Foremost offers a wide variety of policies that protect non-traditional goods that homeowners policies simply don't cover. With agents across the United States, Foremost is a leader in issuing policies that cover losses against such goods. Foremost is part of Farmers Insurance Group, a trusted name in both homeowners and auto insurance throughout the U.S.




Accidents happen no matter if we are in our home, car or riding our ATV. By making sure you are covered you can prevent a small accident from becoming a financial nightmare by making sure you have the correct insurance coverage no matter what you might own.

Friday, 15 February 2008

Busting the Top 6 Life Insurance Myths

Term life insurance has many advantages. But understanding term life insurance and its benefits means sifting through the myths surrounding it; and there are many myths about life insurance.



Term life insurance has many advantages. But understanding term life insurance and its benefits means sifting through the myths surrounding it; and there are many myths about life insurance. These life insurance myths and misconceptions can result in too little coverage causing financial hardship for families suffering the loss of a loved one.




To avoid this from happening to you, we've taken a look at the most common misconceptions about life insurance to set the record straight--helping you to make the right life insurance choice for you and your family.




Myth #1: I don't work outside the home so I don't need life insurance.




False! Just because there's no paycheck to replace, doesn't mean life insurance is unnecessary. A life insurance policy that provides coverage for a stay-at-home parent isn’t so much about the money they bring in to the household, but instead about the money they keep in the household.




In fact, have you ever considered how much it would cost to pay for childcare and housekeeping in the absence of a stay-at-home parent? Don’t underestimate how much this would require, child care is expensive and is a growing cost.




Myth #2: I'm young so odds are I won't need life insurance.




Some people are gamblers by nature and choose to take their chances by skipping out on life insurance completely. Although it is unlikely you'll die during your working years, you're not insuring for what's likely to happen but instead, for the worst-case scenario.





That's why term life insurance is inexpensive for young, healthy people. Buying life insurance now means you'll be providing financial security without spending a lot of money for it.




For example, online quotes show that a $250,000 10-year term policy for:




• a healthy 35-year old woman costs as little as $165 a year


• a healthy 35-year old man costs as little as $195 a year




What's more you may even be eligible for preferred life rates that mean the annual premiums are even less! Preferred rates are lower premiums - for the same coverage - offered by an insurer based on your health. The good news is that eligibility for preferred rates is common and could save you up to 30 per cent off the standard rate.




Myth #3: If it's really so cheap there must be a catch.




There's no catch to term life insurance. Your basic term life insurance policy will offer you coverage so long as you pay your premium. You buy term insurance coverage for the duration of time you'll need life insurance, whether that's until the kids are out of school or until your mortgage is paid off.




Plus, your premiums are fixed for the length of the term. They won't increase even if the status of your health changes.




Myth #4: I don't need life insurance once my children are self-supporting and my mortgage is paid off.




Everybody's insurance needs vary. But how would your spouse manage daily living expenses without your help? And what if your spouse outlived you by 10, even 20 years?




Even if your children are no longer living at home and you no longer have large debts, like a mortgage, there still are questions you should consider before deciding that life insurance is unneeded.




Myth #5: I have life insurance through my job. I don't need any more insurance coverage.




False. The truth is your life insurance coverage through your work may not be protecting yourself and your loved ones as much as you think. Review how much your employer-paid insurance provides and calculate whether this is enough to keep your family comfortable through the difficult times if you're not around.




What's more, when you leave your job for any reason, including retirement, your coverage usually stops.




Myth #6: It's such a hassle to get life insurance.




Thanks to the Internet, getting quotes is fast and easy. There are a number of online life insurance quote services and usually, all you have to do is answer a few simple questions to get quotes. Sometimes, you can even buy a policy online.




Final Fact:




From the time you marry, buy your first home, start a family and enjoy retirement, having life insurance means you and your family have the security knowing you can reach the long-term financial goals you have set out.




Life insurance policies provide you with customized coverage for your family's needs. Comparing quotes on the Internet can help you find affordable life insurance that will protect you and your family in the years to come.

Friday, 1 February 2008

20 Tips To Cheaper Car Insurance

Car insurance premiums rise year after year,Although your car insurance premium largely depends on your Car, Age and discount there are a few steps you can take to help stop the rise or even reduce your premium.


1. Buy from the internet.Most companies offer a discount for online applications as this is automated process and costs them a lot less to process your application, you can usually see discounts of 5%-10%.Click here to get a instant online insurance quote




2. Shop around.All insurance companies use different formulas to calculate your insurance premium by adding or detracting money after each question the ask you.By shopping around you could find big savings on your insurance premium.




3. Buy extra products.Most insurance companies also do other insurance products ie"Building's and content's insurance".Most insurance companies will give extra discounts for purchasing more than one product,by doing this you could save a fair amount on all your insurance premiums.




4. Pay your insurance premium in one go.By paying your insurance premium in full you can avoid paying costly interest charges that would be added if you paid your insurance premium by instalments.Some insurance companies may charge as much as 15% APR on instalments.You may even receive a discount for paying in full.If you can not afford to pay in full check out what rate a small loan would be you may still save some money.Fill out a online loan application.




5. Increase your voluntary excess.Your excess is the amount paid by you in the event of a claim,by increasing this your insurance company should reduce your premium.




6. Lower your annual mileage.Lowering your annual mileage can reduce your premium,most insurance companies will quote you for around 12,000 miles a year.Try and work out how many mile's you will do if it's likely to be less you may get a discount.Be honest about this as your insurance company may ask to see old MOT'S and service history to verify your mileage in the event of a accident.




7. Have a Alarm,Immobiliser or Tracker fitted.Theft of and from your vehicle play a major role in the calculation of your insurance premium.Having a alarm or immobiliser fitted will give you a small discount to your premium and having a tracker fitted could make you quite a saving.




8. Take the advanced driving test.Passing your advanced driving test will show your insurance company that you have extra skill when driving and are less likely to be involved in a accident.




9. Don't inflate the value of your car.Adding extra value to your car when you apply for your insurance quote will do nothing for you apart from increase you premium.In the event your car is stolen or written off you will only be paid the market value of your car at the time of your accident.




10.Look after your credit rating.Insurance companies are now looking at your credit score as part of the calculation for your insurance premium.Maintaining a good credit rating could avoid unnecessary additions to your premium.




11. Insure your car Third Party Only.Third party only is the minimum cover you are required to have by law it's also the cheapest.If your vehicle is of a low value then you could consider this type of cover.You need to remember that with this type of cover if you was to have a accident that any damage to your vehicle would not be covered for repair.




12. Keep a clean licenceInsurance companies take driving convictions very seriously and can dramatically increase your car insurance premium,by maintaining a clean licence proves to the insurance you are a safe and careful driver.




13. Remove any unnecessary drivers.If you have a young driver on your insurance policy that no longer use's the vehicle you should remove them as this will reduce your premium.




14. Young driver's add a older driver.Some insurance companies will reduce young drivers premiums if they have a older named driver on the insurance.




15. Build up your no-claims discountOne of the biggest factors affecting your car insurance premium is the number of years no-claim's discount.You could receive up to 75% discount for around 5 years of no claims.The more years you can stay claim free the safer driver your insurance company will see you as.




16. Protect your no-claims discount.Although this will increase your insurance premium if you have a lot of years of no-claims you may want to protect this as a small claim may increase your premium by up to 75%.




17. Buy a lower insurance group car.A very important factor to your insurance premium is what car you drive.Most insurance companies adopt the Association Of British Insurance Group Rating.This rates vehicle's from 1 - 20 generally speaking the higher the group the higher the premium.By buying a car with a lower group rating can lower your premium especially for young or inexperienced drivers.




18. Join a car club.If your vehicle is a classic or specialist consider joining a club related to your car most clubs offer insurance schemes which have very good premium rates.




19. Put your spouse as a named driver.Some insurance companies offer discounts when you add a spouse as a named driver as opposed to unmarried couples,they see marriage as a sign of stability and associate stability with safe driving and there for give you a discount.




20. Take pass plus.If you are a new driver consider taking your pass plus.some insurance companies could give you as much as a 25% discount and when you have just passed your test and have no no-claims this could make a considerable saving.