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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.

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

Buy Term Life Insurance Online – It's Quick And Easy

The purchase of term life insurance can be easy and painless. The online shopper can search the web for term life insurance rates and find enough information to make a decision very quickly. The key to shopping for life insurance is pre-determining the amount that you need and the type of term policy to cover that need. Once you resolve these two issues then you are able to go online knowing exactly what you are looking for and that is a major time saver.


The purchase of term life insurance can be easy and painless. The online shopper can search the web for term life insurance rates and find enough information to make a decision very quickly. The key to shopping for life insurance is pre-determining the amount that you need and the type of term policy to cover that need. Once you resolve these two issues then you are able to go online knowing exactly what you are looking for and that is a major time saver.


Single Needs Purchases




1.Final Expense Fund – Final Expense insurance is a basic single need purchase. Shopping for final expense is the simplest single need life insurance purchase that you will ever make. Determine the amount that you want for burial expense and go shopping for it online.




2.Mortgage Life Insurance – Mortgage life insurance is another basic single need that you can shop for online. This is a decreasing term policy that is issued to cover the mortgage balance on your home.




3.Readjustment Period – This is another single needs purchase. This policy is purchased to provide an income for the beneficiary for a pre-determined length of time.




The combination of all of these needs can be purchased in one or two policies as well. You will shop with greater confidence and purpose if you can pre-determine the amount that you need. The type of policy is your next decision. Do you need a Mortgage policy for 10, 15, 20, or 30 years? Level Term insurance is usually purchased for income replacement. How many years do you need your income replaced? When you answer these questions then you are off and running. There may be a waiver of premium rider available with your term policy. This rider will pay your policy premium should you become disabled. Make sure that you are comparing your term policy with and without this rider.

Friday, 25 January 2008

Homeowners Insurance Company: How To Choose One

It is almost inevitable that when purchasing a new home the homeowner will be required to also purchase a home insurance policy. Many mortgage companies who are granting the mortgage loan will require that proof of the Homeowners insurance policy be shown before the closing on the house. This ensures that their investment into that home is safe in case of damage or destruction.

It is almost inevitable that when purchasing a new home the homeowner will be required to also purchase a home insurance policy. Many mortgage companies who are granting the mortgage loan will require that proof of the Homeowners insurance policy be shown before the closing on the house. This ensures that their investment into that home is safe in case of damage or destruction.




There are an overwhelming number of Homeowners insurance companies to choose from, making it difficult to determine what is right for you and your home. Many mortgage companies will suggest a Homeowners insurance company that they work in conjunction with, but this does not mean you have to use that insurance company to cover your home insurance needs.




Before jumping in and accepting the first quote that comes along, it is best to call around to a few different insurance companies and see which coverage plan is right for you, since different companies will offer different plans and different discounts.




The first thing you should ask about when determining which insurance company to use is whether they offer special discounts. Depending on the company you may find discounts ranging from fire resistant, security system discounts to senior citizen or dual insurance discounts.




A dual insurance discount usually means that you will receive a discount from the company if you have more than one type of insurance through them, so check with your current car insurance company to see if they offer special rates to loyal customers.




Keep in mind that in a similar fashion as creditors looking at your previous credit history, insurance agents will be looking at your credit history as well as your past insurance history. For those who may have a high car insurance crash history or for those who have a bad credit history, this could mean higher premiums in the long run.




Insurance companies are taking a gamble on you and although they assume that they may have to help replace something in your home along the way, if you are already a "high risk" client, this means you will have to pay for those risks because it is more likely their services will be needed sooner than later.




Most basic Homeowners insurance policies will cover the house for a total replacement cost as well as the possessions of the home for a total replacement cost. Because of this, insurance agents will be asking in depth questions about the home you are about to purchase such as square footage, the age of appliances, the air conditioning and heating units, the age of the plumbing and electrical system, and even the style of flooring, countertops and cabinets.




Although you might want to try and save money by stretching the truth about the age of the plumbing system or the style of the countertops, remember that you will only receive the replacement costs for what you have told the insurance company, so it is important to be as accurate and truthful as possible.




Many insurance companies will include in a quote special needs perils such as flooding, hurricane or earthquake insurance. Nevertheless, if you know you live in a high risk area for any of these particular perils it is best to ask if those are covered under the basic policy. You don’t want to get started on an insurance policy and realize that you are not fully covered.




The same can be said for special possessions like computer equipment and jewelry or furs. Often times a separate policy or a clause in the policy is needed to insure any special possessions for their full replacement cost, so be sure to ask the insurance company about these items.




All in all it is most important to find a Homeowners insurance company that is reliable, has a reputable name and has been in business for a long time. This may mean asking friends or family members who are current homeowners who they use for their home insurance, or even searching ratings for the best Homeowners insurance companies.




Remember that they will have a large portion of your financial investment and the possessions inside in their hands, so it is important that you feel confident in the policy and company you select.

Thursday, 17 January 2008

Buy Car Insurance Online-- A Few Tips To Get You Started

There is a large shopping mall online for car insurance. You can buy car insurance online if you understand the process. You have to accurately report your rating information to an online car insurance quoting website. Your accuracy is critical because the data that you give will determine the rate. Truthful and detailed rating information is a must if you are seriously considering buying car insurance online. The process will educate you about your own insurance and will giv...


There is a large shopping mall online for car insurance. You can buy car insurance online if you understand the process. You have to accurately report your rating information to an online car insurance quoting website. Your accuracy is critical because the data that you give will determine the rate. Truthful and detailed rating information is a must if you are seriously considering buying car insurance online. The process will educate you about your own insurance and will give you confidence to shop online in the future.




Here’s what you need…




1. Driver License – Every resident relative in the household will have to be rated on the policy. You will need the driver’s license number for every individual that will be rated on the policy.




2. Insurance Declarations Page – This page is mailed to you every time your policy renews. It contains all of the insurance information that you will need to enter on the online quoting website.




3. Car Registration Card – The registration card will provide the vehicle identification number. Every vehicle gets its rate from the vehicle registration number. It will indicate the air bags, anti-lock brakes, and any other safety features. These features give you discounts.




4. Property Insurance Policy – The best rates on car insurance are usually multi-policy rated. You might as well get a rate on your homeowner policy and compare and get the multi-policy discount.




Online Shopping for car insurance requires you to provide all the necessary information. The nice thing about online shopping is that you can do it at home and at your convenience. The quotes are usually sent to competing companies and when you receive the quote you will also have the option to e-mail the agent. Agents are doing business online all of the time and they also find it to be a convenient way to do business.

Tuesday, 15 January 2008

Buy To Let Property Insurance

Buy-to-let property insurance, some times also known as residential property owners insurance, is needed if you own houses and/or flats to tenants – either on a short-term or long-term basis.


Buy-to-let property insurance, some times also known as residential property owners insurance, is needed if you own houses and/or flats to tenants – either on a short-term or long-term basis. Ordinarily you can buy cheap buy-to-let property insurance in the event that you rent five or less properties in the UK than is the case if you rent more than five properties, as in the case of the former you are seen as a small time landlord with a small business, whereas in the latter you are seen as a full blown property-owning company.




Whether you plan to rent five or less properties, or five or more properties, is, however, a side issue, as in both cases you’ll need to ensure that you have at least the minimum level of required insurance in order to protect yourself. Consequently, the number of properties you own will have a bearing only insofar as the insurance premiums are concerned. That said, if you are looking to become a property owner with a letting business, then you need to ensure that you have the following minimum provisions in your insurance policy:




Fire




Insuring against any fire on the property




Natural Disaster (also known as tempest insurance)




Insuring against natural disasters that may occur, such as a storm where the winds tear off your roof or guttering




Theft




Which is especially important if you are renting out fully furnished properties. In the event that you are renting out unfurnished premises, you may wish to have a discussion with your tenants about whether or not they should have home contents insurance




Public Liability Insurance




This should be a must as it will protect you against any claims your tenants or any third parties (such as their guests) may have for injuries they suffer while on your property




Lost Earnings




There may well be times when your property remains empty; say, for example, while you look for new tenants. If you are relying on the rental income from your tenants to repay the money you borrowed to purchase the property, you need to ensure you have lost earnings insurance to compensate you during this period




Employee Liability Insurance




If you have employees who will visit the property for you to repair any damage, etc. or to collect the rental payments, then you need to make sure that you have employee liability insurance in case they get injured while carrying out their assigned task




Legal Expenses Insurance




As a property owner you may find the need from time to time to retain the services of a lawyer; for example, if your tenants refuse to pay their rent or move out of the property at a specified agreed time – when you may need to get an eviction notice. As legal expenses in the UK can be expensive, you should consider insuring against this risk by having in place a provision of legal expenses in your insurance policy.




Although the above are basically the bare minimums you need in your buy-to-let property insurance policy, you can also tailor these types of insurance policies to meet your particular needs, so make sure that you talk through your circumstances with your insurance provider, especially if you anticipate expanding the business in the near future.