Purchasing a houseboat is guaranteed to give you years of unlimited pleasure. Provided, however that you’ve insured your houseboat properly. Otherwise, you could lose your life’s savings and in the worse case scenario, and be forced to file for bankruptcy.

In the marine insurance industry, houseboats are categorized together with jet boats, ski boats, sailboats, cabin cruisers and party boats as a pleasure boat. For this reason, this kind of coverage is not generally handled by regular insurance companies. You should carefully shop for underwriters who specifically handle these policies.

The first houseboat insurance tenet you must follow is to find a reliable insurer who’ll service your needs. Conduct the search both ways.

· Word of mouth
Ask boating friends for insurance recommendations.

· Conduct research on the recommended insurance carriers, the company in-charge of providing you coverage.

The following facts (as provided by the Insurance Information Institute) about your houseboat, such as horsepower, size and age of your boat, the type of craft and where it is used (i.e. moored in a river or hurricane prone area), determines coverage and premium you will pay for your houseboat.

Once that’s done, you can now carefully consider which of these policy clauses can help maximize your coverage and accurately answer your particular needs.

Hull and Machinery Clause

Because your houseboat is placed in the same pleasure boat category as a cabin cruiser, certain rates, coverage, restrictions, and terms will be similar.

Still, there are differences. The function of a houseboat is different from a cabin cruiser. The construction of a houseboat reflects this. They are normally flat-bottomed and designed to navigate slowly through the waters.

Many houseboats are bulkier, since they come equipped with bigger sleeping & living areas, full galley, and enclosed head. A race boat or cabin cruiser is smaller, more seaworthy, and easy to maneuver and built for speed.

Liability and Medical Payments to Others

Pays for bodily injury or property damage you are liable for.

Physical Damage Coverage

Pays for the damage your boat, motor, and trailer sustain.

Uninsured Watercraft Coverage

Pays for personal injury damages you are entitled to recover from the owner or operator who have not insured their vessel.

Medical Payments For The Insured

Covers you and your family’s medical fees, if you sustain accidental boating injuries.

Towing and Assistance

This coverage pays for the expenses you incur when you request a towing service to deliver the fuels and replacements parts, or fix your engine.

Additional Living Expense

you’re reimbursed for expenses incurred by living in a hotel, because your boat had to be repaired.

Be a responsible houseboat owner. Customize your houseboat insurance to safeguard your personal well-being, finances, and protect your investment.

Source by Mansi Gupta

Dealing with the loss of your home and valuables in a fire can be a harrowing task and the process of restoring your home can be arduous, stressful and expensive. The fire and water damage and the ensuing procedures can be quite traumatic. If you have been through such an untowardly incident the first thing that you need to do is get in touch with your insurance company.

Ensure that a loss adjustor from the insurance company inspects the site and the damages before moving any items. You may also want to enlist the help of an insurance loss assessor. Now here is the difference in these two professionals; while the adjustor works for the insurance company and it is his duty to look for ways to pay you less, a loan assessor does the exact opposite because he works for you. So, he will try to get as much additional coverage as he can from the insurance company.

For instance, if you have had a fire in your home and the entire living area was charred, the adjustor will put in the paperwork that includes claims for structural damage, water damage, loss of furniture and appliances. On the other hand, the assessor will come in and show you the damages caused to the kitchen appliances from the sprinklers. He will also go through your policy with a fine tooth comb, looking for hidden coverage.

Once the finances have been settled, you should consider the various renovation prospects. One way is to take care of the cleaning yourself with the help of friends, relatives and some local labour before calling in a builder to refurbish or rebuild the home as per your specifications. Another option is to hire the services of professional fire and flood damage restoration establishment. Needless, to say the second option may be slightly more expensive because you are enlisting the help of specialists; however it may be more efficient and will save you the stress of having to carry out the salvage operation yourself.

However, if you do choose to handle the job yourself, the first step would be to get a clearance from the fire department ensuring the safety of the structure. Tread carefully on entering your home because a house ravaged by fire will be full of loose wires, glass and wood pieces. Wear goggles, gloves and heavy boots to protect yourself against dangerous fumes and material.

Switch off the electricity if it hasn’t been done already to avoid electrical surges and survey the damage without touching any electrical appliances wires or poles. Take photographs of the damaged items so that they can be furnished to the insurance company.

Next, remove soot as soon as possible; this is a dust left back as an aftermath of fire which is either dry, sticky or oily but either way it is always acidic and will leave stains. To clean the soot, hold the vacuum cleaner near the surface of the item covered in soot. Remember to only use the nozzle because attachments will force the soot away. You may also want to consider getting help from professionals who have equipment that is more suitable for soot removal.

Throw open the doors and windows so that the dangerous fumes can escape. You may not be able to tackle the burnt odor without seeking help from a professional agency. They may use an ozone treatment to break the smoke molecules eliminating the odor. But this part of the procedure can be undertaken after the cleaning has been completed. Ensure that all appliances and furnishing are covered during the ozone treatment.

Source by Derek Rogers

I am a fashionista with a passion for handbags, in fact, I collect them. To some women, a handbag is practically nothing more than a receptacle for used tissues, old invoices and a dog-eared paperback publication which only gets read while in the doctor’s waiting area, but to me, a ladies handbag is a masterwork of loveliness and functionality. At this point, you might consider it strange that I would want to insure anything as apparently unimportant as a number of handbags but I have a reason for this. And before you ask, yes, I do have life insurance because, even though I value my handbags, they’re in no way more important than my life.

I do not buy many handbags and may save for years simply to be in the fiscal position to buy one, but the point is, the hand bags I buy carry designer labeling and therefore are very valuable. Apart from what it initially cost me to buy the hand bags I possess in my collection, there is the additional value that derives from all of them being limited edition originals. My handbags are unique, particularly the antique ones, which is why I have covered every one of them. Now, you may even consider it strange that an insurance company might even wish to offer insurance coverage for women’s handbags, yet they actually do, and for good cause.

If you are not sure that ladies handbag insurance is important then picture this situation: You’re in your vehicle waiting at the traffic light and your purse is on the floorboards of the passenger side of the vehicle. All of a sudden, the passenger window smashes in a spray of glass and a hand reaches in and grabs your handbag. The authorities aren’t currently there in order to apprehend the fleeing culprit. You feel and dazed and then shocked when it dawns on you that numerous items of vital significance to you are inside that handbag! Your identification papers, your home keys, the cash you drew to pay the telephone account, your Blackberry, and your pocket book with all your bank cards, to mention but a few. Pretty much all of your precious belongings are gone! Without a doubt, it’s altogether feasible that you might, at some stage in your lifetime, find yourself in the situation of having had your purse taken. Then there is the possibility of your bag becoming lost or destroyed. The insurance industry knows this, which is why it’s likely you’ll easily come across an insurance company that will insure your bag. The handbag on its own might not be of anything apart from emotional worth to you however its contents are another matter.

You might not have the ability to prevent the distress of losing valuable things like bank cards and id books, but you can certainly decrease the expense of replacing the contents of your purse if it’s covered. Handbag insurance policies are never very expensive and you might even find that your insurance company already makes provision for it as a portable possession on your existing insurance plan. An important point to note, however, is that mobile phones, gps devices, and pricey designer shades or prescribed glasses are usually not covered by handbag insurance and will have to be insured separately.

Source by JamesonGeorgeton

Far more people today are choosing to use private medical insurance rather than the National Health Service. This can be attributed to a number of reasons but predominantly it is down to the large waiting lists at many public hospitals for routine operations and treatments; additionally however, many want to utilise the benefits of private medical institutions such as private rooms, al la carte menus and unlimited visiting hours. A recent report found that around eight million people chose to take out private medical insurance policies last year. This though is not always a possibility, in some cases, insurance will not be a viable option, meaning that if your want to undergo treatment privately, a self pay scheme may be the alternative. Normally self pay refers to the payment of a surgery on a one off basis.

Is there that much wrong with our national health service however? Well fundamentally no, the majority of people are going private not because the healthcare is better, but generally because it is faster. An often cited example is that of the waiting lists for hip replacements. Currently these are some of the longest waiting lists on the NHS and considering a new hip can be a life changing operation, waiting can be extremely debilitating. While you may have to pay a premium, being treated privately will be considered by many to be a more worthwhile option.

Ultimately when deciding to go private, whether paying with insurance or a self pay scheme, it is about weighing up the debilitating effects of the ailment against the waiting time. In most cases those who choose to go private do so for routine surgical operations. As well as the previously stated hip replacement, another common form of surgery carried out in private medical care facilities is for hernias. More important and urgent surgery needs however have seemed to remain in the public sphere, although as private institutions increase their abilities, even this type of surgery is starting to be conducted privately.

As has been discussed, private medical care does have its benefits. Paying for this care however can be expensive so what is the best way to pay for treatments and surgery? Is it better to take out insurance or simply pay for treatment on a one off basis?

Insurance will not always be more financially sensible. If you are a certain stage in your life it is likely that medical insurance will cost considerably more. This is because as we get older it is usually the case that more treatment will be required. In comparison, paying for one off treatments may work out cheaper if you are in good health generally.

As well as age, both personal and family medical history will be taken into account when starting an insurance policy. Those with long term or chronic conditions will find it almost impossible to obtain insurance and in these cases the self pay option is also expensive. For chronic illnesses, patients should be advised to utilise the National Health Service as it will work out far cheaper.

Whether a patient chooses to use private or public services is entirely up to them. While the benefits of private medical care are clear, for many paying insurance premiums and even paying directly is simply out of the question. In a world where the NHS continues to be bashed in the media, the service it offers to the public cannot be underestimated. Private hospitals are becoming increasingly important though in reducing the time spent on waiting for surgery. As long as both work together, the healthcare in this country should continue to improve.

Source by Thomas Pretty

Your friend is off to Africa for a 10-day holiday. You drive her to the airport. You left her at the airport and you drive back home. You reach home and park your car outside on the side of the road since you have to go out again in a while. You go inside for a while and come back out after sometime. The moment you come back outside, you find someone has hit your car. You come to know that the lost control and hit your car. You take the driver to the police station and file an FIR against him.

The insurance company is informed about the accident. They send an auto appraiser to inspect your vehicle. The appraiser asks you about how the accident took place. The appraiser after inspecting your vehicle ask the insurance company to make an diminished value report and ask them to pay for the damages. 

Your friend reaches Africa. She calls you up after a few days telling you she is having a great time. She asks about how you are doing. You tell her about the accident. You complain about how the insurance company is taking very long paying for the damages. She sympathizes with you. She tells you not to worry too much. You feel better after talking to her and thank her for sympathizing with you. In the evening, your friends come over after hearing about the accident you had in the morning. They feel sorry for you and tell you that you should get an insurance diminished value for your car.

You feel you do not need it because you are not planning to sell your car anything time soon. Nevertheless, they tell you that even if you are not selling your vehicle, it is important to know the value of your car before and after the accident. You finally agree after a long discussion and get it done. The insurance diminished value includes the model of the car, its present condition and the present market value of the vehicle.

Car insurance is important and is a necessity. It gives you a sense of security. It is useful when you get into an accident or when your vehicle is stolen. If you need help or have a few questions to ask, you can call 3126056500. The customer care services make sure you have answered all your questions and have no problem.s They are available all day long. 

You can also read: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1865750/protecting-an-individuals-assets-with-insurance-and-appraisers.htm 

Source by Anthony m Frer

Unfortunately, most elective cosmetic surgeries are not covered by insurance. However, if there may be functional or health reasons for your procedure, you may be able to have your insurance company cover a portion of the cost according to the guidelines specific to your policy. you may be able to have your insurance company pick up a portion of the cost. In some cases, procedures are considered both elective and medically necessary. It is usually up to your insurance company to decide what portion to contribute based on your physician’s assessment of your condition.

For example, if blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) is recommended because of eyelid sagging that is impairing your vision, it may be considered functional as well as cosmetic.

Here are some examples of cosmetic surgeries that may be covered by insurance:

· Breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty) to alleviate back problems, shoulder pain, neck discomfort, etc.
· Breast surgery (augmentation mammoplasty) to correct congenital asymmetry.
· Breast reconstruction following mastectomy (breast removal due to breast cancer).
· Male breast reduction (gynecomastia) surgery to combat the condition. Although this is becoming less likely.
· Ear surgery (otoplasty) to correct congenital defects (occasionally covered for severe conditions).
· Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty/ptosis repair) to correct dropping of eyelids obstructing vision.
· Facial surgery to treat traumatic deformity, facial paralysis, or muscular defects.
· Nose surgery (rhinoplasty) to correct congenital deformity or diseased tissue or improve breathing.

In general, reconstructive procedures performed to combat disease, deformities, traumatic injury, or infection are more likely to be covered than purely cosmetic procedures that are performed only for aesthetic enhancement. However, various insurance companies may interpret “cosmetic” or “reconstructive” very differently. The procedures do not have to be 100% necessary to be covered in some respect by your insurance company. You should make sure to choose a cosmetic surgery center that offers ample financial support.

If you desire cosmetic enhancement, but are concerned about the costs, meet with an experienced cosmetic surgeon to discuss your options. While some plastic surgery centers are more concerned with getting your business than how you are able to afford your procedure, high quality physicians like Chicago/Arlington Heights surgeon Dr. Otto J. Placik and affordable financing to ensure you are able to have the procedure you need.

It is important that you understand the guidelines set forth by your insurance company, In some instances, it may be required for you to undergo a physical examination and photographs. This information is necessary to prepare a letter of predetermination of benefits in order the ascertain the level of coverage under an insurance plan.

Source by Patricia Woloch

1. Where do you Live?
This is a rather obvious, but very important question you need to look into when you’re shopping for flood insurance. Depending on where you live, insurance policies may be more or less expensive than another location for the same amount of coverage. This means knowing how flood-prone the area you live is, as well as how flood prone your particular house is.

2. Value Everything
Before you can even decide on an insurance provider, you need to know how much coverage you’ll actually need. Make a list taking into account values for as much as you can for everything you’d like covered in and around your home, saved receipts will help a lot with this. You don’t want to be left with half your home not covered, but you also don’t want to buy enough insurance coverage for the whole block.

3. Compare and Contrast
Don’t look into just one or two agencies, get as many quotes from as many insurance providers as you possibly can. Check local agents, national agents, and anything you can find online (including consumer reviews). Many companies can give instant quotes online or over the phone. If you’re armed with all the information you need for an accurate quote, this should not be a problem.

4. Look into your Local Protection
Some communities invest in community flood insurance coverage. This is most often found in more flood-prone areas to help those willing to live in a place with such high risk. If you think you might live in such an area, contact local community leaders to see if your community participates in community flood insurance with the National Flood Insurance Program, or another affiliated program. Take caution when signing onto community insurance, and see if it covers all of your needs. You may want to purchase additional, separate insurance for your personal belongings.

5. Ask Around
If you’re new to the area or simply buying flood insurance for the first time, it never hurts to ask around a little. Ask not only friends and family that live nearby, but people who live on or near your street if they have flood insurance and how they feel about it. If you can, find someone who has lived in the area awhile and can give you their honest opinion on local agents and coverage in the area.

6. Get it Before the Flood
You’d be surprised at how many people don’t realize they should have flood insurance until it’s too late. Make sure you’re fully aware of the flood risk in your area, and the time of highest flood risk. Some insurance policies can take up to a month or even two to go through and become fully active. It’s not enough to know a flood is coming and that you need it then. Flood insurance can also be much cheaper off-season.

7. Impress your Agent
Some agents give odd discounts for things you can do in and around your home to make it more safe. If your home is near a lake for example, and you have it raised off the ground, you could receive a discount. The same goes for sump pumps in the basement, special protective roofing, and efficient drainage systems. Remember, they’re selling you insurance hoping you’ll never need it- so anything that could prevent them from actually paying for damage, they like.

Source by water damage team

Georgia auto insurance ‘Obtaining the cheapest possible insurance is not always the best bet. Obtaining the cheapest possible Georgia car insurance is not always the consumers best bet. What a consumer gains in low auto insurance and savings of- can actually be outweighed by the unforeseeable and cause them more trouble than if they had just paid out in the beginning. Sometimes it does take money to make and save money. This just might be the case here in Georgia and a handful of other states. Researching and using a little common sense is one of the best ways consumers can find the best auto insurance rates and premiums.

In the state of Georgia, it is required that everyone that owns their own transportation must obtain insurance for said vehicle. Provided they have a valid Georgia license plate of course. Now, the minimum cost for coverage is twenty-five thousand dollars for bodily injury to one person, fifty thousand dollars to all bodily injuries involved, and twenty-five thousand dollars for property damage. Now no one ever wants to be part of an accident, and if it should happen, these coverages might seem like acceptable amounts but to many consumers surprise, these premiums just don’t do anyone any justice. This day an age healthcare costs are astronomical, the number of uninsured motorists is rising drastically , and more and more people are finding any means to make an easy dollar (SUE CRAZY).

Hospital bills and medical bills alike are very expensive and depending on just what the injuries are, most consumers auto insurance only covers so much. This same fact holds true for property damages. In most cases, the minimum amount of car insurance coverage just won’t be sufficient enough and that leaves the person/persons involved in the accidents, having to pay the remainder out of their own pockets. This can pose a huge problem for consumers with inadequate car insurance, unless they just so happen to have a spare thirty-to forty-thousand dollars lying around to cover the additional damages and medical bills..

Depending on the different circumstances that arise from the accident, damage done to the opposing vehicle may also easily exceed a consumers insufficient auto insurance coverages. Some people might still claim that they just can’t afford the superior car insurance , however, if they will just take a little time to do some research, they might find that there are many places, especially on the internet, where affordable auto insurance coverage can be found and prices compared between top insurance coverages.

By utilizing online auto insurance comparisons sites, smart consumers will possibly be saving themselves financial hardship in the future but at least they can have some comfort in peace of mind. These special services are offered to all potential coverage owners regardless of the state in which they reside. Also, most states have varying bylaws so it would be prudent to make sure that the coverage rates being viewed apply to the state in which one lives. Auto accidents occur hundreds of times a year, why have inferior coverage if it can be avoided?

Perhaps you have believed that your Atlanta car insurance premiums would be higher if you picked out a red car instead of another color like white for instance. How about you, have you wondered about this before too?  Is this common auto insurance belief just another urban legend… or not?

An urban myth has been defined as a story thought to be factual by those spreading it.  These stories are not necessarily false, but they many times are often distorted, overstated, or even stretched a bit the longer they are in circulation.

So then the million dollar question is then … Are red cars are the most expensive color car to insure?

It may be hard to believe but, a red automobile will not cost you more than a white, blue or any other color automobile for that matter. The hilarious thing though is that close to one quarter of the drivers interviewed in a recent study believed that a red car would positively be more expensive to get a policy for. How about you?

The interesting thing is that when getting an Atlanta car insurance quote, the insurance companies will not even ask you about the color of your car when they’re calculating your quote! Instead they will ask you about what type of car it is, how old it is, etc.

So  where did this idea that red will cost you more come from?

To many people the color red is a symbol of “power”. It is frequently connected with young teenage drivers that like to drive fast and wrecklessly. It’s true, a wreckless driver will have to pay higher insurance rates than others… but that is not because they bought a red car!

Dou you have your heart set on a red car, then I would go for it, if I were you  Why should you punish yourself with a green car when you always wanted a red one?

The thing is to remember to be careful not to drive over the speed limit and not to follow other cars too closely. After all, you do never want to receive a speeding ticket that will make those insurance rates to go up. Besides having to pay a fine you might also be contributing to the age old rumor that buying a red car will make your Atlanta car Insurance to go up!

Source by f cheshire

There is no such thing as “free” these days. Almost everything requires a fee if you want to avail of something. Even though there are companies that claim to offer free stuff; chances are, they will also ask for a fee of some kind prior to or after they do the service. The good thing is that in the world of semi truck insurance, free semi truck insurance quotes are still available.

Quotes are important when it comes to getting semi truck insurance. They are helpful when it comes to determining the right insurance company to go with. The purpose of insurance quotes is to help you find the best rates and offers for your semi truck insurance. For years, many companies in the industry have offered free semi truck insurance quotes. Back in the day, there was no Internet, so drivers had to drive physically to various insurance offices just to get the quotes that they need.

Today, people are constantly looking for free semi truck quotes online. This makes it so much easier and less hassle since all you would need to do is sit down in front of the computer and check different car insurance websites. Free semi truck insurance quotes are easy to get online and most of them are much cheaper compared to those you get from an office.

Before getting quotes, company websites would ask for your profile first. This would include your name, age, driving record, work, type of car, neighborhood etc. All of the information that they ask for are crucial for them to be able to give you the right quote. You can send the profile to their agents who will determine how much your premiums could be based on information you provided.

There are also sites that would distribute the profile information to a large number of semi truck insurance companies at one time, so that you can get multiple free quotes from different providers at one once. It is good that you realize the importance of finding cheap semi truck insurance. Nowadays, with the economy the way it is, it just is not practical to spend too much money on insurance, especially if you take special care to avoid getting into automobile mishaps, which might require the use of that insurance.

Once you have found a potential company, it is important to visit their office personally and make sure that you understand the entire deal. Ask questions and do not be afraid to ask for more discounts. Companies would often be willing to give discounts as long they see that you qualify for it.

Other helpful things you can do to reduce premiums would be to get insurance from your current home or medical insurance provider. You can also install safety gadgets to make sure that you car is protected. Anyone who has had to pay for semi truck insurance knows just how much a dent would do on their budget. If you are one of these people, then you are probably keeping a sharp lookout for the best semi truck insurance deals out there.

With the help of free semi truck insurance quotes, getting insurance is now made much easier than usual.

Source by louisoliver41

With hundreds of California Health Insurance Plans available, providers are going beyond expectations to offer additional benefits to their members and the larger community.

Health Insurance for California Provider Donates to Red Cross

One of largest providers of Health Insurance in California — Anthem Blue Cross of California — stepped up to help during the southern California wildfires. When residents were forced to flee from their homes, some left behind necessary and valuable prescription medications. Anthem Blue Cross of California provided a one-time 30-day supply override so their members would not have to wait for a 30-day cycle to end before they could refill prescription medications lost during the fires.

Blue Cross of California also extended the range of in-network healthcare providers to help those who were forced to relocate. Anthem said the in-network coverage benefits would be extended to cover out-of-network providers when victims of the wildfires relocated to areas lacking in-network providers.

Anthem also extended assistance to the community at large. Blue Cross of California donated $25,000 to the American Red Cross to help bring relief to victims of the southern California fires.

California Health Insurance Providers Step Up for H1N1 Crisis

Anthem Blue Cross of California is one of many health insurance providers that offer members free H1N1 vaccinations. Many providers are waiving coinsurance, co-pays, and deductible fees to enable more people to receive H1N1 vaccinations. Anthem is also offering low-cost flu-related treatment coverage, including Relenza and Tamiflu. Those enrolled in Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or other publicly-funded health care programs can also receive the H1N1 vaccine at no cost.

Blue Cross of California Makes It Easier to Stay Well in Good Times, Too

Anthem Blue Cross of California continues to offer assistance in normal times with convenient prescription medication mail service for its members. Anthem’s NextRX program is available to members who take prescription medications on a regular basis. That includes medications that are used to treat allergies, depression, diabetes, and heart disease, along with oral contraceptives. Members who participate in NextRX may also receive confidential counseling with the Anthem pharmacist, coupons, free shipping, prescription refill reminders, and 24/7 telephone and Web site access.

New Health Insurance Plans for California

Anthem provides a wide range of California Health Insurance Plans, including dental, employer health, and family and individual health plans. It also offers a plan specifically for healthy young people (California TONIK).

Blue Cross of California SmartSense plans offer low costs while still covering essentials, such as doctor office visits and prescription medications. Anthem offers both HMOs and PPOs. PPO Share Plans allow immediate benefits for annual physical exams, doctor office visits, and preventive care. Blue Cross of California also has PPO plans that cover 100 percent of most services after a deductible, and are compatible with Health Savings Accounts.

On the first day of 2010, Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health launched CoreGuard, which is an individual PPO plan. On February 1st, Anthem offered ClearProtection, a second new individual PPO plan. Both plans are designed to address healthcare reform plans proposed by the Senate, and to provide deductible options and prescription drug coverage. Clear Protection also guarantees no rate increases for two years.

In addition, Blue Cross of California provides access to alternative health care practitioners, emergency care worldwide, online services, and specialty programs.

California Health Insurance Plans Offer Many Choices

California Health Insurance providers (including Aetna, Assurant, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, HealthNet, Nationwide, and Pacificare) have hundreds of plans from which to choose. To find the best plan for your needs, evaluate your options carefully. Health Insurance Quotes for California are available online. Free consultation services are also available online so you can ask experts who have worked with these plans for years what terms mean, and get expert advice on how different plans can meet your needs.

We all want to buy low cost term life insurance. It is just the wise thing to do. I was recently having a casual conversation with one of my neighbor about life insurance and was surprised to see the amount of premium he was paying for term insurance.

I did some research for him and found the exact type of policy that he had for about half of the premium he was paying. This policy was from one of the better known life insurance giants…a company over 100 years old.

You can find low cost term life insurance from a reputable life insurance company if you take the time to do the research. Look for the carriers that are rated A+ or better by the A.M Best company. A.M. Best does the research, that is their function.

The most popular term life insurance policies are the 10 year term policy, the 15 year term policy, the 20 year term policy, the 25 year term policy and the 30 year term policy. Let us take a look at each and see how you could benefit from one or more of these low cost term life insurance policies.

<b>10 Year Term Life Insurance</b>

10 year term has a very low premium cost per $1000 of death benefit. If you need a policy to protect your loved ones for a short period of time then this may be the right policy for you. Let us say your youngest child is 15 years old and you expect that this child will graduate college by age 25 all you need to do is to calculate the amount of income you will need each month for the next 10 years and buy a policy sufficient to provide this income. The death benefit remains level for the entire 10 year period. It never decreases.

<b>15 Year Term Life Insurance</b>

The 15 year term policy can also be considered a low cost term life insurance policy. It is usually used in a similar manner to the 10 year term but for a longer period. If your youngest child is age 10 then you would need a 15 year term policy to do the job of protecting your dependent children. The death benefit remains level for the duration and so does the premium.

<b>20 Year Term Life Insurance</b>

Let us take a little time to look at the way to use the 20 year term policy. As it is a term policy the premiums are quite low. This policy is probably the most exciting of all term policies. The reason is because it is usually bought at an exciting time in your life. You just got married or are about to. You logical thing to do is to buy a 20 year term policy to protect your adorable spouse in the event of your death.

You and your spouse have an addition to the family so you each buy a 20 year term policy to protect your newborn child.

You start a business, whether it be a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or a corporation you know you need to buy some life insurance.

This policy has a level death benefit as well as a level premium for the duration.

<b>25 year term life insurance</b>

You may say 25 years is too far to look. Well, let us look at the first situation we discussed. You expect your children to graduate college by age 25. If you are newlywed you likely don’t have any children as yet or if you have a new addition to the family the 25 year term policy will work just fine for you. Premiums are level and so is the death benefit.

<b>30 Year Term Life Insurance</b>

The 30 year term policy is for people who look even further ahead. This is a low cost life insurance policy that can protect your family right up until you retire and get a pension, that is if you are age 35 or older at the time of purchase. This policy works just like the other policies.

When in the market for low cost term life insurance you should keep in mind that the longer the duration of the term policy the higher the cost. The 10 year policy will cost less in premiums than the 15 year term and so on.

For more details go to: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/lifeinsurance-1.html

Source by Donald Lusan

Safety is always a priority for drivers. This is especially true for those transporting hazardous materials. Strict adherence to federal and state hazmat regulations is imperative. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in stiff fines and penalties, including being barred from working with commercial transports.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that all trucks transporting hazardous materials have this fact clearly marked for other drivers. Drivers must always be in compliance with state and local traffic regulations.

When an accident takes place involving hazardous materials, it is important to notify all of the proper authorities. While it is important to notify your truck insurance provider as soon as possible, they are usually one of the last agencies that should be contacted. After emergency services have been contacted, but no later than 12 hours following the accident, the first agency you should contact is the Department of Transportation (DOT) National Response Center (NRC), followed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) if the incident involves etiologic agents.

These agencies should be immediately contacted in the following instances:
-A person is killed.
-A person receives an injury requiring hospitalization.
-There in an evacuation of the general public for one hour or more.
-A major transportation route is blocked or inaccessible for more than one hour.
-Fire, breakage, spillage, or possibly contamination occurs with a radioactive cargo.
-The spill of a marine pollutant occurs in a quantity greater than 450 L (119 gallons) of liquid material or 400 kg (882 lbs.) of solid material.

-The driver deems that there is a threat to life not covered in the previous criteria.

The first report will be made by telephone. The NRC reporting number is (800) 424-8802, and the CDC reporting number is (800) 232-0124. It is important to have these numbers available at all times. Be sure to have all information prepared before calling. The information needed in this report will be:

1. Name of Reporter.
2. Name and address of person represented by reporter.
3. Phone number where reporter can be contacted.
4. Date, time, and location of incident.
5. The extent of injury, if any.
6. Class or division, proper shipping name, and quantity of hazardous materials involved if that information is immediately available.
7. The nature of the incident and whether a threat to life still exists at the scene.

The second report that needs to be filed will be DOT Form F 5800.1. It must be submitted within 30 days. In addition to the above circumstances, this form must be submitted after the following events:

-The unintentional release or discharge of hazardous materials or waste.
-A specification cargo tank with a capacity of 1,000 gallons or greater containing any hazardous material suffers structural damage to the lading retention system or damage that requires repair to a system intended to protect the lading retention system, even if there is no release of hazardous material.
-Undeclared hazardous materials are discovered.

Source by Joe Trzepla

There are many things you need to learn before buying your own auto insurance. Since the cost of auto insurance can stretch your budget, it is very important for you to know some ways on how you can get affordable Austin auto insurance in Austin, Texas. Everybody wants to save money in paying their monthly premium because maintaining a car is already costly, much more if you have an insurance policy which you need to pay every end of the month. You already know that high risk drivers are very expensive to insure that it why insurance companies are charging them with a higher premium.

Drivers who are convicted with DUI or DWI case need to find their sr22 auto insurance which will become their proof to the law enforcement officer that they have their Austin auto insurance after their conviction. But looking for affordable sr22 auto insurance in Austin, Texas is not that easy because almost all insurance companies will give you a high rate since you are already a high risk driver who is prone to road traffic accident. Of course there is a possibility to find the best insurance company which can offer you your needed insurance policy but you have to work hard in making your research.

Although sr22 Austin auto insurance is not the same with the typical auto insurance you have, you also need to look all the possibilities so that saving money is very possible. This kind of auto insurance is required to all drivers who have violated the traffic law because it is one way to punish them and make them realize their mistakes. Upon your application of sr22, you have to keep it in a given amount of time so that you can have the freedom to run your car in the highways of Austin, Texas.

Finding sr22 auto insurance is also the same with finding the typical Austin auto insurance. Given the fact that this auto insurance is more expensive than the traditional auto insurance policy, you should shop around to find insurance companies which can offer you some discount yet provide you your needed coverage. Calling several insurance providers one a time is not only time consuming but stressful experience. And after you have request for multiple rates, you will wait for a couple of days before you can receive your request quotes. This means, that you have to spend a long time just to find the insurance company which can meet your demands.

This is not the practice today because with the help of the newest technology which is the internet, you can now consume only a few minutes if shopping around. This is a benefit for you since it is more convenient in your part. You can avoid paying high telephone bills because you no longer need to make a call to the different insurance companies serving your locale. Now even by surfing a site you can have the chance to get a glimpse of many insurance providers who can give you your need without exerting much effort.

Source by michael wetpound

How to generate insurance sales and qualified leads is an important skill to master online. Attracting specifically qualified leads will produce a higher volume of sales and more success overall. So it’s very important that when you are generating leads online you know how to attract the most qualified leads that will convert into sales.

4 Methods to master for success in today’s online market

1.    Target a niche market. When determining what your niche market is, be sure to narrow it down. Don’t try to make your product fit everyone, but be very specific about who you are trying to reach. You will attract more qualified people when you eliminate anyone outside that niche. You only want those who are seriously motivated to buy your specific insurance product. Taking the time to do this right is how to generate insurance sales and qualified leads that practically convert themselves. Go to How to Listen to Your Market to learn more about this subject.
2.    Social Media targeting. Social media, such as Facebook, is the best place for listening to and interact with your target market. Begin by socializing in places like Facebook groups that are about subjects your niche market is interested in. Try searching for particular books, celebrities, or activities they may also like. Gaining their trust by engaging in real conversations and avoiding spam is how to generate insurance sales in social media. Go to Facebook Marketing with Master Strategies to learn more advanced techniques on how to get qualified leads from Facebook.
3.    Blogging. If you are looking to get your website to rank high in the search engines so you can attract qualified leads, a blog is a good choice. Blogging good content and creating conversation online is highly favored by the search engines and will help to brand you. One good way of capturing leads from your blog is to have an opt-in form with a free report, training, e-book, or video series that gives your reader a free bit of information as a thank you for opting in.
4.    Article marketing. This is one of the best activities to generate insurance leads. Writing articles based on what you know your target market is looking for is how to generate insurance sales and qualified leads for free online. However, to utilize this type of marketing method effectively you will need to properly choose and use keywords in your article. Getting your article to rank in the natural organic search engine very high is what will get you the most traffic.

Continue learning more about How to Generate Insurance Sales and qualified leads, including how to get free keyword research each month, click on the link and register for your free videos.  

Source by Kari Day

Self employed liability insurance is an important item that someone who is self employed needs to consider. Working from home is excellent for many people since they do not need to drive to an office or take orders from someone else. Plus, they are building an asset for themselves. However, there are some responsibilities that you have to consider.

One of your responsibilities as a self employed person is to insure your safety as well as your business. By considering this, you can be sure about your protection in case anything happens. Every business owner has to set their priorities but liability insurance should always be a main consideration. You have to be serious regarding the proper way of insuring yourself against unexpected problems with products or the event of a client injuring themselves on your premises.

These days, many people and even some corporations are willing to file lawsuits against business owners. There are several things that you have to know so you can protect yourself, your family and your assets as a self employed person. Sometimes complaints of customers cannot be avoided. Some clients file lawsuits against the business owner no matter who is responsible or who committed the mistake. When looking for the right coverage, you have to get a plan that can meet all your needs.

If you are someone who has clients who make use of your business facilities, you need to always be prepared for any possible complaints or injuries. There are cases when customers fall or just slip while they are inside your business area and you can be held responsible. Some business owners have been successful in defending themselves, however it is still better to be sure when it comes to the safety of your business.

For you to be able to get the right self employed liability insurance, there are many things that you need to consider. It is better to talk first to an agent before making your final decision. The agent can give you complete details on the things that you need to be aware of and what should be covered. Due to the many tasks that a self employed individual has to perform for their company, there is only a limited time to search for the right coverage. Yet this type of insurance is a very important part of your future success.

You have to be certain that all your needs will be covered by the plan in order to avoid unexpected problems that may arise. It is a good idea to take your time and compare different policies when choosing the best self employed liability insurance for you.

Source by Jeremy Winters

Copyright (c) 2008 Jason Crawford

There are many different types of insurance coverage which may be applicable after your auto accident. They may include:

(1) Your Personal Auto Policies: Your insurance company may extend benefits to you after an accident, even when the accident is not your fault or when you were a passenger in another vehicle. It is important to look at your policy before calling your insurance company to file a claim. You may be entitled to the following types of coverage:

– Med Pay: If you elected to obtain Medical Payments coverage under your auto policy, your insurance company will pay up to the limits of the policy for your necessary accident-related medical expenses. This coverage may apply even when you are hurt while a passenger in another vehicle. Check your policy to determine what these limits are. Keep in mind that most policies will require that you repay your carrier for these expenses advanced out of the proceeds of your settlement.

– Collision: Your auto policy may also repair and/or replace your vehicle even when another driver hit you. Typically, they will do this when it is not clear who is at fault for the accident. It is then the insurance company’s responsibility to take the insurance company for the at-fault driver to an arbitration hearing to determine who will ultimately pay for the accident related vehicle damages.

– Rental Reimbursement: You may also be entitled to payment for your rental car expense while your own vehicle is being repaired.

– UM/UIM: Hopefully, you purchased Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists coverage at the time you bought your policy. The uninsured motorist coverage (UM) will pay for your damages in the event that the driver that caused the accident did not have the minimum required liability coverage in place. The underinsured coverage (UIM) will pay for your damages in the event that the other driver had liability coverage limits lower than that of your own policy and assuming that your damages are greater than the amount of liability coverage held by the at-fault driver. Again, this coverage may even apply when you are a passenger in someone else’s vehicle.

(2) The Auto Policy covering the vehicle in which you were a passenger: As a passenger in a vehicle covered by an auto insurance policy you are also entitled to benefits under the policy of auto insurance covering that vehicle.

– Liability Coverage: If the driver of the vehicle you were in as a passenger is at fault for the accident, the liability coverage attached to that policy would be responsible for paying your damages.

– Med’Pay & UM/UIM: As a passenger you are also entitled to the same Med-Pay and UM/UIM benefits as the policyholder.

(3) The At-Fault Driver’s Auto Liability Policy: The policy of insurance covering either the at-fault driver or the at-fault vehicle will be responsible for paying for your damages sustained as a result of the accident. These generally fall into two categories:

– Property Damage: Liability insurance is meant to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle. Also available will be damages for the loss of use of your vehicle while it is being repaired or until the settlement is reached on the property damage if the vehicle is declared a total loss. Settlement of this category of damages is usually reached within days or weeks of the accident.

– Bodily Injury: This category of damages generally includes payment for your medical expenses, physical injuries, pain and suffering, lost wages, loss of earnings capacity and other economic losses. Settlement negotiations for these types of damages should not take place until your doctors have completed your course of medical treatment. In many cases, insurance adjustors for the other side will either delay settlement or make “low-ball” offers requiring the commencement of litigation to resolve the case.

(4) Your Health Insurance Policy: In the event that you had a health insurance plan in effect at the time of the accident, this coverage will pay for your medical expenses as you continue your medical treatment. Please note that, in most cases, this coverage is not triggered until all available auto Med-Pay coverage has been spent.

Caution: It is very important to note that most health policies have a “subrogation clause” which requires you to pay back the insurance company for the amounts that they have paid towards your medical expenses once you collect any money from the liability insurance carrier. Failure to comply with these policy requirements can result in your health carrier canceling your insurance or filing a lawsuit against you. Consequently, it is strongly recommended that you consult with an attorney to determine how to proceed in this situation. Additionally, an experienced attorney may be able to convince the health carrier to waive or reduce the amounts.

(5) Your Disability Policy: If your injuries prevent you from returning to work after the accident, you may be able to make a claim for either permanent or temporary disability under any disability policies that you had in effect at the time of the accident.

(6) Worker’s Compensation Plans: If you were involved in an accident while you were on the job, your employer’s worker’s compensation plan will extend benefits for your medical bills and loss of earnings. It is very important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible in these situations, as the coordination of your rights between your worker’s compensation case and your personal injury case is essential.

Caution: Coordination of benefits between all the potential insurance policies is an area requiring specialized legal knowledge. It is very easy to overlook possible avenues of recovery if you are not intimately familiar with this area of law.

Source by Jason Crawford

Recent figures released show that prices have increased by 5% compared to last year, the main group that has ended up paying considerably more is drivers aged between 40 and 50 who have seen their prices rise by 7%. The average premium for British motorists is now £497.26; however the under-25’s have to pay over double this figure and charged an average of £1,255.

Finding cheap car insurance is still attainable despite the increase. One of the best ways to find a better deal is by not being too loyal; customers often accept the renewal quote from the current provider without looking for alternatives. A well known insurer recently showed that Brits were wasting an astonishing £1.9 billion by remaining with their original provider.

Couples can also get a better deal; a joint policy can save a couple around £100. Changing your car plays an important role in the calculating of your motor insurance . All cars are given a rating of 1-20 depending on the cost to repair, the power and the security features. Obviously, a car with a rating of 20 will have a higher premium than a car with a rating of 1. One more thing, although you don’t want to leave yourself short, don’t throw your money away on extras that you probably will never need.

Whatever deal you find, the increases have made shopping around and comparing various car insurance deals even more important. Shopping online enables customers to find the best deals around and is the easiest and most efficient way of finding the most comprehensive offers. There are ways to reduce the cost of your insurance and in today’s financial climate, taking advice can save you hundreds of pounds.

Source by Karl Bantleman

A Life Insurance Trust is simply a document that acts like a very private and secure box into which you place your life insurance policy. Did you know that upon your death the life insurance proceeds will be included in your Estate?

The advantages of setting up a Life Insurance Trust are:

1.       Reduces your estate tax

2.       Controls the pay out to beneficiaries

3.       Use an independent trustee

4.       Provides for spouse and children

5.       Private document and it is not a public record instrument

6.       Upon your death, no lengthy and expensive probate

7.       Can designate all beneficiaries and determine distribution

8.       Keeps disgruntled and disinherited heirs away from your assets

For example, if you have property, cash and investments worth $2 million and you also have a life insurance policy that will pay your children $1 million. What happened is upon your death, the Internal Revenue Service will include the amount of one million in your Federal Estate Tax return.

Upon creating the Life Insurance Trust, your insurance policy becomes an asset of your trust. The premium to be paid upon your death would be designated as “gifts”. Since you are allowed to give gifts of up to $10,000 per year, per person non-taxable to whomever you wish. The premiums would be divided up in many $10,000 gifts each year for each of whomever you designate, children, spouse, family member or relative.

By creating the Life Insurance Trust and placing your life insurance policy in the trust, your policy would be the asset of the trust; therefore, the life insurance proceeds would be taken out of your estate completely. Another advantage of setting up the Life Insurance Trust is that upon your death, the proceeds of the life insurance would then go tax free to your children and you could also provide for your spouse and other family members as well.

There are several types of Trusts such as Revocable Living Trust, Children Trust, Simple Trust, Complex Trust and Grantor Trust. Based on your individual situation and circumstances, we help you create the proper structure and choose the best comprehensive estate planning that can minimize your taxes and help your children.

Source by Stephen Sears