I think that most people would agree that the we live in a state of insurance overload in this country. You need insurance to drive a car, you need it to buy a house (at least you do if you want to get a mortgage from a bank!), you need health insurance to cover medical costs… it seems like everywhere you turn there’s more insurance to buy!

It can become overwhelming for most people, but there’s one area of insurance that you don’t want to overlook and it’s an area that most people do overlook. I’m talking about disability and life insurance.

First of all, what are these two things?

Life insurance is simply insurance that pays your family a set amount of money in the case of your early death. If you get hit by a train or fall out of an airplane or laugh too hard during a funny movie and choke on a pretzel and suddenly die, life insurance makes sure that your family is provided for financially and that their standard of living does not decrease just because you’re not around to pay the bills anymore.

Disability insurance is very similar. The only real difference is that it isn’t focused on your death but merely on your disability. This is particularly important if you have a manual labor type job. So if you break your leg and can’t work for six months, that loss of income won’t affect you because your policy will pay out instead.  

Your employer may already have disability insurance as part of your pay package but chances are they don’t. You’re going to need to find out for yourself whether they offer it or not and if they don’t you’ll need to go out and purchase it on your own.

In a perfect world you should have both of these types of insurance to cover your family in case you die or in case you get hurt and can’t work anymore. Of course, we don’t always live in a perfect world and many people choose one or the other… so which one is best?

That’s a question I can’t answer for you, everybody has to answer that themselves. But for myself I would choose disability insurance as the most important if I had a manual labor job that my family relied on for their sole source of income.

If I die, that’s really bad but my wife can either start working herself to make up for lost income, or marry somebody else as crass as that may seem. The point is, they have options.

If on the other hand I lose my eyesight or break a vertebrae in my spine that keeps me from working anymore, then we don’t have that many options. My wife may not be able work because she might have to take care of me full-time and alternatively she wouldn’t be able to marry somebody else because I’d still be around, barring divorce of course. The point is, we have less options and you should always insure the scenario with the fewest options.

Source by J.P. Morton

When applying for health insurance coverage it is essential to understand an insurance company’s policies on pre-existing conditions. Technically, any medical condition that you had prior to your application for health insurance with a mentioned company can be considered a pre-existing condition. If you have been through a doctor for back pain, even though the injury was four years ago and even you did not received any treatment whatsoever, but an insurance company could consider that a pre-existing condition.

Probably you never went to a doctor but had been aware for some time of a pain in your back. It didn’t bother you steadily, but every once in a while you took an aspirin to improve the pain. The pain in the back could also be considered a pre-existing condition.

Some of the important tips will guide your discussion with an insurance agent:

Understand how the insurance carrier defines “pre-existing” – Each and every company has their own definition of pre-existing condition. Having pre-existing conditions doesn’t mean that your insurance rates will be higher. But, if the pre-existing condition suits into a company’s profile, it might mean that those conditions will not be covered by your insurance.

Ask about time limit on what is considered a pre-existing condition – Various companies put a certain time period on what is considered a pre-existing condition. Some company gives five year whereas some give ten year to look back as the time limit for determining pre-existing conditions. You can generally find a statement about how an insurance company will take a pre-existing condition by going to the exclusion pages of health insurance policy’s brochure.

Go through the find print related to pre-existing conditions – It may determine whether or not the insurance will suit tot your requirements. Rather, you may think about some medical problem will take care; it is clearly excluded from coverage because it is a pre-existing condition.

Consult with an insurance agent. Insurance agents are experts on all distinct health insurance companies and policies. They can save lots of your precious time.

Arabian health insurance is specializes in providing health insurance Dubai that befits your need. Just fill the form given on their website and get suitable health insurance quotes as per your requirements.

Source by Ena Taylor

Having a life insurance policy gives your family and loved ones the protection they need in the tragic event you were to pass away. Most people understand the basic policy coverages, but what about options you can add to your policy? Here’s a look at a few of the more popular ones.

Accidental death coverage – This optional coverage doubles the face amount of your policy that the company will pay your beneficiaries upon your accidental death. This could include airline crashes and many other events.

Disability income – This is a nice option for any life insurance policy as it pays a regular monthly benefit amount after 6 months (in most cases) of disability that prevents you from working your job.

Guaranteed insurability coverage – If you have a policy with this endorsement you will be able to always buy additional life insurance regardless of your health. There is no need for qualifying medically. This could be useful if you were to develop a condition that would prevent you from being able to qualify for insurance any other way.

Accelerated death benefit – This policy endorsement would accelerate the payment of up to the face value of your policy upon learning of a terminal illness and anticipated death within the next year.

Waiver of premium – Another common endorsement found in most policies. It waives your premium payments in the event you become disabled and can not work. Qualifications vary between companies, but this rider can be very helpful if you can not work for a period of time, or even become permanently disabled.

These are some of the most common options you can add onto any life insurance policy.

Source by Dennis Montgomery

Business liability insurance is an integral part of the general insurance that provides overall protection to a business firm or corporation. Liability insurance is designed to offer complete protection against any third party claims. However, claims arising out of the intentional and contractual liability are not covered under liability policies.

Public Liability Insurance:

Many a times, companies face unpleasant situations that may force them to pay a heavy compensation to the third party. In many states, it is mandatory to take both employer’s liability insurance and public liability insurance before starting a business operation. Regardless of the compulsory law, many companies do realize the need for adequate insurance protection for uninterrupted day-to-day business operations. Apart from the combined conditions, exclusions, and warranties, many business houses trust including public liability in their policy offer. Public liability is essential insurance coverage for companies that have greater risk of public liability like shopping centers, pubs, clubs, markets, sporting clubs, hotels, entertainment centres and such others. So, if you are one of them, taking a suitable public liability policy is must.

Online Insurance Agencies:

Are you looking for the adequate business liability insurance policy? There are many websites that offer quality business insurance in affordable premium range. Businesses looking for useful consultancy on insurance can get a lot from going online. Many websites provide expert opinion for companies to help them to choose the best coverage in minimum possible time.

Whatever option you choose to protect your company’s interest and work process, it is important to go through the mentioned terms and conditions very carefully. Most insured companies make this mistake and they have to suffer afterwards. Select the best and stay away from uncertain and unpleasant situations forever.

Source by Roberto Luongo

Companies sometimes offer insurance coverage to the spouses of their employers. This, unfortunately, doesn’t mean the unmarried partner of a co-worker can get coverage as well. There is such a document as Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) under which the employers are not required to grant health insurance to any of their employees, their spouses, gay or lesbian couples as well as unmarried couples of opposite sex. ERISA doesn’t support the deviation from this act and drastically opposes against the provision of insurance for employees and dependents to extend coverage to domestic partners. Despite of this fact there are thousands and thousands of companies or employers all over the country that have started to point out domestic partner benefits in the past several years. They are offering the help and the number of these employers continues to grow. It is some sort of trend that has taken over the country. The experts, dealing with the problems of employment claim that if nothing changes, small companies will start to follow the example of large employers that have given the world such thing as “domestic partner benefit plans”. To add some more information to this case, we have to say that some local laws, as well as state laws, have actually been viewed in benefit of domestic partner rights. Cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle are managing the problem of same-sex benefits as well as benefits for married couples. Vermont has adopted the country’s first ever “civil union” law by which the same-sex couples are given all of the benefits and rights the opposite-sex couples have. Provisions on the health insurance for those people are still being considered and the outcome is still not being discussed. Let’s talk about the benefits that are offered to domestic partners. If the domestic partners are offered benefits, it doesn’t mean they are common. The coverage here will totally depend on the employer. Benefits that could be granted may differ from: long-term care, group life insurance, family and bereavement leave, and most commonly, health, dental, and vision insurance. It also should be mentioned that the definition of domestic partner may also vary and can’t be explain in one certain way. There are companies that will include same-sex couples, unmarried opposite-sex couples, and common law marriages. There are also companies that only deal with same-sex couples explaining it the following way: the opposite-sex couples could be getting married to obtain spousal benefits while getting married, when same-sex couples do not have this possibility. The term is not the major problem though. The employers that agree to offer health insurance coverage require the domestic partners to sign an affidavit by which they state that they are in a good serious and long-lasting relationship. They may also need a couple to be living together for some time before they offer some benefits to them This way the employer is sure he doesn’t get fooled for any beneficial reasons and purposes that a potential insured couple might have. Unmarried couples have to go though some trouble getting health insurances but this only brings them closer.

Source by David Mayer

When you are looking for insurance for your home, you want to make an educated and informed decision. Insurance for your home is a requirement, but you also know that it can be an expensive one. At the same time, your home is the one asset you have that you have worked your entire life for, and will continue to, so you want to be sure that you have the very best and most comprehensive coverage. Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too when it comes to protecting your home investment with insurance? Can you find an insurance policy that will give you everything you need, without making you go broke for your home? The fact is that yes it is possible, but if you don’t know enough about this kind of insurance, it could be very easy to spend more than you have to, or wind up with a policy that won’t cover you for everything. Read here to find more information on useful insurance tips that you will need if you want to save money on your house insurance.

When you are seeking insurance quotes, you will find they can vary widely from one company to the next, and this is because insurance companies will each have their own checklist on risks they are willing to take with house insurance. There are steps you can take ahead of time to prepare your home to minimize these risks before you start asking companies to take a risk on you. You want to check out the location of your home, or the one you are purchasing, and see if there is any additional measures in your location that will help to minimize your risks.

If for example you live near a police or fire station, insurance companies may consider your proximity to fire protections enough protection to lower your insurance premiums. You also want to be aware that the materials used to construct your home will play a big role in the quotes you get on house insurance. Any new features such as new wiring for electricity will minimize fire hazards, as will brick foundations versus wood foundations.

Raising the deductible on your insurance policy will also help you lower your insurance premiums. This is a very commonly used strategy in insurance, so you also want to check with your mortgage company to see if this strategy comes with any caps. Some mortgage companies will limit the amount of a deductible, so set up your policy that you insure what you will need replacement on in the event of loss.

You can also see deductions in homeowners insurance if you combine policies with other insurance policies you have. Combining your vehicle and home insurance policy with the same company will often lead to greater discounts on both sets of premiums. When you are looking for homeowners insurance quotes, be sure that you ask your prospective insurance company if they offer this combined discount.

At the end of the day, you need to realize that when it comes to homeowners insurance, there is a general set of rules, but every home is different and so every policy will be different. Doing your homework ahead of time will ensure that you get the best rates, and the best policy, for your most prized investment.

Source by David Mayer

Any insurance agent will know that there are both personal and business insurance product lines. You are always thinking of other people, but take a little bit to examine your own portfolio of insurance. You should really take out an E&O plan which insures you against errors or anything you didn’t do that caused the policyholder to suffer a financial loss. You may be very experienced, but anyone can make a mistake. To protect yourself from mistakes and lawsuits that result from them, this E&O policy will be a lifesaver in terms of money you save and just overall stress. When you take a look at this insurance, there are two main types you can pick from: individual agent or agency policy coverage.

If you pick the individual agent’s policy, this provides a personalized liability plan for an agent and their office staff. The choice of limits will vary between insurance providers: most offer up to $500,000 each event and some up to $5,000,000 for each event. These are, of course, subject to a yearly cutoff no matter how many claims must be recorded. Deductibles can vary as well, but you will get a better rate with an increased deductible. It might be worth spending a little more money to get an all-encompassing plan for the entire agency. You will not have to worry about any future mishaps or omissions on your part or of anyone in the agency. If you have a lot of new staff, this could be important, especially if they are still in training and perhaps more prone to give out the wrong information to clients.

Agency policies are for agencies that employ more than one agent. Owners, employees, officers, and staff are all covered under this umbrella plan. There are specific clauses that deal with agencies and not just the individual.

You will have to decide whether you want a claims based policy or an occurrence policy. Claims made means that it will cover any claims while it is in effect, even if you did not have coverage at the time of the error. Occurrence plans are more costly, they will cover any time during the plan time, even if you let it go after that or it lapses on its own. You should make the best choice for you and your staff so that they will all be protected against adverse claims.

An Agent’s E&O policy has specific clauses to add coverage for such things as financial products, mutual funds, and any financial planning. You should pick a personalized policy that covers every type of policy you plan to write to make sure you are secure against any claims against you. Of course, you will offer your best advice to your clients, but there will still be times when errors occur. Be sure to ensure your future and that of your business.

Source by Bob Roberts

Cheap health insurance has become the issue of the moment in South Carolina and across the country. More small businesses are increasingly unable to provide cheap health insurance plans to their employees because of the rising cost and the lack of federal and state legislation that would allow small businesses to purchase cheap medical insurance in pools. In the meantime South Carolina and other states are looking to cut the costs of the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance programs for the elderly and the poor. However, more affordable forms of health insurance plans are available as some private companies are experimenting with a new variation of cheap health insurance known as health discount plans. In the article that follows we’ll explain the various aspects of cheap health insurance in South Carolina and how to find a plan that works for you.

Health Care Costs due to Managed Health Care

The current health care system in America is inaccessible to approximately 47 million poor and lower middle class people. In order to address the growing health care insurance crisis in the U.S. that resulted in health care cost growth in the 1970s and 1980s, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) sprung up. These were initially as non-profit groups designed to separate unnecessary tests and treatments from those that the patient required in an effort to keep costs down. Managed care organizations began screening requested procedures by physicians to pre-authorize what the HMO would or would not cover. However, the number of people who are the riskiest to insure-diabetics, cancer, etc.-continues to rise. Many South Carolina managed care industry experts say the cost of cheap health insurance is still high because of the existing pool of insured people who use the health care system more than an average amount.

The other battle that is ongoing in South Carolina involves the health insurance companies and hospitals, the latter which cannot turn anyone away from care by law. However, as the number of South Carolinians who cannot afford cheap health insurance increases, hospital emergency rooms are handling the majority of the load. More people have to turn to hospitals as their primary health care givers given a lack of adequate or non-existant health insurance coverage.

Cheap Health Insurance Plans Through the Workplace

Most cheap medical insurance policies in South Carolina are usually written through group coverage offered at work by your employer through a private South Carolina cheap health insurance company. This is usually the more cost effective way to purchase cheap health insurance now available since a large number of employees allows South Carolina companies to reduce their insurance premiums. Similar to buying in bulk, the more health insurance plans a business can purchase for its employees the less expensive the insurance is per employee. In South Carolina, like the rest of the nation, the number of companies that can provide cheap health insurance for their employees is declining.

Personal Health Insurance Plans

Health insurance plans can be purchased by individuals and families from virtually every insurance provider in South Carolina. Trying to purchase health insurance on an individual basis can be more expensive if the person already has a health problem, known as a pre-existing condition. Many companies will not cover people with pre-existing conditions if they have no continuation of coverage-renewing health insurance coverage after only a prescribed short period of time-picked up from an earlier cheap health insurance policy.

South Carolina Health Insurance Pool

The South Carolina Health Insurance Pool is a state health insurance plan designed to provide coverage for those that either do not have or have lost medical coverage at no fault of their own and are uninsurable. The pool was created by the General Assembly to help people who couldn’t get health insurance coverage from any other source, including people with certain disabilities. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina currently administers the pool.

Coverage is available to a person who has been a state resident for at least 30 days and meets the following criteria:

• They were turned down for private health insurance coverage for health reasons;
• They were accepted for private health insurance, but have pre-existing illnesses or conditions excluded from coverage, for a period exceeding 12 months;
• They are paying health insurance premiums for comparable coverage which are more than 150 percent of the premium levels charged by the pool;
• In certain situations, other individuals whose last health insurance coverage was an employer based group health plan may be eligible for coverage.

No matter what your age, there are also several federally sponsored programs to help you if can’t afford the premiums for individual health insurance, providing you meet their eligibility guidelines.

• Medicare, a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with end-stage renal disease.
• Medicaid, a program for the poorest individuals and low-income families with children.
• The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a plan that provides health care to children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid, but earn too little to afford individual health insurance.

Types of Cheap Health Insurance Coverage

Cheap health insurance plans generally fall into one of two categories: indemnity plans and managed care plans (HMOs, PPOs or POS plans). An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and pays for your medical expenses totally, in part, or up to a specified amount. Managed care plans generally provide broader coverage within a specified network of health-care providers.

Although you can purchase cheap health insurance plans that cover specific areas of health care (surgical, hospital, physician expense plans) most plans cover varying degrees of health care in a number of different areas. This health insurance coverage, known as major medical insurance, offers extremely broad coverage with a very high maximum benefit that’s designed to protect you against losses from catastrophic illness or injury.

When comparing cheap medical insurance plans, check to see if they provide additional benefits that you may need, including prescription drugs, preventive care, mental health benefits, maternity care, and vision care. A comparison of various health insurance policies and rates through many South Carolina health insurance companies can be obtained at www.insurances.sc.

Cheap Health Insurance Recipient Costs

With most cheap health insurance policies available in South Carolina, the way to control cost is to cut down on the out-of-pocket expenses. Since most health care insurance policies require you to make a co-payment (the amount you pay a health care provider with every visit), anything involving a lot of time spent in the doctor or dentist’s office can become expensive. Most also require a deductible (costs you must cover out of your pocket for any major expense before your cheap health insurance policy picks up the remaining costs). You may also have coinsurance, the percentage of cheap medical insurance cost you will still have to pay after you reach your deductibles.

Another thing to consider is COBRA health insurance. This law allows employees who leave a job the ability to stay on that South Carolina company’s employee health insurance for up to 18 months although they have to pay the full amount of the coverage. Check the COBRA benefits to see if purchasing a less expensive individual health insurance plan may be in your best interest.

How to Buy Cheap Health Insurance

If you need to purchase individual health insurance, it can be expensive. Unlike group plans, in which the costs and risks associated with health care are spread among many people; individual health policies are “medically underwritten” to take into account your personal health history. Any “pre-existing” condition such as heart disease, diabetes, and even pregnancy, can nix your chances of acceptance or boost your premiums.

To determine the acceptability of a particular applicant, a health insurance underwriter can require information regarding the following:

• The individual’s age: Age determines rates and whether coverage will be issued at all.
• The individual’s gender: at younger ages, males have a lower rate of illness and injury than females. That changes by age sixty.
• The individual’s health history and physical condition: Someone who has had a previous condition that can contribute to a future illness/injury is not considered an ideal risk. In response to a less than ideal medical history, modified coverage may be offered depending on the individual’s health, higher than normal premiums may be issued, or the person may be denied coverage altogether.
• The individual’s occupation and hobbies: Some occupations such as construction workers have higher insurance rates, along with people who enjoy dangerous activities such as skydiving or bungee jumping. At times certain occupations are considered so hazardous that insurance companies will not cover them at all.

Your first step in getting cheap health insurance coverage is to understand exactly what you need. Think carefully about what coverage you must have. Do you need health insurance for your whole family, or just yourself? Do you want to choose your providers? If you’re over 65, do you need insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare? Do you need – and can you afford – long-term disability and/or long term care coverage? Even if you begin by soliciting cheap health insurance quotes you must still know exactly what you want in terms of health insurance coverage so you will be comparing apples to apples when weighing any cheap health insurance premium quote.

After that, contact a South Carolina insurance agent in your area. Ideally, you can start with an independent South Carolina insurance agent who is familiar with the insurance companies that do business in your area. This agent is also not bound to write coverage for any particular health insurance company so he or she can give you an honest appraisal of various health insurance policies.

When you’ve found the right coverage, you’ll give information to your agent to complete the necessary forms. Be honest. It’s important to disclose your medical history thoroughly and accurately. Report all of your health problems to your agent. If any of your health information is misstated or incomplete, the company might refuse to pay your claims and could cancel your policy.

Source by Zack

Halifax home insurance is now providing a more thorough cover offer by including bike insurance in their deal. With this week marking National Bike Week (June 16-22), Halifax has decided to send a warning to all those hitting the cycle track regarding the potential dangers of bike thieves. The company is also offering incentives to those taking out home insurance, which is now also going to provide cover for bikes.

While National Bike Week is a great time to hang up the car keys and take a greener approach to travel, Halifax Home Insurance is concerned that people could become victims of theft if they do not take care. A recent study from the British Crime Survey shows that a bike is stolen in the UK every 65 seconds, on average, and that the cost of replacing a bike is typically £337.

Head of underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, David Rochester, said: “One bicycle theft every 65 seconds is shocking. While cycling has many benefits for people’s health and also the environment, it is important that people take adequate measures to protect their cycles and also make sure they are insured, both in the home and also when out in public places.”

Halifax data shows that London is the most risky area for cyclists, with regions of the Capital accounting for four of the top ten bike theft hot spots. Other vulnerable areas include Bristol, Reading and Chester.

Despite the risks, the company claims there are various simple ways to reduce the likelihood of having bikes stolen. It encourages cyclists to make use of specific bike parking racks and always keep bikes locked, even when leaving them for short periods of time. Using hardened steel U-type locks and considering anti-pry devices are advised.

In addition to the general safety tips, it reveals that Halifax Home Insurance offers bike cover up to £500 as standard and that those with a value exceeding this will be insured providing the customer has listed it as a special item on their policy. And for additional cover, it may be worth looking into cover for theft away from the property.

Halifax Home Insurance is currently offering customers £50 when they take out a buildings and contents insurance policy. It will also give customers a further £50 a year they keep their policy without making any claims.

The British Crime Survey (BCS) is an important source of information about levels of crime and public attitudes to crime as well as other criminal justice issues. The results play an important role in informing Government policy.

The BCS measures the amount of crime in England and Wales (the first survey covered Scotland as well, but now Scotland and Northern Ireland carry out their own crime surveys) by asking people about crimes they have experienced in the last year. The BCS includes crimes which are not reported to the police, so it is an important alternative to police records. The survey collects information about: the victims of crime, the circumstances in which incidents occur and the behaviour of offenders in committing crimes.

Source by Sofia Abasolo

Having a DUI on your record is a serious offense. If your license hasn’t been suspended, your vehicle insurance rates are going to skyrocket. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is considered to be incredibly high risk driving behaviour and causes hundreds or thousands of deaths every year. Applying for auto insurance quotes after having a DUI on your record is going to be quite a different experience from before you broke the law.

In the eyes of an auto insurance company, someone who has gotten a DUI once is much more likely to get one again, or cause a serious accident. Because of this, you can expect to pay quite a bit more for your insurance compared to what you’re used to paying. However, even though you’ll be paying more, you can certainly still shop around for the best possible price.

Auto insurance quotes are going to vary from company to company, even with a DUI on your record. While you won’t be able to find anything that is comparable to what you paid before your offense, you can still try to find the least expensive high risk insurance.

Comparing auto insurance quotes online is the best step you can take in finding out what is available for you. Remember to add your DUI information into every quote request form you fill out so that you are able to get an accurate estimate on your insurance. Keep in mind that there are some companies who specialize in this form of insurance, and they often have less expensive rates.

Having a DUI on your record doesn’t mean you cannot still compare auto insurance quotes online to find less expensive prices. You might have made a mistake when driving, but you can minimize the damage it does to your bank account by comparing insurance quotes.

Source by Carla Kaplan

One of the options that are important to consider when you leave corporate Europe for the freedom of your own business is affordable health insurance for the self employed. The fact is the options is most often cited for NOT taking the plunge into self-employment is the lack of affordable health insurance options for people who are not employed by a company that can offer more affordable rates on health insurancealong with a group health insurance plan.

If you do opt to brave it and be your own boss, there are many areas where you can cut corners. Letting yourself or your close family go without health insuranceisn’t one of those. Here are some popular options that can make insuranceaffordable if you’re a self-employed business person or crafter.

Cover under a Spouse’s Plan

By far the most popular option is to cover the family for health insurancethrough a spouse’s employer. As long as one member of the couple is working for the business that has a health insurance for the self employed plan, it’s usually the low cost option for insuring the entire household.

COBRA

COBRA is an option for the start of your self-employment. For the first couple of months after you leave your job, your employer is required by law to give you the option of keeping membership in their health insurance plan. You will have to cover the entire monthly premium paid by your business rather than the amount that you’re used to paying as an employee when your employer was covering part of the bill. The true cost of that health insurance for the self employed can come as news to you – a family health insurance through a group can easily cost close to €2000 a month. It’s still more affordable than most plans that you can buy as an individual. It’s also only temporary, so you should be seeking for other health insuranceoptions while you’re still covered.

A Health Insurance Cooperative with Other health insurance and Small Business Owners

There are national and local companies of self-employed workers who have an alliance together to combine their buying power and get affordable health insurance for the self employed premiums through group policies. You can find more data about groups in your area through the National Association for the Self Employed (www.nase.com) or the European Association of Home-Based Businesses (www.eahbb.org).

Group Health Insurance

In many states like the UK, health insurance companies offer best price group policies for groups of one. You may have to look around to find a company that does, but there are benefits other than being a cheaper policy. The most important of these is that they MUST cover everyone in the section, regardless of health conditions. This is important for someone who may have been turned against for an individual health insurance policy because of health.

No matter what, it is vital that you insure yourself and your family against the possibility of sickness or accident. There are cheap alternatives to individual health insurancepremiums and policies for the self-employed.

Source by wayan sudarma

Over the past decade, business owners have been overwhelmed by a plethora of arrangements designed to reduce the cost of providing employee benefits and taxes while increasing their own retirement savings. The solutions have ranged from traditional pension and profit sharing plans to more advanced strategies.

Some strategies, such as IRS Section 419 and 412(i) plans, used life insurance as vehicles to bring about benefits. Unfortunately, almost all the plans were noncompliant, even though insurance companies vetted them and encouraged their agents to sell them. This fostered an environment that led to numerous IRS crackdowns, disallowed tax deductions, and clients suing their insurance agents and others.

The result has been thousands of audits and an IRS task force seeking out tax shelter promotion. In addition, the IRS has been auditing most 412(i) defined benefit retirement plans and all 419 welfare benefit plans. Many insurance agents sell these plans. The tax consequences are enormous for unknowing clients. The liability may be equally extreme for their insurance advisors. The insurance agent may be called a “material advisor” if the insurance professional sells one of these plans, if the client takes a tax deduction, and if the IRS considers the plan an abusive, listed transaction or substantially similar to such a transaction. The fine for a material advisor is $200,000 if incorporated or $100,000 if unincorporated.

Most insurance agents think that they can avoid the fine by filing Form 8918 with the IRS and informing on their clients. But all of the Form 8918s that we have seen have been filled out improperly. The impression that we received in our discussions with the IRS officials who wrote the regulations is that you are lying to the government if the form is filled out improperly. That is almost as bad as not filing the form. This has also been a problem with all the forms that we have reviewed for accountants and insurance agents.

We have reviewed hundreds of forms and not a single one has been filled out properly. One reason may be that the promoter of the abusive plan sends the form with instructions to the accountant and insurance agent. These instructions tend to protect the promoter, but not necessarily the insurance agent or accountant. Please be careful with this entire situation. We have received hundreds of phone calls recently from accountants and insurance professionals in this predicament. It is very difficult to help them after the fact. For more information on this, see www.taxaudit419.com and www.taxadvisorexperts.org

Recently, there has been an explosion in the marketing of a financial product called “captive insurance.” These captives are typically small insurance companies designed to insure the risks of an individual business under IRS Code Section 831(b). When properly designed, a business can make tax-deductible premium payments to a related party insurance company. Depending on the circumstances, underwriting profits, if there are any, can be paid out to the owners as dividends. Profits from liquidation of the company may be taxed as capital gains.

While captives can be a great cost saving tool, they are expensive to build and manage. Also, captives are allowed to garner tax benefits because they operate as real insurance companies. Advisors and business owners face grave regulatory and tax consequences if they misuse captives or market them as estate planning tools, asset protection vehicles, or tax deferral; or if they market them to obtain other benefits not related to the true business purpose of an insurance company.

A recent concern is the integration of small captives with life insurance policies. Under Section 831(b), small captives have no statutory authority to deduct life premiums. Also, if a small captive uses life insurance as an investment, the cash value of the life policy can be taxable at corporate rates. It will be taxable again when distributed. This double taxation devastates the effectiveness of the life insurance and brings serious liability to any advisor who recommends the plan or even signs the tax return of the business that pays premiums to the captive.

The IRS is aware that several large insurance companies are promoting their life insurance policies as investments with small captives. The outcome looks eerily like that of the 419 and 412(i) plans mentioned above.

Remember, if something looks too good to be true, it usually is. There are safe and conservative ways to use captive insurance structures to lower costs and obtain benefits for businesses. And some types of captive insurance products do have statutory protection for deducting life insurance premiums (although not 831(b) captives). Learning what works and is safe is the first step in helping clients use these powerful, but highly technical insurance tools.
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Lance Wallach, the National Society of Accountants Speaker of the Year, speaks and writes extensively about, retirement plans, Circular 230 problems and tax reduction strategies. He speaks at more than 40 conventions annually, writes for more than 50 publications and has written numerous best-selling AICPA books, including Avoiding Circular 230 Malpractice Traps and Common Abusive Business Hot Spots.

Source by Lance Wallach

Two companies that you can use for insurance are Humana and Aetna insurance. Both of them are considered to be top of the line when it comes to health insurance. You will also find that they are the most widely accepted health insurance companies in the nation.

The Best of the Best: Humana Insurance

Humana insurance has surpassed just about every other type of insurance there is. Humana is a large company that offers group insurance, mostly through work. Many people who get insurance through their employer get Humana insurance. This is because the costs are low and this insurance is accepted at most major hospitals.

Establishing a Name for Themselves: Aetna Insurance

Aetna insurance is not as well known as Humana in the health care world, although it is up and coming. Aetna Insurance is pretty much accepted at most places where Humana insurance is accepted, although there many be a few places where Humana is accepted and Aetna is not. Also, Humana has a host of medical care facilities that give special breaks to people who carry their insurance, Aetna does not.

The Question of Choice: HMO v/s PPO

Both Humana Insurance and Aetna Insurance carry both PPO and HMO plans, although Humana is getting away from the HMO plans as a whole. PPO plans enable you to use the doctors that are in their network as a source of health coverage. Most health insurance companies today offer either HMO, PPO or general health insurance. Both Humana and Aetna offer the same. General health insurance covers you wherever you happen to be, even if you are on vacation or in another company. They will usually pay 80 percent of the health care costs. You have to pick up the other 20 percent and have a deductible.

Both Humana and Aetna have health care plans for individuals and businesses that offer this type of insurance. People like this because they do not have to worry about using a special network when they are looking for insurance. They can go wherever they want to get the insurance coverage that they need.

PPO insurance plans allow that the people choose their own doctors, but charge them more if the doctors are out of the network. Many people prefer a PPO because they can use doctors in the network to save money, but still have the luxury of choosing their own doctors. Both Humana and Aetna have plans for PPO.

HMO is when you can only use the doctors in the network of the provider. Both Aetna and Humana are stepping away from this type of plan that has proved to be very unpopular with the public.

You can expect to pay about the same for coverage through Humana or Aetna. Large groups will pay less for coverage of employees than individuals. Aetna offers some individual policies that are ideal for self employed individuals who want health insurance coverage. Humana insurance offers better rates for group insurance, which is why it is number one when it comes to companies that offer health insurance to their employees. Both Aetna and Humana are considered to be stable insurance companies that offer premium health care coverage for members.

Source by Joe Deacon

Facing a car insurance fraud even in the role of a victim means that you will have to pay. Your rates will go up because of an expensive claim, but you can risk your and your loved ones’ lives too. That’s why learning about insurance fraud protection is very important, making you prepared for illegal insurance scam that may harm you. Insurance fraud is as old as the concept of insurance itself. Back in Ancient Greece ships were sunken on purpose to receive insurance benefits from the government. Later on, insurance scam was widely spread in England and then in the United States. With the development of automobiles and car insurance respectively, fraud users have gained a very big market rich with possibilities. Many organized crime groups as well as individuals are using flaws in the sophisticated insurance system of today to use it in their own interest, making you vulnerable to their activities. However, there are certain measures you can take in order to minimize the chance of becoming an insurance fraud victim. First of all you have to learn what insurance fraud is all about and what schemes are usually employed. And the range of schemes is very wide. It can be a set-up accident with a car intentionally stopping in front of you to cause a collision, or an entire play with many people involved to testify your fault. Learning what are the most common types of insurance fraud is actually the best way to be protected against such things. Here are some of the most widely used schemes of fraud to be on the lookout for: Intentional accidents: The scam car will take its place in front of the victim car in traffic and suddenly hit the brakes when there’s not way to avoid collision. This usually causes rear-end accidents, with the scam driver receiving car damage coverage money and sometimes medical cost coverage as well. Additional damage: The scam driver leaves the accident site, whether intentional or not, and causes additional damage to the car in order to claim that it was caused during the accident and raise auto insurance coverage in his or her favor. Fake helpers: In such a scenario fraud hunters will let you into the traffic at first and then head in to make a collision with you, claiming that they didn’t let you in the first place afterwards. Another form of “help” could be directing to doctors, repair shops or lawyers that will charge you much more than in typical situation. Because things like these can happen to anyone and in any place, it’s very important to pay attention. Be on the lookout for traffic participants who may be following you o analyzing your driving style for some time. Keep the safe distance in front of you to have room for emergency stop. In case the accident takes place, make sure to not everything, tape or shoot all the damages and record all the information regarding the other car and people in it. This information will be very helpful when dealing with your auto insurance company and can be proof of fraud if it takes place.

Source by David Mayer

Homeowners insurance company rankings can tell you a lot about insurance companies. Here’s where to find insurance company rankings that will help you determine which company is best for your homeowners insurance needs.

Consumer Rankings

The best place I’ve found to get homeowners insurance consumer rankings is at J.D. Power & Associates (jdpower.com). They are an independent information company that conducts customer surveys and provides unbiased customer reviews and ratings on a variety of products and services.

J.D. Power ranks insurance companies based on their policy prices, policy options, claims handling, and customer service. Their ratings go from five circles (the best companies) to two circles (the worst). I recommend purchasing your homeowners insurance with a company that has a rating of three circles or higher.

Insurance Department Rankings

Every state has a department of insurance that oversees insurance companies, and most states have a website that provides insurance statistics. One of the most useful statistics they provide is a list of complaints made against insurance companies by their customers. These complaints are a good way to find out how reliable a company is, and how it treats its customers.

If your state insurance department doesn’t list insurance company complaints, you can get this information at the California Department of Insurance website (http://www.insurance.ca.gov/).

All major companies have had complaints filed against them, so I recommend going with a company that has a lower than average number of complaints.

Financial Rankings

Financial rankings are a good way to determine an insurance company’s ability to pay its claims. A.M. Best (ambest.com) rates insurance companies based on their financial strength. A high rating means a company has enough financial assets to pay it’s claims.

A.M. Best rates companies from A++ (their highest rating) to D (their lowest). I recommend purchasing insurance through a company with a B+ rating or higher.

Getting Low Cost Insurance With A-Rated Companies

The best place to get low cost homeowners insurance is at an insurance comparison website. Some of these sites provide an online chat service so you can get answers to your homeowners insurance questions from an insurance expert, and get help in lowering your insurance cost. (see link below).

Visit http://www.LowerRateQuotes.com/homeowners-insurance.html or click on the following link to get homeowners insurance quotes online from top-ranked companies and see how much you can save. You can get more insurance tips in their Articles section.

Source by ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com

Insurance isn’t just a good idea, it’s necessary. With all of the variety of potential risk that your business faces, it should be your top priority to protect it. By knowing exactly what kind of insurance you need to purchase, you can limit your risks and save yourself time and money.

General liability insurance is a policy that covers the potential losses associated with any accident or negligence that occurred on business property. By purchasing general liability insurance you can protect yourself from the devastating losses that accidents can bring about.

The next kind of insurance that your business might need is called product liability insurance. Whether your business manufactures, distributes or sells a product, you are responsible for the safety of the product. If a person is injured while using your product because of a defect, your business is financially liable. By purchasing this policy you can successfully protect yourself against any such claims.

The next crucial kind of insurance that your business may want to purchase is called professional liability insurance. If your business provides a service in which errors could potentially cost customers large sums of money, this policy would be a good investment. This is the kind of insurance that covers against any claims of malpractice or negligence on your business’s behalf.

Another important insurance policy that you should be aware of is called commercial property insurance. This covers against any potential physical loss due to fire, flood, wind or any other natural disaster. This insurance policy also covers any potential criminal action taken against your business such as vandalism or theft of property. It is available in a two forms: all-inclusive policies and an issue specific policy. By having commercial property insurance you can cover against any potential loss of property or income that may happen to your business.

Finally the last policy that your business may need is referred to as home-based business insurance. It’s a relatively common misconception that if you operate a home business your homeowner’s insurance covers any losses from your home.

Source by Alexei

Is it possible to uncover Auto Insurance in  Miami so low priced, that you’re going to quit your own regular job and sail around the world with your financial savings??…. you merely don’t know before you try!

Effortlessly Save $500- $600 !

Hi Miami! I got some emails from the neighbors wondering exactly what automobile insurance business I suggest to acquire low cost car insurance Miami quotes….but still have good coverage. I deal with insurance coverage organisations all day long in my body shop, and Let me tell you…you do not need to have too cheap automobile insurance coverage. Consequently exactly how affordable can you safely go?

The quote form  provides you with various of the lowest quotes I have noticed on the Internet, I propose them and have used them personally. What can you do to decrease your premiums?

1. Raise your own deductible…$1,000 is ideal

2. In the event that you travel much less than 10,000 kilometers per annum, question a fixed use discount

3. In case your vehicle comes with a alarm, four wheel anti-lock brakes or perhaps passenger side air bags you could possibly be entitled to lower price.

4. Clean up your driving document, and start traveling smarter.

5. Think about moving other insurance plans to one organization i.e. home, health, life

6. In case you are a scholar ask about a discount for excellent grades…several service provider are going to do it as long as you ask them and still provide proof.

7. Ask for a discount…ask for a cut price. In case they really would like your business…they will do it. Many discounts can be for: AARP or credit union association, autos driven short distances on a “limited use” schedule, army personnel.

Source by pkakaris

The article gives few tips to purchase effective life insurance policy:

Your Needs: Identify your needs both short & long term separately would be the first step for your purchase. Different needs have different set of financial tools. While an endowment plans will save funds for particular needs like buying car or house, retirement plan will look after steady income post retirement.

Review Needs: You may have bought a policy before being married to accomplish your financial goals like owning car, buying house, looking after parents etc. But once you marry responsibilities change, children will be born so it is imperative to carefully evaluate and review your insurance policies periodically to ensure that they are in accordance to your requirements. It is advisable to opt for suitable term plan if you’re settled with a family so that you ensure financial stability when you’re no longer there to support them.

Invest till Maturity: Insurance policies are designed to give maximum benefits. Polices like endowment, whole life policy, ULIPs are designed with a purpose to offer end results to customers. These policies give dual advantages of insurance investment and generate maximum returns. So, have patience and wait till the maturity if you want to earn the fruitful returns on insurance policy. Also, you should start investing from younger days to enjoy the compounding effect of your policy.

Disciplinary Approach: Your policies are not informal investing like saving in piggy banks. If you can’t make this week then you leave it. You should regularly pay your insurance premium to keep the policy active else it might get lapse, purged or shorten your cover.

Riders: Riders such as premium waiver benefit and critical illness, give additional protection to financial needs by customizing the policy as per your requirements. You can choose them as per your convenience and needs. Some choose them at the time of purchasing the policy while others can go for purchase later on to expand your insurance coverage.

Tax Benefits:Life insurance policies can be useful tax planning tools as the policy holder is eligible for tax benefits under the Income Tax Act 1961 (Act). It is one of the most effective instruments to create your tax savings plan. With life insurance plans individuals can not only save tax but also look at achieving their long term goals. The good news is that you can now save upto 1.5 lakh amount of deduction under section 80C and 80CCC. Besides, the amount that you receive after maturity or claim is also tax free.

Source:http://www.basearticles.com/Article/238842/Life-Insurance-One-unique-solution-to-cover-your-financial-concerns.html

Source by Ritika Shah

The wide types of Aetna Protection plan

When we say medical insurance plans, it refers not only to a unique factor of the human health and fitness, but health and fitness as a complete. Given that the exposure is wide, there need to also be a large range of alternatives to fit the demands and even life-style of the readers. This feat was designed attainable by Aetna protection plan.
On the grounds that Physical condition insurance plan pertains to a contract in which you pay a premium, in return, the member must get an superb healthcare products. This premium will probably be compensated monthly, quarterly, or in whichever manner the customer and the organization supplying the insurance packages negotiate. Healthiness an insurance policy, like other kinds of health care insurance, is intended to protect a client from economic hardship or ruin.
Aetna healthiness insurance policy coverage offers you a sizeable collection of packages to opt for from which includes classic policy, earliest dollar PPO ıdeas, substantial deductible medical savings accounts, and hospital attention only policies generating the firm a prominent player in these new markets.
General options needed by most folks are also out there. Aetna protection involves health care, dental treatment, medicare , disability schedule, pharmacy, existence insurance plans, student insurance cover , pet schedule, behavioral healthiness, and health and fitness expense funds. These packages are intended to cater to the totally different necessities and lifestyles of the diverse associates of the firm.
The presence of Aetna health care insurance exposure is felt all through the entire country. Aetna overall health exposure covers the a majestic amount in pretty much 50 states in USA alone. The customers enjoying the insurance is surprisingly receiving higher. There are by now 18.602 million professional medical subscribers, 13.912 million dental readers and 9.695 million pharmacy associates.
Aetna delivers a vast array of systems and products that guide manage rising employee features expenses whilst striving to enhance the top quality of fitness proper care, this kind of as situation management; sickness management and patient security applications; integrated health care, dental, pharmaceutical, behavioral wellness and disability info.
The many policy cover blueprints presented and provided by Aetna is one of the greatest deals an insurance cover company can provide. They cater to the dissimilar requires of their subscribers as a result of they realize that their folks are completely different from every other. And this tactic designed them 1 of the major players.

Source by Jermaine Willis

Can you really get “term life insurance no physical” exam? Yes you can. The interesting thing is that most life insurance companies are jumping on the bandwagon. No physical life insurance has always been available to younger people. The older you get the smaller the amount available. What has happened is that one company made $150,000 of life insurance available online. It did very well initially. The actuaries from other companies went to work. They wanted to find out how far they could push the envelop. How much life insurance could they fairly safely offer online and at what ages.

Another carrier came up with policies which offered $250,000 coverage. Soon a few others joined the fray. It seems to be quite a profitable undertaking as the number of offers increase constantly. This, of course, is good for the consumer.

One guy came up with the idea that you can get $500,000 no medical life insurance online. This may be so, but I question whether this is so. I do because what he is doing is suggesting that a person can buy $250,000 from one company and the immediately go and get another $250,000 from another carrier. The problem about that is that when you buy a life insurance policy medical information about you is put into the Medical Information Bureau’s Database. If you apply to one company and they find that you just purchased no medical exam term life insurance from another company they are likely to ask for a complete medical examination.

Incidentally, when you apply for your policy you give the carrier permission to get relevant information on you. You, in fact, permit them to get an Inspection Report.

Why do life insurance companies offer life insurance and ask for no medical exam? It is simply very profitable, if the applicant is in fairly good health. Just think, they eliminate the fee they would need to pay the doctor, paramedic or nurse to check out applicants. In addition they are protected by the “incontestability” clause which states that if the applicant fails to disclose information that would prevent them from issuing the policy they can withdraw it within a specific period of time, usually one or two years.

The no physical term life insurance policies issued are usually level term policies. 10 year term, 15 year term, 20 year term and 30 year term are quite popular. The premiums never increase and the face amounts of the policies never decrease. These are the term policies most selected when the applicant needs a medical as well. The ages at which these policies are issued are usually between age 18 and age 60. The ages and type may vary a bit depending on which life insurance company you are looking at.

So “term life insurance no physical” is a good idea for all parties concerned, as long as the applicant is honest.

Click here to see low cost no physical term life insurance offers:
http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/lifeinsurance-1.html

For additional information on no medical term life insurance go here:
http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net/no-physical-term-life-insurance.html

Source by Donald Lusan