Saturday, August 18, 2007

Guide to Life Insurance Terms

Listed below is a useful guide to life insurance terms. It is a list of definitions of life insurance terms that may or may not be familiar to you.

Accelerated Benefit Provision

A provision in many new policies which will allow the policy owner to receive a portion of the death benefit early if the insured person is diagnosed with a terminal illness or permanently confined to a nursing home.

Accidental Death Benefit

A provision added to a policy that provides an additional benefit if the insured dies from accidental causes.

Certificate

A document provided to a person insured under a group insurance policy that provides evidence that the coverage exists.

Convertible Term Insurance

These policies allow conversion, without further medical evidence, to a different type of policy from an insurance company's range.

Decreasing Term Insurance

The sum assured decreases each year throughout the term of the policy.

Dependent protection

Where the protection is required on a permanent basis rather than just for a specified term.

Evidence of Insurability

Medical and other information about a person applying for insurance that the life insurance company keeps confidential, but uses to decide whether the policy can be issued and what premiums will be charged.

Face Amount

The amount to be paid to the beneficiary when the insured dies.

Free Look

The right of the policy holder to have a period of ten or more days to examine an insurance policy, and if not satisfied, return it to the company for a full refund of all amounts paid.

Grace Period

A period of time after the premium due date when an overdue premium may be paid without penalty. The policy remains in force throughout the period.

Guaranteed Insurability

An option that permits the policyholder to buy additional stated amounts of life insurance at certain times in the future, without having to provide new evidence of insurability.

Illustration

A document used in life insurance sales presentations showing year-by-year numbers indicating how a policy will work.

Increasing Term Insurance

Under this option, the benefit payable on death increases and is particularly useful to avoid the sum assured being eroded by inflation.

Insured

The person whose life is covered by a life insurance policy.

Lapse

The discontinuation of insurance without cash value when the required premium is not paid.

Level Term Life Insurance

In this form a policy will pay out a fixed sum on death during the term.

Loan Value

The amount which can be borrowed by the policy holder from the company using the value of the policy as collateral.

Mode of Premium Payment

The frequency of premium payments during the policy year. Premium payments can usually be made on annual, quarterly, or monthly basis.

Mortality Table

A statistical table showing the death rate for each age.

Nonforfeiture Options

A provision in the policy that allows the policy holder to choose how the cash value of the policy will be used if the policy is surrendered or lapses due to non-payment of premium.

Ownership

All rights, benefits, and privileges under a policy controlled by the insured.

Paid-Up Insurance

A life insurance policy where all premiums have already been paid, with no further premium payment due.

Policy

The printed document issued to the policy holder by the company stating the terms of the insurance contract.

Policy Year

A one-year period starting on the day and the month the policy was issued. The first policy year starts on the date of issue, and ends on the day before the policy's first anniversary date.

Premium

The payment a policy holder is required to make to an insurance company to purchase insurance coverage and to keep the policy in force.

Rated Policy

A policy issued with an additional premium to cover the extra risk involved if an insured has impaired health, a hazardous occupation or hobby.

Reinstatement

The restoring of a lapsed or surrendered policy to full force and effect.

Renewable Increasable Convertible Term Insurance

This contract combines the options of increasing the sum assured, converting the policy and renewing the contract.

Reviewable Term

Level term assurance with an option to renew the contract at the end of the term, without the need for further medical evidence.

Rider

A provision added to a policy that provides additional benefits.

Settlement Option

The manner in which the insured or beneficiary may choose to have the policy proceeds paid.

Suicide Clause

A policy provision which reduces or eliminates the amount to be paid if the insured dies from suicide.

Surrender

To voluntarily terminate or cancel a policy for its cash value.

Term Life Insurance

This type of policy runs for a specified time period.

Underwriting

The process of evaluating applicants for insurance and classifying them fairly, so the appropriate premium rate may be charged

Waiver of Premium

A provision added to a policy that will waive the premium payments required by an insured during the total disability of the insured.

You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About the Author:
John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Business Overhead Expense Insurance – Do I need it?

Personal disability insurance protects a physician's ability to earn income, but what protects his or her medical practice? Business overhead expenses are just as relentless for those who suffer a disability. A practice that relies on a small number of people (or one person) to produce revenue is economically vulnerable if one of those individuals becomes disabled. A business overhead expense ("BOE") disability policy will cover the ongoing operating expenses of your practice. It ensures that you do not have to use personal assets to pay for business expenses if you become disabled.

If the insured does become disabled, a BOE policy pays a monthly benefit based on business expenses, not anticipated profits. The following are some business overhead expenses that are covered by BOE insurance:

- Rent or Mortgage Payments

- Employee Salaries and Benefits

- Utility Bills

- Property Taxes

- Accounting Fees, Legal Fees, and Professional Dues

- Malpractice and Other Business Insurance Premiums

- Maintenance and Janitorial Services

- Depreciation

- Interest on Business Debts

- Office Supplies

- Other Fixed Expenses that are Ordinary, Necessary, and Tax Deductible

Some policies even cover the salary of a temporary employee hired to do the duties of the disabled. Income taxes, the cost of inventory, and the cost of furniture are a few expenses that are not covered.

There are several key areas in which BOE insurance differs from personal disability insurance.

Benefit Periods – Usually, BOE insurance policies have short benefit periods that do not exceed two years. Remember that BOE insurance is not protecting your ability to generate income—that is what a personal disability policy does. Instead, BOE insurance allows you to keep your practice open, or at least pay for its expenses until you recover. In the case of a long-term disability, it offers you up to two years to make a business decision, such as whether to shut down or liquidate your practice, without worrying about accruing debt from business expenses.

Maximum Benefits – Personal disability insurance pays a monthly benefit as defined in the policy. BOE insurance policies offer a maximum monthly benefit, but only pay the actual overhead expenses if they are less than the maximum benefit. For example, if the maximum monthly benefit is $1,000 but actual business overhead expenses are only $600, the benefit paid is $600. With some insurers, that unused $400 benefit can be applied to increase future monthly maximums or to extend the benefit period.

Taxation – As long as premiums for personal disability insurance are paid with after-tax dollars, the benefits are tax free. DOE insurance benefits are subject to income tax, but the premiums are tax deductible as a business expense.

One similarity that BOE insurance and personal disability insurance policies share is that the sooner you purchase a policy, the better. Not only will you get lower rates when you are younger and generally in better health, but additional coverage can be purchased later without providing further evidence of medical insurability.

BOE insurance is a great idea for small practices with several physicians. If one physician is disabled, their portion of business overhead expenses will be covered by the policy so the other physicians are still able to practice without an extra financial burden.

Your practice should allow you to earn income, not be a financial parasite if you become disabled. BOE insurance doesn't just protect your practice… it protects you.

About the Author:
Andy Puls is a freelance writer for Doctor Disability Insurance
Added: 21 Jan 2007
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/48756.html

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Online Insurance Quotes California Auto

Insurance Quotes

Finding insurance quotes for California auto is now pretty easy. There was a time where finding auto insurance at a price we were willing to pay took a lot of driving and calling around. You'd select different agents that represented different companies, call them and repeat the process 4 or 5 times. Then you'd have to wait for a return call for the information. Consequently,insurance quotes for California was cumbersome to say the least.

Today we have many services that negotiate a listing fee for their services and the insurance companies happily pay them a slight fee rather than a large commission to give people their rates. That's good business for you and them. Cost effective, time efficient without bias or opinion. These services let you varying amounts, coverage's, deductible and so forth to produce numerous options for you to select from.

When you get an insurance quote from an agent it's usually more time consuming and less thorough as they are limited by the companies they have. Getting appointments with companies is very difficult to do. The process your taken through, commitmants that they require along with the overall tone and nonesense is riduclous. Then complicating it further the agent wants you to think that they have many companies but in reality probably just a few. Also, the bigger and blue chips so to speak are very selective in selecting agents so often times you never even get a quote from them.

The business of getting anything decent to some degree now really falls in our laps. Online ability to reach these companies along with phones that pop up on the T.V. frankly entice you directly to them, rather than an agent.

Then there's also the issue of direct writers who work directly with the public not through agents and generally speaking their rates are more competitive because the cost of doing business is less and they can pass on those savings to you. You'll be able to decide with your insurances quotes for California auto.

About the Author:
rolfie
Learn more about getting effective insurance and quotes.
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Credit Card and Insurance

Credit card and insurance are two very important financial services in modern sociaty. In a world that is built on the basis of credit, credit cards is a part of daily life for most ordinary people. Insurance, on the other hand, is something to protect you from uncertainty which may happen unexpectedly to anybody. The idea of insuring the future is now accepted by more and more people. Insurance and credit cards go hand in hand in many ways.


Coverage for certain insurance policies are sometimes provided as benefit by credit cards issuers at no extra charge. For example, Chase i-card provides the following insurance coverage:

- $500,000 Worldwide Automatic Travel Accident Insurance coverage

- Purchase Protection - an insurance program that covers purchases against damage or theft for 90 days from purchase date

Auto insurance and travel insurance are usually such benefit for cardholders.


For an additional premium, insurance protection plans are also available for cardholders to protect an outstanding balance on the cards. Usually, the insurance policy will cover the following:

- Critical Illnes Protection: For a primary or spousal cardholder under 65 years of age and were to be diagnosed with certain critical illnesses, such as Cancer, Heart Attack or Stroke, the insurance policy would pay in full the balance owing on the insured account up to a maximum.

- Disablitily Protection: For primary cardholders under 65 years of age who become temporarily disabled as a direct result of an illness or accident, this insurance policy will make the minimum monthly payments with certain limitation.

- Accidental Death Protection: For primary or spousal cardholders over 65 years of age and were to lose their life as a direct result of an accident, the full outstanding balance (to a maximum limitation) will be paid in full by the insurance plan.

- Job Loss Protection: For a primary cardholder under 65 years of age and he or she becomes involuntarily unemployed, the insurance policy will cover the minimum monthly payments based on the balance to a certain limitation until the cardholder is working again, or until your balance is reduced to zero.

- Dismemberment Protection: For a primary or spousal cardholder who were to lose the sight in both eyes or lose a limb as a direct result of an accident, the insurance policy will pay the outstanding balance up to a maximum.

- Strike Protection: For a primary cardholder under 65 years of age who become unemployed due to a strike or lockout, the insurance policy will make the minimum monthly payments up to a limitation until the insured resume working or the balance is reduced to zero.

- Loss of Life Protection: This insurance policy will pay the full balance on the credit card account to a certain maximum if the primary or spousal cardholder under 65 years of age lose their life.


Insurance for credit cards is a service that is getting hotter. However, usually this service is provided by the card issuer. The cardholder is notified normally by mail along with their monthly bill or at the time when they get the cards. There are growing concerns about fraud within unsolicited credit card insurance marketing activities. Some thieves use this as a way to steal your personal confidential information. As a rule of thumb, never give your confidential information over phone!


The above information is informational only. For accurate insurance policy, please contact your card issuers or local insurance agents before you take out any insurance policy.


If you are interested in Life Insurance, Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, Home Insurance, or other Specialty insurance, visit angelinsuredeal.com to get a free insurance quote.


About the Author:
Editor of http://www.angelinsuredeal.com
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Cheap And Affordable Health Insurance: Live Without Worries!

Health is wealth --- so goes the saying. Without proper health, you cannot comprehend to live a happy and a contented life. For this, regular and routine check-ups of your health are an utmost necessity. Again it is also important to consult a doctor and take proper medications, even if the ailment is a minor one. No one knows when this minor ailment will become complication, if not taken care of properly.

But normally it is seen that many people hesitate to go to any doctor because of the rising cost of medications and other medical treatments. If you are again and again avoiding going to a doctor, beware; you might face serious problems at a later stage. So, to take care of all your health related expenses, insurance markets have come up with cheap and affordable health insurance policies.

Many people have the false impression that the term cheap and affordable health insurance will not give a proper coverage to your health related medical expenses. It is not the case. Actually many insurance companies have lowered their rates of premium for health insurance policies because of the availability of too many insurance companies in the market. They have therefore, made health insurance available at a cheap and affordable rate.

There are two types of cheap and affordable health insurance policies in the market—Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). With HMO plans, you can visit doctors that are on the list of your service provider. But with PPO you can go to the specialist of your choice. The rate of premium is little higher in case of PPO than in HMO.

For a detailed understanding of the cheap and affordable health insurance plans, you need to find out how your insurance policy will work, how it will handle emergency situations, hospitalizations etc. For this certainly a thorough research is required. There are many cheap and affordable health insurance plans that are provided by different health insurance companies. You need to compare all these plans meticulously. Various aspects of the different cheap and affordable health insurance plans have to be taken into consideration like how much coverage are they providing, the quality of care etc. After this you can compare these plans and later on when you are fully satisfied that a particular cheap and affordable health insurance plan is satisfying your needs, you can buy the policy then and there. Internet has come up as a viable option of doing this comparison and research. You can compare hundreds of plans within a few seconds through internet. So, go and get hold of a cheap and affordable health insurance policy now.

About the Author:
Jenny Black is the financial analyst at Health Insurance UK. To find more about affordable health insurance, supplemental dental insurance, affordable health insurance plans, international students, car insurance, pet insurance visit http://www.healthinsuranceuk.org.uk
Added: 10 Jan 2007
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/47536.html

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Guide to Getting UK Car Insurance

Remember back when you had to travel from insurer to insurer or spend hours on the telephone ringing up possible insurers to find the best deal on car insurance? Who actually has the extra time anymore to run all over town? Besides, the odds aren’t in your favor that you actually found the best deal, anyhow. That’s why so many of us are now shopping on the World Wide Web for those tough to find items that require comparison shopping, with insurance being at the top of the list. Here’s a quick and easy guide to getting car insurance in the UK.

1. Service is a top priority. What good does saving a few pounds do for anyone if your claim is constantly placed at the back of the pile, your telephone messages go unreturned, and you’re inconvenienced for weeks on end? These things are called accidents are for a reason, and the entire scenario can be exhausting enough without your insurer dragging their feet at every possible avenue. So before you agree to the terms and conditions of an insurer, be sure to check their customer satisfaction ratings and for any complaints filed.

2. Price is another important point to consider. And the best way to get the best price is by comparison shopping. Be sure to inform any potential insurer that you will be getting multiple quotes from other insurers. This will help to keep them at the top of their game and at the bottom of their price.

3. Have your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) ready. Just because you’re driving a Honda Civic, it doesn’t mean that you’ll be paying the same rate as someone else with a Honda Civic, even if your driving records are exactly the same. Your auto might have anti-lock brakes and an anti-theft device of sorts, while the other might have an expensive sound system. All of these things will have an effect your individual quote and final price.

4. Don’t be afraid to say NO! If you don’t need the extra coverage for compact discs, don’t buy it- no matter how much the insurer tells you that it’s a good idea to have. You’ll need basic collision to protect your car, comprehensive to protect others, and a few other tidbits depending on your individual situation. For instance, perhaps your auto has a loan from the bank attached to it. In this case, you are technically not the owner of the car--the bank is, and they can demand as much insurance coverage as they’d like on their investment.

5. Just because something is easy, it doesn’t mean it’s bad. There are some highly qualified websites out there on the Internet who will do all of the comparison-shopping for you. Such a service is free, as you, the insured, do not pay for this service; the insurance company you choose picks up the bill.

About the Author:
Mary Simone recommends that you visit www.onlyinsurance.co.uk/car_insurance for more information on car insurance.
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Everyone Wants The Cheapest Automobile Insurance Quote

When you are looking for an automobile insurance quote, the first thing you usually do is pick up the phone and start calling the various insurance companies in your local area. Then you have to wait for them to call you back with a quote, which quite often is very similar to what you are already paying. The funny thing is that no one bothers about getting an automobile insurance quote until they receive the notification for their renewal and then they start scrambling to find ways to save money.

When you are looking for an automobile insurance quote online, you need to look through all the online insurance companies. Most of these companies will give you a free automobile insurance quote. All you have to do is fill in the necessary information on the form provided and you will receive the quote in an email within 24 hours. Of course, it many take a bit longer if you request the quote on a weekend.

In order to be able to choose the cheapest automobile insurance quote online, you should request a quote from at least three online insurance companies. Then wait for all the automobile insurance quotes to come in. You can print them off and compare them to find the best quote for your needs.

Comparing automobile insurance quotes does not just involve comparing the total prices. You have to look at each online quote to make sure that each one offers the same coverage. You may find that some automobile insurance quotes online do not provide adequate coverage for medical expenses should you or someone else get hurt in an accident. You also have to look at the quotes to see whether or not they provide for loss of use if your automobile is getting repaired and of course you have to have coverage for uninsured drivers that just might cause an accident.

With automobile insurance quotes online, you don’t have to spend time on the phone trying to contact the different agencies during business hours. Now you can get the automobile insurance quote you need at any time of the day or night from your computer. You don’t have to speak to anyone to get the quote you need. Once you find an automobile insurance quote that meets your needs in terms of cost and coverage, then you can have the representative call you to make the arrangements.

You can find automobile insurance quotes online, and it saves you quite some time.

About the Author :
For a website about Car Insurance visit Peter's Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Car Insurance as well as Cheap Car Insurance and more, including Online Car Insurance Quotes, UK Car Insurance, Car Insurance Rates and Car Insurance Quotes.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Friday, August 03, 2007

Travel Insurance: Enjoy Travelling With Security

Traveling insurance is taken to insure you during travel to any place. Traveling can be done either due to some official purpose or for some personal reasons. Travel insurance covers all these traveling. Travel insurance provides great security during journey as it insures against any upcoming and unknown incidents or happenings.

Travel insurance covers all the problems and troubles which may happen during traveling like illness, personal accident in travel, any medical expenses. Travel insurance covers all expenses associated with traveling. Hence if you have taken travel insurance you can avail all these facilities and you can enjoy your real pleasure of traveling without any tension.

Travel insurance provides a kind of assurance so that you travel hassle free. Depending upon the plans taken by you travel insurance can be annual or only for a certain number of days. Hence if you travel frequently then you can take annual travel plan but if you travel on some occasions only then you can take short time travel insurance plan.

While selecting any policy of travel insurance you must carefully consider the level of coverage that you want for yourself and the cost of the policy. Before you opt for any policy of travel insurance you need to make sure that the coverage of travel insurance covers personal belongings and money, medical expenses, legal expenses, personal liability and also personal accident. You must check different form of insurance policies on travel around and also check out various options given so as to save a great deal of money for your self.

Travel insurance can also provide third party coverage. In case during the trip you unintentionally cause some damage to another person's property or to the third parties and be held liable for damage, then insurance company will after examining the claim pay the damage caused to that person.

Now internet has emerged as the best option of getting any information related to anything within a few moments. It only needs you to have access to the internet. So you can search as many quotes of travel insurance as you want within a very short span of time. Then you can select and choose any of the travel insurance available online that suits best to your parameters. You can also compare travel insurance quotes of various insurance companies. You are also not supposed to worry about spending money on collecting quotes because these quotes of travel insurance are available free at internet.

About the Author:
Henry Bell is an author who can certainly identify the kind of insurance that you will need. He is proficient in the insurance world; he is an MBA(finance) from University of Oxford. Insuranceb.co.uk endeavors to find the best possible deals for its customers. To find Travel insurance, Break down cover, Mobile phone insurance, Motorcycle insurance, Medical insurance visit http://www.insuranceb.co.uk
Added: 26 Jan 2007
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/49174.html

Cheap Health Insurance - Save $1,200 in 15 Minutes

Cheap health insurance is still available – it has not gone the way of the nickel soda or the 10 cent candy bar. As with anything in life, information is power (you have to know where to look) and a little bit of hard work will go a long way (albeit a little bit of smarts along with hard work will go even farther).

So, let’s get down to it. Here are 3 things to do now (estimated time: 15 minutes) that if you actually do them could end up saving you $50, $100, or even more every month on you health insurance bill. If you would care to save $600, $1,200, or more over the next 12 months and use that money to go out to eat or go on vacation rather than giving it away to a large insurance company in extra premiums then start your 15 minute timer!

1. Evaluate your plan deductible carefully. Actuaries and product design specialists at insurance companies spend a lot of time and money to learn how they can best price their policies to maximize value for the company. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it is the goal of all non charitable companies to seek a profit. Overall, rates will stay competitive from company to company because of the competition factor. However, within the same company from plan to plan you may see interesting little differences in how the premiums change from one deductible level to another.

Try this little calculation: every time you compare a plan’s price, deductible level, and maximum out of pocket expense think of it in 12 month increments. Many people will over pay in premiums every month in order to have a lower potential out of pocket or to have extras that over the course of 12 months will cost more than if they had just paid for the extras out of pocket or kept a higher deductible.

2. Think tax smart. Take your little calculation from step 1 and add to it potential tax savings over the next 12 months. Health savings accounts make for a very attractive value proposition when you consider that an HSA’s balance rolls over from year to year (even better than a flexible spending account [FSA]), all contributions (up to IRS limits) are tax deductible, and the money grows tax free and is able to be used tax free for qualified medical expenses. The higher your tax bracket; the more advantageous an HSA is for you.

3. Get live up-to-date data. You are now armed and dangerous with your 12 month forward looking formula that incorporates premium level, deductible level, and out of pocket expense along with tax benefits. All that you now need is some up to date health insurance rates and plan features to plug into your formula. You could call up all of the insurance companies individually or you could let the ease of the Internet work to your favor. Let’s go; 5 minutes is left on the timer!

About the Author:
Joel J. Ohman
Search for health insurance the easy way by taking 30 seconds to input your health information and then viewing free health insurance quotes from the top 5 companies that offer health insurance coverage in your home zip code. Also learn about Health Savings Accounts. Make sure that you use the price transparency of the Internet to find the most affordable and comprehensive health plan quotes in your home zip code!
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Top 5 Factors Determining Your Car Insurance Rate

Auto insurance can be confusing and mind boggling sometimes and it’s hard to determine exactly why some individuals are receiving rates which are lower than others. There are many factors which contribute to the rate of auto insurance, some you have control over and others you don’t.

Below you will find valuable information regarding the factors which are compiled in order to determine the rate of your car insurance. These will help you understand important aspects of auto insurance and why some individuals receive higher rates than others. Here are the top five factors which auto insurance companies will consider when determining your rate of insurance:

1. Age – Your age will greatly affect the rate of your car insurance. Teenagers and individuals who are just beginning to drive will have higher rates for no reason other than their age. There is nothing you can do about this, as you get older and become a more experienced driver your rates will go down. Although they will go down, they will not stay down. When you reach a certain age your car insurance rates will go back up because you are an elderly driver and your eyes and coordination may not be as effective anymore.

2. Auto Insurance Companies – This is a factor which you have control over. Some car insurance companies offer lower rates than others for many reasons. It is up to you to choose which one will benefit you the most both now and in the long run.

3. Gender – Whether you are male or female will also affect the rate of your car insurance. This is yet another factor which you have no control over. Females generally have lower car insurance rates because according to insurance companies men are seen as potential dangerous and careless drivers who are more likely to be involved in car accidents.

4. Type of Vehicle – As much as we would all love to be driving a shiny silver Porsche Boxter all around town, the insurance rates for these types of vehicles are unreal. If you want your auto insurance rates to be low, I would suggest driving a car with a lower price tag. The more money your car is worth, the higher your car insurance rate will be.

5. Driving Violations – This is another factor which you have control over. I know how tempting it is to race your friends the moment you get your license for the first time, but the amount of money you will pay in the long run hardly seems worth it. Any form of ticket you receive can potentially raise the rate of your car insurance. If you want to pay less for car insurance I would suggest abiding by the rules of the road.

Although these are the most important factors in determining your rate of car insurance, there are many other factors which also play a part in how much you will pay. Auto insurance is something we all have to pay for, but by researching and understanding the aspects of this form of insurance you are learning how to reduce your rate to your best ability.

About the author:
Bill Mason is a retired insurance agent who now writes as a freelance writer for http://www.insuranceguide101.com– a site that offers information on home owners insurance, auto insurance, low cost health insurance and more.

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Sunday, July 29, 2007

Life Insurance Benefits

Life Insurance is a legal contract between you and a life insurance company with the purpose of providing an income to spouse, children or other beneficiaries in the event of your death.

There are two different categories of Life Insurance. Term Insurance is designed to provide death benefits for a specific time period. It is set up to pay a death benefit if a person should die in this specific time period. The most common term for life insurance is 20 years. Term Insurance has many benefits: it is relatively inexpensive to purchase initially. The reason for this is because your only paying for this death benefit if the death occurs during this specific time period or "term". Term life insurance is great for young couples just starting a family. It is affordable and offers high levels of coverage.

The drawback to Term life insurance is that when you initially start out, your payments are low and coverage is high, but at the end of your 20 year term you decide you still need coverage and the cost is much higher because your are now 20 years older. If you are in good health your premiums will be higher. If you have had any medical conditions in the past 20 years, you may not even qualify for life insurance. Some term life insurance policies do offer a provision that will allow a person to convert their term into permanent life insurance in the first few years of the policy.

The other type of life insurance is Permanent Life Insurance. Permanent is just that-as long as the premiums are paid, the death benefits are paid. One of the benefits a person receives from Permanent Life Insurance is that it has a cash value. That means you can borrow money on it. There is no need for a credit check on this type of loan. Basically the life insurance is the collateral.

The drawback to Permanent life insurance is cost. It is much higher premium than that of a term policy.

About the Author:
Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers discount auto insurance, life and home insurance that you can research in your pajamas on his website.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Buying Life Insurance Online

I am considering buying some life insurance what do I need to know ?

In the past life insurance was something that you sorted through your broker when he or she came to visit at home and they sat and discussed it with you for a couple of hours and answered any questions you had. As with everything else and as socitey has changed so has how we now buy our life insurance. With the advent of the Internet and with technology transforming the insurance industry the days of the visting broker are numbered. Car insurance led the way with instant online quotes and applications on the Internet, however this is not as hard to understand as life insurance as apart from what make is it and whats it say on the numberplate what else do you need to know ?

With life insurance there are a number of key factors you need to understand before you make the purchase.

Level or Decreasing ?
Where level life insurance is selected the amount of cover will stay the same throughout the length of the insurance. Your payments will stay the same except if you change cover. This is also known as term life insurance or family protection and is ideal to cover interest only mortgages or leave income for a family should you be no longer with us.
Where decreasing life insurance is selected the amount of cover will reduce each year on the anniversary of the start date of your life insurance. The amount of insurance is calculated to match the maximum outstanding on a loan in the next 12 months. This is the basis for the decreasing life insurance regardless of the purpose of cover for example if not taken out to cover a loan or mortgage. The payments will remain the same throughout the length of the cover.
Decreasing is often cheaper than level life insurance as the sum assured is coming down over the term of the policy.

Can the payments change ?
This is purely dependant on the type of basis you choose, this can either be guaranteed or reviewable ?

Guranteed - If you choose to guarantee your payments they will not change during the term of the cover unless you make any changes.

Reviewable - If you choose to make your payments reviewable they may change during the length of the cover, these are offered to make the payment more affordable at the start of the contract, more often than not the review occurs after 5 years and then every 5 years during the term of the contract. The review of the life insurance could recommend the policy premium is reduced - very unlikely, stay the same - likely, go up in premium - likely. The review is not based on your medical history or because you are older but normally on industry claims experiance.

It says i have terminal illness included with my life insurance whats this ?
Terminal illness is normally included as standard to any good life inusrance contract, this pays the guaranteed sum immediately rather than upon death if you are diagnosed as being termninally ill with a life expectancy of less than 12 months. This does not apply during the last 18 months of the period of cover. Please dont confuse this with critical illness cover as this is far more expensive option and wont be included standard.

Should I place my life insurance policy in trust ?
In a word yes, this will enable in the event of a claim the sum assured of the life insurance policy to go directly to the person or people you decide. This also avoids the possibility of your estate having to pay inheriatance tax on the proceeds of the policy. This is normally offered as part of the service with any reputable life insurance broker.

About the Author:
quote
For more information feel free to visit http://www.unbeatablelifeandcriticalinsurance.co.uk.
Added: 26 Jan 2007
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/49172.html

Friday, July 20, 2007

Long Term Care Insurance circa 2007

When long term care insurance was first conceived and offered, back in the 1980's, most LTCi premium rates were much lower than today's policies. Why have they increased so much and why are long term care insurance companies raising premiums on existing policies?

Well, for one thing, many long term care insurance polices today offer significantly more benefits than the old "nursing home only" policies. Due to consumer demand as well as consumer protection laws being passed, long term care insurance policies of today have less restrictions (As with any contract, always read the fine print!). The more an insurance company has to pay out, the higher the premiums with be.

Other reasons, besides the all too prevalent inflation, are that long term care insurance companies had no previous actuarial data to crunch. For instance: How long would a person pay before going on claim? How many would die before collecting benefits? How much money would the long term care insurance company need to pay out in claims? And finally, would the company's product sales and investments provide enough assets to keep them viable?

Insurance companies didn't have past experience with long term care claims, plus competition was stiff. As years ticked by, many companies offered more benefits while keeping their premiums quite low. Some even sold low-priced policies to people with health conditions that would likely lead to long term care. This was a big mistake.

My mother bought a low-balled policy that was packed with benefits. She paid about $1500 a year for 5 years. After 3 year's worth of recent rate increases, her premium has more than doubled. As strokes and Alzheimers run in our family, we're hoping that the insurance company doesn't increase her premium many more times.

Are we upset that Mom's premium has increased so much? Yes and no. No one likes unexpected, unpleasant changes and certainly no one wants to pay more for insurance, but we do appreciate that she has been protected against catastrophic long term care costs all these years, whether she used the insurance or not.

Now some folks would call significant rate increases on an unsuspecting consumer fraud. But it's not. It IS quite unfortunate, but it's not fraud. If it were, the Department of Insurance in every state would shut the long term care insurance companies down.

Most LTCi companies simply did not have the foresight to charge enough money for their earlier policies. They guessed at how much money they'd need to charge and they guessed wrong.

They're still trying to figure out how much they need to charge in order to maintain a healthy pool of money from which to pay claims, while still remaining competitive. The playing field keeps changing. Not the least of their problems is the rate of inflation in the long term care sector. LTCi companies have to pay out more money for equivalent care every year.

That's the insurance companies' point of view. But there are two sides to any story.

It does appear that some LTCi companies may have used unethical, but not previously illegal tactics.

Companies sold low-priced policies to unhealthy people, then sold their LTCi business claiming financial duress due to too many claims. The original, "low-balling" company makes money while the new owner of the LTCi business is left to clean up the mess, and the policy holders face the unenviable choice of paying increasing rates or giving up their coverage.

Why do I say that companies, who didn't even have proper actuarial data, could be considered unethical for selling low-balled policies to unhealthy people? Well, because I've spoken with truly ethical, independent long term care insurance brokers who wouldn't sell those companies' products unless there was no other way to insure a person. Even then, they'd make sure to let their client know that their rates would most likely increase in the future. These brokers could see what the future held, so why didn't the companies consider the future?

The problem is that it is difficult, if not impossible, to prove that an insurance company was aware of these concerns ahead of time.

Luckily for the consumer, there have been positive changes. Laws are being passed due to the frequent and high rate increases. Do your homework. Find out exactly what your state's laws are pertaining to the sale of LTCi and the obligations of LTCi companies to their policyholders.

In Arizona, companies must offer their policy holders choices when premiums are raised. They can lower the amount of their original coverage in order to keep their premiums the same or they can stop paying their premiums altogether. With the latter choice, the company creates a fund for the policy holder in the amount of the total premium payments paid to the company. That fund will pay for the policy holder's long term care until the money runs out. Of course, it does not take inflation into consideration.

My mother was given those 2 options this year when she received notice of (yet another) premium rate increase. Since she had only paid about $10,500 in premiums, which that would only cover a little over 3 months worth of long term care in a skilled nursing facility, she opted to keep her existing policy/premium. She was lucky. She was able to afford the higher premium even though she is on a fixed income.

BTW, a few LTCi companies have not raised their rates. They offer very good, expensive policies, therefore reducing the possibility of future rate increases. Even with laws in place; inflation, a drastic increase in claims and how well a company's investments fare can contribute greatly to whether an LTCi company asks for rate increases or even remains viable.

Check your State's Department of Insurance to find out which companies have raised rates and also to see if any complaints have been made against a particular insurance company or agent. Check with the services like Weiss Research, Standard & Poor's, Moody's, AM Best and Duff & Phelps to research the financial status of any long term care insurance company.

In the end, you get what you pay for, so be sure to ask for decision assistance and quote comparisons from the online.

About the Author:
Long term care insurance activist, Clay Cotton, writes for www.PrepSmart.com - The Online Baby Boomers Decision Assistance Center, where you get Free Long Term Care Insurance advice, comparative rate quotes and personal guidance, all while safely at home in your favorite pajamas and bunny slippers.
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

What Can Globe Life Insurance Do For Me

Globe life insurance offers adults term life insurance coverage with no medical exam required. Your coverage can never be reduced or cancelled due to your health or occupation. Globe Life Insurance offers people age 78 or under up to $30,000 of term life insurance with no exam required. . Many individuals and couples choose Globe Life Insurance protection because it's fast, easy and very affordable. Globe Life offers a 30﷓day money﷓back guarantee, for return of life insurance premium, which is unusual for a life insurance company to offer. This fact in addition to no medical exam life insurance lets you get the life insurance you need with no health questions asked.

With Globe Life Insurance you apply online and get approved in 5 minutes. Can you imagine that $1 starts your term life insurance coverage? This life insurance company has more than 2.5 million satisfied policyholders. This is not surprising due to the return of life insurance premium and no medical exam life insurance clauses that it contains in its life insurance policies.

No matter what stage of life you are in, Globe Life Insurance has a plan that is suited for your needs. Globe offers affordable life insurance policies for individuals and families all across the country. And now, you can apply right on-line. Just view the information and choose what you are looking for, then you set the pace on how to apply for the life insurance you need.

Now more than ever, it is important for people to prepare for the future especially people with families or added financial responsibilities. One way to prepare for tomorrow is to purchase Globe life insurance. There is no medical exam and the premiums are very affordable. What have you got to lose? With over 50 years experience in selling life insurance policies of different kinds, Globe is one of the top-rated companies in the country allowing you to purchase life insurance policies for your children as well as yourself - protection for everyone in the family.


About the Author:
For a website totally devoted to Life Insurance visit Peter's Website Life Insurance Answers at http://www.life-insurance-answers.com/ and find out about Life Insurance as well as Cheap Life Insurance at http://www.life-insurance-answers.com/cheap-life-insurance.html and more, including Online Life Insurance, Term Life Insurance and Life Insurance Agents.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Understanding Your Auto Insurance

Reading auto insurance policies can be like trying to decipher advanced calculus. It's really not that difficult if you understand a few basic terms. Collision, Comprehensive, Bodily Injury Liability and Property Injury Liability are the main terms you need to fully understand.

You'll appreciate Collision Coverage in the event you need repairs or replacements if your vehicle collides with another vehicle or property. The higher the deductible you elect, the lower your premiums will cost you. If you're at fault for something, well of course it would still be an accident, as I doubt you'd plan to run into that guard rail, but how much would you be able to afford to pay out of pocket for repairs? $250? $500? $1,000? Just like medical insurance, you'd have to pay that deductible amount first and then the insurance company would pay for the remaining charges for the repair.

Another term to become intimately familiar with is Comprehensive coverage. This is the coverage that pays for damage caused from falling objects, fire, certain natural disasters, theft and vandalism. Deductibles work the same way as with Collision; the more out of pocket costs to you, the less your insurance premium.

In addition to knowing how much Collision and Comprehensive coverage you have, you'll want to know about your liability coverage. Let's say you rear-end another driver. Or your foot slips off the brake onto the gas pedal and you plow down a mailbox. Your liability coverage will kick in and pay for the damages that you caused with your insured vehicle. Your liability coverage will, or could, include bodily injury (people) and property damage.

You don't want to go without Bodily Injury Coverage. If you were at fault in an accident and others involved needed to go to the hospital and/or lost wages from missing work, those costs would come out of your pocket if you are not insured with Bodily Injury Coverage. It doesn't take a genius to know how quickly those amounts can add up. This type of coverage can also help you in the event the other party takes legal action against you. Many states require you to carry Bodily Injury Coverage.

The other part of liability includes Property Damage coverage. Can you imagine how much it might cost should you accidentally drive into the side of someone's home? You wouldn't want to be caught without property damage insurance should you need to pay for repairs to another vehicle, building or anything else you might hit. As with Bodily Injury overage, Property Damage coverage also helps protect you in the event of a related lawsuit. Every policy will have its limits and various degrees of coverage. It's important that you understand the basics of what you are paying for and why it is necessary. No one plans for an accident, be prepared!

About the author:
Pete Lance is the founder of USGasTracker.org, a premier company which helps the consumer save money on gasoline. Thousands of gas stations across the nation are tracked daily to guarantee the lowest prices on gasoline anywhere in the United States.For more information about getting the lowest gas prices in your town visit: http://www.usgastracker
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Sunday, July 15, 2007

What Benefits Are Available On Life Insurance ?

I want life insurance what options should I consider adding ?

When taking out a life insurance plan there are a number of different options you could decide to add should you think they would be appropriate to your circumstances. These need to be added at the start of the life insurance policy from the outset.

Waiver of Payment Benefit
Waiver of payment benefit can be added to most life insurance polices, this benefit if added means that you do not have to pay your life insurance premiums if you cannot work for six months or more as a result of illness or injury. Most of the insurers will expect the premiums to be paid on the life insurance policy for normally at first, however after normally about 26 weeks of incapacity the premiums will be waived.

The incapacity or waiver on a life insurance policy is normally assesed by something called Functional Assessment Tests and these are to be done without the help of another person.

Walking - the ability to walk 200 metres on the flat ground with or without the aid of a walking stick without stopping or experiencing discomfort.

Bending - the ability to get into and out of a standard saloon car and the ability to bend or kneel to pick an object up off the floor and straighten up again.

Communicating - the ability to answer the telephone and to take a message.

Reading - having the required eyesight(corrected if necessary) to be able to read a daily newspaper

Writing - having the physical ability to write legibly using a pen or pencil without aid.

Climbing - having the ability to climb a flight of 12 stairs without stopping or suffering severe discomfort.

These are only guides and should not be relied upon totally your life insurance broker, will be able to advise in individual circumstances

Conversion of Life Insurance Policies
Some life insurance brokers/assurance companies will offer the flexiblity to convert your life insurance policy to a Whole of Life Plan without providing further medical evidence. When taking this option there are some restrictions that need to be explored fully when adding it. Your life insurance financial advisor/ broker needs to advise you on this option carefully.

Indexation of Life Insurance Policies
This option is added to keep your life insurance policy up with inflation. Both the premiums and the amount of life insurance increase with the RPI (Retail Price Index) this can be up to 10% in any one year. Normally if the indexation option is added to the life insurance policy the opportunity to increase the cover will be given regularly but if it is declined it wont be offered again.

If you are ever in any doubt about what options to add to your life insurance policy then you should consult your life insurance broker and request the technical guides and key facts for the products being cosidered. Life insurance is not complicated but it is important to pick the right policy with the right options from the outset.

About the Author:
quote
For more information about feel free to visit http://www.unbeatablelifeandcriticalinsurance.co.uk.
Added: 26 Jan 2007
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/49175.html

The Benefits of Cheap Auto Insurance

If you’re looking for the best cheap auto insurance, get ready to do your research and shop around. A great place to start looking for cheap auto insurance is your local telephone directory. Also, don’t settle for paying one company for auto insurance – shop around each year for a better price. Keep reading for some tips on how to get the best rates on cheap auto insurance.

It will really pay off if you go to an insurance agent for the best cheap auto insurance. They can negotiate on policy prices and they are able to give discounts you might not find anywhere else. When you are looking for cheap auto insurance, they can help you make decisions that will save you a lot of money. For instance, a change in your collision deductible can land you big savings on premiums for your auto insurance. Let’s say you currently have a $500 deductible. If you were to raise it to $1000, you could stand to save a lot of money on your auto insurance premiums.

You can sweeten the pot on auto insurance even more if you change your comprehensive deductible. If you have an older vehicle, you don’t necessarily need full coverage anymore. This happens frequently because you most likely paid for full coverage when the vehicle was brand new. As the car got older, you probably didn’t think to look for other cheap auto insurance and, consequently, you’ve been paying the same high rate for years. For example, a ten-year-old car could be worth as little as $1000. You’d hate to pay half of that (or more, in some cases) for full coverage!

If you should have an accident that totals your older vehicle, the cheap auto insurance company will only pay you the wholesale value of the car. This is why you want to insure yourself, the driver, very well, rather than the vehicle itself.

You can also save money with cheap auto insurance by combining coverage on your vehicles with other types of insurance, like homeowners’ or renters’ insurance. Also, if you are in a multi-car household, most auto insurance companies will give you a discount on the policies.

Another tip when it comes to auto insurance is to be sure you are getting the correct rate for your age. Your premiums tend to decrease once you pass your mid-twenties. Check with your insurance agent for any other age-related discounts. It’s also important to consider anti-lock brake systems, air bags and alarm systems for your cars. These all diminish your premiums.

Hopefully these useful tips have encouraged you to shop around for better cheap auto insurance. By contacting an insurance agent, you have the chance of lowering your premiums. Also, if you are willing to take the time to research the best deals, you can save even more money on your cheap auto insurance. Auto insurance doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. You just need to know where to look for deals and how to maximize your discounts. Go make a few calls or search the web for the best rates today.

About the Author:
This article is free for republishing as long as it will include this resource box. Author of this article, Marian Rozwenc, PhD, is a specialist on the field of auto insurance. For more info go to: losangelesautoinsurancelocator.com
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Friday, July 06, 2007

Why Would I Need Auto Insurance Specialists

If you do not understand the way that auto insurance works, you really need to deal with auto insurance specialists. These are the agents that work for the insurance companies and they can answer any questions you might have. You don’t have to get the auto insurance policy through the company because a quote and information is free. When you need to find out how the automobile insurance industry works, your best source of information is from auto insurance specialists.

If you have classic, vintage autos, you really do need to have them insured, even if you don’t drive them. Think about all the money you would lose if one of these cars were stolen. The Classic Auto Insurance Company has the auto insurance specialists you need to get the right policy for your classic cars.

Many of the auto insurance programs for classic automobiles have a range of limitations and age restrictions when it comes to getting auto insurance. The auto insurance specialists at Classic Auto Insurance will set you up with the right package for your needs. For example, depending on how much your drive your classic auto, you can have an insurance policy for 1000, 3000, or 5000 miles per year. You also get a lower rate for uninsured motorists that might be at fault in an accident where your vintage auto sustains damage.

With Classic Auto Insurance, the auto insurance specialists will advise you if any limitations apply to your policy. You definitely have to be over 26 years of age in order to get this type of insurance, but you can drive the car for pleasure. Plus if you are part of a Classic Club for collectible autos, you also qualify for a discount.

If you should get in an accident, the amount of money that you receive if the car cannot be repaired, the amount you receive as a cash settlement will be stated in the policy. Auto insurance specialists do require that you have papers with the appraised value of the car when you get the insurance and this should coincide with the book value of the car. Classic auto insurance will do everything it can to help you get the auto insurance you need. It may hurt your wallet but not as much as it would hurt if you had to pay medical expenses for someone that you hurt.

Consult auto insurance specialists if you have particular auto insurance needs.

About the Author:
For a website about Car Insurance visit Peter's Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Auto Insurance Comparisons as well as Auto Insurance Rates and more, including UK Car Insurance, online Car Insurance and Car Insurance Quotes.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

5 Considerations To Computing Your Car Insurance Premiums

Have you ever wonder why car insurance costs vary from one car insurance company to the other? This is due to the different type of computation factors that car insurance companies use to derive the car insurance cost. Based on the answers that you replied to the car insurance company, they will add or discount the cost before arriving at a final price for your car insurance. Thus, it is important for you to shop around first before you commit yourself to a particular car insurance company as different companies take a different view of the various high risk factors. We will look at some of the factors that car insurance companies take into considerations.

1. Having a clean driving record.
Without a doubt, car insurance cost would increase if you have been convicted of a driving conviction. Thus, it pays to be a safe driver so that unnecessary costs won't be incurred.

2. Adding additional drivers to the policy
By adding additional drivers to the policy, extra premiums will be added. Thus, do not add in drivers into the policy just because you think that this person might be using the car in the future. Consider carefully whether it is necessary to add this person into the policy.

3. The age and gender of the driver
If the driver is under the age of 25 the rate will mostly likely be fairly high. This is due to the lack of driving experience. Usually, you will need to have over three years driving to be quoted a lower rate. Also, a single male driver rates higher than a single female. This is because males are rated as a higher risk to car insurance companies.

4. Your credit report history.
Most car insurance companies take into account of your credit history. Paying your bills on time and maintaining a good credit history will allow you to enjoy lower car insurance cost.

5. Anti-theft alarm
Fix up an electronic central locking and alarm on your car. Discount could be given by insurance companies when you have anti-theft devices install in your car.

About the author:
Justin Koh is the original contributor of this article for http://www.carinsurancecentral.info
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

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Monday, July 02, 2007

Pet Insurance: Way to ensure care for your dog and cat

Pets are such important part of lives that at times they surpass even our relatives and friends in the affection they shower on us. Their love is unconditional and unaffected. Whether we love them or not, they are sure to lavish all their loyalty and love on us.

To safeguard the financial implications of any untoward incidents towards these innocent animals, the concept of pet insurance has been introduced. The fee of the vet, travel insurance, safeguard against death, straying or other such incidental expenses are covered under pet insurance. Especially in UK, the concept is highly popular and the trend is on the upswing for some time now.

Especially in the case of elderly and people who are challenged either physically or mentally, pets are not just a luxury but a necessity to help them lead their lives with dignity. In such cases, insurance of such valuable companions is all the more necessary.

You can easily get the quotes of your pet insurance online. The advantage will be that you wouldn't have to run around comparing insurance companies. Also, you might get attractive discounts for buying it online. Additionally, if you buy through some compare & earn cashback portal, you will get several pounds as a cashback incentives too.

There are special pet insurance plans available for dogs and cats, which are the most popular pets. Dog and cat insurance is one of the best thing you can do for your dear pet. With the increase life expectancy of pets, their medical expenses are on the rise, which you may or may not afford at some point of time. Pet insurance helps you face these crises with the assurance that your financial crisis will not affect the medical attention available to your pet.

So, if you own one of these furry delights, go ahead and get them a pet-insurance today. It will not only prove the depth of your love for them but will give you some peace of mind by taking care of their needs too.

About the Author:
Fletcher Mak is an author, write various articles on different themes to expand information, because articles is also a good way to send their voice to needy people easily. You can visit to know brief about www.ukonlinemarket.co.uk/src/cashback/bline.php?scat=594”> Cheap Pet Insurance and www.ukonlinemarket.co.uk/”>compare & earn cashback.
Article Source: http://www.articles411.com

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Health insurance gives your pockets a breather

Insurance is a financial risk management tool to ride over tide when something bad strikes. One takes the cover of insurance as one is not certain about future. There would not have been any use of insurance if we were able to see what future have in store for us.

Future is uncertain, so is our health in future. Who knows what may happen tomorrow. It is better to be prepared than to wait for it to strike without any preparation. Health insurance thus is a device that really helps us get over financial needs in times of health emergency.

Like other insurances, health insurance too comes with a premium i.e. one has to pay an amount to the insurance agency to avail the policy. There are different types of Health insurance. Some are of basic nature and some are of extensive nature. You should go for health insurance of your choice as it means getting all your medical expenses being paid by the insurance agency when you are to incur it.

You pay the monthly premiums at ease and without any burden and on the other hand when you need it the agency pays all the medical bills that you were to pay. But there is a catch; the agency may ask you to shell out more premiums if you are at health risk. E.g. Smokers are required to give more premiums than the non-smokers. The premium for health insurance policy decreases if other family members are included in the policy. But it should be noted that health insurance policies are no way substitute of NHS (National Health Service) but are supplementary to it.

Typically there are a dozen of different types of health insurance plans. To name a few – medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, student health insurance, business health insurance and international health insurance etc. But if you are to order and buy health insurance be sure to find out what are the offers that the agency is providing in a particular health insurance plan. There are many diseases like cancer, epilepsy or AIDS etc. for which the agency may not shell out the medication charges. And while applying for medical insurance be sure to give only genuine information in the application form.

To order and buy health insurance you do not need to scout around your city. You can order and buy health insurance by just going online. Online buying of health insurance is easy and you can find much more information than what the respective agency would provide if you were to go physically. But be sure to provide the correct information while applying as it would ultimately decide whether you would get the insurance policy or not. Order and buy health insurance today and stay away from medical bills that you are to give in case something happens to you or your family.

About the Author:
Jenny Black is the financial analyst at HealthInsuranceUK. To find more about Health insurance, Medical insurance, Dental insurance , Vision insurance, Student health insurance , Short-term insurance, Business health insurance visit
http://www.healthinsuranceuk.org.uk
Added: 18 Oct 2006
Article Source: http://articles.simplysearch4it.com/article/39801.html

Friday, June 29, 2007

Ever Wondered What an Auto Insurance Claim Adjuster Does?

An auto insurance claim adjuster works for the insurance company with whom you purchase a policy. Some insurance companies use independent adjusters so that they get an unbiased report. When you have an accident and make a claim on your insurance, the company will send out an adjuster to access the damages and come up with an amount of money that will be needed to complete the repairs. The auto insurance claim adjuster has to contact the garages to get an estimate of what the parts and labor will cost.

When you report a claim for an accident to your auto insurance, they will contact the appropriate adjuster. The auto insurance adjuster assigned to your case will contact you to get the details on where he/she can assess the vehicle. Then you will receive a report from the insurance company regarding the assessment the auto insurance claim adjuster submits. If the damages exceed the value of the vehicle, it will be “written off”.

The amount you get on your auto insurance policy depends on the policy itself. If the auto insurance claim adjuster determines that the vehicle is written off, the insurance will pay you the book value of the vehicle. This could be more or less than what the car is worth. With some auto insurance policies, you can pay extra to have a clause included stating that if the vehicle is written off within the first two years, you get the full amount that you paid for the automobile.

There is a certain process that an auto insurance claim adjuster has to use to come up with the amount the insurance company will pay. You will usually get two quotes – one that will see the car getting repaired at a top of the line garage and another if you take a cash settlement on the claim and get the work done yourself. The auto insurance adjuster knows that many people have friends who can do the work cheaper and often take the money.

Once you decide how you want to proceed, the insurance company will issue a check. If you are paying on the vehicle, the check will be made out jointly to you and the lender. Otherwise the check comes directly to you. The job of the auto insurance adjuster is only to access the damages, Any dispute you have regarding the report made by the auto insurance claim adjuster has to be done through the insurance company. Keep this in mind because the adjuster is only an ordinary person like yourself trying to make a living.

An auto insurance claim adjuster doesn’t have an easy job.

About the Author:
For a website about Car Insurance visit Peter's Website Car Insurance Answers and find out about Car Insurance as well as Cheapest Car Insurance and more, including Online Car Insurance Quotes, UK Car Insurance, Car Insurance Rates and Car Insurance Quotes.
Article Source: Articles Directory.net

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Driver Education - Auto Insurance Tips

From the beginning, starting with your first contact with whatever is connected to driving and cars, you must have heard of the utmost important aspect:the car insurance. To a certain extent the driver education must deal with this aspect which is vital for the driver and the car in itself.

There are many companies specialized in this field but you should know that there are many of them which make certain advantageous offers such as discounts for the good grades As and Bs, yet, for that you need to qualify;you should get in touch with your insurance company for it.Some discounts are given also for the application for some driver programs, these being quite advantageous too.

In addition, if you can make a choice, replace the new teen driver or family driver on the oldest and least expensive automobile. This can and will save you the rates. Whenever thinking about buying a new or second-hand car, make sure you get in touch with your insurance company to see if the rate will suit you and your finances. It is likely for you, without checking with the insurance company, to think over a car which is too expensive for you or just not suitable. As general piece of information, you should know that sports cars or other high-cost cars are due to have higher rates, thus disabling you to pay in time. It is also important to know what you buy. If you want to buy a car, it is utmost necessary to know what that car can do. These technical aspects can be revealed to you by means of a driver education course or just specialized magazines, provided you already bear the basic information.

Another aspect is the one related to the crash safety rating, because a percentage is given to every car according to this issue. You should always know how safe is the car you are driving, how well it can protect you. As well as the other aspects, you can learn this from the driver education course. In the unfortunate case of an accident, you should be aware of the average cost to repair it, in the case of the one-side insurance. If you want to replace your insurance check the rates of a greater number of companies because they vary from one company to another.

Furthermore, every driver education course introduces the idea of the necessity to keep a camera with you in case an accident may occur;you could register the damage of all cars and the real placement. There are cases when the actual victim is found responsible for the simple fact that there are a lot of ideas and beliefs which alter the truth of an accident. A camera may come in hand if you get involved in a minor accident;you may want to get your car fixed without reporting it to the company. For a teenager, even a minor accident may lead to an increase in the rates, or maybe even more.

About the author:
Ispas Marin
California's Online Driver Education Class. Driver Education Course Accepted by the California DMV Driver Education
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Monday, June 25, 2007

Long Term Care Insurance: Five Simple Steps for Comparing and Choosing Policies

Every insurance policy is a legal contract. Once agreed upon by both parties, a long term care insurance company must uphold their contract to the letter, or risk lawsuits and regulatory prosecution. Each policy is crafted with utmost care using the probabilities of actuaries, as well as contract lawyers' keen legaleze, and here's how to navigate the decision process.

Understanding the wording of a policy and correctly comparing policies from various companies can be daunting for most folks and exhausting. You must develop a grasp of insurance lingo, and it wouldn't hurt to know how specific points in each contract have been interpreted by courts of law, either.

In case you weren't aware, the LTCi sales brochures are not contacts. Sales brochures are created to briefly explain a product and to entice you to buy it. What is printed in a brochure does not represent the intricacies of contract law, yet the brochure MUST, by law, be congruent with the related, legal contract.

Even worse, no insurance company's promotional literature can be trusted to thoroughly detail the terms of the target policy/contract. Sales is sales, and truth is truth. (Although, in most states, it is against the law to knowingly produce long term care insurance marketing materials that mislead the public.) I don't believe the Madison Avenue style brochures and commercials which I see created to push pharmaceutical drugs. Instead, I go online and research the contra-indications, side-effects, suitability of the drug for a particular aliment, as well as law-suits against the company manufacturing it. That's called "due diligence" and we owe it to ourselves to do our due diligence when it comes to matters that will affect our loved ones and ourselves.

Research pertaining to your decision about long term care insurance is no less important than what you put in your body. So, you must read your policy contract thoroughly. If you have any doubts about the meaning of the wording in an LTCi contract, or whether that contract will protect you when you are in need (as you think it will) you'd be wise to get expert help deciphering the policy.

That said, here is the order in which to do your research:

1) Talk with your family about your decision to buy long term care insurance. Also, any friends who have a family member who has purchased LTCi in the past, and has gone "on claim", can be great resources. They've "been there, done that" and have experience with the claims process.

However, I would NOT recommend taking family members' or friends advice about which policy to buy. They are not qualified to help you. Sure, they would be able to steer you away from a particular company or policy if they have had significant problems during claims time, but deciding which policy would be the best considering your financial and health situations should be between you and a trained (and legally licensed) LTC insurance broker.

2) I suggest that you use a trustworthy Long Term Care insurance BROKER, not a captive agent. A captive agent only represents one company. That may be good for the company, but it certainly may not good for you. Make sure that your broker represents SEVERAL long term care insurance companies with the highest ratings. Any company considered should have a B+ rating or better.

How do you find an LTCi broker with integrity? Well, you can, but you do not need to go through an "established" insurance firm or agency. Just because a firm or agency is established doesn't mean every agent within that agency will be someone with whom you'd feel comfortable entrusting your future. There are just as many "sharks" inside insurance firms as there are outside of them. Interview brokers until you find someone with whom you enjoy good rapport.

I recommend that you begin by connecting with the Buyer's Advocate for free, no-obligaion comparison quotes

You want someone with experience, a deep knowledge of all the companies' policies that he or she represents, and a compassionate heart. Knowledge of policies will be helpful in finding the policy you most desire. Experience comes in very handy if you have health issues. An experienced broker not only knows which policy might suit your long term care desires, but also which companies' underwriters are the most lenient for your particular health problem. Of course, a compassionate heart is the soul of your relationship and should be a sought after and respected part of the equation.

3) After you have found a broker with whom you feel comfortable, then have a conversation about your financial and health situation as well as your preferences for long term care (nursing facility only, assisted living, home care, day care, etc). Check out what each policy has to offer and it's restrictions concerning things like restoration of benefits, how many ADLs are required to trigger benefits and whether there is the need for medical supervision. Also consider the various optional benefits such as inflation protection, non-forfeiture, etc.

Look over the sales brochures that your broker provides for you. There may be several company and policy options. The sales brochures will help you narrow down your decision as well as bring any question you may have to the forefront.

4) Read your Outline of Coverage. In Arizona, the law states that an outline of coverage must be given to every applicant. The Outline of Coverage must truthfully state the basics of the policy. Written in lay terms, the Outline of Coverage more intricately describes what the policy will cover, bit it's not a comples as the actual contract. From this, you can pretty much make up your mind about which policy you want. HOWEVER, an Outline of Coverage is a binding contract. It does not cover every aspect of the policy. The only way to be absolutely sure about the exact wording of your LTCi policy is to decipher the contract itself. READ THE CONTRACT! Again, if you are not entirely sure about what the wording means, then get a legal professional to explain it to you.

5) Depending upon your purchase time line (Do you want LTCi protection right now or can it wait a few days, weeks, months) you can request a sample policy from your broker. If you want to buy sooner than later, you can fill out an application. If you are approved, you will get your actual policy to review for 30 days.

In Arizona, there are no worries if you buy an LTCi policy first and look afterwards. By law, you have a 30 day "free look" period that you can use to pick your policy apart with the help of a good insurance contract lawyer. And it's not a bad idea to do so, if you have the money.

Before you start your buying process, call your Department of Insurance to verify that there is a "free look" period in your state.

Keep the envelope in which the policy was mailed and/or insist that your agent give you a signed receipt or delivery when he or she hands you the policy.

If you decide to return the policy, you must send it to the insurance company along with a letter requesting that the policy be canceled and your premium refunded. To make sure that the long term care insurance company received your letter and policy, send them both by certified mail and keep your mail receipt.

Keep a copy of your correspondence with the insurance company until the refund process is totally competed. The refund process usually takes 4 to 6 weeks.

With these steps covered you'll be set.

About the Author:
Long term care insurance activist, Clay Cotton, writes for www.PrepSmart.com - The Online Baby Boomers Decision Assistance Center, where you get Free Long Term Care Insurance advice, comparative rate quotes and personal guidance, all while safely at home in your favorite pajamas and bunny slippers.
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