Public Liability or Employers Liability is currently if you yourself want to run an exceptional corporate enterprise an astonishingly brilliant insurance type to take out it is not a legal must but it does make tremendous company sense. If members of the community and clientele come to your company’s premises or you go to theirs, one should know about taking out public liability insurance. This sort of insurance policy will protect one hundred & one distinct things inc. any awards and damages given to a member of the community because of injury or damage to there own house & themselves. There can be found loads of discrete conditions, exclusions and guarantees that will be applied to public liability rules It is so principal that you yourself discuss this with your own insurance policy consultant any that are applicable to your policy. Look here Public Liability Insurance to find everything you need to know Insured Risks are one of the foremost companies to go with for Public Liability Insurance. They offer it at a very reasonable price and they will advice you and your own corporate enterprise on the correct insurance policy package to take out and make sure that it is 1 suitable for you. Insured Risks community Liability Insurance is available for over 100 different professional and trade occupations and is specially designed to protect individual tradesmen, professionals and small businesses up to a total of 10 people with & without limited company status. The deal with you choose and are advised on is available on three different steps. ?1m. ?2m and ?5m. For information on community and Employers Liability, Commercial Vehicle or Professional Indemnity Insurance, check out their website www.insuredrisks.co.uk and find out everything you could possibly want to know. It is also possible to get an online quote with them as well.
Most people understand that they need auto insurance. In fact, it’s the law, if you drive a car, it has to be insured and the penalty for driving without insurance is pretty severe. However, insurance policy wordings are not easy for everyone to understand. And what you don’t know about auto insurance can hurt you. Here’s some clarification of a few things that are commonly misunderstood about auto insurance.
• Personal property in your vehicle is not covered on an auto insurance policy. Auto insurance policies provide coverage for automobiles. For instance, items like compact discs, laptop computers and cell phones are not covered on an auto insurance policy. Items like these can be covered on a property insurance policy. What this means is that if the contents of your car, like the items listed above, are damaged in an accident or lost by fire or theft while in your car, you’ll need to file a claim for your contents on your property insurance policy.
• If you loan your car, you’ve also loaned your insurance. If your friend is involved in an accident while driving a car borrowed from you, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is, your insurance company will most likely cover the accident (except in extenuating circumstances like if the driver isn’t licensed, or was impaired at the time of the accident, then coverage can be denied or limited). The bad news is, your insurance company treats the accident as if you were driving your car. This means that the accident your friend had while driving your car, is on your insurance record. It’s as if you were driving the car yourself. Best advice, don’t loan your car out.
• When you change insurance companies, you MUST officially cancel your old policy. With most insurance companies, you can request the cancellation of your policy at any time by notifying them in writing stating the date you wish your policy to be cancelled. So many people misunderstand this and presume that if they decide not to renew a policy, all they have to do is ignore the bill. DON’T DO THIS! Unfortunately, the insurance companies most times will send you another bill and then when the premium isn’t paid, they will register a cancellation due to non-payment of premiums on your insurance record. Having a non-payment cancellation on your insurance record is serious stuff and getting this straightened out after the fact can be a real hassle. What you’ll want to do when you change insurance companies, is request cancellation of your old policy in writing. Make sure you watch the dates (the date you’re canceling one policy and starting another policy) so that you have continuous coverage while making the change between insurance companies. You don’t want to be without auto insurance for a day or so while you make arrangements for new insurance.
The best advice on any of these things if you’re not sure is to contact your broker and ask for their advice. Doing this will ensure that you have the coverage you need when you need it the most and it could save you a head ache or two down the road.
Liane Wood is a chartered insurance professional and registered insurance broker specializing in personal and small business insurance. Visit her website at: http://www.insurance-rates.ca.
According to the latest research from Halifax Home Insurance claims, £390 million a year is lost in Britain due to the theft of mobile phones. With the average handset costing more than £100, it is perhaps not surprising that there are more than 2 million stolen in the UK every year.
This level of phone theft accounts for one in ten crimes in London alone, and equates to one theft across the country every 12 seconds, with an average insurance claim of £300 per stolen handset. Lancaster wins the prize for the number of mobile phone thefts however, followed by Wirral, Chester and Coventry. Although the figures are on the increase, this fortunately does not come up to the levels seen in Karachi, in Pakistan, where 17,021 handsets were reported stolen during the first four months of 2006 (an average of about 141 handsets swiped every day), in the one city alone.
The recent study highlighted that UK cases of “phone-jacking” are on the increase - where a thief grabs the victim’s mobile phone right out their grasp whilst they walk and talk using the device. Vicky Emmott from Halifax Home Insurance commented: “Mobile phones are constantly getting lighter and more compact which makes them easier for opportunistic thieves to swipe. Phone users should avoid walking and talking and keep their mobiles out of sight whenever possible.”
Schools on Merseyside are being urged to ban the use of mobile phone among school kids, following crime statistics the from Merseyside Police which suggests that overt mobile phone use can attract potential thieves and increase the risk of personal injury during a theft.
While personal belongings insurance will not provide protection against calls made by thieves on a mobile phone after the theft of the unit, at least a replacement handset will be covered, and with the number of phones which are damaged or lost every year, the idea of insuring your handset can make a lot of sense.
Unfortunately a specific phone insurance policy can cost up to £9.18 per month (source: Car Warehouse Complete) which could put off many owners, however, it is worth checking out phone companies like dialaphone who often provide free cover periods, as well as comparing home contents insurance policies to see whether the mobile might already be covered, in order to avoid paying twice. It is also worth checking with some of the credit card companies such as Barclaycard who offer mobile phone insurance cover combined with additional extended protection cover with their “Everyday Cover” for £5.99 per month.
There is even a specialist mobile phone insurance company CUSC (cusc.co.uk) which was set up 20 years ago specifically to provide mobile phone insurance to end users, covering loss, theft, accidental damage and call abuse.
However, while insurance can provide financial cover for the physical loss of a phone, Vicky Emmott advises, “New technology means that many of us use phones for more than just calls and text messaging. Mobile owners should make sure that all contact numbers, diary entries, pictures, down-loads and ring-tones are backed-up and saved elsewhere if they don’t want to risk losing them completely.”
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In this time of uncertainty, we never know what will happen next. Whether we are riding in the most luxurious of vehicles or driving in the cheapest car there is, it doesn’t matter; we are not exempted from the uncertainties and risks of life. Accidents may happen anywhere at any time and in usually in an unpredictable manner. We are not in control of these kinds of circumstances. All we can do is to protect ourselves from these risks.
Car manufacturers, in order to solve these problems, put additional parts in cars to enhance their safety components. They put seatbelts and air bags to protect the driver and the passengers. They also make the body of cars durable enough to withstand collisions. Car manufacturers usually put every car through several tests to determine how it will react to collisions, before putting it in the market to insure its durability.
Even with these safety measures performed by car manufacturers, accidents still happen. Most accidents are caused by reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcoholic drinks. On the average, a motor vehicle crashes every 5 seconds, a person is injured in an accident every 11 seconds and a fatal injury occurs every 12 minutes. These statistics are convincing evidence of why auto insurance coverage is so necessary.
Drivers are not the only reason why accidents occur. Sometimes, the cars that drivers use can also be the major cause of an accident. Passenger cars and light trucks accounted for nearly 95% of the 11 million vehicles involved in motor vehicle crashes in 2004. Large trucks accounted for only 15 % of the vehicle accident. Regardless of the severity of the crashes, the majority of the accidents occurred during daylight, in normal weather conditions, while driving on a straight roadway. This pattern shows that no one can say that he/she is safe riding in any type of vehicle.
As stated, accidents do happen, but you can avoid them by following simple safety measure, include the wearing of seat belts and the following of simple traffic rules such as paying attention to speed limits and being cautious of your surroundings. Having car insurance is also advisable for your protection. This will serve as a protection for you and your family. It does not protect you physically in the same way that seat belts and air bags or helmets do, but it can protect you and your family financially.
Most countries like United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand make it compulsory for drivers to get their own coverage. In most countries in Asia, a driver cannot renew his license without getting covered.
A useful tool to find more information about car insurance can be found at
www.1carinsurance.org.
Clive Green is a writer with expertise in the fields of self-improvement and finance. http://www.1carinsurance.org
If you live in the Commonwealth of Virginia and are looking for low cost health insurance, you and/or your children may be eligible for coverage under one or more of the three FAMIS health plans sponsored by the Commonwealth.
The three FAMIS (Families Access to Medical Insurance Security) plans are as follows:
FAMIS - The Children’s Health Insurance Program: This program for children covers services such as:
doctor visits
Well-baby checkups
Hospital visits
Vaccinations
Prescription medicine
Tests and x rays
Dental care
Emergency care
Vision care
Mental health care
FAMIS - Moms: This program provides health care for pregnant women up to two months after the pregnancy.
Smiles for Children: This program provides diagnostic, preventive, restorative/surgical procedures and orthodontics (Basically the same coverage as provided through Medicaid) Since this program is primarily for children, it provides limited necessary diagnostic/oral surgery services for adults (emergency only)
The beauty of this program is that the co-payments are only $2.00 or $5.00. Regular check-ups are free and there are no monthly premiums or enrollment costs. With Smiles for Children, there are no co-payments or cost for dental services. However, you must use dental providers that are within the network.
To qualify for any of the FAMIS programs the applicant must be a US citizen under 19 (for the Children’s program), live in Virginia and not covered by another plan. You must not have had insurance for 4 months and are not eligible for Medicaid. There are also income requirements. For example, the gross income for a family of 4 must not exceed $40,000 annually. The FAMIS website (www.famis.org ) has a family income calculator in which potential insureds may check their income to see if they qualify.
The Commonwealth of Virginia realizes that quality medical care is important, and has successfully provided a low cost health insurance program for their low income residents.
View our Recommended Health Insurance Company This site is simple and easy to fill out a quote and has a lot of great info about Home Insurance and Car Insurance Quotes.
Recently, I was treated to one of life’s unpleasant surprises - a letter from the service company managing my “retirement” plan, telling me that the cost of my health insurance premium next year would be more than double what I paid last year. Now, the premium wasn’t exactly cheap to begin with, but this is ridiculous; and I don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that the cost of my health insurance is just going to keep getting worse, as we baby boomers start moving through the last stages of our lives.
Forget the long term political issue of how we’re going to fund Medicare; this is a problem that affects me and it’s going to affect you, as well. Using a Health Savings Account (HSA) to fund your medical expenses may not be the best approach for everyone - but, everyone should at least consider using one. The availability and cost of health care is always listed as the number one problem that small businesses have today. An HSA can be used by an individual operating as an independent contractor to cover personal health care needs, or by a small business to provide at least some health coverage for its employees. So, this will highlight how HSA’s work and touch on an example of how the math might benefit you.
Health Savings Accounts are similar in many ways to 401k’s and IRA’s - they allow you to set aside funds on a tax deferred basis, have a few restrictions on how they can be used, and must be administered by an IRS approved trustee (usually a bank, insurance company, mutual fund, etc.). They must be used in combination with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP); generally speaking, the money you sock away in an HSA is first used to fund your medical expenses, with the HDHP kicking in to cover medical expenses above the high deductible threshold.
Here are some specifics. As mentioned above, you must first purchase an HDHP, with a minimum deductible of at least $1,050 ($2,100 for a family) and a maximum deductible of $5,250 ($10,500 for a family). The purpose, obviously, is to make certain that a safety valve is in place to cover extraordinary medical costs in any single year and you won’t be able to open the HSA without one. Then you set up the HSA with a financial institution, basically the same way that you would open an IRA. In 2006 you can contribute the lesser of the amount of the deductible on your HDHP, or $2,700 for an individual, $5450 for a family; these amounts are tax deferred - you can deduct the contributions from taxable income on your return. So, here’s the first benefit - the government is now paying a portion of your medical expenses.
You make withdrawals from the HSA to pay your medical expenses as you incur them. If those medical expenses exceed the deductible on your HDHP, it will then start picking up your medical expenses according to whatever provision you have in the policy. However, if you have funds left over in your HSA at the end of the year, they roll forward (remain in the account) and can be used in future years to cover medical expenses that you incur then. In other words, if your family had opened an HSA with $5,450 in year one and incurred only $3,000 in medical expenses during that year, $2,450 would remain in the account to be used in subsequent years (in addition to contributions in those years). This is the second benefit of an HSA - there is no “use it, or lose it” provision in these accounts; if you and your family are healthy, they provide a great means of building up a reserve against extraordinary medical expenses in the future. The third benefit of an HSA is that income earned in the account is also tax deferred – again, just like an IRA.
Withdrawals from an HSA are not taxable, as long as they are used to cover medical expenses, but they cannot be used to pay the HDHP premium, unless you are unemployed. If withdrawals are used for non-medical purposes, they are not only taxed, you also have to pay a 10% penalty on the funds!
There are a few age issues that should affect your thinking on these accounts. You must be under 65 to make contributions to an HSA; if you’re 65, or older, you are eligible for Medicare and cannot participate in an HSA. However, if your age is between 56 and 64, you can contribute an additional tax deferred “catch-up” amount of $700 in 2006 (going up incrementally to $1,000 in 2009) to the HSA. If you have an HSA when you turn 65, it converts to an IRA, but withdrawals are still not taxed, if they are used for medical expenses. Finally, some experts adhere to the idea that these accounts are not as good for older workers; one of the benefits of an HSA is to build up the account balance to use for future medical expenses as you get older and, obviously, the older you are when you start the account, the less time you have to accomplish that.
Small businesses can use HSA’s to provide some basic medical coverage for their employees. The employee still has to get an HDHP to participate, but both employers and employees can contribute to the account on a tax deferred basis. With an HSA, if the employee leaves the company, he’s entitled to take the account with him. The major downside of providing HSA’s to employees, is probably that the company has no control over how employees actually use the money. If they decide to use the money to buy a new car, or go on a vacation, they will have to pay taxes and the penalty on the withdrawal, but the company has very limited legal recourse to stop them from doing it. If that’s money that your business contributed, it’s clearly not doing what was intended.
When you compare an HSA with traditional health insurance plans, the math will depend on individual circumstances, but it can be compelling for some people. Let’s assume you’re forty years old, paying $1,000 a month for health insurance and another $2,000 a year in deductibles and co-pays, for total annual after tax expenditures of $14,000. Alternatively, you purchase a $5,000 deductible HDHP for $500 a month, put $5,000 in an HSA, and incur $3,000 in out of pocket medical expenses. Here you’ve incurred total out of pocket medical expenses of $9,000 ($6,000 for the HDHP and $3,000 in other expenses), less the tax deduction on the $5,000 in the HSA. You also have $2,000 in tax deferred funds that is carried forward to use in future years.
The math obviously doesn’t work this well in every case and each of us has to look at our own particular circumstances. The point here is not that HSA’s are a great deal for everyone - they are not. If your medical expenses go up every year, shame on someone else, or shame on the system. But, if you throw money away, because you didn’t “have the time” to investigate whether or not an HSA would have helped, shame on you!
Jim Deyo is the President of Business Advisor Online, an internet based service that provides small businesses with the ideas they need to grow and the resources they require to make the right decisions. As a former Sr. Vice President with a major banking institution, Jim worked extensively with small and medium sized companies and has over 30 years experience in commercial and consumer lending, accounting, finance, marketing, and strategic planning. Visit the website at http://www.businessadvisoronline.com and sign up for a six week free trial of the service, or e-mail Jim at jimdeyo@businessadvisoronline.com.
There are five basic kinds of health insurance plans that are covered in
California. Of course, you’ll want to purchase the plan that meets your cost, services, and quality standards. In other words, you should choose a plan that you can afford, one that offers the services you need, and one that has the reputation of offering quality care and services.
The first kind of health insurance in California is an Indemnity Policy. This
kind of policy usually offers you the freedom of choosing the doctor or health
care facility you want, and is regulated by the California Department of
Insurance (CDI).
The second kind of health insurance in California is the Preferred Provider
Organization, or the PPO. With a PPO, you can see an out-of-network doctor or
visit an out-of-network facility, but you will pay less out-of-pocket expenses
if you choose a doctor or facility included in the PPO network. PPOs are
regulated by either the CDI or the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC).
The third kind of health insurance in California is a Health Maintenance
Organization, or an HMO. With an HMO, you must choose doctors or health care
facilities that are included in the HMO. An HMO is regulated by the DMHC.
The fourth kind of health insurance in California is the Self-Insured Health
Pplan. Many large organizations or businesses choose to go with self-insured
plans, in which there is a large sum of money set aside for the purpose of
paying medical costs of the policy holders. Self-insured health plans are
usually regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or the ERISA.
The fifth, and last, kind of health insurance in California is the Multiple
Employer Welfare Arrangement. With a multiple employer welfare arrangement,
employers who are members of associations (industry, trade, professional, etc.)
create accounts which pay for the health care benefits. Issues with this kind of
insurance are handled by the CDI.
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Don’t skimp on insurance. This probably doesn’t sound like a way to save money. But keep in mind the purpose of insurance is to transfer to an insurance company the financial risk you can’t afford to carry yourself. Without formal insurance, you are de facto self-insuring - meaning you’ll pay out of your own pocket in the event of a financial disaster such as loss of a home or a serious illness.
For example, many renters don’t own renter’s insurance, which covers the loss of their personal property (no, the landlord’s insurance doesn’t cover it). Renter’s insurance is very affordable, yet how many times do you read about people who lose everything in an apartment fire and have no insurance?
Buy the insurance you need. Carefully review your insurance needs with your financial adviser. Car, medical and home insurance are probably obvious. But do you have disability insurance in case you lose income due to an illness or injury? Many financial planners recommend clients buy long-term care insurance no later than their late 50s or early 60s to cover the high cost of potential long-term care. Do you have liability coverage beyond standard auto and home insurance in the event you are sued?
Watch out for gaps. People with multiple properties in multiple states, for example, often use multiple insurance agents for their property and casualty coverage, and can easily end up with expensive duplicated coverage - or worse, no coverage at all for some property because it was overlooked or because a policy expired. You may need “riders” or “floaters” to provide extra coverage for such things as jewelry or antiques whose value is limited under the standard policy.
And don’t buy what you don’t need. You’ll probably need life insurance, but not necessarily. Life insurance generally is for people whose death will have a significant financial impact on others - a spouse, children, dependent parents, heirs who might face a hefty estate tax bill. You may not need it if you are young and single. And as you age, you may need coverage for only a limited time or for a smaller amount.
You also probably don’t need to spend pounds on insurance for flights, pets, specific diseases, loans and car rentals.
Buy the right amount of insurance. While people sometimes buy too much of a particular insurance, more often they are underinsured.
A good example where this is common is life insurance. People frequently base their decision on premium costs, not what death benefits they need. The better approach is to first calculate how much money you will need to replace future lost income necessary for your dependents. Then look at insurance options. Some people might be able to afford to buy adequate death benefits through a whole life policy, which has an investment component. But many others would be better off spending their limited insurance pounds on term life, which has no investment component and which allows you to buy more death benefit coverage for each premium pound.
Shop around. Costs vary significantly among carriers, so carefully compare for like coverage and features. But don’t buy on price alone. You’ll want to have a carrier that’s financially sound so that it’s there if you need the benefits.
Consider multiple policies with a single carrier. You often can get a better deal buying multiple policies through a single carrier, such as car, home, and liability. But not all carriers are strong in all lines. They might be good for property and casualty but not life and health, so be sure any savings are worth it.
Help yourself. Staying healthy, putting smoke alarms and security systems in your house, and having a good driving record can keep premiums down.
Increase deductibles and avoid small claims. Choosing larger deductibles will reduce your premium costs (self-insure the deductible through an emergency fund). They also reduce small claims, which have become a sore spot in insurance because companies are increasingly raising premiums or even dropping customers who make multiple small (and large) claims.
George McGonigal
Northern Ireland Insurance Centre
George is webmaster of an online insurance resource for Northern Ireland motorists and homeowners. We bring under one roof insurers who cover Northern Ireland that can offer online quotations to allow our visitors to compare rates in the comfort of their own homes. Car, Motor and Home Insurance Northern Ireland: Competitive insurance quotes online. quotemehappy: from Norwich Union Direct.
Boat insurance is necessary for all boat owners who live on or really value their boats. If it is something that you feel you must replace then you need to insure it. If you live on your boat it is absolutely necessary that it be insured. Who would want to lose their home?
Also most boats are financed in the beginning. The lending company will insist on insurance in those cases just as they would with a house or a car. This is not unreasonable; they have as much to lose in the financial sense as you do if anything happens to the boat.
Some areas are more dangerous than others for boaters. While some of those areas are famous or infamous ‘the Bermuda Triangle’ and the Dardanelles others are less well known but can be just as dangerous.
Cape Disappointment in Washington State is one of the most dangerous areas on the seas when the conditions are right (or wrong). You need to be just as prepared when you off the Pacific coast of Washington and have your boat insurance in order as you do when you are sailing from Bermuda to Florida.
While I contemplate the last half of my life; (I am getting close to that turning point) I must make some decisions as to what I want to do with my leisure years. I have many thoughts in mind but one of those options that keep coming to mind is sailing the world.
All of us need to plan for what we want. If I choose to go sailing I will need several things of those things that I will need if I do choose a boat insurance is the top of that list. I might wind up in a cabin by the woods or on a beach in the South Pacific, I am by nature a solitary person.
If that is the case I will happily spend my time sipping iced tea and spoiling my grandchildren. If I am on a boat I think I will see the Sargasso Sea and sail around the world and across the equator.
Discover important advice and information about boat insurance. What deals should you look for? And what should you avoid. Click http://www.boat-insurance-comprehensive.com/boat-insurance-quote.html
We all hate doing it, but it’s something that we all must do at
one time or another… the wonderful task of shopping for car
insurance quotes!
Since there’s no avoiding it, you might as well learn a few ways
you can save money in the process. Here is a compilation of the
top tips you can use to make sure you never overpay for your car
insurance premiums…
1. Search for quotes regularly - Many people inadvertantly pay
the same premium for years without ever shopping around. As your
vehicle ages, it depreciates in value. You shouldn’t pay the
same premium on an older vehicle as you would on a newer one…
think about it! It’s generally good practice to do a quote
search on a yearly basis, but the more often you do it, the
better chances you have of getting lower rates.
2. If you have an older vehicle, consider “liability only”
insurance - When making a decision like this, you need to
consider the value of your vehicle compared to what you’re
paying for your premium. If your vehicles wholesale value is,
say $1000, why pay almost that much per year (give or take) when
that is all you will get from your insurance agency… if you
total your vehicle?
3. Take a defensive driving course - A simple 6 hour defensive
driving course can save you up to 10% on your insurance premium.
Contact your local department of motor vehicles for information
on taking this course. Many times, you can also take this course
by mail, by video, or even online!
4. If you have more than one vehicle in your household, insure
them with the same agency - Most insurance agencies will knock a
huge percentage off of your premium for multiple auto insurance
policies.
5. If you also have life, home, fire, boat or any other type of
insurance, use the same agency - As with having multiple auto
policies, most agencies will knock a huge percentage off of your
premium for multiple policies.
6. Increase your deductible - The higher the deductible you
choose, the lower your premium will be, so set your deductible
at the highest rate possible… just make sure that if you were
to need the insurance you would be able to cover this
deductible.
7. Maintain good credit - Insurance agencies, just like any
other business, like to be paid… and on time. A good credit
rating will lower your premium.
8. Think like an insurance agent - Insurance agencies base their
rates foremost on one thing… risk. The more at risk you seem
to be, the higher the premium will be, and vice versa. When
talking with an agent, give them reasons that you are at a lower
risk, ie: you have a safe vehicle, you have a clean driving
record, you don’t use your vehicle for work purposes, you don’t
travel often, you’re vehicle has anti-theft devices, you park in
a garage, etc. A good idea would be to make a list of why you’re
at a lower risk before you even speak to an agent. Be creative!
