Archive for the "Insurance" Category

Sort by:

How to Save Money on Heath Insurance

Everyone wants good health insurance coverage, but you also want to save money. Picking out health insurance for you or your family can seem rather difficult sometimes. You want just enough coverage, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on it. The better opportunities always seem to be more expensive. Do you take a risk, and possibly become under-insured when it comes to health insurance in order to save money?

There might be easier ways to save money above and beyond just skimping on costs. If you are planning for the long run, you should be able to calculate just how much health insurance you will need, and plan for any emergencies as well. Americans don’t really have much pull when it comes to the price of health insurance, or at least not yet. There are a few ways to save money on health insurance without skimping.

Understand The Different Types Of Health Insurance

There are several different types of health insurance policies, and they are designed to fit your needs, as well as your budget. With so many plans available, it might be confusing. If you’re looking for the cheapest monthly premium only, you might not be getting the right health insurance for you.

For example, the cheapest premium monthly rate usually has the highest deductible. The deductible is what you pay out toward your medical bills. The higher the deductible, the lower you’ll pay each month toward health insurance. However, you’re also telling the health insurance company you’ll pay out $10,000 – $15,000, or however much the deductible is, before the health insurance will pay out a dime.

So if something happens to you, you could be paying out lots of money to medical bills and never see anything back from insurance unless your bills exceed the deductible for that year. That’s a lot of money to spend throughout the year. However, there are different plans available depending on your budget. Understanding what happens with each one is important.

Cut The Health Insurance Packages That Don’t Relate To Your Situation

There are many types of healthy insurances, and there are certain packages you might not need. If you are a couple in your late 50s, you probably don’t need a maternity package in your insurance policy. See to it that you understand your own basic needs.

Don’t cut out so much that you’ve got nothing left but the very basics. Let your insurance pay for twice a year (or more) general doctor’s visits. There might be other added benefits, like lower prescription costs or alternative health benefits.

Get Someone On Your Team

If you are confused about options and premiums, you don’t have to go through the process alone. It is important to know exactly what you are signing up for and to have someone else around to put you in the right perspective. If you find yourself confused about all of the packages available, it might be time to talk to a health insurance broker.

A health insurance broker can help point out anything you might not understand about the different policies. He or she could collect information from additional companies and share with you the various available plans. Since you are getting an unbiased opinion, you’ll find it much easier to make a plan that is right for you.

A health insurance broker can go through several key points with you to determine what sort of health insurance you really need. In this way, you’ll probably save money, or get way more for your money. It’s good to have someone on your side giving advice.

Sign Up For Company Or Group Plans

You can get significant discounts on health insurance if you go through your company’s plan. If you are self-employed, there are specific groups that let you sign up with them under their insurance plans. AARP and other groups also have insurance plans.

Groups get higher savings in health insurance. You might not get as many options as you would try to get it on your own or through a health insurance broker. You can, however, end up saving lots of money on a great health insurance plan.

Get Healthy

This is not one of the easiest ways to save money on your health insurance, though some people find it the most rewarding. It is true that healthy people save thousands of dollars on health insurance every year. It is why one of the most common health questions asked through insurance agents are how much you weight or if you smoke.

So if you’re overweight, or smoke, now might be the time to consider changing your habits. If there was never a reason to do so before, consider cheaper health insurance rates. You’ll save money if you quit smoking and lose the weight.

Remember To Review The Little Things

Look your medical statements over and report any errors you say. They say that over 90% of medical records and statements contain errors. You could be paying out for services or items you never got or needed.

Also remember to get your medical records copied and saved annually. It will help in the long run if you get it done every year. Your medical insurance company might require this paper work, at your expense.

If you’re spending more at your local pharmacy, especially if you have to drive far to get to it, consider getting your prescriptions delivered to you. Online pharmacies cost a lot less, and you can often buy your prescriptions in bulk, saving even more. Many health insurance companies have special savings and benefits when you buy from certain retailers.

With looking more closely at what you can afford to pay for health insurance, talking with a professional, and understanding how you can improve your situation, you could save hundreds of dollars on your health insurance plan every year. You can also get your money’s worth by utilizing your plan’s benefits. When you take the time to do it right, you won’t have to worry when an emergency pops up later on.

Read more on How to Save Money on Heath Insurance…

Top Tips to Life Insurance

Another issue with term life insurance is that your premium can go up after a period of time. It should be no secret that life insurance companies reward those who have an interest in their own mortality. The life insurance settlement broker converted the policy to whole life.


Diabetics now make up a large percentage of our client base and the number of people diagnosed as diabetic or pre or borderline diabetic on life insurance exams has sky rocketed. A life insurance trust fund is better than a simple life insurance policy because of the tax exemption. When a person decides on taking a life insurance policy there are basically two things he must note.


Only those who are reasonably healthy are permitted to buy life insurance. Though term life insurance comes in two forms level term (pays the same death benefit no matter when you die during the term) and decreasing term (the death benefit decreases throughout the duration of the policy) level term policies are by far the most popular. Despite these problems, the life insurance companies claim that thanks to more sophisticated underwriting procedures, premiums are lower today that they were a few years ago.


Subtracting your financial resources from your expenses will give you a rough idea of how much life insurance you should purchase. Life insurance correctly planned will on premature death provide funds to deal with monies due, mortgages, and living expenses. This includes everything about your finances – value of your home, any equity you may have in your home, investments, life insurance, etc.


Mortality costs are, obviously or not, the single most expensive portion of a life insurance policy. Make no mistake about it, when you purchase life insurance commissions are paid by the insurance company to somebody. Manley was a life insurance agent and loved the outdoors.


With what is known as “Level Term Life Insurance”, the death benefit remains the same throughout the term of the policy, but since the insured person is getting older, the premium will gradually increase. The issue with term life insurance is that if you don’t die within that period, the coverage ceases to exist and you are left with nothing. An alternative is the “Decreasing Term Life Insurance” policy in which the premium remains the same, but the death benefit goes down as time goes by.


You’ve got to have knowledge of all the products being offered at your fingertips to be successful in online life insurance sales. In 2001, life insurance members of NSSTA wrote more than $6. PIP is a “wide-blanket” of coverage and can provide Collision Coverage, Hospitalization, Social Security Disability, Workers Comp, and Personal Disability Insurance & Life Insurance.


Life Insurance although also true for single income households, the need for life insurance should particularly is evaluated when both spouses work. While we now know that taking a life insurance policy is very important it is the costs of buying one that deters many people. Money from your life insurance through a viatical settlement is a single lump-sum cash payment and can be used for any purpose.


This article discusses some other forms of debt consolidation loans: Borrow Off Of an Investment Account if you have a 401K or whole-life insurance plan, you may be able to borrow on the amount of money you’ve put into the account. Car insurance, fire insurance, life insurance, and even dental insurance have all crept into the world we live in. An insulin pump is actually a positive factor where life insurance underwriting is concerned because the client’s insulin level is kept at a constant level.

Read more on Top Tips to Life Insurance…

Why Choose Liability Insurance

We were required to carry basic liability insurance, which had gone unpaid and lapsed, for starters. There are a number of liability insurance programs to choose. From a professional prospective, you should also obtain some level of PLI (Public Liability Insurance), as a business within the UK it is a requirement to have some minimum level of insurance cover in order to protect you in the event of causing harm to a third party through accident or neglect.


Other costs that you will need to consider are cell phone, internet access, general liability insurance and supplies. While many charter companies offer insurance that will cover a certain amount of damage, you should consider taking extra charterer’s liability insurance, usually costing approximately $250 for $1m cover. It will be advisable for both parties to have general liability insurance too.


It is better that both lessee and lessor have general liability insurance. Minnesota recognizes an indemnity bond, liability insurance policy or letter of credit from a financial institution. An in-home daycare is an insurance liability as well; so many landlords will not allow one in their property.


You most likely will need 100K-liability insurance. YOUR GROUP’S LOGO HERE I wanted to write to you and personally thank you for your assistance in finding us the lowest liability insurance rate for our car wash fundraiser. Due to the nature of the martial arts industry, you may be required to pay a higher fee when it comes to liability insurance.


He/she may very well believe in VBACs, but their liability insurance company or even the hospital’s insurance company may not permit them to offer VBACs. If, on the other hand, you are young, just starting out and still don’t have much in the way of health and liability insurance, you will want to protect yourself, your family and your future by carrying as much insurance as you can afford.


Online Insurance

There are actually two ways that you can apply for Florida health insurance online. The main reason that a lot of people do not apply for Florida health insurance online is that they are not sure how this process works. While many people have reported substantial savings purchasing auto insurance online, it is critical that you purchase your insurance from a reputable insurance company.


When buying car/auto insurance online, there are sites that provide automated tools. Also purchasing travel insurance online works out cheaper than through an agent, as you don’t have to pay agents, but you need to be fully aware of your requirements. As for the drawbacks to purchasing auto insurance online, there are so few.


Selling life insurance online is not the same as selling in an office. Keep your mileage low: Lesser your annual mileage is, lesser you pay on your auto online insurance. Finding cheap California automobile insurance online can be significantly easier than completing the process in person, because rates can vary wildly between different companies in California.


There are several online insurance portals that offer to give you an annuity quote instantly. Dealing with the online insurance broker was a simple task, but I soon discovered that they were an extra step in the application process, one that only slowed down our approval. Car pooling once in a week is another thing advisable to qualify for your mileage discounts on car online insurance.


Clearly state out your details: By providing proper information about your marital status, miles covered annually, car’s safety features you will reduce the probability of insurance company defaulting on your auto online insurance quotes and charging high rates. Our keyword research for this industry finds that ‘travel insurance online’ has just over 10,000 total keyword searches for the month (total of all 3 of the major search engines).

Read more on Why Choose Liability Insurance…

Everything You Should Know About Liability Insurance

When deciding whether or not to carry professional liability insurance, consider the following: Frequency of client claims and malpractice law suits are on the rise. It is better that both lessee and lessor have general liability insurance. You ought to consider the cost of spectacular stunt vehicles and stuntmen, and last but not least the reality that your liability insurance will skyrocket the moment stunts have been added to the script.


Here is what you may get:

a) Home Buildings Insurance

b) Public Liability Insurance

c) Lost Earnings Insurance

d) Insurance against Theft

e) Insurance for natural disasters risk identification and Share Value safety: Institutional investors are burdened with heaps of responsibilities concerning sustaining a defined process during investment selection. If you do a search for liability insurance for small businesses, you will find a lot of companies. You will be offered other insurance policies, such as additional liability insurance, or medical insurance.


Additionally they are looking for a company which has one million in liability insurance and maintains a mobile waste water permit for wash water run-off to storm drains. There are also legal requirements for employer’s and public liability insurance. Adding the policy number of your public liability insurance plus any other cover you have to your headed paper gets you off to a good start.


The most important thing is having the 5 million in liability insurance for slip and fall, completed operations and garages keepers liability, since you have the keys; you are in the care, custody and control of that vehicle. Although business liability insurance is available in many industries to provide additional protection against claims, the sole proprietorship’s lack of additional business protection makes it unattractive to certain types of businesses where liability is a major concern, such as medical and legal areas.


Online Insurance

Some of the online insurance websites are quite good; they provide plenty of information for free. Clearly state out your details: By providing proper information about your marital status, miles covered annually, car’s safety features you will reduce the probability of insurance company defaulting on your auto online insurance quotes and charging high rates. Dealing with the online insurance broker was a simple task, but I soon discovered that they were an extra step in the application process, one that only slowed down our approval.


I know you see ads all the time for online insurance quotes. Selling life insurance online is not the same as selling in an office. Finding cheap California automobile insurance online can be significantly easier than completing the process in person, because rates can vary wildly between different companies in California.


This is where a boat insurance online quote can really make a big difference. Check out all the brokers and online insurance companies for the best quote. There are actually two ways that you can apply for Florida health insurance online.


Buy your car insurance online as you may find you can get a discount for buying online. Our keyword research for this industry finds that ‘travel insurance online’ has just over 10,000 total keyword searches for the month (total of all 3 of the major search engines). When I bought my first plane ticket to China a few years ago it cost around $2000 round-trip, and my travel insurance cost me over $500 because I didn’t shop around for cheap travel insurance online.


Multi-policy discount: Take multi policy from a single auto online insurance company; say for example a car and house insurance from the same company will qualify you for a discount. Also purchasing travel insurance online works out cheaper than through an agent, as you don’t have to pay agents, but you need to be fully aware of your requirements.

Read more on Everything You Should Know About Liability Insurance…

My Guide to Liability Insurance

However, you can save money by outsourcing because you won’t be paying for employer payroll tax expense (FICA, FUTA and SUTA) workman’s compensation and general liability insurances, vacation time, sick time, health insurance and other benefits a good full time bookkeeper will expect from his/her employer. Review every aspect of your professional status: Review your CE requirements, renew your license(s), pay dues to your professional organizations, and be sure your liability insurance coverage is adequate and current. Before You Start a cleaning business, obtain your local & state business licenses; bonding insurance, and liability insurance if needed.


And of course you will not be paying workman’s compensation and general liability insurance premiums, product liability insurance, for example. My client owns a car with liability insurance limits of $300,000, but she purchased the insurance from GEICO whose salesperson didn’t sell her underinsured coverage.


65% employer’s share of FICA and medicaid, or SUTA or FUTA expense, or workman’s compensation and general liability insurance premiums. The lessor has to provide fire and other necessary insurance cover for the building and both parties are required to have a general liability insurance cover. You will however need to purchase your employer liability insurance through a separate commercial insurer.


It is all too common for individual property owners to be sued for seemingly frivolous reasons, so it is vital for all property owners to carry a sufficient amount of liability insurance to protect themselves and their personal assets. Minnesota recognizes an indemnity bond, liability insurance policy or letter of credit from a financial institution. Michigan is a mix of no-fault and standard liability insurance.


But even so general aviation was not breaking any speed records prior to that due to high fuel costs, nothing like today, but high never the less and liability insurance costs due to outrageous litigation costs and kangaroo court awards.


Online Insurance

Finding cheap California automobile insurance online can be significantly easier than completing the process in person, because rates can vary wildly between different companies in California. Buy your car insurance online as you may find you can get a discount for buying online. There are several online insurance portals that offer to give you an annuity quote instantly.


Car pooling once in a week is another thing advisable to qualify for your mileage discounts on car online insurance. Dealing with the online insurance broker was a simple task, but I soon discovered that they were an extra step in the application process, one that only slowed down our approval. Clearly state out your details: By providing proper information about your marital status, miles covered annually, car’s safety features you will reduce the probability of insurance company defaulting on your auto online insurance quotes and charging high rates.


Also purchasing travel insurance online works out cheaper than through an agent, as you don’t have to pay agents, but you need to be fully aware of your requirements. Selling life insurance online is not the same as selling in an office. There are actually two ways that you can apply for Florida health insurance online.


This is where a boat insurance online quote can really make a big difference. Check out all the brokers and online insurance companies for the best quote. Keep your mileage low: Lesser your annual mileage is, lesser you pay on your auto online insurance.


When I bought my first plane ticket to China a few years ago it cost around $2000 round-trip, and my travel insurance cost me over $500 because I didn’t shop around for cheap travel insurance online. Some of the online insurance websites are quite good; they provide plenty of information for free.

Read more on My Guide to Liability Insurance…

How Taxi Insurance Works in the UK

How taxi insurance works in the UK

The  Taxi Insurance Company is very significant in the United Kingdom.  The Taxi Insurance UK is one of the largest  taxi insurance companies, private or public hire.  The Taxi Insurance experts, known as brokers  will offer you efficient service and excellent coverage.  More so, the competitive insurance policies  are designed to ensure that you not only have the best taxi coverage, but also  obtain a reasonable premium.

Read more on How Taxi Insurance Works in the UK…

Five Features You May Not Be Familiar With Regarding Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance provides a great amount of protection against the death of an individual, but only for a given period of time. This is one of the best possibilities for insurance coverage if you are simply looking for coverage on a short term basis for your family. There are a number of positive features associated with term life insurance that offer a great deal of freedom to the person who is insured, allowing them to feel more protected and to have more peace of mind.

Families who are looking for insurance coverage on a short-term basis can certainly benefit from term life insurance.

Below Are Some of the Important Features associated With Term Life Insurance Policies

Convertibility of Term Life Insurance -

In most term life insurance policies, the policy offers convertibility from the original term life insurance policy into an individual universal, whole life term, or annual renewable insurance policy. This can be applied in most if not all of the United States. This convertibility provides the facility for the person who is being insured to change from the original term life insurance policy into a policy that will last for a long-term basis, such as an individual whole life insurance policy or an annual renewable life insurance policy. Find out more regarding term life insurance by visiting http://www.bloggeracrosstheuniverse.com/2008/05/life-insurance.html.

Decreased Term of Term Life Insurance -

Term life insurance is always available with a decreasing term. The good part about decreasing term life insurance is that the premium will always remain the same even when the face value is reducing every year. This is actually a good choice for term life insurance when compared to other life insurance policies. If you live through the entire term of the life insurance, this may not benefit you however because the value will continue to drop until your death or until the term ends.

Changes in Premium for Term Life Insurance -

The premium of your term life insurance policy may either increase or decrease based on your proposed earnings, tenancy, disbursals and mortality. The state authority actually has the right to increase or decrease your premium up to a predefined level. It is a good thing that the premium level may be changed based on your insurance policy.

Term Life Insurance Policies are Renewable -

Term life insurance policies are renewable, no matter how many years they are initially taken out for. These renewable term life insurance policies make it possible for the insured person to carry on with their current policy with all of the benefits. Once the term life insurance benefits expire, you can usually renew the same policy with the same premiums and rates.

Term Life Insurance Rider Facilities -

Term life insurance policies provide term rider facilities for children and for spouses. It is important that you get a term rider facility for any child who is not yet eighteen years old. Riders for your spouse are usually available for as many as a twenty year period as well. Term rider facilities are typically available for an additional premium on top of whatever premium you are already paying for your term life insurance. Learn more about term life insurance by checking out http://hovancikfamily.blogspot.com/2008/05/life-insurance.html.

Term rider facilities will convert your insurance to individual whole life insurance to take care of your spouse and your child. The term life insurance concept is outstanding security for your entire family if you are looking for a short term alternative. Term life insurance is an excellent product because it is quite flexible in nature, and for this reason, term life insurance has always been viewed as one of the best options for life insurance coverage.

Sharon Taylor is an expert life insurance writer and frequent contributor to eQUOTE Life Insurance. eQUOTE is a leading Internet resource for life insurance prices, quotes and comprehensive life insurance resource information.

Read more on Five Features You May Not Be Familiar With Regarding Term Life Insurance…

Life Insurance Guide and Glossary

Life insurance has a vocabulary all its own. Some insurance terms might sound familiar, but have a different meaning when used in the life insurance world.


The following glossary provides insurance terms and life insurance definitions to help you speak the “language of life.”


There are basically two types of life insurance, Universal Life and Term Life.


Term Life

This is the simplest form of life and the most popular. It is intended to provide large amount insurance for a fixed period of time, but for those on a budget. Payments are fixed for the term of the policy which can last, 5, 10, 20, or 30 years.


Universal Life

Universal Life Insurance lasts for the duration of your life and has a cash value. The premium payments are above the cost of the insurance and the extra payment amount is credited towards the cash value in addition to interest paid.


The amount of interest credit by the insurer is often tied to a financial index, so it is possible to see gains or losses of the overall cash value depending on how the indexes perform. The potential benefit of Universal Life is as a stable investment vehicle.


Beneficiary

The beneficiary of your insurance policy is the person designated by you to receive the policy benefits upon your death. You may designate that the benefits from your policy be allocated to multiple beneficiaries. And you may change your beneficiary designations at any time.


Coverage Amount / Face Amount

The initial value of the policy to be paid to the insured’s beneficiary or beneficiaries in the event of the death of the insured while the policy is in force.


This value does not include adjustments for outstanding policy loans, withdrawals, dividends, paid-up additions or late/outstanding premium payments.


Health & Lifestyle Profile

The premiums that insurance companies charge for life insurance are also based in large part on the overall health and lifestyle profile of the proposed insured.


Typically, individuals in good health who do not use any kind of tobacco products or engage in any hazardous activities will be able to obtain less expensive coverage than individuals who are in poor health or who use tobacco or who engage in hazardous activities.


Different insurance companies use different criteria in determining the health status and lifestyle of the proposed insured.


Date of Birth

The premiums that insurance companies charge for life insurance are based in large part on the age of the proposed insured. Some companies use the attained age of the insured in this calculation, while other companies use the nearest age of the insured.


Insured

An individual who is currently covered under an existing life insurance policy.


Length of Coverage

Different term life insurance policies have different durations.


10, 15, 20, and 30-year term life insurance policies are very common. A 10-year level term policy will have an initial 10-year period in which premiums are level.


Premium

This is a payment to a life insurance company in exchange for a life insurance policy. The payment typically does not change on term life for the length of the policy.


Premium Mode

The frequency in which premiums are paid. Typically, the total annual premium is slightly higher when payments are spread out over the course of the year as opposed to being paid all at once.


For example, a policy with a $200 annual premium may also offer a $101 semiannual premium ($202 total annual cost), a $52 quarterly premium ($208 annual cost) and an $18 monthly bank draft premium ($216 annual cost).


Proposed Insured

An individual who is applying for coverage under a life insurance policy. (See also: Insured).


Underwriting Classification

(See: Health & Lifestyle Profile, above).


Sex

The gender (male or female) of the insured or proposed insured.


Underwriting Guidelines

Underwriting guidelines are the health and lifestyle criteria for the proposed insured that insurance companies use to determine the appropriate underwriting classification upon which to base the premiums for the coverage.


These criteria typically include age, gender, tobacco use, height/weight build, and family history of heart disease or cancer, cholesterol levels, blood pressure levels, specific health conditions, driving record, hazardous occupation or activities.


Also, military service, aviation, foreign travel or residency, U.S. citizenship and felony criminal activity. It is important that all of these underwriting guidelines are taken into consideration when evaluating any premiums quoted for life insurance coverage.


State of Residence

The state in which the insured or proposed insured resides. It is not unusual for a given insurance company to be licensed to conduct business in some states and not in others depending on their licensing.


If an insurance company is not licensed to do business in a particular state, the company may not offer any of its products in that state.


If an insurance company is licensed to do business in a particular state, each of the company’s products must be individually approved for sale in that state. It is not unusual for a given insurance company to have products that are approved for sale in one state and not approved for sale in others.

Read more on Life Insurance Guide and Glossary…

Overcoming Big Insurer Excuses for Not Paying Claims

To combat fraud, many insurance companies are getting tougher on claims submitted by consumers.


But while some insurers delay payment to raise justifiable questions about claims, others drag their feet or deny payment for no apparent reason.


Here are the most common excuses insurance companies give when limiting or denying auto, home and health insurance claims – and the best ways to fight back…


AUTO INSURANCE


*”Your car isn’t worth as much as you say it is.” Insurance companies base their car-value assumptions on industry data that is similar to the information found in Kelly Blue Book. Keep in mind that Kelly Blue Book provides only average values of vehicles and that individual cars can be worth significantly more or less, depending on their condition and included extras.


Examples: Your car may have been garaged … have low mileage … or have expensive options, such as a sunroof or a V8 engine.


To support your claim for higher reimbursement: Check the classified ads in your local paper. If you find a half dozen cars that are similar to yours selling for more than the value listed in Kelly Blue Book, collect as much data as you can and send it to your insurer. Your insurer may relent.


*”Your car can be repaired for a lot less.” Some insurers set out to reduce all claims payments by a set percentage, even when the amounts are legitimate. Of course, most insurers won’t say this openly. Instead, the company might say that the $3,500 estimate you received is too high and that your car can be repaired for only $2,500.


Helpful: Don’t be intimidated. If you visit three repair shops, and the lowest bid was $3,500, insist that your insurer pay the claim in full. And don’t be pushed into using a cheap repair shop chosen by the insurer. I’ve never seen a policy that requires policyholders to go to a particular repair shop.


If your insurer still balks, say you’ll turn the matter over to your attorney. This may make the insurer pay up. If the difference between you and your insurer is a few thousand dollars, it will cost the company more to hire a lawyer than to pay you off.


HOMEONVNEWS INSURANCE


*”The problem cited in the claim is due to previous damage or normal wear and tear.” This is a favorite ploy of insurers that want to avoid paying up.


Solution: Challenge the company to prove that it does not cover these claims. Ask where in the policy it says so. Also, ask for proof it was “wear and tear” or previous damage. Insurance policies are written by the insurance company. If the language they rely upon is vague or ambiguous, you can collect – courts hold that ambiguity is always against the insurance company.


Example: A couple from Texas had their roof and window air conditioner damaged by a hailstorm. The company’s adjuster acknowledged that the air conditioner had been hurt by hail but insisted the hail hadn’t damaged the already old roof.


The couple canvassed their neighbors and found that other families’ insurers had paid for new roofs. The couple called the insurer with the information. The insurer then reversed itself, knowing that its policy language was the same as that of the other insurance companies that paid.


Under the typical homeowner’s policy, you are entitled to the full cost of repairing or replacing a damaged roof, even if the roof is old.


*”You may fix or replace the damage for less than you claim.” Some insurers will use this line as a trial balloon to see how low it can cut a claims payout before you complain. As long as you have a replacement policy and can show that it is impossible to replace an item for the amount the insurer is offering, stick to your guns.


*”We’re delaying payment because the cause of the claim is suspicious.” It’s bad enough your house was damaged by fire, but now the insurer is holding up payment because it has questions about the fire’s cause.


It’s one thing if payment is temporarily delayed because of an investigation to rule out arson. But if arson is suspected, the fire department usually conducts its own inquiry.


If the fire department hasn’t found it necessary to check the origin of the fire, ask the company directly if it is accusing you of arson.


If the answer is no, tell the insurer you expect the money to be forthcoming promptly or you will refer the matter to your attorney. If the answer is yes, call your lawyer immediately.


Important: Don’t worry if you inadvertently caused the fire. People cause fires every year by falling asleep in bed while they’re smoking, and many companies pay up anyway.


*”No receipts, no coverage”. Ideally, it’s best to have a written inventory of everything in your house.


But if you neglected to follow through on this chore, don’t despair. Homeowner’s policies don’t require that you have receipts for damaged or stolen items, only that you show some proof of what you owned.


Helpful: Go through family photos, looking for pictures that show the items. You can also ask relatives and friends to check their photos for pictures that show people grouped around specific furniture and paintings.


Also, get sworn statements from friends and relatives and from merchants who sold you the items, attesting to the existence of those items.


HEALTH INSURANCE


*”We won’t pay because this treatment isn’t medically necessary.” This is particularly troublesome with certain HMOs, which can be very tightfisted about what procedures they will cover.


Helpful: Put pressure on the insurer, starting with your doctor. Also, contact your employer’s benefits department, and then call the insurer. If this doesn’t work, say you’ll contact your state insurance department or the media.


*”This treatment isn’t covered because it’s experimental.” The problem is that policies can be ambiguous about which treatments are considered experimental and which are considered standard.


Helpful: Enlist the help of your physician in defending treatments.


Example: One insurer recently refused to pay for a migraine sufferer’s stay at the Mayo Clinic because it said the treatment she was given was experimental.


Her doctor referred to his medical school textbooks, which described the treatment he ordered as “classic.” He also found that in 49 other states, the treatment was considered routine.


The insurer reversed its decision.


*”We’re not paying the entire bill because your doctor charges too much.” Insurers balk at paying bills that exceed the “usual and customary” fees for the service in an area. The problem is determining what is usual and customary in your region because insurers are notoriously closemouthed about this.


Helpful: Call your doctor’s office, and ask the billing manager how much other insurance companies have paid for the same procedure.


Also find out whether your doctor did multiple procedures but billed you as if it was just a single one. Clarifying the bill can often lead to a larger payment from the insurance company.

Read more on Overcoming Big Insurer Excuses for Not Paying Claims…

My Guide to Life Insurance

If the client’s A1C level is above 8, then guaranteed issue life insurance is a more realistic goal. Insurance agents without question are experts in life insurance, but when it comes to annuities they are usually very restricted in what they can offer. Consulting a psychic isn’t necessary, although it does require that you estimate the timing of your life insurance needs.


If you feel that life insurance settlements are too complicated to understand, it is actually easier once you break it down. The only trick is to determine what type of term life insurance is best for you. But even then, you have to realize that your ‘guarantee’ is actually much higher with a private life insurance policy than it is with the broker-sold variable annuity.


Yet they are more likely to buy life insurance than disability insurance. Check out your payment/billing options: Many life insurance life insurance companies offer discounts to consumers who pay their annual premiums up front. After you, add up the value of your home, personal property, investments, life insurance benefits and retirement accounts you may be surprised to find that your estate reaches into in the taxable category.


Crisitna is a Registered Representative offering securities through MetLife affiliated broker/dealers including Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (member NASD) or MetLife Securities, Inc. The whole purpose of a life insurance policy is to safeguard the people you are leaving behind such as spouses and children. Many people do not understand whether or not they actually require life insurance.


However, it’s important to remember that you’re putting your life insurance or retirement plan at stake. These policies will enable you to convert your current term coverage to permanent life insurance at a later date, and generally a medical exam is not required. Take comfort in know that the process of selling one’s life insurance is typically very confidential.


In the Life Insurance Industry, most new agents are taught the ‘Standard Sales Formula – 100/10/3′. It is a kind of life insurance that is worth the balance of your mortgage. If you are interested in saving yourself several hundred dollars, then this is probably not your wisest option Mortgage insurance works much in the same way that a life insurance policy does.


Once you have decided that you are going to buy life insurance, the next question you need to ask is, how much. Considering the future of his family, he decides to buy some life insurance. First you should work out how much cash you will need instantly available (keyman insurance), money your life insurance company will deliver at the very moment it’s needed, money neither you nor your company have to pay back.


They would advise you have good life insurance, disability insurance and personal liability insurance. In fact, it’s especially important to get good Life Insurance in this situation. The $500,000 universal life insurance policy premium is $2,871 per year.


There’s simply no way that a qualified life insurance agent will tell you this. Most life insurance companies also offer the accidental death benefit rider. The earliest recorded life insurance fraud a case of pretended death comes from England in the 1730′s.


A life insurance sales representative may want you to apply some kind of formula. However, finding the perfect life insurance policy and learning more about the insurance industry in the process is a lot more fun than just signing on the dotted line of an insurance policy that may not meet your needs.

Read more on My Guide to Life Insurance…