Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Pointers in Handling Auto Accident Settlement!!!

Have you already been involved in a car accident? If not, then lucky you as you can still learn about how you can properly handle an auto accident settlement. Below is a list of useful tips you should keep in mind.

1. Right after a collision or whatever road accident you found yourself involved in, you should immediately call for medical assistance if anyone is injured. Also, you should remain at the scene of the accident.
2. Take note of the important details like the exact time, date, location, as well as the other driver’s auto license name and number.
3. If you have a camera with you, take pictures at the scene of the accident. If not, phone camera will do. It is always better to have proofs as to who is really at fault.
4. Contact your insurance company and be sure to get the claim number assigned to the case.
5. If there is a significant amount of money involved, make sure you contact your lawyer.
If you follow all the tips stated above, the result of the settlement will most likely be in your favor. So make sure you keep this in mind in case anything happens.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Common Complaints About Health Insurance


Finding health insurance can seem like a daunting task and at GoHealth, we try to make the process as simple as possible.
To help consumers through the process of finding coverage, GoHealth is addressing the most common complaints about searching for health insurance.
Health insurance is too complicated and overwhelming. There are many parts to health insurance – deductible, premium, copayment, coinsurance, network, benefits and the list continues. So when you’re reviewing health insurance quotes in the GoHealth Quote Engine, click on the various terms that confuse you to learn more. Also, an agent is no more than a call away or you can use our chat services to talk to an expert about your options.
Health insurance is too expensive. Unfortunately, the cost of individual health insurance is set by law and GoHealth cannot lower the price of health insurance for its consumers.
I have to pay one month of premiums up-front and am not sure when I’ll be approved for coverage. Once a consumer chooses a plan, they have to pay the first month’s premium right away, but it is refundable if they aren’t eligible for coverage or choose a different plan. The approval process depends on the health insurance company – it can take just days or an entire month.
I can’t find coverage. With changes in health care reform and existing laws, it can be hard for some individuals to find individual health insurance. This includes women who are pregnant, children who need individual policies, and individuals with pre-existing conditions.
The forms for applying for coverage are too long. No matter where you apply for health insurance, the application will be long. These are required for health insurers to determine the amount of risk a person may be to insure. If you know that you have a pre-existing condition and are likely to get turned down for health insurance, talk to an agent before applying. The agent may be able to help you find a carrier that won’t turn you down coverage based on that condition.

Health Insurance Mistakes & To Avoid them!!!



As fewer companies offer employer coverage and individuals shop for health insurance for the first time, some common mistakes are made that can result in additional costs. Before settling on a current or new plan, consider the following:

1. Picking the plan with the highest deductible, lowest monthly costs. Plans with a large deductible always seem like an attractive option due to the low monthly premiums. However, if someone cannot meet the deductible in case of an emergency or illness then they will be stuck with a large bill. When choosing a plan, ask yourself if you would be able to cover the deductible immediately in case of an emergency – if you can’t cover it then consider a lower deductible.
2. Not purchasing maternity coverage when pregnancy is a possibility. Maternity coverage isn’t covered in every health insurance plan. If couples are considering pregnancy in the near future or could possibly get pregnant, then maternity coverage is a must.
3. Choosing a plan with high copayments, co-insurance rates for health care services and prescriptions. Almost every health insurance plan requires a copayment at the time of a health care visit so find a plan with an affordable copayment. Copayments vary for physician visits, prescriptions and hospital services but there is always a set amount of payment that is required. Co-insurance rates get really expensive for surgeries and hospital visits since you are required to pay a percentage of the rendered services and the rate varies.
4. Sticking with COBRA coverage when individual health insurance is more affordable. Many people who are unemployed know that COBRA coverage is extremely expensive. Instead of keeping COBRA, consumers should compare individual and family plans to see if they can find something more affordable. Individuals can get more customized coverage which gets rid of any unnecessary benefits.
5. Picking a health insurance plan without ensuring your doctor is included in the network. Many individuals may not realize that their doctor is no-longer covered under a new plan before switching. But if you have a family doctor or a preference then either choose a plan that includes the doctor in the network or find a plan with flexible coverage.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Your Occupation


You can bet that insurance companies have found a statistical relationship between your auto insurance
risk and your occupation. According to Insurance.com's 2006 Occupation Report, scientists,
pilots/navigators and actors/performers/artists pay the lowest insurance rates of the occupations
reported with an average of $935.76 per year. Whereas, attorneys/lawyers/judges, executives and
business owners pay the highest insurance rates of the occupations reported with an average of
$1,383.63 per year.

Why the high discrepancy, you ask? Well it comes down to a few factors. The group of
attorneys/lawyers/judges, executives and business owners typically have more stressful jobs. They spend
more time on the road and more time on their cell phones, which comes at a higher risk for the insurer.
The group of scientists, pilots/navigators and actors/performers/artists are less risky to insure because
their driving habits are a result of skills necessitated by their occupations. A good example would be the
detail-oriented and meticulous nature inherit with scientists, resulting in safer driving and lower insurance
rates

Marital Status


Your marital status affects your car insurance rates. Yes it's true, if you are
single, divorced, or even widowed, it can add to your auto insurance premium.
It is not uncommon for many auto insurance companies to levy this marital
status penalty. In fact, it's perfectly legal in most states for insurers to practice
this type of discrimination. However, insurance companies will argue that the
actuarial tables back up their guidelines; much like younger drivers being
more likely to be involved in an accident, the same statistics show that
unmarried individuals are more accident prone than their counterparts.
If you're single, you may want to try a little experiment next time you get an online car insurance quote.
Get two quotes, keep all info identical except for the marital status, checking one as single and the other
as married. This may shed some light on which insurers still utilize these practices. Fortunately, the very
act of shopping around for the best car insurance company should eliminate these types of companies,
leaving you with a combination of the highest quality and most competitive auto insurer.

Will You Get Your Cars True Value?


If you get in an accident and "total" your car, it's your insurance company's
responsibility to provide you with an amount of money that would purchase an
equivalent car. This doesn't always happen, unfortunately. Most insurers don't
use the Kelley Blue Book or NADA standards to estimate values. They have
their own formulas and will often consider quotes from various dealers that
aren't always that attainable, and this isn't always a good indication of your
specific vehicle's true worth. Every car is different, with things like condition,
mileage, and repairs playing vital roles. If they choose to use one of these
methods, you may want to present them with some local quotes of your own.
It's recommended that you keep a documented vehicle history as well, so you
can present repair and maintenance receipts if there's a dispute. Make sure
the amount you and your insurer settle on includes sales tax for the purchase
of your replacement automobile. This is often left out by insurers, and
replacing your car should not come with additional tax costs. If you have a
classic car make sure you have classic car insurance that provides
replacement value coverage, otherwise you're putting your investment at
risk.
If you get in a wreck and your car is deemed repairable, make sure to ask for
diminished value compensation. Diminished value compensation pays you
for the loss of market value that your vehicle incurs due to the accident and
repairs. Once your car has been wrecked it is worth less, even if completely
repaired to like new condition. Most people don't want to risk purchasing a
car that's been in a major accident, and this substantially hurts your re-sale
value. It's always a good idea to check with the car insurance company to
see if they offer diminished value before purchasing their coverage.

Your Credit Score


Believe it or not, your credit score is reviewed by your auto insurance company. This can be done at time
of application or prior to renewals. The thinking is that if you're responsible with your credit, making
payments regularly and over time, you're less likely to make regular claims. Statistically speaking, you're
more likely to file claims based on a shaky credit history. And, thus, your credit score plays a major role
in determing auto insurance coverage. Unfortunately, the utilization of this credit score method may result
in higher premiums, even if you have a perfect driving record and no accidents.

Lend Your Car to A Friend


Lending your car to a friend could prove costly. If you lend your car to a friend and he or she has an accident, it's your responsibility. You'll have to file the claim with your insurance company, not your friend's. To make matters worse, you're also responsible for any deductible, and the accident could 
potentially leave a mark on your record, raising your rates, even if you weren't in the car. So, think twice before handing those keys out.

We've all experienced the insurance pitch at the rental car counter. The agents enthusiastically encourage you to purchase car rental insurance, or what's commonly referred to as a collision damage waiver (CDW). This damage waiver is regularly endorsed by rental car agents, who often receive 
incentives to push this oversold product. The good news is—you don't need it. That's assuming you have full coverage on your own car, which commonly includes collision and comprehensive. So, in most cases  the coverage is unnecessary and declining it will save you some money.
Now, if you're cruising around in a '72 Ford Pinto with just liability or no insurance coverage at all, CDW may be just what you're looking for. That's assuming you don't have one of the many credit cards that offer protection. Many credit card companies offer rental car insurance protection as long as the entire rental car transaction is charged to that specific card. Make sure to check with your credit card company or personal auto insurance company before denying CDW coverage.

For New Drivers

By tradition, car insurance companies have been rather cautious about new drivers. If you are a new driver, then statistically you’re also likely to be young and you may have already experienced the nervous tone in the voice of some insurance companies when you’ve contacted them for a quote. Very possibly you also feel aggrieved that car insurance companies tend to view you suspiciously and as someone they expect to make a claim - just because you’re a new and younger driver.


Well, in fairness, it’s not their fault. New drivers, particularly young drivers, are often involved in more accidents than older more experienced drivers – with excessive speed often being a contributing factor.

It could also be that new and younger drivers lack real experience of the roads and so may not always see dangers in advance and react accordingly. So, being realistic, you may just have to be prepared to pay more for your car insurance until your experience grows. Having said that, it’s not all bad news and you shouldn’t give up on finding cheap car insurance because there are steps you can take to help reduce your insurance premiums.

Firstly, it may be possible to drive a vehicle based upon someone else’s insurance policy – a good example would be driving a vehicle as a ‘named driver’ on the policy of a parent. Assuming the other party is happy with the arrangement and you do both actually drive the vehicle, it certainly could reduce your car insurance costs. However, it does have the disadvantage that you are not building up your own ‘no claims discount’ entitlement.

You do have to be careful though in this instance otherwise you could be accused of ‘fronting’ and any claim you make could be rejected. "Fronting" is when a young motorist has a vehicle that is in their name, but they tell the insurer that their parent is the main driver in order to save premiums. If you are in any doubt as to whether you could be accused of ‘fronting’, then speak to your insurer.
Follow-up training

Another possible route open to you is to undertake some follow-up training. This is available through recognised centres one of which is probably reasonably close to you. In fact, your Local Authority may offer some sort sponsorship with some of the organisations that provide this type of training and may contribute to some of your costs. Once you have got through and passed this training then many insurance companies will take this into account and offer a reduction on their premium.

It’s also worth checking around the various suppliers of insurance to search out a deal. That’s because there are companies that specialise in offering car insurance policies to new and young drivers and they may be able to offer you an attractive deal.
As a final thought, remember that one thing that’s extremely likely to frighten insurers and therefore push up your premium is a combination of new driver plus ‘supercar’ vehicle. Yes, when first on the road many of us want to show our independence by getting that head-turning vehicle but remember that big engines and fast cars can equate to higher premiums and this is even more so if you’re a new, young driver.

Boring as it may sound, that conservative and staid looking vehicle with a top-class reputation for safety (if only 1/10 for panache) may be more suitable for your circumstances if you’re looking to keep your premiums down. If you can bear it, put out of your head those lightening fast super-tuned models – at least until you’ve secured a few years experience and associated no-claims bonus!

Motorbike Insurance Classic


There are times when you want insurance for your classic motorbike that is so dear to you. The classic motorbike insurance available for the classic bikes like the Harley Davidson, Suzuki, Honda etc. is easy to get. Many insurance companies deal with the insurance of this type and can help you in the effort. This article will help you to gain useful understanding of the conditions that are required to get classic motorbike insurance.
Department of insurance can help you with the necessary information about the classic motorbike insurance. It is extremely necessary on the part of the rider to insure the classic model they possess. The motorbike is prone to accidents and injuries occur often to the bike and the rider. In such a situation, the money from the insurance may help in the renovation and repairing of the bike. Buying of classic bikes require an individual to invest a lot of money. Many of the classic bike owners require to insure their bikes which helps the lending companies to protect itself in case of other types of damage other than collision.

You must know that the insurance companies also provide accessory coverage policy. Through this policy, accessories like the newly added chromes, upgrade parts and other added accessories are secured. However, you should keep in mind that you get the most cheapest and affordable insurance policy available in the market. You should also see that the insurance company provides a 24 hours emergency road service. This service is sometimes the cheapest upgrades on a classic motorbike insurance policy. The road service insurance includes services like, changing the tires, change of batteries and providing gas in the emergencies. There are insurance policies that ensure security policies for bodily injuries of the motorist and provide an option for the replacement of the bike if required.
In many of the cases, going for a motorbike safety course is the easiest way to get discounts on the most affordable classic motorbike insurance possible. If you have more than one bike that you need to insure then there is an option to get discounts from the insurance companies to make it more affordable for you. If you have attached anti-theft systems on your classic bikes like the Honda, Suzuki or the Harley Davidson bikes, then the insurance companies will ensure cheaper rates on your insurance policies. Although not much popular, anti-lock breaking systems in your bike often brings you more discount on the insured amount.
Insurance covers most of the parts of the classic bikes that are vulnerable to damage due to various reasons like accidents, theft and sabotage. You should always insure your classic motorbike because they are precious and you do not need them to get damaged due to various reasons. Nevertheless, the insurance of your favourite piece of collection provides you with a peace of mind and assures that you are protected along with your bike and are ready to face any type of problems that might arise during the tenure of the insurance. However, you should be responsible about the proper payment of the monthly instalments.

Commercial Trucking Insurance

Commercial truck insurance can be issued to truck or fleet owners based on the type of vehicles and scheduled uses on local, interstate, and intrastate roads. This is ideal for various types of trucks: dry vans, refrigerated trucks, flat bed trucks, dump trucks, car haulers, or loggers. If an owner seeks coverage for larger fleets, broader policies are available which provide commercial truck insurance for owned, non-owned, and hired (or subcontracted) vehicles. There are also options that allow owners to base the policy on gross revenue of business or a mileage premium method, although better business may mean increased charges. Unlike recreational truck insurance, commercial trucking insurance has various policy endorsements which allow for regional commercial regulations and even pollution liability.A policy can also be written to cover the freight being hauled. If owners want to protect themselves against risk of cargo damage or loss, motor truck cargo is a policy that can be purchased with a maximum load limit per vehicle. All hauled cargo can be evaluated to determine the exact loss or replacement value so that the cargo can be insured at a rate that will fully protect the trucking company. For instance, commercial trucking insurance can include provisions to protect cargo whether it is on the truck, in the terminal, or in the warehouse. If a load cannot be delivered, commercial trucking insurance can also include a Warehouseman's legal liability policy to help pay for any charges for storing undelivered cargo.

Companies that employ truckers will be required by law to carry coverage that includes workman's compensation. This ensures that any injuries sustained on the job will be fully treated without loss to the company or the employee's family. Even independent truckers or "owner/operators" can carry a similar type of commercial truck insurance called an Occupational and Accidental Injury policy. All quotes may post driver requirements as well such as Commercial Driver's License (CDL) driving experience, age limits, and no more than three moving violations, at fault accidents, or major violations in 3 years. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counselor?" (Romans 11:33-34) Some state statistics says that every 16 minutes, a person is killed or sustains injury in accidents involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, or semi-trucks. Large trucks are more likely to be involved in a fatal multi-vehicle crash than are passenger vehicles and, odds are, that the accident will occur in good weather, on dry roads, during the daytime, in a rural area, on a weekday. For the protection of all, the right commercial trucking insurance deserves serious consideration.

Factors That May Increase Your Car Insurance Rate

If you are like most consumers, increases to your car insurance rate often leave you confused and frustrated, particularly when the root cause isn’t clear or explained. Although there are several reasons your car insurance premiums may be on the rise, the following are some of the most common:
You have a new home address
Where you live affects your car insurance rate. In a highly populated city, there are a typically more car accidents, and therefore more claims paid out by insurance companies. As a result, insurance companies on average charge more for car insurance in a big city than in a less populated small town.

You are driving a new car
The type of car you drive also impacts your car insurance premium. All things being equal, you should probably anticipate a higher insurance premium if you switch to a more expensive car or a newer model. If you happen to change your vehicle in the middle of your policy term, you will receive documentation advising you of the difference in premium for the remainder of your policy term. When you receive the renewal for your policy, you will then see the new annual rate for your new vehicle.

You added a new driver to your car insurance policy
Has your son recently received his driver’s license and been added to your car insurance policy? If this occurs part way through your policy term, you will be charged a partial premium at the time of adding the new driver. A full premium increase which includes the additional driver will occur on the renewal date of your car insurance policy.

You’ve had to make a claim
Making a claim where you are deemed to be “at-fault” will increase your car insurance premium. Most insurance companies will not increase your premium during the policy term, but will wait until your renewal date. Some insurance companies offer “accident forgiveness” coverage, which prevents an increase in premium while you are with that insurance company if you have to make an “at-fault” claim. However, if your current insurance company does not offer this, or if you switch insurance companies after using this coverage, you will see an increase in your premium. The only other instance in which you will not see a premium increase after making a claim is if you’re deemed “not at-fault” by the insurance company.

Knowing some of the most common causes of rate increases will not only reduce the initial shock of a potential increase, but will also serve as an indicator of when to start shopping around for a better rate. Every insurance company has a different rate for every driving profile. So if your circumstances have changed, now is as good a time as ever to see if you can find a better deal. Online comparison sites like InsuranceHotline.com can help by getting quotes from over 30 companies. Its fast, safe and best of all it is completely free to use.

Car Insurance – Unpredicted Elements That Could Lift Up Your Prices

Auto insurance is merely one of people non-negotiable things in every day life. Should you drive, you ought to get car insurance, not only to safeguard the money you’ve devoted to your automobile, but to protect your self absent from high health-related costs and repayment relevant to injuries as well as injuries to other individuals or perhaps property proprietors.
The auto insurance prices are subject matter to modifications dependent on a variety of problems. Incidents or even claims can effortlessly boost a person’s monthly premiums, nevertheless there are more aspects a person might certainly not think of that will can very easily drive which quantity in excess of a person would choose.
Each and every insurance company breaks generally the says that they protect straight into areas. Each and every territory is offered a number. Base prices in many cases are identified utilizing traditional visitors and also car accident info. In the event that there are an uncommon high range of collisions in one place, for illustration, the liability along with impact insurance rates for which place will always be higher than a property that has a good reputation for few injuries. Insurance firms would like to incorporate fees in every single region. An excellent actuary leaves hardly any rock unrestrained associated to obtaining mathematical data on motorists as well as vehicles.
Together with the perplexing information investigation created by insurance firms, anyone can get ready for unanticipated modifications to your own plan. I get listed a few of the a lot of elements that will may alter the expense of your own car insurance insurance coverage.
Many Signals
Several realize exactly what it can be like, such as; pulsating lighting within the rearview representation cave in in direction of the officer greeting a person. If we do anxiety and also exchanged key phrases, the standard tells you that you simply will receive an extreme caution, this specific time. Nevertheless could these kind of types of dire warnings make a better regular monthly insurance monthly premiums?
Marriage
Marriage could be total of joys. Anyone can in fact appear from car insurance organizations.
For a young several, getting married provides a very good discount to the vehicle insurance costs. Provided a new partner does not need a negative driving record. His/or the woman’s poor vacationing practices can have an effect on the speed or perhaps may trigger the house ‘safe car owner discount’ to become taken off from a policy.
Possessing Youngsters
Youngsters put most kinds of costs to life; health care bills, foods, clothes, amusement and far more. Vehicle insurance isn’t really some of those places in that you just need to anticipate an increase. In case you have kids, your own price should never improve. If you’ve young children who will be driving, count number on paying significantly more for the automobile insurance because small individuals are inclined to get higher insurance costs simply because of his or her car experience.
Numerous insurance vendors provide “good discount” bonuses that will can provide mom and dad some relief. One thing to tolerate in mind is always that a child are just in a position to turn out to be detailed while an ‘additional’ individuals.
I think mother nature
Tornados, surges, hurricanes, earthquakes along with unfortunate occurances can do a lot more than inflict damage to houses as well as attributes, they may be ready to could also increase insurance costs.When an insurance business safeguards a good deal of folks in an region which is ravaged by tornados in addition to high really winds, the business will require to shell out considerably in regards to damage.For instance, those who live in “tornado alley” might have larger rates in regards to to vehicle insurance than individuals who stay in areas together with low-incidences linked to tornados or perhaps catastrophes. May moving your company or even house increase your rate? Shifting from the small town to a big city region will deliver an increase. The factors? Greater size of visitors, challenging interchanges, and hurry hours site visitors boosts the probability of incidents.
Several Statements
A poor month or yr could possess an one on one impact as part of your policy. In circumstance the car is definitely broken in to a lot of times, your own personal complete protection will increase. The insurance business goes to require to recognize the reason precisely why your vehicle has grown to be easy focus on.