Posts Tagged ‘b’

Consequence of Lying to Your Car Insurance Company

Friday, August 7th, 2009

Car insurance companies are very strict on their insurance packages and most times, they look at your details to be able to award you the necessary insurance. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find car insurance buyers looking for ways to falsify their details in the bid to reduce their premium price and get cheaper auto insurance quotes. In fact, research has shown that in the UK alone, over 10% of all drivers have lied at a point in time about their details or records while in the US, it is estimated at a whopping 27%. Details that are mostly lied about include the age and address of the driver. In some cases, drivers have been known to leave out speeding tickets, drunken driving records and bans on driving they may have received.

Sadly, many drivers seem to think this is the norm and therefore lie about all these when they are applying for an insurance policy. And this is further influenced by the thinking that the companies are mandated to pay and reward them. Most informed drivers know that falsifying your records is seen as fraud while the uninformed drivers think it is ok to lie about their records. The truth is insurance companies are beginning to catch up with this trend and are taking steps against the frequent occurrence of such acts. One of these steps is in the installation of software that will function as a lie detector and will compare all the different data for traces of irregularities. Besides this, insurance companies now have penalties that are meted out on culprits of this act. These include:

1. Cancellation of the Insurance Policy. All culprits will lose their rights to any form of insurance with the company of they are caught. This means that all the monies paid prior to that time will not be retrieved or paid back and the driver will forfeit all attendant benefits.

2. All Claims will be lost and denied. All drivers caught in the act of falsification will be denied all claims. During accidents, most drivers and car owners resort to the insurance company to offer some form of relief. Even if the claims are genuine, the insurance company will desist from making the required payment if it detects false information.

3. Blacklisting in all car insurance companies Depending on the severity of the false information, most insurance companies will willingly blacklist the driver thus making it really hard for him to drive his car.

4. May pay Fines If the driver is found guilty of severe falsification or under the insurance act, he would be required to pay the sum of one hundred thousand dollars and another two hundred thousand dollars if there are other offences discovered. 5. Jail Terms.

In Canada, all offenders could face up to ten years in prison and may be forced to pay a sum greater than five thousand dollars if found guilty. So whatever the case may be, it is in your best interest to tell the truth at all times.

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Most Common Variables Considered When Calculating Home Insurance Rates

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Home insurance provides coverage for homeowners against the risk of loss that may occur from damage, fire or theft. Home insurance rates look at the probability that a loss will occur based on the claims experience of the insured, who is the homeowner.

Home insurance uses individual underwriting standards to assess risk. Risk is the potential for a reduction in value that may occur. When a number of these occurrences happen for a particular insured, the insurance company either raises the rate or drops coverage. It is the hope of the insurance company to not have to pay claims and employ assessment factors to understand better the likelihood that a homeowner is exposed to loss and rates it accordingly.

Certain factors beyond the individual homeowners claim experience include zip code ratings, type of home owned, whether any commercial activity takes place in the home, and the home’s overall value in comparison to similar homes within the area. These factors give the insurer the information needed to calculate the probability off loss and adjust rates accordingly.

Hazards are factors that can lead to a loss. There are three hazards, physical or tangible hazard, moral which is character and morale or indifference. For example homeowner A who buys home insurance policy for a home that is rented out to tenants will pay a higher rate than homeowner B buying home insurance on a similar home in which she resides. That is because homeowner A has a higher morale and physical hazard present in the home than homeowner B does. The tenants are not the owner and may not hold the same regard for the home as the homeowner does. This could lead to physical damage, deterioration or even theft.

A census or zip code assessment looks at the instances of crime and vandalism that occurs in a given area. Homeowners purchasing home insurance in high crime areas face higher premiums than homeowners who live in outlying suburbs. There is some controversy over this type of practice and was the basis of a group action lawsuit in Milwaukee in the late 1980s against American Family Insurance Company. The results of the suit led to changes in the underwriting practices in certain minority communities in the City of Milwaukee.

The likelihood that a loss occurs and the probability associated with it results in the rating factor. The rating factor may be set based on community experience or standards and may be reduced over time where individual claims experience results in better a rating.

All insurance provides an indemnity benefit to reimburse an individual for the value of their loss. An insured who believes that the purpose of insurance is to profit or get more than the fair market value of their property do not have the appropriate understanding of what insurance is for. Insurance is not for making a person rich but rather to keep them from becoming poor. To provide piece of mind risk ratings reflect experience, probability and the presence of other measurable variables that can be statistically tested.

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Finding a Quality Family Home: Pre-owned Manufactured Homes for Sale

Monday, July 27th, 2009

The great thing about buying a used manufactured home is that, unlike a traditional home, it can be moved wherever you need it.

Used manufactured homes can be found in many places. Websites like Craigslist, as well as classified ads in your local paper are both good places to start.

Another great website to investigate is Ebay or specific websites pertaining to the sale of used manufactured homes. Mobile home companies often also sell used manufactured homes and new homes, so browse your area’s yellow pages.

Looking for your used manufactured home is only one aspect of the process. You need to be certain that you’re buying a quality used manufactured home.

Determine the value of the mobile home of your choice. The value of a manufactured home goes down swiftly, therefore, the asking price may not be the value of the home.

Use your local library’s reference center and ask for Kelley’s Blue Book, which lists vehicle values by brand, year and style; if they don’t have the Blue Book, they can obtain the information from another library also. This information can sometimes be found at your local manufactured home dealership, or at the local bank.

The value of each used manufactured home can be raised by features like added-on garages, decks and additional rooms. Check with the local county appraisers offer to find out how the manufactured home property has been appraised for tax purposes.

You must carefully look into the overall structure of the home. Older manufactured homes are not immune to the same where and tear of conventional homes such as electrical wiring and plumbing.

Hire an appraiser who knows about manufactured homes to determine the condition and value of the home you want. To find an appraiser, inquire at your bank or yellow pages.

If the manufactured home you want is in an area that you wish to be in, you will need to be pre-approved by the park managers in order to stay. This is a step that must be done before acquiring the manufactured home or you might be required to move the home elsewhere. More importantly, be sure to investigate the mobile park thoroughly, as it might not be the dream location you thought it would be.

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Ontario Life Insurance Quotes: Mortgage Payment Options

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

One of the things many homeowners should look into is how they pay their mortgage each month to make it as easy as possible for them. The more you can tailor your mortgage to your personal needs, the better the chance that you will pay your mortgage on time.

Suppose you are one of those who never pays the mortgage on time simply because you are too busy; you could get online bill pay or you could have an automatic loan deduction. This is not an option if you are just barely paying the mortgage, only if you are struggling to find the time to pay it because your life is so busy.

You might even find an added benefit, since many banks will lower the interest rate on a mortgage if the loan is automatically deducted. Their processing costs are lower, and they are guaranteed that the loan is paid, so they can pass some of those savings on to the borrower.

Another problem many homeowners have is coming up with the full mortgage amount at once. If you are like most consumers, money sitting in the checking account gets used up on other things and when the home loan is due, there is not enough there. Many homeowners would rather to pay half their home loan at the beginning of the month, and the other half at the middle of the month.

Matching the due dates of their home loans with the receipt dates of their salary helps many people budget their mortgage better. In addition, they ar able to save money over the life of the loan since they are lowering the loan balance more quickly than they would with the usual monthly payment.

Another product that lenders offer is an option mortgage, which means the borrower can pay just what he wants to on his mortgage. Although this is very convenient, it is important to manage this option carefully. The bank will have a minimum payment, usually the interest only, and the borrower can pay any additional amount he desires. Making the minimum payment all the time will mean that you will never have the opportunity to lower your loan.

Those homeowners who have unstable income patterns, for instance a contractor, may choose to keep payments down until a big project is finished and then catch up. So long as you have the discipline to put the extra money towards the mortgage when you have them, this option can be ideal.

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Affordable Auto Insurance, Not A Mirage, Yet Far From Reality

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

This best summarizes the facts about affordable auto insurance. A lot of people think that they can get affordable auto insurance policy easily, and while this may be true, some underlying factors influence the final outcome. The key for you is to understand each of these factors to see if you qualify for a discount auto insurance plan. Remember, before you get quotes for these plans, you need to supply some information.

Needless to say, the fact that an affordable auto insurance plan could be offered to you would be sensitive to the inputs you provide. Now, that does not mean you should tamper with the inputs just for you to get discount auto insurance. Insurance companies have a stringent check mechanism, and your application for a discount auto insurance might as well get rejected, if it is found you have tampered with the information you have provided.

Worse still, some insurance companies may even offer you discount auto insurance plans. Everything may seem to go smooth for people, and when something unforeseen happens, you would rush to the company to file your claims. This is when things turn sour on the affordable auto insurance policy. You might see that the company either delays the settling of claims inordinately, or worse still, even reject the claim outright.

About 40% of people who apply for affordable auto insurance coverage do not know that their claims can get rejected if the inputs provided by them are misrepresented. Unknowing of this fact, people apply for discount auto insurance, only to find that their request has been denied.

Once you provide inputs to the best of your knowledge, it is on the discretion of the insurance company to give you a affordable auto insurance plan. Remember, insurance companies play it safe by automating the entire exercise online, so you can be sure there would be no bias at all. Importantly, what you need to judge for yourself is if the affordable auto insurance policy is really affordable for you or not. Understanding whether the discount auto insurance policy still meets your financial standings is important for you to decide!

Simply put, a combination of having a good driving history and the place where you stay in are considered the best bets for you to get an affordable auto insurance plan. Though, you cannot do much to influence the place you stay in to get a discount auto insurance, but you can definitely keep a watch on your driving record. If it is good enough, you will surely get a affordable auto insurance policy.

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Finding the Most Inexpensive Car Insurance Quote

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

Are you thinking of getting car insurance? Are you looking for cheaper ones with the same terms as other more expensive ones? Do you know that it is possible to find cheap car insurance quotes? Have you ever thought of the fact that it is possible your neighbour is getting more ‘bang for his insurance buck’ than you are for a far lesser rate than you are currently paying? If you answered in the affirmative to one of the questions asked above, then you need to read the following tips as they will put you on the path to getting cheaper or inexpensive auto insurance quote.

1. Look Around Before making your Choice Rushing to get a car insurance is not the best idea particularly when you have not done your homework. To get the best bargain, take a look around. Call up as many car insurance companies as possible. The norm is to call three. But in your best interest, call at least 5. This will give you a wide array of choices to pick from. To do this effectively, you can check the business directory or visit the state’s insurance department. All insurance companies often have to register with them before they can become operational. The department can provide you with a list of the many companies. If you live in states like California or New Jersey, car insurance is often more expensive. When investigating the company, look for details such as popularity and capital base. This will give you an idea of their financial health.

2. Make a comparison on different quotes before buying a vehicle The kinds of cars you drive can often be responsible for higher insurance quotes. For example, new car editions, sports cars, and model cars are often easily stolen and therefore often attract higher insurance quotes. So, visit any insurance company and get their different quotes on different cars and then go buy your car. This will at least help you know what you will get when you eventually go looking for the quotes later on.

3. Accessories and Anti-theft devices If your car has more accessories that make it safer such as air bags, anti-theft devices and car alarms, gprs tracking system and other accessories, this can positively affect the insurance quotes as insurance companies are ;likely to look more favourable on any of these.

4. The Age of the car It is more expensive insuring newer cars than the older ones. If you do not really need a new car, why bother buying one. Just a thought anyways. But if you insist on buying one, know that new cars will cost you more. You could easily look up the highest value your car will attract if it is wrecked in the Kelley’s Blue Book. This will ensure you know how much your car’s worth by the insurer’s valuation.

5. Be sure to consider discounts Most insurance companies often offer discounts. Ask for it from them. Some companies offer discounts for good driving records, low mileage etc.

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A Better Way To Buy Home Insurance At The Cheapest Rates Possible

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

If you do not feel grateful for your current home insurance policy, it is natural to feel you are being cheated out of a value-for-money proposition. In such a situation, the first step to determine whether or not your feelings are justified is to discuss with a knowledgeable person, such as a trusted neighbor (if they have a good home insurance policy – low cost, wide coverage, they can advise you about the benefits of their chosen insurance company since you share the same locality and should be eligible for similar benefits, other factors remaining constant).

You have no clue as to what reputation the company holds, how financially secure the company is and what sort of competition they are facing from other insurance companies hence you must be patient while making such a decision.

You first need to determine what are the main benefits a good home insurance plan should extend to buyers and then check to see if any necessary features of good home insurance are not being given to you by your current home insurance provider, (e.g. good coverage, timely and accurate customer service, affordable premiums etc.) to verify your position as a home insurance buyer getting quality service for protective cover.

Therefore when one does sufficient research and includes the above mentioned points you will be able to get a lower premium rate with a great coverage for your home. We will carry on to show more ways of how you can get a great deal so continue reading as you might be one of the lucky people to bargain and get a good deal on your insurance with the company.

A more profitable way to purchase insurance is contacting independent agents as well as company agents. This saves you a lot of time as you will not have to go to the company and they will give you a clear picture of the company benefits, insurance policies, modes of payments and will solve all your doubts at your home itself.

If you are narrowing down on a lesser premium policy or a high policy you have to bargain for the amount of coverage you will be getting. In modern times with so many ways of finding out different options most homeowners have been able to save up a couple of hundred dollars per annum only by doing smart shopping and not hasty shopping. They have managed to do this just by selecting the correct insurance agency.

You must have sufficient knowledge regarding various policies of different companies and know the pros and cons of each. Once you start negotiating with a few companies you will find yourself the owner of an easily affordable and a great home insurance scheme. So make the right choice and not a hasty one.

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Do You Really Know Your Health Coverage?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

If someone asks you, ‘Do you really know your health coverage?’ and you are uncertain about your answer, here is where you can find out the most important aspects of a good health insurance policy.

These health insurance plans are available across a wide range of budgets with many attractive features, some of these include, options for co-payments, flexible payment modes, discounted premiums and tie-ups with home insurance programs too. So, if your current health insurance policy does not offer these aspects of a good coverage combined with affordable premiums, don’t panic – just find new health insurance programs online today!

There are so many new health insurance companies in the market today, each offering a variety of health coverage programs and benefits across budget ranges and coverage schemes that you are sure to find one that offers you advantages of both extensive coverage with monthly premiums and other benefits, without breaking the bank! Plus, the convenience of new health insurance companies as well as many of the older, more established ones having an online presence today besides 24/7 customer service centers that are ready resources for information related to new health insurance policy buying makes it all the more easy for heath insurance shoppers today.

Thus you must take time off and understand how insurance policies work and what the schemes of various companies are. It is not advisable to invest money when you don’t have adequate information. It is not anyone else’s money but the money of your sweat hence you must know how and when the policy will benefit you in times of illness when you are travelling or in case of a sudden emergency surgery and other things like this.

Market research into consumer awareness regarding health coverage knowledge among policy holders reveals that most people do not quite understand their health insurance coverage because many are receiving group benefits e.g. company’s employee health insurance policyholders. Usually, because individual time is not spend one-on-one with a insurance advisor by those persons holding down group health insurance plans and the company having done the ground-work of selection and buying of the policy, employees have not been able to invest time to learn the details of the coverage program.

Such health coverage policy holders need to understand the various benefits extended to them via their group health insurance policy from their HR department or by contacting the health insurance company’s help line directly as then they will know what features the policy offers in exact terms and relevant to their individual health situations.

For others shopping for an individual health insurance policy, research before buying any plan is important for determining whether the chosen policy benefits include a balance between required coverage level and affordable premiums besides other aspects that can help you control your health and associated expenses. Knowing your health coverage plan in detail can thus, make your life less stressful and help you get the most from your policy too!

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Most Common Variables Considered When Calculating Life Insurance Rates

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Life insurance provides a benefit in the form of it policy amount to protect against the loss that arises from premature death. It is based on the insurable interest, or the potential that a direct financial hardship will occur due to the death of the insured. The insured is the individual whose life the death benefit is based on and upon whom we rate the risk.

The variables or factors used to determine Life Insurance rates are based on the habits of the individual. A risk is the potential for loss or a reduction in value. The loss of life produces a financial hardship for those left behind and can be assigned a value. Loss is the reduction in value that in life insurance can be loss of future earning potential or expenses incurred for funeral, bereavement, readjustment and moving forward.

The extent to which a reduction in value may occur is the loss exposure. This loss exposure is enhanced by perils that are situations, which cause loss, affected by these hazards:

- Physical hazard, which is some physical characteristic in the environment that presents a peril (i.e. a banana peel on the ground in front of where you are walking); – Moral hazard that is based on an individual characteristic such as dishonesty, theft and fraud; and, – Morale hazard, which is blatant disregard for the law such as driving under the influence of alcohol or driving over the posted speed limit.

The extent to which a person manages risk influences their rates. For example, smoking can be considered a morale hazard because we know that cigarette smoking is a major contributor to lung cancer. Knowing this and still engaging in the habit means that the person understands the risk but does not care. Since we also know that cigarette smokers die sooner than non-smokers, smokers pay higher insurance premiums for life insurance than do non-smokers.

Another factor that is considered when rating life insurance is the person’s health. This is a valid risk factor because we know that people who exercise are healthier than those who do not exercise and people who make healthier eating choices live longer than those who eat junk food. These are those morale and physical hazards that are measured by the insurance company and priced, based on the probability of it occurring. The more likely an event occurs, the higher the cost to insure.

Insurance companies are not in the business of paying claims. This statement may seem profound but it is a rational one. It benefits insurers and society as a whole if people live long healthy lives. This helps lowers insurance costs and make it easier to afford. The insurer looks at the rate of death or mortality potential within a classification, such as all 35 year-old males. This is based on the law of large numbers and risk pooling. In order for an insurable risk to be ideal, it must be measurable, produce a financial loss, which is indemnity, be accidental in nature (which is why suicide is excluded), and based on a large group. Lower probabilities occur in larger population groups, such as those ages 25 to 45 and higher probabilities in smaller older populations, age 65 to 85.

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Best Life Insurance Quote Canada: Deciding on Your Mortgage Insurance

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

There is a lot to consider about when you purchase a house. In an instant, you are responsible for an asset probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. You have probably already started considered protecting it via mortgage life insurance.

This is a great protection for your family in the case of your death, but in the more likely instance of your disability, neither you nor your family will be protected.

The first place to begin to look for a disability insurance policy is an insurance broker. This professional will do a complete analysis of your income and housing needs; don’t forget that your home loan is only a part of the whole cost of living in your home.

Even if you already possess disability insurance from a government program or from your place of work, this is normally based on a “maximum qualifying” debt to income ratio of 36 to 50. This means that the entirety of your debt, not just your home related debt, should be included. This can mean car payment, your credit cards, your other insurance policies, etc. Your disability policy will be unlikely to cover all of those costs and your mortgage expenses as well.

Make sure you are clear on the basics before you go shopping for mortgage disability insurance, such as what the benefit period is, how long the elimination period is and what riders are available.

The benefit period is the how long the benefit will be paid. In most policies, the benefit period extends to age 65, but if you can shorten it because you can count on some supplementary income before then, you can save a lot of money. For example, if your spouse starts to collect retirement benefits before then, or if you can start taking out your own retirement benefits without penalty.

The next area of interest is the elimination period, how long your disability must exist before you can collect. Needless to say, the longer the waiting period, the less the premiums. If you have saved for a rainy day, this may be it, and you can save a lot of premium costs if you have these funds to cover you for a period of time.

A rider is an added coverage that you may choose to add onto your policy. One of the most common is an inflation rider, that increases the amount of the benefit as the cost of living goes up.

understanding all of these options can be difficult, but it is important to be conscious of what exists. This is the only way you can choose the right policy for you.

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