Friday, July 31, 2009

Boating Insurance and Why It's a Good Idea

One of the most frequently asked questions in the insurance world is whether or not boat insurance is required. Well, for most states it is not required. Most states do, however, require that your boat gets registered every year just like you would do with a car. This ensures that your boat is properly running and also funds a lot of lake and ocean programs that keep your waters fresh and clean. With that being said, boat insurance is not required but it is certainly recommended.

The first reason you might want to consider getting boast insurance is because accidents do happen. The types of accidents that happen in the water are not like the types that happen when you are in a car. Most people never actually run into another boat, have to exchange insurance information and call the local police to boat out to where it happened. Boat accidents occur when people allow their young children to drive or when people get hurt while boating.

Boating insurance can help with those sorts of things. Boat insurance will also protect the value of your boat against natural disasters like hurricanes and large swells that damage and sometimes destroy your boat.

You may also want to get boating insurance for reasons of theft. If you own a very nice boat with very nice things inside of it, you are at a much higher risk of being stolen from. Getting boat insurance can help with the things that are lost during a theft.

Boating insurance is not mandatory, but it may be something you want to consider.

Insuring Your Jewelry

You should always protect your jewelry purchases, like anything else you would buy that is expensive. It doesn't make a difference whether you have a single bracelet or enough jewelry to fill a vault. Sufficient funds to replace a lost item or receive cash reimbursement is imperative to jewelry insurance. Policies sometimes contain clauses making it mandatory to replace the item within a certain time-frame. Underneath are listed the steps to discovering the way to obtain coverage protection for jewelry.

You must get all of your jewelry evaluated. Insurers usually do not cover items for more than their appraisal value. By keeping up with regular appraisals and inspections of your jewelry, it will help you to be sure that you have enough coverage in the event of theft or loss. You should consider having your jewelry itemized by description and also estimated value on a document.

Quotes. Your residential or rental policy will insure your jewelry in cases of theft but not misplacement. Where and how your jewelry is kept will impact the item's cost. The majority of homeowner and renters insurance will only pick up a certain percentage of the value of an item, typically $1,000 to $2,000 for each item. You should know from the agent the cost and what is covered. Deductibles are an important part of purchasing insurance. If you don't have to worry about deductibles, replacing your jewelry will be easier.

Take pictures of your jewelry. Documentation should be done in words and photos. If you have a photo of your jewelry, you will stand a better chance to reconstruct or replace your damaged item.

If your homeowner's insurance or renters insurance doesn't cover it, you can buy a separate policy to cover your jewelry. Do your research; look into the company before you sign up for a policy. Make sure to verify with your agent whether your jewelry will be covered if you are travelling; not all policies have international coverage. A reliable firm like Jewelers Mutual Insurance is a nice representative of another option for coverage.

Keep jewelry secure. It is a really great idea to put your valuable jewelry in a fireproof box, or even in a safe deposit box at a local financial institution. There are a few insurance companies that will allow a discount if you keep your jewels there. Also if you keep the jewels in a box that needs a key and store it with a relative (provided only you have the key) it will make cash reimbursement or replacement a lot less difficult.

Solving Travel Insurance Problems

Will I still be able to get medical treatment if I do not have travel insurance? The answer to this question depends on where you are. A few countries have reciprocal arrangements with the UK; this means you will get the same attention and treatment as a citizen of that country, without the need for insurance.

They include European Union countries; Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden; as well as Australia, Barbados, New Zealand, Romania and Russia. It does not however include popular destinations such as Switzerland, Turkey and the US.

You must take into consideration, however, that treatment may not be free. The arrangements also do not cover the cost of getting home if you are seriously ill or injured.

What is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)? The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives access to free or reduced cost medical treatment in the European Union. It replaced the E111 in January 2006. You can get further details from the Department of Health's website.

I have travel accident insurance with my credit card. Does that mean I do not need travel insurance? Travel accident insurance usually covers you if you are seriously injured in an accident whilst travelling. It does not cover the cost of repatriation or treatment if you fall ill. Neither does it cover loss of baggage, money or cancellation of your holiday. So, yes you will still need travel insurance. A few credit cards and packaged current accounts do offer 'free' travel insurance. Check the policy is comprehensive and covers everything you need.

If something goes wrong on holiday, what should I do? Firstly, take the policy details with you - Make sure you call you insurer before you have any medical treatment, have your insurance details with you. Some insurers may even refuse to pay out if you do not call them.

Then remember to keep receipts - you will need receipts for any items that you want to claim for. These would include: medical bills, prescriptions and anything you have to buy because your baggage has been lost, stolen or delayed. And if your belongings are lost or stolen get a police report - your insurer will want to see a police report.

What if your holiday is delayed more than 12 hours? If you're delayed for longer than 12 hours you can usually claim up to around 50 pounds on your travel insurance. Ask the airline to confirm the delay in writing and keep receipts of expenses incurred.

My claim was rejected. What can I do? Do not be put off if a claim is turned down or not fully paid. Complain, in writing, to the travel insurance company and, if they do not resolve your complaint, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Ombudsman can look into your case and can force the company to settle and to pay you compensation.

What is personal liability cover? Personal liability is not used often but is important an important part of travel insurance. If you face legal bills for accidentally injuring someone or damaging their property whilst abroad you will be covered.

Travel Insurance Over 70 and Overcharged

There is something special about the current generation of retired people. They are the first generation to break the social mould and refuse to adhere to the preconceived notions that older people have been labelled with.

The retired and newly retired expect more out of life and see retirement as a time to enjoy the benefits of a long hard working lifestyle. More people 70 and over are looking to travel, not only to far flung destinations but to also visit relatives abroad, go on that dream cruise or even spend the winter months in Florida or warmer parts of Europe.

One of the unfortunate aspects of getting older is that many of us are not in as good a health as we used to be. You may have a pre-existing condition, be recovering from a serious long term illness. When you are older you are also more prone to accidents and illness.

Whilst this is something we all have to live with the insurance companies see this as a liability. This means that when we want to get travel insurance over 70 year olds are penalised in the form of higher premiums. Whilst this may seem unfair to us the insurance brokers are only assessing risk and unfortunately being very general about it.

You may be as fit as a fiddle and never had a serious illness in your life, if so you are one of the lucky ones but you will still be rated at a higher risk. This means you have to be more choosy when finding cover for your holiday.

The first thing you will need to consider is whether or not it will be worthwhile getting an annual multi trip policy. If you are going to travel regularly in any year it can be cheaper to get holiday insurance as an annual policy, this will cover you for an entire year of travel.

If you plan on making three or more trips over the next year then this type of cover will save you money. It is also more convenient as you will not have to go through the process of shopping around for a good value policy every time you are going abroad.

I mentioned good value rather than cheap as cheap is not always the best option. Cheaper policies often cut corners to get a lower price. There are two things to consider when looking for a good value insurance policy for your next holiday.

The first is what does the policy cover, many will cover several different things such as medical insurance, repatriation should you need to be flown home, the cost of rescue if you are in a remote region. Protection against loss and theft as well as personal liability and legal costs.

The second factor to consider is excess, this is the amount you will have to pay against any initial costs. The level of excess can be many hundreds of pounds so if you had a digital camera stolen it would not be worth claiming. Always consider the level of excess you are willing to accept.

Solving Travel Insurance Problems

Will I still be able to get medical treatment if I do not have travel insurance? The answer to this question depends on where you are. A few countries have reciprocal arrangements with the UK; this means you will get the same attention and treatment as a citizen of that country, without the need for insurance.

They include European Union countries; Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden; as well as Australia, Barbados, New Zealand, Romania and Russia. It does not however include popular destinations such as Switzerland, Turkey and the US.

You must take into consideration, however, that treatment may not be free. The arrangements also do not cover the cost of getting home if you are seriously ill or injured.

What is the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)? The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives access to free or reduced cost medical treatment in the European Union. It replaced the E111 in January 2006. You can get further details from the Department of Health's website.

I have travel accident insurance with my credit card. Does that mean I do not need travel insurance? Travel accident insurance usually covers you if you are seriously injured in an accident whilst travelling. It does not cover the cost of repatriation or treatment if you fall ill. Neither does it cover loss of baggage, money or cancellation of your holiday. So, yes you will still need travel insurance. A few credit cards and packaged current accounts do offer 'free' travel insurance. Check the policy is comprehensive and covers everything you need.

If something goes wrong on holiday, what should I do? Firstly, take the policy details with you - Make sure you call you insurer before you have any medical treatment, have your insurance details with you. Some insurers may even refuse to pay out if you do not call them.

Then remember to keep receipts - you will need receipts for any items that you want to claim for. These would include: medical bills, prescriptions and anything you have to buy because your baggage has been lost, stolen or delayed. And if your belongings are lost or stolen get a police report - your insurer will want to see a police report.

What if your holiday is delayed more than 12 hours? If you're delayed for longer than 12 hours you can usually claim up to around 50 pounds on your travel insurance. Ask the airline to confirm the delay in writing and keep receipts of expenses incurred.

My claim was rejected. What can I do? Do not be put off if a claim is turned down or not fully paid. Complain, in writing, to the travel insurance company and, if they do not resolve your complaint, you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Ombudsman can look into your case and can force the company to settle and to pay you compensation.

What is personal liability cover? Personal liability is not used often but is important an important part of travel insurance. If you face legal bills for accidentally injuring someone or damaging their property whilst abroad you will be covered.

Travel Insurance - A Real Need Or a Waste of Money?

Whenever somebody sets out to plan a holiday trip with a travel agency, they hear numerous times that they utterly need travel insurance before leaving. That it will be a big mistake if they do not get the insurance, and that they are an absolute necessity for your holidays. Is all this really true?

The first type of travel insurance an agent will try to sell you is health insurance. It is highly important that you find out if you really need it. Many insurance companies will insure you on other countries. In addition, there are some countries that have special health coverage agreements.

For example, in Europe there is a form called E111. If you fill out this form before traveling, you will be eligible to receive health coverage in any country in the European economic area, free of charge. Although dental, and private medical care are not included in this agreement, if anything should happen to you during your holiday you will be able to see a doctor at no cost.

A lot of people are purchasing travel insurance before going on an international holiday due to swine flu. However, many travel insurances do not cover for known events or pandemics. Since swine flu was declared a known event, you need to read carefully the fine print on your contract to verify if the insurance you are getting will cover for it.

The secondly most sold travel insurance is the one that covers for lost luggage. What most people do not know is the fact that most airlines offer you compensation for lost luggage, so there is no need for this type of insurance. This also applies to damaged luggage.

In addition, if you have an insurance company, they might also be able to cover for things like theft during holidays. So it is important that you talk to your insurance company before leaving to find out if they offer this kind of service to avoid spending money on something that you do not really need.

Regarding credit cards, many companies cover for stolen items of value, which were recently purchased. In this case, you will also need to call your credit card company to find out if they offer this type of insurance, since you may not need to purchase extra credit card travel insurance for your trip.

In the case that you do decide to purchase travel insurance, just make sure that you only purchase the insurance that you do need. Also read all fine print to learn the exceptions that may apply to your insurance coverage and to find out if there are any extra fees or deductibles that you should be aware of.

Travel Insurance May Include Coverage For Your 'Staycation'

With the credit crunch biting hard, many would-be overseas travellers are faced with cutting the holiday budget and staying close to home - a 'staycation' as it is now known. If you live in a country with socialised medicine, such as the UK, it may not seem important to take out travel insurance. After all, the National Health Service will take care of medical needs if an accident or illness should strike. Statistics have proven that a large percentage of car accidents occur within a few miles of home on familiar roads when we are functioning on 'auto-pilot' and not paying attention. The same phenomenon is likely to be true when taking a holiday in familiar surroundings.

Travel Insurance is not all about missed flights, airlines losing luggage, emergency medical treatment, and repatriation back to the UK. There are a host of other mishaps that are just as likely to occur close to home as they are during a week at a resort in Spain.

Theft is a growing problem throughout the world, and tourist spots everywhere are heavily targeted. You are more likely to carry expensive gadgets and valuables with you - like an iPod, iPhone and laptop during a staycation. Theft can occur from your hotel, vehicle, or rental car, or even from your beach bag while snoozing in a deck chair. The car might break down, preventing you from reaching your pre-booked hotel in time, or a family member might become sick and unable to travel. Hotels have cancellation policies, which could leave you out of pocket for the unused nights.

Most travellers are too busy or can't be bothered to read the small print in their travel insurance policy. Consequently, many travellers do not realise that the Annual Multi-trip travel insurance policy they purchased for the holiday in Spain may also include cover for a staycation. Check the terms of your particular policy, because the cover often extends to your country of domicile (your home country) when accommodation has been pre-booked in advance for two or more nights. It would be a very welcome bonus if disaster should strike.

Golf Holiday Insurance

Golf holiday insurance protects you, even before you leave on your trip. Perhaps something important comes up or a family emergency happens and you need to cancel your plans. Without golf holiday insurance you will incur fees for cancellation as well as lose all of the money that you have spent for reservations, non-refundable tickets and hotel fees. If you have this coverage, you will not lose all of these funds.

Once you get to your destination, golf holiday insurance will cover any loss or damages to your golf clubs or other belongings regardless of how, when or where the damages occur.

Injuries on the golf course can happen at any time. You could step in a hole, slide down a bank or get knocked down by a golf cart. Without insurance, you would not only have to spend part or all of your holiday lying in hospital wondering and worrying how you are going to pay these expenses. With golf holiday insurance, you will not have to worry about these costs; you are covered.

Golf can be a very expensive sport (or hobby) even if you never leave your general area. Once you begin travelling to golf in other parts of the world, you will find that the costs soar. Keeping these fees down is important, not only so that you can afford this particular holiday, but so that you can take future trips as well. Buying golf holiday insurance can protect you from having to pay for refundable tickets, which are generally more expensive, and from losing money if you do have to cancel.

Single Trip Holiday Insurance

And what about once you get to your destination, the trip you worked so hard to afford? What if you become ill, injured or even worse fall victim to crime while there? You want to know that you are protected in those instances as well.

Buying single trip holiday insurance starts protecting you even before you step foot outside of your own home. If you must cancel your trip at the last moment, even with non-refundable tickets, you are covered. You will not lose out on the money because your trip insurance will cover it.

If you become ill or injured while away, you will have to pay your cost out of pocket, a very expensive idea to consider. If you are covered by single trip holiday insurance, your medical expenses, medications and even stays in hospital will be covered with no out of pocket costs to you.

Perhaps you are afraid that you will lose your wallet, passport, prescription medications, glasses or other necessary personal effects while on holiday. Do not worry about any of these items by purchasing single trip holiday insurance and rest assured that assistance will be only a phone call away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

If you are planning that one single trip, but know that it will be an extended one, you are fine with single holiday insurance; you are covered for a trip up to 185 days in length as long as you do not return home during that trip. If you do, it will count as ending the first trip and leaving again will require purchasing another single trip holiday policy. If you know that you are going to leave, come home and then have to leave again, you might be better advised buying an annual holiday policy instead.

Make sure that you protect your family and belongings as well as ensuring that your holiday fun is not interrupted by unforeseen or unplanned events. You want to make sure that you are protected for emergencies, regardless of their nature. You will want to know that there is someone you can turn to if you lose your wallet, your passport or your prescription glasses.

Unemployment Mortgage Insurance Vs Disability Or Death Mortgage Insurance

Many questions exist about the different lines of mortgage protection insurance. Because of the growing number of home foreclosures and high unemployment, you are searching for more information about this type of insurance. Many wonder about the differences between the different types of mortgage protection insurance and which one is the best for them.

The real question many face is should you get unemployment mortgage insurance, disability or death mortgage insurance.

Unemployment mortgage insurance is for those who simply want protection in the event they lose their job. If you lose your job through no fault of your own, the mortgage unemployment insurance provider will pay you a cash benefit while you search for a new job.

The recent unemployment crisis in the U.S. has many people worried about the security of their job. You would not be crazy to be worried, nor would you be crazy to consider this type of mortgage protection insurance. While this type of insurance can be valuable to anyone who is the breadwinner for a family, it is suited more for the younger worker who needs the extra protection.

This type of insurance is designed to protect those who lose their job due to disability and are no longer able to pay their monthly mortgage. This can be a short-term disability or permanent disability. However, if you become permanently disabled, your disability insurance will only pay for a specified period of time. It depends on the policy how long that will be, though the more expensive policies will generally cover you for about three years worth of mortgage payments.

Disability mortgage insurance is very similar to other forms of mortgage insurance in that it covers your monthly mortgage payments due to a loss of employment. In fact, some unemployment mortgage policies will allow you to add disability coverage as a reason for unemployment and roll both into the same policy.

An accident or any other reason can result in your disability at any time, but as you age, the likelihood of becoming disabled increases. Because of this, disability insurance is generally more beneficial to older workers where the risk is higher.

Death mortgage insurance is a little different from other forms of protection insurance. Death insurance will pay the entirety of your mortgage in the case of your death. It is designed to lessen the burden of your family and allow them to keep the home you have provided for them.

Similar to disability insurance, it can be beneficial to a worker of any age because of the chance of an accident or terminal illness. However, older workers are more likely to purchase this type of insurance because of the higher risk. You should consider that younger workers with families who have not yet built up their savings and investments are the prime beneficiaries of this type of protection in the case of an accident.

All three of these types of mortgage protection insurance can be beneficial to you if you want to add protection for your largest personal investment. You should examine your own situation to decide which type of coverage is best for you. Keep in mind though, unemployment insurance, disability mortgage insurance, and death mortgage insurance are not mutually exclusive and you can indeed seek complete protection with all three polices from some providers.

How to File a Complaint Against an Insurance Company

If you live in the great state of New York and have had problems with an insurance company, broker, or agent, then you are entitled to file a complaint against that person or company and have your voice heard through an official way. It is important to understand that you have rights in this country and that if you have been mistreated or misled in one way or another, then you are certainly entitled to tell someone about that in an official manner and have your problem resolved.

The best way to file a complaint is to do it online through an Online Consumer Complaint form. This form will entitle you to a file number and confirmation code which tells you that you are officially on the list to have your case heard by someone with authority. In that complaint form it is very important for you to describe the complaint and situation in the best manner possible. Any evidence that you have about your problem must be submitted in this form and will be used as a part of your case. If you have documentation that shows the problem, then you must submit it with your complaint forms. Things such as pictures, documents and faxes are certainly considered good pieces of evidence for people to use when filing a complaint. You can either turn your form in online or you can mail or fax it to the people in charge. You can find all of those phone numbers online. It is, however, suggested that you file your complaint online because the process will be much faster on your end. This also saves you the time of physically mailing the complaint and the money that it will cost you to mail that complaint. It is also noted that files that complaints that are filed online receive immediate attention from the department and will be dealt with much quicker than those sent in the mail.

Like mentioned before, the complaint must be very detailed and include all of the information necessary. You must not only include all of your information but also all of the information of the person or company who mistreated you. If you are having a hard time figuring out how to write a proper complaint, you should ask someone you know to help you. Do not wait to file a complaint if you have been mistreated. File the complaint and then get a new insurance company.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Insurance Brings Peace of Mind

Most people find insurance annoying. People don't understand why it's the law to have insurance on things like their cars, house and businesses. That's because nothing bad has ever happened to them before. The problem with that train of thought is that something bad might happen to them eventually and insurance will be there to help them along the way. Having to deal with problems and expenses that you simply cannot afford at the time is never something to look forward to. Insurance will always be there to back you up and ensure that you won't have to pay the full amount to cover whatever mishap may have occurred.

Auto insurance is the most famous and somewhat annoying insurance out there. The thing about auto insurance is that it is also the most useful and probably most used insurance that people ever buy. People get into accidents all the way, whether it is just a small fender bender or a full on total crash. Accidents do happen, so insurance is there to not only protect you from the law, but to also protect you from having to pay a lot of money straight out of your pocket for something that you may or may not have had any control over. Auto insurance for you works if you get into an accident with someone else and the accident is found to be your fault. Your insurance will pay for the other car's damages while leaving you with a very little bill on your end.

Home insurance is another big one that people need. Although less frequently auto insurance, home insurance is used by a lot of people because accidents happen in the home as well. You cannot control nature, so if nature hits in the form of a fire or flood, you are basically out of luck unless you have insurance. Home insurance will protect you against things like floods and natural disasters and can even be as specific as helping to protect your home from things like break-ins and robbery.

Business insurance is used by all businesses and is extremely important unless you want to get sued for a lot of money. If you own a business, you must get business insurance so that if something happens to any of your employees, you will not need to directly deal with the situation.

Insurance is an important aspect of life, so make sure that you get insured for all of the things that need it in your life.

Shop Online For Insurance - Multiple Quotes Will Save You Time and Money

With major modern advances in technology, it is getting easier and easier to do everything. Shopping online for insurance will get you the most coverage out of your money. However, shopping for free online insurance quotes can be difficult, so you have to know what you're looking for in an insurance quote. Many companies will offer only one quote for all of the time it takes to fill out a quote form.

It's important to shop around and research all the different free online insurance quotes out there, but you need to know how. So you must be wondering how you know if a quote provider is really looking out for your best interests. It's important for you to browse through the site for a while and see what you're dealing with. Make sure that there is legitimate quote pages, and content with real answers to real insurance questions.

Though going to the big names in insurance sites is helpful to getting a quote, they usually only offer one quote through their company. It is better to visit a site that does not sell the actual insurance, but does offer quotes from all the big names. That way when you fill out the quote form, you will receive multiple quotes from all the best insurance companies out there. So when you get all the quotes with easy access, you can really find out which company will give you the most coverage for the best price, instead of searching through each insurance companies quotes separately.

Have You Been Mis-Sold PPI - 4 Key Indicators

Have you been sold PPI that was not right for you?

In order or begin a claim you will need to state your policy type, which will include the lender name, policy number, the date it started and the monthly payment for the loan and PPI. Other key features that will be known will be how the PPI was sold to you, whether you are up to date and whether you bought it through a broker or direct.
Already you will see a large amount of info is required.
There are a number of key questions which will determine whether or not the policy you took was mis-sold.
1. Was the PPI sold without your knowledge. If so, this is a key sign of mis-selling. You have to know that you are taking a policy to be bound by it.
2. Did you request PPI. If you did this is potentially a problem against a good claim. If not then you have a potential claim.
3. Was it made clear that the policy was optional? If not then again this is a good clue to having a winnable claim. It is always a case that the policy should be optional.
4. Did you feel pressurised into taking PPI? Again if this is answered in the affirmative, you will probably have a claim for a repayment. Nobody should feel that they have to take the policy.
These are the first four indicators of a PPI claim. Look out for more in this series. If you feel you have been mis-sold your policy take proper professional advice.

When to Find the Top Insurance Companies

It's important to understand when to look up the top insurance companies, and most of the times it's going to be for special cases, if you want excellent customer service, low insurance premiums, and a company that will be there for you if you need to make a claim.
It really doesn't matter what type of insurance you need. You can find the top insurance companies for home insurance, vehicle insurance, life insurance, and even asset insurance or insurance for special items.
If you are looking for insurance of any type, you should use your Internet connection and find the top insurance companies in that category. Read the reviews and then choose the company that fits best for you.
Remember, these top insurance companies are there for many reasons, from low insurance premiums, to customer service, to easy claim filing. While you may find cheaper insurance, you'll still need them to be available when you need them, so be sure to choose a top rated company to buy your insurance.
It's easy to get free quotes as well, just enter in your information and you'll receive a quote quickly and easily. Since the insurance companies moved onto the Internet it's very easy to get a quote, purchase insurance, and you can even receive your policy online.
This also makes it cheaper; the companies do not have to pay for a traditional storefront or pay the personnel to manage it. This means your insurance is liable to cost you less, and you can afford better insurance.
So check out the top insurance agencies online, see what they have to offer you and get a free quote. Then you can save even more money on insurance by purchasing it online. Don't forget to take the paperless billing and policy discount. You'll be surprised how these discounts really add up over the long term.

Equipment Monitoring Charges Are Taking Money Out of Your Business


If I could show you how to add more money to your business by eliminating a line item in your invoice would you be interested. Equipment monitoring, set up and take down is what I am referring to.
Over the years I have resisted every attempt of the insurance companies to get me to charge for equipment monitoring. For years I have got anywhere from $125.00 to $145.00 a day for a Phoenix 200 Max and Phoenix 200 HT. (The difference in the price is the different vendor programs that we are affiliated with and what they allow us to charge.) Most of the time I am also able to get a $13.00 per dehumidifier per job charge for changing the filters in the dehumidifiers after the job is finished. I do not charge for equipment set up and take down or monitoring. That has always been included in the price of the dehumidifier and fan rentals.
Recently though one of our vendor programs changed their price book and said that we can now only charge $66.75 per day for our dehumidifiers but we can add equipment set up and take down and monitoring of $50.00 per day. Who ever came up with this never ran a restoration company. Say I have 4 dehumidifiers on a job charging the old way. That would be $125.00 x 4 = $500.00 per day. The new way would be $66.75 x 4 +$50.00 = $317.00 per day. So now I am losing $183.00 per day on this job.
While I was working on getting this changed it came to my attention that these numbers were taken from a national average of water restoration companies. So my question to all restoration companies would be why would you want to charge for the equipment setup and take down in a separate line item if it is going to cost you money? Look over your billings and see if you are losing money by charging this item out as a separate line item vs. the money you could be bringing in by charging appropriately for your dehumidifiers.

Insurance Quotes - Does Shopping For Insurance Affect Your Credit Score?

Insurance quotes and insurance company underwriting have recently added a new factor for evaluating new customers. Now, insurers will check your credit scores. They have determined through statistical testing that people with good credit scores are better risks, and that undesirable credit scores are not good potential customers. Insurance companies and agents that see a person with a high credit score will consider you a low-risk client.
There are many consumers who worry that requesting new insurance quotes could have a negative affect on their credit scores. When agents or insurers pull up your credit report, it creates an "inquiry" on your credit history. Inquiries can sometimes lower your credit score by a few points.
So, does shopping for insurance quotes lower your credit score?
The answer is "NO."
There are two types of credit inquiries:
"Hard Pulls" - this refers to credit inquiries for acquiring credit as from a lender, credit card company or a merchant credit card.
"Soft Pulls" - this refers to inquiries made that review your credit score. This is the kind of "pull" that an agent or insurance company will do during the quote process. Soft pulls are not noted on your credit report except listing the name of the entity that made the request. But the Soft Pull does not lower your credit score.
So, you may be confident that shopping for insurance quotes will not lower your credit score. And it is very important to know that a good or high credit score can lower your insurance rates when you shop for insurance quotes.
Hot Tip: The trade group Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association (IIABA) finds that 85% of new insurance buyers will use the Internet for rate quotes and research before making a purchase. Start shopping online for insurance and allow excellent local insurance agents to contact you with the most competitive quotes for your insurance needs.
You could save hundreds of dollars per year through the insurance quote process. Many times, the new agent you choose will handle cancellation of your old policies and take care of all the paperwork. Shopping on the Internet for insurance quotes is easy, simple and FREE!! It does not cost you one cent to get an insurance quote. In a matter of minutes after you submit your request, agents will begin contacting you to complete your quotes. You could get better coverage for less money...it happens all the time.

Legal Malpractice Insurance - Quick Overview

With the customer's exposure and awareness towards legal malpractice, many legal professional have to face lawsuits frequently. If we look at the statistics, every four to five law professional out of hundred have to face a lawsuit in a year. For law firms, which typically employ more than 20 lawyers, are likely to face at least one lawsuit every year. Well, the figure is pretty impressive to make one realize that one must have a Legal Malpractice Insurance for good risk coverage in this profession. Let us have a quick look at the various aspects of it.
How does this insurance protect a legal practitioner?
When a legal practitioner defends himself against a lawsuit, he not only loses money but also valuable time. The average figure may vary from 250 to 300 hours per case that can be billed. This insurance protects a lawyer for each lawsuit he has to face.
Is it like other type of insurance?
The difference between a regular insurance and this insurance is that a regular insurance gives coverage in case a certain event like hospitalization or accident occurs while this insurance covers a lawyer only for a lawsuit against him within a policy period. So, that means this insurance company may overlook the case history except for policy duration.
What is the cost of buying a policy?
The cost of a policy is directly influenced by the degree of risk involved in your profession. For example, if you are into banking or real estate, the cost may be quite higher than a regular cost of a policy. But, in my view, you should focus more on the fact that how policy covers your areas of operations.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Cheap Car Insurance For Young Drivers - What You Need to Know


The day a child is old enough to drive is a day that every parent dreads. As if the stress of the learning process wasn't enough, there is even more stress in the form of financial burden. Since you are required by law to buy car insurance for your teen (or have them pay for it), and teen car insurance is extremely expensive, you will be stressed in more ways than one.
The reason this cost is so high is because of the risk that a young driver incurs. Insurance companies price their policies based on the expected risk of the driver, and due to their inexperience, young drivers are a greater risk of getting in an accident. This is a distressing fact, both from a safety and a financial perspective, but there are ways of getting better rates on your teen's car insurance.
One of the most important things you can do to save money on teen car insurance is to make sure you have the right car. If your child is driving around a late model Corvette, or any other high performance car, expect to pay through the nose for the privilege of insuring it. These cars are also more dangerous for your child to operate anyways, so they are best avoided as much as possible. Another key to keep your teen on your own insurance policy. Even if they are paying their own way, you will save money by adding them to your policy.
Another key to saving on insurance is education. Good student discounts can save you money every month, so if your teen gets good grades, check into a good student discount and see what you can save. More importantly, though, insurance companies offer discounts for those who take drivers education courses. Not only do these courses help you save money on insurance, they could save your teen's life since they will learn the tactics of defensive driving. A worthwhile investment no matter how you look at it.
Overall, there are a few things you can do to save money on your teen's car insurance. These are mostly simple, common sense ideas, but sticking to them could save you a bundle every year, and some, such as the driver's education course, could save your child's life.

Young Driver Car Insurance - Frequently Asked Questions, Answered


If you're a parent of a new teen driver, you might be wondering how you can save on your heft insurance premiums. In fact, you might be wondering why in the world these premiums are so high in the first place. This FAQ should help you understand how you can trim some costs on your teen's insurance premiums.
Q: Why does teenage car insurance cost so much?
This is simple to answer. Insurance companies are all about quantifying risk. The riskier something is, the more they charge to insure it. It is a proven fact that new teenage drivers are much more accident prone than their adult counterparts, and thus their rates are much higher.
Q: What kinds of cars offer the lowest insurance rates for teens?
One thing is certain: sports cars most definitely do not offer the best rates. In fact, they are often ludicrously high for teen drivers. Stick with mid size vehicles with good safety ratings. Your young driver might not be happy with having to drive such a "boring" car, but it will be worth it when it comes to safety and savings on premiums.
Q: Should my child carry their own policy, or be added to mine?
It is almost always cheaper to add your teen onto your existing car insurance policy than to set up their own account. Even if they are paying for it themselves, you'll want to add them to your own plan to save some money. It just works better this way.
Q: Can my teen get a good student discount?
If your young driver is getting high enough grades, the answer to this question is "yes." Different companies have different standards for giving out good student discounts, but they are always worth applying for. Ask about this when setting up your policy.
Q: Are drivers education courses a good idea?
Drivers ed courses are a great idea. Not only will you save some money on your insurance, but your teen will also learn essential skills for the road. Insurance is great and all, but the best insurance is not crashing in the first place! Taking a driver's ed course can help this happen, though there are no guarantees of course.
Hopefully this has helped answer some of your questions concerning car insurance for young drivers. If you follow these guidelines, you should have any trouble saving some money every month.

Look For Discount Offers on Auto Insurance


Many people do not bother to compare the quotes given to them by insurance companies as they are under the presumption that similar rates are offered by all the auto insurance companies. But this notion can cost them a lot of money as many insurance companies give discounts on their policy which can help you to reduce the cost of the auto insurance policy. Generally auto insurance policy discounts are categorized into three types: policy discounts, driving discounts and vehicle related discounts. You need to find out the categories through which you can avail a good discount.
Bundling, renewal discounts and payment discounts are the most common type of policy discounts. In bundling the insurance company offers discount to its customers if they purchase more than one type of insurance policy from their company. In renewal discounts, the consumer can renew his auto insurance policy two weeks before its date of renewal and get discount on his new policy. Payment discounts are applicable for those customers who choose to make the payment at once rather than the usual monthly payments. Getting the right coverage for your policy can save you a lot of money in times of crises. If you possess an old car then do not purchase comprehensive or collision coverage.
Driver's record, low mileage discounts and driver's responsibility are the most prominent type of driver's discount. In driver's record, a person with a good driving record is given special discounts. In low mileage discounts, if the annual mileage of your car gets decreased through traveling by public transport or carpooling, and the mileage are less than the normal yearly mileage then the insurance company gives you discount on your auto insurance policy. In driver's responsibility discount, customers who have completed various course on driving, are given several forms of discounts.
Car type and safety/security are the most common type of vehicle related discounts. In car type discounts, special discounts are offered on cars which are less susceptible to collision and injury. Every model of a car is given a specific rating based on its safety. There are not many insurance companies which gives discounts on hybrid cars. In safety/security discounts, cars with airbags, gets better discount rates as the driver is safer due to the presence of an airbag. Installation of an anti theft system in the car can earn you discounts as the car can be tracked easily if it gets stolen.

Temporary Car Insurance - When Annual Cover is Too Long


Pretty much everyone seems to be able to drive these days and anyone that drives usually has a car at some point. Due to the fact that having car insurance is compulsory if you want to take a vehicle out on the highway most of us have some experience buying this product. Its not something that many of us particularly enjoy spending our money on but its the law so we grit our teeth and hand over our cash.
The funny thing is that everyone always buys annual cover for their vehicle and never questions whether there are any other options. The reason for this is that a year seems like quite a convenient amount of time between having to search for new quotes and a year between payments makes it a little easier to take. But what if we had need for a policy that lasted for a shorter time period?
For people who need such a thing there is temporary car insurance which allows you to choose a short time period of perhaps just a single day to a month when you can insure a car. You might wonder what the use is of such a short term car insurance but you would be surprised at the number of people who make use of this product.
If you don't own a car but want to take a holiday in a friends vehicle then getting temporary insurance for a couple of weeks could be just what you need giving both you and your friend peace of mind while you take the trip. It can also come in handy if you want to pick up a vehicle you have just purchased but that you don't want cover for until you sell your current vehicle.
Whatever the reason, if you need short-term cat insurance you will find plenty of companies who offer such a service by doing a quick search on the Internet. Just ensure you get a few quotes to get the best price.