Questions and Answers about Renters Insurance
Many renters do not realize they have so much to lose, whether it is personal belongings or financial loss due to legal liability. If you do not already have renters insurance, you may question its importance and the coverage it provides. Check out some common questions and answers below. You might be surprised to learn just how much you risk losing without proper insurance for both your personal liability and your personal belongings.
Q: Why would I need a renters insurance policy if my landlord carries insurance?
A: The insurance your landlord carries covers the building structure, but does not cover your personal belongingsyour furniture, wardrobe, appliances, televisionanything that you’ve moved into the building. You need a renters policy to cover your personal possessions.
Q: Just what is covered by renters insurance? (Also known as “insured Peril”)
A: A covered peril is a cause of loss for which a renters insurance policy will provide protection. Insured losses include theft, fire, smoke, lightning, explosion, riot, vandalism, hail, and water damage from plumbing.
Q: What are the odds of my home/apartment/condo being burglarized?
A: Chances of a burglary in your home are greater than you think. In fact, a burglary occurs about every ten seconds. According to recent FBI statistics, two of every three burglaries occur in homes, condos, or apartments with an average loss of $1,004 per residence!
Q: Renters insurance covers theft in the home. What if I’m held-up while away from my home, or if I’m a pickpocket victim?
A: Renters Insurance can provide coverage form theft whether it occurs at home or away from home. This coverage includes protection against loss from robbery, pickpocket theft..Even credit card loss, forged checks or counterfeit money.
Q: If my video cassette recorder of stereo were stolen, would my renters insurance provide coverage to buy a new one?
A: The Personal Property Replacement Cost Option in a Renters Policy assures you that most of your covered property will be repaired or replaced without deduction for depreciation. For example: if stolen they above mentioned items will be replace with Brand new items.
Q: What is the difference between an ACV (actual cash value) and Replacement cost policies?
A: ACV policies are cheaper because they take into account the age of the item that is lost or destroyed. For Example: a 5 year old Stereo is stolen. An ACV policy will only reimburse you the value of a 5 year old stereo! (Maybe $100 if you’re lucky!) A replacement policy says go buy a NEW Stereo of like Brand, quality, features as the one that was stolen and we’ll give you the money to buy it brand new!
Q: What if my child accidentally breaks a neighbor’s window?
A: A renters policy covers property damage caused by you or your family members (up to the policy limits.) This family coverage is automatic in most renters policies.
Q: How can I determine how much insurance I need?
A: Add up the dollar value of everything you own in your home. Clothing, furniture, television, stereo equipment, computers, kitchen utensils, etc. What would it cost Brand New if you had to replace everything? Most companies have a calculator to help you get in the ball park, but ultimately, it is your responsibility to determine how much you need.
Finally: As a Renter, you face many of the same risks as a homeowner. Some renter’s think they can never be sued as they don’t Own the property. What if you are out playing golf or softball with friends and someone gets hit with a ball? (either bodily injury and/or property damage) The liability of a renters policy will defend you and pay any damages up to the limit that you choose.
Shopping around for the right renters insurance policy is a smart investment of your time and purchasing a good policy is a smart use of your money. Online services (yes, like ours at HometownQuotes.Com) have made the process easier than ever, so rather you use our service or someone else, start shopping today…you made need it sooner than we hope you do.
Matt McWilliams is one of the co-founders of HometownQuotes.Com, an online insurance quotes web site. He is originally from Pinebluff, NC and attended Middle Tennessee State University. He is considered an expert in the field of online insurance shopping and finding new ways to help consumers save money on their insurance. For more information visit http://www.hometownquotes.com
[tags]insurance quotes, renters insurance, apartment insurance, renters insurance quotes[/tags]
Term Life Insurance on Your Business Partner
Life insurance is something we often take out to protect our family and our loved ones, but that’s only one example of how life insurance can save us in unhappy circumstances. Businesses also need protection and those with partners realize that if a business partner were to pass away, the business itself could be jeopardized. Not only does the work that partner provide in the company need to be replaced, but so do their other valuable contributions.
Term life insurance on your business partners provides the best answer. Term life insurance works well because it provides coverage for a specific time period with higher coverage amounts which require lower premiums. This low cost life insurance option could help you keep your business going in the event of a partner’s death. The money from the term life insurance policy could be used to pay off outstanding business loans, hire replacement workers or even to help the deceased’s family in their time of need.
In the past, many people dreaded making their own life insurance purchases, so they have never considered taking out a policy on their business partners. Today, however, the ability to get a term life insurance quote online without having to deal face to face with life insurance company’s agents, makes the entire process simple from comparison to purchase.
Low Cost Term Life Insurance
To choose a term life insurance policy, you should go online to an independent term life insurance advisor such as The Hughes Trustco Ltd. These advisors can provide you with term life insurance quotes from a wide array of providers. You can conduct your own life insurance comparison in order to find low cost life insurance policies that meet your and your business’s needs.
Term insurance rates do vary considerably from company to company and from person to person. The amount of desired coverage, the fixed term of coverage, the health of the insured, and other lifestyle related factors can all influence the cost of the life insurance premiums you will pay. However, term life insurance will always be the most affordable life insurance option available, and when you go through an independent advisor, you’ll be able to compare those low cost life insurance options at a glance.
Once you make the decision to purchase life insurance with your business partners, you shouldn’t wait. We never know what the future holds and, although we don’t like to think about it, an accident could come out of nowhere and devastate everything we’ve worked so hard to build. Protect yourself and your business today by obtaining a quote on all the parties involved.
Ivon T. Hughes, The Hughes Trustco Group Ltd.
Online Insurance Broker - Get a FREE Quote TODAY!
Tel: (514) 842-9001
Email: info@trustco.ca
Web: http://www.hughestrustco.com
[tags]term, life, insurance, canadian, canada, business[/tags]
Using Single Premium Life Insurance to Transfer and Maintain Wealth
Wealth transfer and asset protection are important topics for many baby boomers and seniors. Consumers want to learn efficient ways to maximize the distribution of assets to their spouses, younger generations and favorite charities. A will and/or a trust can assign assets to beneficiaries, however these estate-planning tools are not designed to create wealth so much as they are to preserve it. In contrast, life insurance products instantly create wealth and can increase the amount passed on to a recipient.
Single premium life insurance is a valuable investment when it comes to wealth creation and transfer. With this type of life insurance, a single premium is deposited, creating an immediate death benefit that is guaranteed until the owner passes away. The death benefit will depend on the amount deposited, gender, age and health of the insured. In many cases, the single deposit will be multiplied by a factor of two or more when the death benefit is calculated. Typically the younger the insured, the higher the benefit received. For instance, a 65 year old healthy, non-smoking woman who deposits $100,000 into a single premium life policy could pass $200,000 or more in death benefit to her beneficiaries. Moreover, the benefit is income tax free to her recipients!
Single premium life insurance can also benefit the insured or the purchaser during his or her lifetime. The cash value in a fully funded policy will grow quickly and can provide income to the purchaser if needed. In turn, the purchaser can also surrender the policy for its cash value at any time. A few policies guarantee the cash value to be no less than the one time deposit. This way, if the insured needs to surrender the policy due to unforeseen circumstances, he or she is guaranteed to get the investment back. The insured also has the option of taking a loan against the policy instead of surrendering the contract if desired.
Other policies have the option of an accelerated death benefit* that can be drawn on to pay for long term care coverage. By invoking this rider, the woman in the example above would have $200,000 available to her for long term care expenses in her home or a nursing home facility- and these benefits could be received income tax free. In this example she avoids premium payments into a traditional long term care policy and still rests assured that she has significant nursing home protection if necessary. The insurance policy improves the estate in two ways. The life insurance policy will pass increased wealth to the beneficiary or protect an estate from the considerable costs associated with long term care. (*The accelerated death benefit can also be utilized if the insured is diagnosed as terminally ill with twelve months or less of life expectancy.)
There are various investment options in single premium life policies. The most common policy, traditional whole life, has a guaranteed interest rate and is the least aggressive, which makes it very dependable. Other policies such as universal life have different interest rate structures and can use an equity-index or variable engine to increase the policy value. Generally whole life is most appropriate for seniors, while universal life might appeal to younger consumers.
Many elderly consumers feel that they are not healthy enough to purchase life insurance in their golden years. This is simply not true. Simplified underwriting allows many seniors to qualify for life insurance. With simplified underwriting, there is no physical or blood work needed. So long as the proposed insured can answer no to a few questions, underwriting can be done using the answers on the application and a quick telephone interview. The fact is single premium life insurance is not difficult to purchase. Those who feel they are in extraordinary health can choose to go through advanced underwriting and may qualify for increased insurance benefits.
Certainly the advantage of life insurance over an annuity, a savings bond, a certificate of deposit or other investment is the favorable tax treatment of a life policy. The entire death benefit is passed income tax free to the beneficiary. However, the death benefit can count toward the gross value of an estate for estate tax purposes. To avoid estate taxes, some policies are owned by the beneficiaries or an irrevocable life insurance trust. It is crucial to work with a knowledgeable agent and attorney if estate taxes are a concern.
Often single premium life is considered a modified endowment contract or MEC by the IRS. The policy can be taxable to the owner if gains are withdrawn- just like an annuity or savings bond can be taxable to the owner. If the owner is under the age of 59
Stress Free COBRA
If you have recently lost health insurance coverage through your employer from voluntarily or invulnerably termination of employment (excluding reasons of gross misconduct), you and your dependents may be eligible to continue your coverage under COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act). Understanding the basics of how COBRA works and what your options are, can help you make better choices with less stress.
Contrary to popular belief, COBRA is not a separate insurance company or policy provided by the government. It is a ruling by our government allowing you or your dependents to purchase the same health insurance policy you have been receiving back from your company.
If your employer has more than 20 full-time employees, they are required to notify you and your dependents within 14 days from the date of your termination of your rights under COBRA.
You then have 60 days to notify your employer if you wish to continue your coverage. After you notify your employer, you then have another 45 day grace period to pay your premiums.
Many people make the mistake of either signing up right away out of fear of not having insurance or looking at the cost and immediately waiving coverage. The cost can be intimidating, as the rates are expensive, up to 102% of the actual cost that the employer paid for your coverage.
Before you make any hasty decisions, take into consideration the following two questions. Do you think you will be covered under another policy within 60 days? Or, are you or a covered dependent currently being treated for a medical condition?
If you think you will have coverage within 60 days, save yourself some money and do not immediately sign up for COBRA. However, do not waive your option. Remember you have 60 days to decide; you do not have to decide immediately. If during this time, all you have is a forty dollar claim, the forty dollars may be a whole lot cheaper than the price of the full premium. During these 60 days, if you were hospitalized for major surgery, you would still be able to immediately elect back your coverage to the day you lost it. If you were too hasty and waived your option, you might still be able revoke your waiver, but your insurance might only be reinstated from the date you revoked it, and not to the date you lost coverage. You have nothing to lose by waiting the 60 days to decide.
If you are unsure if you will have coverage in 60 days, yet you have no ongoing medical or pre-existing conditions, you can still hold out on electing COBRA, in the chance that a new policy soon becomes available. (There are many individual policies on the market that may prove to be a more affordable alternative if you are in good health). If after 60 days you still have not found coverage, go ahead and elect COBRA, keeping in mind that you have yet another 45 day grace period to pay your premiums. If you become covered under another plan within the next 45 days, just notify the COBRA administrator that you have found other coverage, and cancel your election. You will have saved yourself a ton of money. If a medical emergency comes up in that 45 day grace period, just pay your premium in full, and you coverage will be reinstated to the date that you lost it.
Additionally, if you or a covered dependent are currently being treated for a medical condition, you might be subject to a pre-existing condition clause under a new policy. However, under the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), if you do not have a lapse in coverage for more than 63 days and your new plan covers your condition, the new policy will have to give you credit for each month you were previously covered under your old policy towards their exclusion period. This could reduce or eliminate the exclusion period entirely.
For example, say you are diabetic and have been covered under your previous policy for 12 months. You terminate your employment and decide not to immediately elect COBRA. You then become eligible to participate in a new plan that covers diabetes; however the new plan has a pre-existing condition clause that states that you must wait 12 months before you can make a claim for this condition. All you have to do is present the new plan administrator with the HIPAA certificate, which you will have received from your former employer showing that you have been covered for this condition for 12 months. If you have not had a break in coverage of more than 63 days, the new insurance company will have to waive the entire 12 month pre-existing period and your claims for this condition will be covered.
If only one member of your family has a medical condition and you must opt for COBRA for that member, keep in mind that you do not have to elect COBRA for the entire family. Sometimes it is cheaper to elect COBRA for one member and find an individual policy for the remaining members.
Being without employment or starting a new job is a stressful period. Understanding your options can help take the load off.
For more information on COBRA and HIPAA, check out the U.S. Department of Labor’s web site at http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/health-plans/index.htm.
Deborah Abdulla came from a career as a Human Resources Manager of a busy oil and gas corporation in Houston, Texas. With a deep understanding of the daily stresses of her employees, she started her own business called Indigo-Daisy-Shack which offers subtle ways to calm, relax and de-stress.
You can see her web site at http://www.indigo-daisy-shack.com
[tags]health insurance, termination, job, benefits, employee, stress, COBRA, medical, hospital, insurance[/tags]
Life Insurance Whole Life or Term Life - Find Affordable Life Insurance
Life insurance, whether you need term or whole life, can be a major expense. We all know the importance of having adequate life insurance. The protection of loved ones is the major thing on the minds of millions of people. If you are among the many who are looking for term or whole life insurance, a quote is easily obtainable and you may find lower rates than you expected.
Life insurance can provide for the cash needs that your family will no doubt incur following the death of a loved one. You can create an estate that will provide for your family where there is currently no estate or savings to rely upon. Life insurance is an issue everyone must face at some point in his or her lives. Do not risk the well being of your family by having no or too little life insurance.
Getting a quote on life insurance may the first step in protecting your loved ones from financial hardship. The death of a family member can create unexpected expenses that you need to prepare for. Funerals and other expenses that occur when we lose a loved one can add up to thousands of dollars. Don’t leave your family unprotected. Get a quote today and find out how affordable life insurance can be.
If you have preexisting medical conditions or are in bad health, you can still get a life insurance quote and take the first step in providing for the future of your family. Too many families have been left with large debts following the loss of a loved one. Don’t let this happen to your family. Life insurance quotes are fast and easy. You and your family deserve the assurance that comes from having enough life insurance coverage.
If you need life insurance, you can get a quote for term or whole life insurance in just minutes. You can compare different life insurance quotes to find the one the is the cheapest and has the best coverage. One of the best things you can do for your family is make certain you are covered by a life insurance policy that will provide for their needs in the event of the loss of a loved one. You family’s future is just too important to put off the decision to purchase life insurance.
To view our recommended life insurance companies, visit: Recommended Life Insurance Companies.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of eZerk, an
informational website with articles and the latest news about various topics.
Visit her website to find more information about life insurance.
[tags]life insurance, insurance, term life, whole life, insure[/tags]
Cheap Life Insurance Something Else To Consider
One source of cheap life insurance is Group Life Insurance. This type of insurance is generally offered through your place of employment. Because many individuals are covered under a Group Life Insurance plan, the rates your employer offers tend to be very affordable. While Group Life Insurance may sound enticing, realize that the coverage being offered is usually not going to be enough to meet the needs of you and your family.
In other words, it might be necessary to supplement this cheap source of life insurance with another policy.
Two big assumptions
How can an employer offer such cheap life insurance? Typically, the employer acts as the owner of the policy and participating employees are considered the insured. Under this scenario, the insurance agency calculates its risks based on a “pool” of individuals. Agents start with the assumption that it is extremely unlikely all or even a significant portion of the insured will die at the same time.
The insurance company also assumes that not everyone will work at that place of employment until retirement age. What that means to the insurance company is that it will be covering the group for a shorter term than it would when only insuring an individual. These two assumptions alone enable the insurance company to offer significantly reduced rates.
How much do employees contribute?
A company that offers group life insurance to its employees may offer participation in the group plan at no cost to employees. That’s definitely cheap life insurance! Life insurance in this case is promoted as a company benefit. When employees don’t pay into their life insurance plans, their death benefits generally are equal to one year of salary. Sometimes a company offers more benefits to management or to union employees.
In the case where an employee has the option to voluntarily contribute money towards the Group Life Insurance plan, death benefits generally are much more substantial. When an employee contributes, it’s usually also possible for the employee’s spouse and child(ren) to get life insurance coverage under the Group Life Insurance plan.
Not only is it usually cheaper to get life insurance through a Group Insurance Plan, employees benefit in another way. They usually won’t have to take a medical exam. In other words, an employee is insurable even if he or she has a preexisting medical condition.
When you’re looking for cheap life insurance, don’t overlook your employer. It’s a reliable source even if it’s necessary to supplement this source. If you do decide to pursue this option, it’s important to thoroughly understand the company policy as it applies to life insurance. In particular, you want to know what happens to the policy should you decide to voluntarily terminate your employment.
The policy typically terminates upon your departure; however, some company policies offer the option of continuing the Group Insurance Plan. In this situation, employees should expect to pay more out of pocket expenses. Even so, it’s still going to be a cheap source of life insurance.
About the Author
Find Cheap Life Insurance in the UK. You will not believe our low life insurance rates. How does just 16p a day sound?
This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.
[tags]cheap life insurance, cheapest life insurance, life insurance online uk[/tags]
Travel Insurance Rates
Probably the biggest factors when calculating travel insurance premiums is the length of the cover required. If you are taking a two-week vacation, there is a much lower risk than if you are making a yearlong voyage around the world. That said, there are many annual travel insurance policies that cover all the trips you make in a single year and if you make more than a couple of separate trips, annual protection may work out cheaper. Often family protection policies are not too much more expensive than a single person’s policy so if you get the whole family insured together you are also likely to save.
Another big factor is where you are travelling. While some countries represent more health risks, as they are more dangerous, it is also a fact that poorer countries often have far lower medical costs so insurance tends to be highest for travellers in North America and Europe, with the US specifically recognised as having high health care costs. If you plan special high-risk activities such as skiing or mountain climbing you will either need separate insurance for this occasion, or to have the activity specifically added to your policy, as there is a good chance it will be excluded.
Insurance premiums are calculated according to several risk factors. These are the factors identified by the insurance company as most likely to have an impact on the insured against risk occurring. Insurance is a significant cost associated with the item insured and should not be rushed into. It is always a good idea to shop around for the best price available. Insurance premiums will vary considerably from insurer to insurer so do your homework.
Look up the various insurance companies you are interested in and ask them for a quote. They can usually give you a rough estimate fairly quickly and even more exact quotes should also be possible if you provide more details and wait. You should also look up insurers online and get instant quotes from their website. This is a very fast and effective way of shopping around. You will get a good idea of what prices to expect. You can also experiment with the quotation websites to see what effect it makes to your premium price if you select different options. With all insurance policies you will have a number of options that affect the price of the policy. Therefore you should think about these options and if there are risks that you do not wish to cover then let the insurer know as your premium should become cheaper.
You should also try to make sure you do not double insure. It is a principle of insurance that you cannot benefit from the insured event’s occurrence. So you cannot get paid twice even if you have two insurance policies. So if a risk is already covered by one policy, again let your insurer know so they can remove it from their calculation.
Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of travel insurance in the UK.
[tags]Insurance, policies, finance, money, claims, premiums, quotes, protection, risks, travel[/tags]
The Benefits of Obtaining Bakersfield Disability Insurance
In the United States, including the Bakersfield area, there are a large number of individuals that live from paycheck to paycheck. This means that means that many are financially unprepared for the unexpected. If you were to become injured and you could no longer work, how would you plan on supporting your family? If you do not have an answer to that question, you may want to start thinking about it now.
When it comes to preparing for the unexpected, there are many who think that setting aside additional money is the only way to prepare. This is simply is not true. While saved money may be able to help you in a time of need, many times, not enough money is saved. In addition to setting a side a little bit of money each week or each month, you may want to examine another alternative. This alternative is the purchase of Bakersfield disability insurance.
In the event that you suffer an injury and are unable to return to work, either temporarily or permanently, you will receive weekly or monthly disability checks. The money which you receive will all depend on the Bakersfield disability insurance plan you selected and the agent that you are doing business with. To find the best possible plan and insurance company or agent, you are advised to fully examine all of your options. This can easily be done by comparing a number of different coverage plans and fees.
The first step in being able to benefit from Bakersfield disability insurance is to obtain it. This requires the assistance of a Bakersfield disability insurance company or agent. You can easily familiarize yourself with a number of Bakersfield agents by using your local phone book, the internet, or recommendations from those that you know. Whichever search method you choose to you, you should be provided with the contact information of least one Bakersfield disability insurance company.
Before you agree to signup for a particular disability insurance plan, it is important to keep a couple of things in mind. You will want to look out for any restrictions or waiting periods. A large number of disability insurance companies, including those in the Bakersfield area, have restrictions on when you can apply for disability insurance. In addition to application factors, you may also find that different insurance companies have different qualification guidelines. By keeping yourself up-to-date on this important information, you can make sure that you get a plan that will be able to assist you in your time of need.
As previously mentioned, Bakersfield disability insurance is a great way to financially prepare yourself or your family, in the event that you are no longer able to work. If financial benefits were not enough, obtaining disability insurance may also give you peace of mind. Once properly covered, you can rest assure knowing that all or a portion of your income will be replaced if you are unable to work.
Ashton Skylar is a writer for Free Insurance Quotes 4 You.com where you will discover great information on Bakersfield Disability Insurance and other related information.
[tags]Bakersfield Disability Insurance[/tags]
What is Home Owners Insurance
Home owners insurance rates vary widely based on your geographic location. Areas prone to hurricanes, floods, hail, earthquakes, fires and other natural disasters will generally have higher rates. Even the distance to the nearest fire department or fire hydrant can have an impact on your home owners insurance rates.
Knowing Your Policy Is VERY Important
Coverage for Property and Possessions
Liability Coverage
Theft Off Premises
Additional Living Expenses
What Can a Homeowner Do To Be Prepared?
What Can a Homeowner Do To Save Money?
Coverage for Property and Possessions
Damage to the dwelling and the contents could be the biggest unexpected disaster awaiting a homeowner who has less coverage than needed. Most policies provide a stated maximum amount of coverage for the dwelling and another amount for contents.
Generally, dwelling coverage is based on replacement cost, which means that in the event of a total loss, the policy will provide reimbursement, up to the policy limit, to replace the structure. Ideally, a homeowner should buy enough insurance to completely rebuild the home, known as replacement value. This figure may not be the home’s actual market value or what the owner originally paid for the home. This is especially true in a depressed or an inflated market or if the home is simply not replaceable to its condition prior to the loss. Replacement cost policies, which may pay over the policy limit to rebuild the home, may be available from your insurer.
To determine how much insurance to purchase, an accurate appraisal of the home for replacement cost should be made. Working with your insurance company is important in this process. Most insurers recommend or require that a homeowner insure the dwelling for 100 percent of its full replacement value. Some homes, very unique ones such as national register-types or very elaborate ones, cannot be insured for exact replacement since some features are not replaceable in either workmanship, materials or practical costs. The insurer and/or the agent is the best source for these issues.
Coverage for personal property is different. Most policies provide actual cash value coverage for contents which includes depreciation, or full value contents without depreciation. Actual cash value means that if a power surge blows out a 10-year-old television set, the homeowner should know what to expect. Unlike full value contents coverage, which would essentially provide a new television set, actual cash value coverage allows the insurance company to calculate the useful life of the item and then depreciate the item to present value. A depreciated 10-year-old television set would be insured for only a fraction of its original cost. A homeowner may want to consider replacement cost coverage to be sure that the contents are adequately insured.
In addition to making sure that contents are covered for replacement cost rather than actual cash value, homeowners should purchase additional coverage for items that would ordinarily be subject to loss limitations. Virtually all policies cover contents loss up to the policy limit for items that include furniture, clothing, toys, accessories such as lamps and other items which are used for decor. Explicit limitations are set in the policy for high-cost items such as jewelry, fine art, furs, electronics, collectibles, oriental rugs and antiques. If a thief comes in and steals a two-carat engagement ring, it will not be covered well enough without what is commonly known as a personal property rider to cover specific, costly items. For more information on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.
Home Owners Liability Coverage
Liability insurance is very important to a homeowner’s coverage because it helps protect the owner and the family from financial disaster if someone files a claim against the homeowner’s policy, sues the homeowner or if the courts hold the homeowner legally responsible for someone else’s injury or property damage. The standard liability limit for most policies is $100,000, but many people believe that additional protection is needed , especially if the homeowner has sizable assets.
For a small increase in premium, an additional $300,000 to $500,000 may be obtained. Liability coverage protects in three ways: Personal liability, damage to the property of others, and medical expenses for injury to others.
Another way to protect one’s assets is to consider an Umbrella Policy which usually adds $1 million (or possibly more) in excess liability coverage to the homeowner’s property and automobile insurance policies. It also covers claims excluded from most basic policies such as libel, slander, defamation and mental anguish.
For example, most policies provide liability coverage that covers not only accidents that occur on the insured property but accidents that occur elsewhere. If the family dog bites a neighbor in front of another neighbor’s house, for example, the dog owner’s homeowner’s policy will usually compensate the neighbor for injuries and necessary medical expenses. For more information on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.
Theft Off Premises
Most policies automatically insure against the loss of personal property even if that property is not on the insured premises when it is lost. If one goes to the airport with several suitcases and they are stolen, this is probably covered. Talk with your agent and/or your insurance company for details.
Additional Living Expenses
Another automatic benefit of which many homeowners are unaware is coverage for living expenses if the covered premises is damaged to the point of being uninhabitable. Not only should the policy pay for the cost to repair the damage to the dwelling, but it should also reimburse the homeowner for the additional expenses of living elsewhere while the repairs are being made. For more information and rates on home owners insurance visit our specialist site below.
What Can A Homeowner Do To Be Prepared?
How does someone find out what is and what is not covered? Read the policy carefully. It’s not likely to be fun reading, but the good news is that if one reads and understands his or her policy before it is needed, this knowledge may save unexpected financial losses should a problem occur. It is always best to talk with one’s insurance agent or the company that issued the policy for details.
Understanding your home owners insurance policy is best handled before a claim is made. In the case of the contents, an inventory of items room by room is important to have with information such as the date purchased, serial number, the original cost of each item and a brief description. Video tape or still photos is very helpful along with the inventory. These items should be stored in a safe place such as a safety deposit box in a bank or savings and loan institution and not in the home because if the home is destroyed, the chances are the inventory and related photos or tape may also be destroyed.
Save Money On Your Home owners Insurance
Insurance is a highly competitive business and the price paid by the consumer for homeowners insurance may vary by hundreds of dollars, depending on the insurance company with which the consumer intends to do business.
Companies offer several types of discounts, but they may not always offer the same discount or the same amount of discount. That is why the consumer should ask his or her insurance agent or company representative about any discounts that are available.
What should a prospective homeowners policy holder think about when assessing which policy to obtain? Here are several ideas for potentially lowering costs.
Shop Around
Prices vary so it pays to shop around. Ask friends, check the Yellow Pages, refer to consumer guides, insurance agents, the consumer phone line of the state’s insurance commissioner’s office and the companies for price information.
Raise the deductible
Deductibles are the amount of money the homeowner pays toward a loss before the insurance company starts to pay according to the terms of the policy. Deductibles on homeowners policies typically start at $250. By increasing the deductible to $500, $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000, discounts may be obtained, depending on the insurance company.
Buy home and auto policies from the same insurer
Some companies that sell homeowners and auto coverage may reduce their premium if two or more policies are purchased from them. When buying a home, consider how much insuring it will cost. A new home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems and overall structure are likely to be in better shape than those of an older house. Insurers may offer a discount if the house is new. Choice of construction materials and design could reduce the premium. Brick, because of its resistance to wind damage, is better in Georgia. Proximity to fire station, firefighters and fire hydrants also affects premiums.
Insure the house, not the land
The land under the house isn’t at risk from theft, windstorm, fire and other perils covered in a homeowners policy. Therefore, the value of the land should not be included in deciding how much homeowners insurance to buy.
Beef up home security
Some insurance companies offer discounts for smoke detectors, burglar and fire alarm systems, or dead-bolt locks. Others offer discounts for homes equipped with a sprinkler system and fire detection and burglar alarms that ring at the police station or at a monitoring facility. Before buying such a system, consumers should check with their insurers to validate that such as system will be eligible for a discount and how much the device or system would cost. Most importantly, the consumer should know how much may be saved on premiums.
Stop smoking
Smoking accounts for more than 23,000 residential fires in a year nationwide. That’s why some insurers offer to reduce premiums if all the residents in a house do not smoke.
Seek out discounts for seniors
Retired people stay at home more and spot fires sooner than working people. Retirees also have more time to maintain their homes. If a homeowner is at least 55 years old and retired, he or she may qualify for a discount at some companies.
Compare the limits in the policy with the value of the possessions in the home at least once a year.
Policies should cover any major purchases or additions to the contents of the home. Remember that additions to the physical structure of the home should be reported to your agent or insurance company for a reevaluation of the limits of your policy. In addition, review your contents which may require a special scheduling on your policy. Such items include jewelry, watches, furs and computers to name a few. If you have sold or given away special schedule items, they should removed from your policy.
Are You Adequately Protected?
Because there are so many options and variables associated with home owners insurance we recommend that you find a company in your area that specializes in home owner insurance. It is very possible to save hundreds of dollars a year by simply shopping rates and coverage.
For more information or a quote on homeowners insurance fill out our free home insurance quotes request form.
Matt McWilliams is one of the co-founders of HometownQuotes.Com, an online insurance quotes web site. He is originally from Pinebluff, NC and attended Middle Tennessee State University. He is considered an expert in the field of online insurance shopping and finding new ways to help consumers save money on their insurance. For more information visit http://www.hometownquotes.com
[tags]insurance quotes, home insurance,home owners insurance, homeowners insurance[/tags]
Travel Insurance - Don’t Go Abroad Without It
Your choice of a travel insurance policy is probably the most important decision you will make in planning your holiday. You will enjoy peace of mind on your vacation knowing that any unforeseen circumstances, such as a hospital stay due to sickness or accident will be taken care of.
In addition, while many travelers have health insurance, it sometimes does not cover them outside of their network or outside of the United States. Most medical plans will not cover medical expenses abroad, which is why travel insurance coverage is vital to avoid financial disaster. Always check the details of your insurance coverage before you travel. Additionally, with out the proper medical insurance, you will not have a say on where you will be treated if you were in an accident.
Generally, comprehensive travel insurance policy costs 5 to 7 percent of the price of your trip. Your policy may also provide reimbursement for lost luggage, some degree of medical evacuation insurance, accidental death coverage, medical expenses, personal liability, cancellation, loss of baggage and theft. Your policy should also include all the details of how to make a claim.
Not all travel insurance plans are created equal. The cost varies from company and policy to policy. Policies may be purchased for individual trips or as an annual policy for all trips taken in the year of insurance. If you purchase an annual travel insurance policy, it will cover you for one year from the start date you choose. In some cases, it might be your best option to purchase a trip cancellation waiver and a third party travel insurance policy.
Credit card companies usually provide what is called travel accident insurance, which covers accidents but not incidents of serious illness. When you travel abroad, you should always consider buying insurance that includes medical care.
If you are willing to assume a financial risk (the cost of your trip), you can probably forego insurance for your domestic travel. Since 9/11, many are looking to travel insurance to safeguard their trip against any unforeseen terrorist attacks at their destination. Traveling abroad without insurance can be risky and impose long-term financial hardships if an accident or illness occurred.
For more information about travel insurance, visit Travel Insurance
[tags]travel insurance, holiday insurance, vacation insurance[/tags]
