Wednesday, December 2, 2009

most common questions: home insurance

If a fire, flood, earthquake, or some other natural disaster were to destroy or damage your home, would you have the right insurance coverage to rebuild your house?


Questions you should ask your insurance company:



  • Am I covered for direct losses due to fire, lightning, tornadoes, wind storms, hail, explosions, smoke, vandalism and theft?

  • Are my jewelry and other valuables covered?

  • If my house is totally destroyed in a fire and I have $150,000 worth of insurance to cover the structure, will this be enough to rebuild my home?

  • Am I covered for flood damage?

  • A pipe bursts and water flows all over my floors. Am I covered?

  • What if water seeps into my basement from the ground, am I covered?

  • am I covered for earthquake damage?

  • A neighbor slips on my sidewalk or falls down my porch steps and threatens to take me to court for damages. Does my policy protect me?

  • A tree falls and damages my roof during a storm. Am I covered?

  •  During a storm, a tree falls but does no damage to my property. Am I covered for the cost of removing the tree?

  • I have children away at college. Are they covered by my homeowners insurance?

  • My golf clubs are stolen from the trunk of my car. Does my homeowners policy cover the loss?

  • I have a small power boat. If it is stolen, am I covered? What if there is a boating accident and I get sued? Am I covered for that?

  • My house is close to the ocean. I’ve heard that if it is destroyed by the wind, the town's new building code requires me to rebuild the house on stilts. This will add $30,000 to the cost of rebuilding my house. Am I covered for this extra cost?

  •  Am I covered for “Acts of God”?

  • What should I do if my policy provides less coverage than the HO-3?



looking for the answers?
Ask your insurance company.
The main role is described here: http://homebuying.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=homebuying&zu=http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/covered/covered.htm

Monday, November 30, 2009

Five ways to cut your car insurance premiums

A great article by Ruth Jackson.

Highlights:

Fit an immobiliser alarm

Keep your car in a garage

Check your annual mileage

Add a second driver

Pay in one lump sum



  • But you could consider adding a parent or older person %u2013 with a clean licence and no insurance claims %u2013 as an additional driver on your policy.
  • The most effective way to cut your insurance premium is to shop around. "You can save up to a third off insurance by phoning around or going on the web," says Edmund King, AA president, in The Daily Telegraph.
  • Insurers have hiked the cost of a typical comprehensive policy by 14% to reflect rising levels of crime and an increase in fraudulent claims.
  • Add a second driver If you are a young driver, you may struggle to get affordable cover.
  • An insurer will presume this means that your car is sometimes driven by the more experienced driver and will reflect this in your premium.
  • Check your annual mileage It's also worth checking your MOT certificate for your annual mileage.
  • Fit an immobiliser alarm If your car isn't already fitted with an approved alarm system or immobiliser, consider fitting one.
  • However, never list someone more experienced than yourself as the main driver if they are not the main driver of the car.
  • Next, given that the cost of your car insurance is based on a risk assessment, reduce the likelihood that you'll need to make a claim.
  • Also worth trying is It's a new comparison site that gives 70% of its profits to charities helping military veterans and serving troops.
  • The lower your declared mileage, the lower the premium.
  • Keep your car in a garage A car that you leave in a garage is cheaper to insure than one you park on a driveway or at the side of the road.
  • But don't just use one price comparison website, as they each compare different insurers.
  • Pay in one lump sum Lastly, think carefully about how you are going to pay for your insurance.
  • Car insurance costs are rocketing.
  • For example, there are some simple steps that will reduce the odds of your car being stolen.
  • Some insurers will charge interest if you opt to spread your payments over the year.
  • To get the best quote from the whole market you'll need to check a few such sites.
  • Start with sites such as Moneysupermarket. com, Comparethemarket. com, and Confused. com.
  • This is known as 'fronting' and will invalidate your policy.
For more information and the complete article,

Young Driver Car Insurance



  • Obtaining cheap car insurance for young drivers has often been a frustrating experience, due to the sky-high premiums many are forced to pay.
  • There are several reasons why younger drivers pay more for their car insurance.
  • Young drivers also experience more theft, fire and vandalism to their vehicles, which leads to claims on their car insurance.
  • Young drivers are more likely to be ferrying around a car full of friends and therefore face a much greater risk of being involved in an accident than someone who just uses their car to nip out to the shops mid-afternoon.
  • Cheaper Car Insurance For Younger Drivers Just because you are a young driver; doesn't mean that you have to pay through the nose for car insurance.
  • So how can you get cheap young driver car insurance?
  • Much of the advice given in our standard car insurance guide applies equally to younger drivers.
  • Moreover, the younger driver can be charged with driving without insurance.
  • This is a certificate where a young driver who has already passed his or her driving test receives specific lessons in night, motorway and town traffic driving.

If you are the main driver or registered keeper of the car, DO NOT insure it in your parents’ name and put yourself down as a named driver. This is known as “fronting” and in the event of an accident it could mean the claim is not paid. Moreover, the younger driver can be charged with driving without insurance.


For more information please visit: http://www.moneysupermarket.com/c/car-insurance/young-drivers/

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Should I Lie on my Insurance Application?


  • Lying on insurance applications is quite common but that doesn’t make it the right thing to do.
  • Not only is it wrong from a moral perspective but lying can cause serious ramifications for you and for your insurance coverage.
  • While insurance is expensive at times and can be difficult for some people to get, the risks of lying greatly outweigh the short-term benefits.
  • And since the insurance company is inevitably going to find out about the deception you can almost be guaranteed negative consequences.
  • The insurance company is going to thoroughly investigate your policy and your family’s claim before paying a dime.
  • If they discover the deception, which is likely because they will probably look at the medical reports, your family won’t receive a penny from that policy nor will you receive any of your premiums in return.
  • Lying is also common on health insurance applications.
  • If you are found to have lied about anything considered “material,” your insurance coverage will be revoked and any payments made on your behalf under that coverage will have to be repaid to the insurance company.
For mor information you may use this informative insurance guides at: http://www.2insure4less.com/info/index.htm?s=235315

Progressive car insurance: instant auto insurance quotes


  • If you're new to car insurance, want to switch to a different auto insurance company or looking for a low car insurance rate, choose Progressive.
  • Great Auto Insurance and Car Insurance Rates In addition to a low car insurance rate, a Progressive automobile insurance policy comes with 24/7 live support, local response claims service and our concierge level of claims service %u2013 all included in our low car insurance rates.
  • With a Progressive car insurance quote, you can get car insurance rate comparisons, money-saving tips, automatic discounts, payment plan options and more to make your car insurance rate even lower.
  • With Progressive, you can purchase auto insurance, motorcycle insurance, boat insurance, RV insurance, commercial auto insurance, homeowners insurance and more.
  • We're one of the largest auto insurance groups in the country %u2013 a spot we%u2019ve earned by providing great auto insurance coverage, competitive car insurance rates and superior service.
  • If you're thinking about automobile insurance, motorcycle insurance or RV insurance to protect you and your vehicle, we can help.
  • Automobile Insurance Features A Progressive auto insurance policy comes loaded with extra features %u2014 24/7 live support, local response claims service and our unique concierge level of claims service %u2014 at no extra cost.
  • To finish even faster, have the following helpful information on hand during your instant auto insurance quote: Current insurance policy Declarations Page Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Driver's license number for each driver Current vehicle and driving record information If you have questions during your instant auto insurance quote, we can help.
About Progressive:
Progressive.com earns the No. 1 spot on the Keynote®Systems Q3 2009 Insurance Carrier Scorecard, produced by Keynote Competitive Research, the industry analysis group of Keynote. Progressive has won every scorecard published since 2004 and has held the top spot for 14 of the last 15 scorecard rankings published since 2000.

Comparing Insurance Quotes = Equals Saving


  • Well, say for example an insurance company paid out a large amount of homeowner insurance claims due to a particularly catastrophic year of floods and fire damage.
  • The same insurance company may also provide auto insurance coverage.
  • To compensate for the losses experienced under their home owner insurance division, they may raise premiums for their car insurance customers even if they had no accidents or tickets.
  • Monetary losses from an excessive amount of insurance claims are usually shifted to the consumer in the package of higher insurance premiums.
  • However, some health and life insurance companies offer low initial rates to gain insurance customers and then gradually increase these teaser insurance rates over time.
  • The best way to ensure you are getting the best price for your insurance needs is to review your policy rates regularly and compare them against what other competing insurance companies are offering.
  • Use Technology to Find an Affordable Coverage In the past, obtaining insurance quotes was a time consuming affair that involved hours on the phone or lengthy meetings with individual insurance agents.
  • We are not an insurance company, but we offer tips on how to determine the amount of insurance coverage you need.
  • So, whether you are looking for a cheaper auto insurance rate for an expiring car insurance policy, or you simply want to make sure you are getting the best deal on house, renters, disability, long term care, cancer, burial (final expense), life insurance, and annuity, 2insure4less is here to help both men and women find affordable insurance coverage.
  • You have the option of comparing cheap insurance coverage quotes online or speaking with a qualified insurance agent licensed in your state.
  • Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance Companies Our learning center is dedicated to helping insurance consumers become educated on their insurance needs.
  • Our library of educational material, insurance guides and coverage calculating tools will help you in a variety of insurance situations.
  • Take time to compare your current insurance rates with comparable coverage from other insurance competitors.
To summarize:
Compare Auto Insurance Quotes. Get Car Insurance Discounts.
Use Technology to Find an Affordable Coverage.
Learn How to Get a Discount from Insurance Companies.
Compare auto insurance rates.

For more information, you may visit :



Friday, November 27, 2009

Private Mortgage Insurance - How to Eliminate PMI

  • Private mortgage insurance, often referred to as PMI, is insurance that lenders require borrowers to pay for when they get a mortgage and dont have enough equity in the home.


  • First, you have the right to request cancellation of PMI when you pay down your mortgage to the point that it equals 80 percent of the original purchase price or appraised value of your home at the time the loan was obtained, whichever is less.


  • While you have the right to cancel PMI at the 20% mark a lender wont automatically cancel it for another 2 percent meaning youll be wasting a little more money if you dont cancel it after hitting the 20% mark.