Posts Tagged ‘l’

Car Insurance: Steps for Making a Claim

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

A car accident can be a harrowing and traumatic event. One will be shaken and often not thinking clearly. If you are involved in a car accident, you have to think about your condition as well as the events that took place because you will most likely have to file a auto insurance claim.

In order to prepare for the results of a car accident, the following steps should be followed in order to make a proper claim:

1. After an accident, your heart will be racing and you may be disorientated. You need to gather your thoughts and think about how to proceed. If you are hurt, and the car is not a danger such as on fire, retrieve your cell phone and call 911. If there is no emergency such as a serious injury, call the police. Check to see if anyone else is hurt. Ask for people who witnessed the accident to stay and talk to the police.

2. Swap contact information, including phone numbers, license plate numbers, and car insurance details with the other drivers involved in the accident. When the police arrive share all the details you remember about the accident so that they can write an official report that can be given to the insurance companies. Make sure you tell the police officers that you want a report. If the officers won’t do it because the accident took place on the property of an establishment like a store parking lot, then ask the store owner or a security guard to write something up. If you have a camera, take pictures of the accident scene that includes any vehicle damage.

3. Contact your insurance company, even if you are not at-fault. Also, compensation is based on the extent of fault so you need evidence to support your claim. Most insurance providers have a toll free claim number. Make sure you have your policy number available. If the other person is at-fault, you must make a claim. You are entitled to have the insurance company process your claim and resolve any disputes. Your insurance company will advise the other driver’s insurance provider that you are making a claim and seeking compensation. You will have to make a list of all items damaged. If the other driver does not have car insurance, you will have to negotiate directly or go to court. Some experts suggest that if the other party is at fault, you should file claims with both insurance providers.

4. Once you have submitted all of the paper work to the insurance companies, they will sort out the claim. You may have to speak to the other driver’s provider about your recollection of the accident. Your insurance provider will tell you what statement is required. Before you give your statement, write down what you remember about the accident.

5. A claims adjuster will inspect your damaged car in order to assess the costs of the loss. They will also assess if the damage can be repaired or if you require financial compensation. If you are financially compensated, the insurance company will write you a check minus the deductible. A car accident can be a very emotional time in one’s life. It is important to remember that you need to keep yourself together so that you can make the right decisions regarding your physical well-being as well as filing a car insurance claim.

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What Does An Insurance Comparison Aggregator Do

Monday, August 10th, 2009

An insurance aggregator, also known as an insurance broker, can assist you in locating a vehicle insurance quote that is best for your individual situation. Typically, an insurance aggregator can access quotes from many different insurance companies to offer you choices and to help find the best deal. By doing this finding a policy to fit your needs and budget is easier and will save you many hours of time.

Since car insurance is a legal requirement there is no way to avoid obtaining an insurance policy. Many people strain their budgets to afford car insurance because the cost is so high. You can, however, ease the cost of holding an insurance policy by finding ways to save money.

Conducting a small survey is an excellent option to look for the cheapest policy with maximum coverage, however, it will consume a lot of your time. Or, you may go online and get the best quotes through search engine, or else you may also contact an insurance agent. You may have to go on and on asking for the same information from every company you call. The moment you have collected the quotes, you may have to scrutinize carefully and shortlist them on the basis of coverage required by you and your affordability.

An insurance policy is replete with information like, under-insured driver or uninsured driver protection, road side help, car hire choices and apparently various deductible amounts. This is where an insurance comparison aggregator will not only save your precious time but also look for the appropriate quotes befitting your budget and requirements.

The insurance aggregator will be able to explain the different options and types of insurance you are able to use. Additionally, they will explain the different terms to you and help decide the proper amount of coverage you will need in the event of a vehicle accident or injury.

The insurance aggregator will need to know all information regarding your driving record so they can find you the best rates. If vital information, such as an accident or other transgression, is left out it can affect your rates after the policy is started. The aggregator will know what companies and policies will work best for your individual driving record by either forgiving previous violations or by dropping them off the quickest to keep your rates low.

Anyone can do the job of an insurance comparison aggregator if they have the time to deal with as many insurance companies as possible. It is also requires knowledge of all policy details and options. Your insurance aggregator will be able to access more insurance companies than you and therefore will be able to offer you more quotes. Employing an insurance aggregator is worth the time and effort saved and will likely save you more money in the long run.

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Processing An Insurance Claim

Monday, August 10th, 2009

It is very important to know how to process a life insurance claim so that you don’t have to wait longer than you should to receive the money that’s rightfully for you. If you don’t have this money then you may not be able to pay for a proper funeral or burial. Worse off you may even have to temporarily fund it yourself. However if you understand the process then you will be able to get it in a timely matter and you may be able to get a large sum of money up front even if the policy states that it’s meant to be made in payments.

Someone should contact the life insurance company as soon as they’ve found out that the person has passed away. While they may be grieving it’s important to get the process started so that the funds aren’t delayed and the funeral can be paid for. It’s often best to contact an agent within 24 hours after the person has passed away. If you are unsure if the deceased had a life insurance policy then you will need to either ask other family members, the person in charge of the affairs or you may have to resort to calling local life insurance companies.

After you’ve notified the agent that the person has passed away you will then have paperwork sent to you or that you can pick up that needs to be filled out. The beneficiary doesn’t have to be the person to fill out the paperwork. However the beneficiary will need to be there to get the payment as well as to verify the claim. If any questions arise during the process of filling out the paperwork you should immediately contact the agent and get an answer so that you don’t delay the funds further.

The next step is for you to collect the certificate of death. You may be able to get this directly from the funeral director. If you are unable to get it from the funeral director then you will have to go to the coroner’s office to get it. The first thing you should do upon getting the death certificate is to make copies of it. You will need to send these copies out to the insurance company. Be sure to create enough copies of the death certificate in case the person had multiple life insurance plans. Each company will need to have at least one copy of the certificate. Be sure not to send out the original document to the insurance company unless they need it for a special situation. In most cases your copy will be acceptable for the insurance policy.

After you’ve returned the paperwork you will want to know how the policy is going to be paid out. Each policy and company is different. Some companies will release one giant payment while others will spread it out as it’s easier on the company. If the company has the policy set up to be paid out over time you may need to try to negotiate an initial lump sum if the burial costs are higher than what the policy is going to give in the first payment. After you’ve done everything the company should distribute a payment in the first week which is when most funerals take place. However if there’s a delay in the process you may need to contact the company to find out what the problem is.

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Security Devices To Save You Money On Your Insurance Quote

Monday, August 10th, 2009

Those private households which have Home security systems installed within have an advantage to get discounts from home insurance policy providers. However the amount of the discount is dependent on several factors, such as the alarm system type and whether or not the system is being monitored always by the home security company. So before deciding on a home security system to install, it?s of due importance to check with your home insurance agent regarding various discounts offers against different security system installed.

Some home security companies will do a thorough assessment of your home to see what areas are most vulnerable, and what type of system is best. Once you go ahead with their recommendations, they will issue a discount certificate to your insurance company to verify what has been installed.

Some home security companies will do a consultation to determine areas of you home might be vulnerability. Based on your needs, the company will determine what system will be best for your home. This includes alarms, motion sensors and monitoring. After arrangements for installation are made, the company will offer a discount certificate to the insurance company as proof of installment.

The certificate submitted by home security company to insurance company will detail various equipments and services that form the part of your security system. Taking this certificate into consideration the insurance company will give you the appropriate discount. Greater discounts are offered for systems that feature twenty-four hour monitoring, panic buttons and safe rooms. So a discussion with insurance agent will help you get better discounts and insurance premiums. Further a detailed discussion might lead to higher discounts, such as upgrading locks.

Whether you’ve been dealing with the same insurance company for years or are looking for a new one, it pays to talk to them about what discounts are available. They’ll be able to give you advice about what you can do to lower your insurance costs, while keeping your household and valuables better protected at the same time.

So it?s wise to talk to your insurance company about discounts, even if you’ve been with the same company for a long period. By asking, your agent he may give details about the discounts for which you qualify. They will give you advice about lowering insurance costs and maintaining the safety of your home and property. Saving money in this hard economy is wise. So learn to take advantage of any discounts that are offered.

It is well worth your time to speak with your insurance agent. The savings you have might get can pay for the security monitoring and associate fees. There is no good reason not to ask for discounts, and take advantage of them.

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Consequence of Lying to Your Car Insurance Company

Friday, August 7th, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Tips On Shopping For Home Insurance

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

If it’s time to renew your home insurance, consider shopping around to make sure you aren’t missing out on better deals. Most homeowners don’t consider alternative home insurance providers and just renew their current home insurance. Most home insurance providers are aware of their competition’s lower rates, but won’t always provide competing rates. So shopping around and looking into other home insurance providers is a good way to get more for your money. Asking your current provider about discounts is also a good way to get the best rate. They won’t always provide discount information to you up front, so be sure to ask. A few tweaks to your home could make you eligible for more discounts.

Finding a better rate doesn?t need to be difficult or cumbersome. If fact, you can get different quotes from the convenience and comfort of your own home. These days most home insurance carriers offer quotes online. So all you have to do is log on to your computer and this information is at your fingertips. However, if for whatever reason you are not comfortable getting quotes online, this information is a mere phone call away (be warned though calling may be more time consuming).

Now that you are familiar with different ways of obtaining home owners insurance quotes, here are a few hints on ways to lower the cost of insurance. If you also have or need auto insurance, check to see if a discount is available for having more than one policy with one company. Often times having multiple policies with one company can help you save on insurance costs altogether.

Another idea is to make your home more resistant to weather and natural disasters however, it may not always be easy. Depending on what type of improvements are made will determine the amount your rate can be lowered. You can also make a small and economical change that was waiting to be done anyway to help lower your home insurance rate.

You may already be eligible for discounts and not even know it, so always be sure to ask. Being over a certain age, or having a fire alarms or a security system installed could decrease your insurance rate.

And of course, consider increasing your deductible to lower your home insurance quote. A deductible is the amount you would have to contribute in the event you were to make a claim. This doesn’t always work in every situation, but playing around with the numbers can sometimes lead to decreases in your insurance quote.

To conclude, many options are available to online and elsewhere to lower your home owner?s insurance quotes. Some of the better ways is to simply search online for a quote with a new provider and use the tips I have provided you with to lower your quote. It is wise to explore your options as you never know when a more economical rate may be available from the comfort of your own home.

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Which Company Has The World’s Biggest Insurance Policy?

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

For those who can afford it life insurance policies can extend into the million dollar range. These plans are the most expensive plans and they also have the largest payouts as well. Most consumers will get a life insurance plan that covers at most a few hundred thousand dollars. However there are others who seek even larger plans. Getting such large plans is not easy and often requires very high monthly payments or a huge initial payment to the company.

Most life insurance companies do not have information regarding the size of their insurance policies. One company that has been around for over 100 years easily holds some of the world?s largest insurance policies. The Transamerica Corporation was originally founded by Amadeo Gianinni back in 1906. Since then the company has come a long way and has turned into several investment companies including the well known Transamerica Life Insurance Company. This group of companies is the largest circle of life insurance companies around the globe. The founder also founded the Bank of America as well as the Golden Gate Bridge and the pyramid of San Francisco. Because of its size the company is able to offer the world?s largest life insurance policies that offer some of the largest payouts. They also have cost effective plans for consumers.

The reason that some individuals want so much life insurance is due to the amount of debt they have. Since the debt can easily be passed on to their family they want a large insurance policy to ensure that they family doesn?t have to worry about the cost of the funeral, the debts, or inheritance money. Most of the holders of the world?s largest life insurance policies are businessmen and investors that have huge amounts of debts.

This is the same logic that elderly people use to help save their family from debt and bills. The cost of a funeral and burial is high enough without having to factor in any unpaid debts that may remain. Thus many consumers will get a plan that covers all of their expenses. While it does cost a decent amount to have a sizeable plan it?s important for protecting your family if you have a lot of debts.

Those who look for some of the world?s largest life insurance policies need to have special policies written up for them. Most of the large life insurance companies will have no problem writing a plan for any amount if the risk is low and the reward is high. This means that the younger you are and the more you?re willing to pay the more likely the insurance company will write you a plan for any amount that you want. Premiums for life insurance are similar to those in health insurance where they take into account your general health and your habits. If a company feels that a person is a high risk due to factors such as smoking and drinking they will refuse to enter an agreement. If the person can make a large payment up front to the company it will bring down the risk factor of the person as well as the monthly payments.

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Choosing The Best Insurance Quotes

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

We are all obligated to carry car insurance for our vehicles. It is not legal to drive a car that is not properly insured on the road. The cost of insurance is expensive and there are many people who cannot afford the cost and are always looking for ways to lower premiums and save money on their monthly payments.

There are many different approaches to saving money on car insurance premiums. In order to know you are getting the best quote you have to shop around. Comparing rates can be done on the internet or by calling over the phone to various insurance companies and this is the best way to ensure you are getting the best coverage and lowest quotes.

Once you have several insurance quotes from the insurance companies you have called upon then you will need to decide what policy quote is best for you. The best policy quote is not always the cheapest and many times you will find that many of the insurance companies will offer similar rates. It can be hard deciding the right one so you need to get all the details on each quote before making a final decision.

The policy you choose should have enough coverage to satisfy your needs. It is not the time to find out your coverage is not enough after an accident or while filing an insurance claim. If selecting liability coverage policy you should be aware that your vehicle is not going to be covered if it is involved in an accident that is your fault, if the vehicle is stolen or damaged due to vandalism or natural causes such as hail or storms. Full coverage insurance will protect your vehicle as well as your passengers in the occurrence of an accident even if it was your fault.

Many insurance policies include underinsured or uninsured motorist protection on their policies and this is something to be considered. It is illegal to drive a vehicle that does not have insurance but many people still do and many people have the bare legal minimums for coverage and if you are involved in an accident with someone like this you may be left holding the bill without that added protection.

Your deductibles are an important part of your monthly premiums rates. The higher the deductible the lower your monthly premium. Many insurance companies will offer a low deductible but you have to understand you are paying the difference somewhere in your policy. The deductible amount should be high enough that your monthly rates are lowered but not so high that you cannot afford to come up with the money if you need to file a claim.

Several of the quotes will include details such as road side assistance and even car rental options, these details can be removed to help lower your policy if they are unneeded items. Find out what the insurance company?s policy is for forgiveness of accidents or moving violations and how easy they make it for you to fine a claim. Anything that is included in the policy quote that you do not understand, ask your agent. You will want all the details before making any decisions.

Be truthful and upfront with all information about your previous accidents, moving violations and your vehicle type when gathering quotes. You will waste valuable time by giving the insurance agents false or incomplete information only to find that the quote you were given will increase dramatically after the policy is started and they find out the real facts.

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Most Common Variables Considered When Calculating Home Insurance Rates

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Legal Hurricane Prep Is Important For Your Largest Investment

Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

he 2008 Hurricane Season is upon us; having started on June 1st, the hurricane season runs through November 30th. The 2008 Hurricane Season was predicted to be “above average”, however to date the season and the tropics have been relatively quiet with only a few named storms, and only one that impacted south Texas. Historically however, the worst storms form in August through October. One needs to look back to the volatile 2004 and 2005 seasons when seven (7) storms crashed upon the U.S. coastlines killing scores of people and causing billions of dollars in property damages. Guess who has not forgotten about past storms ? Answer: Your insurance company. Policy owners in effected coastal and hurricane zone areas have seen rate increases year after year to pay for past losses and payouts for property damages. As a result, now is the time for home and property owners to evaluate their property casualty insurance to assure that they are covered in case of storm damage loss. The following hurricane insured preparedness tips should assist the policy owner when pending storms are imminent.

Take photos and make a list of your personal property – Normally your insurance policy has different coverages for property and personal property damages (i.e. clothes, food, furniture). By taking photos or video of both the internal and external property of your house and taking an inventory of the major items will greatly assist any claim against your insurance carrier.

Maintain trees and shrubbery and other outside objects in a safe location – trees and shrubbery branches often become trajectories during a storm, and uprooted trees can actually impale both your home and that of neighbors.

Video and Photograph the property right after the storm. It is critical to take photos to show any immediate damages to property and personal property to disclose the causation factor. If you end up in an eventual dispute with your insurance company regarding damages the photos and videos you take right after the storm are normally your best evidence to show that damages occurred.

Keep your important documents and records in a safe place – A small lock box, or hand held file carrier can be transported easily and is a safe way to transport records and documents with you if you are required to evacuate your house.

If you lose power, save all receipts for food, hotels, and other expenses – If you are forced to evacuate your home quickly by authorities as a result of a pending storm; make sure you save your out of pocket expenses for spoiled food, hotel stays, and other expenses for having to leave your home.

Contact your insurance company immediately after the storm – Don’t wait to contact your insurance company to see if you have damages, more then likely the insurance company will be swamped with calls for damages; get inline and contact your insurance carrier to assess your damages.

Keep time for how long it takes you to clean-up. It may reimbursable. – Take notes on all the hours and expenditures you have for your clean-up efforts.

Record the name and date of the insurance adjuster that visited your home. – Your insurance company has an affirmitive duty to record dates and times of calls regarding your case. But guess what ? They rarely track as closely as they should. Your evidence that you contacted and informed them of your damages may become a key issue in case their is a dispute regarding your damages.

Make sure you are given a claim number by the insurance company – Once you contact your insurance company ask them for a claim number and note the time and date of your call and if possible the person you spoke with on the phone. Note every call you make to the insurance company regarding your claim.

Do not sign any forms or documnets that say ‘release’ – Do not sign any releases on your claim. Depending on your state statutes, you may have several years to report a claim for damages. Damages can sometimes manifest themselves months after your loss.

If you feel you have been underpaid or are not paid on your claim contact a Lawyer, your insurance commissioner, or even a public adjuster if your state allows that specializes in first party contract claims. Insurance companies are in business because they take in more then they pay out, and the first pass of reimbursement for damages may not amount to what you are due under the policy for final damages as a result of your loss If you receive a check, go ahead and deposit it but do not sign any releases on your claim. Many people believe that if they find future damages attributable to the storm that they will not be able to recover more money if they have already received a check- not true. If you are not sure contact a lawyer.

If you receive a check, go ahead and cash it, but do not sign any releases on your claim. Many people believe that if they find future damages attributable to the storm that they will not be able to recover more money if they have already received a check- not true, as long as you do not release any of your rights. If in doubt contact an Attorney

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