Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Five Easy Steps to Finding and Keeping the Perfect Life Insurance Coverage

Five Easy Steps to Finding and Keeping the Perfect Life Insurance Coverage by Janna Chan

Do you have some type of life insurance, but you know that $100,000 won't provide for your family's needs for very long? Are you leery of depending on insurance coverage provided through your job because you know that as soon as you lose the job, you'll lose your life insurance coverage?



Would you like to find life insurance coverage that truly protects your family, but you're mystified by terms such as whole life coverage, term life coverage, and variable life coverage? Does your confusion tempt you to just sign-up for the first life insurance coverage program a salesperson offers you instead of finding an insurance policy that's perfect for you and your family?



If so, researching and acquiring the perfect life insurance policy by using the following steps may be the key to finding coverage that genuinely suits your needs:



DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS



Do you need a policy that pays a simple death benefit for a reasonably low premium? If so, a term life insurance policy may be perfect for you. However if you'd rather have a policy that builds cash value or serves as a type of investment, a variable life or whole life policy may be your best option.



RESEARCH YOUR POTENTIAL INSURANCE CARRIER



You can, at any time, ask your state's insurance commission which insurance carriers are licensed to do business in your state. You can also inquire about the number of complaints and the nature of complaints filed against any approved insurance carrier in your state.



Furthermore, you can check almost any insurance company's rating by visiting the websites of the following organizations that are well-known for evaluating the financial stability of hundreds of insurance carriers: A.M. Best, Moody's Investor Service, Fitch Ratings, Standard and Poors, and Weiss Ratings.



FIND A GOOD INSURANCE AGENT



Asking friends and coworkers to recommend an insurance agent with whom they've had a good experience is usually the best way to find an agent. You can also contact professional insurance associations in your area to see if they have any insurance agent referral services.



Insurance agents/brokers have varying customer service skills, degrees of product knowledge, and years of general professional experience. Some insurance agents are considered "captive" because they can only sell coverage for one company. Other insurance agents/brokers are considered "independent" because they can sell insurance products for a variety of companies. Some insurance agents offer specialty insurance coverage products for people whose health conditions make them difficult to insure, while other agents only offer products for extremely healthy individuals.



You can also ask your state's insurance commission about whether complaints have been filed against any licensed insurance agent in your state.



WEIGH THE PROS AND CONS Of DIFFERENT INSURANCE OPTIONS



Would you rather have $500,000 of life insurance coverage providing a simple death benefit or $100,000 of life insurance coverage that builds a cash value asset for you and your family? Is it more valuable to spend $75/month on a policy through an agent/insurance company with a reputation for providing personal tailored customer service, or would you rather spend $45/month on a policy through a company that provides little customer service?



Once you've determined which policy is best for you and your family, notify the relevant company/agent and get the ball rolling on acquiring your perfect life insurance policy.



MONITOR YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDS AND INSURANCE POLICY



Even after acquiring the perfect life insurance policy for you and your family, continue to monitor the financial status of your insurance carrier as well as your own insurance coverage needs. Insurance companies have their ups and downs just like any other financial institution. If your insurance company/coverage no longer meets your needs, consult your insurance agent and start researching other life insurance coverage options.



Contemplating your family's life insurance coverage needs takes time and energy. However, finding the perfect life insurance policy and learning more about the insurance industry in the process is a lot more fun than just signing on the dotted line of an insurance policy that may not meet your needs.



Disclaimer: PLEASE NOTE, THE ARTICLE ABOVE REPRESENTS THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OF ANY KIND.





Copyright (c) 2007 Janna Chan



Janna Chan writes articles on different health and financial services topics ranging from finding good health and life insurance coverage to conquering insomnia and using meditation to alleviate illness and improve focus.
http://a-few-seconds-calm.com contains more resources for finding and researching the perfect life insurance policy.




Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Monday, January 1, 2007

Saving Money On Car Insurance With A Teenage Driver

Saving Money On Car Insurance With A Teenage Driver by Barry Brenner

Are you paying a fortune to insure your teenage driver? You really don't have to.



Some car insurance companies will charge you for your teenage driver when they turn sixteen. Some won't. Call your carrier ahead of time to find out what their policy is.



The most costly coverage on your auto insurance policy is the collision coverage. Collision coverage covers damage to your vehicle when it is involved in an at-fault accident. I.e. you hit someone or something. New drivers, no matter what age, are rated higher and cost more due to their lack of driving experience.



To save on the cost of the collision coverage on a new driver, consider purchasing a used vehicle that cost between one thousand five hundred and three thousand five hundred dollars. Make sure that it is mechanically sound for your driving needs. If you want to cover this vehicle for theft and vandalism, you can purchase comprehensive coverage. Instead of purchasing collision coverage on this vehicle, purchase uninsured motorist property damage coverage.



Uninsured motorist property damage coverage protects your vehicle for up to a limited amount if an uninsured motorist hits it and you can identify the driver and the vehicle. That way if anyone hits you, even if they have no insurance, your vehicle will be repaired or you will receive payment from your insurance company for the fair market value of the vehicle. Some insurance companies include a deductible with this coverage. Your savings could be anywhere from five hundred to two thousand dollars per year for your first three years of driving. How much does that add up to after three years?



When my daughter turned sixteen this year, I was faced with this dilemma. I own a 2002 Honda Accord and a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer. My auto insurance carrier wanted to increase my premium by two thousand dollars every six months to add her onto the policy.



I bought her a 1970 Plymouth, in good mechanical condition, and found a different top insurance company that charged me $642.00 every six months for the Plymouth with her on the policy. This policy came with permissive driving as a standard feature. This means that any other car she drove, including my other cars, were covered by this policy.



After I purchased the policy on the Plymouth, I was then able to add her onto my current policy for my Honda and Mitsubishi as a not rated driver without any additional cost. If she causes an accident while driving my Honda or Mitsubishi, the policy on the Plymouth would come first with its' coverage's. Then my current policy would come second, if necessary.



My current carrier wanted $1,200.00 every six months if I added the 1970 Plymouth and my daughter onto the policy. So I ended up saving over $1,100.00 a year on my car insurance.



Barry Brenner is a licensed auto insurance agent with extensive experience selling car insurance. For more information on understanding car insurance, monthly money saving tips, or looking to quote car insurance, you can visit http://www.cheapcarinsurancequotetips.com



Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Life Insurance Comparison: Term or Whole Life?

Life Insurance Comparison: Term or Whole Life? by Arthor Pens

When it comes to buying life insurance the most important comparison is between term insurance and whole life. Here is an explanation of each.



A term life insurance plan provides life insurance - plain and simple. A whole life insurance plan provides life insurance but also accrues value, which you can cash out or borrow against. It generally takes about three years to see any value and then it's not a lot of money. Term life insurance, in comparison to whole life, is considerably less costly for this reason. Some will refer to term life insurance as renting insurance rather than buying it. The reason for that attitude is that, much like auto insurance, you pay the premium each month or quarter or year to hedge against the bet that you might have an accident (in the case of term life insurance the accident is death). If you don't have that accident, in the case of auto insurance, or if you don't die in the case of life insurance, you don't get the money.



We all die, of course, so it might seem that term life insurance is a good bet and the best bet in comparison to whole life. You would, you surmise, always get your money back. The catch here is that term life insurance will end at a certain point - and that point may well be before you are deceased. Term life insurance plans are only good until a certain predetermined age - many are 70 years of age, others up to 80. For those of us who really need this coverage until the day we die these aren't good plans in comparison to whole life which will be in force until the day we die.



Term life insurance is a good buy in comparison to whole life, however, if all you are trying to do is set money aside to prevent your young family from becoming destitute in the event of your unexpected death. Once you reach the age of 70, the likelihood is that your children will be comfortably on their own and not dependent on your money or income to survive. Of course, if this is your only life insurance and it goes away before you die then your family or someone else must bear the cost of burying you. That is where whole life insurance is a favorable comparison to term life. Whole life will stay in place as long as you do, and will be there when it comes time to pay for your burial.



It may be, then, that in doing a comparison between term life insurance and whole life insurance, the results indicate a need for both. Many professionals suggest that you buy an amount of term life insurance that would keep your family bills paid for a predetermined time in the event of your untimely death, choosing a term that covers them only until they are old enough to take care of their bills on their own. These same professionals suggest as well that you also buy a whole life insurance policy for an amount of $7000-$12,000, merely to assure that your family will have money to bury you.



In other words, if you are 40 and your children are 6, 8 and 10, you're going to need about 15 years of term life insurance - until your youngest is through four years of college. You might decide, with three children and a spouse that you'll need several hundred thousand dollars of coverage. A Whole life policy of $10,000, however, would be plenty to provide a decent funeral and burial.



CompassQuote Insurance Services provides Affordable Term Life Insurance quotes in all 50 U.S. States. You can also view permanent Universal Life Insurance plans an compare instantly.




Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Friday, November 10, 2006

How To Sell Your Structured Annuity For Cash

How To Sell Your Structured Annuity For Cash by

When You Sell Your Insurance Structured Settlement You Get, Time Value of Money



Structured settlements are financial packages or financial agreements permitting a settlement to be paid through an annuity via regularly scheduled installments either for a fixed period or for the lifetime of the claimant. Because it is tailor-made for individual cases, the structured settlement may also include some immediate payment to cover special requirements.



In lay man terms, Structured settlements are also known as Structured Annuity settlement, Insurance Structured settlements, Annuity settlement, Structured annuity and Structured settlement payments.



The structured settlements payments are typically funded by annuities, reinsurance, or occasionally U.S. government obligations. The structured settlements are mostly setup for lawsuit settlements, insurance settlements, lottery awards, casino and jackpot winnings and contest payments.



Structured settlements or Annuity settlements - When created?



Structured settlements or structured settlement payments are not appropriate in all kind of cases. Since structures allow settlement funds to grow income tax-free and to be preserved to meet future financial needs, any liability case can be suitable for a structured settlement.



Structured settlements or structured annuity settlements are designed for many types of cases though including:



- All catastrophic cases including paralysis, brain damage, severe burns, loss of limb or severe injury cases.



- Wrongful death cases where a surviving family will need a regular income to replace that of the lost spouse/parent.



- Permanent or temporary disabilities that will take extensive recovery time.



- Most of Workers compensation cases- Most of cases with a reserve or value of $50,000 or more, for example lottery or casino awards.



- Guardianship cases where there are minor children or another person who is judged to be incompetent such as a person with psychological, emotional, or mental handicaps.



Structured settlements or structured settlement payments – How created?



Structured settlements or structured annuity settlement can be formed in many different ways, and their structure is basically determined by the financial needs of the claimant. The simplest structured settlements are created with an even distribution of cash on a given interim for the term of the agreement. Such a settlement could include a payment every month for 15- 20 years as an example.



A properly developed structural settlement or annuity settlement agreement also includes the time value of money because by design, they do not pay interest. The interest is calculated in as a part of the payment. In essence, the structured settlement incorporates a fixed interest rate that is also completely tax-free as it is part of the settlement.



Benefits of a Structured Settlement:



Benefits to Claimants:



1. Choice: Allows the claimant a choice at settlement. Benefits can be received based on needs rather than a lump sum which has to be invested at risk, incurring fees.



2. Tax-free: Structured settlements or structured annuity provide cash to claimant that is completely free of tax liability, both at federal and the state level 3. Regular payment stream: A structured settlement annuity provides regular payment stream to claimant.



4. More Secure: Maximum security since periodic payments are funded by annuities or reinsurance issued by the largest, most secure life insurance companies.



5. Structured Settlements or Structured settlement payments are cheaper: Another benefit to structured settlements is that they are often arrived at without the risk and time loss of going to court.



Benefits to the defense:



1. Bridge Gaps: Helps bridge gaps between plaintiff and defendant.



2. Reduces litigation costs: For many reasons, defendants who believe they could have liability will make an offer of a structured settlement to minimize their costs.



3. Reduce settlement cost: Substandard age rating can significantly reduce settlement cost



4. Structured Settlements or Structured settlement payments are cheaper: Because they are often arrived at without the risk and time loss of going to court.



You can sell Your Structured Settlements or Insurance Structured settlements!



Now you can sell your future monthly structured settlements payments and be free of the restrictive schedule of disbursement imposed by your structured insurance settlement. There are some structured settlements companies; those will pay you a large lump sum of cash now, rather than you receiving smaller monthly payments for the remainder of the payout.



You may like to sell your structured settlement or annuity settlements because some of the following reasons:



1. Your life situation changed since your structured settlement was created.



2. You have an emergency situation or a special opportunity occurred in your life which requires cash you do not currently have.



3. You want to start a new business but do not have the cash needed.



4. You need money for a special event in your life like the wedding of your child.



5. You have outgrown your current home but don't know where you'll find the money to buy a larger home or add on to your existing home.



You also have the options to sell your annuity settlement or structured annuity to suit your requirements as followings:



- Cash payouts in full: Full Payment refers to a plan where the individual sells all the remaining future payments at a discounted present value for a lump sum payment.



- Partial buyouts: Partial Payment refers to a plan where the individual sells a specific number of future payments at a discounted present value for a lump sum payment.



-Shared payment plans: Shared Payment refers to a plan where the individual sells a portion of their future payment(s) at a discounted present value and keeps a portion.



I personally believe that most important reason to sell your structured settlement or insurance structured settlements today is that you take advantage of the financial principle of the Time Value of Money, which means that a dollar is more valuable to you today than it will be in the future; you get your money before inflation kills its value.



Deal with a structured settlements company that will structure the transaction based on your specific financial requirements and only acquire the portion of your payment stream that is necessary for you to fulfill your needs.



About the Author: Paul Sherman is a Legal Funding Consultant. He offers free, professional, and independent advice to plaintiffs involved in lawsuits (incl. business owners) & Attorneys. To apply for Structured Settlement funding, Lawsuit loan, Commercial Lawsuit funding, Law Firm loan or Attorney funding please visit: http://www.easylawsuitfunding.com



Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Choosing the Best Life Insurance

Choosing the Best Life Insurance by rateempire

Many people wonder why they should invest in life insurance. The fact is when you pass away and do not have coverage or money; your loved ones must take the burden of paying funeral costs, arranging, and so on. The cost of funerals is costly, so this is unfair to your loved ones. Life insurance will cover you, and will offer some stress relief in the event you die on funeral costs.



Moreover, if you pass on, your family will have to pay your mortgage, car payments and so on. Do not let this happen. Some life insurance policies will offer you unemployment coverage, burial, mortgage coverage and so on.



Life insurance plans will protect you and your family. You can find affordable plans online so there is no reason not to seek coverage. Some life insurance plans will cover debts you owe, expenses and so on. You will find life insurance plans that will cover all your estate costs too.



Life insurance often includes the cash value plans and the term life policies. Cash value will provide you coverage for the course of your life. In short, this is the permanent plan whereas term life is a plan that when it expires you must renew the policy. Obviously, the cash value is the better choice.



Cash value life will offer you benefits that will cover you in the event you pass. You have asset value that attaches to this plan. In other words, you have lifetime coverage at some of the best rates on insurance. In short, this plan will protect your financial interest. You have options to with some term life insurance. Some plans will allow you to request a conversion to change your plan to a cash value plan. Some term life plans will not give you this option.



You have other options with life insurance plans, but the cash value is obviously one of the better choices. Still, you can go online to use quote system at the insurance sites to find great rates, comparable costs, and several types of insurance plans.



If you are an employer, looking for group insurance coverage you will find a wide assortment of policies online also. Cobra, term life (group option) and other plans are available. Use the quote system to find the best rates on group life insurance. Check the packages offered, since some insurance plans give you better rates and benefits than other plans will.



Life insurance is important. To make your family's life easier, go online and search through the different plans to find what works best for you. Get the protection you and your family both deserve.



#1 American Insurance provides free insurance quotes for home insurance, auto insurance and life insurance. With #1 American Insurance you will get the best insurance quote in your area as our insurance agents are top rated in insurance markets.#1 American Insurance also operates Rate Empire and, #1 American Financial



Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Life Insurance Plans

Life Insurance Plans by rateempire

Group insurance plans for life policy is intended for one contract that offers coverage for a group. Life insurance policies usually are taking out by an entity or employer. Some of the plans offer employees a variety of options over coverage. It depends on what type of policy an employer will take out. For example, if an employer took out the Cobra plan then it would cover his employees, their families and so on. Some plans may offer medical, dental and unemployment. Again, it depends on what the employer takes out.



Usually, group life insurance is a packaged benefit option that gives employees complete coverage. Usually at what time a person works at a company that offers group life insurance, after a cycle of employment has occurred the employer may offer group life insurance to the worker. Some of the plans offered may be group life, yet it depends on the policy offered as to what the benefits will cover.



Group life often includes a master contract. Employees usually take hold of a certificate if the employer offers group life insurance. This is what the employee will show as proof of coverage. This certificate however is not the actual policy, rather proof that you have coverage. Like other types of insurance plans however, the certificate holder will give you the option to choose a beneficiary.



This recipient or beneficiary is the receiver that handles the certificate in the event you pass on.



Some other plans include term life insurance. Term life is more common than the group plans. Group term usually given annually, i.e. the plan is renewed yearly. This plan often entails that the employer pays the majority or all of the fees. Most times this insurance plan is equally factored into one x or two x the yearly salaries.



You have coverage with this plan unless the employee is terminated from the job, or decides to stop working at the company. If the term ends, you lose coverage also.



Some of the policies allow you to choose options. That is you can convert your insurance after quitting a company into a single policy. This means you take over fees, such as premiums. The problem with converting these plans is that you will pay a much steeper fee on premiums than you would if you took out-group life insurance.



If you start work at a company make sure that you understand the group life and life insurance offered to you. The 401K plans is typically offered at many companies. You must agree to allow the employer to deduct a small amount from your weekly paycheck to pay for your coverage. Most times, it is worth the cost.



#1 American Insurance provides free insurance quotes for home insurance, auto insurance and life insurance. With #1 American Insurance you will get the best insurance quote in your area as our insurance agents are top rated in insurance markets.#1 American Insurance also provides portal for mortgage rates and Bad Credit mortgage rates.



Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net

Friday, July 7, 2006

What Type of Travel Insurance Fits You Best?

What Type of Travel Insurance Fits You Best? by SHALDON PARKER

Before leaving for a trip many individuals will take great care in planning all aspects of their vacation. They will often carefully research their travel options and choose everything to make sure it fits within a scheduled itinerary so that nothing is missed.



However, there are certain unexpected events that can happen on any trip which cannot be planned for. Unexpectedly your vacation may be ruined by severe illness, accidents, robbery, natural disaster or any other number of events. However, if you purchase travel insurance before leaving you will be able to deal with these situations without losing a lot of the money you invested in your trip. Consider the types of travel insurance available to you carefully so that you can get adequate coverage without having to pay for something you won’t need.



Single Trip



This form of travel insurance is ideal for those who don’t travel frequently since it provides coverage only for a specific trip. However, there are still many other policies available for those who don’t fit into this category. If you don’t need single trip coverage then your decision for travel insurance coverage can become a lot more difficult with the options you have to choose from.



Annual



The most convenient and cost effective option for those who take more than one trip each year is annual or multi-trip travel insurance. You should read the policy carefully when purchasing this type of travel insurance as some of these policies may have limitations on the trip length such as excluding trips over thirty days. There are some policies that may also exclude holiday travel. It is always important to read the fine print before purchasing any insurance policy.



Family



Family travel insurance is good for those who are traveling with kids or their parents. The benefits of this policy are that you don’t have to buy separate travel insurance policies for each member of the family since everyone is covered as whole. There are different premiums depending on the family travel insurance policy you are choosing. Some companies vary premiums based on the number of children covered on the policy, while other charge flat rates.



Business Traveler



Another travel insurance policy that assumes you travel several times a year is business travel insurance policies. The typical business traveler should choose this policy option. One feature of this policy that isn’t found in other insurance policies is the fact that should you have an emergency that prevents you from taking the trip; the company can replace you with another employee under the colleague replacement coverage.




Shaldon Parker is a travel agent working for many travel insurance company. To discover how you can cover your travel expenses with wise investments, please visit: www.besttravelinsuranceguide.com



Article Source: ArticleBazaar.net