By Andy West

Let’’s start with the advantage that Florida group heath insurance has over similar plans in other states. In Florida the employer is required to pay a certain portion of an employees heath insurance cost. So not only does it become more affordable, but it leaves more money in the employee’’s pocket. Insurance is such a big buzz nationally right now, and Florida might just be poised to act as an example for the rest of the nation to follow into the next political era. Chances are that if you are considering moving here, you will need a job once you get here. So be sure to check into what group plans your potential employers have to offer.

Of course there are more advantages to living in the Sunshine State than just insurance. Take a serious look at the weather. There is something to the whole concept that you never have to shovel sunshine! And no matter what part of the state you live in, you are never too far away from the ocean to enjoy this perfect weather at a beach. And be sure to call all of your relatives and friends to tell them that it is in the seventies in January when they are probably snowed in.

Property values are another huge draw for people moving here. Property values have dropped very considerably over the past few years. However, most economists agree that they have reached or are near to reaching the bottom. This of course means that now is a great time to buy real property in Florida. After all, were we not told to buy low and sell high? Many markets have not declined the way that this state has either which might just leave you at a serious advantage. If you live in a market that has not seriously declined such as the Midwest, you can sell your home at a higher market value and turn around and buy here at a lower market value.

Recreational opportunities abound in this state. Few areas are too far from a major city, so cultural events like plays, concerts, operas and such are always no further than a day trip away. Also, if you like professional sporting events or for that matter collegiate sporting events, we have some of the best teams out there. Maybe that is why we are hosting the 2009 Super Bowl. And if you like sport fishing, where else can you do that year round? Whether it is gigantic large mouth bass on Lake Okeechobee or Tarpon fishing in either the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico, Florida has some of the best fishing in the world. And how could we not mention Disney World in Orlando? People from around the world flock to this vacation destination, which would be right in your own back yard.

And finally, it is only appropriate to mention that in these troubled economic times Florida still has some of the most lenient bankruptcy laws in the United States. You can literally keep your home because of Florida’’s Homestead Act. Now of course it is not just that cut and dry; there are hoops to jump through and certain qualifications must be met. But in general the average home owner will not be thrown out onto the streets if he or she is forced to file bankruptcy.

So whether it is the abundant availability of high quality and affordable Florida group health insurance, the nearly perfect weather, incredible values when purchasing real property or any of the other reasons, perhaps Florida is calling you.

About The Author

Andy West is a writer for Get Online Quotes, the best online retailer for your Florida group health insurance, including comprehensive policies and detailed quotes. Please visit http://www.getonlinequotes.com/fl-group-health-insurance.html for more information.

By Pamela Dombrowski-Wilson

The news recently buzzed about the Five Star Quality Ratings published for skilled nursing facilities. I was excited myself until I looked further into how the ratings were actually calculated. The ratings are based on three categories of data: health inspections, staffing and quality measures. To read the explanation regarding determination of quality ratings visit The Medicare website 5 Star Quality Ratings explanation page.

The category entitled Health Inspections is the ONLY category that provides information derived from trained teams of surveyors. However the category descriptor also mentions that there are “many differences in state licensing requirements that affect quality, and in state Medicaid programs that pay for much of the care in nursing homes.” Additionally, “inspections do not identify nursing homes that give outstanding care. While reading these reports, keep in mind that the quality of a nursing home may get much better or much worse in a short period of time. These changes can occur when a nursing home’’s administrator or ownership changes or when a nursing home’’s finances suddenly change.”

This statement says more about the care provided in a nursing home than most. Staff changes have significant ramifications on the care provided in a nursing home. Often when an administrator leaves many staff members also leave, resulting in significant gaps in patient care and coordination until new staff is up and running. I have personally experienced this myself when I have had clients in certain facilities, many of whom I would have previously recommended but would now not place my worst enemy. When looking for a good nursing home for a family member multiple factors should be considered including the annual survey which can serve as a starting point.

The second category Staffing, was based on “the overall number of staff compared to the number of residents and how many of the staff are trained nurses”. This number was self-reported meaning that the rating relies on the integrity of the nursing home providing the information. Research shows that relying on numbers only is not a realistic measure of quality. After all how many times have we heard the joke “how many xyz does it take to change a light bulb?”

More relevant, an article in The Gerontologist related staffing levels and nursing home quality by focusing on staff stability, stating that “highly stable employees are likely to deliver consistent care and have a greater appreciation for care practices.”

Staffing quality is not only a numbers game. Many times it depends on the care provided by individuals who have been with a facility for a number of years. Time indicates commitment to care as working for any length of time in a nursing home environment not only takes commitment but love of caring for others. The difficulty of the work is one of the reasons many facilities have high turnover especially if the employees do not receive sufficient support from supervisors and the company operating the facility.

Even more interesting is the category entitled Quality Measures which reports how well each nursing home performs on ten aspects of care such as dressing eating and preventing skin ulcers. These quality measures again are self-reported by each nursing home and I suspect the degree of quality is also self interpreted. How many individuals do you know that would purposely rate themselves as sub-standard giving only one or two stars.

This is the more important reason to visit several nursing homes. Meet with the staff. Are they responsive and do they have time for your questions? Pay attention to your first impressions. Ask other family members how they feel about the care. While there is a complaint outlet, called the ombudsman, few families proceed to file complaints about care. This often leads to individuals being placed in sub-standard homes because no family member wanted to complain.

Let me play devil’’s advocate. Thirty three percent of the star rating is provided by a trained team of surveyors and the remaining 66% self reported. I would say that the ratings are more questionable than not especially taking into consideration that the surveys are done during a “snapshot” of time when many nursing homes are on their best behavior and the survey itself mentions quality can change at the drop of a hat.

So how does one determine what makes a good nursing home? It is not easy, especially if you”re a family member trying to make a choice and are held captive by an insurance company that dictates which nursing homes are covered by your insurance. When in doubt about your ability to investigate for appropriate care, seek expert advice.

1) Castle, Nicholas G et. al. Further Examination of the Influence of Caregiver Staffing Levels on Nursing Home Quality. Vol. 48, No. 4, 464-476.

About The Author

Pamela D. Wilson, The Care Navigator, provides consulting, planning and education for families and individuals experiencing transitions in health care. Visit http://www.thecarenavigator.com for information or call 303-810-1816. Receive free education and tips at http://www.thecarenavigatorblog.com

By Emeka Ezidiegwu

Finding affordable car insurance rates for teenagers is one of the most dreadful fears most parents face once their teenager turns age sixteen. Shopping for car insurance for young drivers can be an awesome feeling to some parents who see this as coming of age signs — but to those parents who are already struggling with their own insurance premiums … it’’s not a welcome sign. Statistics suggest that 16 to 18 year olds are prone to auto accident, which could in turn raise the premiums for first-time teenage drivers. Car insurance rates for teenagers are usually about 50% more than your average driver. This is true … but cheap car insurance for young drivers is not out of the question. Parents can help secure cheap car insurance premium for their teenagers … if parents and their young drivers prepare themselves towards that goal, before their teenagers turn 16 years old.

Things that might help

1. Add your teenager on your own car insurance policy: Rather than buying separate policy for teenage drivers; add them to your current auto insurance policy so that they can benefit from multiple policies-premium discounts you would get.

2. Qualified driving course: Most parents teach their teenagers how to drive when they are learning how to drive; but there is added value if he or she can learn driving formally from a professional driving training school with a reputable driver training resume. Auto insurance companies love formal driving courses and will reward you for it.

3. Good grade in school: Good grade in school goes a long way towards cheap insurance premium for teenager. If your teenager maintains an above average grade of “B” or more; that’’s another added bonus which shows that your child is serious and can be trusted. Most insurers reward trust and responsibility — and your young driver will benefit from it.

4. Start them off with inexpensive automobile: Inexpensive car equals cheap premium, so to reduce insurance premium, inexpensive and low profile cars will help reduce rates at the beginning when most teenage car insurance premiums are most high.

When looking for affordable car insurance rates for teenagers, there”re always things you as a parent can do to get the best car insurance for your young drivers … like teaching them good driving examples. You can teach them safe driving if you occasional ride with them — and the more they see you practice good driving behavior; the better driver they will become. Remember, they can only learn good from you by observing you do well, if you”re a bad driver, they will learn bad driving habits from you also.

Getting cheap car insurance for young drivers is a reality … and can be achieved if teens and their parents are prepared and willing to do some of the things necessary to make it happen. Even though teenage drivers are magnet for high premium; taken some of the steps states above might help in reducing premium and heartache that comes with it.

About The Author

Emeka Ezidiegwu is a Webmaster, author, and Internet marketer. If you”re informed by this article, please visit us for this and more related articles at: http://www.quickinsuranceinfo.com/car-insurance-rates-for-teenagers.php or http://www.quickinsuranceinfo.com/ plus much more.

By Emeka Ezidiegwu

A “high risk” auto insurance classification is not tag anybody wants to be associated with, but it’’s a real cold fact. Some people due to some misfortune they can, or can”t control find themselves tagged and labeled high risk — and there is nothing they can do about. You”re considered a high-risk by insurance companies if you fall into one, or combination of these categories: If you”ve had your driver license revoked or suspended, if you had bad driving record, bad credit score; or even if you live in a neighborhood considered risky and bad, where car thieves run rampant.

Things may get better

Where there is a will, there is always a way … if you find yourself assigned a “high risk” that is not the end of the world as we know it. Most state have what is called Automobile Residual Classified Market, where some disadvantaged consumers can get reduced insurance premium based on their level of risk. If you have tried, and wasn”t able to secure automobile insurance through the regular channels, you should turn to your states” “Automobile Residual Market” for help. Any driver with a valid driver license should not go without automobile insurance … so if you can”t get coverage that you can afford through the open market, go through the residual market pool.

Your local chamber of commerce is always an avenue to use if you don”t know how to contact the high risk pool program is your area. There”re also hundreds of high risk auto insurance companies in the open market who offer discounted premiums to high risk consumer, but most won”t know how to find them, unless you contact some authorities in your area with such knowledge. When you”re tagged and cast-out by most insurance companies who are not even willing to sell you insurance at any cost, your options become limited: but there is always one place you can turn to. The Internet! Where you can search for multiple quotes from competing insurers; and hopefully find an affordable quote.

Look hard for the help you need

Things like DUI, bad credit score, or living in crime-ridden neighborhoods may be preventable, but sometimes can”t be helped. Don”t let something you can control prevent you from getting affordable high risk auto insurance: control things you can control … like making sure you don”t start shopping for new policy after you cancelled you old one. Do you know that cancelling your auto insurance before you get new one can throw you into “high risk” classification? Always shop for new car insurance when you”re fully insured and in good standing with your current insurer.

When you are in need of car insurance as a high risk driver there are thing you can do to improve your chances. Most people do things based on value judgment — and shopping for auto insurance when you”re a high risk consumer is no exception. Shop around for better deals always, if you”re high risk auto insurance consumer. Always use the Internet for your advantage when you can to explore the magic of instant multiple insurance quotes online.

About The Author

Emeka Ezidiegwu is a Webmaster, author, and Internet marketer. If you”re informed by this article, please visit us for this and more related articles at: http://www.quickinsuranceinfo.com/discount-auto-insurance.php or http://www.quickinsuranceinfo.com/car-insurance-for-women.php plus much more.

By Chad Wiley

Why do you need life insurance? When the inevitable happens, someone will have to pay for your funeral and take care of the bills you leave behind. And if there is a person in your life who has depended, even partially, on your income, that person will be left to deal with a major adjustment.

The cost of a funeral alone is enough to set most families back for years. Even the least expensive funeral will cost a minimum of $5,000 today. The casket alone can cost from $2,500 to $10,000. Very few people have that kind of money available, particularly when the event is unexpected, which is a common situation.

Long after you are gone, your bills will keep coming. For someone who has been ill that can include bills for doctor visits, treatments, and hospitalizations. Unpaid bills can obviously no longer hurt your credit after you are gone but if you have co-signed any loans, the person left behind will be responsible for your debt. And, if you live in one of the nine community property states in the United States, your spouse will have to pay off your debts or run the risk of having his or her credit affected.

Even as the bills continue to mount, the income stops. Loss of income can impact family finances now and well into the future. In today’’s challenging economy, when many families live paycheck to paycheck, if one of those paychecks were to stop, the financial consequences could be catastrophic. Life insurance would cover not only the large bills but the everyday expenses for your family.

As crucial as life insurance is to two-parent, two-income families, it is absolutely essential for a single parent. It is not an easy thought, but if something did happen to you, who would provide for your children? Life insurance, in sufficient amounts, would enable your children to have the things they need during a time that may well be the most difficult of their lives.

Life insurance is extremely important to the protection of your family. And the cost for you now is very little compared to the benefits your family will receive after you are gone. Life insurance premiums will vary, depending on your age and health. You will pay more, for example, if you are a smoker. However, basic policies generally start at around $20 a month. Considering the potential for financial devastation that the loss of income could mean for your family, can you afford not to invest in life insurance now?

About The Author

http://www.cremation-online.com
Online Cremation Services
Cremation

By Thomas Pretty

The majority of those people trying to find a rental property will utilise letting agents as a matter of course. This is because letting agents should typically make the process simpler, take much of the legwork out of finding properties and also should provide the accountability that a professional body brings. The latter point, the responsibility of letting agents to uphold their reputation is one of the more important factors in why people choose agency services, as if anything does happen to go wrong, there is a form of fallback for the renter.

Good letting agents will strive to find customers properties that suit their needs; for instance, the number of bedrooms, the location, proximity to local amenities and whether pets come into the equation should all be included in the process for the agent. As well as providing an effective service, letting agents should be able to perform their work in a courteous manner, ensuring that both landlord and tenant are treated fairly and given up to date, accurate information at all stages of the process. That said, before using letting agents it is essential that they earn their fee, and live up to their professional responsibilities.

When trying to find a rental property it is normal practice to leave your details with as many different agents as possible. Remember that a letting agent will only ever call if a property has come onto their books that matches the criteria you have given them. They will not act as your personal property hunter meaning the emphasis for proactive searching should be focussed upon your shoulders.

If an agent has nothing on their books at that time you details will be filed, but it is likely they will be removed in time. Typically it is worth giving the agent a call weekly so that you are always fresh in their mind when suitable properties become available. For those who want to stay ahead of the competition, calling everyday can be the way to find the best properties.

Letting agents are not regulated but do have a number of different bodies that strive to create an industry standard service. That said there are still some agents out there who will actively work towards hoodwinking customers. As a possible tenant you should never be asked to pay for information on properties, you should also never be charged to register your details with an agent. According to the Accommodation Agencies Act of1969 both of these practices are illegal and as such any instances of these actions should be reported to local authorities immediately.

Agencies can however legally charge for services before you have moved into a property. These are typically charges related to administrative duties and when itemized will appear on bills as inventory preparation, the authoring of tenancy agreements as well as referencing charges. Naturally the agent must recoup expenditure from making phone calls and sending written correspondence. By ensuring that your agency is a member of ARLA, there are certain safeguards that are given to you as a tenant.

Hopefully this article has cleared up rental issues for prospective tenants, giving vital information on how to employ letting agents and how to ensure they are living up to their professional responsibilities. Renting is an extremely popular way to live and with a wealth of properties to let on the market today tenants are spoilt for choice. With this advice it should be possible to make the most of letting agents and find that perfect property.

About The Author

Property expert Thomas Pretty looks at the work of letting agents and how prospective tenants can make the best use of their services. To find out more please visit http://www.haart.co.uk/

By Wayne Messick

Most farmers dream of the day when they can sit on the front porch and watch their son or daughter working the farm. After all that’’s how it was for them wasn”t it? They took over the place from their father or uncle just like they had taken it over from those who came before them.

If that’’s going to happen you really need to begin discussing the possibilities right now, today, with your offspring - all of them, those on the farm and those who”ve left. You should start today talking it over with your spouse too. It’’s true you know that wives outlive husbands on the farm by an average of ten years - so if you two don”t do the planning for what you agree is the best solution for your family, you widow will do it without you and maybe under conditions you swore would never happen.

If your kids are not going to farm, which is the traditional retirement plan for generations of farmers, you”re going to have to do something to get the maximum value out of all your hard work, so you and your spouse can live financially secure lives - with enough money to go visit those grand children. And when you”re gone you”ll want to have enough so that each of your children can have a legacy of some sort. In cash.

Since you, if you are like most farmers, have 70-80% of everything you own tied up directly or indirectly in the farm and most of that is invested in land, buildings, livestock etc. - everything but cash, you are going to have to have a plan that converts the non-cash assets into cash.

The smart way, the most cost effective way, is to begin now while you are in your best bargaining position - to seek out potentially interested buyers and negotiate an agreement that will give your family the best possible return on your decades of hard work.

Farm insurance agents know all about this process. Often they know potential buyers you don”t know and sometimes they can be a sort of go-between to get the discussions started. Not in a formal way so much as in how they seem to know everything about everything that’’s going on in the community. And if there was any group of people who are universally known as being helpful and concerned about their neighbors its farm insurance agents.

As the discussions move forward from the informal to the concrete, the best way to nail down the terms and conditions of sale is through a written document, a contract which clearly establishes who is going to do what, when, and how they are going to do it. The lawyers and farm insurance agents call this a buy-sell agreement.

Buy-sell agreements formalize the procedure for turning your farm over to new owners. It provides a seamless transition of ownership and management with little if any decrease in the value of the farm.

If you are in business with one or more other people I hope you already have a buy-sell agreement and will use this information as motivation to meet with your lawyer and your farm insurance agent to make sure it is up to date in from a valuation, terms, and conditions point of view.

And if you are a sole owner, maybe someone who originally thought they”d have a son or daughter following them by now - but for whom that has not turned out to be the case - a buy-sell agreement is the ideal tool with which to begin now to plan for a different owner of your farm in the next generation.

Maybe it’’s the kid down the road whose parent’’s farm is not big enough to absorb his brothers and sisters AND him. Farm insurance agents know people all over the area - maybe they know of a situation like that and can be instrumental in getting you together with this stranger who will become the next generation on your farm.

Here are a couple of ways buy-sell agreements can work. Farm insurance agents have briefcases full of examples like this and many others. Plus their insurance companies are overrun with tax and estate planning specialists who love helping their agents help people like you.

One is called the cross purchase method. Here the agreement is directly between the potential buyers and sellers. Each agrees that if he dies, retires, becomes disable, or otherwise leaves the farm - he or she will sell their interest to the others at a set price. It’’s a simple arrangement to continue the farm and get your money out at the same time.

Another is the entity purchase method. In this situation the agreement requires the farm itself to buy the departing owners interest. The farm is continued by those who remain.

Needless to say your unique circumstances will dictate the best kind of buy-sell agreement for you and your family. In either case your family and you are assured of the best price for your farm - because you did the negotiating of price, terms, conditions, etc. now, when you are in the strongest position you are likely ever to be in.

About The Author

When it comes to finding the right person to handle your insurance, farm insurance agents are uniquely qualified to consider the human and business implications that effect you. Their solutions are tailor made to your needs. Visit the http://www.FarmInsuranceAgents.com blog, join the discussion.

By Nick Vernon

Although the concept of driving a car can be very fun, the concept of paying for car insurance may make you feel like you are exasperated. Those monthly car insurance payments can stress you out, especially with the ailing economy. However, you are not without options, as there are some things that you can do to reduce your monthly car insurance payments and thus reduce your overall car insurance cots.

Perhaps one of the best things that you can do is to go for special multi policy discounts. This means that your insurance company should be able to offer you various multi policies such as car insurance and home insurance at the same time. Thus, this way, if you are in need of multi insurance policies, then you will be able to get reduced prices from both insurance quotes.

However, maybe you are not in need of getting multi insurance policies and you just want to get a cheap auto insurance quote without applying for another insurance policy. You can also accomplish this by going for a group discount by applying for an insurance policy for more than one car. There are two ways in which you can accomplish this. First, if your spouse or partner has a car, then you can ask for a family discount as both of your cars can be insured from the same company to reduce your car insurance cost for both cars. Hence, as a result, both of you will be able to reduce your monthly payments for car insurance. If you are unable to do that, you can perhaps get together with your colleagues in order to get group discount by applying for insurance together. All of these methods can help to reduce your monthly car insurance payments.

Of course, being a good driver can also help immensely as you will be able to get reduced insurance rates, especially if you have shown yourself to be a les risky driver and a less risky client. This means that you should not have received any traffic violation tickets and more importantly this means that you should not have made any insurance claims in the last few years. All of these will demonstrate to the insurance company that you are not a risky client. As a result, when it is the time to get your annual renewal for your auto insurance, then you will be able to get a cheap auto insurance quote.

In addition, by increasing your deductible payment in your auto insurance policy, you will be able to guarantee that you wont have to pay large amounts of monthly payments for your car insurance. In principle, your car monthly insurance payments will be reduced considerably as you increase the amount of deductible that you are willing to pay in case of an accident or theft. Hence, it is important for you to be seen as less risky, so that you will have a reduced car insurance cost with reduced monthly auto insurance payments.

About The Author

Clicksmore.com is your one stop for quick auto insurance quotes.

Only at http://www.clicksmore.com

By Karl Hopkins

Many landlords have no idea of the level of their property insurance, and many would be shocked to discover they are seriously underinsured.

Depressed property prices are unlikely to rectify matters, because although property prices have been lower, repair, renovation and rebuilding costs have continued to rise.

The cost of rebuilding a property will not be the same as the market value. Surveyors and insurers have some rules of thumb to help you work out what your property is actually worth - to be absolutely sure you should get a surveyor’’s report.

If you are buying a property to rent out, the lender’’s valuation report will also contain the rebuilding cost figure.

To work out your rebuilding cost, you should know the dimensions of the building and its floor area.

If you should have to call on your insurance and your cover is for only part of the value of the property, your insurer will only cover that proportion of your loss. This means failure to insure for a sufficient amount could result in expensive loss should a claim be made.

This is especially so taking into account the hidden costs of rebuilding which would otherwise be covered in full by insurance, including:

1.) site clearance costs;
2.) survey costs;
3.) architects” fees;
4.) rebuilding the property to its original state; and
5.) compliance with government and local authority requirements.

Ensuring you have the right amount of landlord insurance may increase your premium, but you will find that money goes a lot further if the building goes up in smoke.

In fact, as the UK moves into recession, adequate insurance safeguards for a whole range of risks are essential for all buy to let investors, however experienced.

Insurance protection for landlords falls into four specific areas:

1.) building and or contents insurance which protects the physical building and contents owned by the landlord;
2.) legal expenses covering legal costs incurred by landlords should a tenant damages a rental property or refuse to leave;
3.) rental protection, which guarantees the rent should the tenant default; and
4.) emergency home assistance, providing cover for emergency call outs to a let property.

Unlike home building insurance, landlords” buildings insurance cover properties let out for residential use and is usually a requirement of any landlord mortgage.

Landlords” contents insurance provides covers those items owned by the landlord and available for tenants” domestic use. This may include a refrigerator, furniture, television and washing machine.

Legal expenses insurance for landlords provides access to legal expertise and cover for the cost of legal action including eviction of tenants, recovery of rent arrears and recovering the costs associated with malicious damage, or neglect by tenant. Even the best tenants can have problems or accidents that can result in property damage and lost rent.

Rent guarantee insurance provides protection should a tenant fail to pay the rent. This is particularly important as more and more landlords rely on rental income for their own salary, and tenants increasingly face the possibility of redundancy.

Emergency insurance provides great value and solutions to everyday problems that can easily blight any landlord’’s life. Emergency repairs to electrical systems, heating or hot water supply, plumbing and drainage problems, security and glazing - up to the policy limit. Best of all landlords” emergency home assistance cover provides 24 hour protection for your property and tenant.

In uncertain economic times, buy to let investors have it in their own hands to make sure that at least those uncertainties which can be covered by insurance will not add additional and perhaps critical headaches.

About The Author

Residential Landlord provides up to date essential information for all UK buy to let investors. To find out more visit http://www.residentiallandlord.co.uk.

By Wayne Messick

If it turns out that your offspring are not interested in sunning your farm or business into the next generation you have two options.

Option number one is for you to keep working forever (ok you may be able to find someone to rent it) until you simply wear out and die. At that point your widow (wives outlive husbands by an average of 10 years on the farm) can put it up for sale.

Option number two is for you to negotiate the sale of your place in advance, getting the best price and terms possible, so that your family’’s financial future position is secured and known well in advance.

For most of those who choose Option #1 getting the maximum value for their lifetime of hard work is a pipe dream. Potential buyers will offer less than the farm/business is worth for a couple of very logical - to them, reasons. You will not be around to reason with them so what makes sense to the potential buyers is much more important that what your family may think is true.

Typically farm insurance agents have seen these unhappy scenarios play out again and again where people they know thought they were somehow special and the rules of nature and finance would not apply to them. People who learned, or at least their families learned, the truth the hard way.

If farming was easy, anybody could do it. Good years and bad years come and go with some farmers doing better than others during both the up years and the down. Your efforts and your knowledge are probably responsible for some of the profits and success you”ve had over the years.

If you”re no longer around, everything else being equal, your farm’’s profits will shrink and the farm’’s earning power will decline. In fact the farm, without you, may no longer exist as a going concern that produces income above what you could rent the land to a neighbor for.

If you have special knowledge and experience that produces fatter cattle, more milk per head, greater yields, etc. buyers will want to discount the price to or below the local rental value since you will not be available to provide your special insights to help them get the most from their investment.

Another problem is that the purchase price will be arrived at through negotiation, without you, allowing potential buyers to offer less than the asking price. The final price will be the result of a compromise reflecting the bargaining strength of both parties. Who do you think will have a stronger position, the potential buyer or your family, if you”re not around?

In most situations the potential buyers will have more leverage and so they will have more control of the final price and the terms. If your family also needs cash and the potential buyers know it, there may be a tremendous loss of total price in exchange for the cash your family needs desperately. Your family will inevitably receive less than the full value of what you”ve built.

Farm insurance agents know that there is a way, Option #2, where you can make sure your farm business is sold for what it’’s really worth. That’’s by doing your negotiations NOW while you”re in your best bargaining position.

You can seek out, maybe with your business accountant’’s and lawyer’’s help, interested purchasers and negotiate an agreement that will give your family the most possible dollars for your years of hard work. Naturally the best way to accomplish this is with a written contract that establishes the terms of sale - today, in advance of the day it will be needed.

Such a contract is called a Buy & Sell Agreement. It formalizes the procedure for transferring your interest over to new owners. It provides a smooth transition of ownership and minimizes lost business value.

If you are in business with one or more people a Buy & Sell Agreement is an absolute necessity. If one of you leaves the business it’’s likely the others will want to continue. Isn”t that your situation? Wouldn”t you want to continue the farm if your partner left?

In fact, you and your partners probably have the same concerns. You both want full value for your interest if you leave and you want to take over the farm if they leave the business first.

If you are a sole owner you can enter into a Buy & Sell Agreement with a key employee, an outsider such the son of a neighboring farm owner, or even a competitor. If you are selling the buyer should not matter as long as the price is one you agree upon as fair, the terms fit your needs, and the buyer has the resources to make the payments.

So, where should you go to learn more about the ins and outs of Buy & Sell Agreements and how they can help you achieve your objectives? Farm insurance agents have access to the tools and the terms of agreements used successfully by other farm owners.

Farm insurance agents can also arrange for the financing of the agreement so that the buyer gets a huge discount, payments are only required while you are around to make sure they are being made, and farm insurance agents are the only people who will attend your or your partners funerals with a cashier’’s check in their pocket for your and/or your family.

About The Author

When it comes to finding the right person to handle your insurance, farm insurance agents are uniquely qualified to consider the human and business implications that effect you. Their solutions are tailor made to your needs. Visit the http://www.FarmInsuranceAgents.com blog, join the discussion.