By Anthony Peck

There’’s nothing like the beauty of watching a hurricane on the news. For residents of the Midwest and the Northeast Hurricanes Katrina and Ike left a spectacular splash as they touched down, leaving their mark across huge portions of the south. For the families caught in the middle of these storms, however, the sight was slightly less intriguing. These hurricanes left thousands homeless and insurance companies from coast to coast found ways to avoid paying out their claims, dodging the damages caused by winds and hail by claiming they weren”t part of the original homeowners insurance policy.

That’’s why making sure your home is covered by windstorm insurance is so important.

For people living outside of high risk areas windstorm insurance is usually considered to be part and parcel of regular umbrella coverage. Most insurers don”t think too much of the occasional claim from hail damage or the one tornado every (X) number of years that most states get. If you live in a high risk area like the Gulf of Mexico, however, insurers know they”re almost guaranteed to be paying to replace your home at some point. Most try to avoid it by deliberately excluding windstorm coverage from their policies, leaving homeowners to seek out their own coverage policies any way that they can.

For many Texas homeowners that means looking to the TWIA (Texas Windstorm Insurance Association). The TWIA was created to do the same job that FEMA’’s NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) does in high risk flood areas-provide insurance to homeowners who can”t find it in the private sector. The TWIA is a pool of all property and casualty insurance companies authorized to write coverage in Texas, taking the blunt of the blow together to cover their policyholders and make sure that Texans are never left without coverage against the damages that windstorms can leave behind.

If you”re living on the gulf coast of Texas and you need windstorm insurance to protect your home, shop around through the private sector to see if there are any homeowners insurance providers providing coverage in your area. If the answer is no, contact a local insurance agent to inquire about buying coverage from the TWIA. They”ll send you the paperwork to apply, along with the information you need to obtain your WPI-8 certificate.

If you live in an area at high risk of damage by windstorm you don”t just need to be insured against that damage. You also need to do everything you can to make sure that damage is as minimal as possible. History has shown that builders of older homes tended to be less than attentive to little things like building codes, creating homes that were all but guaranteed to blow over the first time the Big Bad Wolf started huffing and puffing. Your home will have to pass inspection before it can be insured, at which point you”ll have the windstorm insurance coverage you need and the gorgeous gulf coast home you deserve.

About The Author

Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager, and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com. For more information on buying Texas windstorm insurance, please visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.

By Anthony Peck

Being involved in a car accident can be a very discombobulating experience. Everything seems surreal-the lights, the people, the fact that your car now looks like an accident victim! At times like these it’’s hard to think about things like car insurance. Unfortunately, this is exactly the time when you need to be thinking about what your insurance provider is going to need to be able to pay your claim.

While you”re at the scene of the accident there are a few things you need to do to make your car insurance claim flow as smoothly as possible. First and foremost, if you”re both able it’’s important to give your name, address and insurance information to the other driver, and make sure you get theirs in return. It’’s also important to get the names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses that can testify about what happened-you never know when the very nice driver whose name and address you just took is going to completely deny their culpability, leaving you without options when it comes to getting their car insurance to pay for it.

After the accident you need to immediately do three things to make sure that their car insurance and yours pay for everything they”re supposed to-and that your car insurance claim doesn”t spend months tied up in red tape. First and foremost, get checked out by a doctor. Even if it feels like all you have are bumps and bruises it’’s worth the visit. You never know what’’s going to pop up a few days later-what seems like a simple bruise at the base of your spine can turn out to be major nerve traumatization that can lay you up for weeks and turn into a chronic problem in the long term. If a doctor doesn”t have the accident on file you may find yourself on the opposite end of a savvy lawyer that wants to prove the accident had nothing to do with your injuries.

The next thing you want to do is make sure you”ve got an accident report on file with local law enforcement that your car insurance company can refer to. Many people make the mistake of thinking that a police officer has to be on the scene to file an accident report. If that were the case, justice wouldn”t get anything done because they”d be too busy trying to handle all of the fender benders that take place on the local highways every year! If you”ve been in an accident that wasn”t bad enough to bring the rescue teams in force and you both just drove away, contact the DMV or your local sheriff’’s office and ask for the paperwork you need to file your own accident report. In the long run, you”ll be glad you did.

Finally, you need to contact your car insurance provider. It’’s important to let your insurer know within 24 hours that you”ve been in an accident. They really hate it when the other driver’’s insurance company calls them up making demands and they don”t know what’’s going on! Every insurance company has an experienced claims representative that will be able to help you get the damages on your car appraised and use the information you”ve gathered to help you settle your claim as quickly, quietly and painlessly as possible.

About The Author

Anthony M. Peck is the Senior Developer, Software Project Manager, and Director of Business Development for QuoteScout.com. For more information about filing a car insurance claim, please visit them on the web at http://www.QuoteScout.com.

By Graham McKenzie

Most financial planners recommend reviewing your life insurance every two to three years. However, many of us continue to pay the premiums on our existing policies for years without a thought reviewing, much less changing, our insurance cover.

Our situation can go on like that until we receive a call from our financial planner or a cold call from a new insurance company touting a sparkling new product. Finally, the gears start during and we blow the dust off our original policy to find out if an adjustment is necessary.

With our existing cover under the microscope, we may finally identify policies that are no longer adequate and should be enhanced or replaced. We may find economic or lifestyle changes, career choices or simply advancing age have rendered our cover incompatible with our needs.

Before opting for a new life insurance policy, especially if we are prompted by a sales call, we should ask two key questions. First, does this recommended policy truly address my needs? And, if you are considering cover from a new or “unknown” broker, determine why this particular product is being recommended. Is the broker motivated by the sale, or am I truly a good candidate for this policy?

To asses the suitability of a product that will replace an existing policy, it is important to ask a lot of questions while keeping these points in mind:

Check to see if your existing policy provides a premium guarantee which keeps your premiums from rising throughout the term of the policy. Most newer policies have a defined guarantee period, stated in the quotation. The premium is reviewed at the end of this period, and could result in a substantial increase in the premium. The review is not based on the individual insured, but rather is based on the insurer’’s number of death claim pay-outs during the term. If an insurer has paid more of these claims than were planned, it is likely your premiums will go up. If not, your premiums will likely remain unchanged.

Many older life insurance policies include an investment component, while most newer products do not, enabling insurance companies to provide the same amount of cover at a lower premium. This is a leading reason for canceling an existing policy since this investment portion, called the cash or surrender value, is often much less than the value of the premiums paid.

Be very careful about the benefits of any new policy, especially the conditions and definitions of the disability and dread disease cover. There is currently no standardization of the terms used in these policies. The average level of cover for various medical conditions has changed over time, so be sure you that this factor into consideration in your comparison. In addition, many new policies use a sliding scale for payouts depending on the severity of the disability or type of disease.

Don”t be afraid to make a point of pressing your broker in the finer details to avoid short-changing yourself. Remember that the primary reason for purchasing a new product is for the benefits it offers. If the benefits you need or want are not present or are reduced, do not buy the policy.

About The Author

Graham McKenzie is the syndication coordinator for http://www.insurance-south-africa.co.za South Arica’’s leading Insurance portal.

By Eddie Lamb

Many credit card companies and banks are seeing the need to offer identity theft insurance to their customers. Some offer it free, while others charge for it. Whether you can afford to or not to have identity theft insurance depends on a few factors:

If it is a free service offered by a new card, read the fine print. Metaphorically there is no such thing as a free lunch so the company may be fleecing you with an annual fee or a higher interest rate or some other marketing gimmick. But if you find out that they are not, by all means enroll in the program.

If there is a fee, weigh the pros and cons. If you are already behind on payments and have maxed out several cards already, it might be wise to stay away from another fee until you are out of the red. After all, you probably won”t be the ideal candidate for an identity theft as you don”t have much of a limit to spend on your cards. However, once your finances are in better shape, reconsider your options so that all your efforts on restoring your credit do not go to waste

Decide on the limit of identity theft insurance you need. If you are not a millionaire with yachts and Rolls Royce’’s, you probably do not need a million dollars in identity theft insurance. Your banker may be able to devise a good limit for you based on your income and expenses

What does Identity Theft Insurance Include?

Read what the identity theft insurance will cover. Does it cover lost or stolen credit cards and online purchases you have not authorized? How soon will they be able to figure out a possible identity theft? If so, what will cause red flags to be raised and how will they handle it? Does the identity theft insurance cover international purchases? If so, do you need to tell the bank you are traveling?

How are checking accounts and ATM transactions covered under identity theft insurance? It is up to the customer to keep a non-obvious PIN. Foe example, if someone steals your wallet. They can easily find your birth date on your driver’’s license. I your PIN is your birth month and year or day and month, he will have hit the jackpot in a maximum number of two tries.

Some banks have alert services where a customer service representative calls the customer if they see some activity on the account that is far from ordinary. A high school student withdrawing $3000 in cash in one night or a 75 year old senior citizen in a nursing home spending $2000 on surfing equipment may warrant a call.

If you do get such a call, consider yourself in good hands. Verify the purchases as soon as possible and thank the company for letting you know.

About The Author

Eddie Lamb publishes an abundance of information on a range of topical subjects. You”ll find a host of useful articles about Identity Theft listed on our site map at http://www.IdentityTheftOnTheNet.com.

By Art Gib

When the daily operations of your business are stopped for whatever reason, the financial ramifications are devastating. Business owners can protect themselves by purchasing business interruption insurance. But interruption insurance is definitely not “one size fits all.” Here’’s a little information about some of the different types available.

– Business Interruption Insurance covers the loss of income that is incurred by a business that is temporarily shut down due to a type of loss specified on the policy. Coverage starts when the business shuts down and terminates when the company is back up and running at its normal capacity. Often, certain types of expenses are ongoing whether the work site is in an operating mode or not. In these types of circumstances, insurance will cover these costs as well.

– Because the types of losses vary from business to business, an owner should carefully consider all of the possibilities when it comes to reasons for an interruption. For example, if the loss of your existing facility does NOT mean that your business cannot operate elsewhere on an interim basis, you should add an “extra expense” feature to your insurance which will cover any added expenses that come with a temporary move and also relocation costs.

– A landlord may purchase insurance to cover the loss of rent income should his building be destroyed by fire, natural disaster, or be unlivable for any other reason. This insurance is not the same as property and casualty: it should be purchased separately and does not cover rebuilding expenses.

– If you cannot run your operation due to a problem with a supplier, you will be covered for your losses if you have contingent business interruption coverage.

There are other types of business interruption insurance, of course, and you should look into all of the best options before making a decision. In order to expedite a claim, should you need to make one, it is best to have your insurance affairs in order ahead of time when decisions are not being made under duress.

You should sit down with your business accountant and work on a business interruption worksheet, wherein you can assess what kind of coverage you may need and for how much. This will help you to not only determine how much insurance you should purchase, it will also give you peace of mind and security to know you will be well covered in case of trouble.

About The Author

If you would like to talk with experienced accounting professionals about a business interruption worksheet, contact the professionals at Kinsel Accountancy Corp (http://www.kinsel.com/). Art Gib is a freelance writer.

By Amy Nutt

Auto insurance can be quite expensive, especially when you want the right coverage. That is why it is very important that you do what you can to keep your auto insurance rates down. There are ways that you can do it and save yourself hundreds of dollars per year. Why would you want to keep your auto insurance rates down? You want to keep your rates down so that you can keep more money in your pocket.

Tips you can use
There are so many ways that you can use to keep your auto insurance rates down and some of them you can use at the same time as other discounts to maximize your savings.

Here are some things that you can ask your auto insurance company for:

- Ask if you can receive a discount if you have more than one type of insurance with their company. For instance, you may find that you can have your auto insurance and your homeowner’’s insurance with this company and they will provide you with a combined discount. Carry all of your insurance policies with them, such as auto, home, and life and you may find that you can get even more money off.

- If the driver of the car is a student or is listed as a driver on the car, you may find that you can get a good student discount. This is where the student maintains at least a B average on their report card. You may be required to take that report card to the insurance company each time it comes out, but it really pays off. If grades go down, the discount may disappear until the grades go back up.

- See if there are any safe driver discounts available. When you haven”t had a ticket or an accident, you may find that there are discounts available for you.

- If you are a senior citizen and you”ve not had any accidents in a specific amount of time, there may be discounts available to you.

- You can always raise your deductible to reduce your premium. However, you need to keep in mind that doing so will result in a higher out-of-pocket expense if an accident does occur. The standard deductible is $500, but some individuals will go as high as $2,000 to save some money on their premium. If you can pay $2,000 if an accident occurs, then that will work fine. Just make sure your deductible is not higher than what you can afford in case damage is done to your car and you need to pay it.

- You may wish to shop around. You may find a company that offers the same coverage for a lower price. You always want to compare before you make a commitment.

You want to use all of these tips so that you can save yourself quite a bit of money.

How you can compare
When finding the right company to do business with, it is very important that you compare. You can do this by calling companies and recording the different rates that they quote you. You can also do this by going to their websites and filling out the forms on their websites to receive quotes for the auto insurance you want. This allows you to compare in a much easier way. Take all of that information and make an informed decision.

When you have the right company and you have taken advantage of all possible discounts, you will get the best auto rates possible. That will help you keep more money in your bank account and will keep you and your family rather happy financially.

About The Author

Provides Disney Theme Park tickets and travel insurance for your next exclusive getaway. Just one of the many benefits to having an Auto club membership. Visit us: http://caaneo.ca/

By Graham McKenzie

Trying to find the right automobile insurance that fits your needs can be a major pain in the neck. But, you have to have it if you are operating a motor vehicle, so you might as well know a few terms to help you understand exactly what you are buying.

The lingo used by insurance providers for an insurance deductible is most commonly referred to as an excess. This lingo is used to describe the monies that will be needed by the individual that is insured in the occurrence of a damaging accident. Most likely, this deductible isn”t actually money that you have to pay, normally it is deducted from the lump sum amount of payment the insurance claims adjuster estimates the cost of fixing a vehicle. Whose fault the accident was, and the amount of damage, while taking in the level of risk the operator hovers at, all play a role in manifesting the amount of the deductible.

Motor vehicle operators that fall under the age of twenty-five are labeled as an immediate high risk, regardless of a driving history. This raises the price of insurance. When searching for a company, find one that will raise the deductible while decreasing the price of the monthly payment. This is a type of insurance for insurance, protecting the insurance company financially.

When an operator maintains a safe driving reputation, the premiums and deductibles are fairly reasonable. Finding a copy of a personal driving record is simple, and needs to be monitored periodically, just like any other personal document for mistakes. Time is the only tool used to help a negative record. The more time that passes without creating blemishes within a personal driving history will decrease the amount paid for vehicle insurance.

There is a route to take when you decide you do not want an excessive amount of money taken from the amount that will be paid, stemming from an accident. The alternative is to recalculate the amount that will have to paid by you for fixing your automobile. This method will jack your timely obligations up slightly, in worst cases tremendously. This will all depend on your history as a driver.

Most times, a person is willing to take the chance of having an accident. Deciding to establish a greater deductible, while creating a lesser obligating payment that has a periodic due date.

Not all accidents need to be reported to an insurance agency. If no one is hurt, no property has been damaged, and the vehicles are not overly damaged, you don”t have to tell your insurance company. There are insurances that offer a sort of reward for not crashing too badly. Sometimes you can get a premium lowered, mostly because you had a crash and it did not cost the insurance company any money.

About The Author

Graham McKenzie is the content Syndication Manager at http://www.insurance123.co.za South Africans leading car insurance information portal. For more information visit: http://car.insurance123.co.za

By Matthew Stanton

Lifelock provides proactive protective services to your credit accounts. In order for your credit accounts to be safe from the onslaught of ongoing identity theft, one might need to avail of a more proactive approach. No one can risk having their identities exposed, copied, and then waste truckloads of cash or destroy their credit integrity to some low life crooks. It is then vital to have some measures installed just in case the hackers tap into the system and happen to chance upon your unprotected data.

One company that offers these proactive services is Lifelock. What this company does is to give fraud alerts to the credit bureaus, and renews them every three months. When a credit bureau receives a fraud alert, it automatically flags your credit account, and then includes your telephone or mobile number. As per U.S. credit laws, a credit agency is required to contact the borrower in the case of a transaction that is to be made.

In this way, both the borrower and the credit agency are assured of a safe transaction. The borrower knows that his/her credit information is properly cared for by the creditor, and the credit agency is reassured that it is not dealing with a potential thief. The preceding measures are extremely effective, because it ensures that only two legitimate parties are making the transactions. The measures prevent identity theft before it happens, making the service a great convenience for all types of consumers and debtors.

This protection scheme offered by Lifelock is quite different and more effective from a credit monitoring activity. In credit monitoring, one cannot be assured of safety because a person is only informed of the usual transactions. By then, the identity thief has already stolen your information, accessed your accounts, and obtained credit amount all to your loss.

In addition to all these beneficial measures, the company assures borrowers of a $1 million comprehensive service guarantee. This service is given to clients as a sort of insurance while they are being enrolled in its credit protection service. When identity fraud still happens while they are in a program, the company will give $1 million amount to the victim to cover up for expenses in litigation, restoration of credit integrity, investigation, and of course, to recoup the lost money. The company will do the work for the client, and not merely assist the customer in containing the damages.

Aside from the main $1 million insurance perk, the company offers automated services that regularly checks for potential opportunities for identity theft. Some of its programs are designed to scour the Internet for changed addresses, or whether or not your Social Security number, drivers license, or credit card numbers are circulating in the black market.

With all these beneficial features, it would be extremely hard for a persistent fraudster to crack your financial information. The Lifelock services assure total insurance for borrowing clients, enabling them to rest safely knowing that their identity information is safe and sound.

About The Author

Matthew Stanton writes an article about Lifelock and how it can protect you from untoward crimes like identity theft. Simply visit this site for information at http://www.identitytheftlabs.com/lifelock-review/

By Matthew Stanton

Everyone who maintains a credit card line, a bank account, or even investment information online needs to avail of an identity theft insurance of some kind. We will never know when a fraudster will strike and take our accounts manipulation, unlawful access of private records, or plain thievery. With the myriads of protective options there, surely insurance is not too unattainable for most people.

According to a certified trade commission in the U.S., an estimated 10 million people are victims to identity theft, which translates to around $57 billion lost yearly through that criminal activity. Clearly, the damage done by identity thieves is enormous. When the victims try to rectify the fraud and the damage done to their financial standing, it may take a considerable amount of resources and time to clear their names.

Others may correct it quickly; others go through lengths to simply clear themselves and their namesakes of alleged wrongdoing. Some of the victims will have their privileges denied, such as job opportunities, scholarships, or even be rejected in obtaining a line of credit. It can be that the theft may be so secretive, complete, and thorough, that the victims will only get to know the criminal act once they have been barred from getting another mortgage deal, their credit standing is seriously reviewed, or once they have noticed that their financial dealings have many anomalous transactions in them. In cases of criminal identity theft, the victims themselves may be apprehended for a serious criminal offense that they did not do.

The most basic weapon in your identity theft insurance campaign is your awareness of the situation, and your awareness that you and your online personal information is at great risk. It is the first step: to acknowledge that indeed, there is a creeping problem of stolen information within all sectors of industry and all types of people having information profiles. The second step is to be aware how identity theft is carried through: how personal information is sifted out, how fraudsters detect and exploit holes in the system, and how the victims” privileges and financial resources are spent.

For example, it pays to know how thieves steal your identity. Some fraudsters do dumpster driving: sifting out information from trashed documents, bills, and other paper that has your personal information on it. Even thrown-away computers are at risk. If thieves find the right I.T. expert, your old hard-drive might be recovered, and if you have not deleted your financial information on that personal computer, the thieves can take advantage of that information. Another is through the old-fashioned way: stealing purses, wallets, handbags, mails that contain credit card and bank account information. Stealing personnel records and bribing are not out of fashion too.

Identity theft takes on many forms, and is naturally very stealthy, secretive, and manipulative. Before you know it, your entrance to a senior collegiate scholarship is denied, your credit officer will frown at your credit profile, or your utility bills contain exaggerated amounts of usage. Educating yourself concerning identity fraud and countermeasures such as identity theft insurance is one of the initial steps to protect you.

About The Author

Matthew Stanton writes an article about Identity Theft Insurance and what it can do to protect you from untoward crimes like identity theft. Simply visit this site for information at http://www.identitytheftlabs.com/

By Paul Headley

Whether you drive your van for business, pleasure or a combination of both there are a number of proactive steps which you can take to help lower the insurance premiums.

1. Probably the most important factor is to shop around and compare quotations. This may seem like the most logical step to take, however, many people simply opt to renew their policy with the same insurance company year after year, which means they may not always be getting the best deals.

2. Inform the insurance companies that you are shopping around for the most competitive prices. Many, including your existing insurance company, may offer to beat any like-for-like quote you have been given. It is definitely a buyer’’s market when it comes to finding great deals. Insurance companies are being hit as hard by the recession as many other businesses, as such they are offering some great incentives and very competitive pricing to try and gain new custom.

3. One of the easiest ways to lower insurance premiums is to ask to pay a higher excess. Excess is the amount of money you will have to pay should you make a claim, this is not usually an actual monetary payment, the insurers will deduct this from the amount of money they payout on successful claims. All insurance policies come with a set amount of excess attached to them. By offering to increase the excess it is possible for the premiums to be reduced. Remember, if you do have the need to make a claim it will cost you more, therefore this option should be given careful consideration before you make a decision.

4. Drivers who have a proven no claims history and have accrued a number of years no claims bonuses with be offered some very generous discounts. The amount of discount does vary between insurance companies which is another reason shopping around is a good idea. Some insurance companies are offering up to 70% discounts at the moment. So, if you have a no claims discount of over four or five years make sure you inform the insurance companies.

5. Proactive security measures to help reduce the risk of theft and damage are seen very favourably by insurance companies. Having an alarm and immobiliser fitted, along with tracking devices can help lower the insurance premiums. Other proactive measures such as keeping your van in a secure place, such as a garage, when it’’s not in use will also be taken into consideration by the insurance companies. Stickers which inform would be opportunist thieves that no tools or equipment are kept in the van overnight may not actually help lower the insurance costs, but they may be enough of a deterrent to make thieves think twice before attempting to steal from your van.

6. Having Third Party only insurance cover will also reduce the premiums. However, it should be realised that this is the basic insurance available and will not provide cover if your van is damaged or written off after being involved in an accident which is proven to be caused by you. This level of cover does not include theft or fire protection either.

Cheap van insurance is available if you carry out some research and discuss your individual needs with the insurance companies.

About The Author

Paul Headley is a specialist insurance article writer. Cheap Van Insurance is available from Staveley Head at http://www.staveleyhead.co.uk/van/