They seize every opportunity to take the extra dollar for giving us less. In the case of insurance, the companies are rather like the big bad wolf that blows your house down rather than paying to repair the leaking roof. So you always have to plan on the basis you will be in for a fight if you make a claim. That means opening and keeping an up-to-date file on everything you say to the insurer about the policy and any claims you might make. The more comprehensive your records the better. If you must speak to a representative of the company, whether in the flesh or on the phone, get a name and always write a letter confirming what was said and what, if anything, was agreed. Yes, it will take up a few minutes of your time. But you should always be able to produce contemporaneous records – a day-by-day record of representations, promises and action.

You are rolling your eyes. All that hassle. Why bother? Let’s take Massachusetts as an example. Five of the largest companies insuring vehicles all managed to make the same data entry mistake. There is this wonderful “place” called the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE). All companies pool information about the drivers they insure. One of the more important pieces of data is whether the driver is “at fault” in a traffic accident. If you are found the “guilty” party, this justifies loading your premium with an increase. What happened in this US state was the five insurers routinely recorded anyone making a claim as being “at fault”. There was no investigation, no court case with a judge deciding one party was at fault. The insurers simply wanted to justify increasing the premiums so assumed fault from the fact of the claim. Fortunately, the people of Massachusetts are well organized. They had a paper trail for every claim and, when they reported the behavior of the insurers to the State Attorney General, this resulted in fines paid by the companies and a recalculation of all the premiums with a full refund to everyone affected.

Sadly, auto insurance is a bear pit and, if you are going to come within range of the bear, you had better be prepared with full information. It does not matter whether you are on cheap car insurance, usually the mandatory liability minimum, or a comprehensive/collision policy with all the bells and whistles, document every aspect of your relationship with the insurer and every detail of any claim you make. If anything goes wrong, every state has a Department or Office of Insurance. Make a formal complaint if you think you are losing out. If you learn of others, complain to the State Attorney General. Failure to fight means the companies will trample on your rights.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court has supported the reforms, finding the effect of managed competition is sufficiently beneficial that it should represent the prevailing public policy in the state. Put another way, the judges think the many consumers should pay less rather than the few corporate officers and stockholders earn excessive profits. Because one of the agent’s automatic rights to a commission has disappeared, they will be looking to recover their losses in other ways. There are two morals to this story. The first is that, if you want to find cheap auto insurance, support the lawmakers in those states who promise to introduce more competition into the car insurance market. Secondly, always get your auto insurance quotes through a site like this and avoid agents who earn commission.

In the news story, a financial advisory firm in Kansas acted as the agent of two Nationwide Life companies. It sold annuities and then later persuaded its clients to transfer to a new set of annuities specially created by the Nationwide Life companies. In all cases, this transfer caused a loss of investment value to the clients and resulted in them paying $10 million in fees. When complaints were made, the Nationwide Life companies have reinstated the original policies, refunded the fees and paid a penalty to the state regulators. As an aside, this is what should be happening on a regular basis to all the brokers who missold sub-prime mortgages before the housing bubble burst. If you think you have been missold a life insurance product through life insurance quotes obtained online or as a result of bad advice, complain to your local state’s Department or Office of Insurance. If your complaint is upheld, you will be compensated for all your losses.

1. What coverage type is best for you?

It’s a common pitfall of many inexperienced insurance shoppers to get the first cheap insurance offer without learning what it covers and to what extent. After all, health insurance should cover your specific needs that are strongly influenced by a set of circumstances. Here are the most influential factors determining the type of insurance you might want to get:

Working. The best choice here would be an employer-sponsored group health insurance plan. You can also get an individual insurance plan or opt for state sponsored coverage (in case your income is low).

Self-employed. The most common choice her is an independent insurance plan or a state sponsored policy (for low income individuals).

Unemployed. If you have recently been laid off from a job then it would be best to consider Cobra coverage, or typical state sponsored health insurance.

Student. College students can also go with Cobra pr state provided health insurance coverage.

2. Which insurance company to go with?

When you have defined what type of health insurance suits your needs, it’s time to decide which company to get it from. As with any business, there are big reputable companies, medium-sized providers and small businesses, which all offer competitive rates and a wide selection of plans. What company to go with depends on the type of insurance you are looking for, the state you live in and of course the reputation of the company. Try getting health insurance quotes online to see what companies are available in your area or contact your state insurance department to learn if there are any complaints about a particular company. Word of mouth is also a good source of information.

3. Discussing the policy

When you have already decided on the offer, got the health insurance quotes and are ready to make the call to the company or apply for the policy online, it’s important to discuss all the provisions of the plan before actually purchasing and signing it. Learn what is included and what is not, especially the things you feel most important to you like pre-existing conditions.

4. Understanding the coverage

Now that the policy is purchased makes sure to learn all about coverage types and amounts delivered buy it. You can ask you insurance agent for an explanation or can read the policy on your own. Of course, it may look a bit confusing at first but it contains all the benefits you will receive when needed so it really makes sense to learn about your coverage actually before putting it to use.

These factors include but are not limited to:

Type of the house – The materials and techniques used in the construction of your house will strongly influence its ability to withstand various types of damage such as flood, fire, storm and other hazards, and will respectively affect the final insurance rates. And while brick and stone houses are very costly to construct they will be usually less expensive to insure than cheap stick frame homes.

Home maturity – Older constructions are usually more costly to insure than newer ones, because mature buildings are more prone to damage due to wear and tear they have taken over the years. Besides, brand new homes usually provide homeowners with new home discounts as their overall condition is evaluated as perfect by insurance companies.

Location – The place your house is located in will strongly affect your insurance rates. Homes located in urban areas will cost more to insure than suburban or rural homes because of the higher burglary risk. Constructions located in areas that have a high risk of certain hazards (hurricanes, storms, flood) will have higher insurance rates too. On the other hand, having a fire hydrant or a fire department close to your home will pull down the premiums to an extent.

Coverage amounts and deductibles – Each homeowners insurance policy has its individual deductible set by the insurance provider. This is the amount of money you will have to pay out of pocket before the insurance claim will be processed. This means that if you have a deductible of $500 you will have to pay for the damage to your property not exceeding this amount and will have to file a claim only for the damage exceeding this value. And the higher is your deductible the lower are your premiums.

Dollar amount of coverage – The types and amount of coverage carried by your homeowners insurance policy will also affect the rates. Having large coverage amounts usually leads to higher premiums, although some providers tend to offer special discounts for getting certain large amounts of coverage with their policies.

Endorsements – These are additional types of coverage that you wish to include to your policy for an additional price. Of course, the endorsements will make your policy pricier but they will also make your house covered to a larger extent and protected against specific risks. Endorsements give you more flexibility and protection in case of insurance situations, such as pay for your temporary residence in case your home is damaged badly.

Different states use different terms for drunk driving: driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated or operating a vehicle while intoxicated. If convicted of any such offense, your insurance rate is likely to go up before you can drive again.

If convicted of impaired driving in any US state, your driver privileges will be suspended for between 30 days and a year.

To get your license and privileges back, you’ll need to complete an SR-22 form to prove you have liability insurance. The insurance company will notify the licensing agency if the policy is terminated for any reason.

Premiums could multiply

When you receive your SR-22 form, your car insurance company will automatically consider you to be a high-risk motorist and increase your premiums accordingly. If convicted, you can expect your premiums to double or triple although some companies specialize in high-risk policies.

Not All Companies Offer SR-22 Policies

Some insurers don’t offer SR-22 policies. In such cases, if convicted of drunk-driving, your policy will be canceled or not renewed This cancellation on your claims history will count against you when you find another company that does offer SR-22. Because of this and your conviction, your rates are sure to be higher.

It’s possible that your insurance company is prohibited from canceling your policy early even if convicted of drink-driving. This is subject to state law.

How long can you expect your rates be higher for?

In most states, a drunk-driving conviction will affect your insurance status for at least 3 years although it does vary. The length of time increases for multiple convictions.

Penalties can vary depending on the circumstances. If somebody was hurt as a result of your drunk-driving, a child was involved, your blood-alcohol level exceeded a certain amount or if you were under 21, your premium can be affected in certain states.

How can increased rates be avoided?

The only way to avoid increased auto insurance rates is to not restore your driver privileges. Some states will allow you to drive a moped without a license otherwise you are restricted to walking or public transport. If you don’t own a vehicle but you do wish to restore your driving privileges, you must still buy a non-owner policy to provide a SR-22 form. This means buying insurance (even if it is cheap car insurance) for a car you don’t own. It simply isn’t worth drinking under the influence of alcohol. The law is designed to treat drink-driving convicts heavily and is fully supported by auto insurance companies.

We want you to know one little thing. The insurance companies are not only there for the money. We do care about each one of you and we want you to be protected. You pay us for services you don’t need now but one day, if something occurs, we will be the only people you will expect the help from. Please always stay considerate and wise. We believe you won’t let us down.

All of this combines to force us to search for ever cheaper car insurance. Assuming you don’t want to risk driving uninsured, the threat of the next premium instalment should be a real motivator to get into a routine of using the online search engines. They are all completely free and allow you to find the really cheap auto insurance quotes for all makes and models of vehicle on the road. There’s no obligation to buy but, if you do see a real possibility of saving enough dollars, you can make the change. Remember, insurers always make attractive initial offers to get you interested. In this, always remember to check the small print in your existing policy. Some insurers try to lock you into your policy for a minimum time and impose penalties if you terminate early. There are always traps for you to watch out for in the cheap car insurance market.

What’s HSA is all about?

In essence, HSA is a newly developed form of individual and group health insurance that combines a high-deductible health insurance plan with a savings account that’s free of taxes for medical coverage purposes. HSA are employed to lower the expenses both for business owners and workers in the field of health insurance. And with the current economical situation most small business owners find HSA as a very good alternative to typical group coverage plans.

The Wall Street Journal reports that large enterprises spend about $6,000 per employee each year for health coverage. And with growth rates exceeding 15% early, no wonder that almost half of small businesses in the US do not offer health insurance to their workers at all. Such growth rates can’t be explained by the inflation or to increase in wages, because the raise in health insurance costs well exceeds the both.

It’s evident that in such a situation more and more business owners will choose not to provide group health coverage to their employees in order to minimize the costs and try to stay on float. What can an HSA bring to the table in such unfavorable conditions?

The benefits of HSA compared to typical health insurance options:

1) High deductible plans are used. This means that the premiums your workers will have to pay will be much lower than with traditional group plans.

2) Tax-free contributions. HSAs use tax-free savings accounts, which means that all contributions are not included into the gross income. A great benefit for those who want to spend more on small business insurance.

3) Healthcare education. Due to the fact that HSAs involve the users into more active participation in their healthcare processes, users become better educated about healthcare in general.

4) Tax-free medical expenses. All the spendings for qualified medical assistance are not tax-deductible, which is definitely a nice feature for small businesses that are on a tight budget.

5) The account is owned by the employee. This means that the coverage will continue no matter what, even if the worker switches between employers or even goes without a job.

6) Roll-overs are possible. With this option the account owner can use it as a retirement plan by accumulating more funds on it every year.

7) Tax-free interest and dividends.

Employer contributions are free of taxes. This allows the owners concentrating on their small business insurance needs without having to worry about taxation on health insurance coverage for their employees.

As you can see, HSAs give better flexibility and coverage opportunities to small businesses, which are definitely the most vulnerable group of economical agents. So if you own a small enterprise, think of an HSA as a tool for optimizing your small business insurance accounts.

HMOs

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is an alliance of medical workers and facilities (doctors and hospitals) that have a contract with the insurance company for providing their services for a fixed price.

HMOs are generally regarded as having many rules and restrictions for their users. The person having an HMO plan is required to choose a single physician who will be responsible for all your healthcare matters. The primary physician should be a member of the HMO network, which means if your current doctor doesn’t make part of the association then you will have to find another one who does. In case you have to visit a specific specialist, you will first have to visit your primary doctor for a referral, otherwise you won’t get the care you need.

The definite benefit of an HMO plan is its price. It is much cheaper than any other health insurance plan type, having lower rates, premiums and typically free co-payments. This is a very attractive option, however you have to keep in mind that first of all there’s not much flexibility involved with HMOs, and doctors participating in them will usually have more visitors because they have to make up the low cost of the plan by servicing more people and get profit from that.

PPOs

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) are also contractually bound to health insurance companies, but in a less restricted and organized way, giving much more flexibility to participants and users in comparison with HMOs.

Having a PPO plan allows you to see any doctor you wish to, however out-of-network doctors will cost you more to attend and will require more out-of-pocket spendings. PPOs also leave you without having to worry about referrals for seeing a specialist.

From the price perspective, PPOs are more expensive than HMOs. Still many people choose PPOs because their less restrictive nature and wider selection of specialists to attend if compared to HMOs.

You get what you pay for

If your financial situation is not that good it would be better to choose an HMO plan, because it’s cheaper and minimizes your out-of-pocket spendings. However, if you want a wider selection of doctors and facilities under your health insurance plan, then you will have to pay more for a PPO plan.

Selecting your physician

The established relationship between you and your family doctor also plays an important role in choosing between different plan types. If you are confident in your current doctor who has been managing your healthcare for years, and the specialist doesn’t make part of the HMO network, it will be better to get PPO health coverage. In case you’re not that attached to your current physician you can easily choose between PPO and HMO according to your financial situation. In either case, it is much better and wiser than having no insurance at all. So choose carefully.

What should you look for to rank insurance companies? The first answer is financial stability. We are in the middle of a deep recession. You do not want to pay your premiums now only to find the insurer goes into bankruptcy protection just as you have your a traffic accident. Fortunately, the credit-rating companies include all the major insurance companies in their research. You will get general information from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch. The one company specialising in insurance is A.M. Best. It gives very detailed ratings based on all the key factors of service and financial prudence. Make sure you only deal with the insurers having the highest ratings.

Secondly, you want the companies with the fewest complaints against them. This means a virtual trip to the website of your state’s Department of Insurance. This Department is responsible for licensing the insurance companies in your state and then regulating the way they do business. All the states operate a complaints system. The best states not only investigate conscientiously, but also publish lists of the numbers of complaints upheld against each insurer.

Why do insurers have good reputations? It’s because they offer a good product at a good price. This will not always be cheap insurance, but it will usually be competitive terms at an affordable price. To maintain the reputation, their good marketing must be backed up by good service. You, the consumer, must be confident each company will handle your claims fairly and efficiently. It’s difficult to build up the brand and its reputation. And all that hard work can be lost in days if there’s adverse publicity about premium rate hikes and claims being refused. So once they become one of the top companies, they try to stay that way. Your strategy choice is therefore to look around for cheap auto insurance, or look for the best companies and see what they are offering.