Reducing Your Lawsuit Risks

You can reduce your risk of being sued by taking some non-insurance steps -steps that not only lower your risk but often lower your insurance costs as well:

• Obey traffic laws, including the speed limit. People who speed have many more accidents. A California study indicated that, with one speeding ticket in the last two years, your probability of having an at-fault accident increased 95 percent. With two tickets, your probability increased 170 percent. If you received three speeding tickets, you were 254 percent more likely to have an accident. If you have four speeding tickets, you're almost 300 percent more likely to have an accident. This should help you understand why insurance companies bump your rate up when you get speeding tickets.
• Don't drink and drive. Always use a designated driver. Period.
• Perform regular safety maintenance on your vehicle. Have your brakes, tires, steering, and lights checked by a mechanic.
• When you're shopping for a car, buy a vehicle that's highly rated for low damageability and passenger safety. Check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Web site (iihs.org/ratings) for crash test results on various makes and models.
• Opt for added safety features like air bags or antilock brakes. They cost more, but they'll save you money on your insurance premium and reduce your risk of injury.
• Always wear your seat belt and insist that your passengers do, too.
• Buy child safety seats and always use them. Look for a seat rated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). For tips on child safety seats, go to nhtsa.gov and click on the Child Safety Seats link.
• Take a behind-the-wheel defensive driving class. Even if you don't get a premium credit, you'll be a better driver and have less chance of being involved in a serious accident - either one that is not your fault or one hat you cause. And fewer accidents means better rates (and maybe longer lives).
• Require your teenager to have at least 30 hours of practice behind the wheel on his permit under all sorts of driving conditions before allowing him to get a driver's license. No one can ever develop the skills needed to be a safe driver in just a few hours of mandatory driver's education.
• Allow your teen to drive based upon your determination of her ability to responsibly operate a car - regardless of when your state says she can legally drive. A teen who behaves immaturely and irresponsibly out of a vehicle usually behaves immaturely and irresponsibly in a vehicle.

You will surely want to know more about insurance, how to buy the cheap insurance you need. Certainly there are many places online where to get all these. One website I can recommend is cheap-insurances. You can know about: cheap auto insurance, cheap health insurance and many other insurance concepts.

Home Insurance Fraud on the Rise

With the global economic crisis in full swing, insurers are detecting record amounts of fraudulent claims with home insurance policyholders the chief offenders.

Research from the Association of British Insurers found that there are 2,000 fraudulent insurance claims every week worth an estimated £14million. Dishonest claims on home insurance are the most common with 55,000 false or exaggerated claims detected.

In a separate survey around one in five UK adults admitted they would not rule out making a fraudulent insurance claim in the future as recession thrives. This could prove costly for honest home insurance policyholders however, with dishonest claims estimated to add around £40 to a typical home insurance premium.

Cheating on your insurance does not pay. Those that are caught face higher premiums or potentially not even being able to get insured at all. Furthermore it can affect their chances of obtaining any form of credit and give the worst offenders a criminal record.

With these claims on the rise, home insurance providers are making increased efforts to crack down on fraud. So if you're an honest policyholder who needs to make a legitimate claim how can you avoid accusations of bending the truth?

The first step is to prepare for claims in advance. Take photographs of items in your home and store receipts in a safe place. Keeping an inventory of all new goods held within your property will help reassure a provider that the items really were in your possession before the insured event.

Make sure you contact your home insurance provider as soon as the insured event occurs and follow its claims procedure to the letter. Generally you will be asked not to repair or replace items and to hang on to damaged goods as they may need to be assessed.

Pay attention to the level of home insurance cover you have in place including the policy limits on individual items to ensure your cover is sufficient. If you're not happy with your policy compare home insurance online with a comparison website and find a more appropriate deal.

Pay attention to the level of home insurance cover you have in place including the policy limits on individual items to ensure your cover is sufficient. If you're not happy with your policy compare home insurance online with a comparison website and find a more appropriate deal.

How much insurance do you need for a pineapple?

Here's some Friday nonsense for everyone: How much home insurance does someone need on an underwater pineapple? But, who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!

The bubbly, yellow sponge lovingly known as SpongeBob lives in the underwater city Bikini Bottom in a pineapple with his pet snail Gary. (Oh, and in case you don't know: SpongeBob is the star of his own animated show on Nickelodeon.) But the sea can be a dangerous place, especially for underwater fruit-homes. So how much home insurance would SpongeBob need to protect his pineapple house?

The current price of a whole pineapple is around $3.00 out here in California. Bikini Bottom is out in the Pacific Ocean so the California cost is a good estimate. The Insurance Information Institute recommends having enough home insurance to cover rebuilding your home, so SpongeBob should get a policy that covers at least $3.00. His typical home insurance policy will cover damage to his pineapple from hurricanes, hail, lightning or fire (which is not impossible in Bikini Bottom). The home insurance would also include liability coverage should an(other) accident happen around the pineapple.

SpongeBob works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab diner. He doesn't make too much because the owner of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs, is a real penny-pincher. SpongeBob might find it hard to afford a pricy pineapple home insurance policy. So SpongeBob should probably shop around for multiple home insurance quotes--make sure he's getting the right amount of coverage for his money.

One way to save on home insurance is combining a car insurance policy with home insurance. Unfortunately for SpongeBob, he doesn't have a driver's license, though he's been trying for years. Maybe someday!

Having a pineapple house may seem strange, but what about SpongeBob's friends? Best friend Patrick Star lives under a very nice rock, but that may not need a policy. SpongeBob's egotistical, clarinet-loving neighbor Squidward lives in an Easter Island head, and has quite a bit of self-made paintings and sculptures. So Squidward may want to look into home insurance policy that will cover his "art." What about penny-pinching Mr. Krabs? Well he will definitely want a home insurance policy that will not-only cover his lovely anchor-home, but will be as cheap as possible. Krabs will want to compare lots of home insurance quotes.

Who knew we could learn so much about home insurance from an innocent, jelly-fishing, karate-loving yellow sponge?


Thanks to Insweb for this funny article!

Be Wise And Check Your Credit Report

When we speak of credit reports we are referring to a history of payments made by you. Your credit report relatively reflects your present credit status and it summarizes your financial reliability, including your history of paying bills and other debts.

Having a high and favourable credit rating is necessary for premium credit cards, loan applications, low interest mortgages, and favourable interest rates. Thus, it is imperative that all consumers regularly monitor and check their credit report to ensure that they are applicable for further credit from lenders or credit agencies- but how does one go about in checking their credit history or credit score? Well, anyone can check their credit history simply by contacting their creditor or credit bureau.

It is very simple to contact your credit bureau and ask for a copy of your credit report. Relatively, you can check your credit history from major credit bureaus such as: Experian, Trans Union, and Equinox. Utilizing on these three credit bureaus can help you check your credit record at least three times each year- free of charge.

If you are wondering why you should regularly check your credit report-well there are many instances whereby credit reports are blemished with identity theft, discrepancies and errors etc. It is your right as a consumer to take the step forward and monitor your credit report to prevent these inaccuracies from occurring. Remember, once you have a negative credit report, you are less likely to be applicable to obtain a loan to purchase cars, houses etc.

Needless to say, your credit score is the most important information on your credit report. Thus it is imperative that you be wise and check your credit report so you can uphold a positive credit score – which can range between 300 and 900 by most credit bureaus and agencies- to be capable of obtaining favourable credit and interest rates from potential lenders and creditors.

Video of the Week!

Instead of advice and tips today, I'm going to post a video which I think you will find to be quite hilarious.  Some guy is pissed about his auto insurance quote and calls up the insurance company.  Hilarity ensues.

Auto Insurance Tips- 5 Car Insurance Tips to Save You Money

Here are some great tips that could save you money on auto insurance.

1. Raise Your Deductible
One way to save money on car insurance is to raise your deductible. A higher deductible will result in a lower premium. Just remember that you will need to pay the deductible in the event of the accident. So don't raise it so high, that you can't afford to pay it if you were ever to get in an accident.

2. Take a Driver's Safety Course
Did you know that taking a course in Driver's Safety could save you money on your policy? Many companies offer discounts to customers who complete an approved driving course. See if your insurance company could offer you a discount for this.

3. Choose your Car Wisely
You may not be in the market for a new car right now, but when you are thinking of a purchasing a new vehicle, choose wisely. Don't just look at the sticker price on the vehicle when shopping. Certain cars are more costly to insure than others, so you could end up paying a lot more in car insurance than you expected if you buy that nice sports car instead of the four door sedan. Cars that are more likely to be stolen or that have parts that cost more to replace will be more expensive to insure. Keep that in mind when you decide to purchase a new car.

4. Drive Less
You may be wondering how driving less will save you money on car insurance. Well, many companies offer discounts to people who meet certain low mileage requirements. Start carpooling to work or school. Not only could it save you money on car insurance, but it will also save you money on gas!

5. Compare Quotes from Multiple Companies

You may already have an auto insurance policy in place or you may be looking for one right now. Whatever your situation, it is always important to stay on top of car insurance rates that different companies are offering. If you already have a policy, compare quotes every six months or so to make sure you are getting the best rates out their for your situation. If you are looking for a policy, be sure to shop around before deciding on a company.

Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Auto-Insurance-Tips--5-Car-Insurance-Tips-to-Save-You-Money&id=1612203

Get Cheap Car Insurance For A Young Driver

To get a cheap car insurance for a young driver needs preparation for both parents and their teenage drivers. It is necessary that young drivers have it in mind that cheap car insurance for young drivers is only available if the teenager met some requirements.

The teenage driver must take courses that are provided by reliable insurance carriers. These courses give the training needed for the young driver to be safe in any situation. They teach teen drivers about moving through oil spots, water spills, and other challenges on the road as well as how to maneuver past objects in the road.

Also, students are taught how to drive safe in heavy traffic and the dangers to look out for when driving in the dark. These courses also train students how to react when vehicles or motorbikes suddenly pull in front of them. This teaching is invaluable especially when a teenage driver is driving in a big metropolis or on very busy street corners and junctions.

Some leading insurance providers also offer cheap car insurance for teen drivers and students who score a good grade point on the average. For as long as the average grade point is maintained, students are given a noticeable cut in their premium rates and this reduction will work for them even when they become adults. The grade point average is based on the national average for grades and in some areas will be well below what the actual grade point average of many students are. This makes it so much easier for average students to qualify for this cost reduction.

The easiest way to enjoy cheap car insurance for young drivers is to include them to their parent’s policy. When the driver is included to their parent’s coverage he/she receives all of the goodies of the parent’s insurance and can drive any of the cars on the policy, but they will not pay the rate that it would cost a youngster if they purchased the same insurance on their own. Many teenage drivers stay on their parents’ insurance policy until they are old enough to vacate home or after graduating from college.

A lot of insurers make room for students to get cheap car insurance for the under 25s drivers if they stay in school and live with their parents at home. This is a benefit for both the youngster and their parents who tends to pay for their student’s vehicle insurance when they were away studying in school.
Cheap car insurance for teen drivers is a must that should not be over looked. All vehicles on the road must have an active insurance coverage to be driven legally. When a teen driver begins driving they need to get the coverage that insurance gives.


Full article here: http://carinsuranceezine.com/

New blog, Intro (Auto Insurance Basics), Etc.

Hey everyone, for some reason my other blog got deleted. I didn't even do anything wrong (They thought I was putting up a "malicious java code" when I was just trying to put on a visitor counter).  Anyways, here I am starting over, so bare with me.

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Driving without car insurance is illegal in almost all states. Insurance protects you, and others, from financial ruin in the event of an auto accident. In addition, it can come to the rescue if your car is vandalized, damaged by fire or stolen — depending on your policy.


Besides protecting you financially, car insurance is a social responsibility. Driving without insurance or the ability to pay for the damages you cause in an accident puts others at financial risk. That's why all states (except New Hampshire) require drivers to carry liability insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

A basic auto insurance policy contains six types of coverage. Depending on where you live, some coverage is required and some is optional. For more, read about the minimum levels of required auto insurance.

Car insurance is comprised of:

 

1. Bodily injury liability
2. Property damage liability
3. Medical payments or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
4. Collision
5. Comprehensive
6. Uninsured/Underinsured motorists coverage (UM/UIM)
7. Extras, like roadside assistance

 Read the full article here: http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/basics.html