Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Easiest Way To Get Insured

These three methods are used by millions of people to find their insurance, and everyone uses them in different ways. So, which is the best way? And how can you get insured as quickly as possible on a great policy?

The fastest way for sure is to use the internet. Instead of spending hours on the phone and walking along the high-street, you are just a few clicks away from pretty much any major insurance company in the world. You can search for them based on their reputation, or their prices, or any other criteria that you are looking for, and there are no shortage of websites to help you choose a particular insurance company. All this can be done with minimal stress, minimal hassle, and can easily be logged so you know which insurance companies you have considered, which you have chosen to avoid, and which you are interested in.

Another great advantage of using the internet is that you can get a quote in a matter of minutes. Instead of lengthy phone calls and long interviews, you can simply input your data into a short form and you'll get an accurate quote back immediately. Most decent insurance companies offer this capability these days, and you'd be surprised how accurate the quotes can be. Of course, if you have some exceptional circumstances or there is important information that the form doesn't cover, the quote won't be as accurate as possible, but it will certainly give you a fairly good indication of what you could end up paying. With such a quick way of getting a quote, you can easily rule out any insurance companies which you can see are instantly far too expensive (or even far too cheap). You can do this easily, and without the insurance company hassling you like they might do if you were talking to them on the phone or in person. You can then simply move on to the next insurance company if you weren't happy with the quote, or start the process if you were.

Once you've found and chosen the insurance company you want to work with, the internet once again comes to your rescue. Instead of filling out lengthy forms, and having to keep calling the insurance company, everything can be handled online. This has numerous advantages; every communication you have with the insurance company is tracked, so you know that if there are problems in the future, you have everything on record. Another advantage is the fact that everything will be kept organized, and you'll be able to quickly email the person in charge of your case. Everything about your policy will be clearly presented to you on the page, and you won't need to worry about any nasty surprises in the future.

Once your policy has started, you'll have all the necessary contact details you might need, you'll be able to print the terms of your policy, pay your bill, and inform the insurance company of any potential changes to your situation. This gives you complete peace of mind, and insures that you have a full understanding of your policy; it also gives you a much easier way of getting in touch with your insurance company, rather than waiting on the phone for hours.

As you can imagine, there are a great many things to consider when buying your insurance online. How reputable the company is, how much you are paying, the terms of your policy, and many more; however, the internet takes each of those things and makes them much easier to handle. You are given complete control over the decision making process, which is often not the case when you have a limited selection, or you are spending hours on the phone talking to different companies. Quite simply, there's no easier way to get insured than to do it online, and you'll probably never even think of doing it any differently once you have done it the first time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9470072

What to Know About Child Insurance

Life insurance plans are designed to make life easy for their beneficiaries. The life insurers study the problems that a person can face and device financial solutions to ease them. One of the big problems many people struggle with is to provide a sound future to their kids. Cost of higher education is really back breaking and is one of the biggest stress causing factors among parents. To ease this problem to a good extent life insurance companies have come up with a specialized plan called child insurance.

Child insurance plans carry dual benefit for the child. First, they help generate a good corpus by investing the premiums in a fund that can either be endowment based or ULIP based. Second, they provide a life cover to the investing parent of which the child is the beneficiary. In case of the death of the policyholder, the insurance company waives off the future premiums and continues to invest in that fund on the policyholder's behalf. Moreover, it pays a lump sum or period amount for the maintenance of the child. Thus, these plans protect the interest of the child even when you are not with him/her.

Saving money on our own can be difficult as we cannot be that much disciplined unless we enter into a plan which necessitates us to deposit a particular amount or else it would lapse. Such routine is mandatory for systematic saving and investment. The returns from other funds or investments can get spent on other things. That is why it would be better if you have a dedicated child plan in your investment portfolio of which only your child would be the beneficiary.

As per financial experts, investing in such a plan should be started as early as possible to have more time for your money to grow. Ideally you should start comparing child insurance plans of various companies as soon as you know about the pregnancy. There are over a score of companies selling such plans and offer differentiated plans to stay competitive. Effective plan comparison and market research shall ascend you towards the most suitable plan from a reputed company.

For effective comparison you may try services of an insurance web aggregator. On a web aggregator website you can compare plans of scores of companies at a single web location and that too free of cost. Such effective comparison brings more confidence in your purchase and helps you take educated steps in selecting your plan type. Based on such comparison and analysis you can decide whether to go for an Endowment based child plan or a ULIP based child plan. Comparing premiums with your budget you can decide how much cover to go for.

If you are a parent then initiate the process now without wasting further time. Your smart actions now would earn you enormous gratitude from your kid in the future. Don't miss the opportunity to have that puffed up chest when your kid makes a lucrative career for himself. His hard work won't do that alone. He needs your financial support to climb that ladder.

There are many comparison websites today which gives good and relevant information on various insurance plans from different companies. One of them is https://www.easypolicy.com. You can get live quotations on child insurance plans with telephonic assistance from their team.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9492836

Never Compare Insurance Based On Price Alone

Insurance comparison websites simplify the insurance buying process and most people now buy insurance through these sites. Once you know the class of cover you need, you type a few details into any of these sites and instantly gain access to multiple insurance companies with the cheapest quote displayed in a few seconds.

While the process of buying insurance especially car and home insurance appear simplified, same cannot be said of the products.

The insured enters into a contract every time he/she buys an insurance policy and like any contract needs to be examined carefully to ascertain its suitability for the buyer.

The frequency of advertisement in both the print and electronic media by the owners of these sites drowns out complaints and muttering of people who may have had a claim declined because they based their insurance purchase decision on price (premium) alone.

As a way of illustrating how the use of price alone to select an appropriate insurance policy could be problematic, let us look at how the price of a burger is determined.

£0.99 could fetch you a burger at a McDonald's restaurant but that same store will also have a burger made with a bun of similar size for £5.99. The difference in the price of the two burgers being the topping.

While the cheaper burger may only contain beef, the more expensive offering will probably have a better quality beef, possibly bacon plus lettuce, onion, Mayonnaise, mushroom and pickles.

The £0.99 burger (let's call this the bare-bones burger) may appeal to some but may not necessarily be what others want.

The £5.99 burger (ROBUST burger) though more expensive, may just be what the other person needs to satisfy his appetite and is willing to pay the extra to meet his needs provided he is aware of the extras which add up to make this other burger expensive.

Bare-bones vs Comprehensive policies

Much like the example above, insurance policies can also be said to either bare-bones or ROBUST/comprehensive. However, it is not always easy for every insurance buyer to tell the difference between the bare-bones policy and the comprehensive, especially when presented in abridged versions with the cheapest ranked topmost.

Risks covered as standard by insurance company 'A' could be sold as an add-on by company 'B'.

The premium quoted by 'A' may thus appear higher than that of 'B' because the standard policy 'B' is offering is a bare-bones cover. If you then opt for this policy because of the cheaper price without realizing that some of the risks you need are not included, this could lead to a dispute when a loss/claim is reported.

Possible Conflict of Interest

Some of the comparison websites are either wholly or partly owned by Insurance companies and thus a conflict of interest may arise. Results of premiums quoted could thus be skewed in favour of the parent or partner companies.

Operators of these sites may also be swayed by the offer high commission rates resulting in the sites promoting particular brands.

Some Insurers are not Included

As at a time of writing, some of the largest insurance companies in Britain notably Aviva and Direct Line are not listed on comparison websites so it is possible that improved terms could be obtained from companies not listed.

Finally, it is worthy of note that these comparison sites only serve as a go-between, linking the prospective buyer to the insurance companies. They only present premiums generated using algorithms furnished by insurers and afterward direct a buyer to the website of the insurer with the chosen quote. In the event that a dispute arises, traceable to a misunderstanding at the point of quotation, these firms are unlikely to assume responsibility.

Ikenna is a Chartered Insurance practitioner based in London with over two decades experience in Insurance operations. He has sold Insurance policies in the past, and at other times been involved in drafting / wording insurance contracts as well as helping customers through the insurance claims process.

His unique perspective on insurance is therefore reflected in his articles which he hopes readers will find incisive and beneficial.
For more articles like this visit https://insuranceinboldprints.blogspot.co.uk/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9488300

Monday, October 31, 2016

Why Telematics Is a Major Disruptor in Insurance

The vehicle telematics system and User-Based Insurance (UBI) are key trends in the auto insurance industry and expect a disruptive change in the near future.

Digital technology is transforming the insurance marketplace enormously and the insurers are investing significant attention to meet the customer expectations by adopting vehicle telematics system. The customer vehicle integrated with the telematics system helps to calculate insurance premiums which is dependent on the distance covered by the vehicle, the speed the driver maintains while driving, and also the overall driving habits of customers as this information can be read and stored by the telematics app and made accessible to not only the insurers but also all stakeholders.

Vehicle telematics is recalibrating the auto insurance industry expectations and opening new ways to reach out to the clients. The rise of vehicle telematics not only changing the policyholders' demands, but also disrupting the way it should be supplied. Many insurers are offering more personalized insurance policies to each and every individual.

Telematics as a major disruptor

The digitization process that telematics has brought in recently has made the total insurance industry to stand up and take notice and eventually catch-up with this change. Recent research studies have revealed that vehicle telematics is playing a prominent role to disrupt the auto insurance industry for positive business outcomes. In this way, Big Data is playing a vital role in helping insurers to solve various challenges such as data mining, handling, warehouse data, building data path for user applications and among many others by adopting extensive and varied data structure, which are made easily accessible to vehicle telematics system with the influence of cloud computing. The access control of the vehicle, real-time updates of traffic congestion and weather forecasts and many other vehicle telematics options are remotely accessed with the help of cloud computing, for both customers and insurers. The big data and cloud computing technologies are the mainstream of vehicle telematics system and hence are attracting new customers towards insurance policies by providing convenience and comfort in service.

Over the years, the auto insurance companies have successfully reduced the gap between insurers and customers. The vehicle telematics-enabled usage-based insurance is gaining momentum to meet the customer satisfaction with a flexible pricing model over the traditional pricing model and as a result policyholders can pay the insurance rates based on their driving behavior. It is an ultimate transformation that is giving customers complete control over their insurance premiums. To help policyholders for their driving risks, User-Based Insurance (UBI) model encourages individuals to drive safe and lower the risk of accidents happening through live feedback even as they can save money by improving their driving skills.

In the US, Insurance companies are implementing different approaches in User-Based Insurance model and the simplest, auto insurance policies are trending in the auto insurance market, such as Pay As You Drive (PAYD) is one among them. Rather than paying a fixed annual premium charge, PAYD ensures premiums are calculated based on the number of miles/kilometers driven by the policyholder with the help of vehicle telematics system.

United States is considering the UBI model as their grid. The spate of recent successes has confirmed immense response of policyholders towards this new approach. Even in many European countries, insurers moved to the next level of Pay-How-You-Drive (PHYD) right after the huge success of Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) model.

The Pay How You Drive (PHYD) monitors the driver behavior and driving style, the premium charges are reduced accordingly with improvements in driver behavior.The UBI has a great potential gateway to digitally enhance customers, as a result, PHYD has created a remarkable platform for auto insurance policies, but a number of insurers have started looking beyond the Pay How You Drive (PHYD)model for better user experience, as a development Manage How You Drive (MHYD) considered as the next move of UBI. Manage How You Drive (MHYD) offers a discount to safe drivers and also intimates the policyholders about driving performance through monthly feedback depending on their driving score.

Vehicle telematics benefits:

• Experienced drivers often pay unreasonably high premium charges which can be reduced easily.
• Encourages policyholders to drive safely and reduce the risk of accidents.
• If the policyholder drives very often then he/she will get fewer premium charges.
• Continuous monitoring of the driver helps to improve the driving behavior.
• It's very easy to track vehicle health and fuel consumption of the vehicle.

The vehicle telematics system and User-Based Insurance system is imparting a major disruptive change in the auto insurance industry with innovative insurance policy models for customer convenience. However, insurers are implementing different strategies to improve the marketing and sales process of UBI model to maintain the balance in insurance policies, perhaps the priority is also given to the risk management and price calculation from the customers' stand point. The disruptive vehicle telematics system can trigger the process of auto insurance policies and can be sustained without any major change in the insurance company structure, business model, and strategy. The vehicle telematics system is known for its conservative posture and disruption is never really easy for such systems, especially in the auto insurance industry. But the year 2016 can be a year of continuing transformation of vehicle telematics system, in which the insurance companies who remain as innovators will be those who are willing to engage in significant rethinking.

Prime's telematics system, Xemplar, enables fast and efficient two-way communication between insurers and customers. Xemplar's mobile app-based system saves you money on hardware and infrastructure costs while also accommodating any mobile device or tablet, reaching drivers anytime and anywhere, and providing your business with critical information in real-time. Contact us now, and in less than 24 hours you will have the best technology solution for auto insurers. for more information visit us http://www.xemplartelematics.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9507355

Why an Independent Insurance Agency

Whether you are in the market for homeowners, renters, auto, commercial, property, workers comp, life, umbrella, or any other insurance, you want the most tailored plan at the cheapest quote. As a layman though, it all seems so puzzling. Besides the complicated insurance jargon, it certainly is difficult for you to assess your needs accurately - let alone find the precise insurance source to get you the right policy at the right price.

What you need is a specialist - someone who really comprehends all the ins and outs of the insurance world - someone who will gladly take the time to review your individual situation along with any existing coverage that you may have. Moreover, you need a trusted source that will be able to configure every aspect of customized protection to your benefit.

To whom do you turn to for matters as important as protecting assets, property, business and the like? Ask anyone in the know about the industry and they will steer you to an independent agency that has rights to do direct dealings with many of the leading insurance companies. As opposed to a dependent agency or a single company representing itself, the independent agency has no ulterior motive in directing you to one insurance company over the other. Partnered with an extensive network of underwriters, this type of agency searches its set of connections to come up with what works best for you. Equipped with a list of all sorts of policies there is no reason to settle on anything but the optimum.

The Independent Agent - piecing the puzzle pieces together for the customer

An experienced independent agency has your best interest in mind as it
- Emphasizes the client's needs above all else
- Clarifies any questions about the differing policies
- Goes to great length to locate tailored coverage with a pleasing quote

Finding the agency that looks out for the customer the way you want it also requires some research, however. This is because not all independent agencies are alike in excellence. Though any insurer may claim to harbor a close connection with any given strong insurance company, there are variances to the type of bond they enjoy. In order to gain from dealing with a truly winning broker, the customer must link itself with an establishment that has superior access to the indemnity that matches requirements. In addition, it's imperative to find an agency that is all-rounded - from before the sale, during the sale and after the sale - willing to act as your staunch advocate even when there is a claim.

Before sitting down with an insurer, make sure you are sitting down with someone with the capability, and strong ethics that will indeed make you into a satisfied policyholder!

Prime Insurance of Lakewood / Deal, NJ and Brooklyn / Upstate NY is a 3-generation agency that has been authorized to deal directly with more than 40 of the leading companies. Devoted to servicing customers to the fullest, Prime provides all forms of nationwide coverage, including NJ cheap auto, low quote commercial umbrella, flood, renters, homeowners, bonds, workers comp, life insurance and so on. We welcome you to see what we're all about. Visit us at https://www.primeins.com/; email us at PRIME@primeins.com or call us at 732-886-5751 and HAVE A PRIME DAY™!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9510739

The Best Way To Protect Yourself

It is true that nothing is permanent and life is full of risks. Hence, nothing is better than having an insurance plan. If you are looking to have an insurance plan, then you will not find it hard to get a one as selling an insurance plans as become a profitable business. And thus, many companies and agencies are getting started to involve in this business. But before taking any plan, it is vital to know and understand the policy clearly. But what are the actual types of insurance? If this is your question, then look at the below-mentioned types of insurance.

Pet Insurance: In the case of a pet insurance, the insurer will pay veterinary expenses if the pet is wounded or suffering from illness. Pet insurance is also validated if the pet gets die, lost or stolen.

Health Insurance: A health insurance is a policy that says the insurer (who sold insurance) will pay a lump sum amount to the insured (who purchased insurance) person if the insured person gets injured by accident or falls sick by a disease.

Travel Insurance: As the name suggests, travel insurance is related to the loss that occurs while traveling. It covers theft of baggage, delayed luggage, personal possessions, emergency emigration, accidental death, etc.

Life insurance: Is a policy which states that the insurer will pay an amount to the nominee or the family of the insured person if the insured person dies. For this, the insured person needs to pay the premiums on a regular basis.

Dental Insurance: It is similar to the health insurance, but the difference is that the insurer will be liable to pay if the insured person finds something unusual in his dental care. Thus, dental insurance benefits in case of sudden dental costs.

Auto Insurance: The insurance which is related to the automobiles is called auto insurance. In this policy, if the vehicle gets damaged due to the accident or other traffic issues then the insurer will have to pay a certain amount to the owner. In the case of a huge damage, some auto companies replace the vehicles totally.

You have to inquire about the eligibility criteria and choose the discounts that apply to you. Also, a few good discount for going through a driver's training course and other driver learning programs. If you want to reap the benefit of this offer, you just need to go through a certified course and then show the insurer your certificate. This can save you about 10% on premiums, which adds up. Remember that different types of auto models have different auto insurance coverage and rate.

You can ask the companies about their rates as well

Often, sports and expensive automobiles bring in the highest rates. If your automobile has an excellent and satisfactory maintenance rating, there is a better chance for you getting lower insurance rates. You also need to know some basics about auto insurance premiums before applying for it. Apart from those points above, such as maintenance rating and the driver learning program, there are some other criteria too included in the pricing policy structure. For instance, gender is a big component, the monthly mileage driven and even the color of the automobile.

Good2go specializes in offering their customers the basics to keep them on the road, but this doesn't mean basic service. Their claims and customer service lines are open seven days a week, or you can use their 24-hour automated system or online portal to make a payment. Good to go insurance offers coverage to high-risk drivers and those who are newly licensed or do not currently have coverage.

Mike Heuer is an experienced writer and specializing in vehicle coverage.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9513907

Insurance Jargon Explained and Decoded

Accidents happen. It is just a fact of life. Safety is the best prevention, but sometimes the inevitable cannot be avoided. Having insurance is a worthwhile investment for protecting you and your loved ones. However, getting insurance of any kind can involve a lot of jargon that is not always easy to grasp. Before taking the leap into monthly payments, educate yourself so that you get a plan that works best for you. An insurance agent can help fill in the gaps, but below is a group of terms to become familiar with. Even if you already have a plan, this guide can help you better understand the terminology.

General Terms

A premium is the amount of money that must be paid to the insurer who provides coverage. This fee is usually due on a monthly basis. To achieve a lower premium, shop around for the best possible quote and try to maintain a good credit record. The deductible is the portion of money that you, the policyholder, must pay in the case of an accident. The insurer is then responsible for covering the remainder of costs. Generally, higher deductibles result in lower premiums. If you decide to go this route, make sure that you have enough money set aside to cover your higher deductible. A claim is a request made by the policyholder if an accident occurs. This request is for costs to be covered by the insurer. The adjuster is the person who analyzes a claim and provides recommendations for a settlement based on the damage and policy. Preferred Risk is the term for when an applicant shows lower risk for accident or injury than the average person. These applicants tend to be eligible for rate discounts.

Auto

Accident forgiveness is an option provided by some companies to protect drivers. This option prevents the driver's premium from increasing after their first at-fault accident. It is especially helpful when the company extends this forgiveness to others on the policy, such as teen drivers. Other potential discounts to look into include low annual mileage on your vehicle, having no accidents in three years, and having multiple cars on the same plan.

Health

There are several different ways of getting health coverage. Group Health is when an employer provides health insurance plan options for its employees and their dependents. The policies are normally at a reasonable or discounted rate. Many people take advantage of this opportunity because it is convenient and secure. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) is when the insured person pays a fixed membership fee ahead of time. In return, they receive comprehensive health care from a list of approved providers in a certain area. HMOs are usually more affordable, but they do not provide as much coverage. Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) is a health plan that lists preferred health care providers. When patients visit the preferred providers, they may receive incentives such as a lower copay. Copay is a flat rate that the patient must pay each time they receive services from their healthcare provider. Another way to lower copayment is through a cost sharing reduction subsidy that lowers out-of-pockets expenses.

Hopefully, this guide has helped to clarify some of the terms that can be found in the fine print of policies. Although insurance can be expensive, there are options available to help lower premium rates. For example, if you are a college student who gets good grades, you may be eligible for a good student discount on your auto policy.

To learn more about their options for insurance, Canton, OH residents should visit http://www.cantonins.com/.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9518087

Insurance Facts You May Not Know

Formal insurance coverage has been arguably there for individuals and business since the late 1800's. For the layman, though, not everything in a homeowner, auto, property and commercial policy is what it may seem.

On a practical level, it's important to meet with an experienced independent agent to review your needs, explain options and plans and shop the network for tailored coverage at a competitive quote, while being there at your hour of a claim need.
This article serves to present the other view on insurance - fun facts that will tickle your interest and ease the seriousness of life while perhaps offering opportunities you never thought existed.

Guess what?

• While most people realize that a good driver will have a better insurance score, leading to cheaper premium rates, certain professionals, like teachers, accountants, engineers and nurses are also placed in a 'high probability' category to drive carefully and avoid accidents.

• There is a form of insurance for (of all things) alien abduction!

• Some coffee company executives wanted to be sure that their official taster would retain his excellent sense of taste so they bought a $10 million policy to that effect!

• Presenting the bride with an expensive diamond engagement ring is a tradition that is based on protection. A form of insurance - so to speak - the costly ring would be hers to keep as compensation in the event the groom got cold feet about tying the knot!

• Golfing in Japan becomes an expensive endeavor if you happen to be the winner - obligating you to host a celebration and sponsoring pricey alcoholic beverages for your admirers. Golfing pros often opt to buy insurance in case they win to cover the 'damages'.

• If you wish, you can purchase a life insurance policy if you fall into a fit of laughter that kills you!

• A famous circus insured their performing rhino and elephant so that they could cushion the damages in the event of illness or death.

• Question: Who insures traveling international athletes? Answer: They get coverage from insurance companies in their home country as well as in their hosting country.

• When one avid sportsman chose to swim across the English Channel in a bathtub, he acquired insurance from a company that undertook the risk with one stipulation: the tub needed a stopper that would prevent water from seeping in!

• If you are in the market for a new vehicle, keep in mind that statistically, there are more collision claims associated with a 2-door car.

Prime Insurance is the leading Agency that has been appointed to do direct business with scores of the top companies. Providing all forms of nation-wide coverage, including NJ cheap auto, low quote commercial umbrella, flood, renters, homeowners, bonds, workers comp, life insurance and more, Prime has won the confidence of over 10,000 customers. Experience the Prime difference by visiting online at https://www.primeins.com/, emailing at prime@primeins.com or calling 732-886-5751!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9532807