Archive for the ‘Insurance’ Category
Cheap small business insurance helps a start-up survive
There is a common myth among people who run a business out of their garage – that their homeowner policy will cover all problems. Unfortunately, almost every domestic policy excludes liability for commercial risks. Worse, if you fail to tell your insurance company about the change of use, this gives them the right in law to cancel the policy and not pay out a cent on any claim. This will be so even if what happened would normally have been covered by your policy. It all comes down to a simple test. The insurance company relies on you to describe all the risks. If what you hide represents something significant that changes the nature of the risk, every insurer will cancel and you have no right to complain. Since the recession hit, more people have been using their homes as offices and business premises. For some, it is a way of earning a few extra dollars to top up what they earn. For others forced into unemployment, there is no choice. It is either start some kind of business or starve when the benefit runs out. Read the rest of this entry »
Cheap car insurance tips – how much coverage to buy?
How much auto coverage to buy is the most common question most car owners ask when it comes to buying an insurance policy. The simple answer to this question is buying as much as you can afford and as much as your car really requires. But of course, the amounts will differ significantly between those who have brand new mid class cars, and those who drive old vehicles or buy their first insurance policy.
Drivers who have older vehicles or low cost cars are very likely to overpay for their insurance coverage. That is because most policies carry average amounts of comprehensive coverage, which are suitable for new mid range cars and are linked to the purchase value of the car. But as time go by and the value of your car decreases the amount of comprehensive coverage tends to be higher the actual amount you need. The same applies for low cost vehicles, which initially have a lower value than the average car. Read the rest of this entry »
Should you rely on cheap car insurance?
Do you remember the Blues Brothers? They were unstoppable. They were “on a mission from God”. Seems like almost everyone standing behind the counter in the rental agency is a Blues Brother when you come into collect the vehicle. They always want to sell you something, usually additional insurance. The most common special offer is loss damage waiver (LDW). It sounds such a good idea to have complete cover against any loss caused to the vehicle while under your control. The magic word is “waiver”. You are excluded from liability even if you drive the vehicle off the end of a pier and it sinks without trace (hopefully without you still inside it). The only problem is this good idea can seriously damage your bank balance when the final bill comes in. That hourly or daily rate just got heavy. So when should you add LDW? The answer is deceptively simple. If you do not own another vehicle and have no insurance cover in place, it may be a good buy. But most insurance policies on your own vehicle cover you while driving a rental. So it all comes down to the extent of that cover on your own vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »
Health insurance quotes from multiple insurers gives the most choice
The year long fight over whether to pass a bill reforming the healthcare industry has just come to an end. President Obama has signed it into law. Now all we have to do is sit back and wait to see whether it will deliver a better and fairer service to more of the population. At this point, a little honesty is in order. The US healthcare service has been broken for some time and anything that improves it is to be welcomed. The GOP do, however, have legitimate concerns about cost. We are just starting to recover from a deep recession. Unemployment is still at a record high. Public debt is mounting as big government tries to keep the banks afloat and encourage business to start hiring again. So, if this reform pushes up debt, the cost may come to outweigh the benefits. The various supposedly independent government agencies claim the reforms will actually reduce public debt. Unfortunately, guessing what will happen in the future never produces reliable results. All we can do is wait and see. Read the rest of this entry »