Posts Tagged ‘Premiums’
Have you ever wondered what would happen if all of a sudden there is a health problem in the family and you have no resources to tackle that situation? Well this can only be described as carelessness. You ought to keep yourself prepared for mishaps in life and the best way to go for that is through consumer health insurance.
Mishaps and accidents do not have harbingers attached to them that is why it is important to have health insurance in addition there is also the old saying of precaution is better than cure which is also true in this regard.
The purpose of the consumer health insurance is to make a person feel secure about his future so that the life can be enjoyed to its fullest. That is why various consumer health insurance policies have been made available for the people who want to get insured.
These policies include:
Fee for service - is a traditional type of health insurance scheme where the agency pays a percentage of the costs and you pay the remaining. Premiums are generally higher in this scenario.
Managed care plans – other incarnations for this are health maintenance organizations (HMO’s), preferred provider organizations (PPO’s) or primary care provider (PCP) in this you pay monthly premiums and when you use the policy you only need to pay a small amount called co pay. The amount is £10 to £15.
COBRA - this is an option offered by the federal government of USA it stands for consolidated omnibus reconciliation act of 1985. With this you can also insure for other aspects that you want to insure.
People with health problems or any other pre existing conditions in usual scenario will find it difficult to get these consumer health insurances. However they can go in for other offerings like temporary coverage, open enrollment or HIPAA.
To get consumer health insurance the best way to go for that is through a broker. A broker can help you in many matters apart from getting you a deal well suited to you.
• A broker can help you in making decision on which scheme to choose a guaranteed renewable or a non cancelable one.
• A broker can answer your queries that you may have regarding the consumer health insurance.
• A broker can help you get a scheme where you can reduce your monthly premiums to as low as 50% of the earlier amounts.
• A broker will provide you guidance at every step of the process of consumer health insurance.
That is why you should go in for consumer health insurance through a broker.
Mean can be any of many but the purpose is one and that is consumer health insurance. No matter what the profile of a person is safety comes first and for that the most appropriate way is the path of consumer health insurance.
Although these days it’s pretty easy to arrange your car insurance online, comparing quotes at the click of a button and paying by credit card for instant cover, one ever present difficulty still remains: the high cost of insurance policies. The fact that having car insurance in place is both a legal requirement and a sensible idea doesn’t detract from the annoyance of having to pay what seems to be an exorbitant sum, and most of us would jump at the chance of reducing the bill.
To do this we need to know what factors insurance companies use when deciding how much our premiums will be.
Perhaps the most important influence on the level of your premium is your own history as a driver. If you’ve a history of having accidents, then naturally you’re a higher risk to the insurer and so they’ll charge you more. Worse, if you’ve been convicted of a motoring offence such as speeding or driving while under the influence, then your insurance will cost you even more - especially if your licence was withdrawn.
On the plus side, a history containing no black marks such as accidents will result in cheaper insurance as you build up a ‘no claims’ discount over the years.
The next most important factor is what kind of car you’re trying to insure. Naturally, more expensive cars will cost more to replace, and so the insurance will cost you more too. This isn’t the whole story though, as other features such as engine size, the availability of cheap spares, and the difficulty of repair will have an influence too. Finally, some models of car are well known for being easier to break into or steal than others - the insurance companies are well aware of this and will adjust their quotes accordingly.
How you use your car will also affect the price you pay for cover. If you rarely drive and have a low annual mileage, then your premiums can be cut as you’re on the road for less time, and therefore have less chance of needing to make a claim. City drivers may also have to pay more compared to those who drive in quieter areas.
Where you keep your car is important too - if you have a secure parking area, preferably one that keeps your vehicle out of sight and under cover, then your risk is lowered, as will be your premiums. Cars that are regularly parked at the roadside are at a higher risk of being stolen or involved in collisions, and so will be more expensive to insure.
One final point to cover is that of how attractive your car is to thieves, and not just in the obvious way of how desirable your vehicle is! An expensive car with a good security system including an alarm and window etching etcetera will be more of a hassle for criminals to profit from, and so is less likely to be stolen than a cheaper car with little or no security. Also, a car featuring plenty of gadgets such as an expensive audio system or satellite navigation will attract greater interest from potential thieves.
So as we can see, even though car insurance is an expensive business, it’s not always as simple as it seems, and by looking at what insurers want in a ‘perfect’ customer, you may be able to drive down your premiums.
Automobile insurance is one of those things in the budget that is always going to be there. There are very few places in America that permit you to drive vehicles without insurance and so it behooves each and every one of us to get a better handle on our own auto insurance coverage. The industry is changing a bit because the competition is strong. There are new and creative auto policies on the market today. The trend that has gained the most momentum is the self-insuring concept. Higher deductibles is the weapon that the customer can use to lower rates significantly. Higher deductibles means that the policyholder has decided to take on more of the risk for the automobiles insured. The day of low collision deductibles is all but gone. Lower deductibles no longer warrant the high premiums. There is too much money to be saved with higher deductibles.
Lowering the Rates for Young Drivers
Young drivers on newer vehicles that have a lien holder’s interest will raise the auto rate significantly. The collision and comprehensive rates for drivers under 21 years of age are very high. A young driver on an older vehicle without the collision and comprehensive coverage will lower the rate significantly. There are discounts for young drivers who have completed a qualified drivers training course. Some companies have good student discounts on students with a grade point average of 3.0 or better. When the young driver reaches 21 the rates begin to drop for most companies.
Senior Citizen Discounts – Most companies have discounts for people age 55 and older who are retired or work less than 20 hours a week. There are mature driving courses that can also give the senior citizen a discount.
Multi-Policy Discount – This discount is available when you insure both your auto and home with the same insurance company.
Tort Options – Some companies offer discounts for a limited tort option. Tort is your ability to sue for pain and suffering. Limited tort rates in some states reduce the overall premium of the policy up to 30%. Ask your insurance company about the tort options in your state.
Car insurance is one of the most expensive costs involved in driving a car, and it’s not something you can avoid - a minimum level of insurance is required by law. That doesn’t mean you have to blindly pay whatever your insurer quotes though, as there are several simple things you can do to reduce the cost of your premiums.
1)Shop around and buy online: Figures show that many people simply renew their current policies without shopping around. The internet makes it easy to compare prices from different insurers, so why not take advantage of this? Plus, you’ll usually get a discount of 10% or more just for buying your policy online.
2)Policy type: do you really need a comprehensive policy with all the extras? Going for a third party fire & theft policy can reduce your premiums hugely, and is definitely worth considering if your car isn’t an expensive model.
3)No claims discounts: Nearly all policies feature a discount that increases for every year you don’t make a claim. The higher the discount available, the more you could save. Also look at insurers offering a ‘no claims bonus for life’ feature, where your current discount level can be fixed forever, even if you have to make a claim somewhere down the line.
4)Excess: The excess on a policy is the amount of a claim you have to pay before the insurer pays the rest. Choosing to have a higher than standard excess level will usually mean lower premiums.
5)Security: Fitting your vehicle with an alarm, immobiliser, or other security devices can lead to premium reductions. Parking you car off-road, for example on a driveway or in a garage, will also mean a cheaper policy.
6)Pay annually: Many insurers charge you interest for the privilege of paying in monthly installments. Pay annually if you can afford it to avoid this, or look for one of the companies who don’t charge extra for monthly payment.
7)Mileage: The more mileage you run up every year, the more your insurance will cost. Even if you can’t reduce your mileage, make sure you’re not overestimating how much you actually do drive, and give your insurer an accurate figure.
8)Drivers: The more drivers you have on your policy, the more it will cost. Reduce the number of people insured to drive your car to the minimum possible, and try to get the policy in the name of a driver with the lowest risk profile. For example, if a car is driven by both a man and a woman, insuring it in the woman’s name will often result in a cheaper quote.
The car insurance industry has got really competitive in the last few years, so prices haven’t really changed much. There are now over 100 car insurers to choose from, so there are some very good deals out there for those who are prepared to shop around. 23% of motorists still choose to insure with the same company as the year before, but they could undoubtedly save money if they did check out some other companies.
Motorists could be forgiven for not getting other quotes, it used to be a very laborious exercise involving long waits while getting routed through the call centre, and boring repetition of facts to sales advisors. Now, thanks to the internet, it’s all a lot more simple. Car insurers also offer extra discounts to people who buy online.
However, you need to consider the quality of the policy, not just the price:
Check that your low quotation is not due to an extremely high excess.
Check that you will get a courtesy car if your car needs to be taken in for repairs.
Check that legal insurance cover is included, if you want it, and automatic windscreen replacement.
Find out if there is an accident help line in case of an emergency.
It’s a good idea to ring the insurer direct to talk through the policy in detail before signing up online.
Money saving tips recommended!
You can get a quote with over 40 car insurers if you input your details into a good car insurance broker’s website. You’ll only need to give your details once. Call the insurer with the quotation to check exactly what is and isn’t covered.
If you have a garage, then you’ll save by keeping your car there overnight. You’ll also make savings if you can keep your car on a driveway. This is because there is more chance your car being broken into or vandalised if it’s kept on the road.
Give your insurer an accurate picture of how many miles you do each year you will save if you travel less.
Some occupations, like being a landlord, journalist or professional footballer (if only) attract higher premiums. You can save money if you work in finance or the civil service.
Get married! Men under 30 pay more if they’re not married it’s just the excuse your girlfriend is looking for!
Under 25’s pay more, but you can get lower premiums if can put a driver over the age of 25 with a good driving record on your policy as a named driver. That person must be under 60 though, as premiums rise again at that age.
Agreeing to higher excess (the average cost is 100) will help lower your premiums.
If your car is not of a high value, you could get third party cover and make quite a saving compared to fully comprehensive insurance.
Pay as you go insurance is a new option for 18-21 year olds. It’s a recent development introduced by Norwich Union, in which you pay a unit cost per mile. The cost per mile is more between 11pm and 6am. You pay an initial fee of 199 to have a Global Positioning System fitted to your car, and then it transmits details of your mileage direct to Norwich Union. They send you a monthly invoice and you pay for the miles you’ve done!
Taking Pass Plus lessons to improve your driving abilities could save you around a third on your premiums. They cost 15 - 30 an hour and cover driving at night, in busy rush hour jams and fast motorway driving. You can find out more at www.passplus.org.uk . You can also improve your driving skills and make insurance savings with the Institute of Advanced Motorists ( www.iam.org.uk ).
Find out the insurance group of a car before you make the purchase. There are twenty insurance groups the slower and less desirable the car (to criminals) then the lower the rating. You could make considerable savings by choosing a car in a lower insurance group.
If you want a high spec or performance car then you can expect to pay a lot more on your insurance. They’re a lot more likely to be stolen or involved in an accident. Making the sensible choice might be a bit boring, but it will be a lot cheaper.
Watch your speed. Most insurance companies will let you get away with a single fixed penalty fine but if you repeat the offence then your premiums will rocket.
Protect your no claims discount as soon as you can (usually after four years). It costs a bit extra but it’s well worth it.
Satellite navigation in your car will lower your premiums. Insurers have found that people concentrate more on their driving and less on trying to find their way, which means less chance of having an accident.
It’s a good idea to have an engine immobiliser or alarm fitted not just because it could help you keep hold of your car, it will also make you a saving of 5-8%.
If there’s two or more cars in the household, get them on the same policy to get a good discount.
Probably the most important thing when you’re looking for cheap car insurance is to shop around. You need to look at competing products, and let the companies that you’re dealing with know that you are looking around as well. Many companies do have flexibility with the packages they are prepared to offer you, and this goes double if you go to an insurance broker, who makes their livelihood by making deals between private citizens and insurance companies.
There are some factors that can work in your favor when it comes to getting reduced costs for your car insurance. Are you female? Are you over 25? Are you in good health? Do you have a completely clear driving record? All of these things can work in your favor. The less of a risk you can prove yourself to be, then the chances are better that you can get lower premiums.
Other ways that you can get reductions on your car insurance are to package your car insure with house, contents and or life insurance. Having all your insurance together means that you might be able to get one relatively low premium, rather than having to pay separate premiums for each insurance need.
You can also look for reward deals. Some companies will drop their premiums for you if you’ve been with them for a certain amount of time without having an automobile altercation and needing to draw on your insurance to cover it. These can really work out to be much cheaper over time.
Another thing you can do to save yourself some money is limited insurance, meaning that you insure the car only for yourself, or perhaps for you and your partner. This will get reduced rates versus insurance that covers anyone driving your car, or insurance that covers your wild young teenagers driving your car.
The best way to get cheap car insurance though, is simply to be a safe driver.
An excess payment is the fixed contribution you must pay each time your car is repaired through your car insurance policy. Normally the payment is made directly to the accident repair garage when you collect the car. If your car is declared to be a write off, your insurance company will deduct the excess agreed on the policy from the settlement payment it makes to you.
If the accident was the other drivers fault, and this is accepted by the third party’s insurer, you’ll be able to reclaim your excess payment from the other person’s insurance company. But what if the other driver is uninsured?
All motorists know that it’s a legal requirement (under Section 143 of the 1988 Road Traffic Act) to have insurance for any damage they cause to third parties. But still many drive without insurance. An estimate of the incidence of uninsured driving in the UK is hard to come by and, for the obvious reasons, those drivers involved in breaking the law have every reason to keep quiet about it.
Calculations from the Department of Transport suggest that in the UK around 5% of vehicles are being driven without valid insurance. This group of people not only impose costs on honest motorists in the form of higher premiums, but their presence on our roads also represents a serious risk to other road users. Consequently, uninsured driving is increasingly being regarded as a major social problem.
But driving without insurance is not a victimless crime. If you have an accident with an uninsured driver and the accident wasn’t your fault, the repair costs will be paid for by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau that’s funded in its entirety by the industry, or by your insurer. Therefore, if you’re involved in an accident caused by an uninsured driver you’ll eventually get you car repaired but you’ll still have to pay the excess and there’ll be no one to reclaim your excess from.
What is a Compulsory Excess?
A compulsory excess is the minimum excess payment your insurer will accept on your insurance policy. Minimum excesses do vary according to your personal details and driving record and by insurance company. Today the average excess is around £100, but younger drivers could be faced with excesses of up to £500 - whilst more mature, experienced drivers with a good driving record, could be offered an excess of just £50.
So what is a Voluntary Excess?
In order to reduce your insurance premium, you may offer to pay a higher excess than the compulsory excess demanded by your insurance company. Your voluntary excess is the extra amount over and above the compulsory excess that you agree to pay in the event of a claim on the policy. As a bigger excess reduces the financial risk carried by your insurer, your insurer I able to offer you a significantly lower premium.
The garage has repaired my car but it won’t release the car too me until I pay the policy excess to them. Is this right?
Yes, that is normal practice. But make sure you inspect the car when you collect it. Satisfy yourself that the repair is perfect. Then make sure you keep their receipt for your excess payment as you will need this if you’re reclaiming against a third party’s insurance. And just in case there’s a dispute, it’s a good idea to make sure the repair garage gives you a repair schedule. This will list all the repairs that were made to you car.