Tips for Saving Money on Insurance Premiums
For those who are looking to save some money in the new year, it may be beneficial to research some ways to reduce the costs of car insurance premiums. There are a variety of ways to pay less money each month. The following are some ideas to consider implementing in order to reduce monthly spending:
Liability Coverage on Older Vehicles
For anyone who has older vehicles, carrying only liability insurance is one way to reduce premiums. This is especially helpful for those who have older vehicles in addition to their vehicles used for primary transportation. Removing the collision and comprehensive pay can be a good way to reduce spending, particularly if the value of the vehicle is low. It could be that the cost of insuring the vehicle is higher than the replacement value.
One main consideration with this idea is whether or not there are payments due on the car. For anyone who is still financing, the agency may not allow a drop in coverage until it is paid in full. Also, if there is no way to replace the vehicle in the event of a crash, full coverage may be needed until funds are in place to do so.
Inquire About Safe Driver Discounts
Many agencies will offer discounts to those who have a clean driving record. These discounts are typically provided to those who have no tickets or accidents on their driving record in a specified timeframe. In addition, drivers should not have made any claims for comprehensive repairs, such as broken windshields.
Ask About Discounts for Good Grades
For those with children of driving age, a good report card can prove to be beneficial with regard to insurance costs. Discounts are often provided to kids who maintain a certain grade point average. The amount of the discount will vary from agency to agency. Also, the insurance agent will likely ask for proof of grade point average from time to time, so be prepared to provide that information on a regular basis.
Do Not Drive As Often
For those who are at a point in which they are not driving as often as they used to, agencies may provide a discount for doing so. If driving less is not an option, there still may be options to attain this discount. This can be done through carpooling or traveling using public transportation. This not only accomplishes the goal of spending less, but it will also save money in fuel costs, maintenance, and repairs on a vehicle. For those interested in this type of discount, the agency may require a device to be placed in the car to track mileage. Alternatively, the insurer may request a manual report of mileage on a regular basis.
Saving money is often a priority for many families, and saving on insurance premiums is an ideal place to start. Check with different insurers to see if additional discounts are offered that are different from the current agencies. It may be worthwhile to change providers to take advantage of these cost-saving measures.
By Andrew Stratton
Buying Financial Insurance in Canada
If you're a Canadian and have been in the workforce for a decade or more, then you know that your income purchases less today than the first year of your working career. Inflation is a part of our society and while our government continues to devalue our money by printing more and more of it, inflation will undoubtedly continue. This is not only a Canadian concern though. All around the world people are feeling the effects of inflation due to excessive money printing; but more on that another time. The long-and-short-of-it all is this: YOUR MONEY WILL continue to BUY LESS as the years go by.
A quick 100-year calculation using the Bank of Canada (BoC) inflation calculator showed the cost of a fixed "basket" of consumer purchases in 1915 was $100.00. At the end of 2015 that cost was $2,083.61. More recently, over the last 10 years prices have gone up 18.01%. Has your income gone up by the same or greater?
The answer is probably, No.
Whether you're a six-figure earner or you make 30k a year, your "money" is losing buying power. There are a lot of ways that you can protect your money from devaluation but we'll discuss two common options people take.
One option is the stock market; put a lump of your savings into a portfolio and see what happens. Sounds like gambling to me. But if you're prepared to leave your finances up to other factors (and people) other than your own due diligence, then putting your money into stocks may be a good fit for you under the following two conditions:
You have the stomach for volatility and,
Your primary objective is to see a substantial return in a short period of time... hopefully.
Another option, and this tends to be the easiest and most selected, is to open a bank savings account. No hassle involved; just open the account, decide how much you want to save and how often, put it on auto-pilot and watch your savings grow.
Really?
In today's economy, bank savings accounts are not a viable savings vehicle. Most of the interest rates offered are earning below inflation rates. The sad reality is many savers make a future withdrawal only to realize that thy have lost money on an after-inflation basis.
So, what do you do if you're not a savvy investor?
Buy financial insurance.
We have insurance for almost every aspect of our lives yet insurance is something many of us hopes we never need to use.
Buying financial insurance in Canada, or anywhere else for that matter, is putting your money into a vehicle that is protected long-term from the ups and downs of the volatile economy.
Buying financial insurance preserves your buying power and provides a hedge against inflation.
The global economy is changing but the only economy that should matter to you is yours.
Take the time to get further educated on buying financial insurance in Canada.
As an independent insurance advisor and income protection specialist for almost a decade, Ryan has been providing clients with customized personal insurance and financial solutions through disability, life, critical illness, long-term care, and other personal insurance products while providing strategies for hedging income and preserving wealth.
By Ryan D. Forrester
How To Get The Best Insurance Quotes
What things should you keep in mind when looking for a way to make payments to your current insurer without any hassle? What does the insurance cover? Can you go for the online insurance option? Read on for the answers to these commonly asked questions.
Most people tend to pay their insurance company whatever amount they demand in order to avoid the hassle. But is it compulsory for you to get car insurance quotes from a local company? No, you are not bound to do so, especially if you have access to the Internet. Almost, everything costs you loss if you buy it online, isn't it? So, why can't you get insurance quotes online? Of course, you can.
How to get quotes?
There is no doubt that the web has brought a revolution in the world of car insurance. Nowadays, getting insurance quotes from the comfort of your home is a piece of cake. There are so many insurance providers online that their quotes have become quite competitive.
So, how can you get quotes online? Well, it is simple. All you need to do is go to an insurance site offering quotes online upon request. Once you have chosen a site, you can enter your details and the hit Enter. You will get a quote instantly or after a few hours in your email. As an alternative, you can try out an insurance aggregator website, which will submit your entered information to a number of online insurers. You will get a lot of quotes in seconds in your desired order.
Once you have got the cheapest quote, you can complete your transaction by phone or through the website of the company that offered the quote.
Choose a responsive provider
Most people have to deal with dishonest insurers since they don't have the information they need. With the advent of online insurance companies, it has become a lot easier to get cheap insurance. If you have no idea where to go and what to do, you may want to try out an insurance quote aggregator site. What do you need to keep in mind during your research? The first and foremost thing is that you should not go with a company offering the lowest quotes and low quality service. The insurer should be ready to answer your questions when you call them. Moreover, they should respond to your emails and calls promptly.
Lastly, it is very important to keep in mind that you should go with only an insurance provider who is popular and trust worthy. What does this mean? How can you find out if an insurance provider is trusty worthy? You can easily weed good providers out of bad ones. You just need to go to insurance provider review sites and then read reviews on several providers. At the end, you should choose one that has lots of positive reviews.
So, if you are looking for cheap insurance quotes, you can use the two methods explained above. Since there are so many insurance providers online, it looks like the days of conventional, local brokers have been numbered. With the passage of time, online insurance quote providers will run circles around local providers.
By Jovia D'Souza
Unemployment Insurance - The Controllable Tax
While often overlooked, unemployment insurance (UI) tax is a unique and interesting business obligation, because it is the tax over which a company has significant control. The ability to control both the size of the base exposed to taxation as well as the tax rate itself means planning opportunities exist here that are not found in other forms of taxation.
Consider that:
It may be altogether avoidable, depending on your state, business structure and appropriate use of independent contractors, and
It is highly responsive to behaviors and actions that you can control, monitor and measure.
Unlike a sales or income tax, unemployment insurance does not directly tax revenue or profitability. Rather, it is similar to an ad valorem tax in that it is a type of tax on productive capacity. But unlike an ad valorem tax, a company has control over the base on which that tax is levied. UI is based on a measure of payroll and smart job structuring and hiring decisions allow a company to maximize revenue with a certain sized workforce while minimizing payroll exposed to taxation.
Unlike other taxes, unemployment insurance tax rate is experience rated. This means that, in most states, a company's rate is based largely on its previous success in defending UI claims. Because of this experience rating aspect of UI, implementing effective changes today benefits not only the current quarter, but the years to come.
Companies that operate with UI consequences in mind can realize benefits beyond a lower tax rate. Often they see improvements in HR and communication processes in addition to becoming more efficient due to some standardization. In implementing changes, proactivity is the key and the human resources department is where most of the work must be done - especially in the areas of position announcement, selection, communication and retention.
It was mentioned that in the appropriate use of independent contractors can help a company avoid unemployment taxation altogether. But "appropriate" must be understood in light of UI laws in the state(s) where it does business. Each state's law regarding independent contractors must be understood or the company could face contractors being reclassified as employees.
However, if properly managed, unemployment insurance can be reduced until it's a relatively small business obligation. But to accomplish this, companies must implement change with an in-depth understanding of their state's UI laws, policy and practices. Thus, company's should consider consulting with experts in each new state where they are doing business, rather than learn state specific legislation as mistakes are made.
By Charles McCormick
Do Childcare Facilities Need Employment Practices Liability Insurance?
Protection for You
You've got a state-of-the-art child daycare built around a warm, clean and safe atmosphere. The teachers are handpicked professionals that give kids undivided attention, stimulation and fun learning. Children are happy. Staff is fulfilled. Parents are proud. What could go wrong?
Unfortunately, a lot of things - that your general business liability insurance does not cover.
Childcare Claim Examples that Really Occurred!
• Third Party Liability: After a Montessori School stated they could not admit a child due to licensed limited capacity, the parents sued for racial discrimination. The parents insisted that the school had a non-admission policy for African American children and mentioned the fact that the student body did not contain even one African American. Defense and Settlement costs totaled: $67,000.
• Internet / Email Liability: An administrative assistant for a childcare facility sent an email to all employees instead of her intended single recipient. The email contained an embarrassing inappropriate joke. The center's director instructed the employee to send a subsequent apology email to everyone. Just 2 months later, an employee that was laid off due to company downsizing, sued because of a hostile work environment and cited the inappropriate email as proof of an atmosphere that did not respect her religious principles. The facility was discomfited and uninterested in having this lawsuit revealed to the parents.
• Retaliation: An Indian childcare employee objected to the racial insults directed at him by some of his fellow workers. As a result, the owner assigned him to another room where there was less of a staff presence. The new situation warranted less work-time and therefore his hours were reduced. The slighted employee sued the childcare center for discrimination and retaliation for relating the discrimination. Defense and Settlement costs totaled: $125,000.
• Wage and Hour: A Non-Exempt head teacher was covertly tracking hours as she worked the overtime that was requested of her. As a salaried worker, this teacher never mentioned any grievance about the additional workload. When the owner was served a wage-and-hour lawsuit by the teacher, he was caught by surprise. Although there was no way to discern if the teacher's calculations regarding her work hours were precise, the center was guided by their lawyer to settle for the presented amount rather than take the risk of other present and past employees joining the lawsuit.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Employee-related claims come at a steep price. Protect your childcare center from a lawsuit with an EPLI plan that's tailored to you.
EPLI
An EPLI policy protects you against lawsuit claims made by current, past and possible employers, as well as visitors. It's coverage for a wide range of suits that stem from:
1. Wrongful termination
2. Discrimination
3. Sexual harassment
4. Service refusal
5. Other employee claims
Visit http://www.primeins.com/ for the best coverage and quotes. Located in Lakewood, NJ, PRIME Insurance is affiliated with tens of the top insurance companies. Experienced and caring, with a reputation that bespeaks excellence, PRIME provides protective plans for the Tri-State area and beyond. Join the ranks of 10,000 plus satisfied customers today!
By M Wyzanski
Insurance for the Gum Industry? There's Coverage Every Chomp of the Way!
"I chew gum because it distracts me from eating and helps curb my appetite."
Those that think chewing gum can be used as an aid to dieting or to maintain proper food consumption, may have another thing coming to them. According to studies, the gains, made by the associated reduction of hunger, is mitigated by the resulting ingestion of less nutritious foods than non gum-chewers. Results of research in fact show that gum chewers are more prone to eat junk food, such as potato chips and candy. The junk food preference may well be the after-effects of the common gum mint flavor that causes fruit and vegetable to taste bitter.
Desperately need that stick of gum? Check out these suggestions to curb food cravings and relieve life's stress; they may just be the perfect substitute!
To reduce food cravings:
• Drink more water
• Exercise
• Don't skip breakfast
• Eat wholesome, protein-rich small meals, frequently, instead of three large daily meals
• Satisfy yourself with tea
To relieve life's stress:
• Eat wholesome foods and don't skip breakfast
• Enjoy a hot glass of chamomile or green tea
• Take a brisk walk
• Exercise
• Refresh yourself with a drink of water
• Catch a brief catnap
• Use relaxing breathing techniques
Who created gum in the first place?
Incredible as it seems, the concept of gum dates back at least to the time of the Greek Empire when people would chew on resin from the mastic tree, named specifically because of the chomping that it provided for humans. Back then, the activity served dually as a tooth-cleaning exercise and a breath freshener. Later, The New England colonists learned the art of spruce resin gum chewing from the Native Americans that they encountered.
Like many innovations, contemporary chewing gum is a product of a business manufacturing gaffe.
In 1869, the exiled previous Mexican president, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, lived in Staten Island. Hearing the rumors about latex derived from a tree in Yucatan that might be rubber's counterpart, he decided to try his luck in the venture despite any potential risks or liability losses that the undertaking might have. After purchasing a massive amount, he hired the inventor, Thomas Adams, to process it. Unfortunately, there was no insurance coverage policy that protected either de Santa Anna or Adams. Not only did the assignment fail, it left poor Adams with a surplus of 'useless' material.
Then, Adams detected some notable qualities in the substance. In its dried form, the latex was insoluble in water; in addition, it was fairly plastic. Placing it in his mouth, Adams discovered a chewable pleasure, likened to the paraffin matter sold in drug stores of the times.
In 1871, the 'failed' inventor patented his gum, ultimately adding flavors that forwarded his brand. Adam's gum became a genuine sensation when the Wrigley Company expanded the popularity with advertising.
Despite the success that developed until today, you can bet your bottom dollar that Wrigley's currently has the necessary general liability, business insurance and commercial auto insurance that protect their booming enterprise from lawsuits, claims, and so on.
As part of an ongoing series, PRIME Insurance features articles of interest and education at its website blog, http://www.primeins.com/insurance-news. Visit us and discover the winning formula that makes customers into informed insurance consumers. Armed with knowledge and an association with the leading agency, you'll be equipped to procure a tailored policy at a pleasing quote so that you can push worries aside.
By M Wyzanski
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