The eco-friendly way to get around is not always the safest, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The organization has recently pointed to the dangers associated with mixing low-speed vehicles and minitrucks with regular traffic. These golf carts and off-road cargo-hauling vehicles are lighter on emissions than their conventional counterparts, but are not prepared to protect drivers in an accident, according to the institute. Forty-six states currently allow low-speed vehicles on roads, and many provide tax credits for consumers who purchase them, according to the report. Minitrucks have also experienced increased access, with 16 states currently permitting them on roads. "By allowing LSVs and minitrucks on more and more kinds of roads, states are carving out exceptions to 40 years of auto safety regulations that save lives," David Zuby, chief research officer for the institute, said. "It's a troubling trend that flies in the face of the work insurers, automakers and the federal government have done to reduce crash risk." Because many of these vehicles do not meet crashworthy standards regulated for larger cars, those who operate them may face increased injuries and auto insurance claims following an accident. Free Insurance Quotes! Medicare Beneficiaries Get 'Extra Help' 06/08/2010
Limited income will no longer stand between Medicare beneficiaries and the health care treatment they need, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The Low-Income Subsidy Program - or "Extra Help" - effective this year will keep generic drug costs at $2.50 or less for Medicare beneficiaries, while brand-name drugs will cost no more than $6.30. About 1.8 million people with Medicare could be eligible for these savings, according to the report. "These changes to the 'Extra Help' program make it easier for more people to get help paying for their prescription drugs," Marilyn Tavenner, CMS principal deputy administrator, said. "Even if you were turned down for 'Extra Help' before, you should reapply." The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 also makes Medicare more affordable for many individuals by changing income calculation to exclude life insurance coverage and financial assistance from family and friends used toward food, rent, utilities and mortgage payments. Medicare beneficiaries must have income below $16,245 and no more than $12,510 in resources, which includes stocks, bonds and bank accounts. This government-sponsored health insurance program will also benefit from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Free Insurance Quotes If you hate cold-calling and would rather do just about anything but, you’re not alone. An article last week from Reuters News revealed something quite surprising: According to a recent online survey, most salespeople would rather give up sex for a month than make cold calls for a week! In fact, of all the options presented to survey takers, the only event deemed worse than making sales calls to someone you don’t know was having a root canal! Besides cold-calling, having a root canal and giving up sex, choices for least appealing activity ranged from being a surprise guest on a reality television show to speaking in front of an audience. In this day and age, cold calling has essentially become obsolete. It makes no sense to pick up the phone and call prospects if they’re really not prospects at all. In other words, if they haven’t already expressed an interest in what you’re selling, you’re probably wasting your time—and that’s something you can’t afford to do. Buying targeted leads, on the other hand, sends you directly to the right customers: those who are looking for you and the products you sell. When you purchase leads that fit that mold, you neither forfeit the pleasureable nor work unproductively. You simply find middle ground. Get Insurance leads done right: right here! Don’t Become a Target 06/08/2010
If you keep an eye on the news, you may have seen a story recently regarding the professional wrestler known as ”Hulk Hogan.” Following a car accident involving his son, who was street racing in Clearwater, Fla., Hogan filed suit against his insurer, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, saying it failed to recommend an umbrella policy that could have protected he and his son financially. Apparently, in his recklessness, the younger man caused a crash that left a passenger in another vehicle with severe brain injuries. The injured man then took him to court, and the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum of money. If this sounds a bit hokey to you, you’re not alone. My first impression after reading this story was that Hogan’s son should take responsibility for his own actions. After all, isn’t that what we preach to our kids about growing up? How could an individual blame their insurer for their own neglect anyway? Other celebrities have tried this tack too. But it appears the problem is more widespread than that. More and more desperate business owners, faced with hard times and growing debt, also seem to be lashing out by filing lawsuits against their insurance agents, financial planners and service providers. Why? It’s simple: Because they have deep pockets. According to Attorney Nancy M. Reimer, an attorney in Boston, issues with errors and omissions, financial planning and taxation lend themselves to service providers becoming scapegoats for those who have nothing to lose by filing suit—especially if the provider is wealthy or heavily insured. But what can you do to protect yourself from unscrupulous people like this? “As an advisor, insurance agent or financial planner, all you can do is advise,” Reimer told IFAwebnews.com recently. “You can’t force them to take what you suggest….” To protect yourself against this type of risk, Reimer says you should always provide a letter that spells out exactly what services you provide. Then, if both you and the client agree, you should each sign the letter. What if the customer objects? “In most cases, the client will just sign it,” Reimer explains. “If they won’t, then blame it on the lawyer or the insurance carrier,” if that’s what it takes to get them to sign. Reimer also suggests that agents document all the recommendations they make to protect themselves from later suit. “At least then you have some protection,” she concludes. Whether over a personal or a business matter, it appears that desperate times lead some people to desperate measures. So do what you can to protect yourself from becoming a target. The future of your business may depend on it. Agents! Sell More, Make More! Get Quality Insurance Leads Here! Don’t Become a Target 06/08/2010
If you keep an eye on the news, you may have seen a story recently regarding the professional wrestler known as ”Hulk Hogan.” Following a car accident involving his son, who was street racing in Clearwater, Fla., Hogan filed suit against his insurer, Wells Fargo Insurance Services, saying it failed to recommend an umbrella policy that could have protected he and his son financially. Apparently, in his recklessness, the younger man caused a crash that left a passenger in another vehicle with severe brain injuries. The injured man then took him to court, and the case was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum of money. If this sounds a bit hokey to you, you’re not alone. My first impression after reading this story was that Hogan’s son should take responsibility for his own actions. After all, isn’t that what we preach to our kids about growing up? How could an individual blame their insurer for their own neglect anyway? Other celebrities have tried this tack too. But it appears the problem is more widespread than that. More and more desperate business owners, faced with hard times and growing debt, also seem to be lashing out by filing lawsuits against their insurance agents, financial planners and service providers. Why? It’s simple: Because they have deep pockets. According to Attorney Nancy M. Reimer, an attorney in Boston, issues with errors and omissions, financial planning and taxation lend themselves to service providers becoming scapegoats for those who have nothing to lose by filing suit—especially if the provider is wealthy or heavily insured. But what can you do to protect yourself from unscrupulous people like this? “As an advisor, insurance agent or financial planner, all you can do is advise,” Reimer told IFAwebnews.com recently. “You can’t force them to take what you suggest….” To protect yourself against this type of risk, Reimer says you should always provide a letter that spells out exactly what services you provide. Then, if both you and the client agree, you should each sign the letter. What if the customer objects? “In most cases, the client will just sign it,” Reimer explains. “If they won’t, then blame it on the lawyer or the insurance carrier,” if that’s what it takes to get them to sign. Reimer also suggests that agents document all the recommendations they make to protect themselves from later suit. “At least then you have some protection,” she concludes. Whether over a personal or a business matter, it appears that desperate times lead some people to desperate measures. So do what you can to protect yourself from becoming a target. The future of your business may depend on it. Agents! Sell More, Make More! Get Quality Insurance Leads Here! Life Insurance and Murder! 06/08/2010
Whodunit? The husband, for the insurance money! Is your spouse trying to kill you for the insurance money? Let’s hope not. But if s/he is, s/he wouldn’t be the first to attempt such a heinous crime. It’s hard to know how often people get away with “offing” their spouses or family members for the insurance money, but a quick Google search reveals that quite a few would-be beneficiaries get caught and tossed in the clink, goosing the ratings of CourtTV in the process. The creepy thing about life insurance is that it creates a rather undesirable situation in which other people stand to benefit monetarily from your death. In the presence of the wrong people, your life insurance policy becomes, in effect, a bounty on your head. Life-insurance-related murder is the most insidious form of insurance fraud, which is any kind of lying—staged accidents, calculated omission, willful negligence—in order to obtain payment from an insurer. Though it must be said that the guy who burns down houses and collects from insurers is a saint next to these two ladies, who preyed upon two homeless men by setting them up with insurance policies and then killing them. Perhaps the creepiest case of life-insurance-related murder: Olga Rutterschmidt and Helen Golay, both in their 70s, killed two homeless men, setting them up with insurance policies, drugging them and running them over with their car. In April 2008, Olga Rutterschmidt, 75 and Helen Golay, 77, were found guilty of murdering Kenneth McDavid and Paul Vados, two homeless men living in Los Angeles. With each murder, Rutterschmidt and Golay won the victim’s trust, even putting them each up in apartments. Then they forged life insurance applications and waited (to avoid rousing suspicion from insurers when it came time to cash in). McDavid and Vados were each found dead in alleys after being drugged and run over. Police suspicion mounted when they observed the similarities between murders: both cases appeared to be hit and runs, and both men were claimed by strange elderly women. When this case became public knowledge, in 2006, we followed it with morbid curiosity on the InsureMe Agent Blog. The two elderly ladies were found guilty in the spring of 2008 and are serving life sentences in federal prison. Murder and the Law According to Prof. Bill Long, a legal consultant and prolific web essayist, “under the common law, a person who ‘feloniously and intentionally’ killed another is barred from receiving the proceeds of a life insurance policy on the victim.” Makes sense … “But what was interesting about the CL rule,” Long says on his Web site, DrBillLong.com, “is that it didn't require conviction of the crime to bar recovery … the civil standard of liability rather than the criminal standard of guilt is what is required.” In other words manslaughter—which includes willful negligence—can also bar someone from cashing in on a policy. It needn’t be blatant murder. Other states have felt the need to get more specific by initiating “slayer statutes,” which further codify bans on profiting from spousal death. Other states have insurance-related codes; Long cites this one from Texas: The interest of a beneficiary in a life insurance policy or contract heretofore or hereafter issued shall be forfeited when the beneficiary is the principal or an accomplice in willfully bringing about the death of the insured. When such is the case, the nearest relative of the insured shall receive said insurance. When Insurance Companies are Liable Some state courts have recognized that there are times when an insurer should be aware when something fishy is going on—when a person named as the beneficiary had no “insurable interest” in the insured. New York lawyer Norman L. Tolle, who represents health and life insurance carriers, and has written on the subject of insurance-related murder and the obligations insurers have to be on the lookout for shady behavior. In this article, Tolle notes an important case, Liberty National Life Insurance Co. v. Weldon, in which the Alabama Supreme Court held that insurers have a responsibility to “use reasonable care not to create a situation which may prove to be a stimulus for murder.” The 1957 case involved the murder of a 2-year-old by her aunt, who had been named a beneficiary on a life insurance policy for the child despite having no role in the child’s upbringing. The father of the child sued the insurer for failing to exercise “reasonable diligence” in ensuring the aunt had an insurable interest in her niece’s life. Here’s what the court found: It has long been recognized by this court and practically all courts in this country that an insured is placed in a position of extreme danger where a policy of insurance is issued on his life in favor of a beneficiary who has no insurable interest. . . . Where this court has found that such policies are unreasonably dangerous to the insured because of the risk of murder and for this reason has declared such policies void, it would be an anomaly to hold that insurance companies have no duty to use reasonable care not to create a situation which may prove to be a stimulus for murder. In this case, the company didn’t even bother to notify the child’s parents that the aunt was taking out an insurance policy of their daughter. The parents found out about the policy only after the death of their child. Conclusion Even with extreme vigilance on the part of insurers and the insured, there will always be stories about people killing in order to, um, expedite their beneficiary status. Where there’s greed and opportunity, there are ripe conditions for insurance murder. CourtTV is counting on it. For Free Life Insurance Quotes Click Here! Dangerous Dogs Pose Insurance Debate 06/08/2010
Americans love their dogs. In many households, canines are considered part of the family, participating in daily and weekend activities, along with other family members. Though dogs can be loving and fun—and offer never-ending companionship—they can also be unpredictable: sweet and docile one minute, and aggressive and dangerous the next, depending on the situation. With risk like that, homeowners who are dog owners should carefully consider the dog/s they choose to be part of the family and consult with their insurance company before bringing those cute little canines home for good. Insurers Getting Skittish Liability insurance covering dog bites and injury should be a part of every dog owner’s financial portfolio. But for those who own certain breeds, finding an insurance company willing to offer coverage for dog bite or injury may be difficult. In fact, some insurers are beginning to:
Insuring ‘Problem’ Dogs Which dogs make getting insured most troublesome? The CDC published a ‘most dangerous breed’ list, and insurers tend to use it to determine liability insurance rates, along with other factors like the dog’s weight, age, gender and history. For those who own one of these top ten offending breeds, getting—or remaining—insured may present the most challenge: —Pit Bull Type —Rottweiler —German Shepherd —Husky Type —Malamute —Wolf-Dog Hybrid —Chow Chow —Doberman —Saint Bernard —Great Dane If you own one of these breeds of dogs and are wondering what it’ll cost to insure it, here’s a general guideline: You can usually get about $100,000 worth of coverage for $700 to $1,000 per year. However, due to the inflated cost of medical care these days, many experts recommend you get at least $300,000 in dog bite coverage in case of severe injury. Otherwise, if your dog bites or injures someone, you’ll be paying the difference out of your own pocket. In addition, if your dog has a history of biting or seriously injuring someone else, you may pay 30 to 50 percent more for the privilege of owning and insuring it. Making Sure You’re Covered If you’re not sure whether or not your insurance policy extends coverage to your dog, read the fine print or call your agent to find out. If you find out the dog isn’t covered, you might want to consider purchasing a personal umbrella liability policy, which increases the amount of liability insurance your insurer will pay out on. This protects you from financial harm and devastation if your dog hurts someone and you’re held liable. No matter what kind of dog you own, we hope you enjoy it for years! Meanwhile, talk to an InsureMe agent to make sure your dog—and you—have the insurance protection you need. For Free Home Insurance Quotes Click Here! Fake Breasts, Real Insurance 06/08/2010
Considering breast implants for yourself or a loved one? Before you run off to the plastic surgeon and schedule augmentation, you might want to check your bank account balance first. Unless you're recovering from mastectomy due to cancer, your health insurance company isn't likely to cover the cost of those fake breasts for cosmetic reasons—or any of the expense that goes along with them. Why? Because insurance takes into consideration both risk and cost. Your insurer considers putting your life at risk for a surgery you don't really need unwise. Therefore, unless there are unusual circumstances related to your health, it won't normally pay for implant surgery. The True Cost of Implants Implantation costs $4,000 to $7,000, according to WebMD. That's expensive, and is difficult for many people to produce on their own. If you or someone you love decides to undergo breast implant surgery, some of the costs you'll incur include:
At around $2,000 each, MRIs can be expensive, and present additional costs you probably didn't expect—and, again,??must cover yourself. Fake Breasts & Your Insurance Some insurance companies consider implants a pre-existing condition. This may make getting insured??much more difficult, and a waiting period may be??required before you can get group coverage under an employer's??health insurance plan.?? If you are??insured prior to surgery and you suffer complications, at that point your insurance company might do one or all of the following:
Though some implant manufacturers offer lifetime guarantees and replacements at no cost, the costs associated with surgery may not be included—and removing implants often costs more than putting them in. Implants: Are They Worth It? As you can see, those fake breasts carry with them some very real concerns that shouldn't be ignored. So consider these things carefully before making your final decision about implantation. Your health, finances and insurance coverage may be at greater risk than you think. Click here for FREE health insurance quotes! Shopping for auto insurance sometimes seems like an overwhelming process. Hundreds of auto insurance specialists constantly vie for your business, making the decision of which one to choose complicated. But choosing one that will always be there to meet your needs, answer your questions and give you the personalized service you want can be done. Here's how. Company Stability Company stability is one of the most important elements to consider when searching for the right car insurance company, and is easily determined by visiting a few key Web sites. The first place to check is your state department of insurance, easily found by conducting a search on your favorite search engine. Your state's DOI can tell you whether insurers are licensed to conduct business in your state, and how particular providers rate, according to consumers who have already done business with them. Check each company's ability to pay claims by examining its financial strength rating. Independent ratings companies like Standard & Poor's, A.M. Best and Moody's provide categories against which you may compare insurers' stability. You can contact the insurers themselves for their company ratings, or request them from these ratings services. Customer Service Many DOIs create a complaint ratio that takes into account both business volume and overall customer satisfaction. It is important to compare insurers of equal size to get a true feel for how they rate in both categories comparatively. But complaint rate is only one important measure of customer service. Other issues to consider include insurer claims hours, convenience and ease in finding an office near you, and customer service philosophy. You want an insurer who will work to meet your needs, making it easy to file a claim or get reimbursed for repairs following an accident. It is important to determine what is most important to you before selecting a company to fit your particular situation. Often, the customer service you receive depends upon carrier size. Local or regional carriers have far fewer offices but may give you more personalized service. Larger, national specialists may have many offices but make you feel like just another number, rather than a valuable customer. Become knowledgeable about how others rate providers before deciding to use their services yourself. What friends, family and other consumers have to say could help you find the best insurer around—or save you a lot of heartache. Making the Final Choice Don't let finding an auto insurance specialist confuse you. Find out how stable and reliable each insurer is before you make that final decision. Then proceed with confidence, knowing you've done everything possible to ensure a positive experience. Get Free Car Insurance Quotes! Advantages of Online shopping 09/09/2009
Convenience Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day, and many consumers have Internet access both at work and at home. A visit to a conventional retail store requires travel and must take place during business hours. Searching or browsing an online catalog can be faster than browsing the aisles of a physical store. Consumers with dial-up Internet connections rather than broadband have much longer load times for content-rich web sites and have a considerably slower online shopping experience. Some consumers prefer interacting with people rather than computers (and vice versa), sometimes because they find computers hard to use. Not all online retailers have succeeded in making their sites easy to use or reliable. In most cases, merchandise must be shipped to the consumer, introducing a significant delay and potentially uncertainty about whether or not the item was actually in stock at the time of purchase. Bricks and clicks stores offer the ability to buy online but pick up in a nearby store. Many stores give the consumer the delivery company's tracking number for their package when shipped, so they can check its status online and know exactly when it will arrive. For efficiency reasons, online stores generally do not ship products immediately upon receiving an order. Orders are only filled during warehouse operating hours, and there may be a delay of anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to a few weeks before in-stock items are actually packaged and shipped. Many retailers inform customers how long they can expect to wait before receiving a package, and whether or not they generally have a fulfillment backlog. A quick response time is sometimes an important factor in consumers' choice of merchant. A weakness of online shopping is that, even if a purchase can be made 24 hours a day, the customer must often be at home during normal business hours to accept the delivery. For many professionals this can be difficult, and absence at the time of delivery can result in delays, or in some cases, return of the item to the retailer. Automated delivery booths, such as DHL's Packstation, have tried to address this problem. In the event of a problem with the item - it is not what the consumer ordered, or it is not what they expected - consumers are concerned with the ease with which they can return an item for the correct one or for a refund. Consumers may need to contact the retailer, visit the post office and pay return shipping, and then wait for a replacement or refund. Some online companies have more generous return policies to compensate for the traditional advantage of physical stores. For example, the online shoe retailer Zappos.com includes labels for free return shipping, and does not charge a restocking fee, even for returns which are not the result of merchant error. (Note: In the United Kingdom, Online shops are prohibited from charging a restocking fee if the consumer cancels their order in accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Act 2000.) Information and reviews Online stores must describe products for sale with text, photos, and multimedia files, whereas in a physical retail store, the actual product and the manufacturer's packaging will be available for direct inspection (which might involve a test drive, fitting, or other experimentation). Some online stores provide or link to supplemental product information, such as instructions, safety procedures, demonstrations, or manufacturer specifications. Some provide background information, advice, or how-to guides designed to help consumers decide which product to buy. Some stores even allow customers to comment or rate their items. There are also dedicated review sites that host user reviews for different products. In a conventional retail store, clerks are generally available to answer questions. Some online stores have real-time chat features, but most rely on e-mail or phone calls to handle customer questions. Price and selection One advantage of shopping online is being able to quickly seek out deals for items or services with many different vendors (though some local search engines do exist to help consumers locate products for sale in nearby stores). Search engines and online price comparison services can be used to look up sellers of a particular product or service. Shoppers find a greater selection online in certain market segments (for example, computers and consumer electronics) and in some cases lower prices. This is due to a relaxation of certain constraints, such as the size of a "brick-and-mortar" store, lower stocking costs (or none, if drop shipping is used), and lower staffing overhead. Shipping costs (if applicable) reduce the price advantage of online merchandise, though depending on the jurisdiction, a lack of sales tax may compensate for this. Shipping a small number of items, especially from another country, is much more expensive than making the larger shipments bricks-and-mortar retailers order. Some retailers (especially those selling small, high-value items like electronics) offer free shipping on sufficiently large orders. | AuthorWebmaster Kiemainc.net ArchivesJune 2010 Shopping
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