If you live in a No-fault state (DC, FL, HI, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NY, ND, PA, UT) that means you live in a state that both requires drivers to carry insurance for their own protection and places limitations on their ability to sue other drivers for damages. Your auto insurance company will pay for your damages (up to your policy limits), regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Any other drivers involved will be covered by their auto insurance policies. Since all are required to carry insurance, in theory, there should be no uninsured motorists in those states. Stop laughing; the term “in theory” was used!

These states opted for the no fault insurance system because it guarantees every driver immediate medical treatment in the event of an accident. Further, it’s intended to reduce the legal and administrative fees associated with insurance claims. Again, in theory, this should equate to lower premiums. Unfortunately, often times the liability issues that still remain will actually drive premium costs up.

However, because no state is pure no fault, drivers can always be held financially responsible for the cost of injuries they cause in certain circumstances ? that’s the loop hole. Some states allow injured parties to sue if their injuries meet certain standard for severity, while others allow it when total costs reach a certain dollar level.

Below is a classic case of a no-fault situation. Neighbor lived in a four-plex apartment building. It had a 4-stall garage along with a 4-stall wide driveway. Because the driveway was so wide it was second nature for the tenants to pull out of their parking spots and turn around in the driveway instead of backing into the street.

One Sunday afternoon, one of the tenants decided to go visit a friend. She got into her car and began backing out of the driveway in her normal manner. When all of a sudden she felt a bump and heard a scream. At first she thought she ran over her cat who would occasionally escape. She opened her car door and found half of a body. Scared half out of her mind, she shut the car off and ran into the house and immediately called 911.

The driver was too scared to go outside at that point. As far as she knew, the half body, belonging to one of her neighbors, was still under the car and the driver was certain the injuries were serious. Her left rear wheel had crossed her body from her thigh on one side on the diagonal to above her pelvic region. The driver later learned that some strong man from across the street came over and picked up the car so she could get out from underneath.

The neighbor announced that she was feeling fine and didn’t want to go to the hospital. But the police and ambulance didn’t feel the same way so they took her the four blocks to the hospital. Turns out the neighbor was sunbathing behind her car and somehow the driver didn’t see her when she walked to her car. She ended up with no broken bones, no internal injuries; just a tire track from her right thigh across to her left stomach.

The driver felt absolutely terrible, accepted full responsibility, wanted to do everything and more to make it up to her. The next day, the driver phoned the insurance company to explain to them what had happened. They asked her two questions. #1 Does she drive? (yes) and #2 Does she own a car? (yes). The insurance company informed the driver that due to No Fault insurance the neighbor’s own car insurance would have to cover the medical costs. The driver was clearly at fault, yet the driver’s insurance wouldn’t cover the damages even though it was her fault.

The driver went as far as to tell the neighbor to sue her since it was her fault and she felt totally responsible. The neighbor merely responded, “It was just an accident.” The lesson here – next time lay on the grass, instead of the drive way to sunbathe and risk the doggy doo.

Interesting No-Fault system, wouldn’t you say?

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The major credit card insurance programs offered include:

Purchase protection

If you purchase a product on your credit card that is later damaged, lost or stolen, you should be able to reclaim all or part of the purchase price cost from the insurance policy. Not only is this a useful protection to have if you purchase expensive or fragile products, but can also be a very good additional insurance to any home contents insurance policy you have.

Fraud protection

Policy covers you should you be the victim of fraudulent use of your card. With the rise of identity theft, and the ever increasing Internet fraud taking place, this policy not only covers the traditional fraud methods but should also cover you for any Internet or telephone fraud.

Stolen card protection

Provided you report your card stolen at the first opportunity you have once you have become aware of your card’s theft, this policy should reimburse you for any transactions processed on your card following your last genuine transaction.

Price protection

Not offered by all card providers, basically this policy will reimburse you the difference between the price you paid for a product and the cheaper price of the same product you later found elsewhere.

Travel insurance

If you purchase your holiday on your credit card there are two useful beneficial insurances you should check to see if you have. The first is a cancellation policy, which covers you in the event that you need to cancel your holiday between the period of purchasing the holiday and the date of travel.

The second is holiday accident insurance, which should cover you in the event that you have an accident ? including emergency accident evacuation – or are killed on holiday. Both of these are very useful to have as they can be a considerable extra on your holiday travel expenses if purchased independently.

Obviously all of the above credit card insurance schemes are subject to time and monetary limitations, so make sure you check these out. Additionally, you should also make sure that any purchases or use of your credit cards outside of the country of issue are also covered by the policy ? as, in some cases, they are not.

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There are four main varieties of credit insurance: Credit life insurance pays off all or some of your loan if you die. Credit disability insurance, also known as accident and health insurance, makes payments on the loan if you become ill or injured and can’t work. Involuntary unemployment insurance, also known as involuntary loss of income, makes your loan payments if you lose your job due to no fault of your own, such as a layoff. Credit property insurance protects personal property used to secure the loan if destroyed by events like theft, accident or natural disasters.

Shopping Tips

Before deciding to buy credit insurance from a lender, think about your needs, your options, and the rates you’re going to pay. You may decide you don’t need credit insurance. If you do, credit insurance can be an expensive form of insurance. For example, it may be less expensive and more practical for you to get life insurance than credit insurance. Before deciding to buy credit insurance, you should ask:

How much is the premium?

Will the premium be financed as part of the loan? If so, it will increase your loan amount and you’ll pay additional interest, and more for points (if points are on your loan).

Can you pay monthly instead of financing the entire premium as part of your loan?

How much lower would your monthly loan payment be without the credit insurance?

Will the insurance cover the full length of your loan and the full loan amount?

What are the limits and exclusions on payment of benefits – that is, spell out exactly what’s covered and what’s not.

Is there a waiting period before the coverage becomes effective?

If you have a co-borrower, what coverage does he or she have and at what cost?

Can you cancel the insurance? If so, what kind of refund is available?

Before you sign any loan papers, ask the lender whether the loan includes any charges for voluntary credit insurance. If you don’t want credit insurance, tell the lender. If the lender still pressures you to buy insurance, find another lender. And review your loan papers carefully to be sure they have been drawn up correctly. Lenders can’t deny you credit if you don’t buy optional credit insurance – and if you don’t buy it directly from them. If a lender tells you that you’ll only get the loan if you buy the optional credit insurance, report the lender to your state attorney general, your state insurance commissioner or the FTC. Consumers should ask these same questions about other extra products offered with their loan, such as auto or shopping clubs, home or auto security plans, and debt cancellation products.

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Although it is a very natural feeling and sometimes even a real life need or deep inner quest for power and control, it is not in their best financial interest to say the least.

It is no wonder that the U.S federal laws encourage long term payments in both cases like Structured settlements and lottery winnings. There are many good reasons for that and I’m going to spell them out as clear as I can.

- In some countries around the world it is legal to pay for lottery winning in one lump sum. Experience shows many of these people lose most or all of their money in a few years time, due to the following reasons:

- Ordinary people who get into their possession a very large sum of money don’t really know how to manage their treasure or how to invest it wisely, they are not prepared for it and they are overwhelmed with a delusion of over abundance of wealth, they become totally careless on how and on what they spend their money.

- Even if they invest their money, they go for high risk speculative investments as they try to get high yields. Instead of going for a much solid and safer, “widows & orphans” type of investment portfolio. Neither do they go for the golden middle way in between of a mixed portfolio. They don’t use investments advisers or financial consultants.

- They become over generous with their family and friends, they buy their children homes, cars or any other materialistic requests, they ” lend ” money to a friend in need…

- They listen to shrewd business people who talk them into investing into all kinds of business adventures that seems to them very profitable but in a short while turn into total failures and the money is gone.

- All kind of addictive behaviors like betting horse races or going to play the roulette in the casino are now intensified with the feeling of power and wealth, it might drive the person to gamble high sums of money as if there is no tomorrow.

- Believe it or not but criminal elements might engage in putting pressure to extort monies from the overnight rich poor guy. They might threaten to harm his family etc’

- Charity institutions start to call all day and night asking for donations to a very noble causes, they even send some slick reps to convince him to donate money.

- His own children, some times his spouse becomes very greedy and exert emotional pressure to give them more and more money. In some cases the sudden riches literally ruined the families.

As I have shown you above, getting a large lump sum of money might be a risky thing, this is In addition to the fact that you are loosing a lot of money which was Tax free, that alone might be a difference of anywhere between 35% – 65% , add to it the profits of the fund who bought the annuity from you and you are loosing big time. It is not recommended for an injured or a disabled person, to transform the whole Structured Settlement long term payments into one big lump sum or you might find yourself one day without the money and facing high medical expenses and other bills you cannot afford.

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Taking care of your personal health is very often overlooked. The daily life of the professional is fraught with burnout and responsibilities. Many of us juggle on a daily basis the demands of family, parenting and other essential duties. Even the regular duties of getting the dog to the vet, grocery shopping and paying the bills, to name a few, can become dreaded tasks. Eventually, we’re going to get burned out and possibly ill. There are strategies to keeping a healthy mind and body.

Start having a social life outside of work. Just like your daily “to-do” lists at work, start planning a social “to-do” list. In other words, don’t forget to have some fun. Listen to your favorite music for a few minutes each day. Take in a concert or musical affair. Go out to dinner occasionally.

Exercise. Start going to the gym or fitness club. A healthy physical body will give the hard working professional the energy needed to be both highly productive and active socially. Go for a short walk in your neighborhood. Get some fresh air and breath.

Manage your time wisely. Poor time management can be costly. Missing appointments or being late NEVER looks good. The client’s time is just as valuable as yours.

Aside from these tips to stay healthy physically, don’t forget your mental health. Be sure to take regular breaks away from your desk, the phone, the laptop or anything else keeping you chained to your desk.

So, you might ask, what does this mean for me? Many studies have shown that productivity levels significantly decrease for the professional that doesn’t take time for fun, a social life, rest and exercise. If you become both physically and mentally weary, your customers are going to notice.

Many professionals are keenly aware of the saying “presentation is everything”. When you present yourself to a potential client, be it on the phone or in person, it is important to be at your best. I don’t know about you but I would definitely re-think associating with any professional that was unkempt in appearance or tired and sluggish in communications with me. It is very difficult to convince your potential clients to accept your advice to stay healthy when you appear physically ill yourself. Be a role model of what you’re trying to sell. Now that you have some vital information to help you stay personally healthy, let’s examine some strategies to keep your business thriving and profitable.

Continuing Education

Many professional associations offer continuing education workshops, seminars or classes. If you are not a member of a group or organization in your field, then look into classes at an institution of higher learning. It is imperative that you keep up to date on the latest news or information regarding the type of insurance you provide. Don’t forget-classes in human psychology can go a long way in providing you an advantage to understanding your customers better.

Network! Network! Network! Experienced agents know that aligning themselves with a company that will appreciate their skills is a must. Building a customer base with a reliable and strong company that can bring the clients to you is valuable. Your reputation as an experienced, reliant and self-assured insurance agent will guarantee a successful business and many good leads for clients.

The Psychology Of It All

Building a relationship with your customer(s) is integral to your success as an insurance professional. People want quality service. They rely on you to guide them into making the best decisions around their insurance coverage needs. If they don’t trust that you know what you are doing (remember the continuing education and how you present yourself?), they will not buy anything you have to offer. How can we gain their trust?

First and foremost, if you have been informed of a potential client looking for insurance, contact them immediately. As mentioned earlier, people want quality service. A quickly returned phone call sets a good first impression. This action alone tells your customer you care about their needs and are interested in their inquiry.

Next, follow through with what you promised in a timely manner. For example, if you stated you would get back to them in 48 hours on a matter, then return your call within that time.

Be sure you are giving them the appropriate and best advice you can. Obviously, I can’t stress the “educational” component enough in this article. None of us knows the answer to everything and it is acceptable to say I don’t know to a client’s question. Let them know that you will find the answer.

A healthy, informed and experienced insurance agent that is genuinely attentive to their client’s best interests and communicates that effectively will have a successful business.

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One of the UK’s biggest car insurers, Norwich Union had stated that in 2007 premiums would have to rise by 16% in order to cover the cost of increased claims. However, the latest AA British Insurance premium index indicates a rise of only 5.9% in comprehensive car insurance cover throughout the year.

The reason given for the halt in premium rates was the much fiercer competition engendered between the UK’s top online insurance companies.

Typically, the report stated, UK drivers paid an average of £594 for fall comprehensive car cover in the previous year. The Index also reveals that those who shopped around in search of cheaper car insurance when it came time to renew the policy, paid on average £194 less, an indicated saving of upwards of 33 percent.

The data also revealed that car insurance for third party, fire and theft could also be cheaper when switching companies on renewal, achieving savings of as much as £225 a year below the average industry quote.

However there are other factors, which may have affected the accuracy of these statistics.

According to a recent article in The Guardian Money Column, the exact circumstances of each driver must be compared in order to reach a true comparison of what is actually the cheaper insurance option. For instance, some insurers will not offer cover for business or commercial use, and other insurers will not offer any kind of policy for younger drivers.

It has also been noted that often the cheapest of the insurers can subsidise their premiums by applying other costs and charges. An example of this can be found in the APR charged when the premiums are paid in monthly instalments. Extra costs have soared by as much as 39% when this has been applied. Also regular drivers abroad are offered free European cover by some insurers, whilst others may charge as much as an additional £20 for a two-week visit to France.

Interestingly, the consumer body icon Which? Discovered that insurance premiums could reduce by as much as 25% by buying directly from the designated company’s website online.

The organisation also suggests that even if only third party, fire and theft is being considered, it would be beneficial to also get quotes for comprehensive car insurance cover, as often
this type of cover may not cost much more, and it may be well worth paying the difference in order to secure additional security and peace of mind.

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Medical emergency is a situation when a life-threatening medical condition existed, or the lack of medical attention would endanger his or her life, limb or sight and requires immediate medical treatment or has painful symptoms requiring a relieve to suffering or discomfort. Many Travel Health Insurance plans focus on providing coverage for your medical expenses resulting from sudden illness or injuries during your trip, with many policies covering trips from seven days to 3 years.

Many people find that understanding Visitors Medical Insurance can be a challenging process because there are numerous insurers with many different kind of plans, different deductibles, various coverage options and restrictions. Purchasing a plan that caters to your needs is not always easy. You can actually make your decision making process easier by taking advantage of the tools offered by the insurers’ website. It can help you to compare all major insurance plans, get free instant travel quotes and purchase a plan that best meets your specific needs.

Many insurers have offered the option of purchasing a Visitor Health Insurance online and this can get very misleading for many people because they thought that they can get immediate visitor health insurance coverage online. You should be aware that Visitor Health Insurance policies may establish a certain waiting period before it covers pre-existing conditions which are health problems you had before you bought the insurance, as long as the waiting period is reasonable by current standards set by the insurance associations.

If you think a Visitor Health Insurance is too pricey, you can save money on Visitor Health Insurance by obtaining a Dental Discount Card and an RX Prescription Card separately from your visitor health insurance program.

Visitor Travel Medical Health Insurance is ideal for tourists to US, for parents and other family members visiting the United States. The medical expenses at overseas can be very high especially when it involves hospitalization.

You can reduce the financial risk of unforeseen accidents or medical emergencies by buying visitor medical insurance.

Lastly, if you travel frequently to foreign countries you should get a Visitor Medical Insurance because with sufficient health insurance coverage, you can reduce the financial risk of unforeseen accidents or medical emergencies. Most importantly, you won’t have to see situation going catastrophic

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