1.High marks from independent rating agencies like Moody’s and A.M. Best. Because insurance is a long-term investment that is *not* backed by the federal government, it’s important to do business with an insurer in sound financial condition. Click here to learn more about gauging the financial strength of a company.

2. No complaints. Each state regulates life insurance companies doing business within its borders and keeps records of consumer complaints. Click here to get a listing of state departments of insurance.

3. Good service. Life insurance can get complicated, so it pays to have an agent who has the time, inclination and integrity to explain things in a clear and unbiased way.

4. A product that suits your needs and fits your budget. A company may have all of the qualities listed above, but if it doesn’t have a product whose features match your needs, best to keep shopping.

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Owning and maintaining a home can be expensive these days. Upkeep and maintenance often requires constant attention, and homeowners may find themselves repairing or replacing nearly everything in sight at one time or another—to say nothing of the grass that always needs mowing, the sidewalks that need sweeping or the pool that needs cleaning.

For those who choose condo living over the luxury of the single-family home, life affords a few less responsibilities. Though condo owners must sacrifice privacy and share space with other unit owners in their building, they can choose to watch the NFL game on Sunday, rather than mow the lawn—and stay inside when winter storms dump several feet of snow—while neighboring homeowners are shoveling out.

No matter which type of home you choose, home insurance is required protection before taking possession. That way, when you come home from work to find your door standing open and your electronics missing, you’ll have the coverage you need to replace them without going broke. And when your friend comes to visit and ends up biting the dust on your kitchen floor, you’ll have the resources you need to cover medical bills following the accident.

So what’s the difference between condo insurance and single-family home insurance? When you live in a free-standing home, you insure the home’s structure, other buildings and items on the property, and the possessions kept inside your home.

When you live in a condo, on the other hand, you don’t need to insure shared spaces like pools or sidewalks, the building your condo is housed in, or any structures that don’t belong expressly to you. Those items are usually covered by your condo association’s insurance policy instead—leaving you responsible only for your own possessions, appliances, décor, interior-facing walls and other items not commonly shared with neighbors.

If you’re looking for a way to build equity (yes, even in these hard times) with less responsibility and cheaper insurance coverage than traditional housing, consider buying a condo. You’ll save money and protect your home, too—but your insurance bills should be cheaper!

P.S.—Don’t forget to get a free insurance quote!

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I have a friend looking for new homeowners insurance. She is changing from a major insurer to a less well known insurer, but in my opinion a better insurer. She then asked me to review the policies and explain the…
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Check out these fast facts and take a big step toward getting the coverage you need!

• In some states, insurers offer specialized mobile home insurance. (Residents of other states insure their homes with a basic homeowners policy.) Contact your state department of insurance to see if mobile home insurance is available in your area.
• Mobile home insurance protects against losses from physical damage and personal liability. Physical damage coverage pays for (accidental) damage to your home, belongings, or nearby or attached structures. Personal liability coverage kicks in when someone files a claim and/or lawsuit against you after being injured on your property.
• Mobile home insurance, like all types of homeowners policies, does not cover flood damage. If you live in a flood zone, contact the National Flood Insurance Program to obtain protection against water damage from flooding.
• Lastly, a word of caution: Cheap insurance now could end up costing you a fortune later; be sure to get adequate coverage for your home and belongings!

Now that you’ve got some good information, get a free quote!

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With the economy in the tank and a new president in control, we have to wonder where our country is headed from here. Now that campaigning is over and things are starting to settle down, it’s up to our new leader and his administration to set the course for the next few years.

Most of the decisions made that affect our everyday lives are now largely beyond our control. Yes, being involved in issues we’re passionate about at the state and local levels helps. We can each make a difference where we live and work. But after speaking our minds and voting our consciences over the past few days, the rest is largely out of our hands—and in the hands of those we’ve chosen to lead.

After watching gas prices soar to nearly four dollars a gallon nationwide (and higher in some areas), I have to say it’s encouraging to see a slow and steady price drop continuing after November 4. How long that will continue, none of us can say. The cost of filling up our gas tanks, heating our homes, putting food on the table and shouldering heavy mortgages—or losing our homes to foreclosure—are burdens we all share and have very little control over.

For many Americans, another major issue is insurance. Those who can get insured through an employer, professional organization or other means have healthcare within their control—and an avenue to get there. But for many others forced to purchase health, home, car or life insurance on their own, finding the cheapest insurance may seem difficult, if not downright impossible.

Regardless of the direction our nation takes, most people can still find cheap insurance coverage if they know how to go about it. By figuring out the type of coverage needed; understanding what factors affect rates—and what to do about them—and formulating a plan for getting the lowest premiums, individuals and families can still get insured affordably today, no matter where our leadership stands on the issue.

If you’re shopping for insurance and you think you’ll never find a plan with affordable rates to protect yourself and your family, don’t worry—there’s hope! Read this handy resource for getting great coverage and affordable rates all wrapped up into one—and take control wherever you can.

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[0:59]
Why buy it?
We’ll answer that question with a question: Would anyone close to you—children, elderly parents, business partners, etc.—be in a financial pickle if you died? If so (and if you care to provide for certain people in the event of your death) life insurance is a good idea.

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What kind should I buy?
Good question. First the basics: there are two types of life insurance, permanent (aka cash value) and term.

Term: Life insurance that covers you for the duration of the term period – one year, thirty years, until you turn 65, etc. Term policies pay out a death benefit if you die during the policy term and are usually cheaper than permanent/cash value policies. (Get term life insurance quotes.)

Permanent: Life insurance that is typically held onto for the insured’s entire life. In addition to providing a death benefit, many permanent policies include a tax-sheltered savings account, where a portion of the premium earns in¬terest. (Get permanent life insurance quotes.)

[0:10]
How much is enough?
Some experts recommend an amount 15 to 20 times your annual income, but in reality really, there’s no magic formula. It’s a good idea to talk to your insurance agent or a financial adviser for advice on this before purchasing your policy.

Need more information? Check out the Insurance Resource Center.

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Three Reasons To Get Car Insurance

Author: Shon Cary

Article:
Most Americans today own an automobile of some sorts. It is
almost impossible to live in some places without an automobile
because there is no other way to travel. This article is not
about how many cars are on the road though, but rather, how many
people have car insurance? You may not think of auto insurance
as being important but after reading this article, you will.

1. The first reason that auto insurance is important is to
protect the banks that have just financed your new car. If you
go to a bank and get a $20,000 loan out to go and by a new car,
you owe the bank $20,000 plus whatever the interest is.

But, if you are driving down the street and another driver
crashes into you, wrecking your car, what are you going to do?
You probably do not have the money to fix the car and the bank
will not lend you anymore money. If the other driver has auto
insurance his company will pay to fix your car.

Without car insurance you would have had to pay to fix your own
car and you would have had to fall behind in paying the bank the
money you owed them. This is a situation that would eventually
hurt the economy if this case continued to happen.

2. The second reason is it protects your from uninsured
motorists. Some motorists do not see the importance of auto
insurance, so they do not purchase any. If you get into a car
accident with a motorist that is uninsured you know that there
is no insurance company to pay for the damage.

If this case arises your insurance company will pay to fix your
damage. Unfortunately, if your insurance company pays to fix
your car your insurance will be raised, but you will have a
fixed car. It will cost you less to raise your insurance rate
than it would to fix most car damages.

3. When considering auto insurance you must assume the worst. If
you get into an accident and require medical attention, and you
have no auto insurance, you will be responsible for paying the
medical bills. Depending on the medical treatment that is needed
you could be looking at an extremely large bill.

The price of health care is very high now and it is not worth
saving a few dollars by not getting car insurance because you
may have to pay for medical bills which could lose you much more
money than you saved. You could gamble and assume you will not
need to go to the hospital for anything after an accident, but
the possibility is always out there.

Car insurance may seem like something that you do not need. You
may say that saving a few hundred dollars a month is worth it.
However, the second you get into an accident with another
driver, the second you need to go to the hospital to receive
medical attention, you are going to be asking yourself why you
did not get auto insurance. Why wait for the worst? Prepare
yourself today by going and getting auto insurance.

About the author:
Shon Cary helps people locate reliable
cheap auto insurance online. He Has helped thousands of
drivers nationwide save hundreds of dollars per year by showing
them how to use the internet to uncover affordable auto insurance.

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Hybrid Car Insurance: What’s up with it!

Author: Francine Gielis

Article:
Hybrid Car Insurance: What’s up with it!

Buying a Hybrid Car is in! You are thinking about Going Green,
and doing your part for the environment. At the same time you
hope to save money on gas. Even if you are just mulling about
the idea of buying a hybrid car, it pays to find out as much as
possible about the cost of owning an environmentally friendly,
and fuel efficient hybrid car. You need to find out the cost of
repairs and the cost of insurance before you buy.

Sales of Hybrid Cars continue to rise and the Toyota Prius
Hybrid Car just recently surpassed a million cars sold
worldwide. The top 5 Hybrid car models searched for on the
internet are The Toyota Prius 5 door, The Honda Civic Hybrid 2
door, the Toyota Camry Hybrid 4 door, the Ford Escape Hybrid 4
door and the Honda Insight 2 door.

When the hybrid cars first came on the market, logic dictated
that repair costs would be higher because of the advanced
technology. Cost of repair might decrease as more hybrid cars
enter the market, but the fact remains that if a Hybrid SUV and
a gasoline powered SUV need the same repairs, the cost of
repairing the Hybrid SUV will be higher. In a similar accident
both cars would require similar repairs to the body and the
gasoline powered engines, but the Hybrid Car version might need
extra work to have the hybrid specific components repaired.

As more and more Hybrid Cars are sold, statistics about the
driving habits of Hybrid Car owners become more dependable.
Insurance companies will pay close attention to accident rates
for hybrid versus non hybrid vehicles to see whether hybrid car
drivers are safer drivers than non hybrid car drivers. A
preliminary research in California shows this to be the case.
For now however, insurance for a Hybrid Car will cost you more
than insurance for the same non-hybrid version of that car. It
pays to find out your insurance rates in advance of buying your
Hybrid Car.

You need to find out the cost of repairs and the cost of
insurance before you buy.

About the author:
Francine Gielis immigrated to Canada in 1971. She has been an
employer, an employee, an importer, exporter, entrepreneur and
long time volunteer. Francine grew up in a retail business and
loves finding good buys at auctions. She has organized auctions,
from small silent auctions, to large statewide livestock
auctions, to personal estate dispersals. Francine has put
together the best buys for hybrid cars at
http://www.the-hybrid-car-store.com

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Get a Auto Car Insurance Quote - Compare Prices Online

Author:
Bryan Burbank

Article:
Finding Auto Car Insurance online can be a little overwhelming
because there are so many companies to choose from. If you own a
car then you need to have some type of car insurance. There are
many types you can choose from such as basic liability auto
insurance which will cover you n the event you get into an
accident. Then you could go to full coverage which will cover
just about anything that can happen to your car. Full coverage
car insurance is usually required when purchasing or leasing a
new car, this is so the lender is covered in case anything
happens to the car.

Learn how to find Discount Auto Car Insurance

It is always best to make sure that when searching online that
you get multiple quotes so that you can know if you are getting
a good rate. If you just look at one rate from a company that
advertises heavily then you will have nothing to compare it to
and you will not know if you are getting the rate for you.

Get some Advice about Types of Insurance

There are other discounts that are available to you when
searching for a car insurance quote such as a good driver
discount. A Good Driver discount is determined by the number of
tickets or accidents you have had in a set period of time. Also
if you have multiple cars there is a discount that will help you
get cheaper coverage for that as well.

Always remember to check out many places to get the best quote
possible so that you have the best success finding discount auto
insurance.

About the author:
Bryan Burbank is an expert in the field of Discount Insurance.
http://finddiscountinsurance.com

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So, are we becoming a more impersonal society or just a really efficient one? Now that we can communicate in every which way, how should we purchase personal financial instruments like insurance?

There has been much discussion in some circles about how to buy insurance, and there is no right or wrong way. The most frequently used method for purchasing insurance today is to research the topic on line, pursue quotes from several sources and then meet individually with an agent to actually buy the insurance. Few transactions take place 100% over the internet, but the numbers are growing. In 2007, 12% purchased auto insurance totally on line and in 2008 that grew to 15%. Over 50% of people buying insurance still meet with an agent for the final purchase. (from comScore Online Automobile Insurance Report 2008)

The best thing that has happened to insurance shopping with the internet is that the consumer can now get several different quotes easily, instead of meeting personally with several different insurance agents and going through the long application process with each one, not knowing which is the better offering. People now just sit down at their computer and search for auto insurance, homeowners insurance, or health insurance and voila, they can get several estimates or contacts easily. It is much easier to buy insurance when several different quotes can be compared, in the comfort and privacy of your living room. You can avoid the awkward or wasted time meeting with agents who can’t provide you with a competitive quote.

So go ahead, google the kind of insurance you need and fill out applications from home and have the quotes coming to you. It’s not impersonal, it is just efficient.

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