source : insurancecompared.com.au/
There are different branches of entertainment insurance. As a producer of entertainment you may want to protect yourself and your budget against a multitude of events that could occur. You want your cast to be able to appear, you want all your equipment to work, you want the sets and wardrobe to be protected from damage; you basically want everything to run smoothly. Entertainment insurance protects you, as the producer, from all these things.
Entertainment insurance also protects you from the public. You may have a claim against you that states that you have infringed copyright or accidentally made libelous remarks in your entertainment. A member of the public may be injured at a special launch event you are running or live event you have organized. Entertainment insurance can cover you, and that’s good as some lawsuits in this industry run into the millions.
Who needs entertainment insurance?
Any producer, contractor or entertainment event organizer should cover themselves with entertainment insurance before they embark on any project. Considering the fickle nature of the entertainment industry, insurance can be comprehensive and cover a multitude of possible problems. The cost of solving these problems is normally many times the cost of the insurance premium. This is why entertainment insurance is an essential part of a media budget.
What typically does an entertainment insurance policy cover?
Entertainment insurance is much like other workplace insurance policies in that it covers basic liability, covers all workplace equipment (including film) from damage, loss, fire and theft. You are usually covered for any kind of worker’s compensation in the event of injury to an onsite employee or contractor.
You can also be insured against the illness and injury of cast members that are critical to the continuing production of your project. Insurance will normally cover the running cost of the production until the cast member can return to finish the production. Essentially, the insurance company acts as a guarantor for the smooth running of the production.
What typically does an entertainment insurance policy not cover?
Delayed production because of weather is not normally covered unless you have a weather clause built into your policy. A pre-existing issue with a venue or production member will also void the insurance policy.
Additional insurance products that policy holders might need in this area
Entertainment insurance is a niche insurance product that covers the majority of potential issues that can arise during an entertainment event. The only insurance products that you would need to give you extra cover would be extra public liability insurance in the event of numerous people being affecting by an issue or weather insurance if you are holding a one-off public event.
Additional coverage for an entertainment insurance policy
If your entertainment project last longer than one month, or is ongoing, you will need to specify this to your insurer. Many policies assume that the project is short-term with a predetermined end date. If you over-run on production you will have to check to see if you are covered for this period. You will need to apply for additional coverage in this area
What will entertainment insurance typically cost?
Entertainment insurance is usually a percentage of your total production budget. The size of the percentage is wholly dependant to the scope of the project at hand. You may find that a small audio project may be around 1% of your total cover whereas a film production event may be over 5%. The exact percentages are then determined by the level of coverage required and the insurer you choose to go with.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Entertainment Insurance Explained
Farmer Insurance Explained
Farmer insurance takes into account the difference in each farm and the needs of each farmer and provides a comprehensive policy that allows a farm to operate efficiently without having to divert much needed funds to repairs, medical costs or legal costs. Crop farms, river farming, ranches and any other style of farm can receive farmer insurance.
Unsurprisingly, farmers need farmer insurance. Any primary industry professional that owns land that relies on income from crops and livestock can be covered by farmer insurance. An entire year’s production can be devastated by one single event. This is why all farmers need farmer insurance.
What typically does a farmer insurance policy cover?
A standard farmer insurance policy is normally very comprehensive. Liability and medical expenses from any incident that arises from the farm is covered. This covers all your employees as well as any visitors or contractors to your farm. Theft of property and property damage caused by fire, adverse weather and vandalism is covered. Property generally includes any farm buildings, equipment and crops.
What typically does a farmer insurance policy not cover?
You will need extended coverage for certain events as a basic farmer insurance plan typically does not cover, damage to personal property of any employee working on the farm; loss of crops or livestock through accidents or damage caused by other animals; and damage to crops that have not been sprayed by insecticide are rarely covered. In farming there are so many eventualities that may occur you should check with your insurer if you are covered for events that are common to your particular farm.
Additional insurance products that policy holders might need in this area
As farms are very particular operations, other basic insurance policies are normally voided in the context of a farm. Standard home, contents, even health policies are inadequate for farmers as farmers fall into a much higher risk category than the average citizen. If you require further coverage, look for it within your farmer insurance policy and not through an additional policy.
Even though a standard farm insurance policy is quite comprehensive you need to see what exclusions exist. These exclusions can end up costing you a lot of money. You may find that farm equipment is covered but specific items such as guns, vehicles above a certain value and custom farming equipment are not covered. Ask for additional coverage in areas you know you are lacking if you want full piece of mind.
What will farmer insurance typically cost?
Farmer insurance is usually a percentage of your total insured cover. The size of the percentage is wholly dependant on the risk factors the insurance company believes to be true for your farmer. Typically, farmer insurance can demand a premium of up to 7% of the total cover. The exact percentages are determined by the exact level of coverage and the insurer you choose to go with. Some premiums can be vastly reduced if you have taken steps to minimize the insurance companies exposure or have a risk management plan in place.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Why most sickness and unemployment insurance is a waste of your money
This article is taken from Merryn Somerset Webb's free weekly personal finance email, Money Sense. Click here to sign up now: Money Sense
“You can buy yourself insurance against almost any conceivable risk – even alien abduction,” says Claudia Dyer of consumer group Which?. While most of us are probably not covered against extraterrestrial kidnapping, it is likely that we have more cover than we need in some areas, and less or none at all in more important ones.
Given the pressure that rising food and energy prices are putting on household budgets right now and the need therefore to cut out non-essential expenditure, this is a great time to review what you are spending and cancel any useless and often expensive cover.
The truth is, the only insurance products that are, “must haves” are car, home and, for anyone with dependents, life cover. Beyond that it’s all optional, and in many cases unnecessary, no matter what your financial adviser – often hoping to earn a commission - may say to the contrary.
This week, I’ll look at three types that all deal with the problem of how to maintain your income during an absence from work; payment protection insurance, critical illness cover and income protection. Most people couldn’t survive on state benefits alone - at just £75.40 a week (from this month), statutory sick pay barely covers the weekly food shopping for one, which is why Andrew Merricks of Skerritt Consultants comments that, “you need to build your own little welfare state because no-one else is going to do it for you”.
However, before rushing off to buy tons of extra cover, consider what you already get through work – your employer may offer up to say three months’ salary at full pay should you fall ill. That’s not great for long-term illnesses, but if you also have significant savings set aside, sufficient to cover at least six months of your essential net monthly outgoings (the mortgage being the biggest one for most people), extra cover may be a waste of money.
Accident, sickness and unemployment insurance
Confusingly this is also known as “mortgage payment insurance” and “payment protection insurance”, the objective being to cover your mortgage and loan repayments (which can include credit card balance cover) should you fall ill, get injured or lose your job. Given the wide range of unfortunate circumstances covered are these policies too good to be true?
I’m afraid so. The fact that the FSA fined HFC, an HSBC subsidiary, over £1m in January for mis-selling this type of product, coupled with a wider two-year investigation of the whole area by the Office of Fair trading, should be sufficient warning – typical PPI policies are expensive and riddled with small print and exclusions.
For example, a typical policy will only kick in after anywhere between two and four months after the accident or illness, and then run for a limited term, often no more than twelve months. Most will also only let you claim after a year in the same permanent employment. Most tellingly, an unimpressive 20% of claims are paid out on these policies according to the Telegraph. Avoid.
Critical illness cover (CIC)
Nothing if not popular, last year we bought 583,900 policies according to Swiss Re, largely because they appear, on first sight, to be fairly straightforward. Alas that’s often not true but CIC remains a lucrative commission earner for financial advisers.
The premise is deceptively simple – you pay a monthly premium so that should you be unlucky enough to contract one of the specified “critical illnesses”, the plan pays a predetermined lump sum, say £200,000, to be spent as you see fit, perhaps on paying down a mortgage or buying private treatment.
So, what’s the problem? As ever with insurance, it’s the small print. To ensure you are covered you need to scour the contract pretty thoroughly. That’s because certain common medical conditions may be excluded altogether – a classic for men is prostate cancer – and many plans also disallow pre-existing conditions, often a grey area when it comes to settling claims.
Also, as you get older premiums can climb steeply – for example, according to godirect.co.uk a 45-year-old female non-smoker can expect to pay well over £100 a month for £200,000 of cover. Finally if you already have significant cash savings, CIC is pointless since you could simply spend those instead, should the worst happen. All in all, whilst a better bet than payment protection, CIC is far from perfect for many buyers.
Income protection
The best of the bunch, the product favoured by Which? and, says consultancy Defaqto, “the only one that comprehensively protects against the consequences of incapacity”. Yet, oddly, UK sales last year were only around one quarter of CIC products with many consumers still seemingly unaware of its existence, according to Lifesearch.
Income protection is designed to pay out up to 75% of your gross monthly salary tax free (50% is more usual and sufficient in many cases to match after-tax income) should you be unable to work because of sickness or injury but not, it’s worth noting, unemployment. The payments usually last until you return to work, or should that not be possible, your retirement date. Usefully, unlike either of the other plans, income protection will often cover problems such as back pain or stress, the two biggest causes of absence from work.
Be aware that there are two rather different types of plan – the more flexible, “own occupation” type which pays out until you can return to your specific job, and the “any occupation” type that only pays out in the (less likely) event that you are unable to return to any kind of employment.
Premiums can be high – however, whether that’s the case depends on several factors. First off, the longer the “deferral period” before the plan starts to pay out after you are forced to leave work, the less you pay each month, so always review how long your cash savings would last before deciding on this and go for the longest period you can.
For example, a three-month deferred start can reduce monthly premiums by 30-40% compared to an immediate start, according to Lifesearch. Then there’s the job you do – manual workers pay more per month for cover than office workers – and your age and lifestyle, with premiums rising for older employees and, somewhat predictably, smokers.
In short then, as times get tight, no one wants to be shelling out money needlessly on expensive insurance. Therefore, say no to, or cancel, any form of payment protection cover and, if it’s illness cover you need, don’t follow the crowd - take a look at income protection ahead of critical illness plans. Even then, a little time spent understanding the product and shopping around for a competitive premium using a site such as moneysupermarket.com or your financial adviser is time well spent.
Merryn Somerset Webb is away.
This article is taken from Merryn Somerset Webb's free weekly personal finance email, Money Sense. Click here to sign up now: Money Sense
How to save on travel insurance
As life expectancy increases, so has the age at which 'life begins' – with many people supporting the idea that 'life begins at 50'. Unfortunately, travel insurance companies disagree. Or at least that is how it seems, considering how rapidly premiums rocket for those who are 50 or over. And as for those who are over 70, many "are shocked to find travel insurers unwilling to provide cover at prices they can afford", says Kara Gammell in The Daily Telegraph. So how do you find affordable travel insurance that won't leave you high and dry if you fall ill on holiday?
Consumers need to think of travel insurance as something they should tailor to their own needs, rather than an off-the-shelf product, says The Daily Telegraph. So one of the simplest ways of reducing the premium is to look carefully at the level of cover you are being offered and then decide whether you actually need it all within the policy. For example, if you are travelling to Europe, opt for European cover rather than worldwide cover, as the latter includes America, where litigation and medical costs can push up the cost of cover. Also, consider covering personal possessions under your home insurance – and, as always, shop around for the best deal.
Eat your greens. Food inflation is forcing the weekly shopping bill to new heights, but broccoli is proving the exception, says The Guardian. It is one of the few vegetables that is falling in price, due to plentiful current supplies. The average price is now £1.38 per kilo – down 27% from this time last year. So stock up on broccoli. But forget the cheese sauce. Cheddar prices rose 10% last week alone, according to The Grocer.
Choose your pets carefully. A Great Dane will cost its owner an average of £669.64 in damages over a lifetime, says eSure, and small dogs aren't much better. Chihuahuas cause an average carnage bill of £638.41 during their lives. Add in medical bills and food, and dogs are expensive members of the family. But there are ways to cut the costs.
Save on vet's bills. If you haven't bought a dog yet, then opt for a mongrel. "They tend to be less prone to disease and cheaper to insure," says Ali Taylor from Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in The Independent on Sunday. What if you already have a pet? You could consider pet insurance to cover emergency vet bills, but do shop around and check the small print carefully: pet insurance is notorious for exclusions based on age and other factors. A better route is prevention – take your dog for regular walks and cut back on the treats. A healthy, fit canine is far less likely to get ill than a fat one.
Save money on clothes. You can currently get 30% off at Gap. Just go to moneysavingexpert.com, fill in the form and you can print off a voucher giving you 30% off in Gap until Sunday 28 September.
Beware of dodgy insurance
"A huge victory for consumers" is how Peter Vicary-Smith, head of Which?, hailed the latest payment protection insurance (PPI) proposals from the Competition Commission. No wonder. As Thisismoney.co.uk notes, the "charge sheet against PPI" (which is meant to insure you against being unable to repay a loan or credit-card balance if you fall ill or lose your job) is long. Complaints about Britain's 13 million policies include that it's "overpriced, sold to people who can never claim on it, sold with no cancellation clause, and often ineffective". It's also often "forced on customers by pushy sales staff".
The statistics are grim. Only 14% of PPI premiums are returned to customers as a result of successful claims – that's compared to 78% for car insurance and 54% for home insurance. And as Caroline Binham reports on Bloomberg, the regulator found in June that PPI providers overcharge customers by £1.4bn a year, against annual sales of £5.5bn. So what's changing? The Competition Commission stopped short of banning PPI altogether. But it is banning "single premium policies", where the premium is paid up front and often added to the original loan as a lump sum. Providers will also be stopped from pushing customers to take PPI immediately. They will have to wait 14 days and tailor any quote to ensure the policy is suitable.
Fine, say the banks – but loan rates will rise because the income from PPI sales often subsidises interest charges. And the changes come just as people need cover going into a recession. This is "nonsense", as The Independent's Julian Knight puts it. There's "never a good time to be mis-sold a policy". The extra transparency should stop millions from buying cover they either don't need, or that doesn't do what they expect. If you think you may have been sold an unsuitable PPI plan – some campaigners reckon there's a problem with up to half of them – you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman
Friday, February 6, 2009
Tips To Reduce Your Car Insurance Costs
With the cost of car insurance becoming more and more of an issue for the average American family, there are increasing numbers of people looking for cheap car insurance. But although it is possible to find cheap car insurance, the question remains, is it worth buying?
Everyone knows that car insurance companies are not all equal. Cheap car insurance is wonderful when paying the bill, but make a mistake on the company you select and you could find that the cheap car insurance policy that you found may turn into a nightmare. Cheap car insurance may not turn out to be so attractive when making a claim.
So if you have found a discount car insurance broker don't just take the cheapest quote that you get. You need to find out a little about the insurance company that is offering the cheap car insurance rates.
And there's ways to reduce the cost of your car insurance even with the best of companies. Here are some tips for those looking for cheap car insurance to help reduce the cost of car insurance without compromising other things.
7 Cheap Car Insurance Tips
1.Look at your deductible amount. This is the amount that you pay first out of any claim. The cost of your policy is directly related to this amount. Many people, particularly those who have had their insurance policy for a long time, have never considered whether they ought to vary their deductible. If you have a good driving record and are prepared to increase the risk of paying a larger amount in the event of a (hopefully unlikely) claim you can save money by increasing your deductible.
2.Have a look at the type of car you drive. Certain types of cars attract higher car insurance rates. Cars such as sports cars and also certain makes and models that are prime theft candidates cost more to insure. If you are buying a car then find out which makes and models these are before you buy.
3.Drive carefully. Although it sounds a little trite to say it, your car insurance cost is a factor of your risk profile. You won't get cheap car insurance if you have had 3 speeding fines and 2 accidents in the last year. These things are all taken into account and you should take care with how you drive. It all adds up onto your bill. There are big safe driver discounts available.
4.Considering installing safety and anti theft devices in your car. Again these affect your risk profile. If you have a car that is safer and less at risk of theft it should be cheaper to insure. And if you have a car with certain safety devices now check that your insurance company is aware of these, if not tell them.
5.Look at your policy when it comes to renewal time, don't just pay. There are some things that you can vary in your policy that will affect the cost. Often there are some things there which duplicate other insurance that you may have that can be eliminated. Be critical, look carefully and ask questions about all these before you renew your policy.
6.Have a look at who your other insurers are. Many insurers offer a discount for multiple policies. If you insure your house with a certain company then ring them up and find out if they do car insurance. Get a quote from them. Find out what discounts they offer.
7.Find a good online discount car insurance broker before renewing. The internet is a fabulous resource. Use it. There are all sorts of discount insurance brokers online where you can get fast quotes from a wide range of companies. Don't just settle for the same company you always use. Car insurance rates vary all the time. Always get comparable quotes before renewing any policy.
So if you're in the market for cheap car insurance there's some ideas for you. Don't just accept that car insurance is always prohibitively expensive, get out there and do something about it.
Save Money On Car Insurance
(NAPSI)-When it comes to car insurance, a little research + the right questions = money in your pocket.
Rates can differ widely from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Independent insurance agents represent more than one insurance company, so they can compare multiple carriers and policies to find the one that's right for you.
If you're a do-it-yourselfer, Web sites such as www.progressive.com will help you compare its rates with other insurers.
In addition to shopping around, there are other steps you can take to lower your insurance rate:
Is your policy up to date? If you've moved, gotten married or if it has been at least three years since your last driving violation, check with your insurance company. You may be eligible for a rate reduction.
Is your coverage right for your car? Owners of older or inexpensive cars should consider dropping comprehensive and collision coverages. That can often save hundreds of dollars each year.
Know before you buy. Before you buy a new car, research what it will cost to insure. Generally, smaller cars with lower horsepower are less expensive to insure.
Do you carry excess coverage? Many auto insurers give you the option to add rental coverage to your policy, which pays for a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired. While conditions and costs vary from company to company, it may be unnecessary if you can find other transportation.
Raise your deductible. According to the Insurance Information Institute, raising your deductible from $200 to $500 could reduce your collision and comprehensive costs by 15 to 20 percent. Your agent can show you how raising your deductible can lower your premium.
Do you qualify for any discounts? Ask your independent agent whether any of the carriers he or she represents offer reduced premiums for certain car features such as anti-lock brakes.
Are your policies all "bundled" with the same company? This may not be best for you. Your independent agent is uniquely qualified to quote your policies with "best-in-class" carriers that offer specialized coverages and services. "Unbundling" your policies might save you a bundle.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Valuing and Protecting your Family: Affordable Health Insurance Quotes for Family
Accidents may happen at any time. Nobody knows when and where it will be. Nobody knows how it will happen. And no one knows to whom it can happen. It can happen to anyone � from a beggar living on the street to the people living in a nice mansion.
Accidents are unpredictable. Wise people know exactly how to prepare themselves when this happen. How? They get a health insurance for them and the entire family. They use the health insurance to cover each member of the family from sudden accidents.
Health insurance can really be helpful. If you do not have it yet, it�s not yet late. Health insurance quotes can be found almost anywhere. It can give peace of mind and financial coverage whenever accident happens.
Affordable health insurance quotes for family come in different packages. You can find the one that best meet the needs of your family through online. Choosing from these packages is really a necessity for everybody today. Affordable health insurance quotes for family will surely help you save more money for both upfront and unexpected medical emergencies.
The very main reason why most people get health insurance quotes is for them to be able to pay their medical needs whenever necessary. There will definitely be a moment in your life that you or any from your family will need medical support, may it be for medical check up or hospitalization.
Medical assistance is really very expensive. Most people are not able to pay for these even if they want. Health insurance quotes will help them pay the fees for them to get the medical support they need.
Getting health insurance quotes become very important especially to those who have family. With it you are able to give the suitable protection to your loved ones. Nobody wants to get their children sick and later on not able to give the medical assistance they need for them to get better.
Most people think that the cost of getting health insurance quotes is high. What these people do not know is that they are able to save more than the expenses they will incur when serious accidents happen and pay for hospitalization without the help of health insurance.
In addition to that, affordable health insurance quotes also exist. It is just as simpler to acquire as the ordinary or the high-priced insurance. It is also very easy to get it especially when the insurance companies believe that every member of your family is in good health. It is also important that everybody of your family do not possess any harmful habits like smoking or too much drinking of alcohol. So, you must present a health certificate whenever you decide to get health insurance quotes in order to lower the fee you will pay for the family�s health insurance coverage.
If you think you do not have time to get it by yourself, ask the help of your insurance agent. At any given time, your agent will be able to present you the quotes you and your family need.
Affordable health insurance for family is important especially if you want to assure the protection and security of your family. Never hesitate to get it. Anyway, it can really be a great help to you� soon.
Cheap Car Insurance Quotes And Low Cost Auto Rates Can Save You Money
source : globalsofa.com
Today if you're a smart consumer, you'll search for the best low cost auto insurance or cheap car insurance rate especially now when insurance rates are not as low as they used to be. It's not only smart but absolutely necessary to seek out the lowest possible vehicle or car insurance quote. Most car or auto insurance companies offer a wide range of policies and plans to their policyholders and therefore can offer discounts and free online cheap car insurance quotes.
If you're just starting to look for cheap car insurance quotes, you'll want to compare both long established and newer insurance companies for cheaper rates. The new auto insurance companies are competing for your business, but of course they don't have a long term history to back them up.
Auto or car insurance rates and quotes are never going to be identical for each company. There are many variables in insurance plans. Make sure to find out all you can about the company you've selected. Check online for customer car insurance reviews and ratings but keep in mind that negative reviews can happen with any auto insurance company. You want to make sure you find out exactly how much your deductibles will be and any conditions attached to them.
Keep in mind that insurance companies change their rates from time to time so the quote you got yesterday may not be good today. Many insurance companies will offer lower or cheaper insurance rates or more affordable budget rates than others with the same type of policies. You'll want to make sure that you have full quality coverage or at least the coverage you basically need in your insurance policy. Make sure the insurance agents will be easy to contact at their office or home. If buying insurance online, find out how easy it will be to contact your agent over the Internet.
You want to make sure to compare all the cheap car insurance quotes that you do get; some may be very similar to each other but some of the quotes could be quite a bit different. In the U.S. many insurers offer a good-grade discount to students who have a good academic record. They may also have resident, student discounts to those who live away from their home. And senior drivers are often eligible for retirement discounts reflecting the lower average miles that are driven by this group. Women drivers can get discounts from some companies.
Make sure to check out the online, discount car insurance brokers who can give you fast online cheap car insurance quotes to compare from several different companies. Of course, avoiding accidents will keep your insurance costs down, so keep the kids quiet so you can concentrate on your driving. You can keep them busy with quiet car games kept solely for this purpose and give rewards for good behavior. In general, insurance premiums tend to become much lower at the age of 25.
If you don't have a very good driving record you might not be able to get the insurance deductible you want. Make an attempt to focus on trying to turn your driving record around to further lower your insurance costs. And if you've always been with one company, don't assume you're getting the best insurance rate; compare the features and get quotes from other several companies. But sometimes longevity will play a part so make sure that you aren't giving up the long history you may have with a good workable insurance company rather than going with the cheapest quotes.
If you haven't had any automobile accidents that were your fault and you're a good driver, then consider a higher deductible. You would pay out a larger sum of money in the event you have an accident that's your fault but you would save on your monthly or quarterly insurance premium. Several car insurance policies or plans are based on a reasonable estimation of the annual average projected distance expected to be driven with figures provided by the insured. This low mileage discount benefits drivers who only drive their cars now and then.
Make sure the car insurance company you select offers excellent, quality low cost and cheap rates of auto insurance and a high level of customer service. These are just a few of the best tips that can help you understand discounts, save money on your auto insurance and give you an idea what to look for when you're getting a cheap car insurance quote.
Save money with free online cheap car insurance quotes and for finding the best auto insurance visit http://www.Cheap-Car-Insurance-Quotes.info specializing in cheap car insurance advice, resources and auto insurance discounts including tips on how to save money on your car insurance quotes
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Obama signs kids' health insurance bill
President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a bill extending health coverage to 4 million uninsured children, a move he called a first step toward fulfilling a campaign pledge to provide insurance for all Americans. It was a victory for Obama a day after his nominee to shepherd his broad health care agenda stepped aside amid tax problems.
Obama used an ebullient East Room signing ceremony to continue his push for his plan that would provide universal health insurance, even as he spent much of the previous day admitting he "screwed up" in naming former Sen. Tom Daschle to spearhead the health care overhaul. He wrapped the signing event in another pitch for his separate $819 billion economic plan that now is under consideration in the Senate and faces Republican opposition.
"As I think everybody here will agree, this is only the first step," Obama said of the bill that reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
"Because the way I see it, providing coverage to 11 million children through CHIP is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American," he said to applause before turning to the economic recovery bill.
"It won't be easy; it won't happen all at once," Obama said. "But this bill that I'm about to sign, that wasn't easy either."
Obama and his advisers see the economic crisis as his window to push through many of his campaign pledges. Renewable energy, financial regulation and even rural Internet access all have been tied to repairing the nation's fractured economy. In the process, Obama has exposed his plan to criticism and questions that threaten to jettison the first major legislation his team has assembled.
"I refuse to accept that millions of our children fail to reach their full potential because we fail to meet their basic needs. In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to trade-offs or negotiations, and health care for our children is one of those obligations," Obama said, signaling he was readying for a fight.
Obama has faced a difficult week, his second full one in office. Daschle, the former Senate Democratic leader, withdrew his nomination as secretary of health and human services after acknowledging he failed to pay taxes on a car and driver provided by a Democratic fundraiser. His departure also left in the president's team a large gap for someone to usher through sweeping reform Obama has promised.
The children's health bill calls for spending an additional $32.8 billion on SCHIPI, which now enrolls an estimated 7 million children. Lawmakers generated that revenue by raising the federal tobacco tax.
Health officials project that there are about 8 million to 9 million uninsured children in the United States.
The bill went to the White House fresh from passage in the Democratic-controlled House, on a vote of 290-135. Forty Republicans joined in approval.
Most Republicans, though, criticized the cost of the legislation. They also said it will mean an estimated 2.4 million children who otherwise would have access to private insurance will join the State Children's Health Insurance Program instead.
"The Democrats continue to push their government-run health care agenda _ universal coverage, as they call it," said Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas.
The bill's passages has long been a top priority of Democratic lawmakers. In late 2007, President George W. Bush twice vetoed similar bills. The Senate passed the same bill last week. Obama made it a top priority in his first 100 days and one step in his push for universal coverage by the end of his first term.
"President Obama and Congress are demonstrating that change has come to Washington, and we are moving forward to improve the quality of life for American families struggling during these hard times," said Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
SCHIP was created more than a decade ago to help children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage.
Federal money for the program was set to expire March 31, barring action by Congress. To cover the increase in spending, the bill would boost the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes by 62 cents, to $1.01 a pack.
Opponents of the bill complained that the tobacco tax increase hits the poor the hardest, because they are more likely to smoke than wealthier people. Many also took exception to expanding the program and Medicaid to children of newly arrived legal immigrants.
Republicans said that they supported SCHIP and providing additional money for the program. However, they argued that Democrats were taking the program beyond its original intent and encouraging states to cover middle-class families who otherwise could get private insurance.
"This debate is about, do we want a children's health insurance program that covers every child in America with state and federal dollars regardless of their ability to pay?" said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. "Do we want to freeze out the private sector for health insurance?"
But supporters said that ensuring children had access to adequate health care was a matter of priorities. Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said an estimated 4 million people have lost employer-sponsored insurance in the past year.
"Do they keep their families' health insurance or do they put food on the table at night? During this economic recession, these kinds of decisions are unfortunately becoming more common," Pallone said.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
How to Buy the Best Motor Trade Insurance Policy
A Rough Idea of the Types of Life Insurance Policies Availale
General Insurance Policies, Providing You a Sound Base to Carry Your Business Operations
Monday, February 2, 2009
Do You Know the Auto Insurance Basics?
source : insurance.com
Do You Know the Auto Insurance Basics?
You're a driver, so you know how crazy it gets on the road. Between distractions and the rush to get somewhere on time, accidents can and do happen. Fenders get bent, and sometimes people get hurt. Even if you're just parked in your driveway, a tree limb can crash through your windshield, or someone can steal your car. When the worst happens, auto insurance is there to protect you.
Why buy auto insurance?
Auto insurance can protect you against the financial risk associated with personal injuries and property damage caused by auto accidents, theft, vandalism, or natural disasters.
All states require you to purchase at least a minimum amount of liability coverage. Other types of auto insurance coverage may be optional or required, depending on state regulations. If you have a car loan or lease, the lender will also generally require that you purchase coverage for the car itself.
Liability coverage
This is the state-mandated legal coverage you'll be required to have (learn more):
- Bodily injury liability: Protects your assets if you are held liable for an auto accident in which other people are injured or killed.
- Property damage liability: Covers repairing or replacing the autos or other property of other people.
This coverage will also pay for the legal costs associated with defending you against lawsuits related to accidents. To adequately protect your assets, you probably want to purchase much more than the minimum amount of coverage required in your state.
Collision, comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured motorist, and medical payments coverages
Although these coverages are optional in most states, it often makes sense to purchase them, unless you can afford to pay for losses yourself.
- Collision: Pays to repair or replace your car if it's damaged in an accident. (Learn more.)
- Comprehensive: Insures your car against damage caused by something other than an auto accident (e.g., theft, fire, flood, vandalism). It is also called other-than-collision. (Learn more.)
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Unless you live in a "no-fault" state (where your own insurance will cover your losses), this coverage insures you against certain losses caused by other drivers with little (underinsured) or no (uninsured) auto insurance. It can cover things like lost wages as well, and provides coverage to your passengers, and those listed on your policy while riding in other cars or as pedestrians. (Learn more.)
- Medical payments coverage or personal injury protection (PIP): Covers various medical and/or funeral expenses for you and your passengers, as well as those listed on your policy while riding in other cars or as pedestrians. (Learn more about: medical payments coverage and PIP coverage.)
Additional coverages
Most of these coverages are optional, relatively cheap, and provide a lot of protection, although they may not be helpful in all circumstances.
- Gap coverage: Pays the difference between the actual cash value of your car and the amount you owe on your loan or lease if your car is totaled in a covered accident. It is sometimes called loan/lease coverage. (Learn more.)
- Towing and labor or roadside assistance: Towing and labor usually covers the cost to tow your car to a repair facility or make minor repairs after a covered accident. Roadside assistance usually covers towing, minor repairs, and fuel delivery, even if there was no accident.
- Rental reimbursement: Pays the cost of renting a replacement car if yours is not drivable due to a covered accident. Some auto insurance companies will send you a check for part of the allowed amount if you don't rent a replacement car. (Learn more.)
And then the insurance company pays for everything, right?
That would be nice, but it's not always true. Here are some things you'll always need to cover yourself:
- Deductibles: The amount of money that you've agreed to pay out of your own pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. You can have different deductibles for different coverages, and liability coverage never has a deductible.
- Exclusions: Events or situations your policy specifically omits from coverage, such as property damage or personal injury you intentionally cause, or damage to your own car due to mechanical failure or wear-and-tear.
- Costs above policy limits: Any expenses that exceed the caps on the dollar amounts of coverage you're entitled to receive under your policy.
Driving a good bargain
Many factors affect your auto insurance premium, including your age, the state in which you live, the make and model of your car, where your car is parked at night, and your driving record. Although you can't do much about some of these factors, here are some things you can do to help lower your premiums:
- Increase your insurance deductible.
- Eliminate optional coverages if you don't need them (e.g., rental reimbursement if you have other means of transportation).
- Eliminate collision and comprehensive coverage if you drive an older car that wouldn't cost much to replace, and if you could afford to pay for repairs if necessary.
- Ask about available discounts (e.g., low-mileage discounts, discounts for safety or antitheft devices) for your auto insurance (if applicable in your situation).
- Avoid buying a vehicle prone to theft or expensive to repair.
- Drive safely to establish a good driving record.
- Maintain good credit.
Shop around
It's important to shop around for auto insurance coverage. Insurance premiums for the same coverage on the same car can vary widely among different insurers. A particularly good time to investigate your alternatives is when your current insurance policy is up for renewal, but you can shop and change policies at any time. Get quotes from several reputable companies, but don't let price be your only consideration. Make sure the coverage offered by each insurer meets your needs, and find out if the insurer has a solid financial strength rating.
Do you have any questions or comments? Please let us know.
Commercial Insurance - What exactly is it?
Commercial Insurance or Business Insurance is something that nearly all businesses (however big or small) need. And yet despite being purchased by so many people who (apart from those insurance people) actually understand it? And if not, do they need to? This article has been written to explain the myths behind Commercial Insurance.
Seems like a pretty straightforward question so here goes:
Put very simply, Commercial Insurance is protection for your business. From new start businesses to those well established; an unexpected event could destroy your business if adequate cover isn’t in place.
With so many insurance products and providers, it would be easy to think Commercial Insurance was a complicated matter. It doesn’t however need to be this way. Commercial Insurance can easily be broken down into 3 keys areas:
1.Keep it legal
2.Protection
3.How to buy
Keep it legal
Certain types of cover are required by law. Employers Liability insurance, which covers claims from employees for accidents and sickness they may suffer as a result of working for your business, is one type of cover that must be purchased. You will also need to purchase at least third-party motor insurance for all motor vehicles used by the company.
Protection
Ensuring you have the right cover and protection is vital so time should be taken to ensure you find a policy (or policies) that give you exactly the level of cover you require. This again need not be a complicated task if you break down your requirements:
A. Insure your people – many firms are often dependent on the people they employ. Insurance is available which will protect the business in the event of employees being unable to work. Types of cover available include Keyman insurance, income protection, directors & officers insurance and private health & critical illness cover.
B. Insure the common risks – certain risks are common to all businesses. These include fire, theft and equipment failure. It is worth investigating (or getting someone to investigate for you) whether common risks such as buildings and contents insurance, cover for money and goods in transit and business interruption insurance can be covered under an all-risks type policy. This may save your business time as well as money.
C. Specialist cover – depending on your industry and requirements, policies can often be packaged together with some even being industry specific with packages tailored to cover specialist sectors like engineering or manufacturing. Other specialist cover available includes public and product liability and professional indemnity cover.
How to buy
Commercial Insurance is more often than not purchased using an Insurance Broker. The benefit of using an Insurance Broker as opposed to buying Business Insurance direct is that they are insurance professionals who can recommend policies to you whilst searching the market to find you the best possible deal.
A good Insurance Broker will offer a personalized service and will understand your needs and that of your business. When looking for an insurance provider it is often worth checking to see if they are well established, have schemes with the leading insurance companies and whether they offer a local and personalized service.
This guide was compiled by Northern Counties Insurance Brokers. As one of the UK's Leading Insurance Brokers Northern Counties have been providing Commercial Insurance and Business Insurance to companies since 1928.
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