Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Why Home Insurance?

Many people used to ask the question repeatedly again and again, why home insurance? They in general out there with so many arguments against the home insurance. But I found all of them would be having same types of reasoning to argue why we need not go for home insurance. They will tell like this. See my area where I am staying for last two decades, nothing untoward instance have happened. There were no earthquake, there were no floods, there were no fire, there were no vandalism, and our area is very calm without any terrorist attacks and so on. And after all they will suggest that home insurance is not at all required, why to spend dollars from your wallet year by year.


All the above are correct, but when I ask them back, what you will do if your house is got damaged or destroyed by some reason? Are you 100% assured that your area would not be affected by any one of these eventualities? I simply asked then did any of us believed that, at least in dream, such an attack would have happened on 9/11. Do you think that your earth under your foot not having any earthquake genes in it? Is it not true that a cyclone like Katrina can occur at any time, irrespective of your prediction? If just a flood happens, what will be the status of your dream home? Who can rule out an angry mob coming and vandalizing all homes they come across? At least can you assure that a firebreak out will not happen at all in the home? Is it not enough a simple lighting or electric short circuit?


There was only one answer. The chance of coming such an eventuality is very less. True, but if any of such eventuality happened do you want to go with an empty wallet and a huge mortgage credit on your head? Is it not a right approach to insure the home for an equal amount of the cost of your home? You have to make a premium payment for the sum insured, which will be a much less amount comparing the amount of the policy insured. In case of a worst catastrophe, you stand to gain much; you can get back another dream home with the insured amount. If no eventuality happens, thank God and nature; you are just losing only a minimal amount. This minimal amount will assure you a perfect sleep, without any stress about the home and its contents.


Home insurance is a necessary protective precaution every one has to take to safeguard the hard earned money invested in the home. You must have taken huge amount as mortgage loan to acquire your dream home. Home insurance can only assure you from the credit debt like mortgage loans and other personal loans in case of any natural eventualities. It is imperative to go for insurance, make sure that you insure your home equivalent to an amount by which you can rebuild a dream home. Are you not clear now, why you require your house to be insured?

Why is Home Insurance Necessary

A house is usually the largest asset / investment the average person will ever own during their lifetime and protecting this asset should therefore be a priority in order to maintain any individual's financial and personal stability.


Would you really be able to afford the cost of replacing your house and all its contents on your own if unforeseen circumstances like fire, flood, burglary or storm were to destroy it? Without home insurance, not only could you be rendered homeless, you stand to lose everything that you have bought to equip your house.


Besides losing your belongings through the natural calamities stated above, you can potentially lose them as a result of theft and without home insurance you may find it hard to replace them.


While you may hate paying the premiums each month, home insurance - also known as hazard insurance or homeowners insurance - is a necessary evil, whether you live in a small house that is all paid for or a huge mansion that you carry a great mortgage on.


A home insurance policy can cover you during the construction of your house but in such cases you need to have the insurance in place before the basement or slab is poured. You will similarly be covered should you decide to carry out renovations on your home.


If you have a mortgaged property, most lenders actually insist that you have a home insurance policy to make sure that their collateral is protected in case something happens to it. You might have no choice in this matter as the mortgage may include a term which requires compulsory home insurance coverage to be effected.


Additionally, home insurance can help protect you from any lawsuits or personal injury claims that may arise if someone were to be injured on your property.


Home insurance is actually a generic term which refers to 2 separate products, contents insurance and buildings insurance.


Standard home insurance policies may not always cover all damages associated with some natural disasters, so getting an endorsement or separate insurance policy in the form of flood insurance or earthquake insurance, etc, might actually be a good idea especially if you live in areas prone to such natural calamities. In any event, it is important to get your home appraised every few years to make sure you have adequate insurance for all the insured perils you envisage or intend to cover.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Why You Cannot Afford To Be Without Home Insurance

Let's face it; some people will buy an expensive wristwatch, and they'll immediately get it insured. Practically everyone insures their cars as well, and even if it wasn't mandatory, most still would, simply because a car is an expensive commodity. Ironically however, a vast amount of home owners either have no home insurance at all, or else their homes are under-insured. Yes, you can go your entire life without ever needing to make a claim, but with that said, you have no way of knowing if or when a disaster is going to strike


Every time you watch the news on TV, it seems there has been another hurricane, an earthquake, or severe flooding, so nobody can say they will never need insurance. Of course if you only rent your accommodation, then the type of insurance you'd require is slightly different to that which you would require if you actually owned the property. In other words, as a tenant, you would only want insurance for the contents of your home, but if the home belongs to you, you'll want the actually home insured as well.


Home Insurance


This insurance generally covers your actual home, together with any outbuildings such as a garage, a carport, garden sheds, and even your greenhouse if you have one. Any perimeter walls or fences are also included in the insurance policies, but there may in some cases be certain limitations. As a general rule of thumb, house insurance covers all "non-movable" goods such as roof tiles, flooring, built-in cupboards, fitted kitchens, fitted bathrooms, and etc.


When applying for insurance coverage, it's crucial that you provide the insurance company with an accurate figure with regards to the value of your home, because if you ever do need to make a claim, they will base the claim on the figure you originally gave them.


Ideally, you want enough cover in place to guarantee you'll be able to rebuild your home from scratch if it ever gets totally destroyed. You do however need to bear in mind that the amount the insurance company pays out will not be the same as your home's resale value. This is because even if the house itself was destroyed, you'd still have the land it stood on. In other words, they will only cover the cost of building a new house, and then only if you took out adequate cover to allow for it.


Contents Insurance


Even though house insurance and contents insurance are essentially two separate entities, the two usually go hand in hand. After all, the average home owner spends a fortune on things such as appliances and etc. Just try for a minute to imagine how much it would cost you to replace each and every item in your home, even if you don't have very much.


Conclusion


While you could end up paying for home insurance for the rest of your life, and never have any need to make a claim, you cannot say for sure whether you'll be a victim of some or other disaster or not. At least if you do have cover, and something goes wrong, you'll know that it's just a matter of time before you're back on your feet. If you don't yet have your home insured, then you seriously need to consider doing so before it's too late.

Why You Need House Insurance

House insurance is among the most important insurances you can get - and in the case of buildings insurance, most mortgage lenders make it compulsory. This is because your home is your biggest asset and if you lose it because of fire, flood or another disaster and you have a mortgage outstanding on it, there may be nothing tangible to repay back your mortgage with.


There are two types of household insurance - buildings and contents. These can also be purchased as individual plans or combined. If you buy the insurance combined (ie from one insurer) they you tend to get an overall discount.


Buildings insurance gives your property (and it's fixtures and fittings which are permanent fixtures such as fitted kitchen or built in wardrobes) financial protection in the event of damage. Unless your mortgage provider insists you have cover, this insurance is still strongly recommended as it protects probably your most major asset.


Contents insurance - while not compulsory - is just as important as buildings cover. Again, it offers protection against fire, damage, loss etc. and will cover most of your possessions in the home from baby clothes to DVDs to audio equipment to valuables (up to a set limit which your insurer will define).


If you have something particularly valuable (such as an expensive watch) - or something you take outside the home and that is more liable to damage or theft (eg a bicycle or a laptop) contact your insurer to see if you need to upgrade your policy. This should only mean a small increase in your house insurance premium and will give you the peace of mind that the item is covered.


As with all insurance products, when looking for house insurance, do shop around for the most competitive premium. Online insurance brokers, where you enter your details and requirements just once and the search engines goes off and finds the best deals for you, are free and easy to use and give you a good idea as to how much you should be paying.


As with all product comparisons, when it comes to house insurance, do compare premiums on a like for like basis to ensure you get the level of over you need.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Will Home Insurance Cover a Rat Attack?

To some, rats are furry, loveable creatures but to others they are vermin that can spread disease and cause irreparable damage. Rats can cause no shortage of problems to homes including wires, pipes and even wooden joists and brickwork so will you be covered if a rat attacks?


There have been some horrendous stories involving rats causing havoc in homes across the UK including one case in 2006 when a woman was crushed to death by rubble after rats gnawed their way through gas piping causing her home to explode. While that was admittedly an extreme case it is estimated that rats cause around seven per cent of home fires in the UK.


Many homeowners assume that because they have home insurance in place, they will be covered for a fire regardless of the cause - however, when it comes to rats not all insurers will offer a payout.


Fire brigades can often tell the cause of a fire and may press ahead with an investigation if requested by an insurer. If a rat attack is found to be the cause then most insurers will not offer compensation leaving property owners to find large amounts of cash to cover the expense of repairs on their own.


The key then is to know how far your cover extends.


Some insurers will add-on cover for damage from infestation - this will typically add around £2 to a premium and can be money well spent for the additional peace of mind. Do not confuse this however, with cover for the removal of vermin as several insurers will cover the costs of having a pest control company remove the rats from your home but will not pay out for the damage they cause.


If you feel that adding on cover for pests is an expense you could do without then look into ways to reduce your home insurance premiums. Adding security devices to your home, building up a no-claims discount or increasing your voluntary excess could all reduce your premiums significantly giving you plenty of spare cash to add on additional cover options.

Work from Home Opportunities in Insurance - Is It Really for You?

Most people think of insurance agents as individuals who MUST travel from one place to another in order to sell insurance policies. But that was before the advent of the Internet. Nowadays, you can work from home in the insurance industry and earn a considerable amount of money from it as well.


Key Areas for Work from Home Opportunities in the Insurance Industry


There are primarily three types of insurance that you can sell from home:


Life, Health, or Medical Insurance - You're basically selling insurance for future payments for health and medical costs.


Car Insurance - As the name already suggests, you're selling insurance for automobiles. Car insurance provides car owners protection in cases of natural and man-made disasters.


Travel Insurance - You are selling temporary life, health, and medical insurance as well as protection from all sorts of accidents for people who are traveling abroad.


There are other types of insurance that you can naturally sell as you work from home in the insurance industry, but if you're looking for a niche market and something relatively easy to break into, it's best that you focus on any of three specified areas.


Are You Suitable and Qualified to Work from Home in the Insurance Business?


It's easy to say that you want to work from home in the insurance business and start dreaming about big bucks, but in reality, there are some requirements that you must satisfy first before you can proceed to fantasizing about your future income.


KNOWLEDGE - You don't have to be a doctor to sell life insurance, but it's infinitely preferable that you know a lot about cars if you want to sell car insurance and ditto for travel insurance. You'll be better able to assuage any concerns of your clients if you understand what they're talking about.


If it's car insurance, for instance, you need to be able to explain why you can't provide basic insurance for a sport car and persuade your client as well to upgrade to the appropriate policy. If it's travel insurance you're selling, you need to explain why you're charging a lot if he wants to fly to Afghanistan.


COMMUNICATION SKILLS - Work from home opportunities in the insurance business are great essentially because they require little, if any, financial investment from your part. If there's something you have to invest then it's just your voice and how well you communicate your client. If you don't a talent for speaking - indeed, if you don't love talking to other people - then selling insurance policies isn't the right job for you.


Advantages of Working from Home in the Insurance Industry


High Commission Fees - Although the commission fee you can expect from selling insurance contracts is in no way near to the biggest bonuses in the real estate business, they still promise more money than you would expect from working in an office day job.


No Boss, No Time Requirements - If you decide to work from home in the insurance industry, rejoice because you can finally say goodbye to the life of an employee. From now on, you are your own boss and you can work only when and what time you want to. And you don't even have to quit your day job if you don't want to!


Social Benefits - Working in the insurance business, whether it's from home or in an office, always allow you to meet different types of people and have new friends at the same time. The various personalities you'll come across will easily keep your job interesting day in and day out.


How to Prosper from Work from Home Opportunities in the Insurance Industry


Having a large network of contacts may not be necessary, but it's definitely an advantage and gives you an edge over other insurance agents. A person with two friends can give at least two referrals while a person with four friends can easily give twice as much.


Having a pleasing countenance doesn't hurt either because most people feel more comfortable talking to an attractive looking person. If you've got great looks, this is definitely one job where they'll be to your advantage.


And lastly, if you really want to work from home in the insurance industry and prosper from it, you need to dedicate lots and lots of time to it. Insurance deals will usually require two to three meetings before they can be successfully closed so that means meeting with each and every client at least twice.


Work hard, and you're sure to succeed in this endeavor!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

House Insurance Quote

Residence Insurance coverage or Residence House owners' insurance coverage is the policy that you simply keep to protect your own home towards damage, structural calamities and theft. Like any other insurance, this also works to your benefit once you pay low premium for higher benefits. And this means loads of thought has to go into selecting a home insurance coverage firm for starting a policy and even renewing an existing one. Everybody does a careful research of various insurance coverage policies before investing the first time. However are likely to go on with the identical insurer for the rest of their lives. However very often, it isn't very economical to go on renewing your own home insurance coverage with the same insurer year after year. Your implicit trust on your present insurer could price you hundreds of dollars, if you happen to accept their quote as the perfect deal there is. The truth is, the very best deal is to get home insurance coverage quotes from more than half a dozen insurance corporations and find the fitting one for you. You can choose to not be one of the torpid 70% of home owners who blindly accept the quote that's offered to them by their insurer. You possibly can choose to be sharp and clever about your insuring your home.

And this needn't price you loads of time either. Insurance coverage business is a highly aggressive one and you may just take advantage of this by ringing up insurers or checking out their web sites for realistic residence insurance coverage quotes. Online is the best storehouse for quick analysis on market rates for home insurance. Many insurance web sites do market surveys and provide you with comprehensive data on residence insurance coverage that most closely fits your requirements.

A couple of issues should be kept in thoughts whereas shopping around for residence insurance coverage quotes, so as to ensure you get accurate quotes from the insurance companies. It is important that the insurer is aware of all the main points about your present insurance coverage when he provides you with a quote. You have to point out any renovations finished to your own home in addition to low cost eligibles like smoke alarms, lifeless bolt locks, burglar alarms and fire extinguishers.