Insurance Articles

CDW insurance stands for Collision Damage Waiver insurance. It is a term that might be unfamiliar to a number of UK drivers, more accustomed to the basic distinctions between third party, third party, fire and theft, and comprehensive insurance cover available on their domestic motor insurance policies. CDW insurance, on the other hand, is widely used in the car hire industry around the world to provide cover for the person renting the car against the risks of loss or damage to the hired vehicle.

Together with the minimum level of insurance against claims by third parties and the risk of the vehicle being stolen, the Collision Damage Waiver generally represents the basic insurance package that will be offered by the car rental company with the vehicle. Like many things in life, however, covering just the minimum requirements is rarely enough for decent peace of mind. This is true of CDW insurance.

First and foremost, CDW insurance is designed to give the hirer of the vehicle a degree of financial protection in the event of his or her damaging the vehicle in a collision - the insurance will indemnify the hirer against the worst of the repair costs. However, it is not what UK drivers, for example, would recognise as comprehensive insurance. With typical CDW policies, several areas of damage are specifically excluded from the cover. These areas include damage to the roof and the underside of the vehicle as well as repairs to broken, cracked or chipped glass windows, and punctured or otherwise damaged tyres and wheels.

Another major consideration to bear in mind with respect to CDW insurance is the excess it usually attracts. The excess, of course, is the proportion of any repair bill that the policy holder must pay him or herself. In the event of any claim under the CDW insurance, the excess represents an uninsured portion of the loss or damage. Still worse from the policy holder’s point of view is that, in the event of any claim for repairs, it is the excess paid by the policy holder that must be paid first. The effect of this is that if the repairs cost less than the excess, then the policy holder will be footing the entire bill for the repairs. Clearly, this is an important consideration, especially since the typical excess on the CDW insurance for a car rental in the UK, for example, is likely to be at least £600 - and possibly more.

To reduce this liability, therefore, most customers take up the offer of the car hire company to purchase further insurance - CDW excess insurance - in order to remove or reduce the amount of excess on the CDW insurance. However, all of the shortcomings of the rental company’s CDW insurance can be avoided entirely by purchasing a complete insurance package for the car hire in advance, from a specialist insurance provider. Not only will such an independent provider quote a far more competitive rate (up to half of that quoted by the car rental company), but the insurance provided is likely to be considerably more comprehensive in its scope.

With so many modes of reaching prospects, it take extra incentive to receive back a positive reply. Using direct mail, you will receive tips to motivate and inspire prospects into reaching the highest level response. Though these direct mail response tips are directed towards insurance marketers, by changing words, aggressive agents would also greatly benefit.

Some of the suggestion tips below will work as headlines or sub-headlines; others could appear on the address side of your oversize postcard. In addition are included some incentives for responding quickly. These are all factors your insurance direct mail response postcard must have to zap any competitive offers from any other source.

1. Pry open your eyeballs with the introduction of our new _____ product.

2. New territory expansion creates the immediate need for 6 Major Medical Managing General Agents.

3. Based on careful research by our mailing list advisor, you have the experience and sales ability we consider as vital as a leading contender for this new position.

4. Great Opportunities are rare, this one is dazzling.

5. Just for calling us, the first 23 people will receive their Free choice of 3 different motivational books.

6. XYZ Marketing, a pioneer in providing long-term care, is searching among LTC brokers for the best of the best.

7. Please remember that all phone responses for this fantastic chance to break the bank are considered ahead of all email replies.

8. We just eliminated 25 non-producers. In turn, we are looking for 3 producing brokers we will pay 95% commission to fill the slots.

9. P.S. Even though we will be adding new exclusive brokers to additional regions soon, only 5 openings remain in your area.

10. Life begins tomorrow. That is how quick you can start selling this just released ______ life plan.

11. As a Managing General Agent for us you will remain Independent!

12. Ask for me personally, Franklin Monny, Executive Recruiting Director, at 999-999-9999, extension 9.

13. Out of 1,600 life insurance brokers in New Hampshire, our message is going to the 500 best. Congratulations. We work strictly with winners.

14. As our needs are for immediate fulfillment, we are limiting this offer to the first 50 qualified universal life brokers.

15. No, we do not offer luxury cruises or trips to exotic islands. We do offer easy to sell products that will give you time to take your own vacation.

16. Our risk, your gain. As we feel you have the requirements we seek here is your special offer. Upon contracting, we will invest in providing you with 10 top leads at no cost to you.

17. Many insurance marketing firms treat you like a number. The only number we have reserved for you is #1. All our writing brokers are #1.

18. Sure it is true, you may find a term life policy almost as good. Nevertheless, will you receive 100% commissions?

19. Some of our brokers earn over $100,000 yearly. However, MOST do not. Our plans and payouts can certainly increase your income 25% within the next 12 months.

20. Major Medical insurance was introduced in the late 1950’s. We were born around 25 years later and carry the most modern policies for you.

21. Can you dial 1-800-888-8888? Good, do it right now, and have a live operator connect you direct to our brokerage department experts. Get action and results.

What do I do when my car is stolen?

1.Your first step is a toss-up between contacting the police or your insurance company with the police a marginal front runner as the insurance company will need a reference number from the police report anyway. This applies even if you do not have comprehensive insurance.

2.Once you have notified your insurer, they will drive the proceedings (not in your car unfortunately). But you will need to supply them with the correct documentation.

3.You will need to give your insurer and the police the following information in order to process the claim.

Proof of ownership of the vehicle, i.e., your vehicle’s registration and license details.

Your personal details, including copies of your license, ID, etc.

Description of the car, including identifying characteristics, e.g., two cases of whiskey lying on the back seat, a stuffed Garfield hanging from the rear view mirror and a missing back bumper. You should also mention any special accessories in the car and you will need to prove recent upgrades, i.e., anything that potentially added value to your car but hadn’t been communicated yet to your insurer, e.g., “I was on my way home from installing a new system to inform you of the fact.”

Contents of the vehicle. This is not the time to get anxious about the safety of the cannabis under the spare tire.

Description of the circumstances under which the car was stolen, including details of where it was parked and whether security features were enabled.

Location of any keys to the vehicle before and after the theft. Location of spare keys.

The names and details of everyone who had access to the vehicle; your daughter’s long-haired boyfriend?

Insurance policy number.

Finance or leasing details and account numbers.

Your banking details.

Details of whether you are entitled to a courtesy car.

It cannot be stressed enough that you should make detailed notes of all correspondence, verbal and written, between you and your insurer as well as outside parties. Get the name of every person you speak to and make a note of their contact details and the time you spoke to them. If things get ugly, you will have a record for the Insurance Ombudsman.

You must make your claim as soon as possible.

If you’re claiming for a stolen car right now, you’re probably also kicking yourself for not having installed a gear lock or immobiliser, having left the garage door open last night, poo-poo’d vehicle tracking devices at last weekend’s dinner party when that pompous twit from next door started on his hobby horse, his 4X4 mechanical stallion.

Now that you’ve taken a shocked and disbelieving re-look at your insurance policy, you realise that there are quite a few terms and conditions (also known as fine print) that you didn’t take much notice of when you signed the documents.

Yes, it is too late for now, but not for next time.

When claiming for a stolen vehicle, your insurance policy is a blueprint of the terms and conditions with regard to payment for/ replacement of your vehicle. Let’s look at two common scenarios where you may think you are insured but have conveniently forgotten the more detailed terms and conditions of your policy and the commitment(s) you made to secure your vehicle when you took out the policy. If you’re having difficulty claiming for a stolen vehicle, it may be because you didn’t realise how watertight is the legalese of an insurance document. Don’t waste your time arguing with the claims consultant if you haven’t kept to your side of the policy bargain.

Anti-theft devices

It is probable that your insurer specified exactly what security devices, e.g., gear lock, immobilizer, tracking device had to be fitted to your car. If they find when you make a claim that you did no such thing, your policy becomes null and void. It is a good idea, in fact, to keep proof of such purchase and fitting in the event the worst case scenario arises and your car is stolen. Remember, the more anti-theft devices you associate with your car, the lower your premium will be. Even a simple gorilla lock will lessen the chances of thieves targeting your vehicle. And always make sure that you fit parts and accessories that are approved by your insurance company.

Overnight parking

When you took out your policy, you will have specified where you park your car at night, e.g., in a locked garage. If your car is stolen because you left open the garage door, your policy becomes null and void.

Yes. They will catch you out. It’s called non-disclosure and is a serious offence.

Do I continue car insurance payments after my vehicle is stolen?

Before cancelling your insurance, which is the obvious thing to do, chat to both the police and insurance company to find out what the likelihood is of your car being found. If there is a strong possibility it will be found (statistically, if your car is going to be found, it will probably be located within 3 days), it is worthwhile to continue payments simply to avoid having to go through the whole process of taking out a new policy in a few days.

Last, but not least, if it was a skadonk and you were insured, thank your lucky stars and happy car shopping.

Looking for a competitive insurance quote is a relatively simple process if you take advantage of the Internet.

The search engines will provide you with pages of different insurance companies and insurance brokers. By completing the online application form competitive quotes can be estimated and offered within a very short time.

There are some key facts which will help you decide which insurance company is offering the best deals to suit your courier service needs:

1. Obtaining more than one quote will provide you with a comparison. It will then be possible to see what level of cover is being offered and what additional costs may be needed. Using an online courier insurance broker is a great way to save time. They will carry out the searches on your behalf and provide you with a number of different quotes from different insurance companies who specialise in courier van insurance. Checking to see whether the insurance company is regulated by the Financial Services Authority will help you find legitimate insurance companies who work to the FSA requirements and regulations, providing peace of mind when you chose which company to use. Comparison websites may also be a good way to begin your search for courier insurance. However, not all long established insurance companies are included on comparison sites.

2. It is important to make sure you get the right type of insurance. For example courier van insurance is different from courier car or motorbike insurance. Although van insurance may seem a cheaper option it will not be appropriate for courier services.

3. If your courier service includes carrying goods for reward or payment you will need to have Goods in Transit included in the policy. Goods in Transit provides cover for the goods you will be carrying, however there are restrictions and limits on the value of the goods. Dangerous goods such as flammable liquids are considered to be a higher risk and will therefore cost more to insure. Collecting or delivering to places such as oil refineries is also considered to be a greater risk; this will also incur higher premiums.

4. Business owners and employers have a legal responsibility and a duty of care to help protect employees, customers and members of the public. A Public Liability and/or an Employer’s Liability insurance may be needed. These are usually optional extras which can be included on the insurance.

5. See what levels of insurance the companies are offering. The legal minimum level is Third Party Only. This level of insurance is the least expensive; however it will not cover any damage to your vehicle if an accident was your fault. Third Party Fire and Theft provides the same cover as Third Party with additional cover should your vehicle be stolen or damaged by fire. Comprehensive insurance includes the same as Third Party Fire and Theft as well as cover for your vehicle even if the accident was caused by you.

Remembering these few key points will help you find the most completive courier van insurance to meet your business needs. Be sure to read all quotes thoroughly and phone the insurance companies to speak with a consultant who specializes in courier insurance to give you peace of mind that you have the most appropriate level of insurance cover.

Are you aware that long term care insurance rates vary a lot from one company to another? Don’t be stunned if you realize that an insurer somewhere takes half what you’re paying for a comparable policy. If you have an existing policy, you might be the one who pays double the premium similar profiles are paying for a comparable policy. Now, how do you ensure that you do not incur that kind of a loss? This writeup will do justice to that question. What you’ll get here will help you get affordable rates that will not compromise the quality of coverage you get. Therefore, take it seriously.

The guaranteed way to ensure you’re getting the best rates out there is to get and compare as many quotes as possible, period. The more extensive your research is, the less likely you’ll miss affordable rates.

This poses a huge challenge considering the huge number of insurance companies who offer long term care insurance. You just have to get quotes if you must do a thorough comparison and then get affordable rates.

There are many options open to you if you really want to do this well: You can go through the Yellow Pages, hunt down agents and start calling each of them for quotes. However, there’s a better way — Using quotes and comparison sites…

In just a few minutes you can get and compare a good number of quotes. This implies that you’ll get more savings because of your more informed decisions. This is because you’ll have a broader database for comparison with many more quotes.

Getting your long term care insurance quotes online will generate further savings as insurance companies give lower quotes for those who buy online. Include how convenient it is and I’ll just be puzzled at why anyone will shrug off such a special opportunity.

Don’t fritter away long hours contacting insurance agents or searching for them in the Yellow Pages. Several quotes sites will show estimates from many different companies after you complete the required form. Many go further to even have a live chat feature in order to give you quick replies to your questions.

For those who are new to this…

You’d only have to fill an online form to help them get your details. Then you’ll receive quotes from a number of insurers. A number of sites usually return several quotes. The last thing is for you to look through all the quotes returned from the many quotes sites visited and then pick the most affordable quote that gives you the right coverage.

A large number of individuals have flood insurance coverage on their homes. These individuals are likely to live in an area of the United States that is prone to flooding. Individuals all over the United States, no matter how large or small the flooding risk, are encouraged to have home flood insurance coverage. Despite the fact that a large number of individuals do have flood insurance coverage, an even large number of residents are not protected.

There are a wide variety of different reasons why a homeowner may decide not to obtain home flood insurance coverage. Some individuals can spend their whole life living in a home and not have it flood once, but why take the risk? One day of a large amount rainfall or a large water leak can cause serious damage to a home. That is why homeowners are encouraged to obtain a flood insurance policy for their home.

Many homeowners do not obtain home flood insurance because they are not fully educated on what flood insurance does. Individuals who have been luckily enough not to experience flooding are not always aware of the risks and the cost of damages. That is why it is important for all homeowners to educate themselves on home flood insurance.

One of the most important things that a homeowner needs to understand about flood insurance is that every individual, no matter where they live, is able to obtain it. Whether you experience flooding on a yearly basis or on rare occasions, you should be able to obtain home flood insurance coverage. The development of the National Flood Insurance Program made this possible.

The National Flood Insurance Program offers federal flood insurance. The insurance is available to individuals who meet certain requirements put in place by the National Flood Insurance Program. Home flood insurance coverage can be purchased directly through the National Flood Insurance Program or it can be purchased from a licensed agent.

Obtaining home flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program and a licensed agent are both great ways to get your home covered. If you are looking for helpful representatives who are willing to answer all of your flood insurance questions, you may want to work with a licensed agent. Most agents tend to have more time to spend assisting their clients with learning about flood insurance and then selecting the coverage plan that is best for them.

Another reason why homeowners tend to have more success with working with a licensed flood insurance agent is because agents are able to offer discounts that the National Flood Insurance Project may not be able to offer. These discounts, such as the one offered by AmeriFlood, may include a 12% upfront rebate on all flood insurance policies.

When to comes to flooding and home flood insurance, there are a lot of things that a homeowner should be aware of. Being aware of the damage that a flood can cause is the best way to be prepared. Educate yourself on protecting your home from flood damage and then use the information you learned to find the perfect, low-cost flood insurance coverage plan.

Most dog owners in America have not arranged for pet health insurance, and I’m not quite sure why. We all know just how important it is to have health insurance; so it makes sense that we should consider veterinary pet insurance to protect our pets.

It may at first look like just another regular expense; that is until dog owners are face to face with the expensive vet bills after their pet has an accident or gets sick. With everything around us is costing more and more money everyday, it is not surprising that vet fees have also risen as well; of course the knock-on effect has been a rise in pet insurance premiums. That being said, policies are much more affordable than you might expect.

The rising cost of medicine is one point to consider but is there any others to consider? Unfortunately, animals become sick from time to time or are involved in an accident. This can happen at any time and usually does when you can least afford it!

If this situation should occur, sometimes unfortunate choices have to be made; you know that treating your animal will place financial strain on you.

Keeping your dog healthy is a large financial responsibility; when money problems occur, temporary or otherwise, this causes further worries. Been there, done that. The worst of it is when you realized you had an opportunity to make a different decision that would have changed it all.

Don’t let it get to that point. Both you and your dog deserve that much, in the very least.

If you love your dog, it should have the best treatment you can afford; owners with pet insurance do not have these concerns because they have whatever treatment they need. A pet health insurance plan does not have cost the earth; for around 20-40 dollars per month cost of medical care is assured. Make sure you research the companies well before making a decision. You want to fully understand what is and what is not covered. You don’t want to discover that in an emergency situation. This is for piece of mind, not to create more questions.

Some dog insurance providers can arrange pet health care policies to meet certain needs; perhaps to incorporate more than one pet on the same plan. If you are a dog owner then perhaps this article has given you something to think about. And with a bit of luck this information will have convinced you of the importance of becoming educated on having your pet protected.

There is a great deal of overlap between RV and auto policies. If you have a motorized RV, you will need some of the same coverage’s provided by an auto policy plus specialized RV coverage’s. I will attempt to explain a few things to consider without confusing you.

Regardless of the insurance company you decide to use, there are a handful of basic coverage’s you will need to have in your policy. Again, this coverage is very similar, if not identical, to the coverage you have on your personal auto insurance policy. This coverage can be broken down into two different categories; liability and physical damage. All motorized RV’s will have some form of liability coverage. Towable RV’s like travel trailers and 5th wheel trailers do not have any liability coverage. However, if you own a travel trailer or 5th wheel the section on liability may contain information helpful to you regarding the vehicle you use to tow your trailer.

There are many things to consider, here are just a few:

Liability Coverage

There are a number of coverage’s that fall under the category of liability coverage including Bodily Injury, Property Damage, Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury, Underinsured Motorist, Uninsured Motorist Property Damage, Personal Injury Protection and Medical Payments. Some of these coverage’s vary by state.

Note: The Department of Insurance in the state you live in can be an excellent resource for additional information regarding state specific coverage’s. Most states offer a Consumer Buyer’s Guide on their website that will explain state specific nuances to each of these coverage’s.

Bodily Injury is third party coverage. This means it provides protection for claims due to injuries to a passenger in your vehicle (other than you or a family member) or passengers in another vehicle, or pedestrians. It provides you, the owner/operator of a motor vehicle, with protection for your legal liability due to the ownership, maintenance or use of your RV. It is very important to select a limit that is high enough to protect your assets. You may be responsible for any amounts, related to injuries received to the third party, over and above the limit on your insurance policy. You can also purchase a separate umbrella policy that sits over all of your liability limits on your cars, your house and your motorized RV.

Property Damage is also a third party coverage, and provides protection for claims due to damage to other people’s property. For example, Property Damage would pay to repair damage to the bumper of a car that you rear-end in an accident. Bodily Injury and Property Damage limits typically work together and can be either a split limit or a combined single limit. A typical split limit has a different limit for damages to each person, each accident and property damage. For example, a common split limit would be $100,000/$300,000/$50,000. This means that for Bodily Injury coverage you have a maximum limit of $100,000 per person for each person injured not to exceed $300,000 per accident and a $50,000 limit for Property Damage. A common single limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage is $300,000 meaning you have $300,000 to pay for all injuries and property damage arising from any one accident. It can be split any which way between injured parties and damaged property. Bodily Injury and Property Damage are required for all motorized RV’s. For travel trailers and 5th wheel trailers liability follows the unit towing the trailer, so Bodily Injury and Property Damage coverage’s are not necessary.

Uninsured Motorists (UM) and Underinsured Motorists (UIM) coverage’s can be first or third party coverage’s. UM provides protection for injuries you or someone else sustains in an accident due to the fault of another party when the at-fault party does not have any insurance. UIM provides protection for injuries you or someone else sustain in an accident due to the fault of another party when the at-fault party does have insurance, but not enough insurance to cover your damages. UM and UIM are sold on a split limit and combined single limit basis, just like Bodily Injury and Property Damage.

Your RV insurance can and should fit your RV. To get a free RV insurance quote with absolutely no obligation, I recommend Explorer RV Insurance Agency, Inc. you can call 1-888-774-6778.

Happy Camping,

Copyright 2006 by Mark J. Polk owner of RV Education 101

Anyone that has been unfortunate enough to receive a DUI knows that they are nothing short of serious, uncomfortable, and costly. Suspended licenses, court costs, and attorney fees are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to expenses that are affiliated with it. The other costs you will eventually get over but the long term consequences of your auto insurance premiums will be around for a long time to come.

Insurance companies seem to always discover DUI’s, then they could out-and-out just revoke your policy or increase your charges so much that they are simply unaffordable. High risk drivers are often considered uninsurable by insurance companies. But regardless, that high risk label will stay with you for some time. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch if the insurance company doesn’t notify you right away with word about your DUI, it is just the calm before the storm.

The most trusted insurance companies won’t touch you for coverage so you will likely be stuck with some small no name insurance agency that will charge you an arm and a leg for your coverage. States individually establish how long a DUI stays on someone’s record however it may possibly remain there for the rest of your life.

Each state mandates the laws concerning DUI’s and car insurance coverage. The majority of states request that those with a DUI conviction obtain a form SR-22 from their insurance company, which guarantees that your insurance agent knows about your DUI. It is the only way though to get your license reinstated by proving to the DMV that you carry at least liability coverage.

In the event that your coverage were to slip, your insurance company will alert the DMV. After a DUI, you can expect your current premiums to possibly even double-if your carrier even renews your policy.

You are basically at the mercy of the insurance companies as there is nothing that regulates how much they are allowed to charge you for your insurance premiums.

It is exceptionally significant that you in no way drive when you have been drinking. One irresponsible decision can be a thorn in your side for years to come.

Iowa has some of the lowest auto insurance rates in the United States, which is good news for Iowa residents looking for car insurance. Even so, insurance costs can vary widely from one insurance company to another and you want to make sure you’re getting the cheapest rate possible. To save on your auto insurance, follow these tips:

Drop Extra Coverages You Don’t Need

You may be paying for insurance coverage you never or rarely need, such as towing and rental coverage. Consider dropping these extra coverages to lower your insurance rate.

Depending on the age of your auto, you may also want to drop your comprehensive and collision coverage. Most insurance companies recommend dropping these coverages if your auto is more than five years old.

Get All the Discounts You Qualify For

Insurance companies offer a variety of discounts that will lower your auto insurance rate. Ask your insurer if you qualify for any of these discounts:

* Multi-policy discount

* Multi-car discount

* Good student discount

* Good driver discount

* Anti-theft discount

* Safety features discount

* Low mileage discount

Also ask your insurer if there are any other discounts you might qualify for.

Shop Around for the Cheapest Iowa Insurance

You comparison shop for other major purchases, and at upwards of hundreds of dollars a year, auto insurance certainly qualifies as a major purchase. If you don’t shop for the cheapest insurance rate, you’re probably paying too much.

To make your comparison shopping easier, visit an insurance comparison website. Once you submit your insurance information, multiple A-rated insurance companies will give you insurance quotes and you can then choose the cheapest rate. On the best of these websites, you can even talk online or by phone with insurance professionals to get answers to your questions. (See link below.)