It seems like everybody is really trying to save money these days. And since almost all US drivers need to have car insurance, this seems like a great place to start being frugal. I never would tell anybody to give up great coverage though, because that can cost a lot more money in the long run. Our goal is to find the cheapest car insurance rates from the best insurers. And to do that, we need to compare rates for our own unique situation in the place we live in. So let us look at some simple ways to save money on car insurance!

• Don’t be too quick to drop colission and comprehensive insurance to save money. You probably only need liability insurance in order to satisfy your state legal requirements for operating a vehicle. But that only protects the other guy in case you cause a claim.  If you have to repair your car, or if you are hit by an uninsured motorist, can you afford it? You may want to spend the extra money to make sure you are completely covered.
• Compare rates and plans periodically! Sometimes it is hard to know which changes in your life circumstances will effect your rates. It must be obvious though, that buying a new car or adding a new driver will affect your rates. Another insurer may a better choice for your new situation. And sometimes market conditions, that are beyond your control, also matter. Experts advice us to shop for insurance ever year or so.
• If your rates are too high, you may consider raising your deductible. The difference in premium between a $250 deductible and a $1,000 deductible can be considerable. Just keep in mind that you will be responsible for this extra amount of money if you do need to make a claim. It would be a great idea to try and save some of the money you are not spending on car insurance in an emergency fund.
• Compare Quotes Before You Buy A Car. You really should consider your premiums as part of the cost of driving a car. Some new cars can actually be cheaper to insure than your old vehicle, but it will not always work out this way. It would be good to know what affect the new or used car purchase will have on your monthly budget while you are trying to decide which car you can afford.

Of course, we try to make it as simple as possible to compare quotes. You can use our quick online quote forms for free, and there is never an obligation to purchase. Use the information in any way that helps you! You can use the quote form on the right side of this page, or go here: Best Car Insurance Quotes

You can also get some more frugal car insurance tips.

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1. Best Tips To Save On Car Insurance
2. 5 Ways To Save Big Money On Your Home Insurance
3. Claims That Raise Insurance Rates

As you may have noticed we have a love/hate thing going on with health insurance. While we urge Americans to do what they can to get covered before they get sick or hurt, we know that it isn’t always that easy. If you do not have group benefits at work, individual insurers can decline people with pre-existing health conditions or they can charge a lot more to cover them. If you wait until you are already sick or hurt, you will not be able to buy health insurance. We still see a lot of people who try, but beating this system is not really possible, and it is not really legal.

That said, we have all of the sympathy in the world for people who are having trouble getting treatment or health insurance. We decided to include the article below because we believe it is a clear and succint roadmap to getting help with prescriptions and health care if you do not have health insurance. It also offers some suggestions to obtain health plans if you think you cannot afford them, or if you have been declined before.

What to Do If You Can’t Afford Health Insurance

Insurance Writer

Do You Lack Health Insurance?

If you are an American, and you lack health insurance, you are not alone. In late 2009, it was estimated that almost 46 million people in the US do not have a health plan. Recent high unemployment figures have not made this figure any lower.

Some of these people lost their group health plans when they lost their job. Others are self employed or work for a company that does not offer group health. There are alternative private health plans on the market, but many people just cannot afford them, or they cannot get accepted by one. While politicians haggle over the issues, sick people are having trouble getting treatment.

Are You Sick or Healthy?

If you are very healthy, or if you already have a health issue, you should seek coverage. It will be, of course, a lot easier to find affordable private health insurance if you are healthy. This way you can be prepared in case you do get sick or get hurt in an accident. Even a simple trip to an emergency room for a broken bone can cost thousands of dollars.

If you have already are hurt or ill, it will be tough to get it covered by private plans now. But even people who are already sick should be able to find some help. I hope to present some options for you.

COBRA

Under federal law, some companies must extend their group medical plan to terminated employees. This can be a good option for those who are between jobs. The only issue with it is the cost. Instead of just paying your employee contribution, now you will probably also have to pay the whole premium amount. Many ex-employees are very surprised when they learn how much this is.

Individual Health Insurance

If you lack major medical, and you are fairly healthy, you may find that a private medical plan is pretty affordable. It is actually a misconception that group benefits are always cheaper than individual plans. Because insurers can underwrite each applicant, they may actually be able to offer lower rates for healthier people.

If you have an option to extend your group benefits (i.e. COBRA) or buy private coverage, just make sure the new plan will accept you, and that it will cover services you need. It is tough, for instance, to get individual plans that cover normal maternity. But if you are accepted, which most people in reasonably good health should be, and the plan satisfies your needs, you may be vary happy with carrying your own health plan.

State Risk Pools

Every US state has some sort of health plan for people who have a pre-existing health problem that gets them declined for other coverage. In some states, these plans can be very expensive though. This is a good option if you do have income or savings, but just do not have health insurance.

Paying For Prescriptions

If you cannot afford your prescription medicine, consult the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPARX). Their website is PPARX.org. This organization offers a point of access to hundreds of private and public assistance programs. Their website says they have helped millions of Americans get help, and they may be able to help you.

Low Cost Health Clinics

You can find some lower cost health clinics. Many offer health services on a sliding scale. The PPARX website we mentioned about also has a handy search feature. You can enter your zip code and see if you can find a nearby locations. I entered my own zip code for a test, and I was surprised to see that there were several of these clinics within a short drive of my house. I had not been aware that there were any before.

Financial Aid For Health Problems

If you have a serious illness, you may be able to get support from a financial assistance program. These are usually non-profits, and sometimes they are called co-pay programs. Again, PPARX has information on many of these organizations.

County Health Systems

Try searching for a county or public health system in your own area. They should provide reduced fee services for patients. You will probably be locked into using their hospitals, doctors, etc., but you should have access to care.

Public Health Insurance Programs

If you have a very low income, and few assets, you may qualify for Medicaid. This is the federal and state program to insure the poor. Moderate income families should look at the Childrens Health Insurance (CHIPS) plan for their state. Income guidelines to cover kids are higher than those for adults, and these plans may also cover pregnant women.

What To Do If You Have No Health Insurance

I would tell anybody to figure out how they can obtain health insurance as quickly as possible. For instance, you should try to apply for a private policy when you are healthy! You are probably not going to find coverage from a private company after you are already sick or hurt. If you do find a plan that accepts you, it will probably be much more expensive That is how insurance works.

It is always better to plan ahead. Of course, this is not always possible.. If you have a current health issue, and no health plan, you should look at some of the alternatives we listed.

Do you need health insurance?

We would like to help. Here are some options if you have no health insurance

You can also find some alternatives to COBRA health here.
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-to-Do-If-You-Cant-Afford-Health-Insurance&id=3876848

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3. Who Needs Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI)?

Many people over 50, or even well into retirement years, are considering the purchase of a new life insurance policy. Some people associate life insurance with younger people, but some of us reached middle age with many of the same obligations we had when we were younger. We are just older now, and we find that policies are a little tougher to find and more expensive when we do find them.

So how do we consider the alternatives now, and decide between term vs whole life insurance policies? And why do older people need to purchase a policy anyway?

We may have planned to pay off our mortgage and get our kids off on their own. But those things got delayed, and we do not have any coverage on our own lives. Why aren’t we covered? Well, we may have had a term policy that, thankfully, we outlived. Or we may have lost our group life insurance when we retired, quit, or were terminated.

Let’s consider some a few things before we start shopping for new coverage.

• Term is Cheaper- Term premiums are bound to be lower than permanent life insurance premiums. Since we are older, and are rates are also likely to be a lot higher than they would be for a 35 year old,that is not trivial. But maybe we have a way to buy  time. You can purchase term that is convertible to life without showing evidence of insurability. That means you could buy cheaper term now, and then decide to covert it to whole life in the future.
• Why Do You Want Life Insurance Anyway? This questions is not trivial either.  Do you just want coverage, or do you want to leverage other features of some policies like estate and asset building? If you want to use your policy as an asset, maybe a permanent policy would serve you better.

When you sit down with an insurance agent or financial planner, make sure you have some clear ideas about your reasons for purchasing your policy. Consider your immediate need for coverage, but also think about the future. Be very wary of any insurance professional who only fixates on one type of product without comparing other alternatives. He or she may be more interested in meeting sales goals than service you in the best way.

You should also walk in to any appointment with an idea about the cost of life insurance.That way you will not be surprised or make an impulsive decision that is just based upon the premium.

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2. Term Life Insurance For Mid Life and Beyond
3. Find Term Life Over Age 50

Since the aging population of the US is growing, more people are concerned about long term care insurance. Though rates vary by age, health, location, etc., the cost of private long term care insurance can range from an average about $900 a year at 50 to almost $6,000 a year for a 75 year old. However, nursing home rates are also rising. Some reports peg the average anual cost of a nursing home at about $50,000 a year. So you can see how a long term stay in a nursing facility could, indeed, deplete a family’s resources rather quickly.

Medicare only pays for short term nursing care. Medicaid does pay for nursing home care, and in some cases, home health care. But you need to use Medicaid approved providers. You must also have a low income and few assets. So people purchase LTCI when they are concerned about depleting all of their financial assets if they do need long term care. This care averages about $50,000 a year these days.

But still, these premiums can be tough to justify for many lower and middle income people. LTCI premiums vary by age, health, and other factors, but can range from about $1,000 a year for a 50 year old to almost $6,000 a year for a 75 year old. It may makes sense when balanced against a $4,000 – $5,000 a month nursing home bill, but it is still a lot of money.

Long Term Care Insurance Alternatives

Besides Medicaid, you can come up with some other ways to plan for possible nursing or home health care costs. I found some suggestions for some other financial products that can serve double duty. In other words, your financil investment can protect more than one thing, and so they may be frugal choices.

Annuities with Long Term Care Riders – As you use a retirement annuity to guarantee income, some come with an additional rider that will allow them to pay for nursing care. These can work in different ways, so it is a good idea to compare different fixed annuities to find one that will work for you.  

Life Insurance With Accelerate Death Benefits – Some policies come with riders that will pay out part, or all, of the death benefit in case of a termina illess or nursing home confinement.  This means you can cover your life, but just in case you need it, that money can be used to provide care while you are still alive.  You can quote over 50 life insurance.

Life Settlements for Seniors – Investors will purchase permanent policies from older people for some percentage of the death benefit. This all sound like a grim business, but it can actually benefit familis who need the money wreshile the insured person is still alive.  Get more information and life settlement quotes here.

What Should You Do About Long Term Care Planning?

As with most other decisions, the right answer will be the one that works for you, and for your family. Take the time to research the suggestions and sit down with one, or more, retirement planners for their advice.  In general, any decision you make will be much better for you, and your family, than having no plan at all!

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1. Who Needs Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI)?
2. Affordable Long Term Care Insurance Premiums
3. Return Of Premium Term Life Insurance

Jennifer Latham had an individual health insurance policy with Assurant Health at the time of a severe accident. She and her husband were both injured, but her husband did not have coverage. Jennifer had taken out a policy 5 months before the auto accident.  But when the health insurance company began to get claims, they also began to review her application.

They decided to rescind her coverage because, in their opinion, she had misstated answers on her original appication. This is worse than deciding to cancel her policy, becausse that would mean she would still get the bills paid she had already generated from weeks in the hospital. Instead the company wiped out her coverage as if it had never existed.

But Time’s use of rescission has come under fire before, and they have been sued before. In fact, The practice has triggered a barrage of lawsuits — most of them settled out of court. Last summer, Time’s CEO was grilled before Congress about the fact that his company had saved $150 million in five years by rescinding 8,500 policies,

In fact, the details that Latham did not supply, and said she was not aware she needed to were not related to the auto accident which was caused by a speeding meth dealer. She said an agent helped her fill out the long and complex form, and she never intended to mislead anybody.

Here’s what her lawyer says

“I think there’s a business model here,” Levy says. “The insurance company knows that if they deny a hundred claims, 95 of those people are going to go away. They know that five of them might consult with a lawyer, and that two or three of them might get a lawyer to take their case. And they know they’re going to make it very expensive and protracted for those people to pursue their case.”

Anyway, the jury must hae agreed because of the huge punitive award. Now why can’t we change the rules so that some insurers do not even think of doing business this way?

Look at some of the Top Ranked Health Insurance Companies in the USA.

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As the name inplies, single premium life insurance (SPLI) is funded with one large payment. This is different than paying monthly premiums like most of us are used to. Since this is whole life, that one lump sum payment will guarantee that the death benefit will be payed upon the insured person’s death. As with any other life policy, the premium will vary by the insured person’s health and age, the insurance company, and the amount of the death benefit.

Advantages of SPLI

Single premium life insurance policies are usually considered for estate transfers, and are usually done when the policy owner is certain they will not need access to the money for a few years (or ever).  If you want to take a sum of money and turn it into a larger inheritance,  it may be a good product for you.

It may also be a good product if you may like to have the option to borrow against it, or even cash it in, at some point a few years in the future. And many policies provide an accelerated death benefit, so part of the death benefit can be used if the insured person has a terminal illness or nursing home confinement under the terms of the policy.

Consider a retiree who comes into a lump sum of money he does not need to live on. With that money he could buy several times the value of cash in the face value of their policy. Let us say for this example that $15,000 could by a $60,000 whole life insurance policy which guarantees lifetime coverage.

He could put that $15,000 into a single premium whole life insurance policy. Then he would know that $60,000 would be passed on with his estate at the time of his death.

The cash value of that policy should also grow very quickly, giving the owner some options. The owner could borrow aganst the cash value, or if their situation changes, they could cash it in for the face value. Note that I mentioned the cash value should grow quickly, but the owner will usually lose some cash value if they have to cash it in too soon. I also noted that an SPLI policy is best considered when the money is not needed in the next few years.

Single Premium Life Insurance Benefits

• One lump sum payment purchases a guaratneed amount of life insurance coverage that will not go down.
• The face value (death benefit) of the policy should be much larger than the paymemt.
• The owner has the potential to build up a cash value very quickly. This money can be borrowed against, but that loan may reduce the death benefit amount.
• SPLI policies may accept older applicants, up to age 80, because of their ability to get funded very quickly.

Tax Considerations of a MEC

The IRS considers a policy that does not require at least 7 years of payments to be a Modified Endowment Policy. That means that you will lose some tax advantages of regular life poicies. Be sure to consider this before you purchase an SPLI policy.

Disadvantages of Single Premium Life Insurance

This type of policy is not for everybody. Before you make a decision, be sure and consult with an insurance professional so you find the best solution for you, and for your family. Here are some potential SPLI disadvantages to consider.

• There could be fees or surrender charges for early withdrawals. Again, these type of policies serve best if the money can be set aside for a few years.
• The IRS does not always treat these policies like normal life insurance. Make sure you understand the tax consequences of future policy transactions.

Learn More

You can get quotes or find a local professional: Life Insurance Quotes for Older People

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Lots of us, who have been involved in the health insurance industry, are very aware that we need reform. But what we really need right now is for some health insurance reform simple explanations! The people need to understand why we need some improvements, and how our govenment may be able to help us. This would have to stop all of this tea party craziness and the misinformation being spread around TV and the net. Right?

Health Reform Reality Check

If you are an American, even if your are not a President Obama supporter, pease visit the White House Health Reform reality check website. I do not care which side of the issue you are on. If you are not willing to read or hear what the duly elected president of your country has to say, you really should not be in a position to comment.

The last thing any website owner wants to do is to alienate any visitors. But I do believe it is time for us to really understand health reform options. It would also be nice to understand what is going on in the Congress right now. And you should also understand that majority of conservative congreemen also support health reform. They just don’t seem to like today’s bill as it is presented.

The Urgency of Health Reform

Even if your job gives you a top quality medical plan, you should understand you have no guarantees. Rate hikes can make your company change its mind on the next month or next year. Read more, from The White House Blog, on the Urgency of Health Reform.

This issue is not about tea parties, Sarah .Palin’s hand-teleprompters, President Obama’s use of a real teleprompter, or any other silly stuff. It is about our nation’s health and life.

It is about us not being slaves to our company because we are worried no private insurer will cover us. It is about hard working Americans with serious illnesses who have used up their benefits or been dropped for trivial reasons. It is also about millions of unemployed or underemployed citizens who have to choose between buying groceries or paying on their COBRA (if they are lucky enough to qualify for COBRA). 

Note: Tips on Unemployment Health Insurance

So, President Obama and Congress, let’s get together ad make this happen.

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It is actually easy to understand business owners policies (BOP). Compare them to personal homeowners insurance policies. A home policy covers property, buildings, and liability. It actually packages different types of coverage into one policy, and only one premium must be paid every month.

You can tailor a BOP to your own unique business needs too. Compare that to the way you can adjust limits on a home policy to make sure you have enough coverage for personal property.

Insurers market different packages, and they can be custom made for some businesses, but there are some typical packages.

Coverage for property, like buildings, inventory, and equipment, is typcial.

Consider your liability needs. Your business may need professional liability or protection against a claim that an employee has caused damage to a customer.

Protect your business against theft. This could include burglaries, or even inside theft from employees.

Coverage for liability in case a customer claims damage from an injury on your property.

Business Cars – Protect your company vehicles.

Sometimes a BOP may include specific coverage for a particular business, or you may need to purchase them on their own. A discussion with a qualified business agent or company will help you understand what your unique business needs, and what other similar companies in your area buy.

Why is the BOP a Popular Choice for Small Business?

It is just simpler to combine coverage, rather than have to keep up with several policies. Many small businesses choose to buy a package like this.

Some examples of small companies who are interested in a package deal would be dentists office, beauty salons, stores in strip shopping malls, and sandwhich shops. Some home business owners who have outgrown their personal homeowners policy also turn to one.

Look For a BOP

In the old days, all a busy business owner could do would be to call around and set appointments with multiple insurance agents to find local coverage. These days, online quotes and forms can speed up the process.

Find Business Owners Policies in your local area with a fast and free safe business owners policy quote.

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What if you could purchase an insurance policy, be lucky enough not to ever use it, and then get all of your money back at the end. This would seem like a win-win situation. You would be protected, but if you never needed to make a claim, you could get all of your premiums back in a nice check.

Well, this situation does exist in the real world sometimes. You can find return of premium term life insurance policies. You will still purchase your policy to last for a specified amount of time, like 20 or 30 years. Then, when the policy expires, if nobody has collected on the policy, a check comes back for the amount of all of the premiums paid.

An Example of ROP at Work

Consider the situation of a 40 year old man who wants to purchase a 20 year term policy with a death benefit of $500,000. Now understand that premiums vary by age, health, location, etc., but let us just say his premium is $50 a month. You can calculate his total premiums for twenty years by multiplying 50 * 12 * 20 = $12,000.

At the end of his term, he is now 60 years old. He has not passed away, so while he may be happy to be alive, he still has nothing left to do with that life insurance contract.

But let us say he choose to purchase a return of premium rider when he bought his life insurance. Now this additional benefit will cost a bit more, so for the sake of illustration, we will assume it adds ten dollars to his monthly premium. Now you can figure that he paid $14,400. In the end it cost him $2,400 more. than the basic policy without an ROP rider.

But now, instead of having a worthless piece of paper, this man will get back a check for $14,400! This seems like a good incentive to keep a policy in force. Not only do you have coverage for the period of your policy, you also get to look forward to collecting your premums if you survive it. If you do not survive the policy, the normal death benefit would be paid out ot your beneficiaries.

The Cost of Return of Premium Term Life Insurance

You understand that this example just used some figures for illustration. You can run some quick and free quotes to compare life insurance costs.

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Since President Obama gets so much press, and since insurance reform (health) gets a lot of attention, it has to be very tempting for advertisers to tie these things in to their ads. It certainly gets attention, and at first glance, it may look credible. But you understand that most of the press about insurance reform is directed at health insurance reform, and not car insurance reform. Also understand that most insurance is regulated at the state level.

I have nothing against a good advertising, but I think you would be right to be skeptical about Obama car isurance reform ads. There may be some pending bills about this subject, but I am not aware of anything as dramatic as the current health reform debate.

This came to my attention when I checked another website for stats about how people found a particular article. This article – Over 50 Car Insurance – was found because an internet visitor searched for Obama Car Insurance Reform.  This was because there was a link to an Obama Health Insurance Reform article on the same page, but not in the article. Search engines are good, but they are not perfect. But it was kind of a happy accident because it made me realize that people were taking these ads seriously!

Here Are Some Good Things to Know About Car Insurance

• Almost everybody needs car insurance to be a legal driver in the USA. All states require a proof of financial responsibility in order to drive. For most of us, this means we need car insurance.
• It is very possible to get a better deal by comparing car insurance rates and plans. Top insurers offer different discounts. They also have their own rate charts for drivers, car types, and zip codes. You probably should compare policies every year or so to make sure you are getting the best rates.

We would certainly like to invite you to run a quick quote to make sure you have the best insurance rates. We do not believe that President Obama, Congress, or anybody in the federal government endorses our website though.

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