The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

United Home life - Ideal for Hard to Place Clients.

Often throughout the course of their careers insurance agents
are confronted with a case that is just difficult to place. It
could be due to a clients past medical history, a weight
problem, or any number of other factors that insurance companies
simply do not like. Sometimes these factors can result in a
client being rated, other times it can mean a decline. An option
to consider for these clients is United Home Life.

United Home Life offers three product types:

Term: Express Issue Term Plus (20), Express Issue Term
30, Premier 20 (20 ROP)

Premier 30 coming Fall 2005.

Whole Life: (TPS III) Express Issue Whole Life, Express
Issue Deluxe, Express Issue Premier.

The newest product group from UHL is the Total Protection III
(TPS III) series. The TPS III debuted about 2 months ago.
Features of this series are:

Total Protection Series III replaces the TPS II.

In most states, TPS II will no longer be accepted.

TPS III is the name of the whole life product group.

Express Issue Whole Life: Graded whole life, virtually
guaranteed issue.

Many clients who are very difficult to place elsewhere would
fit well with UHL. For example, a client who would qualify for
term insurance from UHL would be someone who has:

Type 2 diabetes, under 60, taking oral meds. (table rated to at
least 2 every where else)

Heart Disease, must be more than 5 years of occurrence and
client must be in good condition now. Most companies will table
rate for this. Cancer (non skin), must be free of cancer for 5
years or more. Most companies will table rate unless it’s 10
years.

Clients who travel. The app has no travel questions.

And, someone who would qualify for Whole Life would be:

Anyone who is not terminally ill, confined to a hospital or
diagnosed with HIV/AIDS qualify for the Express Issue Whole
Life.

Cancer, Heart Disease are the same for the Express Issue Deluxe
as for term.

Insulin Dependent Diabetics qualify for Express Issue Whole Life
and Deluxe plans.

As with Term, no travel questions.

United Home Life offers a wide array of great products that can
be tailored for virtually any type of client. To learn more
about UHL be sure to sign up for LifePro and UHl’s Web Ex Event.
This event will answer many of the questions regarding UHL,
their new products, and their future direction.

www.LifePro.com

Do you know that skyrocketing health care costs have been draining the federal government and employer’s exchequers over the last couple of years? The health care costs account for 15.5 percent of U.S GDP and is the most expensive benefit paid by employers, seriously affecting their competitiveness in the global market. Health care spending is projected to top $1.9 trillion in 2005, about twice the amount being spent on education. According to the Employment Policy Foundation, employers have spent $331 billion last year for ( http://www.healthinsurancedepth.com ) health insurance, a 50 percent increase since 1998. All of these never-improving alarming statistics did result in designing the Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP), making the insured person an active member in controlling the costs, rather than being passive and relying on the managed benefit program. The idea was pioneered by Definity Health in Minnesota in the year 2000 and has seen a rapid adoption by the employers/employees over the years due to its inherent cure-for-all strategy.

CDHP is all about transferring the reins of health-care costs to the participating individual, thereby making him an active and informed decision maker for his/her heath-care needs. Consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) are typically a combination of a high-deductible medical insurance plan coupled with an employer sponsored reimbursement account (HRA) or a health care savings (HSA) plan that consumers access to pay for eligible medical care expenses. Unutilized funds may be carried over for health care expenses for future years, encouraging the participants to use the accumulated asset in a wise manner. The plans would also include coverage for any preventive care services such as annual health-checkups, immunizations and childcare. The money from the savings plan can also be used for tax-free reimbursement of post-retirement insurance premiums. In the HRA version of the plan, the employer sets aside a pre-defined set of dollars for usage by the employee. The HRA plan is not transferable between employers. When the amount is exhausted, there is some out-of-pocket expenditure incurred by the participant. Employers are now able to control the health-care costs, and the member is encouraged to wisely utilize the money using the annual rollover feature to save for possible major future expenses.

The HSA based plan, involves contribution to a savings account on a pre-tax basis, by the employer and/or employee and is portable as the participant changes employer / plan. The member also has the flexibility to select the investment options for the savings account. In either of the plans, the participant has to pay the pre-defined level of annual deductible and the remaining expenses are reimbursed by the plan on a co-payment basis, subject to a maximum level of out-of-pocket payment. The member’s incentive of maintaining the assets in the account encourages proper scrutiny of health-care related bills, costs and/or evaluation of the necessity of visits to the doctor. Inherent to the design of the plan, the participant is rewarded through increased savings by judiciously controlling his/her medical expenses.

HSA is a comparatively newer development in the insurance industry, resulting in a usual time lag of adoption by the employers. As per a recent survey conducted by America’s Health Insurance Plans, 79 percent of the HSA adoptions were by individuals. Even though the number of employers offering HRAs outnumber those that offer HSAs, but in the long-run it is estimated that the latter will take over due to its simplicity and popularity among the consumers as they have more control on the accumulated medical dollars.

Another recent survey of employers conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, reveals a preference of HSAs being offered by as compared to the other plan by the year 2006. According to Charles Koser, Infinisource Vice President of Business Development, 40 percent of businesses with less than 10 employees do not offer health insurance based on a recent study done by the National Federation of Independent Businesses [ NFIB ]. He further states that, HSA is a very affordable option for these employers and probably proves the point when the study also reveals that 32 percent of HSA adopters were uninsured.

Proper Communication is probably the key factor in ensuring adoption of CDHPs in an organization. According to Sara Taylor, national leader for annual enrollment at Hewitt Associates “Employers aren’t going to see much enrollment in consumer-driven health plans, if it’s only one option out of 15 plans….Having a choice between a consumer-driven plan and a traditional health plan is a better way to drive employee enrollment to HSAs and HRAs”. Also, the initiatives must stress on building a healthier and health-care-cost-conscious workforce with cheaper access to preventive care with a CDHP. Over the next couple of years, we are probably going to see more adoptions of CDHPs by the major corporations, giving the employees direct control of the medical dollars and controlling the investment opportunities for the accumulated assets. A recent survey was conducted by Aon Consulting and International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS), in January and February of this year. The survey of 208 benefit managers revealed that 22 percent of the businesses offered a CDHP to their employees. To indicate that CDHP has gained significant popularity in recent years, the survey also mentions that 74 percent of the corporations offering a CDHP started doing so in 2004 and 2005, with over half that group having started in January this year.

As per a Forrester Research study, about $88 billion of insurance-premium dollars are estimated from adoption of CDHP model by 2007. With a gradual adoption of CDHP model among the employees - an organization of about 10,000 employees, incurring about $8,000 per employee annually – can save up to $10 million over a period of four years.

At the same time, consumer needs to make sure they at least get a PPO style negotiated price through their health insurance carriers before they meet their deductibles – otherwise savings of the affordable health insurance may go way. More and more doctors and hospitals are getting it in writing from the patients that they will be paying usual and customary charges instead of lower PPO negotiated prices. This trend itself can make Consumer Driven Health and Medical Insurance unattractive.

To sum it up, CDHP seems to be offering a reliable antidote for the raging health-care costs in corporate America and create a new pool of cost-conscious consumers.

For more info visit: Affordable Health Insurance Quote

SEO Consultant
SEO Firm from India
Web Development , India

If you are a newbie to the world of auto insurance, fear not! If you follow certain steps, finding an affordable car insurance rate is perfectly feasible and less troublesome than you think. First, understanding insurance lingo is only the beginning toward an affordable auto insurance rate. There are great articles and sites that will offer definitions for common terms like deductible, liability, and other words that impact your affordable car insurance rate.

Once you get a grasp on the lingo, the next step toward finding an affordable auto insurance rate is to know what coverage options are available to you, and then determine what coverages you would like. Once you have that list, you can then compare it to what you need. As you look at different quotes, you will know what you have budgeted toward your auto insurance, and you can then find the quote that gives you an affordable car insurance rate along with the most coverage for that rate.

Also, asking about discounts is a great way to create a more affordable car insurance rate. Most auto insurance companies offer discounts for things like good grades, age, and having multiple insurance policies, so you may be able to get more coverage with discounts as you get a more affordable car insurance rate through those savings.

Want more great auto insurance info. Get instant auto insurance quotes and more great info at Insurance-Compare-Save.com. We have daily updated insurance info and a huge network of insurers competing for your business.

I recently did some research on the development of the 30 year term insurance policy over the years. What I learned was quite interesting. Because of the tremendous interest in term insurance the life insurance companies have greatly improved this policy. Think about it, you graduate college, you probably get married after you get a good job and accumulate some money either in the bank or in some good investment of your choice. You of course buy a home for your new family. You have a need for some life insurance now to protect them in the event of your premature death. You decide that a 30 year term insurance policy would be good for you. Here is how it works.

The 30 Year Level Term Policy.

The 30 year term policy maintains a level death benefit throughout the lifetime of the policy. The premiums also remain level for many of the newer 30 year term policies. It used to be, and is some cases it still is so, that the premium would be lower in the first five or so years then it would increase. Many of the better companies now maintain a level premium throughout the life of the policy. What is amazing is that they keep the premiums so very low. That is good for the insurance buyer and it seems to be good also for the companies as they sell a lot of this type of insurance.

The 30 Year Return Of Premium Policy

If you are willing to pay a little more premium you can get a 30 year return of premium policy. The face amount of the policy remains level throughout and so does the premium. The great thing about this policy is that if you don’t die within the 30 year period you get a return of all your premiums. Isn’t that just great? Just imagine you pay your life insurance premiums for 30 years and if you died the insurance company would pay your family the full face amount of the policy. If you don’t die they give you back your money. I think that is the best of both worlds.

The Waiver Of Premium Rider

You can add the waiver of premium rider to either of your 30 year term policies. If you should become disabled, anytime after 6 months of disability, the life insurance company will step in and pay the premiums for you even if it is for the rest of your life.

The Accidental Death Benefit Rider

You can also add the accidental death benefit or double indemnity rider. If you should die in an accident the company will pay your family twice the face amount. If you had a policy for $500,000 and you died in an accident the company would pay $1,000,000 to your family.

I am a strong believer in the 20 year term policy but it seems to me that with such great improvements the 30 year term policy is worth serious consideration.

For more than 40 years Donald has been known for his extensive knowledge of the life insurance business. He has represented some of the largest and best life insurance companies in the United States as well as Canada. His advice is invaluable.

Donald’s website is: http://www.lifeinsurancehub.net

There are the usual tips for getting really cheap car insurance. You may need to be reminded of these. Then there are the secrets that you haven’t heard about. You’ll find a few of those here too.

1. Shop around. Call several companies for quotes, starting with those that advertise the lowest prices. be sure to include at least one independent agent, since they can check many companies for you. Use the tips here to make a list of questions to ask them.

2. Raise your deductible to lower your rates. If you really can’t afford the first $500 of an accident, you should rearrange your financial life. After all, you’re going to find away to afford more than that over time, on higher premiums.

3. Consider dropping collision. Why pay for it if the car is worth $1000? All you’ll get is $1000. The rule is: drop the collision if you can afford the loss. You can’t drop it if you owe on the car. However, if the car is worth only a couple thousand and you still owe a little on it, get a personal loan to pay off the car loan, drop the collision coverage, and the savings on the insurance may almost make the payments.

4. Round down your distance to work. You are charged more if you drive farther to work, so be sure to give the shortest distance on the application. Fifteen miles is a common cut-off, at which point you start to pay more.

5. Demand the legal minimums. Do this if you have no assets. Most companies will try to sell you their “company-recommended minimums” on liability, but you may not need that much coverage. Remember, if you are broke, you are not an attractive target for a lawsuit.

6. Get any discounts you are eligible for. Ask about any “safe driver” non-smoker” or other special discounts.

7. Home and auto discounts. See if there is a discount if you insure car and home with the same company. This can often save you a lot.

8. Pay for 6 months at a time. Don’t take the easy monthly payment option. They always charge you more for that. Learn to budget and you not only get really cheap car insurance, but everything else is cheaper too.

9. Review your policy. Have your policy reviewed and get new quotes every year or so. If the speeding ticket you had is now past the three year mark (or whatever the company thinks is important) they won’t automatically drop the rate, so ask.

10. Consider the insurance costs when buying a car. Sports cars and others are charged higher rates. This isn’t a one time charge. You’ll pay more for as long as you own the car.

11. Keep policy current. I went without a car for a while, and let the policy lapse because I didn’t need it, and there wasn’t enough time left on it to request a refund. When I bought a car again, the cost for a six-month liability policy went from $167 to $400 because of my lapsed policy. Keep the policy active if you will be buying again soon, or cancel it, but don’t let it lapse.

12. Get paid for diminished value. If you have an accident, be sure the insurance pays what it should. “Diminished value” is often not paid unless you push the point, even though a car loses value from being in a wreck, even after it is repaired.

13. Remove kids from policy. If the kids are at a college that’s more than 100 miles away, you can have them taken off the insurance policy and save a lot of money. You can’t let them drive the car when they come home to visit though.

14. Get older. Rates drop, especially after 25 years old, so get new quotes now and then as you get older. They may not adjust your rate automatically. Old safe drivers can get really cheap car insurance.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: The Secret Information Site (http://www.TheSecretInformationSite.com)

It is often the moment many of us dread – climbing on to the scales to find out the truth about our weight.

For some of us, it might have been years since we placed ourselves on the scales. It’s easier to invent a number that we want to believe is true with respect to our body mass rather than write one down on a form that reflects the real life fact of the matter.

But when it comes to getting life insurance, inventing a figure or guessing your size will simply no longer wash. Now insurance companies are not only demanding to know whether you are overweight or not and what you consider to be your actual weight, but they are also asking customers when was the last time they jumped on the scales.

Among them is Scottish Provident, one of the more prominent life insurance companies in Great Britain. The firm has introduced the new question about when you last weighed yourself for its life assurance application because it is becoming increasingly clued up about the health risks that accompany obesity with respect to offering life insurance cover.

The company probably knows that there are actually people out there prepared to lie about their weight to insurance providers in an effort to get a cheaper quote because they know that the truth will be pricey.

And they are probably also becoming increasingly aware about the concerns surrounding obesity. After all, insurance companies aren’t the only ones becoming wary about this. The UK Government is frequently sending out reminders that quarter of the nation is overweight. So are general practitioners, the Diabetes Foundation, the Men’s Health Forum to name a few.

What’s more worrying, is that Cancer UK’s research will tell you that of those suffering from over eating, a quarter of that group aren’t the slightest bit interested when it comes to shedding the kilos. And the only other country that beats Britain when comes to obesity, in fact, is Greece.

So how can you tell if you might be classed as obese and therefore someone who has to pay a higher premium for life insurance?
You need to work out your Body Mass Index, commonly known as the BMI. You do this by taking your height in metres and dividing it by the same number.
With the number that comes from this, divide it by your weight in kilograms and you wind up with your BMI.
According to the British Medical Association, you’re likely to be overweight if your BMI is more than 25 and you are obese if it is 30 or over.

The good news is that most life insurance companies are pretty good about people who fall into the overweight category. They mostly accept people with a BMI level of 30.

But anything more than that? Get out the cheque book and be prepared to pay sky high premiums. And once you’ve paid out that figure then get ready to take a medical examination because the insurance firm will make you. If it’s not just the case that your life assurance premium rocket by a staggering 50%, it could be that it is refused.

So next time before you have fill out one of these forms asking you what is your weight, go into the bathroom, dust off those scales and stand on them. You might just be in for a surprise.

Jenny Thomas heaved a sigh of relief. A month ago she checked
into her local hospital to deliver her first child, but
unanticipated complications necessitated an emergency surgery.
Fortunately both she and the baby were fine. But if it hadn’t
been for her family’s health savings account (HSA), she could
have ended up owing the hospital tens of thousands of dollars.

An HSA is smart savings plan that you use for unanticipated
medical expenses. Usually, money that you sock away into the
plan comes out of your paycheck before payroll taxes are
computed, so that you maximize your savings rate. Furthermore,
any income that the HAS plan itself generates (such as from
interest or investment appreciation) is also tax free, so it
grows fast. Some employers even contribute extra matching cash
to the plan to encourage you to save.

In most parts of the country, to be eligible for an HSA you also
need to hold a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). An HDHP is a
plan where the deductible - that is the amount that you pay out
of pocket, before the insurance “kicks in” is somewhat higher
that what you might have seen before: usually in the
neighborhood of $2000 to $3000. The big idea behind the HSA/HDHP
combo is that the premiums on the high-deductible plan are so
much lower that even though you pay the first couple of thousand
“out-of-pocket” - actually out of your HSA - you save money in
the long run over a traditional plan.

Hundreds of banks, credit unions and insurance companies offer
HSAs, and it’s easy to sign up. Once you’re enrolled, you can
use the money in the account for most any approved medical,
dental, vision or disability health care or expense.

HSA’s differ from one another mostly in the ways they grow. Some
HSA’s grow like traditional savings accounts, with interest
compounding daily. Other HSA’s let you be more aggressive and
pick money market funds, mutual funds or other investment
vehicles so that you can maximize the growth of the account.
It’s up to you, and you should make sure you understand the
investment choices available to you before you select your HSA
institution. After you have opened an HSA, managing the account
is pretty easy. You setup automatic deductions from your
paycheck, usually totalling an annual amount less than your HDHP
deductible. You then invest your accumulating HSA funds in
interst-bearing accounts, stocks, bonds and/or mutual funds,
depending on the choices available to you at your HSA
institution. Returns on these investments are tax-free, so they
compound fast! If, in some year, your don’t use the cash, it
automatically gets carried over to the next year. So in this way
HSA’s are different from “Flexible Spending Accounts” which
typically follow a “use it or lose it” approach.

Most young people are more used to being penalised by insurers
for being younger - motor insurers for instance regard younger
drivers as a higher risk and therefore charge a higher premium.
The biggest part of a travel insurance premium is medical cover,
and in this case, younger people are a LOWER RISK because they
are less likely to fall ill abroad and have to be flown home
after expensive treatment.

However, younger people will often not get cheaper travel
insurance - the insurer may use the lower risk to subsidize the
premiums of older travellers or family cover.

At Hastings Direct Travel we give lower rates for younger
travellers but offer the same high levels of cover.

We specially provide our travel insurance is available with
following options:

UK cover European cover Worldwide cover Independant travel for
adults Cover for you and your partner Cover for your whole
family Wintersports cover Ski and snowboarding cover (including
off piste)

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance is provided through
Text2Insure Limited, part of the Hastings Insurance Services
Group. Text2Insure is an Appointed Representative of Hastings
Insurance Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by
the Financial Services Authority.

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance is authorised and regulated by
the Financial Services Authority.

Hastings Direct Travel Insurance offers a high level of cover
for single trip, annual trip, long stay and ski/snowboard
insurance

Please visit our site - http://www.hastingsdirecttravel.com

Best regards,

Malcolm McLean Director Text2Insure

malcolm@text2insure.co.uk

Many renters don’t stop to think about what happens if there is a fire, someone breaks in and steals their new TV or stereo, or a visitor slips and falls on their property. The sad truth is; you will be responsible! While your landlord has insurance that covers the actual building, that coverage does not include your personal property or liability for injuries which occur in the space you rent ~ be it an apartment or a house and yard.

If a fire should destroy or damage your home, your landlord’s insurance will cover the structure. It won’t cover damage or loss of your belongings. Neither will it provide for the cost of temporary housing for you and your family.

You may think you don’t own enough personal property to make the cost of insurance worthwhile. You’re probably wrong! If you sit down and add up the cost of everything you own, you may be in for a big surprise. Consider what you have invested in such things as:

• Furniture and accessories

• Electronics like TV, stereo, computers

• Small appliances like microwaves, toaster ovens, etc.

• Clothing

• Art work like paintings or prints

• Dishes, silverware and cookware

• Sporting equipment

• Books

• Jewelry

Could you afford to replace all of these things?

Even worse, what would you do if a friend is injured on your property and decides to sue you for medical costs and more? It’s a scary thought, isn’t it?

Are you beginning to see why rental insurance may be a very wise investment?

The cost of rental insurance is based on several factors:

• The dollar amount of your coverage

• Deductibles

• Whether you choose to be reimbursed for Actual Cash
Value or Replacement Costs (more about that in a minute)

• Where your rental property is located and the number of previous claims made, not only by you, but by others living in the same area.

Let me explain the difference between Actual Cash Value (ACV) and Replacement Costs. ACV is the value of your property at the time a loss takes place. For example, if your television set is five years old, it’s valued at much less than if it were brand new. The lesser amount is what you are reimbursed.

However, if you opt for Replacement Cost, you’re paid whatever it costs to go out and buy a new TV with similar features. Insuring for replacement cost raises the amount of your premium so it’s a good idea to get quotes for both ACV and Replacement Cost policies. Then you can decide which option fits your needs and budget.

Another thing to keep in mind is that jewelry, valuable collections, and guns are usually covered under a separate policy or “rider”. If you own these kinds of items, be sure to tell your insurance agent. You don’t want to find out after disaster strikes that they aren’t covered or that they aren’t covered for their true value.
One way you can reduce the cost of your rental insurance is to check with whichever company insures your car. If they provide rental insurance you may be eligible for a multi-line discount.

Rental insurance may be worth the investment just for the peace of mind it offers you.

Kyle Thomas Haley has been helping people relocate on the Internet since 1999 with Apartment and Relocation Websites:

Apartment Rentals Nationwide

USA Moving Companies

Copyright 1999 – 2005 STANZEEKAY Inc.
You have permission to publish this article, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included and none of the links or
content are removed or changed.

About The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)

At-A-Glance: The Nation’s Leading Resource for Micro-Businesses

The National Association for the Self
-Employed (NASE) is the nation’s leading resource for the
self-employed and micro-businesses (up to ten employees),
providing a broad range of benefits and support to help the
smallest businesses succeed.

The NASE was founded in 1981 by a group of small- business
owners in search of a structure of day-to-day support, benefits
and consolidated buying power that traditionally had been
available only to large corporations. Today, the NASE represents
hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs and micro-businesses, and
is the largest non-profit, non-partisan association of its kind
in the United States.

Since its start-up, the NASE has been an important partner in
the explosion of micro-businesses in the United States,
supporting the interests of the self
-employed health insurance with benefits and advocacy
initiatives aimed at leveling the playing field between these
businesses and larger corporations.

Specifically, the aim of the association is to help the self
-employed successfully meet the challenges of managing and
growing their businesses by:

Securing focused tools and resources that help the self-employed
manage and compete more effectively; Representing the interests
of the self-employed among legislators in Washington D.C. on key
issues that affect their business and that give these businesses
more equal footing with larger corporations; and Providing
access to benefits that promote the health and financial
security of micro-business owners.

Supporting Micro-Businesses as Key Engine of Economy

The NASE has pioneered
support for the self-employed and micro-businesses, which have
been among the largest creators of jobs in recent years.
According to the Small Business Administration, micro-businesses
generated 37.6 percent of new jobs between 1998 and 1999.