The Jeffrey And Tracey Info Emporium

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.

No doubt most readers will have heard of the Northern Ireland “troubles” or possibly seen some of those ghastly images from the seventies, eighties and early nineties on your television screens. Thankfully the worst of those dark days seem to be over. Unless you are a Northern Ireland resident you probably won’t be aware of the impact the “troubles” has had on insurance premiums in that part of the world, especially on motor vehicle insurance rates.

The lawless activities of those times saw a huge increase in vehicle theft for use in criminal activities or to build hastily erected roadblocks, usually resulting in cars, vans and buses being burnt out. So called “joyriding” was then and still is a big problem in parts of Belfast and Londonderry where youths steal cars of all makes and models to race each other on public roads, an unbelievably reckless pastime which has resulted in many deaths of both driver and innocent pedestrian. No wonder then that the major insurance underwriters who were prepared to do business in Northern Ireland charged hefty premiums compared to average premiums in England, Scotland and Wales.

With the advent of the “peace process” and the considerable period of normality that has come about since the mid nineties one would expect insurance premiums to have fallen significantly, however this has not been the case, leading to accusations from some quarters of profiteering on the part of the major insurers. An average automobile premium in England is around £200 ($360) while in Northern Ireland the average is closer to £600 ($1080) in my experience. Seventeen year old newly qualified drivers in Ulster can expect to pay a crippling £2000 ($3600) for their first motor insurance cover.

The underwriters and major insurance brokers retort that driving standards are poorer in Northern Ireland and our shameful road safety record does back this up to some degree. They also cite a higher claims rate and larger accident compensation payouts from the courts as another significant factor contributing to higher premiums in Northern Ireland and this is a valid point.

I personally believe that there has to be a middle ground. High insurance premiums affect us all and have a negative impact on our economy which is only just starting to recover from a long period of conflict. Perhaps more rigorous testing of our new drivers, advanced tests for experienced drivers, tougher sentences for car crime and road safety public awareness campaigns would allow major underwriters to charge less and bring benefit to us all.

George McGonigal
Northern Ireland Insurance Centre

George is webmaster of an online insurance resource for Northern Ireland motorists. We bring under one roof insurers who cover Northern Ireland that can offer online quotations to allow our visitors to compare rates in the comfort of their own homes.Car Insurance Northern Ireland: Competitive insurance quotes online. quotemehappy: from Norwich Union Direct.

In Part 1, we detailed the first five strategies on how to cut your car insurance costs. In Part 2, we show you the second five.

STEP 6 - Review, Change or Cancel No Fault & PIP (Personal Injury Protection)

No-Fault Coverage, and it’s Twin - PIP - started out as great idea’s. Your premiums were actually going to be lowered. Then, your State Politicians got involved (at the urging of Insurance Lobbyists, of course) and mucked it up.

You see, no-fault insurance coverage was originally intended to have each individual’s losses, covered by their own car insurance company - no matter who was at fault.

Today, in many States, car insurance companies are making a ton of money on no-fault because the insurance companies convinced State law-makers to make “modifications.”

Today, because of the these changes, car insurance companies have actually used the no-fault laws to reduce payments on a claim made by a customer, instead of reducing car insurance premiums as it was supposed to do.

So, premiums keep going up-and-up and insurance companies end up paying less for claims - Someone’s getting rich on that deal….and it’s not you.

And to make matters worse, some States (with really, really talented Insurance Lobbyist’s) also require an additional premium be paid on top of the no-fault premium. This beauty is called Personal Injury Protection (PIP).

PIP is a “wide-blanket” of coverage and can provide Collision Coverage, Hospitalization, Social Security Disability, Workers Comp, Personal Disability Insurance & Life Insurance.

The problem with PIP and what it covers is….

You already gave most, if not all, of these coverage’s anyway, don’t you? So, you’re paying twice!

So, you need to do a couple of things:

Google “minimum levels of required auto insurance” to see if No-Fault Insurance and/or PIP Is required in your State;

Then, check your policy. If it’s not required by your State to have No-Fault/PIP Coverage and it’s on your policy - cancel it. If No-Fault/PIP is required by your State….take the absolute minimum. Here’s how.

If you must have No-Fault/PIP, ask for and get a deductible from your car insurance company.

STEP 7 - Cancel Medical Coverage.

Medical Coverage, on most car insurance policies, is a promise to pay “reasonable” medical expenses for anyone who is riding in your car should you have an accident…as well as anyone in your car should it get hit by someone else.

Cancel it. You don’t need it.

Why is that you say? Well, medical coverage as part of your car insurance policy is a duplicate of your own:

- Medical Plan; - Any Life Insurance Coverage you might have, as well as; - The Liability Sections of almost every car insurance policy written in the U.S.

Think of it this way….Do you have a Health/Medical/Hospitalization Plan thru work or an Association you belong to?

Then why are you paying premiums for Medical/Hospitalization Coverage on your Car Insurance Policy?

Here’s what’s going to happen when you tell the car insurance company or Agent that you “Don’t want the Hospitalization/Medical Coverage.” You’re going to hear very slick “scare tactics” to help change your mind.

The insurance company employee will say “Well, if you’re in an accident, and it’s your fault, who’s going to cover the medical bills for any injured passengers in your car?”

Here’s your answer. Your family is already covered by your Health/Hospitalization Plan. If anybody else is in the car and they’re injured - they’re covered by your Bodily Injury Liability coverage that you’re already paying for….and their own Health/Hospitalization Plan.

So go ahead - save some more money and get rid of this coverage.

STEP 8 - Cancel Death, Dismemberment & Loss of Sight.

Do you have any of these coverage’s on your existing car insurance policy? If so - cancel them.

And if you’re a first time car insurance buyer or, just looking at getting several car insurance quotes, don’t let anyone talk you into them!

Why?

Because, these coverage’s are an absolute waste of money. Most of these optional coverage’s are simply “glorified” life insurance policies with ridiculous provisions and horribly overpriced premiums. If you need life insurance, make it a separate Insurance Policy.

STEP 9 - Cancel The Extras

Do you have “Roadside Assistance” or “Rental Car Reimbursement” on your policy? If so, cancel them.

And again, if you’re a first time insurance buyer or getting a few car insurance quotes, don’t bother with these coverage’s.

Why? Because they’re severely overpriced, are rarely ever used, and limit what you can and cannot do.

For instance, some rental car reimbursement” coverage is almost $100 a year for each vehicle on your policy. So if you have two cars, you’ll spend almost $2,000 on rental car coverage in the next 10 years - and likely never even use it.

And roadside assistance? The piece-of-mind it offers gets trampled by the premiums the car insurance companies want for this coverage. Roadside assistance is a good idea. But use AAA for a cheaper solution.

STEP 10 - Terminate Comprehensive & Collision Coverage On Older Cars.

If you have an older car - by that I mean one that’s worth less than $2,000 wholesale (the amount a car dealer would give you if you were trading it in) cancel any Comprehensive and Collision Coverage you have or decline that option when getting a car insurance quote.

Here’s why. If an 8 year-old car and a brand new car have identical damage, the cost to repair both will be identical as well, even though the 8 year-old car is worth next-to-nothing.

You see the cost of a bumper and fender are the same - whether it’s for a brand new car, or one that is 8 years-old. That’s why your premiums don’t go down as the value of the car goes down. Your payments remain almost the same, year-after-year-after-year.

But, the bottom drops-out of what you’ll be able to collect on that older car. For instance, if your car is “totaled”, your insurance company will only pay you the wholesale value of your car.

So, let’s say your car is worth $1,000, but the total damage is more than $4,000, the insurance company is only going to give you a check for $1,000….minus your deductible, of course.

So you might end up getting $500 back. Sounds like a lousy deal….but that’s how it works.

So, the rule-of-thumb is this - cancel your comp & collision coverage when your vehicles value is less than $2,000….or you’ll be throwing your money away.

Okay - you’ve jotted down some notes and are ready to make some changes to your car insurance policy. So pick up the phone and start slashing your premiums!

Tom O’Leary is an Automotive Portfolio Analyst based in Cincinnati, Ohio and Publisher of http://www.mynewcarpurchase.com, a consumer focused web site that assists with buying a new or used car, cheap car insurance quotes and finding cheaper car & truck financing.

Auto Insurance Multiple quotes- Insurance companies rate your
auto insurance by zip codes. The number of clams an insurance
company has had in your zip code will determine how much you
will be charged. That is why it’s so important for you to get
multiple insurance quotes. Age and value of car- A good rule of
thumb to use is if your car is ten years or older or worth less
then $10,000, and your insurance quote is $1000 or more per
every six months, you may want to consider removing collision
and comprehensive coverage to lower your auto insurance
expenditures. If you take collision and comprehensive off your
auto insurance policy you should save big. Low mileage-Did you
know that if you work at home or car pool to work - both of
which limit the number of miles you put on your vehicle - you
may be eligible for a low mileage discount on your car insurance
policy? Alarm System- Having an alarm system on your car may
help lower your car insurance. Only customers that carry
comprehensive coverage on their vehicles can take advantage of
this discount. Home Insurance Multiple quotes- Insurance
companies rate your home insurance by zip codes. The number of
clams an insurance company has had in your zip code will
determine how much you will be charged. That is why it’s so
important for you to get multiple insurance quotes. Alarm
system- Most insurance companies won’t tell you because they
don’t want to lose money but by having an alarm system on your
home can usually save you more money on home insurance than the
monthly monitoring cost. Higher deductibles- Many times changing
the deductible on your home insurance from $500 to $1000 can
often save you as much as $500 a year or more depending on the
cost of your home insurance. Multiple policies- You usually get
lower insurance prices when you buy multiple policies such as
auto and home with the same insurer. Life insurance Buy when
you’re young- Many people may feel they don’t need life
insurance when they are young. You may have fewer financial
expenditures at a younger age and the rates are also
substantially less expensive. The best advice is to purchase as
much life insurance protection as you can at a young age while
your health and prices are still good. Check for price breaks-
Life insurance companies often offer “price breaks” at certain
coverage amounts (e.g., $250,000 vs. $225,000). The truth is
that many people can actually pay less money for more coverage.
Check how little your prices increase when you increase coverage
to $250,000, $500,000, or $1,000,000. Check out your
payment/billing options- Many life insurance companies offer
discounts to consumers who pay their premiums annually, or who
pay monthly by electronic funds transfer (EFT). Health insurance
Compare quotes and benefits from multiple companies- You
wouldn’t buy a car without first familiarizing yourself with the
different makes and models available. Similarly, when shopping
health insurance coverage, don’t limit yourself to the offering
of a single insurance company. Consider a high-deductible plan-
If your family is healthy and doesn’t make frequent visits to
the doctor, this may be a good option for you. You can save
money and still retain valuable coverage for your family.
Although you will be responsible for paying higher deductibles
prior to your coverage kicking in your family will be protected
from the catastrophic consequences of having no coverage in the
event of serious illness or injury. Take advantage of available
tax incentives- Educate yourself on the tax benefits available
to you as a business owner when you provide group health
insurance for your employees. You may be able to fully deduct
the premiums and offer coverage as part of a total compensation
package and may help reduce your payroll tax. Consider buying
prescription drugs online- You can usually purchase your
prescription drugs online for considerably less than at your
neighborhood pharmacy. We hope you find these insurance saving
tips useful. Tips are provided by Insurance Discount Rus.com
visit us today we provide an easy one-stop place for you to find
the right coverage at the right price.

Change is never easy, and amendments to Texas Law have seen the Health Insurance market explode with a multitude of health plan options. While more competition is always a good thing, it can sometimes be very confusing to consumers who want to get the best deal, but are confused by the sudden array of choice.

There is also the added confusion that not all health plans have to contain all benefits, meaning you’ve suddenly got a whole lot of policies that may or may not contain the things you need. Insurance carriers still do have full health insurance plans, but the advantage of this new flexibility is that consumers can choose which benefits they would like to pay for. This means insurance that is tailored to your needs that won’t break the bank with costs for things you don’t want or need.

You now have the choice between State Mandated Plans and Consumer Choice Plans. Consumer Choice plans will still include things that the State has determined must be included, such as Alzheimer’s and Pregnancy Complications.

The health coverage tax credit program is also available to help certain individuals pay for insurance, this can make health insurance much more affordable if you’re eligible. If you’re on a pension you’re likely to qualify, as well as if you are a displaced worker.

There is also the choice between Fee-for-service plans, and Managed Care plans. Managed care plans may be cheaper as may be required to go to the health care professionals that the insurance company dictates, where as Fee-for-service plans allow you to go anywhere you want.

Another excellent way to save money on your insurance is to see if you can get it as part of a group. Perhaps your employer offers insurance, or your union. Other associations that offer the chance to get in on a group plan are churches and professional associations.

Be smart, look around, and explore your options. That’s the best way to save on health insurance and get a good deal.

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Our recommended source for insurance quotes health insurance quotes, online homeowners insurance quote

You’ve heard a lot of talk about cheap term life insurance and you’ve decided that it’s something you need to start investigating. That’s definitely a step in the right direction. Like so many other tasks in life, you’ve turned to the Internet to get the ball rolling.

You’ve filled out numerous online applications for cheap term life insurance but as the quotes start to come back you’re realizing that term life insurance isn’t really all that cheap. What’s going on?

Your health matters

A couple of factors might be causing higher than anticipated term life insurance costs. First and foremost is the general state of your health. Getting an online quotation is one thing, but pricing an actual policy after the life insurance company has reviewed your medical history is really what determines your true costs for life insurance.

Very rarely will an individual get life insurance without first having a medical examination. Getting a policy through your place of employment is the only time this may happen, but generally in this situation, your coverage will be minimal.

If you’re looking for cheap term life insurance that’ll actually be of financial value after you’re gone, you’ll likely have to supplement the policy you get through your job.

Let’s take a look at the logic for a moment. If given the choice, life insurance companies would select as customers only those whose health is excellent. Excellent health means you should live longer. When you live long there is less chance that the insurance company will have to pay out your policy’s death benefits.

In other words, if you outlive your cheap term life insurance policy, the insurance company comes out ahead. The company has collected your premiums, but it did not have to give any money back to your beneficiaries.

The categorization system

When determining the true cost of a policy, life insurance companies use a classification system. Individuals with a clean bill of health generally get classified as “super preferred” and get the lowest-priced premiums. They’re the ones who get cheap term life insurance. Several more categories exist and, unfortunately, each category comes with a progressively higher premium.

Some of the health conditions that raise a red flag in the eyes of an insurance company include use of tobacco products, being overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and a history of cancer, stroke, diabetes, heart disease or other type of chronic disease in your family, even if you do not have any symptoms of these conditions.

If you do have symptoms of the above conditions, you should expect that cheap term life insurance isn’t something for which you’ll qualify.

The types of medical conditions listed above are more likely to cause premature death in an individual. If the insured individual dies during the life insurance policy term, the insurance company will have to pay out death benefits. And that’s what life insurance companies look at when deciding whether or not an individual qualifies for cheap term life insurance.

Find Cheap Term Life Insurance in the UK. You will not believe our low rates.

This article comes with reprint rights. Feel free to reprint and distribute as you like. All that we ask is that you do not make any changes, that this resource text is include, and that the link above is intact.

When deciding on the appropriate amount of homeowner’s insurance coverage you must first determine the projected replacement cost of your home. Then you must choose the coverage amount that suits your needs best. You may want to choose a coverage amount that is comparable to the estimated replacement cost. You may want to consider the benefits of having more than enough coverage as opposed to “just enough” seeing as how it is almost impossible to predict the future and in these changing times what may have never happened in your neighborhood before could be the phenomenon that happens tomorrow.

Your homeowner’s insurance coverage policy will be your principal policy in regards to destruction caused to your home. This policy more often than not will provide for damage to your home due to fire, windstorms, hail and explosions as well as vandalism and theft. When your home becomes uninhabitable due to damage covered by your policy your homeowner’s insurance will also provide the necessary funds for you and your family to live elsewhere while your home is under construction or repair.

You may want to inquire with your insurance agent as to what losses are not covered by your homeowner’s insurance. Some states may grant separate state-sponsored catastrophe funds like the windpool program which covers damage caused by tropical storms, hurricanes, wind and hail. Because this coverage is provided by the state some homeowner’s policies may eliminate coverage and refer you to the windpool to obtain protection against wind-related damages. Therefore, when buying a home in high-risk hurricane states such as Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas you may want to consider purchasing windstorm insurance.

Another disaster that generally is not covered in most homeowner’s insurance policies is flood insurance. Flood insurance is normally available through the National Flood Insurance Program governed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This covers destruction caused due to high waters or flash floods. So basically if a flash flood causes water to penetrate your residence flood insurance as opposed to homeowner’s insurance will cover your loss. If you don’t know whether or not your home is located in a flood risk area you may want to inquire with your insurance agent and adjust your policy accordingly.

The burden of reviewing and updating a homeowner’s insurance policy lies on the homeowner. It is important to make sure you do this periodically to ensure that you maintain adequate coverage. Remain conscience of various improvements you make to your home whether you have recently remodeled or simply purchased new furniture or appliances. You must also remain cognizant of inflation and rises in property value. A home that was purchased for $32,000 in 1975 may be worth $150,000 in 2005. It is also wise to consider the year your home was built and the cost of building materials during that time. If your home was built in the 1970s does the building code of the new millennium allow for the same construction standards? Don’t get underpaid in the event of a loss because you underestimated the value of your home.

Timothy Gorman is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers free money saving auto, life, health and home insurance quotes that you can research in your pajamas on his website.