Do You Now About Insurance?

History of insurance

In some sense we can say that insurance appears simultaneously with the appearance of human society. We know of two types of economies in human societies: money economies (with markets, money, financial instruments and so on) and non-money or natural economies (without money, markets, financial instruments and so on). The second type is a more ancient form than the first. In such an economy and community, we can see insurance in the form of people helping each other. For example, if a house burns down, the members of the community help build a new one. Should the same thing happen to one's neighbour, the other neighbours must help. Otherwise, neighbours will not receive help in the future. This type of insurance has survived to the present day in some countries where modern money economy with its financial instruments is not widespread (for example countries in the territory of the former Soviet Union).

Turning to insurance in the modern sense (i.e., insurance in a modern money economy, in which insurance is part of the financial sphere), early methods of transferring or distributing risk were practised by Chinese and Babylonian traders as long ago as the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, respectively. Chinese merchants travelling treacherous river rapids would redistribute their wares across many vessels to limit the loss due to any single vessel's capsizing. The Babylonians developed a system which was recorded in the famous Code of Hammurabi, c. 1750 BC, and practised by early Mediterranean sailing merchants. If a merchant received a loan to fund his shipment, he would pay the lender an additional sum in exchange for the lender's guarantee to cancel the loan should the shipment be stolen.

Achaemenian monarchs of Iran were the first to insure their people and made it official by registering the insuring process in governmental notary offices. The insurance tradition was performed each year in Norouz (beginning of the Iranian New Year); the heads of different ethnic groups as well as others willing to take part, presented gifts to the monarch. The most important gift was presented during a special ceremony. When a gift was worth more than 10,000 Derrik (Achaemenian gold coin) the issue was registered in a special office. This was advantageous to those who presented such special gifts. For others, the presents were fairly assessed by the confidants of the court. Then the assessment was registered in special offices.

The purpose of registering was that whenever the person who presented the gift registered by the court was in trouble, the monarch and the court would help him. Jahez, a historian and writer, writes in one of his books on ancient Iran: "[W]henever the owner of the present is in trouble or wants to construct a building, set up a feast, have his children married, etc. the one in charge of this in the court would check the registration. If the registered amount exceeded 10,000 Derrik, he or she would receive an amount of twice as much."[1]

A thousand years later, the inhabitants of Rhodes invented the concept of the 'general average'. Merchants whose goods were being shipped together would pay a proportionally divided premium which would be used to reimburse any merchant whose goods were jettisoned during storm or sinkage.

The Greeks and Romans introduced the origins of health and life insurance c. 600 AD when they organized guilds called "benevolent societies" which cared for the families and paid funeral expenses of members upon death. Guilds in the Middle Ages served a similar purpose. The Talmud deals with several aspects of insuring goods. Before insurance was established in the late 17th century, "friendly societies" existed in England, in which people donated amounts of money to a general sum that could be used for emergencies.

Separate insurance contracts (i.e., insurance policies not bundled with loans or other kinds of contracts) were invented in Genoa in the 14th century, as were insurance pools backed by pledges of landed estates. These new insurance contracts allowed insurance to be separated from investment, a separation of roles that first proved useful in marine insurance. Insurance became far more sophisticated in post-Renaissance Europe, and specialized varieties developed.

Toward the end of the seventeenth century, London's growing importance as a centre for trade increased demand for marine insurance. In the late 1680s, Edward Lloyd opened a coffee house that became a popular haunt of ship owners, merchants, and ships’ captains, and thereby a reliable source of the latest shipping news. It became the meeting place for parties wishing to insure cargoes and ships, and those willing to underwrite such ventures. Today, Lloyd's of London remains the leading market (note that it is not an insurance company) for marine and other specialist types of insurance, but it works rather differently than the more familiar kinds of insurance.

Insurance as we know it today can be traced to the Great Fire of London, which in 1666 devoured 13,200 houses. In the aftermath of this disaster, Nicholas Barbon opened an office to insure buildings. In 1680, he established England's first fire insurance company, "The Fire Office," to insure brick and frame homes.

The first insurance company in the United States underwrote fire insurance and was formed in Charles Town (modern-day Charleston), South Carolina, in 1732. Benjamin Franklin helped to popularize and make standard the practice of insurance, particularly against fire in the form of perpetual insurance. In 1752, he founded the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. Franklin's company was the first to make contributions toward fire prevention. Not only did his company warn against certain fire hazards, it refused to insure certain buildings where the risk of fire was too great, such as all wooden houses. In the United States, regulation of the insurance industry is highly Balkanized, with primary responsibility assumed by individual state insurance departments. Whereas insurance markets have become centralized nationally and internationally, state insurance commissioners operate individually, though at times in concert through a national insurance commissioners' organization. In recent years, some have called for a dual state and federal regulatory system (commonly referred to as the Optional Federal Charter (OFC)) for insurance similar to that which oversees state banks and national banks.

copy from wikipedia

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Simple Steps to Filing Your Car Insurance Claim

aving even a teeny-tiny car accident can be one of life's least enjoyable moments. However, accidents happen, and sooner or later, we all have the experience of meeting one of our fellow road travelers up close and personal. Using the following seven steps to filing your claim will help you get over this speed bump as smoothly as possible.
They aren’t really accidents. They are more of an incident. Usually they are an incident that you would like to forget.

* Understand your policy before a loss, sit down and carefully read your insurance policy. Call your agent or company if you have any questions about what is or is not covered.
* Make sure everyone is okay and check to see if anyone needs medical attention. Even if your injuries are minor, you may still want to have them checked out at a hospital or with your family doctor. Minor injuries can become major, long-lasting injuries.
* Exchange information when you are involved in an accident, get the other driver's name, address, phone number, insurance carrier, and insurer's phone number. Be prepared to give the same information about yourself to the other driver. You can find insurers’ telephone numbers on the proof-of-insurance cards that should be carried on your person when operating a motor vehicle.
* Identify witnesses and ask witnesses to the accident for their names and phone numbers in case their account of the accident is needed.
* File an accident report and contact local law enforcement officers to have an accident report prepared. If law enforcement is not reachable, accident reports and detailed instructions are available at all police departments, sheriff's offices, your local Department of Motor Vehicles office, and on your local Department of Motor Vehicles' web site
* Notify your insurer by contacting your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible. An insurance adjuster will review the accident report to determine who caused the accident. If the accident was not your fault, you can have either your insurance company or the at-fault driver's insurance company handle the repair or replacement of your vehicle. If you use the other driver's company, you will not have a claim on your automobile policy and you will not have to pay a deductible.
* Do not release insurers too early. Do not relieve your insurance company of its responsibility until the damages are settled to your satisfaction. For example, have your insurance company handle the claim if the other party's insurance company questions its policyholder’s negligence or offers an unacceptable settlement.
* Consider these settlement factors.
o Bodily injuries: You may be entitled to a monetary settlement for injuries caused by another at fault (liable) party. It can take several days for some injuries to become apparent.
o Damages: The insurance company is responsible to pay for the reasonable cost of repairs to your vehicle. An insurance adjuster will assess the damage. Usually, insurance companies and auto body shops negotiate disagreements about what should be repaired. If you disagree with their conclusions, you have the right to obtain another appraisal at any auto body shop.
o Appraisal clause: Most auto insurance policies include an appraisal clause, which can be used to help settle disputes about physical damage claims between you and your insurance company. (The appraisal clause does not apply for claims you file with the other party's insurance company.) If you cannot reach an agreement with your company, you or your insurer can initiate the appraisal clause. Your appraiser and your insurer's appraiser then select an independent umpire to try to resolve the dispute. Check your policy or ask your agent or insurance company for more information about the appraisal clause.

And that is it. While filing a claim is certainly no fun, following these seven steps will make the process almost as easy as getting free quotes and purchasing your car insurance at CarInsurance.com.

How Much Car Insurance Should You Buy?

Car insurance isn’t very exciting. Depending on which state you live in, it could be a smaller or larger piece of your budget than your neighbors across state lines.
Related Car Insurance Articles

How much insurance should you buy? Any insurance agent worthy of their salt will tell you that you should buy as much as you can afford. While this is a good rule of thumb, it's about as useful as a stock broker's tip to buy low and sell high. It might be sound logic but it doesn't get you any closer to an educated decision. There are a few filters that need consideration in order to make that educated decision. First, what is the state required minimum coverage where you live? Second, what does the minimum cover? Third, what other coverage is available and can you afford it? And fourthly, what are you protecting?

What is the minimum for your state?

You can get up to date state minimum requirements by following this link and selecting your state.
State-By-State Requirements

* Alaska
Bodily Injury Liability: $50,000/$100,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Alabama
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* Arkansas
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Arizona
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* California
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $5,000 Limit
*Required limits for drivers in the California Automobile
Assigned Risk Plan are $10,000/$20,000/$3,000
* Colorado
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
* Connecticut
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
* Delaware
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $15,000/$30,000
* District of Columbia
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $5,000 Limit
* Florida
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $10,000 Limit
* Georgia
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Hawaii
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection or Managed Care (PPO):$10,000 Limit
* Iowa
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
* Idaho
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
* Illinois
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
* Indiana
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* Kansas
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000
Personal Injury Protection: $4,500 Medical/$900 Work Loss
* Kentucky
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
*Personal Injury Protection: $10,000 Limit
*Choice to purchase based on the no-fault system or tort system
* Louisiana
Bodily Injury Liability: $10,000/$20,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* Massachusetts
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $5,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $8,000 Limit
* Maine
Bodily Injury Liability: $50,000/$100,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $50,000/$100,000 Limit
Medical Payments: $1,000 Limit
* Maryland
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $20,000/$40,000
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $15,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $2,500 Limit
* Michigan
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Property Protection Insurance: $1,000,000
Personal Injury Protection - Medical
Personal Injury Protection - Work Loss
* Minnesota
Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000/$60,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $40,000 Limit
* Missouri
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
* Mississippi
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Montana
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* North Carolina
Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000/$60,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* North Dakota
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $30,000 Limit
* Nebraska
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Nevada
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* New Hampshire
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
*Does not have compulsory auto insurance liability laws.
* New Jersey
Basic Policy
Property Damage Liability: $5,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $15,000 Limit
Standard Policy
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $5,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $5,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $15,000 Limit
*Both Basic and Standard Policies include $250,000 PIP limit for permanent or significant injury.
* New Mexico
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* New York
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $50,000 Limit
* Ohio
Bodily Injury Liability: $12,500/$25,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $7,500 Limit
* Oklahoma
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
* Oregon
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Personal Injury Protection: $15,000 Limit
* Pennsylvania
Bodily Injury Liability: $15,000/$30,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $5,000 Limit
First Party Benefits (PIP): $5,000
* Rhode Island
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
* South Carolina
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $25,000 Limit
* South Dakota
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
* Tennessee
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* Texas
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $25,000 Limit
*Requirement for higher limits went into effect - April 1, 2008
* Utah
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $15,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limits
Personal Injury Protection: $3,000 Limit
* Virginia
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $20,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage: $20,000 Limit
* Vermont
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $50,000/$100,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $10,000 Limit
* Washington
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
* West Virginia
Bodily Injury Liability: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $20,000/$40,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage: $10,000 Limit
* Wisconsin
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $10,000 Limit
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
*Does not have compulsory auto insurance liability laws.
* Wyoming
Bodily Injury Liability: $25,000/$50,000 Limit
Property Damage Liability: $20,000 Limit

The first two figures refer to Bodily Injury Liability Limits. For example, 20/40 means coverage up to$20,000 for each person injured in an accident, up to a maximum of $40,000 forth entire accident, and then you could have 20/40/10 with $10,000 worth of coverage for property damage.

What do the minimums cover?

Now that you know what your state requires, what are you actually covered for once you purchase the minimum? Using the coverage definitions that follow, find the types of coverage required and see what your state says is the accepted minimum.

Coverage Definitions

Bodily Injury Liability covers other people's bodily injuries or death for which you are responsible. It also provides for a legal defense if another party in the accident files a lawsuit against you. Claims for bodily injury may be for such things as medical bills, loss of income or pain and suffering. In the event of a serious accident, you want enough insurance to cover a judgment against you in a lawsuit, without jeopardizing your personal assets. Bodily injury liability covers injury to people, not your vehicle. Therefore, it's good idea to have the same level of coverage for all of your cars. Bodily Injury Liability does NOT cover you or other people on your policy. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.

Comprehensive Physical Damage Coverage Covers your vehicle, and sometimes other vehicles you maybe driving for losses resulting from incidents other than collision. For example, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car if it is stolen; or damaged by flood, fire, or animals. Pays to fix your vehicle less the deductible you choose. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.

Collision Coverage covers damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle, or other object. Pays to fix your vehicle less the deductible you choose. To keep your premiums low, select as large a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. For older cars, consider dropping this coverage, since coverage is normally limited to the cash value of your car. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.

Medical Payments covers medical expenses to you and your passengers injured in an accident. There may also be coverage if as a pedestrian a vehicle injures you. Does NOT matter who is at fault. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage covers bodily injuries to you and your passengers when the other person has no insurance or not enough insurance in a crash that is not your fault. In some states, there is also uninsured motorist coverage for damage to your vehicle. Given the large number of uninsured motorists, this is very important coverage to have, even in states with no-fault insurance. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy

Personal Injury Protection Coverage covers within the specified limits, the medical, hospital and funeral expenses of the insured, others in his vehicles and pedestrians struck by him. The basic coverage for the insured's own injuries on first-party basis, without regard to fault. It is only available in certain states.

Property Damage Liability covers you if your car damages someone else's property. Usually it is their car, but it could be a fence, a house or any other property damaged in an accident. It also provides you with legal defense if another party files a lawsuit against you. It is a good idea to purchase enough of this insurance to cover the amount of damage your car might do to another vehicle or object. Coverage is limited to the terms and conditions contained in the policy.

Rental Car Reimbursement covers renting a car if your car isn't drivable or while your car is being repaired because of a covered accident.

What else is available and can you afford it?

Did you come across a coverage and think, "I need that but it isn't required by state law" when you were reviewing the coverage definitions? Chances are you did. Can your budget afford the additional expense of these protections? Or maybe more to the point; can you afford NOT to have these additional protections? At CarInsurance.com it's easy to get multiple quotes all with a click of your mouse. And during the quoting process, it's simple to add or remove coverage to see how additional coverage will affect your budget.

You can learn more about Insurance Coverages by following this link.

What are you protecting?

What assets need to be protected from being plucked away if you cause injury or damage? A) Your car itself. If this is a significant asset, or at least the bank you owe money to thinks so, then you will need comprehensive and collision. B) Your net worth. Do you have an enormous net worth to protect. If so, either get it out of your name and into a trust or buy all the insurance you can. If you have little or nothing to protect, then you can get by with less and still be financially responsible.

However, after you determine how much protection to get, always ask how much more it is for the next level higher. Very often, you can get significantly more coverage for very little cost.

Car insurance isn't flashy. There is no "wow" factor and the opposite gender isn't going to be impressed by the size of your policy. But not having enough can be the difference between financial stability and financial ruin. For what its worth, CarInsurance.com finds financial stability incredibly appealing.
Provided By: CarInsurance.com

Friday, November 28, 2008

Types of insurance

1. Auto insurance

Auto insurance protects you against financial loss if you have an accident. It is a contract between you and the insurance company. You agree to pay the premium and the insurance company agrees to pay your losses as defined in your policy. Auto insurance provides property, liability and medical coverage: (1) Property coverage pays for damage to or theft of your car. (2) Liability coverage pays for your legal responsibility to others for bodily injury or property damage. and (3) Medical coverage pays for the cost of treating injuries, rehabilitation and sometimes lost wages and funeral expenses. An auto insurance policy is comprised of six different kinds of coverage. Most states require you to buy some, but not all, of these coverages. If you're financing a car, your lender may also have requirements.

Most auto policies are for six months to a year. Your insurance company should notify you by mail when it’s time to renew the policy and to pay your premium. [8]

2.Home insurance

What is homeowners insurance?

Homeowners insurance provides financial protection against disasters. A standard policy insures the home itself and the things you keep in it.

Homeowners insurance is a package policy. This means that it covers both damage to your property and your liability or legal responsibility for any injuries and property damage you or members of your family cause to other people. This includes damage caused by household pets.

Damage caused by most disasters is covered but there are exceptions. The most significant are damage caused by floods, earthquakes and poor maintenance. You must buy two separate policies for flood and earthquake coverage. Maintenance-related problems are the homeowners' responsibility.

to be continue....