A CPA Talks About Buying Life Insurance

A CPA Talks About Buying Life Insurance

Not everyone needs life insurance. The first thing to do is make sure you need it. Life insurance is really meant for your family members or other dependents who rely on your earnings.

Why You Buy Life Insurance

You buy life insurance so that, if you die, your dependents can live the same kind of life they live now. Strictly speaking, then, life insurance is only a means of replacing your earnings in your absence. If you don’t have dependents (say, because you’re single) or you don’t have earnings (say, because you’re retired), you don’t need life insurance. Note that children rarely need life insurance because they almost never have dependents and other people don’t rely on their earnings.

Life Insurance Comes in Two Flavors

If you do need life insurance, you should know that it comes in two basic flavors: term insurance and cash-value insurance (also called “whole life” insurance). Ninety-nine times out of 100, what you want is term insurance.

Term Life is Simple to Buy and Understand

Term life insurance is simple, straightforward life insurance. You pay an annual premium, and if you die, a lump sum is paid to your beneficiaries. Term life insurance gets its name because you buy the insurance for a specific term, such as 5, 10, or 15 years (and sometimes longer). At the end of the term, you can renew your policy or get a different one. The big benefits of term insurance are that it’s cheap and it’s simple.

Cash Value is Trickier

The other flavor of life insurance is cash-value insurance. Many people are attracted to cash-value insurance because it supposedly lets them keep some of the premiums they pay over the years. After all, the reasoning goes, you pay for life insurance for 20, 30, or 40 years, so you might as well get some of the money back. With cash-value insurance, some of the premium money is kept in an account that is yours to keep or borrow against.

This sounds great. The only problem is that cash-value insurance usually isn’t a very good investment, even if you hold the policy for years and years. And it’s a terrible investment if you keep the policy for only a year or two. What’s more, to really analyze a cash-value insurance policy, you need to perform a very sophisticated financial analysis. And this is, in fact, the major problem with cash-value life insurance.

While perhaps a handful of good cash-value insurance policies are available, many— perhaps most—are terrible investments. And to tell the good from the bad, you need a computer and the financial skills to perform something called discounted cash-flow analysis. If you do think you need cash-value insurance, it probably makes sense to have a financial planner perform this analysis for you. Obviously, this financial planner should be a different person from the insurance agent selling you the policy.

What’s the bottom line? Cash-value insurance is much too complex a financial product for most people to deal with. Note, too, that any investment option that’s tax-deductible—such as a 401(k), a 401(b), a deductible IRA, a SEP/IRA, or a Keogh plan—is always a better investment than the investment portion of a cash-value policy. For these two reasons, I strongly encourage you to simplify your financial affairs and increase your net worth by sticking with tax-deductible investments.

If you do decide to follow my advice and choose a term life insurance policy, be sure that your policy is non-cancelable and renewable. You want a policy that cannot be canceled under any circumstances, including poor health. (You have no way of knowing what your health will be like ten years from now.) And you want to be able to renew the policy even if your health deteriorates. (You don’t want to go through a medical review each time a term is up and you need to renew.)

BY EDSON CANO

A Basic Guide To Home Contents Insurance

A Basic Guide To Home Contents Insurance

Basically, home contents insurance is insurance protection against the replacement cost that you would otherwise have to pay to replace the contents of your home in the event of then being lost, damaged or stolen.  As is the case with home buildings insurance, the main factors contributing to grounds under which you can make a claim against your home contents insurance include theft/burglary, damage due to floods, burst water pipes or boilers, etc.

There are, however, two very important factors that you need to keep in mind when insuring the contents of your home:

First, in the case of home contents insurance, it is rarely the case that your mortgage provider is going to insist that you have this type of insurance as part of your mortgage agreement;

 Second, regardless of whether you own or rent the property you are currently living in, you should still be looking to insure the contents of your home – as these are your personal possessions.

Two further aspects of home contents insurance also need to be considered carefully when you are checking out the different kinds of policies on offer.  In some, but not all, cases you can be insured for your home contents even when the items listed in your home contents insurance policy are not actually physically located on the home ‘property’.  So, for example,

First, it is possible to claim when you are transporting items from one place to another and they are stolen.

 Second, home contents insurance is insurance against the replacement cost of the item being insured.

 It does not, nor is it intended to, insure you against the nostalgic value of the item damaged/lost.  So, for example, if you insure a picture your deceased grandmother gave you, which would cost £20 to replace, it makes little difference that it was your deceased grandmother who gave it to you and that it cannot, therefore, be replaced.

Although home contents insurance is, in all but a few very rare circumstances, a completely voluntary scheme of insurance to subscribe to, if you are in any doubt as to the value of this insurance scheme, take a quick mental inventory of the contents on your home and their value and then get a few quotes off the internet and you’ll soon be seeing the value of having your home contents properly insured.

BY EDSON CANO

5 Easy Steps To Lower Your Auto Insurance Quote

5 Easy Steps To Lower Your Auto Insurance Quote

It was not too long ago when contracts were made on a handshake and a promise.  Individuals were not particularly concerned with things like insurance because they relied upon the goodwill of their neighbor to compensate them for wrongful damage.  For a variety of reasons, including an increase in the speed and cost of auto wrecks, auto insurance soon became an important purchase for responsible individuals.  Not long after, the federal government mandated that auto insurance be carried, at least minimally, by all car owners. The increase in the need for auto insurance over the last 10 years has led to increases in the complexity of insurance, while at the same time, amplifying the need to be more cost conscious in auto insurance purchases.


Buying auto insurance today requires as much dexterity as buying the automobile itself. It is important to know the factors that an auto insurance company considers when offering quotes. This will allow you, as the consumer, to know what steps you need to take in order to qualify for a lower quote. The five easy steps to a lower insurance quote are:

1. Portray yourself as a ‘safe’ candidate: Insurance companies are interested in managing risk.  Consequently they offer drivers who are less likely to get into wrecks or at a minimum into wrecks of less severity, a lower insurance quote.


-Maintain a clean driving record, free of traffic violations or accident claims.

-Install anti-theft devices in your vehicle.

-Attend a Drivers Safety Training program.

-Buy a ‘safe’ vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety together collect information on safety related aspects of different vehicles. Buy an automobile that is officially designated as ‘safe’.

-Park your vehicle in a garage.


2. Show your Credit worthiness: As a risk management entity, insurance companies are also worried about getting paid on time.  If you can show yourself to be credit worthy, there is less risk of you not making your payments on time, thus warranting a lower rate.

-Maintain a good credit score and clear up any errors on your credit.

-Cut down on the total number of outstanding credit cards to 2 or 3.


3. Practice Financial Wisdom: The way in which you structure and pay for your policy can lower the risk that an insurance company faces with respect to you as a customer.  By taking steps to lower their risk, you receive a lower insurance quote and policy.


-Buy an annual policy instead of a six monthly coverage to get you a lower rate that remains the same for a year.

-Opt for automatic payment deductions from your bank account or your credit card to avoid getting charged for mail payments.

-Increase your deductibles on comprehensive and collision policies to reduce on the rates.

-Get loyalty discounts by buying your home and auto insurance from the same company.

4. Assess your Insurance Needs accurately: This is obvious, the more coverage you get the more it will cost you.  Add-ons are killers in the insurance business, strip your policy down to just the minimum of what you need.


-If your vehicle is not used much or you have an old car with little market value, opt for minimum liability alone. It will cost you less.

-After fulfilling the legal mandate on auto insurance, insure according to your needs alone.


5. Other wise things that you can do: There are a number of other considerations that go into your insurance quote.  Some of them are not reasonable steps to take, while others you can do with little effort which can translate into substantial savings.

-If your car is used only for a particular purpose, make your agent aware of it, as this will limit the cost.

-Students that make good grades are often eligible for a discount.

-Give up smoking; it can help you get better quotes.

-Change your occupation if you can help. A delivery boy carries a higher risk than a storekeeper.

BY EDSON CANO

5 Quickest ways to lower your Auto Insurance Premium

5 Quickest ways to lower your Auto Insurance Premium

Are you looking for ways to lower your Auto Insurance Premium? Auto insurance rates can spiral depending upon factors that include your age, past driving record, and other factors such as credit history. However, the trick is to find ways to lower the annual pay-off. We have pulled up for you the 5 quickest ways to lower your Auto Insurance Premium.


Tip 1: Hike up your deductible

Stop trying to get the ‘lowest deductible’, instead go in for a comfortably higher out of pocket payment plan. ‘Deductible’ is the amount that you would pay before your insurance policy kicks in. This is an easy way to reduce your periodic premium amount, however, be warned, in such a case, if something happens to your vehicle - you need to shell out more to cover the initial expenses, prior to going in for a claim.

Tip 2: Park your vehicle in a garage

One of the simplest ways to cut down on insurance premium is to park your vehicle in a garage, personal or commercial establishments. This helps in knocking off, in some cases, close to 20% of the premium. In a garage, the chances of your vehicle getting stolen or sideswiped are considerably lower. From a transaction perspective, parking in a garage could mean a difference between a preferred rate and a standard rate.


Tip 3: Shop around and bargain

Nothing beats the traditional ‘shop around to bargain’. Make sure you at least have three to four price quotes with you, prior to fixing on the service provider. Ensure that you are not shopping for price alone, but the whole deal.


Tip 4: Take a Defensive Driving Course

Not many people are aware of this. By volunteering for a state-approved defensive driving course, you can avail discounts in premium of up to 10%. However, do cross check with your insurer on this.


Tip 5: Downsizing Coverage

Well, downsizing coverage is perhaps the easiest way to lower your auto insurance premium. However, we suggest you to be careful and prudent, while taking this decision. This might save money, but, would also limit coverage.

BY EDSON CANO

5 Quickest ways to lower Your Health Insurance Premium

5 Quickest ways to lower Your Health Insurance Premium

It is an old saying — “Health is Wealth.” The most important step to maintain this wealth is to get a health insurance policy for you as well as your family. But, sometimes the premiums of such policies can leave you in and out of the budget situation. Can you really do something to bring down your premium? Read on to learn about the 5 quickest ways to lower your health insurance premium.


1. Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Living a healthy life has many benefits. Your healthy lifestyle can easily help you in bringing down the health insurance premium. Exercise regularly, eat healthy diet, avoid smoking and heavy drinking — and your visits to the doctor will surely be minimized. The healthier you are, the lesser you are represented as a risk for the insurance company.


2. Shop for the best available price

One of the best options to keep your premium lowest is to go out and shop around for the health care policy. This will ensure that you find the best available policy that fits in your budget. Do a thorough research before investing in any policy. You can get information from your friends and relatives or even Internet.


3. Take up plans with higher deductibles 

Insurance plans with higher deductibles tend to have lower premiums. Typically, deductible is the amount you are expected to pay toward hospital, doctor, and other medical bills. Taking up a plan with a higher deductible may not be a universally applicable idea. If you’re generally healthy and do not fall ill very frequently, then you can take up this plan. This way you can keep your premium at a lower rate and avail basic health care facilities as well. But, if you have a history of some major consistent illness, avoid taking this plan.


4. Take up a policy early in your life

The premium varies to a great extent with the age of the person. Try and get a policy as early in your life as you can. For example, if you buy a policy at the age of 25, then you’ll have to pay lesser premium but, if you go for the same policy at the age of 50 you’ll end up paying a raised premium amount.


5. Get in touch with independent insurance agents

You can take help from independent insurance agents. These agents represent several insurance agencies and can guide you to pick the right kind of health insurance policy and then plan your premiums at an affordable rate. Since independent agents will compete to get the business – so you’ll get serious offers quickly.

BY EDSON CANO

Business Insurance

Business Insurance

There is no denying the fact that success of a business depends on the hard work of the team but one disaster can wipe out your efforts and bring down the profits to dust. So, to avoid such an instance, you need to insure your business, whether it is a small enterprise or a large corporation.

There are insurance companies, which have policies that combine protection for all major property and liability risks in one package. You can also opt for separate coverage. Such a policy is called a business owners’ policy (BOP). Larger companies may purchase a commercial package policy.

BOPs include property insurance for buildings and equipments owned by the company. If there is any loss of income due to disruption of operation and business because of accidents like fire, it can be covered under the Business Interruption Insurance.

There are liabilities, which cover the company's legal responsibility for the harm it may cause to others. It is the result of your company’s failure to do the business operations. It can also be the bodily injury or property damage caused due to defective products, faulty installations and errors in services provided.

However, BOPs don’t cover professional liability, auto insurance, worker’s compensation or health and disability insurance. Separate policies are needed for professional services, vehicles and employees. Generally, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks are not covered in the business insurance.

Protection Against Flood Damage

If your office is in the flood zone area, you must definitely go for a policy, which provide coverage against flood. Try to find out whether the place had been hit by flood in the past. Make sure you do something in advance to make up for the loss. Otherwise you may face trouble.

Protection Against Earthquake Damage

Earthquake is also not included in most property insurance policies such as homeowners and business owners’ package policies. Special Earthquake Insurance Policy or Commercial Property Earthquake Endorsement can cover you if you live in an earthquake-prone area. However, earthquake policies have different deductibles.

Business Interruption Insurance, which reimburses you for the lost income during a shutdown, applies only to the damage covered under your business property insurance policy. There won’t be reimbursement for the loss caused due to the closure of business because of the earthquake. For it, you must have an earthquake coverage policy.

Protection Against Terrorist Attack Losses

In the US, loss due to any terrorism is covered only for those businesses that have optional terrorism coverage. It comes under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act 2002. Still, there are exceptions in workers’ compensation, which include injuries and deaths due to acts of terrorism.

BY EDSON CANO