In the event that you drive short of what the standard miles, then you must select the low mileage auto protection to spare cash. Here are the points of interest that you must think about it.

Get a low mileage auto protection can aid individuals in sparing a lot of their month to month accident coverage installments.

Despite the fact that not all the auto protection suppliers offer this sort of rebates, yet now various accident coverage suppliers offer this. The explanation for it is very basic. The drives, who drive less meet with less mishaps than those drivers, who invest heaps of time on the streets. Presently how about we observe the approaches to seek the low mileage accident coverage cites from the collision protection companies.

Search for the companies that offer low mileage collision protection:
If your present accident coverage company is not offering the low mileage collision protection rebates, then you can look for the low mileage auto insurance agencies, which have practical experience in offering this kind of protection scope. Take the assistance of the Internet to search for the companies that offer this kind of protection. In the wake of discovering the companies that offer this kind of low mileage accident protection, you will have the capacity to spare heaps of cash on your collision protection. Be that as it may in the meantime, remember that you need to hold up till the time you get the extension to recharge your arrangements before exchanging the companies. It is on the grounds that, there are various companies that involve robust scratch-off punishments on the off chance that the auto managers drop their approaches early.

Ask the neighborhood auto protection executor:
Another most critical venture of getting low mileage accident coverage rates is to contact with your nearby accident protection operator. Yet before you apply, illuminate the accident protection supplier about the progressions throughout your life for which you have begun driving less. Plus, likewise say on the off chance that you have any second vehicle that you utilize once in a while or just while heading off to the work. At that point protect that vehicle as the non-essential vehicle and spare heaps of cash by driving lesser miles.

The collision protection companies, which offer low mileage accident coverage scope chiefly consider the subtle elements like where you live or the location of your working environment. Along these lines, on the off chance that your working environment is found close to your home, there are risks that the accident coverage company will offer the rebates without asking any extra inquiries. Yet on the off chance that your home and work environment are placed at an impressive separation, then you may need to face a couple of inquiries before getting the low mileage rebates.

Search for the pay as you drive choices:
This is one of the new alternatives in the auto protection approach in the USA. Nowadays, there are various accident coverage companies that compensate the drivers, who drive truly less with this kind of collision protection approach with low rates. With this kind of strategy, the accident protection rates are charged on the premise of the amount of the miles that the auto managers drive.

Scott Bond and Dale Reisner, Washington State Hospital Association and Washington State Medical Association. But insurance and access to health care are two different things. Will insurance companies contract with enough hospitals and physicians to serve all of these people - to provide the in-network care that people rightly expect?

Life Insurance and the 831(b) Captive Insurance Company - Wait For The Test Case Before Signing Up

Dyman Associates Insurance Group of Companies
There is an old saying about life insurance: "Life insurance isn't bought, it is sold." The public doesn't exactly clamor to buy life insurance, and if you don't believe me then just try to find a life insurance store at pretty much any major retail mall. Instead, life insurance agent and financial planners (and increasingly accountants and attorneys) look for suitable prospects and opportunities to sell life insurance to those with a perceived need.

There is no doubt that while the public doesn't really think much about buying life insurance, they have a need for it. Life insurance serves the purpose of funding the family's continuation at death, and prevents the financial shock from the loss of the family's main provider.

Life insurance is also sold as a tax shelter of sorts. Because the investment growth on the cash value of a life insurance policy is not taxed, and in fact may never be taxed, life insurance can sometimes be a very efficient investment. (And sometimes not - eventually, the cost of insurance which increases dramatically with age can significantly eat away at investment returns, and more often than not the investment returns somehow never quite match the pollyannaish predictions of the illustrations shown to prospective buyers - those illustrations with unrealistic financial projections being known in the industry as "liar ledgers").

The problem with life insurance as a tax shelter is that typically it must be purchased with post-tax dollars. Historical attempts by creative attorneys and financial advisers to manipulate various tax-free strategies to encompass a life insurance policy have nearly all ended in disaster: VEBAs, 412(i) plans, and 419A(f)(6) plans all ended with the taxpayers often paying more tax in the end than if they had done nothing in the first place, and lawsuits against advisers for professional negligence nearly hit the epidemic point.

For somewhat obvious reasons, the IRS has typically gone after arrangements that were pitched to clients that they could purchase a large amount of life insurance with pre-tax dollars like a heat-seeking missile. Yet, advisers persist in trying to wed life insurance to things that it shouldn't be hitched to, so as to obtain the result of a pre-tax purchase of life insurance - and big commissions to the advisers, who if in good with their insurance company, might make upwards of 40% of the first-year's premiums paid in on a Universal Life policy, and upwards of 80% on a Whole Life policy (they almost never disclose these commissions to their clients, of course).

The latest attempt to wed life insurance to something that will result in a pre-tax purchase of life insurance is that involving smallish captive insurance companies. These companies make the 831(b) election so that they are not taxed on their premium income, with the result that the underlying company can quite lawfully pay some reasonable amount of premiums to the captive and take a current-year deduction for it, but the captive does not pick up the premiums received as income.

From a tax standpoint, the benefits of an 831(b) captive are not that great - most of the money should be used to pay claims if the actuarial calculations of the premiums are anything like close, and then the balance of the money is subject to capital gains taxes when the company is liquidated. In the meantime, an 831(b) captive is not allowed to deduct all, or even most, of its operating costs.

Plus - and here is where life insurance re-enters the picture - an 831(b) captive is internally taxed annually on its investment income, which further eats into the tax efficiency of the captive. But what if the captive could purchase life insurance - which grows tax-free - and thus avoid the tax on its investment income? Welcome to the life insurance tax shelter du jour.

There are now tax shelter promoters out there (many of them the same ones who sold VEBAs, 412(i), and 419A(f)(6) plans in past years) actively marketing and selling 831(b) companies as a conduit to purchase life insurance with pre-tax dollars. Sometimes they try to disguise the transaction by having the captive do a split-dollar transfer to a trust that buys the life insurance, or having the captive invest in a preferred share of an LLC that buys the life insurance. This is just putting lipstick on the pig. Others just tell their clients to purchase life insurance directly inside the captive.

The truth is that it is probably fine for a mature captive, meaning one that has been around for some years and has large reserves and surplus, to use a small amount of its investable assets to purchase a key-man policy, or maybe invest in life settlements or the like.

But this is not how the 831(b) captives are being sold; instead, clients are being shown illustrations where the life insurance is being purchased soon after the first premiums are paid to the captive (the advisers want their commissions now, not later), and the efficiency of the captive is being measured not in its effectiveness as a risk-management tool (it's proper purpose) but rather as an investment and estate planning tool (the improper tax shelter purpose).

In reviewing these transactions, the presence of the 831(b) captive is simply a sham. Premiums in these deals are rarely calculated based on anything like real-world risks, but the promoters are making a determination of how big of a deduction the client wants, and then "backing in" the premium amounts with the help of actuaries who will testify that a $500,000 premium for $2 million worth of terrorism insurance for a business in Lenexa, Kansas, is reasonable, and, oh, also that the world is flat, water is dry, hot is cold, and the sun comes up in the West.

This issue came up at the Spring Meeting of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, where the Committee on Captive Insurance Companies (of which I am the outgoing Chair), had a panel presentation on Tax & Regulatory Issues With Captive Insurance Companies. [The opinions expressed herein are my own opinions, and are not anything like the opinions of the ABA or the Committee.]

The panel featured Prof. Beckett Cantley of John Marshal Law School in Atlanta, who discussed the fact that the IRS is taking a hard look at 831(b) captives that have purchased life insurance, and seem to be following their exact same avenues of attack that finally took down abusive VEBAs, 412(i), 419A(f)(6), and other abusive plans that offered pre-tax life insurance. Namely, the IRS is now conducting various promoter audits to obtain the client lists of the insurance managers whose 831(b) captives are involved with life insurance, as a possible predicate to making the purchase of life insurance within a captive a "listed transaction", i.e., a presumed tax shelter that carries onerous reporting requirements and possibly very significant penalties.

Professor Cantley also spoke at some length about the technical issues about why the IRS would be absolutely right in taking down 831(b) companies with significant amounts of life insurance, but instead of me paraphrasing him, it is probably better to just read his excellent article on the subject: Cantley, Beckett G., Repeat as Necessary: Historical IRS Policy Weapons to Combat Conduit Captive Insurance Company Deductible Purchases of Life Insurance (February 2013). U. C. Davis Business Law Journal, Vol. 13, 2013. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2315868

And Professor Cantley is nothing like the only voice in the wilderness on this issue: Various other prominent captive tax attorneys have indicated that having an 831(b) captive be structured to invest significant assets in a life insurance policy is probably a pretty bad idea, and off-the-record statements from IRS and Treasury officials (not to mention the ongoing promoter audits) show that this is an area of intense interest, if not concern.

As well it should be. By identifying 831(b) companies that have purchased significant amounts of life insurance, whether directly or through split-dollar arrangements, etc., the IRS can more readily identify en masse captive arrangements that are technically defective insofar as they cover risk that barely exist and have premium amounts for certain policies that are not even in the time zone as reality. The potential return of unpaid taxes to the IRS would be tremendous, and such would be very cost-effective.

While there are many highly-credentialed and experienced experts in taxation that warn against an 831(b) being used as a conduit to purchase life insurance, there is pretty much nobody outside those selling the strategy who think that it is anything like a good idea. Those who do sell 831(b) captives bundled with life insurance are energetic, if not virulent, in their defense of the strategy, but that nobody else has signed on to the idea is by itself a great big bright waiving red flag.

Maybe time will prove them to be right, and the rest of us to be wrong. But who wants to be the test case and face the potentially massive penalties if this strategy crashes?

This is not to suggest that captives that have made the 831(b) election are inherently bad, or that the IRS is looking at such captives in isolation. There is no evidence of that, and in fact the vast bulk of 831(b) captives, not involved with life insurance, will qualify as valid captive arrangements. Nobody expects anything like a general pogrom against 831(b) captives anytime soon, and the IRS itself has not indicated any interest in that (as stated above, the tax benefits of 831(b) captives aren't exactly earth-shattering when they are used as they are meant to be used as true risk-management vehicles).

At the very least, one should take a "wait and see" position in regard to this strategy, keeping in mind that not just a few highly experienced tax professionals are waiting to see it crash and burn, just like the VEBAs, 412(i) and 419A(f)(6) plans before it.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)
Wonder why some doctors grumble when a Medicare patient walks in the door? It's likely because the government program typically pays only 80% of what private insurers do.

Medicare has the bad rap of being a big, bloated government program, but it's not because it's overpaying doctors.

CNNMoney analyzed the "allowed charges" for five common procedures, using data provided the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Truven Health Analytics, a research firm.

The differences can be stark. Private insurers allow an average of $1,226 for low-back disc surgery, while Medicare will only permit $654, for instance.

And the gap can grow wider depending on where the patient is. In New York, insurers allow $1,352 for a gall bladder removal, compared to $580 for Medicare.

Some services are more comparable. For office visits by established patients, for instance, Medicare will allow 92% of what insurers do.

Overall, Medicare's allowed charges are roughly 80% of the charges allowed by private insurers - about the same as they have been since 1999.

Sometimes, however, the government does reimburse health care providers more. In Florida, for instance, a doctor doing a colonoscopy in his office will receive $395 for a Medicare patient, but only $342 for one covered by private insurance.

How does Medicare get away with paying less?

"Medicare doesn't negotiate rates. It sets them," said Stuart Guterman, vice president at The Commonwealth Fund, an independent health policy research group.

And doctors might be okay getting less per procedure because Medicare patients tend to need a lot of care. As a result, the total bill can add up. Nearly 4,000 doctors were paid more than $1 million from Medicare, according to data released this month.

Private insurers, meanwhile, can't cut rates that deeply or they risk a revolt by doctors, who may opt to leave the carrier.

"When you want to market your health plan, you want to say all the great doctors are in your network," said Anne Fischer, director of Truven's Center for Healthcare Analytics.

This balancing act became evident when the Obamacare exchanges launched in October. In order to keep premiums low, insurers offered plans with more limited access to doctors and hospitals. Many health care providers complained that insurers' rates for exchange plans were too low, so they opted not to participate.

Why, then, is Medicare considered bloated?

It's more about use than prices, with the government under more pressure to pay for whatever services the doctor prescribes or the patient wants, Guterman said.

Insurers, meanwhile, have more tools to limit potentially unnecessary procedures. These include pre-authorization requirements to determine whether a treatment plan is medically justified.

"Medicare spending goes up because people use it more," he said.

Dyman Associates Insurance Group of Companies

Discount Motorcycle Insurance makes it easy to find low-cost coverage from major companies, but there are many tips riders can use to save even more.

Dallas, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/17/2014 -- Providing access to major insurance companies, Discount Motorcycle Insurance not only helps riders find lower cost coverage; it provides many tips for saving. Shopping around is one helpful strategy. The website provides a simple way for riders to do this. Also, as safety is one of the top priorities for motorcycle riders, it is also the focus of discounts by many insurance companies. In fact, some offer safe driver discounts for riders with no violations or accidents considered to be their fault.

Riders can also complete safety courses, install safety equipment such as anti-lock brakes or electronic alarms, or simply be more financially responsible. Insurers often look at credit scores and bill paying habits. These have correlated with safety records, so the system is set up such that if one pays their bills on time, their insurance rate may be lower.

Another good idea is to decide on the coverage needed. Premium costs can be reduced by raising the deductible, because the insured is willing to pay more for claims. Adding coverage for extras such as chrome accessories or sidecars can also lead to savings. Other strategies for saving are to exclude a rider with a poor record, leave out guest passenger liability, and to decrease coverage on older bikes. Also ask for discounts the insurer may provide, especially if it's an older bike or it is not driven that often.

The style of bike is important. High risk models such as sport motorcycles are often charged higher premiums. Riders should therefore factor this in when deciding on the type of motorcycle they want to ride. It's also smart to check driving records, as erroneous violations sometimes appear; these can actually result in paying a higher rate.

Sometimes being loyal to one particular insurance company will result in renewal discounts and price breaks. This is a benefit of the competitiveness in the insurance industry. There are many factors to consider when shopping around for motorcycle insurance. Also, check rates on Discount Motorcycle Insurance which is available 24/7 to help riders save.

About DiscountMotorcycleInsurance.com
DiscountMotorcycleInsurance.com is an online resource based in Viera, Florida that provides low-cost motorcycle insurance quotes. Founded by Rick Murray the site has been in operation for 15 years.

Dyman Associates Insurance Group of Companies
Three top pieces of financial advice - from the consolidation conundrum to counting expenses like calories

Insurance You Don't Need
Sometimes it makes sense to skimp on insurance, said Aaron Crowe at Daily Finance. "You could almost insure every step you take in life," but that doesn't mean you should. Getting life or health insurance is a no-brainer. But in other cases, it might make more sense to start an emergency fund instead. Buying rental car insurance from the rental agency is often redundant - and expensive - since your credit card or auto insurance may cover you anyway. And speaking of cars, if you're all paid up on an old car, skip the collision insurance. "If a car is totaled in an accident, insurers only pay the current value of the vehicle." If your old clunker isn't worth much, "you're better off putting that collision premium in a fund to help you buy a new car when you need one."

The Consolidation Conundrum
Debt consolidation loans can be a catch-22, said Gerri Detweiler at Credit.com. They're a helpful "lifeline" for people with bad credit, but you need good credit to get one. Lenders typically factor in how much of your available credit you use, your debt-to-income ratio, and your payment history before approval. The first step toward improving your odds is to evaluate your credit reports "to see where you stand." Once in the market, avoid products like payday loans, which carry high interest rates, and home equity loans, which may not be helpful if your equity in the home is low. Personal loans are a good bet, but "just make sure you are dealing with a reputable company." And if all else fails, consider signing on with a credit-counseling agency. "You'll only have to make one payment a month to the counseling agency, which in turn will pay all your participating creditors."

Count Expenses Like Calories
Are you making a basic budgeting blunder? asked Hank Coleman at Daily Finance. Believe it or not, even the most diligent bookkeepers can fail to track all their expenses. And one of the trickiest things to monitor is cash, which "has a way of leaking out of your pocket. You don't remember where it went, and it's easy to toss or misplace receipts." The best way to keep your spending in line is to count expenses like you would calories. That means writing every transaction down in a notebook or on a spreadsheet. Once you've mastered the habit and gathered enough data, "analyzing several months of bank statements will show you where your money is going."

Dyman Associates Insurance Group of Companies

Three top pieces of financial advice - from the consolidation conundrum to counting expenses like calories


Insurance You Don't Need

Sometimes it makes sense to skimp on insurance, said Aaron Crowe at Daily Finance. "You could almost insure every step you take in life," but that doesn't mean you should. Getting life or health insurance is a no-brainer. But in other cases, it might make more sense to start an emergency fund instead. Buying rental car insurance from the rental agency is often redundant - and expensive - since your credit card or auto insurance may cover you anyway. And speaking of cars, if you're all paid up on an old car, skip the collision insurance. "If a car is totaled in an accident, insurers only pay the current value of the vehicle." If your old clunker isn't worth much, "you're better off putting that collision premium in a fund to help you buy a new car when you need one."


The Consolidation Conundrum

Debt consolidation loans can be a catch-22, said Gerri Detweiler at Credit.com. They're a helpful "lifeline" for people with bad credit, but you need good credit to get one. Lenders typically factor in how much of your available credit you use, your debt-to-income ratio, and your payment history before approval. The first step toward improving your odds is to evaluate your credit reports "to see where you stand." Once in the market, avoid products like payday loans, which carry high interest rates, and home equity loans, which may not be helpful if your equity in the home is low. Personal loans are a good bet, but "just make sure you are dealing with a reputable company." And if all else fails, consider signing on with a credit-counseling agency. "You'll only have to make one payment a month to the counseling agency, which in turn will pay all your participating creditors."


Count Expenses Like Calories

Are you making a basic budgeting blunder? asked Hank Coleman at Daily Finance. Believe it or not, even the most diligent bookkeepers can fail to track all their expenses. And one of the trickiest things to monitor is cash, which "has a way of leaking out of your pocket. You don't remember where it went, and it's easy to toss or misplace receipts." The best way to keep your spending in line is to count expenses like you would calories. That means writing every transaction down in a notebook or on a spreadsheet. Once you've mastered the habit and gathered enough data, "analyzing several months of bank statements will show you where your money is going."

From the old fiction about red cars costing more to insure, to the one about rates dropping when you turn 25, to the idea that "full coverage" means you get a new car after a crash, myths about car insurance abound. And they're easy enough to take at face value -- until you look at the facts. Not falling for these eight insurance fables could save you some cash.

1. "Full coverage" will get me a new car if I crash. Your auto repair shop may thank you for having collision and comprehensive coverage, because they'll get paid by your insurer for fixing your car. But however you define "full" coverage, it won't equate to you getting a new car after you crash. Insurance is meant to put you back to where you were, not improve upon it, so you won't be getting a better car than you had.

If your car insurance agent tells you that you have "full coverage", ask what that entails. It could include liability, property damage and rental reimbursement, says Shane Fischer, an attorney in Winter Park, Fla. "Unfortunately, most people who claim to have 'full coverage' are people of modest incomes who buy the cheapest policy their state legally allows," he says. "This can leave them without uninsured motorist coverage if they're a victim of a hit and run, without a rental car if theirs is damaged in a crash or personally responsible for thousands in medical bills if they don't have enough liability coverage."

Full coverage isn't an insurance term agents use, says Adam Lyons, CEO of The Zebra, a digital auto insurance agency. Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle in an accident. Comprehensive covers non-accident damage, such as from theft and fire. If you want medical coverage and other protections, you'll have to spell that out for your agent, Lyons says.

2. My rates will go up if I get a traffic ticket. Not always, says Matthew Neely, owner of Eco Insurance Group in Las Vegas. A client who has six speeding tickets in the past three years hasn't had his rate go up, he notes.

Here's how it works, Neely says: Some companies only ask for a record of an applicant's driving history when he or she first sign up for a policy. Motor Vehicle Reports cost $3 to $28, depending on the state. "These charges can get very expensive for insurance companies, so a lot of the time the carrier will randomly select households and run the MVRs," he says. "If you are lucky enough, the insurance company will not find out about your speeding habit. However, if you let your insurance lapse, get into an accident or change insurance carriers, the carrier will run the MVR."

3. Thieves prefer new or fancy cars. Not true, points out Lyons. Of the 10 most frequently stolen cars, the most stolen in 2012 was the 1996 Honda Accord, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. You might have the latest and fanciest car, but a 1996 Accord is preferable for catalytic converters and other parts that are more in demand. To protect your car against theft, get comprehensive insurance.

4. My red car will cost more to insure. False. Insurers don't care what color your car is and they don't ask for that information. Police might spot a speeding red car quicker than a white one, but an insurer factors in other aspects of your car, such as model, make, year and engine size.

5. The longer you are with an insurance company, the lower your rate will be. This is half true, Neely says. Longevity discounts are sometimes offered to policyholders, but it doesn't shelter them from increased costs, he says. "Most of the time, the moment you make a claim, this discount will disappear, and it does not guarantee your rate will not increase," Neely says.

6. My credit score has nothing to do with my car insurance rate. In most cases it's the biggest factor of determine your rate, right after your driving record, Neely says. Studies have shown that individuals with good credit get in fewer accidents, he says, though insurers in California, Hawaii and Massachusetts can's use credit as a rating factor.

7. No fault means I am not at fault. In most states "no fault" simply means that each insurance company involved pays for their respective policyholders injury-related bills, regardless of who is at fault, Neely says. This helps keep the overall cost of car insurance down.

8. Rates drop at age 25. Rating factors vary by state, but in North Carolina, the myth is wrong because age isn't a factor in pricing, says Jonathan Peele, president of Coastline Insurance Associates of North Carolina. Instead, insurers use the years of experience to determine the rate. Once the driver has more than three years of driving experience, the insurer can't surcharge the premium, he says. Less experienced drivers are charged more for car insurance because they have a higher risk.

Most of the cheapest cars to insure aren't actually cars, they're SUVs and minivans.



If you want to save money on auto insurance, spring for an SUV or minivan. Insure.com's annual ranking of the vehicles with the best car insurance rates is dominated by non-sedans.

A few years ago, minivans held a good grip on our "least expensive to insure" rankings. But small and mid-size SUVs have been increasingly grabbing ranking spots. This year, minivans account for just five of the top 20 places.

And Jeep grabs a remarkable seven of the 20 "least expensive to insure" spots.

The advantages that propelled the minivans to the best spots are now being seen with SUVs: Family-friendly vehicles used mainly for safely ferrying kids around to Scout meetings and soccer matches. The parent driving the kids is among the least likely to speed, crash or have a claim.

And good rates always boil down to claims: When drivers of a certain vehicle submit fewer claims and/or less expensive claims, all owners that vehicle benefit with better car insurance rates.

That brings us to the Jeep Wrangler, Patriot, Compass and Grand Cherokee. Their good insurance rates hinge on Jeep owners.

While Jeeps exude an "adventurous spirit," they're usually not used for reckless abandon.

Least expensive 2014 cars to insure

1. Jeep Wrangler Sport - $1,080
2. Honda Odyssey - LX $1,103
3. Jeep Patriot Sport - $1,104
4. Honda CR-V LX - $1,115
5. Jeep Compass Sport - $1,140
6. Chrysler Town & Country Touring - $1,140
7. Subaru Outback 2.5i - $1,144
8. Dodge Journey SE - $1,149
9. Honda Odyssey EX - $1,149
10. Dodge Grand Caravan SE - $1,158

According to Karl Brauer, senior analyst for Irvine, Calif.-based Kelley Blue Book, owners of Jeeps tend to be single or married women under age 45, who display prudent driving behavior.

"While there is an 'adventuresome' image to the Jeep brand, for every Wrangler that does serious off-roading, there are dozens of Wranglers and Grand Cherokees and Compasses -- and CR-Vs, Siennas and Traverses -- that are used to carefully haul kids around suburbia at sub-50-mph speeds most of the time," he says. "This demographic and these driving conditions don't cause a lot of accidents, thankfully."

While advertising may show Jeeps on craggy rocks, it's not unusual for Jeeps to never go off-roading.

Mark Takahashi, auto editor for Edmunds.com in Santa Monica, Calif., agrees that most Jeeps are regarded as family vehicles. "If you're driving your family around, you will drive more carefully, and not take chances, because you have a vested interest in being a careful driver," he says.

Jeep Wranglers in particular are very economical to repair, which helps keep insurance rates down. If you get a dent in your door, the body shop can easily remove the door.

"It's usually bolted rather than welded together. Look at the doors of a Jeep Wrangler to this day, and they're removable, just like the old Army Jeeps," says Takahashi.

Riding high

Joe Wiesenfelder, executive editor of Chicago-based Cars.com, agrees Jeep's victory on the "least expensive to insure" rankings is a reflection of both how safely Jeep owners drive their vehicles and the cost of repair and replacement of Jeeps.

"You'd certainly be able to theorize that the owners of any one on this list are less likely to have collisions, and that the vehicles are less likely to be stolen. If they're low-volume cars, that suggests less of a replacement part market" for stolen parts.

Jeeps and SUVs also likely have an advantage because of their height. "They are higher-riding than the average car," Wiesenfelder says. "So if they are in a collision with an average car, that car will have greater damage than the Jeep."

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to provide average auto insurance rates for 2014 models. Averages were calculated using data from six large carriers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm) in 10 ZIP codes per state. Not all models were available, especially exotic cars. More than 850 models are included in the 2014 study.

Averages are based on full coverage for a single 40-year-old male who commutes 12 miles to work each day, with policy limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. This hypothetical driver has a clean record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage. Average rates are for comparative purposes. Your own rate will depend on personal factors.

Automobile insurance is a gamble and is based on risk. We pay for it, but we rarely experience its benefits firsthand. Sometimes we feel it's a waste of money. But accidents happen and when they do, your auto insurance will protect you and your finances. How much it protects you depends on your combination of options and amount of coverage.

But, let's face it, understanding your policy is difficult and at times you are not sure exactly what you are buying.

* Third-party liability bodily injury: This should be given the greatest of importance. This will help insure you for another party's medical expenses caused by an accident that was your fault. This does not cover your car or other property damaged in the accident.

* Property damage liability: This protects you if your car damages someone else's property.

* Uninsured motorist coverage: This covers bodily injury to you if you are injured in an accident by someone who is not insured and at fault.

* Collision coverage: This pays for the damage sustained by your car when you collide with another car or other object like a tree, fence or a post.

* Comprehensive coverage: This covers the damage to your car that is not covered in the collision coverage. This could include vandalism, theft, falling objects, glass breakage, fire, animal damage. Most auto insurers on Guam offer typhoon coverage as an option.

* Medical payment coverage: Covers medical bill costs associated with the accident for you and passengers in your vehicle.

* Rental reimbursement coverage: Pays for a rental car if your vehicle has to be fixed. This option usually has a rate per day and maximum amount.

* Emergency roadside service coverage: Usually this is offered free in an automobile policy. This may also cover lockout, fuel delivery and flat-tire change services.

* Towing: The annual cost of towing coverage is minimal and well worth it. Towing coverage applies to mechanical failure ONLY and not in the event of an accident. I recommend using the towing companies listed on the back of the insurance card your insurance company provides you and not the first tow truck that shows up on the scene.

Deductible, premium
When choosing a plan that is right for you, think about the cost. In general, with the exception of classic autos, older cars need less collision or comprehensive coverage than a newer one would.

A deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance company pays.

Deductibles are inversely related to premium.

The lower the deductible the higher the premium and vice versa.

If your deductible is $500 and you get into an accident that costs $1,500 to fix your car, you will pay the $500 and the insurance company will pay the remaining $1,000.

Your premium is how much you pay to have the insurance company to insure you. Most insurance companies offer terms to pay your premium. Some offer monthly or quarterly payment plans.

Deciding how much you are willing and able to pay for your premium will help determine your deductible.

When shopping for a new home, some of the same features that lure you in could end up costing you extra in insurance premiums.

If you're like the many buyers who wait until after going into contract to get insurance quotes on a property, you could be faced with some serious sticker shock. Check out these five seemingly desirable home features that might end up costing you more than you realize in the long run:


1. Swimming pools

Because of both the high rate of drowning and the severity of water-related injuries, insurance companies consider swimming pools one of their biggest liabilities. Consider the possibility of a neighborhood kid accidentally falling into your pool and sustaining an injury. You could be held liable for the high cost of their hospital bills, and if they choose to sue, you could also rack up considerable lawyer fees and other court expenses.

Most standard homeowners insurance policies include a minimum liability coverage limit of $100,000 in order to help protect you financially in the event of such a lawsuit. However, if your home includes a swimming pool, the Insurance Information Institute recommends increasing your limit to at least $300,000 or even investing in an umbrella policy to increase your liability coverage.

Your insurer will also likely require you to build and maintain a self-locking fence around the pool to keep others - especially children - out. Additionally, if the pool itself is expensive, you may need to increase coverage limits on your policy in the event it's damaged by a storm or other covered peril.


2. Trampolines

Nearly 100,000 trampoline-related incidents are reported every year, according to a survey by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. While the kids may love it, a new trampoline almost certainly won't play well with your insurance company. Depending on your state and your specific carrier, trampoline-related claims may be excluded from your policy. That means if someone is injured on a trampoline on your property and decides to sue, you might be paying the legal costs out of your own pocket.

Even if there are no specific exclusions from your carrier or in your state, it's still important to notify your agent any time you introduce a "high-risk" item - such as a trampoline, tree house or a swimming pool - to your property to make sure you'll be properly covered in the event of an accident.


3. Water view

The value of a waterfront property can be substantially higher than comparable inland properties, whether you live by an ocean, lake, river or some other body of water. However, a beautiful water view often comes with a higher risk for flooding and therefore more extensive insurance coverage.

Although most standard homeowners and renters insurance policies include coverage against water damage, they exclude any damage resulting from flood/rising water. For that reason, most residents who live in high-risk flood zones with a water view typically need to invest in separate flood policies in order to protect their properties from the elements. If you have a mortgage on your home, a flood insurance policy will likely be required by your lender. You can check the flood risk of any property by visiting the official site of the National Flood Insurance Program.


4. Vintage charm

Some older homes have maintained original features for decades or even longer, and discovering a well-preserved historical property can be a real estate dream come true. Unfortunately, if key features such as the home's plumbing system, electrical system or the roof haven't been updated since poodle skirts were in style, it's likely an insurance nightmare.

If your electrical system hasn't been updated in more than 10 years, it's more likely to malfunction and contribute to a damaging fire than one that's brand new. Similarly, out-of-date plumbing systems could lead to devastating water damage and an older roof is more susceptible to storm damage and other costly damages. With the combined average cost of claims topping $40,000 for these perils, according to the Insurance Information Institute, it's not surprising insurance carriers charge more to insure these properties.


5. Square footage

Bigger is not always better. The larger your home, the more it will likely cost to replace if it's ever damaged or destroyed in a covered peril. That means you'll require a higher amount of dwelling coverage, which is the coverage provided under your homeowners policy to rebuild the structural elements of your home in the event of a claim.

To get a rough idea of how much dwelling coverage you'd need to completely rebuild your home from the ground up after a total loss, insurance companies multiply the total square footage of the property by local construction costs. Keep in mind, building with more expensive construction materials will impact your coverage needs, so upgrades such as granite countertops also should be reported to your insurance company.

Of course, none of this should dissuade you from buying a waterfront home or installing a swimming pool. Just be sure you enter into the home buying experience with some knowledge about which types of homes carry higher risk - and therefore larger insurance price tags - than others.

For people with good jobs and strong credit, today's real estate market is an attractive one - with low mortgage interest rates and continued affordability. However, some buyers, especially first-time ones, are struggling to enter the market and don't always find the home buying process easy.

According to the National Association of Realtors, first-time buyers accounted for 26 percent of home purchases in January. This is down from 27 percent in December and 30 percent a year ago, making it the lowest level for first-time buyers since October 2008. Normally, this group is closer to 40 percent.

Traditionally, first-time buyers are instrumental in housing recoveries because they help existing homeowners sell and make a trade up to a larger home. Factors, like tight credit, limited inventory, and higher mortgage interest rates, are making it difficult for these buyers to purchase a home in today's market. An NAR survey showed that of the first-time buyers who said it was difficult to save for a down payment, 54 percent said student loans were the culprit.

When we look at the eastern half of Cuyahoga County, there are some noticeable trends. Though home values on the east side tend to be slightly lower than the county-wide average, we have seen around 3.2 percent growth in estimated home values across the county, though this could vary with a formal appraisal. It is important to note that the highly ranked school systems on the east side are experiencing a tightening of inventory, which is causing over double-digit appreciation in many areas.

It is easy to feel confused and hesitant about buying a home. However, here are a few tips for first-time buyers take into account:

* Determine what you can afford. Evaluate your income, savings and credit report. With proper documentation, a lender can evaluate your finances to qualify and approve you for a loan amount. Remember to factor in costs such as taxes, insurance and utilities.

* Determine your wish list. Once preapproved for a loan, consider what you need and want in a home. Whether it is a certain number of bedrooms, a large kitchen, or to be close to schools or public transportation, it is good to have an idea of what you are looking for in a home and community.

* Work with a Realtor. All real estate is local, making it important to work with a Realtor who is familiar with your desired community. She or he can provide valuable counsel, discuss listings, show you homes in person, negotiate on your behalf, and help you stay focused on the issues that are most important.

With these tips in mind, Realtors are optimistic that first-time homebuyers will be able to achieve homeownership. Lastly, we expect to see the typical spring inventory increase and are hopeful that more sellers, including those that have been on the fence, will decide to sell as home values increase.

Seth Task is president of Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors.

The idea of working from home always sounds most alluring to those who have never actually done it: no commutes, flexible schedule, no coworkers lurking behind your back when you're online planning your next golf trip. And with ObamaCare eliminating the shackles between full-time employment and health insurance, there's never been greater temptation to cut the office cord and strike out on your own. But I have a strong feeling that the following scenario may sound all too familiar to those of you drafting copy, creating code, and navigating the business world from the supposed comfort of your living rooms.

You wake up in the morning, maybe eat some breakfast, say goodbye to your girlfriend, wife, kids, or roommate. Then, oh no, what do you do? The silence in your house mocks you. Your day sits in front of you as empty (and scary) as a blank screen to an author with writer's block. Before you know it, it's 3 p.m., you're wearing whatever you slept in, you haven't showered or accomplished a shred of work, and you've spent hours online comparing deals on moustache wax - when you don't even have facial hair.

Here are five tips to help you maintain your sanity, be productive, and make working from home live up to your dreams:

Tip #1: Make a Schedule - and Actually Stick to It

Just because you don't have a boss, doesn't mean you don't have to pretend you have someone to answer to. Every morning make a list of the most important items you need to do that day. Prioritize them. Enter them into your digital calendar. And then stick to the timeline as much as possible. Think to yourself (or say it aloud - why not?), "Yes, virtual boss, I will get that proposal written by 4 p.m."

Tip #2: Take Breaks (and at Least One Shower)
This is a tough one. It's all-too easy to jump out of bed and onto your laptop, get totally immersed, and then not move a muscle to eat, stretch, or breathe for the next eight hours. Don't do it. Your creativity will suffer. Your body will ache. You

Emerge from your lair to greet the sun first thing and grab a coffee. Meet other human beings for lunch. Take an hour to hit the gym. And, for crying out loud, please remember to start your day with a shower.

Tip #3: Lonely No More - Find Your Community

There's nothing lonelier than working all by your lonesome. It's enough to make you long for the vicious office gossip that used to drive you crazy. But - and this is important - don't use loneliness as an excuse to ring up your long-lost best buddy from when you were four and catch up on the last 30 years.

Instead, use online platforms to find other flesh and blood people who are putting in time from their sofas. Especially those in your field. Learn from them, brainstorm with them, and take the novices under your wing. They will help you find clients, hone your ideas, and ultimately be your community.

Tip #4: See Ya Later, Facebook (and Other Rabbit Holes)


You probably saw this one coming a mile away. Social media is a productivity killer. Between the hours of, say, nine to six, you're just going to have to (virtually) step away from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatever other time-suck rabbit hole you tend to fall down.

Don't get me wrong. If you're using social media to build your client base, position yourself as an expert in your field, or simply to find your work-from-home community, keep those windows open. But - be honest with yourself - are you able to login to Facebook and not lose hours lolling about among yesterday's sunset photos, your ex-roomate's new job announcement, and the top ten cutest pugs of all time? If not, just don't go there.

Tip #5: Between Gigs? Build Your Brand

When you work for yourself, you'll have ups and downs. There are weeks when everybody wants to hire you and you have to turn them down in droves. And weeks when the email stops pinging and the phone stops ringing. Don't despair. Embrace the downtime. This is when you can do the deep thinking about who you are and what makes your business unique. Update your reel/portfolio/website/LinkedIn profile, shoot promo videos to post in online marketplaces, and cull your network to find and reach out to more potential clients.

None of this easy. And that's why working from home is a best-laid plan only for the self-starters among us. It takes proactivity and discipline. But if you've got the stick-to-it to follow these tips, you can reap the rich rewards (just not in your bathrobe, please!).

The ratio of workers who are confident they'll be able to retire comfortably rebounded this year to the highest level in seven years, according to an Employee Benefit Research Institute survey.

The 24th annual retirement confidence survey found that 55% of workers described themselves as either being "very confident" or "somewhat confident" of their ability to live comfortably during their retirement years. That compares with a combined 51% in 2013. Eighteen percent described themselves as "very confident," compared with a record low of 13% last year. Insurance Tips at Dyman and Associates

Retirement experts attributed the shift largely to greater confidence among workers with retirement investments, who benefited from a resurgent stock market in 2012 and 2013. The attitudes of those without a tie to the stock market were largely unchanged while those with significant levels of debt continued to struggle.

"Without a doubt, we enjoyed two years of very positive market performance in 2012 and 2013, and those who had savings and 401(k) balances enjoyed the benefit of those market returns," said Greg Burrows, a senior vice president for retirement and investor services at Dyman Associates Insurance Group.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute survey is the oldest of its kind and was based on January phone interviews with 1,000 workers and 501 retirees. It has a margin of error of at least ±3.5 percentage points.

STORY: A third have less than $1,000 put away
COLUMN: 5 tax tips for those moving into retirement years

Consumer confidence still has not recovered to pre-recession levels. In 2007, 70% of those surveyed were confident of their ability to retire.

The percentage of respondents who described themselves as "not at all" confident receded to 24% this year from a record 28% in 2013. That gauge of anxious workers has worsened fairly steadily since the first year of the survey in 1993, when only 6% of respondents described themselves as "not at all" confident.

"Worker savings remain low, and only a minority appears to be taking basic steps to prepare for retirement," survey co-authors Nevin Adams and Jack VanDerhei wrote on behalf of the institute. "Increased confidence is observed almost exclusively among those with higher household income, but confidence was also found to be strongly correlated with household participation in a retirement plan."

Forty-six percent of the workers surveyed who did not have a retirement plan described themselves as "not at all" confident, compared with only 11% of those with a plan. About 24% of those with a pension, 401(k) or IRA plan described themselves as "very confident," compared with 9% of those without a plan.

The weak labor market has affected wages and benefits since the Great Recession, which began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. The employment-to-population ratio, a measure of the percentage of Americans with jobs, was 58.8% in February. That compares with 63.3% for February 2007. The 4.5-percentage-point difference is equal to more than 14 million people.

Stagnant wages and lost jobs have left many Americans in basic survival mode. Some also are laboring to pay off sizable levels of student loan debt, which totaled more than $1.08 trillion at the end of 2013, according to the Federal Reserve. About 11.5% of student loan debt was at least 90 days overdue.

"More than half the workers in the survey indicated that managing daily expenses and the cost of living are the primary reasons they are not saving for retirement," Burrows said, noting that those who fail to save for retirement in good times are left with even fewer choices in hard times.

Workers who begin saving $3,000 a year at age 25 wind up with five times more retirement savings than those who begin at 45, according to Principal Financial Group. The Des Moines-based insurance and investment management firm had more than $483 billion of assets under management as of Dec. 31

"Fifty-eight percent of workers and 44% of retirees say they are having a problem with their level of debt," said Matt Greenwald of Greenwald & Associates, which conducted the study with the institute.

Public and previously shared data offer potential benefits to consumers and opportunities for service providers to offer value-added services; however consumers' responses range from neutral to negative, Celent says.

Research firm Celent recently surveyed consumers about their willingness to share personal data, and to test eight potential messages financial services firms might offer to them, leveraging the consumers' data. Insurance Rates at Dyman and Associates

The results show that most people don't like receiving the messages Celent prepared for them, with only one receiving an average score of neutral, with the others seeing less favorable responses.

The message Celent sent were designed to leverage data that is already is being shared, either publicly or through data aggregators, with financial services companies .The firm sent eight messages as part of the survey, and asked respondents to rate them in terms of whether they liked or disliked the messages.

Some samples of messages the company sent:

- "We noted you have checked in at a location outside the country, so we have pre-authorized your credit card for use there."

- "The item you just purchased is available for 10 percent less a short distance from your current location, click here for more details."

- "We noticed you have visited four gambling websites recently. Your profile suggests that you may be susceptible to gambling addiction. Click here to talk to someone about coping strategies. In the meantime, we've now stopped these websites from charging your cards."

Celent offers a few key observations that might be useful for companies looking to communicate with customers in this way:

- Most people do not like receiving these messages, so they should be offered as an opt-in service, if at all.

- Target social media users rather than smartphone owners.

- Younger consumers are more likely to respond positively.

- Look to people already collecting or sharing data for financial products.

- If you are using location data, look to people sharing that data already.

- Avoid criticizing the recipients' behavior.

"It's fair to say that the average response to receiving the messages prepared by Celent was neutral or negative," Celent said. "No message received a positive average response." Still, some respondents like the idea of receiving these messages, so there is potential for success in reaching out this way, Celent said.

"Any financial institution looking to leverage data in this way to share context-aware messaging with customers must consider when to intervene and the phrasing of the message," Celent says. "There will be a vanguard of consumers who want these messages and like them."

Do you own a business? Is it running and doing successfully? Wanting a company that works for your business as diligent as you are? No need to worry and choose Dyman and Associates Insurance. We will assure you that you have chosen leading Business Insurance.

Texas- based insurance agency, U.S. Insurance Source, serves the needs of individuals and companies in several states. In honor of Business Continuity Awareness Week, March 17th-21st, the agency will release business continuity planning tips in order to help companies of all sizes.

Texas-based insurance agency, U.S. Insurance Source, serves the needs of individuals and companies in several states. In honor of Business Continuity Awareness Week, March 17th-21st, the agency will release business continuity planning tips in order to help companies of all sizes. Insurance Tips at Dyman and Associates

The basic purpose of a Business Continuity Plan is to outline how employees will continue to do their jobs after a disaster or emergency occurs. This could include a natural disaster, or an emergency in the office such as a fire. These are also known as Disaster Recovery Plans. Implementing risk management and business continuity programs is crucial for the success of businesses of all kinds, and U.S. Insurance Source hopes to assist companies with the following information on how to create one of these plans:

* Make note of key internal information. This includes a list of crucial team members, job functions, and data backup information.
* Create a list of each employee's contact information, including home and personal contact information so that they can be reached when outside of the office.
* If your business utilizes third party vendors or contractors, compile a list of the contact information of these individuals. Also, be sure to include any significant information regarding their relationships with your company.
* Make note of all critical equipment that your business absolutely cannot function without. This will be different for each business, depending on its nature. Consider things such as computer software, programs, documents on computer servers, and physical office equipment such as fax or copy machines.
* List and backup all critical documents such as human resources information, legal files, financial information, etc.

While these steps are certainly not an all-inclusive list that businesses should consider, especially for larger companies, this information can provide a beneficial starting point for businesses across Texas. U.S. Insurance Source encourages local companies to contact its office at 800-401-8242 for more information about protecting their businesses.

About U.S. Insurance Source:

U.S. Insurance Source has been providing insurance solutions to Texas individuals, families, and businesses for more than 20 years. The agency focuses on using innovative processes in order to better serve its clients and make sure that each one's individual insurance needs are properly met. From standard personal and business insurance to coverage for businesses in more specific industries, such as trucking insurance, U.S. Insurance Source strives to fulfill all of their clients' insurance needs, no matter where in the country they are located.

For most middle-class families, the home is the most valuable asset -- often outstripping even the 401(k) and 403(b) for all but the most diligent savers.

Yes, for generations the home has been an important store of value for Americans. It's often a treasured asset -- a legacy that older Americans can pass down to their children and grandchildren. In other cases, it's a vital source of retirement income -- converted to cash either via an outright sale or rental, or thought the conversion of home equity to a reverse mortgage.

The problem: Your home is at risk. Every day, Americans lose their homes to a variety of hazards -- and not just to the obvious.

Fortunately, loss or severe damage to a personal residence lends itself well to insurance. But too many Americans don't adequately protect themselves against possible devastating losses -- losses they simply can't afford.

These mistakes are almost always avoidable -- if the homeowner is well advised. Here are some of the most common mistakes homeowners make when insuring their homes.

Not getting flood insurance

It cannot be stated plainly or forcefully enough: Standard homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Yet every time there's a major flood or hurricane in an area that is only rarely affected by flood, we see a huge number of families who have no financial protection against flood damage whatsoever.

The risk, for the individual homeowner, is huge. The average claim actually paid out for Hurricane Sandy, the storm that ravaged Florida and the Northeastern Seaboard in 2012, was $58,358. The average paid claim after Hurricane Katrina was $97,052 -- per policy affected.

But only 13% of Americans have a flood insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Is your home or contents more valuable? You probably should look at buying additional coverage. For more information, visit Floodsmart.gov.

Poor or non-existent household inventories

If you have items of value in the home, you should document those items -- before the disaster strikes. Otherwise, an insurer could challenge your claim. Fortunately, the insurance industry has provided a number of tools to make the inventory process easier. Among them: KnowYourStuff.org. This interactive website makes it easy for you to upload digital photographs of your valuables, along with other identifying information, such as serial numbers and model numbers. You can even download a handy app for your iPhone or Android to make it even easier. If you have many valuable items, such as an art, antique, or musical instrument collection, you may need to speak with your agent about securing additional coverage for your belongings.

If you use your home for business purposes, you may also need to arrange for additional coverage.

Inventory information is confidential, and stored off site, so you don't have to worry that the same disaster that destroyed your home will also destroy your inventory documents.

Underestimating replacement cost

Remember -- market value and replacement costs can be very different. For example, with many older homes, local ordinances require you to rebuild according to new building codes, not the codes in force at the time the home was first constructed. For example, you may have to totally replace plumbing or wiring, use different materials, or put your whole house up on stilts when you rebuild, depending on local ordinances in your area. Look at your policy to see what code upgrades it will include. You may need to speak with your agent about adding ordinance or law coverage, and/or extended replacement coverage, which expands your policy limit by 25% to account for increased replacement costs.

Not insuring against local risks

Some areas have risks specific to the locality that are not covered under standard homeowners insurance policies. For example, sinkholes are a major problem in parts of Florida. Earthquakes are a part of life in California. Some areas are at elevated risk of wildfires, and insurers may require you to take specific steps to mitigate your risk of loss by fire. The mistake many people make is assuming their off-the-shelf homeowners policy covers sinkholes, earthquakes, and the like. Typically, they do not. Usually you must purchase separate specialty coverage to insure against these kinds of location-specific risks.

Not understanding depreciation

Many policies don't insure your property for actual repair or replacement cost. Instead, they deduct a depreciation allowance from your property each year. They cover only the cost of a repair minus the depreciation allowance.

Here's how it works: Say it's going to take $30,000 to replace a newly installed roof. A roof has an expected life of, say, 15 years. Each year, the insurance company deducts 1/15th of the cost of the new roof from your coverage. After five years, the actual cash value of your roof is only $10,000, not $15,000.

The financial theory is sound: If your roof blows off in year 14, you were about to replace the roof anyway, so your theoretical loss is not all that high. You'll be OK if you've been saving up for the expected new roof all along. However, many people, shopping for insurance on price alone, get blindsided by the smaller amount the insurance company pays, once depreciation is deducted.

Failure to take advantage of multi-line discounts

Customer acquisition is a huge cost for insurance companies. They have to compensate their agents for hours and hours of phoning and prospecting and paperwork for every new customer. So if they have a chance to upsell new lines of insurance to existing customers, it's worth it to them to provide a discount -- to you. If you are paying for car insurance to one company, basic homeowners insurance to another company, and fire insurance to a third, talk with your agent about consolidating all these coverages under one roof, in exchange for a discount on your premium.

Are you unsure of who to turn to for homeowners insurance? Not sure what company wants you? No need to worry and choose Dyman and Associates Insurance Homeowners. We concentrate in policies that are base from what you desire.

The above article is a repost from DailyFinance.

2014 marks the biggest change in health insurance since Medicare. For the first time ever, health insurance is mandatory for most Americans under age 65. The biggest change is that those people with pre-existing medical conditions will now be able to buy quality health insurance without fear of being declined, or facing a surcharge or a waiting period for pre-existing conditions that won't be covered.

The second biggest change is that those who earn less than 400% of the federal poverty level -- $45,000 for individuals or $95,000 for families of four -- will now be able to qualify for premium discounts on health insurance costs. The requirement to qualify for the discount is that insurance must be purchased on one of the new health insurance exchanges, aka marketplaces.

Compare health insurance rates to find the best deal.

1. Work with a knowledgeable health insurance agent.

Eliminate about 80% of the difficulties of buying insurance online. A good agent can help you navigate the exchange site, help you determine whether you qualify for a discount and, if you do qualify, help you choose from among the various plan options and even help you enroll. They will be able to answer your questions as they come up. Best of all, having an agent help you doesn't cost a dime extra.

2. Don't buy insurance on an exchange if you don't qualify for a discount.

Insurance companies that participate in the exchange in most cases offer many more options for qualified health insurance beyond what they make available on the exchange. You can go to individual insurance company websites to see what each company has available. Or, you can have your agent do that for you (see Tip 1).

3. Work with an insurance agent to plan health coverage for your family if dependents aren't covered adequately by your employer plan.

If you have dependents covered under your group health insurance plan at work, unless the employer is paying for some of the cost, work with an insurance agent who will help you determine if you can get better coverage for less money on your spouse and/or children. Chances are if you have employer paid group insurance on yourself, you won't be eligible for an individual plan. But that doesn't preclude your spouse and children from having one, especially if the employer doesn't contribute anything toward dependent coverage costs.

4. Before choosing a health plan, be sure the doctors are "in network" and you can see specialists without a referral.

Less costly plans often don't let you see specialists without a referral from your primary care doctor.

When you are considering plans, don't just choose the cheapest. Pay attention to who is and is not in network. About 90% of the time, it probably won't make a difference. But, that 10% can be a life-and-death situation.

In Minnesota where I'm from, the gold standard of choice is the Mayo Clinic. I won't pick a plan myself or recommend a plan that doesn't include the right to go there without begging for a referral.

5. Hire an expert insurance agent or consultant to audit your insurance program.

Look for someone to make sure that all the major risks in your life are well-protected for risks such as major lawsuits, major damage to or destruction of your residence, premature death, long-term disability and, of course, major medical expenses.

An expert can help you identify where the gaps are and recommend custom endorsements to plug those gaps. I have done several hundred audits over the years and typically find at least 15 to 20 coverage shortfalls or inconsistencies.

6. Protect your income with long-term disability insurance.

Some employers provide it. However, benefits that you receive while disabled usually are taxable income. So, if the benefit is 60% of your salary, you will be lucky to yield 45% after taxes.

Unless you can live on that 45%, contact your employer. Request that the company include the premiums it pays you for long-term disability insurance in your taxable income. By doing this, you will have paid income taxes on the relatively small premiums so that if you become disabled, you can collect those benefits tax-free.

If your employer can't or won't do that for you, buy a supplemental individual policy that will cover at least the income taxes that you will have to pay on your group benefits.

If you don't have coverage at work, talk to a knowledgeable agent to help you qualify for and buy a privately owned long-term disability insurance policy. Because you're buying this policy with after-tax dollars, benefits will always be tax-free to you!

7. Buy an umbrella liability policy to cover insurance gaps in your primary policies.

All umbrella car or homeowners insurance policies cover lawsuits. Typically, these policies will provide a base layer of coverage, usually $300,000 or $500,000 per claim. Then, if you're sued for more than those limits, an umbrella policy will pay excess amounts up to the umbrella limit of $1 million or more.

The real advantage of an umbrella policy is that it will defend and pay some judgments against you from personal lawsuits not covered by your primary auto or homeowners policies.

Never worry about the price of an umbrella policy. Instead, focus on whether it is broad enough to cover those uncovered risks in your life not covered by auto or homeowners insurance.

Here are just a few examples of lawsuits not covered by auto or homeowners insurance that can be covered by the right umbrella policy:

* Damage to rental cars in the U.S. or abroad.
* Injuries you cause to a water skier while renting a powerboat on vacation.
* Liability that you agreed to in a contract such as a wedding reception contract, making you responsible for all injuries and/or property damage caused by wedding guests.
* Injuries you cause to a co-worker while driving a company-furnished car.

8. for a townhouse or condo unit, be sure you get the "deductible assessment coverage."

The rates for condominium master policies have been on the rise. To keep the premiums affordable, many associations have opted for higher deductibles of $5,000, $10,000 or even $25,000. Not only does that keep the premiums affordable, it also minimizes the number of claims made against the master policy, which helps keep the rates low.

Here's the problem: If the loss is caused by you from, say, a kitchen fire or dishwasher overflow, or is confined to your unit, most associations will require you to pay the deductible on the master policy.

"No problem," you say proudly. "I have loss-assessment coverage on my homeowners unit-owner policy." Virtually all laws on assessment coverage limit deductible assessments to $1,000. If that wasn't enough bad news, it also requires that the assessment be against all unit owners.

The bottom line is that you will need to get a relatively new coverage -- separate coverage -- called "deductible assessment" coverage. Find out what your association master policy deductible is and buy deductible assessment coverage for that amount from your insurance agent.

9. If your home is for sale, watch out for vacancy exclusions.

With the housing market in the dumpster the past few years, this common problem has arisen. A couple buy a new home before their existing home sells. They move into the new house, leaving the old house empty. Three months later, vandals break into the old home, have a wild party and completely trash the place, causing $50,000 in damage, and the owner has no coverage.

Homeowner's policies exclude glass breakage and vandalism damage if the house has been vacant, that is without enough furniture to be lived in, for 60 days or more. There are high-risk policies you can buy to cover a vacant house, but the coverage is watered down and the premiums are three to four times greater than what you've been paying for homeowners insurance.

The better way to keep your homeowners policy and still have vandalism coverage is by keeping enough furniture in the house so it can be lived in, such as a kitchen table, a couch and a lamp in the living room, and one bed.

10. For all of your insurance needs, pick an insurance agent with great expertise.

What most people don't realize is that you can get an insurance expert for the price of an intern. Since all agents work on commission, an agent with a lot of experience costs exactly the same as a less knowledgeable agent.

The biggest mistake that people make when they buy insurance is that they shop based on price and end up with the agent who gave them the best quote, often with very little expertise. In fact, they would be much better off coverage-wise and price-wise if they shopped for the expertise of an agent first, then had the expert design insurance coverage with the right specifications and had the expert shop for that coverage.

Shopping for the best price first leaves you with a good deal but the wrong coverage. Shopping for expertise first leaves you with a competitive price for the right coverage.

When you have a serious claim, which choice would you make?

Copyright 2014, Bankrate Inc.