Insurance Companies

I’m trying to decide whether I should stick with my local insurance agency, nice people who seem to be very helpful, or whether I should switch to using a cheaper company and buying directly, so I wouldn’t have a nice, local agent to call. What’s your opinion? How much more would you pay per year for insurance to have a helpful, friendly person to go see in person when you need questions answered or a claim filed, rather than just having an 800 number to call?

Why do you have to pay MORE to use a local agent? Many, many times, you don’t – the price is comparable, or even LESS, than one of those direct writers. The money they don’t pay agents, and more, they have to spend on advertising, to get you to call them!

Here are reasons why it makes sense to use a local agent:

1. binding authority, That means, you can deliver your payment to the local office the day it’s due, and it counts as if the insurance company has received it.

2. personalized insurance advice – tailored to your specific need.

3. someone you can contact, and intervene with you, if you have a problem with your company assigned claims adjuster.

4. it doesn’t cost more. There’s no "surcharge" to using a local agent – and MOST insurance companies will NOT write directly. In other words, you HAVE to use an agent, if you want their policy.

My fiance and i would like to get married at our local courthouse. im 18, but still on my parents insurance. if we were to get married would insurance companies and all that kinda stuff be notified, or need to be notified, even if i dont change my last name yet (which i dont have to do it immediately right?)? we kind of wanted to get married in secret and keep it on the down low for awhile and we are afraid my parents would somehow find out since im still covered on their insurance.

Marriage is considered a "major life event" by insurance companies. It will very much effect you insurance coverage. Most companies will drop you from your parents insurance due to a major life event – graduating college, getting married, etc. If you get married secretly and do not inform the insurance company, it is possible that your parents can get in trouble for insurance fraud down the line.

I am 7w4d pregnant and without health insurance. I have been getting check-ups at a local clinic but I really need to find a doctor. I have not found an insurance policy that will cover maternity costs though. I’ve heard Medicaid has strict eligibility and is almost impossible to get if the dad is present in the baby’s life,which in my situation he will be. Does anyone know of ANY insurance policies that will cover pregnancy?

Not true. Yes it does take long, but since your pregnant it will not take as long. I had a job, no insurance and dad was present. I got medicaid for both pregnancies and if your income is a lil higher then they give you something called CHIP Perinatal.

I have been looking into Garden State and Globe. Do any of you use them? Who do you use as your life insurance holder? I am going to look around Monday with local companies but I have been looking around online. It will be for myself, my husband, and your 1 year old daughter(only a small one in case something happened and it would be for burial).

There are several top life insurance companies you can learn about and compare rates and plans online before you meet with an agent.

Some of the leading life insurance companies include Prudential, MetLife, Northwestern Mutual, ING, Banner Life and Mutual of Omaha.

First, consider how long you need life insurance, what goal you want to provide for, and how much coverage you need and can afford.

You can compare rates and plans online from a life insurance quote provider service and get free quotes from leading insurers.

Efinancial offers free life insurance quotes online. You just fill out one form and get up to 12 Instant Quotes from top-rated insurance companies. There is no risk and no obligation. Thata way you can find the most competitive rates before you meet with an insurance agent. To request your Free Quotes, visit https://www.efinancial.com/smartquoteefc.aspx?source=389-707

You can request free quotes for life insurance for you, your husband, and your daughter.

When you compare rates make sure to consider the financial strength rating. You want an insurer rated at least "A" Excellent by AM Best for financial strength. Also, compare several quotes because rates can vary between companies.

Level term life insurance is common among young families because it can provide you with the maximum amount of protection at the lowest rates. Your rates and coverage amount is guaranteed to remain the same for up to 30 years. So, if you want life insurance to protect your daughter until she has graduated from college (for example) or until the mortgage is paid off, you may want this type of life insurance.

Here’s How Term Life Insurance Works:

Term life insurance offers life insurance protection for a specific number of years. It builds no cash value, you pay only for the life insurance. That’s why term life is less expensive than permanent life insurance. So you can afford more protection for your loved ones.

Term life insurance lasts for a specific number of years, from 1-30 years. The most common term is 10 or 20 years.

Term life insurance policies pay the beneficiary the face amount of the life insurance policy if the insured person dies during the term of the policy. For example, a 15-year term life policy with a face amount of $250,000 would pay $250,000 to the beneficiary if the insured died any time during those 15 years.

Usually, term life costs less than permanent life insurance.

At the end of the policy term, the insured is no longer insured, and a death benefit is no longer paid. Some term life insurance policies are renewable, or can be converted to permanent life insurance.

Term Life Insurance Has Three Standard Features:

Level
Usually, the annual premium for the policy paid by the insured stays the same each year. The face amount of the policy also stays the same. Level term life insurance policies can usually last up to 30 years.

Convertible
Before the end of the term for the policy, the life insurance policy owner may be able to convert the term life insurance into a permanent life insurance policy. The owner usually has a specific number of years during the term life insurance policy to convert the policy. The premiums usually increase for the permanent life insurance.

Renewable
Term life insurance policies that are renewable offer the owner the option of renewing the life insurance policy at the end of the policy term, up to a specific age limit (usually age 65 or 70).

For example, a 15 year policy may be renewed for another 15 years. If the policy is renewed, a medical exam may be required. The term life insurance premium will usually increase when the policy is renewed.

Also, for your daughter you may want to consider Globe Life for Children. Globe Life is rated "A+" Excellent by AM Best. They have more than 2.5 million policyholders. They have been offering life insurance since 1951. You can learn more about Globe Life for your daughter at http://www.term-life-online.com/life-insurance-for-children.html

I hope that helps! Best of luck to you and your family.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year!!!

I haven’t built any personal credit. I am considering getting a merchant account, I heard that usually a merchant account increase your credit score by 30-40 points. Because I have been turned down for 3 credit cards, I will just get the merchant account and apply again 2 or 3 months later. Any ideas? I don’t have a FICO score yet, and don’t have any accounts except my checking account, that i just opened.

If you owned your own insurance AGENCY, you wouldn’t be referring to it as a COMPANY. I don’t believe you.

And you can’t get a merchant account, if you can’t back it up.

The State Insurance Commission, knowing we had concerns (complaints, actually) told us to ask for our local companys Error and Omissions Insurance Provider. Our local company first said they couldn’t give it out, then a week later said they would call me in the morning, which of course they didn’t.

Have you just asked for their E&O carrier or do you have a claim that should have been covered if your agent had not made a mistake or not offered you the coverage? You will need to notify your agent (because the agency will be the agent on the E&O policy) that you wish to make a claim against him & for what reason – something that should have been covered if not for his error. He will file a claim with his E&O carrier & the carrier should get in touch with you. This will probably take only a few days. If you do not hear back from the carrier, report the agent to the Insurance Commisioner. By law, they have to respond to the state in so many days (our state is 20).
When you hear back from the E&O carrier, give them the details of what happened & all of the documentation you have (i.e. you asked your agent for coverage on the new car on such & such a date, 3 weeks LATER you had an accident & found out the car was never added, etc).
The E&O carrier will investigate the claim. They will get all of your documentation & all of the agent’s documentation. If they feel the agent did all that was prudent (i.e. offering you coverages but you didn’t take them, or you didn’t notify the agent of something you should have), then they will deny the claim. Even if it ends up the agent made a mistake, it could take a long time to settle. Good luck to you.

I have been to a walk-in clinic and my local ER a few times but I did not have insurance when I went. I was treated, but I paid by cash. No insurance claim was filed.

Right now, I am applying for health insurance.

If I don’t disclose this, HOW will the insurance company find out that I went.

If it wasn’t an insurance claim, and I paid by cash, will they even know I went?

I also got a prescription.

http://www.mib.com/
This is the link to MIB or medical information bureau.

You can request your medical records for free. My understanding that if you have applied for any kind of insurance (medical/life/disability) w/in the last 10 years, that information will be on there.

It is better to disclose all on your application. Unless you have a heart condition, circulatory disease, blood disorder, cancer or stroke, most likely ok. All applications ask this and will automatically deny you if you have.

But if it states, have you been treated or diagnosed w/in the last 5 years for anything, you better disclose it now;;;;;most likely will not affect anything, but if you fail to do so and later treat for it, they will get all of your records and find out you lied. Then you will find out that no;;;;;company will insure you when you least expect it.

BTW; Lets say you go to ER or any doctor out there, especially the 1st time, they make you fill out an application which has a long list that you could check off, or when you talk to the Doctor, you state I went to the urgent care for such and such. Guess what the Doctor will note this to his records.

During this health care reform that is going on now. Many people complained they had insurance for years, but get serious illness where the insurance denys treatment, since they went thu their records and found out that maybe 10 years ago they saw a doctor about this and now state pre-existing. Do you want to take that chance when you need insurance the most?

good luck

My husband and I bought our house about 11 months ago. We’re going to do some insurance shopping next week (house & both cars together). We have a local company and although they were the cheapest we found last year, I’m not really comfortable with them.

Five days after we moved into our house, the mortgage company sent us a letter saying that our home owners insurance had been denied and that we had two weeks to find new insurance or face foreclosure. It ended up being a clerical error on behalf of our half-witted agent. BUT, that error almost got us kicked out of our house less than a week after we moved in! They never mailed us or called us to tell us about the situation. They have never provided any common customer service courtesy.

So, we’re looking at Allstate & State Farm in particular. I’m ok with paying a little extra to get better customer service. Do you use a local company or a big one? Do you like the company? Do you have any horror stories about Allstate or State Farm? Or are they both good?

homeinsurance.awardspace.us – try this one. Got my home insurance from them. As I know they provide such a service.

Like for example in my truck is insured with Carmouche Auto Insurance which is a local insurance company in my city, so is it just as good as say Geico or Allstate, even though its local. Can you all give me your advice, and pointers? Thanks

I have been on the receiving end of auto insurance for 30+ years. (autobody repair)
Most companies big or small will repair your car as cheaply as they can get away with it. The best that I have dealt with is State farm. They are about the only one that doesn’t insist on using cheap parts made in taiwan.

Yesterday I was involved in a collision where the person in front of me braked hard to avoid hitting a pheasant. This caused me to caused me o also brake but unfortunately not quick enough and I hit them.

When I went down to my local garage the mechanic claimed that in the eyes of the insurance company this is the person in front’s fault as they should have hit the pheasant rather than cause a collision with another car. Is this true?

I am in england btw.

It is your fault for running into the back of them.
You should always be driving in a manner that you can brake in time.

What if it had been a child not a pheasant?