The Best Way to Shop For and Compare Insurance

When you have come to the point where you feel it is time for a new insurance policy, you will want to do some browsing to compare insurance. There are thousands of insurance brokers on the Internet that will be able to assist you in whatever type of insurance that you may be in the market for. Whether it is auto insurance or even pet insurance, you will have an opportunity to compare what each broker has to offer.

What this does is actually help you determine what is best for your specific needs. By looking side by side at a couple of websites, you will have a clear picture as to who would offer you the most for your money.

Not Just The Rates

It is not just the rates you need to look at when it is time for you to compare insurance. Term and any conditions that may apply should also be large factors in the choice you make for the right insurance policy. If you feel that the rate is good yet the term is not as appealing, you might want to continue shopping around for a different broker. To compare insurance, you will want to know ahead of time roughly what it is you are looking for. Having an idea on what you want to spend and for how long, will allow you to narrow your search considerably.

Look for sites that are willing to give you a mock policy draft. This will set you up with a plan and you can determine if it is doable for you without committing to that broker. You can then see if the plan will fit into your finances and lifestyle. If it does not, then once again you can continue to shop.

Try To Haggle

When you are on a site while you compare insurance, it might not hurt to try and haggle on the price of the policy. If you found a policy that the term is good for you yet the rate is not, you could try and mix these up and make it an acceptable plan through another broker. This price matching and haggling technique is something that is not uncommon. Those that are successful can actually enjoy a plan that works well for them. Those that are not willing to try, are usually the ones that will be stuck with a plan that they do not like or leaves them financially strapped.

Shop Smart

It is always a good idea for you to shop smart when you have to compare insurance. Stick with what you need unless the broker blows your socks off with a plan you cannot refuse. This will keep you on target with your budget and you will not be taking on anything that you did not want within the framework of the policy. Smart shopping will always net you a better result, than that of a spontaneous or rushed shopping day for insurance.           

Commercial Insurance - What Does General Liability Insurance Cost?

How much does a Commercial General Liability Policy costall

Great question but it is too broad to answer unless, we have all your details to quote. However, generally speaking, I have issued insurance polices as low as $700. Again, you need to contact an insurance broker or agent to find out the total cost because every type of business has a different risk associated with it.

What is General Liability?

General Liability provides a company or individual coverage and protection against losses from a lawsuit. The policy covers defense costs for charges brought forth in a lawsuit, including attorney fees, investigation costs, and other legal expenses. General Liability will cover a company or sole proprietor for damages awarded to a third party in the event of injuries or damage's which the company or individual insured becomes legally responsible, including loss of use of property claims.

What is an additional named insured?

In a lot of cases Construction contractors frequently require additional contractors to complete different phases of projects and will add the sub contractor to their general liability policies as additional named insureds. It is a precaution in the event that the subcontractor becomes legally liable with charges alleged for their workmanship or the result of an injury to a third party. One example, is an unsafe work site where a person becomes injured because the area was not safe. Insurance companies need to know about all sub contractors and their experience for a contractual indemnity agreement whether they have their own insurance policy or not.

What do I do if I have a claim?

If a claim occurs, you need to immediately contact your agent, broker or insurance company. You will then need to provide all pertinent details on how the claim happened and provide witness information as well as time date and location. Try to gather as much information as you can to make it easier for you and the insurance adjuster.

What is a hold harmless agreement?

Hold harmless agreement's, promises to reimburse or defend, the other party included on the agreement against legal liability lawsuits or claims brought against by third parties. Hold harmless agreements will transfer the risk of financial loss from one party (the insured) to another party (the defendant). These types of agreements are quite common, however, the underwriter will usually want to see a copy of all hold harmless agreements before they offer a commercial liability quote.

What is Workers Compensation (Workplace Safety Insurance Board) of Ontario?

Workers Compensation (WSIB) insurance provides certain payments to an employee who suffers an on the job injury due to an accident or occupational disease.

Do I need Worker's Compensation (WSIB) if I am the sole proprietor?

This is a good question and asked quite often. You are not required to purchase Worker's Compensation WSIB Insurance if you work alone or if you have no employees. You can exclude yourself from Worker's Compensation by obtaining a waiver of Subrogation.

What happens when an employee injures themself on the job site or work place; does general liability cover them?

Employees are excluded in lawsuits and have no coverage with respect to injuries sustained by the named insured, its partners or members, or to another employee or volunteer. This would be a workers compensation issue.

What is a Certificate of Insurance?

Certificate's of Insurance are issued as proof of insurance to contract a project. Contractors may have many certificate issued to separate projects. The certificate is a document providing the insureds name, the liability limits, the effective dates of the policy, as well as, the brokers name and address.           

What Does Liability Insurance in Home Insurance Coverage Protect?

Accidents happen at people's homes and this is why these homeowners need to have liability insurance under their homeowner's insurance policies. In the event that someone is injured, experiences an accident resulting in death or has some other type of loss, the homeowner will be held liable for compensating these people.

For example, someone may drown in a homeowner's pool. The survivors may sue the homeowner and the jury will award these survivors a large sum of money that the homeowners will have to be responsible for paying. They will also have to pay their lawyers' legal fees. All of this can amount to a large sum of money, and the homeowners may even have to sell their houses to raise it.

Liability insurance protects the homeowners' assets from being seized and sold in the event that someone is hurt on their property. The Personal Liability Coverage will be accessed for a variety of different situations that may occur on a homeowner's property. If a family member injures someone on the property or the dog bites a guest, this insurance coverage will pay the injured party.

Guests to the house can also have accidents, fall and break a bone. Personal liability coverage will pay these people's medical bills. If they have to miss work to recover from their injuries they will receive their lost wages from this coverage. In the event that someone dies on the property, the liability coverage offers death benefits to the survivors and may even offer enough money to give the injured a sum of money for pain and suffering. If these issues end up in court, the homeowner's legal defense will be paid through this coverage.

When purchasing liability insurance, homeowners are free to set the limits for the policy. This means that they will decide the maximum amount of money that can be paid in the event that they need to use the insurance. If this amount is set at a low level the premiums will be cheaper, but it's possible that the amount of money these homeowners will be ordered to pay someone hurt on their property may be more than their insurance will pay. The homeowner will then be responsible for the rest of the amount.

People who have reason to believe that they are vulnerable to being sued such as if they own a pit bull, would be well advised to purchase the most insurance for dog bites that they can possibly afford. This will ensure that they have sufficient insurance to pay the entire judgment that may be levied against them.

Liability insurance is a necessary expense for those who own their homes. The potential for people to get hurt for all kinds of reasons is too great to live without it.           

Insurance Underwriting

What is underwritingall
Underwriting the process of determining the level of risk presented by the proposer and deciding whether to accept the same and if so at what terms and at what price.

Underwriting is essential in all forms of insurance. Understanding the concept of risk sharing or pooling makes it easier to understand the role of underwriting and asset classification. In life insurance, underwriting of healthy person and a sick person shall never be same.

Purpose and objectives of underwriting

Underwriting helps insurer to
•cover the risk properly
•offer competitive price
•cover suitable margin to pay claims and expenses
•compliance with regulatory requirements
•Reject Uninsurable risks
•Prevent Moral hazard
•Earn Reasonable profit
•Apply suitable deductibles

The importance of underwriting
For insurers: Underwriting helps the insurer to stay competitive, solvent and profitable.
For insured: Underwriting is important for the insured since the coverage required for insurance and premium can be determined only by way of underwriting. Underwriting can also suggest measures to be taken to reduce the risk and hazards.

Agents and brokers: Brokers are often involved in offering tailor-made solutions to the customers. By underwriting such possibility can be looked into and solution may be offered to the customer.
Society: Underwriting helps to improve the standards of safety and care and achievement of economic and social goals of a country.

Underwriting process
Underwriting involves a proper exercise by the underwriter to evaluate the insurability of the risk and if the risk can be assumed, the price, terms and conditions at which the risk may be insured.

It is the responsibility of insurers to meet all contractual obligations of the existing policies. Insurer cannot resort to profiteering motive. In the interest of equity and sustainability the underwriting process needs to be carried out meticulously

Insurance regulators play an important role in underwriting process by listing out guidelines is so that insurers take suitable measures for proper underwriting.

Functions of underwriting
1.Selection of risks
2.classification and rating
3.policy forms
4.retention and reinsurance

1. Risk selection
In this stage underwriter decides whether or not to accept the risk. It gathers information from proposal form, inspection report, valuation report and other supporting documents to get the details of the risk is to be covered.

If the risk is suitable it is accepted. In case of extra hazardous risk or cases involving moral hazards the risk is rejected.

2. Classification and rating
After the acceptance of the risk that the underwriter classifies and rates the risk. Risk is segregated into homogeneous groups to which rates can be assigned. Insurer has different rates for different kinds of risk.

Insurers may their own classification and rating system Compliant with the guidelines of the regulator.
Underwriters utilises the expertise and skills of actuaries, engineers and surveyors to find out the actual status of risk and it's severity.

After thorough examination of all data underwriter decides the final rates, terms and conditions.

3. Policy forms
Risk may be classified into various classes and several policy forms will be available to cover each class. After classification the underwriter must decide the applicable policy form and add suitable warranties, special conditions as may be required in case of the risk.

4. Retention and reinsurance
All insurers have limited capacity to accept the risk. They cannot retain all the risk since if any catastrophe occurs the whole capital of the company may be wiped out. In order to have the risk evenly spread the underwriters resort to reinsurance wherein they transfer a portion of risk to reinsurer.           

Tips On Choosing The Best Life Insurance Policy

Choosing the best life insurance plan is quite tiresome. This is because most companies or agents are quick to sell life's virtues in part because of its high commissions. One needs life insurance to have financial protection for family members specifically for children and spouse after his or her exit. Insurance companies provide many plans like Variable Life, Whole Life, Universal Variable Life and Universal Life. Nonetheless, selecting an appropriate coverage that will benefit you, your beneficiaries or dependents is of great importance. The following are some tips on how to buy the best lifetime insurance plan.

You should first of all analyze why you require lifetime insurance plan. For people who have family members or kids, life insurance plan is very significant. This is because it can reduce the financial losses after you die. Secondly, you have to assess your financial needs. You should estimate the financial value of your existence and the loss that might accumulate in case of a quick demise. The main concern is the financial compensation that would be enough for your dependents when you die.

You should check on the internet for some companies that provide lifetime insurance plan. Come up with a list of companies that can offer life insurance policy you are searching for. If you cannot access the internet, then ensure that you search for phone numbers of insurance agents and companies from your telephone directory. Call these agents and gather information on different kinds of policies. However, one of the best policies is known as whole life plan as it provides a wide coverage that has a fixed premium and a choice for one to get dividends.

Check other policies. For instance in variable life plan, one can accumulate money that is non-taxable. If you opt to take a universal life policy, you will be able to borrow cash during lifetime and adjust your premiums. You can also invest in mutual stocks and funds through a universal variable policy. In this, you will have flexibility in paying your premiums.

Another tip on how to pick the best life insurance plan is calculating the face amount for purchasing your life insurance policy. This can be done by totaling your annual income and multiplying the amount by minimum 6 times. The total you get will be the best face amount for your policy.

You can also get the best policy by getting multiple quotes. However, all insurance companies have diverse coverage clauses and premiums will depend on it. Inquire from the agents about the type of policy you need and get advice from them. Before choosing any life insurance plan, you should first of all consider its duration and premiums.

You need to compare the ratings of several companies before choosing the best. Insurance companies are usually rated by various agencies. Ensure that the life insurance company you choose has higher ratings. This is because; you will be offered the best life insurance on top of quality services and quick claim processing. These are some of the tips on how to pick the best lifetime insurance policy.           

How Cheap Car Insurance Can Be Secured By Young Drivers

Young drivers have a tough time of it when they first set out as drivers. For the vast majority of the 17-25 age group, this is through no fault of their own, with statistical evidence highlighting the group rather than individuals.

Almost across the board, young drivers are the least trustworthy when driving a car. They are easily distracted by cell-phones and other digital gadgets, and are prone to speeding more so than older generations. And because large insurance claims are made by more 17-25 year-olds than any other group, it is only logical that low cost car insurance is off the table.

However, there are ways to lower the overall cost of car insurance for this age group. And while it may take time to enjoy truly cheap insurance premiums, it is not impossible to make insurance much more affordable.

The Issue of Driver Experience

A core point that insurance companies make is that young drivers are not experienced enough in driving to be fully trusted. It is, they claim, not an ageist policy but one that is based on facts and figures. The problem is that the experience void can only be filled over time, so cheap car insurance is something this age group must wait for.

But there are ways to address that apparent injustice. While time spent on the road may not be the most assured way of securing low cost auto insurance, it is possible to show a greater responsibility and interest in driving safety. The availability of advanced driving courses provides documented proof of an ability to handle certain situations.

Experience teaches people what a textbook or theory cannot. But through specific practical courses, a young driver can prove an ability to drive with responsibility, and have some more experience than normal drivers their age. These certificates can help to lower the cost of car insurance.

Steps to Securing a Lower Premium

Of course, there are several other steps that a young driver can take to get closer to cheap car insurance. These relate chiefly to security and driving habits, but having an overall mature attitude when dealing with insurance companies can also be helpful in lowering a premium.

Since a young driver is low on driving experience, low cost auto insurance is still a way off when they secure their driving license, but making the car less likely to be stolen can help to lower the premium to a degree. So, installing a reliable alarm, and an immobilizer are both viable options.

A second move is to ensure that no speeding tickets, parking tickets or other driving-relative misdemeanors are recorded. These can be easily policed by a driver, but less influence can be exercised over being involved in an accident. Proving no responsibility for an accident by supplying detailed accident reports is important when seeking car insurance quotes.

Other Incentives

There are other incentives available as part of a range of marketing drives by individual insurance companies. Collectively, they can translate to cheap car insurance, though there may be considerable effort required to do so. For example, some companies offer discounts to students who maintain a high grade-point average.

It is also possible to secure low cost auto insurance when renewing a policy from the existing insurance company. If there are no claims made, then the premium will fall steadily over the first three years.

So, by maintaining a high standard of driving, taking clever advantage of the available discounts and incentives, and ensuring high vehicle security, affordable car insurance is destined to be secured.           

Securing Cheap Auto Insurance Is Easier Than It Seems

The hunt for cheap auto insurance usually involves filling out a lot of quote request forms and then studying what responses come back from insurance companies. But there is another way to reduce insurance premiums. That is to take advantage of the wide range of discounts that are available.

Seeking discounts is basically the same as seeking the best bargain price, but drivers can actually increase the number of discounts they qualify for by adhering to high standards in driving and car care. In fact, securing insurance discounts is a continuous process.

There are some simple tips that, if followed, can help greatly in securing auto insurance with lower premiums. From shopping around to asking about what offers are available, lowering premiums is very possible.

Seeking Out Deals

Shopping around for the best deals is a cornerstone of finding cheap auto insurance. But the Internet has made the task a lot easier than it once was. As the most effective resource, it is easy to sift through the various policies available from insurance companies.

But there are two tactics that can be used. The first is to search via search engines, with comparison sites allowing for fast offer identification. In fact, when it comes to securing insurance discounts, this is the quickest route to finding the best deal on offer.

The second is to visit the websites of the insurance companies themselves. This is a more laborious option, but is much more thorough. So while this takes time, the most suitable auto insurance policy can be found. Also, questions can be asked directly of companies on their website too.

Maintaining Standards

Maintaining standards deals with two specific areas: firstly, the quality of driving that is done; and secondly, the standards to which the vehicle is maintained. Both of these areas show signs of maturity and responsibility, and these can lead to securing cheap auto insurance.

Good drivers are offered the best benefits, so there are great savings to be made. Not having a history of accidents, speeding or poor parking, means that the driver is low risk so the policy is available at cheaper rates. It also means securing insurance discounts are easy too.

The security status of the car is important too, with the lower the possibility of the vehicle being stolen the better the terms of the auto insurance policy. So features like secure parking or a private garage can lower the premium, as can the inclusion of a central locking system and an immobilizer.

Request Discounts

It is always worth noting that when a quote is given, not all the details are provided. A quote is a general overview of the policy and what it costs, but there are features that are not mentioned. This is where requesting the availability of specific discounts is useful. Insurance companies do not want to grant cheap auto insurance if they can help it.

Sometimes it is even possible to secure a discount purely on the basis that the chosen policy plan is slightly above your budget. In fact, is it often the best way of securing insurance discounts, with negotiations leading to significant reductions. Remember that the insurance company needs to have customers to increase their profits, even a reduction of $20 per month makes securing your signature worth it.

From the point of view of the policyholder, even if specific requests are needed to secure affordable auto insurance (even cheap insurance), then it is worth the effort for them too.           

Medical Insurance Quotes - Things That Can Affect Your Premiums

Medical insurance quotes are available online to anyone who is need of such coverage and does not want to have wait ages in order to find out how much it is going to cost. However when obtaining these types of quotes there are certain things that need to be considered.

The first of these being their medical history and the other is what insurance company they should be using. Should they go with a better-known large company or a much smaller relatively unknown oneall

When you do decide to get medical insurance quotes you must understand that your medical history will dramatically affect how much you pay. Also the quote you get online will only be accurate if you provide specific and accurate information about your current health and previous health problems you may have suffered from. If any of the information that you provide is incorrect then this will change how much the quote is immediately.

Certainly for anyone who suffers from or has suffered from a major illness such as cancer or heart disease the premiums to be paid will be much higher. Also you are likely to find that the level of coverage provided is sketchier. Therefore it is wise to speak to an agent so that they can fully explain the conditions of the policy relating to such illnesses in far more detail.

When getting medical insurance quotes you can go to any insurer you want. However the policy will be completely useless if the company you go to isn't reputable. Make sure that you always select companies where they have received good ratings in relation to customer satisfaction and who have been involved in this area of insurance for a number of years.

Also make sure that you obtain several medical insurance quotes so that you can compare each one. It is important that you don't only look at the premiums being charged but what sort of coverage they offer. This way you can make a more informed decision with regards to policy you take out and it will help to ensure that you find a policy, which meets your needs, the best.           

Making Sure You Have The High Value Home Insurance Cover You Need

Inadequate Insuranceall - You're not alone

It is estimated that at least 65% of higher than average worth properties in Britain are under insured. This is not unsurprising, when compared to the statistics published by The Telegraph in 2011. These revealed at one in four UK households were dramatically underestimating the value of their home and its contents and that one fifth of the population had no insurance whatsoever.

Understanding 'Condition of Average'

This is a standard clause used by many mainstream insurers which only really comes into its own in the event of an insurance claim, when it comes to light that the property and contents have been underinsured. What it means is that you may only receive a percentage value of any claim you make. For example, if you have contents cover for £30,000 when in fact your possessions are worth in excess of £60,000, under the terms of Condition of Average your insurer may only pay out half of the sum you have claimed for. For example, if you are claiming for a piece of jewellery worth £800 and Conditions of Average applies, your claim may only result in a £400 pay out.

Because of this, saving a few pounds on your premium can pale into insignificance next to the thousands that can be lost due to under insurance in the event of a claim.

Why it's so important to get the correct level of cover

For the majority of UK home owners a standard home and contents policy is more than sufficient. Available at very competitive rates, given the difference to the premiums compared to the consequences of underinsurance, there is very little need to underestimate the level of cover required. However for higher value homes, the cost of inadequate insurance can be substantial, especially in the event of a rebuild. This short falling is compounded by the fact that many high value homes also contain higher than average value contents, for example art, antiques, collectors pieces, fine wines and expensive jewellery.

High Worth Home Insurance In The UK

Making high value insurance simple

There has always been a selection of reputable mainstream insurers in the UK, offering competitive prices on high value property premiums and comprehensive cover on higher than average value contents. Using one of these high value insurance packages has long been and remains, one of the best ways to be sure that your property and its contents have sufficient cover and also of insuring any specifically valuable pieces, for example expensive watches, wedding and engagement rings, heirlooms, etc. without having to take out costly single item policies.

However, in the past, many people have been put off by the lengthy conservations with insurance brokers and considerable paper trails it requires to get the correct levels of higher cover in place. This is augmented by the need to assess and list each item of value included on the policy. Only recently has it become possible to buy high worth home insurance online or over the phone, with no more difficulty than purchasing a standard policy. Companies such as high value insurance brokers provide cover that can easily be bought online, which includes rebuild costs up to the value of 1.5million and contents cover up to £250,000 anywhere in the world.           

Life Insurance - Plan for life

The very best time to arrange life insurance is when it's furthest from your thoughts. Take a typical young man. He's at the start of his career, possibly still living at home, but thinking of looking around for a flat. He has a car and the insurance that he arranged for it was probably his first step in the insurance ladder.

If he decided to take out some life insurance, whilst he's still young, fit and healthy he'd get the best possible rates. Probably the most valuable insurance at this stage is Critical Illness (CI) cover.

Whilst life insurance is designed to pay out to your beneficiaries if you die, CI cover will give you valuable support if you become critically ill. For our young man, starting on his career, an illness of this type could be a financial disaster. It is a fact that one in three people will develop cancer at some time in their lives, but the good news is that treatment and cure rates are improving all the time.

Advances in medical science thankfully mean that more and more people will survive many of the major serious illnesses. Unfortunately this recovery can take many months, or even years and necessitate long period of time off work. It may not be possible to carry on with the same work, meaning a change of career. In some cases it may be necessary to change your home and car.

Without CI cover, he'd probably find that his company would pay his salary for around three months and after that he'd have to rely on incapacity benefit. For those on contract work and the self-employed the situation is even worse. CI insurance will pay out a lump sum to cover your expenses and leave you to concentrate on your treatment and recovery.

There's a very wide range of CI policies available. All will cover what are know as "Core Conditions", which are Cancer, Stroke, Heart Attack, Coronary by-pass surgery, Kidney failure, Major organ transplant and Multiple sclerosis. Some will cover up to 30 additional conditions.

At the time of purchase of the policy, the medical conditions for which you would be covered should be fully listed. Go through this carefully and make sure that you understand any exclusions within the cover.

It is essential to fill in the application form very carefully. If you fail to disclose a previous illness or condition, then you may find that the insurers will refuse to pay out. Our typical young man should be fine here, as long as he makes sure that he discloses all illnesses, no matter how minor they seemed at the time. The older you get, the more conditions and illnesses there are to remember and the greater chance you'll forget something which you thought was trivial.

Having got CI cover sorted, this would be an excellent time for our young man to arrange some simple life insurance. Simple life insurance is reasonably priced and offers important cover. A term insurance policy will run for a set number of years. If the policyholder should die during this period, a lump sum would be paid to his dependants. Even if there are no dependants when the young man first takes this cover out, there may be loans and other debts and maybe some fairly "light" cover, for a limited term would be a good step to take. It can be topped up as circumstances change. Certainly his insurance will never be cheaper - when it comes to insurance, it's a case of the younger the better.

Our smart young man doesn't even have to waste his valuable time chasing up insurance. A quick visit to an on-line broker will give him all the advice he needs and the very best of quotes, with on-line discounts too.           

Car Insurance

Insurance is a kind of a preparation plan where in you protect yourself, loved ones, and properties in event of disasters, accidents, calamities and other unpredictable happenings. that might occur. It is a protection in form of premiums payments you make to an insurance company who in turns will bear the risks you once have borne and will guarantee to take care of everything in cases calamities, burglary, accidents and other unforeseen events

Car insurance as the name suggest is an insurance you take for your car so that in case of road accidents you may be compensated for any expenses and injury your might have incurred. There are many types of car insurance plan where in each plan is tailor made for specific requirements and needs of the customer. Theft of car, effects of typhoons and earthquakes, body injuries sustained, property damages and loss are just a few of incidents that are covered by the car insurance. The premiums of the insurance will depend on the kind of car being insured, the kind of driver/owner of the car and the location where your car is. In other words risks will play an important role in the amount of insurance premium. A more expensive and high risk car will definitely command higher premium payments from the owner as compared to a cheaper and safer vehicle. In the same way a younger and more inexperience driver will have to pay higher premiums to an insurance company than an older and more experience one since the risk involve for an older driver is much less than n the others because of his inexperience in driving. An insurance company will put a higher premium rate on someone who lives in disaster prone areas than someone who resides in a safe and secure community.

There are four main factors that keep your car insurance premium down. One is, to consider buying cars that are in the good list of car insurance companies. Cars that are expensive are more at risk of stolen. Aside form that insurance are also based on the value of your car, so the more expensive it is, then the higher the premium you pay. Remember car insurance company knows what cars are prone to accidents and other risks. They also know what kind of cars is prone to higher risk and the higher risk it has the higher your premium rate is.

Another factor is insurance companies offers discounts for many reasons like, being a good student, you have more than one car insured. and other specific discounts.

Third is lesser use of car means lesser premium payments for insurance. Drivers who go to long distances to get to work daily will pay more premium rate. And on the other hand, if you are the type of person who uses your car only on weekends or on shorter distances then you will likely incur lesser amount on insurance premiums. And fourth is if you are a careful and experience driver you are likely to be given discounts on your insurance premiums. Your age, sex, marital status and driving record will all be taken into account when you buy insurance for your car. A driver who is prone to accidents and traffic violations means higher risk for the company that's why they would charge him higher premiums. Accident rates are believed to be higher among below 25 year old drivers so they will pay more.

Understanding the simple basic of car insurance will help you choose the right kind of insurance policy that will take care of your needs in case you get involve in an accident. It is always good to be prepared rather than be caught unaware and risk paying thousand of dollars in times when you yourself needs that amount.           

Cheap Insurance

Insurance is a form of contract whereby periodic payments (also known as insurance premiums) are made to an insurance company, in order to provide an individual or business compensation in the event of property loss or damage.

The main purpose of insurance is to protect yourself or your family against the financial impact of a tragedy. In general, it is contract in which one party agrees to pay for another party's financial loss resulting from a specified event. Insurance mainly consist of three things - insurer, insured and policy. An entity seeking to transfer risk (an individual, corporation, or association of any type) becomes the 'insured' party once risk is assumed by an 'insurer', the insuring party, by means of a contract, defined as an insurance 'policy'.

There are two main ways to buy insurance. The first one is directly through an agent and the second one is to do it yourself. The main advantage of buying insurance from other is that an honest and competent insurer will decide according to the situation and make suggestions. The advantage of going on your own is that less money is needed for it. While buying any type of insurance, a person will save money by paying annually or semi-annually. Sometimes buying several types of insurance from the same company will save money.

There are different types of insurance available in the market. Life insurance is a form of insurance that pays monetary proceeds upon the death of the insured covered in the policy. There are main two types of life insurance that are term insurance and permanent insurance.

The medical insurance policy is a non-life insurance policy, which covers the expenses incurred by an individual in case of an injury or hospitalization. Individuals have to pay a minimal premium for buying medical insurance. Its main types are indemnity plan, preferred provider organization and health maintenance organization.

Homeowner insurance policy covers property and contents. There are two kinds of Homeowners Insurance policies and these policies can be divided into two categories named-Peril Insurance and all-risk insurance.

Auto insurance is the insurance against loss due to theft or traffic accidents. It can be purchased for cars, trucks and other vehicles. Its primary use is to provide protection against losses incurred as a result of car. Its main types are general liability, no-fault insurance, uninsured auto coverage and medical payments.

Car insurance is the insurance against loss due to theft or traffic accidents. Its main types are fully comprehensive auto insurance, third party insurance, fire and theft insurance, third party insurance, specialized car insurance.

Term life insurance provides protection for a specific period of time. It pays a benefit only if you die during the term. Term life insurance comes in two basic varieties term life policies and cash value policies.

There are numerous insurance providers that designs and markets insurance services for individuals, families, groups and businesses worldwide. Now, there are also online insurance facilities that help a person to select insurance just by clicking. After fulfilling the basic requirements of the insurance company, person is eligible for it.           

Insurers' Insurance

When you think about it, insurers insurance should be more prevalent of a term in our society. I think that would help people understand what insurance is all about. Then maybe they would be more careful with the policies they purchase. So, let's take a moment and talk about what the phrase insurers insurance means and how it can help you understand the practices of the companies you give your money to.

When an insurance company thinks about giving someone insurance they have to consider a lot of things. We will discuss some of these things to give you better insight into the mind of the company. To start, it is important to note that people get insurance to protect their things, and insurance companies insure their insurance by making sure they give it to people the least likely to need it. This will make more since as we continue to discuss insurers insurance.

One of the first things that the company will do is run a credit check on an applicant. They do this to determine how mature the candidate is. They want to make sure that the person has been responsible with their money in the past. If they past the credit check then they will feel more confident about adding them onto their plan.

You see, insurers insurance is all about taking the time to learn about the applicant. They make sure they are making a wise investment by making sure the applicant won't actually need the insurance. Whenever an insurance company has to pay out for a claim, they lost the bet. They realize they should have been more careful and not offered the person a plan to begin with. They should have practiced better insurers insurance.

The next thing they will look at is the driving history of the applicant. They want to know how many tickets and accidents they have been in before. If the driver has a clean record, they will probably offer them really good rates. If they have a bad record they will either charge them a lot more for insurance or they won't offer them any at all. This is very practical insurers insurance. They are making sure that they don't agree to pay for all the damages of someone that will probably have an accident.

After that the company will probably look at what kind of a car the applicant is driving. Even a fantastic driver with a great driving record could get high rates if they are driving a car that is known for getting in wrecks. The company is once again practicing insurers insurance when they do this. They are betting on the fact that since a dangerous car is involved, something bad might happen.

Now that you know more about insurers insurance you might be able to do better to get your rates lowered. Try to make yourself less of a risk to the insurance company. That way you will be able to save a lot of money.           

Points to Keep in Mind Before Filing a Car Insurance Claim

Oh, the hassles of filing car insurance claims. Not only are you dealing with an accident and everything that comes with it, but you also have to worry about filing a claim with your auto insurance company and the consequent increase in premium rates. But wait, before you fret, there is no law that states you have to report every accident to your car insurance company. You might not know this yet, but every claim you make with your insurer goes on your insurance record. Now, with that in mind, you might want to take a couple of points into consideration before making a car insurance claim.

If your deductible is more than the cost of your repairs... it would be a good idea to pay the repair bills yourself and not reporting the damage to your insurer.

If you have multiple tickets on your driving record... it would be a good idea to contact your state's department of insurance to find out what the rules are about non-renewal of your policy. If you have multiple tickets and you've just met with an accident in which you are at fault and that makes your case an ideal one for non-renewability, you might want to reconsider filing a claim with your insurer.

If another car or person is involved in the accident... you should consider reporting the accident to your insurer. In some cases, two parties might want to settle the damages amicably between them without involving insurance companies, but sometimes, it might take a day or two for injuries to show up, or someone else might make a claim against you. It is in this situation, where you want to be in a position where your insurance company can protect you.

If you file a claim for theft, vandalism, riot, fire etc, where you are not at fault... your premium rates should not be affected. Hence, don't be afraid of filing a claim with your carrier in such cases.

If you are someone with a good driving record... and you meet with a minor accident like, for instance, if you have a fender bender, that's really not going to change the way you're looked at. Your rates will most likely not be increased. But if you are someone with a history of accidents and filing claims, there's a very good chance that your rates will be increased.

If you have made a series of small claims in the past... you might want to think twice about filing a claim about the most recent accident, especially if the damages are minor and can be paid for easily. A number of small claims can result in increased premiums so be very careful about what claims you file with your insurer.

Auto insurance is meant to cover your losses when you really need it to. In cases when the damage is considerably small and you can afford to pay to fix it out of your own pocket, consider not filing a claim with your provider. Similarly, if your car has considerable damage, feel free to file a claim with your company, by all means!           

Common Life Insurance Crimes You Should Avoid

Despite the honorable intentions insurance companies and life insurance purchasers have, the sad truth is some people still want to play the system and feel the need to try and make a dollar at someone else's expense. They turn a tool that's purchased as a benefit for your family into an unscrupulous way to make some dishonest money. It can also hurt you. Make sure that you also register your life insurance company name with a database to prevent lost life insurance.

One common technique tricksters use is offering to purchase your life insurance. In this scenario a stranger owns someone else's life insurance policy. With life insurance policies you typically can't sell your policy until you've had it for two full years - it's a no no. At this point, the scammer suggests paying the money for the policy up front, even offering to pay the premiums for two full years. Usually it's a large policy worth north of $1 million and often times they consider it a loan. If the policy holder dies before the full two years, the family gets the policy benefit and uses it to pay off the loan. If the insured isn't dead they can choose to sell the policy outright and use the money as repayment on the loan, hold on to the policy and pay on the loan (and any accruing interest), or (and this is where the scammers come in) sign over the policy to the lender/scammer - doing this they pay zero on the loan. With the last option, the lender (scammer) becomes the beneficiary when you die. Often they seek out the elderly as victims since, statistically, they are more likely to die sooner - they make better profits. If the insured chooses to pay back the loan they're out the money. If you sell the policy, or it reverts to the lender, you might find you can't get insurance later on.

Another scam engaged in by unscrupulous insurance agents is called churning. One of the financial opportunities life insurance companies offer is an annuity. Annuities have an added benefit of regular income once you've paid in premiums. As you make regular payments, the money grows as the insurance company invests it. Many companies lock out payments on annuities for 10 to 15 years, however, so they're typically considered a long-term investment. Some deplorable agents offer a scam to older seniors in which they exchange their current annuity with new annuities for an instant cash bonus. The senior then finds themselves stuck with a new, locked annuity without the bonus. Only by paying a large penalty fee can they withdraw money from the annuity. Sometimes they do receive an instant bonus, but not usually generous enough to pay for the fact they now have no regular income. For those over retirement age who relied on the annuities to help with their retirement this scam can be particularly devastating.

Sometimes it isn't easy to see a scam coming, even for those of us with plenty of experience and who know what signs to look for. It is often blindsiding for anyone with little or no experience when dealing with life insurance, especially if this is the first time you've gone shopping for insurance. If you can arm yourself with some research and facts before hand it can save you, or someone you care about, in the long run.           

Insurance - A Good Thing to Have

It's easy to see why you would insure something of value.  Insurance protects you against potential loss.  So, why not insure everythingall  Hmmm ...

If you insure your car, and nothing bad happens to it ... you've still lost the money you paid for the insurance.  If you get in an accident and your car is totaled but it wasn't insured ... you lose the total value of the car unless you can get someone else's insurance to pay for the accident.  I'm just talking about the "comprehensive" insurance that pays for damage to your car.  Liability insurance for automobiles is different and is required by law.  The idea for liability insurance is you are protecting other people from loss you might cause them.

Back to automobile comprehensive insurance, though - you want to pay a small amount of money that you can afford - this is a known payment that you can plan on paying without any surprises.  What you get for these insurance premium payments is protection from an unexpected sudden financial crisis that would occur if you wreck your car and it becomes useless.  This actually works for anything of value that you want to protect - cars, houses, boats, snowmobiles, etc.  It also works for life insurance protecting your family from financial problems if the main bread-winner were to die; or health insurance protecting you from unexpected sudden financial crisis when you or someone in your family becomes seriously ill or hospitalized.

Before the insurance company pays you any money, certain things need to happen that cause you a loss.  Then you can file a claim to the insurance company that describes the loss and explains how it was covered by the insurance policy. Once the claim is accepted, the insurance company will issue payment to help you financially.  Insurance companies get the money for those payments from people who are paying for insurance but aren't making claims on it yet.  And if you're paying for insurance and you aren't filing a claim for damages, your payment is going to help the person who needs to file a claim.

The insurance company sets the amount of your payments according to the risk you have for making a claim and the law of averages.  Using the car example, if you are a pretty good driver, you might get classified with a group of clients who are expected to have a major accident only once every eight years.  This would be your risk category.  On average every driver in this category is expected to make premium payments for eight years between major claims.  Usually that works out pretty well for everybody.

I've heard people complain about having their premiums increased because they filed a claim against the insurance company.  That can happen.  If you had car insurance in a risk category expecting the car to be in a major accident every eight years, and the insurance company allowed a high-risk driver into your risk category, how would you like that?  Maybe that high-risk driver could expect a major accident every four years.  If that driver were allowed into your risk category, you would be paying for their frequent claims; and they would be paying for your infrequent claims.  That wouldn't be fair.

To protect clients against higher-risk clients like this the insurance company will keep track of several factors they think might change the frequency or size of damage claims (risk factors).  This is done to protect the clients who are not likely to file frequent, or large, damage claims.  For car insurance, having an accident might signal a change in your driving capability.  So having an accident might increase your premium for a couple of years just in case you are turning into a higher-risk driver.  The insurance companies are cautious.

There are other factors that signal increased risk to the insurance company.  These factors can also cause you to be placed in a category that requires a higher premium.  For auto insurance, you don't need to file a claim to have your premium payment increased.  All you need to do is get a ticket for a moving violation.  If your credit score drops, it might signal the insurance company that you aren't paying attention to things low-risk customers would.  They can interpret this to mean that you aren't attentive in your driving skills, or you might park you vehicle in a place where it could be damaged.  Also, if you buy a more expensive car you are likely to have larger claims.  All these things can indicate the insurance company might lose money on you if they don't adjust your risk classification.

This change in risk classification also works in your favor.  Insurance claim records indicate that drivers under the age of 25 are more likely to be involved in accidents than middle-aged drivers.  So, when you have your 25th birthday, your car insurance premiums are reduced.  If you go three years without a moving traffic violation you will be seen as improving your risk classification and your rates will drop.  The insurance company also sees less risk if you buy a less expensive car (with cheaper repair costs), or start parking in a private garage instead of on the street.

The calculation of risk is also considered for house insurance.  That is why you can get reduced insurance premiums for having a security system, deadbolts, and fire extinguishers.  For houses, they consider the neighborhood you live in and the types of claims the insurance industry has received from your neighbors.  A neighborhood with a lot of vandalism can increase the cost of your insurance.

Similar calculations are used for analyzing risk factors for life insurance and health insurance.  The claims history on smokers, people who are overweight, and the elderly shows them to be a higher risk for the insurance company.  People who exercise regularly, have regular preventive health care, and eat a healthy diet are seen as lower risk than other people their own age who do not follow those practices.

You buy insurance for the times you will be filing a damage claim.  Until that time comes, insurance will cost you a small amount of money.  But when the time comes to file a claim, insurance is a good thing to have and you will be glad you have been paying for it. 

James W. Stone

Copyright 2009, James W. Stone, all rights reserved worldwide           

A Guide to Life Insurance

Life insurance, as its name suggests, insures an individual's life against losses. It works in the same manner as insuring your home or car, but it protects you - the most valuable asset. There are many companies which offer life insurance. The life insurance benefits vary as per the life insurance rates. The life insurance rates or you can say the amount of premium you need to pay depends upon various factors such as your health, the type of policy and the coverage you select. Basically, what you need is to pay the premium at certain intervals to an insurance company and the company in turn agrees to pay either a specific sum of money or a monthly income to your loved ones in the event of your sickness, accident or death.

There are certain policies as mentioned which decide the amount of premium you need to pay and the amount your beneficiary will receive when something bad will happen to you. So it is important to know about the various policies before deciding which one will cover you the best. Also, you will be asked for certain questions about your health by an insurance company. If you are young, healthy and fit you need to pay the lesser amount as compared to a person who is not. Your occupation may also be one of the factors which can rise or lower the amount of premium you need to pay. The premiums are usually being paid monthly, quarterly, half- yearly or yearly depends upon your budget.

A Term Life Policy is mostly the primary option for a person as it is the cheapest form of a life insurance and recommended by many of the financial advisors. It provides coverage for a specified period of time. Your beneficiary will be entitled to receive the insurance benefit if you die during that term. It is important to know that your policy will be cancelled in case of your failure to pay the premiums before the end of the term.

It is also important to choose your beneficiaries with care, because your choice is investigated by the insurance company. If you are married, you can give the name of your spouse and / or your children. Technically, you can name anyone, but naming anyone strange may deny your application due to suspicions about your motives. So always be careful in selection of the name of your beneficiaries. You can change your named beneficiaries anytime during the specified term.

Most of the life insurance policies will not pay if you commit suicide or are murdered by any of the named beneficiary within the first two years of having a policy. Also the company will not pay you out, if the claim is made on the factors which are not true (for e.g., you said that you don't smoke, but later on autopsy proves you did, and then you won't pay out).

There are so many ways to apply for a life insurance. You can apply for a life insurance over the internet or through the agents representing different life insurance companies. This can be always a good idea to meet in person with agents or insurance brokers or financial advisors before deciding to go for a life insurance. As it is worth saying that better you think is better you decide.           

3 Important Aspects to Know About Life Insurance in Canada

WHAT TO ASK BEFORE BUYING LIFE INSURANCE

Life protection is an extremely important part of financial planning, but not many people want to talk about it. To make this topic more accessible, we are laying out the statistical facts and other useful pieces of information to inform Canadians about life insurance. After discussions with consumers, we have identified the main questions and concerns of Canadians:

• What amount of life insurance should I chooseall

• How much insurance protection do I need if I have children?

• What kind of life policy do I need?

TOPIC 1: HOW MUCH LIFE INSURANCE SHOULD I CHOOSE?

If you get Life Insurance, you want make sure that all essential financial aspects are covered so they do not become a burden for your family. These aspects can include:

• Income substitution for your family

• Taking care of your children's education (e.g. university or college costs)

• Paying down assets (e.g. mortgage on your house, car loan)

• Dealing with outstanding financial debt (e.g. lines of credit, credit card debt)

• Other costs (e.g. funeral)

So, how much life protection coverage do Canadians choose? Our analysis shows that most approx. 60% Canadians choose life insurance under $250k:

Coverage Amounts chosen by Canadians:

- Less than $100,000: 30%

- $100,000-$250,000: 31%

- $250,000-$500,000: 20%

- $500,000-$1,000,000: 10%

- $1,000,000-$2,000,000: 7%

- Over $2,000,000: 2%

We recommend speaking with a knowledgeable insurance broker or insurance representative before making this big decision. There might be other potential financial responsibilities that you have not calculated. If you have children, the costs can be much higher than you think - just take a look at the next section.

A separate word on Mortgage Life Insurance: In most cases having separate mortgage insurance is not recommended. Having enough life and disability insurance can encompass a mortgage, avoiding policies overlaps.

TOPIC 2: I HAVE CHILDREN - HOW MUCH COVERAGE DO I NEED?

If you have kids, there are several areas that you need to calculate into your financial planning (based on analysis from Money Sense):

• Food

• Clothes

• Health Care (e.g. dental services, braces)

• Personal Care (everything from diapers to deodorant)

• School and recreation (school supplies, sports, activities etc.)

• Transportation (E.g. public transit or minivan)

• Housing (E.g. larger house with more bedrooms, furniture, additional utilities etc.)

• Child Care (e.g. nanny, daycare, babysitters)

Overall costs add up to $243,660 as the total cost of raising a child to the age 18. This means $1,070 per month over the course of 19 years. You should consider that this number does not include any post-secondary education costs. Having several children will obviously increase this amount correspondingly. Have you calculated these numbers into your future coverage?

TOPIC 3: WHAT TYPE OF INSURANCE DO I NEED?

There are several types of life insurance - here is brief overview of different insurance types:

Term Life: Life protection that will expire at the end of a set term (e.g. after 5, 10, 20 years) and which does not accumulate any value. It is a pure insurance product: simple and easy to understand.

Universal Life: A combination of life protection and an investment component. A portion of your premiums go into your account, increasing your net worth. You can choose how the investment component is invested. Universal Life typically comes at a higher cost than a Term Policy.

Whole Life: One of the most complex life products. Like Universal Life, a Whole Life policy also has both insurance and investment components. However, they typically offer less flexibility (e.g. the insurer decides how the investment component is invested). This product is also more expensive than Term Life insurance.

While each type of life insurance has its pros and its cons, we believe, the best choice for most people is very often Term Life insurance. It's the simplest product to understand, it's the cheapest protection you will get, and it fully fulfills its purpose - to protect.

One of the fans of simple Term Life is Suze Orman, one of the leading personal finance gurus in the U.S.A.

According to our analysis, Term Life is the most popular protection type in Canada. Nearly 45% of our users, who have Life insurance, report that they have purchased Term Life.

Please speak with a qualified insurance broker or advisor before making any important decisions associated with such an important topic. This article is provided for educational purposes only.           

6 Insurance Aspects That Upset Canadians

INDEPENDENT CONSUMER REVIEWS FOCUS ON INSURANCE COMPANIES

Insurance is an essential part of life since it protects our main assets: cars, dwellings, life etc. But how do consumers feel about insuranceall What do consumers like and dislike about their insurance providers? How do insurance companies measure up when it comes to service, value, and claims experience? We recently completed an analysis digging into the question: "Which aspects of a service or product do Canadians do not like most in their insurance companies?"

The most frequent issue indicated by consumers was "unfair handling of claims" including a perception of "incorrect value estimation for my insured auto or dwelling". Also more dramatic issues such as "Feeling threatened that insurance rates will go up" made it to the top list of consumer concerns.

SO WHAT EXACTLY DO CONSUMERS DISLIKE ABOUT THEIR INSURANCE?

This analysis is based on over five hundred consumer responses. All negative consumer ratings and feedback have been closely studied to determine which issues most concern Canadians. The top 6 issues identified are (in order of increasing importance, as a % share of negative feedback):

#6: "Being threatened that insurance rates will go up" (3%): Some consumers express that they feel threatened during interaction with insurance companies that their rates will go up if they make a claim.

#5: "Lack of contact / insufficient help from customer service" (15%): Many consumers say that they didn't get enough help or guidance from the insurance personnel / call center staff either when filing a claim or when asking questions.

#4: "Rude insurance agents or call center personnel"(16%): A surprising amount of consumers perceive customer service as unfriendly and often simply rude.

#3: "Slow claim processing" (19%): One of the most frequent issues named by consumers is slow claim processing time. Claims took several months in a number of cases, and up to 9 months in particular cases.

#2: "Increase of insurance rates w/o any reason: w/o accidents or after "not-at-fault" accidents" (21%): Rising insurance rates are a permanent issue for the consumer. In some cases insurers justify increases via growing claims costs as e.g. per last year's report of the Auditor General. Overall the level of premiums, especially for auto insurance, reach exorbitant values and this trend is clearly reflected in consumer feedback. In addition, many consumers say that being not-at-fault can mean an increase in insurance premiums with their provider.

#1: "Unfair handling of claims, incorrect value estimation for insured auto or dwelling" (26%): The top issue named by consumers has to do with fairness of treatment and the perception of the core values offered by insurers. Insurers could deal with this issue relatively efficiently with transparency and clear communication of policy conditions and value estimation rules for accident cases. This should be communicated both BEFORE a customer signs a policy and DURING the claims process.

There are two main benefits for insurance providers of pro-actively collecting consumer feedbacks: First, consumers can express their opinion, share their concerns and feel that their voice is heard. Second, customer feedback allows insurers to improve their product and service.           

Online Auto Insurance Quotes: Finding the Right Option

Drivers can get the best insurance policies if the specifics of their own situations are taken into account. Aspects like your residential area and frequency that your vehicle is used need to be taken into account. Thankfully, online auto insurance quotes provide access to the best coverage for your own needs with the biggest savings.

There is no doubt that the Internet has had a profound affect on the insurance industry and how insurance policies of all types are taken out. Acute competition means the best deals are on hand there, and the development of technology means they are found fast. As a result, services like free instant online quotes have become standard.

What is more, with the development of comparison sites, it is possible to compare the 5 or 10 best auto insurance offers that meet your own specific needs. But remember, it is important to know what to look for before beginning an online search.

Affordable Insurance Online

As an essential purchase (as the law dictates), drivers want to find the most cost-efficient policies with the lowest premium as possible. But, it is important to be aware of the risks that exist. An advantage in getting online auto insurance quotes is that more details are provided than a phone-quote, for example.

Reading the small print of an insurance policy can reveal a selection of hidden charges that make what seems to be an affordable policy an expensive one. In some cases, the quote itself is charged for, but with free instant online quotes so widely available, there is no need to accept such expenses.

Of course, some of these extra charges make little difference to the overall costs of the auto insurance, but it is important to check out what is entailed in a policy before choosing it. It is the only way to know which is the right policy.

The Internet is the Best Resource

It will come as no surprise that searching for insurance policies online is the fastest way to find the best possible deals. Comparison sites allow drivers to search through literally thousands of suitable quotes in line with your own preferences in just seconds. Getting online auto insurance quotes also means options are clearly presented for closer examination.

Of course, it is important to read the policy details that are provided. While it is easy to query items when a broker is sitting before us, online we rely on taking the time to read the information provided. So, after getting the free instant quote online, spend time studying what is on offer.

And despite a list of suitable auto insurance policies, it is never a good idea to choose the first or second listed. A comparison table is not a ranking system, it simply lets applicants know what is on offer. Choosing the right one depends on other things.

Identifying the Right Option

Affordable online auto insurance quotes can be identified fairly easily when compared to the countless others that are not right. Factors like your location, your income and your driving frequency dictate the type of coverage that best serves your needs. In fact, it is largely based on these three factors that premiums are set.

The first step, of course, is getting a free instant quote online. But be sure to only enter accurate information when filling out the quote request form. Information such as how often the car is used or if any supplementary drivers are to be covered, have a real influence over the premium, and whether features like personal injury or property damage liability is needed.

Remember too that some features can be dropped if they are not practical, and as a result the auto insurance premium is reduced.           

Does My Insurance Cover Vulture Attacks?

When the spectacle of politicians making (or not making) tax policy taxes my patience past its limits, I sometimes take refuge in a kayak on a secluded waterway, such as in Florida's Everglades National Park.

Now I have to worry about vultures there, too.

The vultures in this case have wings and beaks, not wingtips and PACs. The Miami Herald reported recently that the vultures that congregate around the park's headquarters in Flamingo, at the Florida peninsula's southern tip, have become fixated on the rubber and plastic trimmings that are attached to cars, pickup trucks and SUVs. (1)

The vultures don't actually eat this indigestible stuff. As native alligators and invasive pythons go at one another all over the park with the gusto of Tea Partiers and MoveOn supporters, the buzzards can rely on plenty of carrion for nourishment. But, for reasons known only to themselves, the birds rip out and toss around wiper blades, door seals, truck bed liners and assorted other vehicle ingredients.

They don't attack indiscriminately, however. In a parking lot full of shiny cars, the birds will ignore 98 percent of vehicles while they converge on, strip and empty their bowels over a few select targets. Some Republicans would say the vultures are behaving like Democrats.

On the other hand, Mitt Romney may still believe that he has more supporters among those getting their cars trashed in the Everglades than Barack Obama does. The polls do not support this view.

As the hours tick down toward the first vehicle-trashing of 2013, the big question is whether we can get officials to agree on how to tackle the problem. I am not hopeful.

I didn't want to bother anyone at the National Rifle Association during the final Sunday Night Football game of the NFL season. Based on past positions, I assume their advice is to place armed security officers in the Flamingo parking lots.

We could probably round up a few Republicans to support this idea, but Democrats in Congress and in the administration will never go for it. Not publicly, anyway. But it wouldn't shock me if there is language in the next National Park Service appropriations bill that creates some leeway for rangers to take stern measures against any bird that poses an imminent threat to a Chevy Volt. This can be packaged as environmental protection, as well as protection for the Treasury's investment in General Motors.

The park service, however, has not been able to get its arms around the idea of actually shooting the creatures that national parks were created to protect. So park officials in the Everglades have recycled a recent government strategy for dealing with crises: they are handing out tarps to park visitors who ask for them. As far as I know, no visitor is being pressured to accept a tarp simply to avoid stigmatizing those who actually need one.

Alas, the tarps don't seem to be working very well. It seems that once the vultures pick out the next car or truck that is likely to succumb to an assault, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Government intervention seldom holds off market forces for very long.

We are just going to have to wait and see how the situation plays out. We may not get a resolution before the clock strikes midnight on 12/31. But don't fret. Most of the vultures are migratory and will go away when spring arrives. The topics that dominated our attention this weekend - vultures, football and the fiscal you-know-what - will be all but forgotten by Independence Day.

Source:

1) The Miami Herald, "Everglades Park offers 'anti-vulture kits' to protect visitor cars"