Insurance and finance are two words that usually do not go together. When you find yourself in the market for insurance you will soon learn that your financial obligations are a large factor that will determine what type of insurance you need, what you can afford, and what you actually purchase.
Before you renew your policy, get new quotes to save money. Each insurer has its own, different set of criteria for determining the premiums. You’ll find huge variations in the premium costs from company to company. You should explore all of your options; try to obtain three or more quotes from different companies.
To save money on travel insurance, start by looking at what you may already have covered. Most homeowner and renter policies cover theft of property; many credit cards offer accidental death while traveling if you used the card to pay for the trip. Some even offer car rental insurance and extra baggage protection.
Health insurance, car insurance, renter’s insurance, pet insurance, travel insurance.
All of those things are necessary and they insure one’s peace of mind. It is easy to think that paying a minimal monthly amount is ridiculous, but when something catastrophic happens, insurance saves the day.
Insurance will save one’s car, another driver’s car, items in one’s apartment, cover the bills for a sick pet, reimburse one for a trip that got cancelled because of bad weather, or pay medical bills.
Purchasing insurance is necessary and it should factor into everyone’s budget. One hundred dollars every month is far easier to handle than one hundred thousand because something unexpected happened.
If you have a smart phone, use it to your advantage to help handle your insurance. Some companies have specialized apps for several aspects of insurance issues. From home inventory assistance to policy management and bill reminders, you can find a program to download to your phone. Check with your carrier to see what they offer, if you can’t find something in the app store.
See if paying annual premiums may work better than monthly. A lot of insurance companies charge extra fees for making monthly payments as opposed to annual. If you can afford the larger expenditure of paying all at once, it will save you some money in the long run and save you from having to make the payment every month.
Look out for multi-insurance policy discounts. Sometimes insurance companies will offer customers a discount of 10% or more if they take out several contracts at the same time, for example home insurance, auto insurance and health insurance. So, when asking for insurance quotes from various insurance companies, be sure to ask them if they offer any discounts for taking out multiple policies.
Always remember to shop around for the best insurance deals, if you are interested in saving the most money. The Internet has a lot of websites offering free, fast, automated quotes for all types of insurance, and some will even do quote and feature comparisons.
The best time to switch insurance providers is when your policy is up for renewal. Canceling a policy at the end of it’s term means you won’t have to pay a cancellation fee, which saves you money. You also can let your current insurer know that you plan on canceling and moving to another insurance company and they may offer you a discount to match the new company’s offer, or even better it.
Minimal coverage gives you minimal protection, so make sure you’re fully insured. Saving money on your premiums won’t help you if you end up in a situation your insurance doesn’t cover. Making sure that you have full coverage now for any event that could possibly happen to you, will help you avoid paying out of pocket for injuries or damage in the future.
When you tangle with your insurance company over a claim dispute, never forget that the friendly company representative who talks to you is not your friend. He or she is a customer service professional trained to put you at ease – and to look after his or her employer’s interests. Respect them but do not expect them to side with you against their company.
Use a personal insurance agent. They may be able to help you find the right kind of coverage for you and your family. They will know the guidelines and restrictions of different policies and will be able to get the one that will cost you as much as you like and give you the coverage that you need.
Check with your credit union, college sorority, and credit card companies to see if they work with a certain renter insurance company. If they do, you are likely to get some great discounts from the company on a renter insurance policy for your apartment that will save you a lot of money in premiums.
Before choosing a policy for insurance, shop for a well known company with the most affordable rates. There is a lot of extremely valuable information available online about these companies. JD Power, for example, offers customer reviews and ratings for most of the major insurance companies. The NAIC website will offer valuable information about complaints that may have been filed on a company. Ambest can also tell you an insurer’s history.
If your insurance agent gives you some type of estimate about the value of your claim keep in mind that they will often give you estimates that are lower than what your actual losses may be. Before you accept anything they say be sure to make your own estimations.
Check your current or existing policies, before purchasing additional insurance. Often, an existing policy may provide more coverage than you realize, making it unnecessary to purchase an additional policy. For example, home insurance often includes coverage for physical injuries sustained by guests in your home, making additional liability coverage unnecessary.
Now that you have followed all of the recommended steps on finding insurance at a practical rate, it is now time to take that knowledge and go buy your policy. Remember, the best insurance you can get for the least premium possible. Also, you can check for better rates at any time.
