Steve Shaw asked:


Wedding insurance is as essential to your wedding planning as your wedding dress.  Consider how much you spent on your car, was it less than the sum you are about to invest in your wedding?  Would you even consider not having adequate car insurance?  No?  Then why wouldn’t you insure your wedding – when the average cost these days can fall between two and three times the cost of an average family saloon car?

A wedding insurance policy is comparatively cheap for insurance which covers a wide range of different parts of your wedding day.  Cover can be arranged that gives you reassurance about the largest disasters (wedding cancellation) through to some parts that may give minor disruption but not devastating consequences (wedding cars not arriving, for example).

Before deciding on the items that you need insurance cover for, and the value of cover that you will need, it will be worth investigating a couple of other sources of cover that may be available to you.  If you have sufficient limits on your household insurance policy, you may find that items such as the wedding gifts, wedding rings and wedding dress/attire are covered whilst in your home.  A call to the insurance broker should be able to confirm this and/or give you a quote for the extension of cover required to the household insurance.

Items purchased or booked for your wedding and paid by credit card will often carry a level of insurance cover from the credit card provider.  In these cases, a wedding insurance policy may be duplicating cover that you already have.  For example, if the wedding car supplier went out of business before your wedding day, your credit card supplier would most likely cover the refund of any deposit or payment made by the card.

When you have considered each of the alternative insurance options available to you, if you decide that a more comprehensive wedding insurance policy better serves your needs, start shopping for it as early as possible.  Most wedding insurances offer cover on a fixed scale of fees, providing cover until 24 hours after your wedding date.  The sooner you arrange insurance cover the more reassured you can be about issuing deposit payments to the wedding suppliers, etc., so make wedding insurance one of the priorities when you’re planning the wedding suppliers list.

When assessing the level of cover you may need, take into account the various items that come together to make your wedding day:

Wedding Cars / Transport Cover

If the wedding transport fails to show or they go out of business before your wedding day, the wedding insurance will cover a refund of your costs.

Wedding Rings Cover

The age-old ‘joke’ of the best man losing the rings  - it can happen, and it’s not funny!  It’s also possible for theft or loss of the wedding rings to happen any time up to your wedding service.  Check that the amount specified in the wedding insurance policy is adequate to cover the total value of both the bride and groom’s wedding rings.

Wedding Flowers Cover

If the florist goes out of business before the wedding day or doesn’t arrive with the floral decorations or buttonholes on the wedding morning, although the wedding insurance won’t replace these, it should cover the cost that you have outlaid to the florist supplier.  It means that your last minute replacements won’t be an additional cost to the wedding day.

Wedding Dress / Attire Cover

Accidental damage to the wedding dress ranks amongst the highest of claims made against wedding insurance.  Imagine the loss and devastation that you would feel if a burst water pipe or fire or other unexpected event was to cause loss or damage to your beautiful wedding gown.  Most wedding insurance policies will cover the wedding dress and the outfits of the main bridal party, but where suits, etc. are to be hired, check who’s responsibility it is for insurance, the supplier or the hirer (most will be the responsibility of the hirer, but some suppliers will offer their own additional insurance cover).

Wedding Caterer Cover

If the wedding caterer goes out of business or – even worse – fails to show up at the wedding reception venue on the date, adequate wedding insurance will cover a refund of the large sum that you have paid to them, leaving you to be able to make emergency alternative arrangements without suffering the additional inconvenience of extra costs to your wedding budget.

Wedding Reception Venue Cover

If a last minute disaster prevented you from using the wedding reception venue that you had booked, fire or flood for example, wedding insurance would cover the last minute alternative that you had been forced to arrange.  If your chosen reception venue were to close or go out of business the wedding insurance policy would reimburse the payments you had make, allowing you to choose a different reception venue location without suffering a financial loss.

Wedding Cake Cover

The extravagant creation of your masterpiece wedding cake will be finished and then transported to the wedding reception venue.  In almost every case this is done by experienced people and is successful, but disasters can happen!  If your wedding cake isn’t delivered, or anything causes it to be damaged, your wedding insurance policy will cover the cost.

Wedding Photographer and Photography Insurance Cover

A lot of things can happen surrounding your wedding plans and wedding day that are totally beyond the couple’s control; the photographer not turning up, the photographs not being able to be processed because of technical problems, etc.  Adequate protection from wedding insurance will help alleviate the cost should these difficulties occur.  If your wedding pictures don’t turn out, then you have the opportunity to have the bridal party and many of the guests reassembled and have them re-taken, thanks to your wisdom of having your wedding day adequately insured against such mishaps.

 

Wedding Present Insurance

Wedding day insurance will reimburse the cost/value up to a specified sum for damage to, or theft of, wedding presents.  One of the higher number of claims relating to wedding insurance policies is the collapse of tables holding the gifts at wedding receptions, or accidental damage of more delicate presents such as glass or crystal items.

Wedding Guest Liability Cover

Most wedding insurance policies give a level of liability insurance if someone is injured at your wedding.  The level of cover often has an option to increase the amount should you need to do so.  Some of your suppliers (marriage location, reception venue, etc.) will carry their own liability insurance, so it may be prudent to check this out before extending the level of inclusive cover.

Wedding Cancellation Cover

If the bride or groom change their mind or run for the hills, this won’t be covered by wedding insurance!  However, if an event beyond your control, such as the death of a close family member or illness in the family (or of the bride or groom), that causes your wedding to be cancelled or postponed, then the insurance will cover a refund of your expenditure up to a stated amount.  If extreme weather conditions cause your wedding to be cancelled due to the guests being unable to attend, or the venue being adversely affected, then the wedding insurance will apply.  However, if you are unfortunate enough to have bad weather on the wedding day it is unlikely that the insurance would cover such circumstances (you may wish to try a bookmaker!). 

Marquee Cover 

Most wedding insurers offer marquee cover as an optional extra.  Not all weddings will need this and those using a marquee should check with the hire company if an additional level of insurance cover is needed before adding it to the policy.

The months before your wedding day can be quite stressful, while you’re trying to get everything organised and perfectly timed.  No one wants to think of things going wrong at your wedding, but wedding insurance will give you the peace of mind that your deposits and outlay to the wedding suppliers are insured and will be refunded in the event that anything did go amiss in the period leading to your wedding date or on the day itself.  Wedding insurance will take away some of the worries that you may have and is a good investment to make.



Dolores

Adel Khamis asked:


Keeping your premiums from rising? That can feel like playing a game where the rule maker refuses to tell you the rules.

*If you have good credit, you’ll pay less on car insurance.

Almost all car insurers including the top five pull your credit report.

Why? Studies have shown a direct correlation between your credit score and the likelihood that you will file a claim.

Car Insurers also know that if you pay your bills in a timely fashion and have had the same credit accounts for a long time, you’re more stable than someone who pays late and frequently opens and closes accounts.

Car insurers use this information to create your “insurance risk score,” which is one factor that determines your car insurance rate.

Tip: Your car insurance risk score is not available to you, but it may be similar to your credit score. If you have unusual credit activity, wait a month for it to return to normal before buying car insurance.

*Your car model affects your premium car insurance. You won’t get these numbers from your Car insurer. But the car insurers do have a rating system for every car make and model.

Most use a system devised by the Car Insurance Services Office, which starts with the cost of the vehicle and then factors in safety and theft data.

Tip: You can file a claim on your home insurance. Most home insurance policies will cover smaller, less expensive items such as compact discs.

*Bad drivers will pay

You’ll pay for your bad driving. The industry standard is to increase your premium by 40% of the insurer’s base rate after your first at fault accident. Not all car insurers play by this rule.

Tip: Some car insurance companies have a forgive the first accident policy. So ask your Car insurance company if it has a forgiveness policy and how to qualify? .

*You’ll pay for your friend’s bad driving, too. If your friend borrows your car and crashes it, you’ll have to file a claim with your car insurance company.

Tip: If your friend didn’t have permission to take your car, in most cases you won’t be held liable for the damage. But if your friend is uninsured and causes damage that exceeds your policy limits, the injured party can come after you for medical and property damage expenses.

*Your car’s real worth

each car insurance company has its own proprietary list of car values.

The car insurance company may also ask local dealers what they’d charge for a similar replacement car.

Tip: If you disagree with your car insurance company’s value determination, there are several things you can do:

Next time, get gap insurance. It wil l pay the difference between what an car insurer will cover and what you owe.

If you have maintenance records that show you’ve had the oil changed every 3,000 miles and you’ve had the car checked routinely by a mechanic.

If you’ve been paying premiums on any special parts or upgrades, make sure those are included in the car insurance company’s evaluation.

*Odds and ends

Hit by an uninsured motorist? Try to “stack.” (UM/UIM) coverages means collecting from more than one car insurance policy that you hold.

Tip: Check the language of your car insurance policy to see if stacking is allowed.

There are two scenarios for stacking:

First, if you have multiple cars on your car insurance policy with UM/UIM coverage on each, you can collect the limit of your UM/UIM coverage under as many vehicles as necessary to cover full payment for damages.

Second, if you have more than one car insurance policy with UM/UIM coverage, even if they’re from two different car insurers, you can make a claim under each policy until all your damages are recovered.

*You can wait to add your teenager to your car insurance policy until he or she is licensed.

Tip: Don’t forget to tell your car insurance company that you have a licensed teen. If you have to file a claim on his or her behalf, your car insurance company is entitled to charge you back premiums from the date your teen received a license.

*You must officially cancel your car insurance policy when you switch car insurers. you can cancel your car insurance coverage at any time by notifying the car insurance company in writing of the date of termination.

Tip: Call your car insurance agent and let him know you are canceling your car insurance policy. Give a specific date, or you may end up uninsured for a period of time.

The car insurance company will send you a cancellation request. Most often, the form is already filled out and all it requires is your signature.



Jeanette

Pinsentry asked:


My current car insurance policy runs out at the end of the month and I will not be renewing with them. I am getting a new car approx 2 weeks before the expiry date. Can i start the insurance with another company and ‘overlap’ the insurance ?

Chad

Nicole R asked:


Hey. Please somebody help me. I am employed but don’t get any health insurance. I am 27 and single and need a good health insurance but cheap. I live in Florida. Can somebody can help me with that?

Edna

dsaf f asked:


Ok so 2 years ago I was driving along and a tire fell out of a truck bed in front of me and broke my windshield and did a little bit of front end damage. The truck kept going and so I ended up submitting a claim for like $600.00 to my insurance company to cover the damage. In return, they raised my rates to a point where the increase added up over two years has cost more than the repair bill. I’ve tried changing companies, but the claim is still in my records and I am under 21 so all the quotes I’ve received have been higher than what I was originally paying. As for the the rest of my record, it is totally clean, no wrecks, tickets, or even close calls. I’m about ready to say screw it to insurance, as I feel I’ll never need it. As far as I see it, I’ve already paid the insurance companies over $5000 and they’ve only covered $600.00 of damage and have treated me like crap.So whats the average penalty if I do get stopped and don’t have insurance?

Ronnie

Charley H asked:


I just got my license and I need insurance. I heard the rates could be pretty steep for a first time driver. I am over 21 years old if that helps. Is there any recommendations for a good insurance company as well?

Bertha

Marcus W asked:


I am looking to purchase my own health insurance instead of going through my company. I know that the company takes out the cost on a pre-tax basis, but their insurance is not the greatest. If I do decided to sign up for health insurance, will I be able to use the cost of my own health insurance as a deduction fo tax purposes?

Darlene

Pennsylvania Health Insurance asked:




Some states in the US require that all citizens of their state be covered for Health Insurance. Ohio is one of the states that allows Ohio citizens to receive Free Health Insurance. There are 2 free health insurance programs Healthy Start and Healthy Families. However a Ohio resident must qualify first.



Healthy Start & Healthy Families are Medicaid programs that provide eligible Ohio families with comprehensive health coverage. This means families get coverage for all of the following: doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital care, immunizations, vision & dental care, substance abuse, mental health services and much more! Not only is this a great benefit package, but families who qualify for Healthy Start & Healthy Families will receive covered services at no cost

Who Qualifies:



U.S. citizens of Ohio

Ohio residents

Ohio residents with a social security number

Ohio residents who meet the financial requirements listed below.



 

Who is covered? Income Eligibility Guidelines Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Gross Monthly Income Family Size 1 Family Size 2 Family Size 3 Family Size 4 Children (to age 19) 200% FPL $1,734 $2,334 $2,934 $3,534 Pregnant Women 200% FPL $1,734 $2,334 $2,934 $3,534 Families 90% FPL $780 $1,050 $1,320 $1,590

 

 

The following services are included in the plan:



Ambulance services

Chiropractic services (children only)

Community alcohol and drug addiction services

Community mental health services

Dental services

Durable medical equipment

Family planning services and supplies

Home and community-based services waivers (restricted enrollment)

Home health services

Hospice

Inpatient hospital services

Lab and X-ray services

Nursing home care

Nurse-midwife, certified family nurse practitioner, and certified pediatric nurse practitioner services

Outpatient services, including Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)

Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy

Physician services

Podiatry

Prescription drugs

Screening and treatment services to children under age 21 under the HEALTHCHEK (EPSDT) program

Transportation to medical appointments

Vision care, including eyeglasses



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Donna

TS asked:


15,000 owed and in the middle of settling community property. She is the primary driver. As of right now the insurance is set up as if we were still married as the insurance company is not aware of the divorce. What would happen if she were to get into an accident in the vehicle.

Javier

S.K.Sethi asked:


Introduction of health insurance in india

In mid 80’s most of the  hospitals in India were government owned and treatment was free of cost. With the advent of Private Medical Care the  need for Health Insurance  was felt and various Insurance Companies  (New India Assurance, National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance & United Insurance Company) introduced Mediclaim Insurance as a product.

According to recent news report Health insurance continues to be the fastest growing segment with annual growth rate of 55%. Health Premium has risen to Rs. 3300 crores in 2006-2007. As per the recent reports from various agencies the Health sector has the potential to become a Rs. 25000-crore industry by 2010.

On August 15, 2007 Prime Minister has announced Rs 2000 Crores for Health Insurance for poor citizens. We foresee that this amount will be partly in form of subsidy therefore during calendar year 2008 we can expect  Health Insurance premium to touch figure in the range of Rs 10,000 Crores.

In 2001 with entry of various private Insurance companies now the customers have choice of buying this insurance from 14 Insurance companies.

The Companies, which offer  Health or Mediclaim Insurance, are;

                          

Apollo DKV Insurance Company Limited.

Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited

Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited

HDFC General Insurance Company Ltd.

ICICI Lombard General Insurance Limited.

IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company Limited

National Insurance Company Limited

New India Assurance Company Limited

Oriental Insurance Company Limited

Reliance General Insurance Company Limited

Royal Sundram Alliance Insurance Company Limited

Star health and Allied Insurance Company Limited

TATA AIG General Insurance Company Limited. (Overseas Health Insurance only)

United India Insurance Company Limited

Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited

India is the only country  where hospitalization insurance policy  was being sold as  Mediclaim Insurance Policies. The very name gives a feeling to the insured that claim has to be lodged. If motor insurance policy is not sold as motor insurance claim policy and household insurance policy is not sold as household claim policy then why this be named as Mediclaim?

Health Insurance and Mediclaim are two different names for the same product. The change has started  coming and now we have started calling it Health Insurance. ICICI Lombard has even named it as Health Insurance Policy.

Calling is as Health Insurance is a positive way of looking at this Insurance. It also giving  us a feeling that we as a society have started moving from curative medical care to preventive medical care.



Kelly