Lisa Nichols 's Blog
Posted by Lisa Nichols
This month, Insure.com contributed an article on parking lot fender benders, providing holiday shopping safety tips you can use to protect your car- and yourself-at the mall.
Some more safety tips holiday shoppers can use while out and about this month:
- Don’t wear flashy, expensive jewelry when you’re out shopping- it draws unwanted attention to you.
- Keep your cash and your credit cards in your pocket, not your handbag. A good rule of thumb is to consider what you wouldn’t mind losing, and leave those items in your handbag. If you have to carry a handbag, hold it front of you.
- Move purchased items out to the trunk of your car as you buy them. You’ll draw less attention with fewer bags, have more mobility if something happens, and, you can look at the extra trips to the car as some unexpected exercise, an added benefit.
- If you think you’re being followed, or an unmarked car signals you to pull over, drive to a police station, fire station or other well-lit area with pedestrian traffic.
- Copy down the information from the front and back of your credit cards paper in a safe location. If something happens, you can quickly call and cancel your cards.
You have some off-premises coverage for personal property in your homeowner’s insurance policy. If the worst should happen, check out our tips for filing a claim, and try not to let the stress get to you- once you’ve filed the claim, let your insurance carrier handle it, so you can get on with enjoying your holiday season.
Talk back with the writer- tell Lisa Nichols about your tried and true holiday safety tipsand submit your news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Buy travel insurance, say the experts, and ensure your Christmas gifts arrive safely. According to AAA, more than 8 million Americans will be flying somewhere for the Christmas holidays. And AAA estimates that another 60 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home. Gas prices are down for the first time in months, prompting more people to leave home for the holiday. Trip insurance, or travel insurance, protects you against many travel losses, including theft.
Trip insurance, available worldwide, can come in handy on any trip, but during the holidays, can provide an extra layer of protection. With Christmas travel comes the inevitable shuttling of presents to the site of the Christmas tree at your final destination, and the unfortunate possibility of baggage theft, too. In the UK, some 2.5 million Brits will be traveling outside the country, hauling an estimated 700 million pounds plus presents to loved ones.
Buy travel insurance for your Christmas trip to help protect your precious investments, and ensure that the presents you so carefully selected for your loved ones arrive safely under the tree. Trip insurance- it’s a small price to pay to ensure your presents’ protection and a happy holiday.
Talk back with the writer- tell Lisa Nichols about your experience buying travel insurance and submit your news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Weird insurance claim #1: Terrence Dickson of Pennsylvania robbed a house and then accidentally locked himself in the homeowner’s garage, which had a broken garage door opener. Stuck for more than a week, he lived off of dog food and soda. Dickson filed- and won- a homeowner’s insurance claim against the homeowners for undue mental anguish. The pay-out? A hefty half million!
Weird insurance claim #2: Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas won more than $14K- plus medical expenses- on a dog bite insurance claim against his neighbors. Williams, who was hanging in the neighbor’s yard at the time the beagle attacked him, got chomped after continually firing a pellet gun at the dog.
Weird insurance claim #3: Amber Carson of Pennsylvania received a six figure insurance judgment after falling and cracking her tailbone as the result of a spilled drink. The kicker? The soda had spilled on the floor when Carson threw it at someone during an earlier altercation.
And finally, a bouncer avoidance claim from Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware. Walton sued a night club after she fell through a window and broke some teeth, winning an insurance judgment of more than $12,000. At the time, Walton was sneaking into the club so she wouldn’t have to pay a cover charge.
Learn more about how to file a claim, including steps to take and what to expect.
Talk back with the author- tell Lisa Nichols about your wild or weird claim and submit your news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
A recent Florida office of insurance regulation greatly impacted a homeowner’s insurance claim denied by their insurance carrier. When a hurricane swept through Eugene and Debra Cox’s Florida home, they lost everything and needed insurance claim help. Initially told their flood insurance claim denied, their insurance claim lawyer proved otherwise in court.
A frequent complaint about insurance company hurricane claims rests in the insurance company’s belief that they don’t have to pay for flood damage caused by a hurricane if flood is excluded from the policy.In the Cox’s case, the court ruled in a different way, stating that their insurance claim denied by the insurance carrier was illegal, and that the company would pay for both windstorm and flood damage resulting from a hurricane.
If you feel like you were unfairly treated and had insurance claim denied or need insurance claim help, you have options- you can file a complaint about insurance company misconduct with your state department of insurance. You might also decide to find an insurance claim lawyer to represent you in court. Find out more about how to file an insurance claim
Talk back with writer Lisa Nichols- tell us what happened when your insurance claim was denied and submit your news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Surveys conducted in the last 18 months by “Steps to a Healthier Pennsylvania-Luzerne County” shows companies “are just becoming aware,” of health and wellness the workplace, says registered nurse Midge Berfield. Programs like Steps to a Healthier U.S. have been set up to help Americans live longer, healthier lives, and employee health and wellness program coordinators are taking notice.
The Benefits of Starting an Employee Health and Wellness Program at Your Company:
- Companies have everything to gain by setting up a workplace health and wellness program. An employee health and wellness program is a great incentive to new hires, rounding out your other company benefits.
- Providing flu shots, blood pressure checks, cholesterol screenings, body/fat ratio assessments, smoking cessation programs and free mammograms to employees as part of a health and wellness in the workplace can help save on rising company health insurance costs.
- Health and wellness in the workplace promotes employee attendance, say the experts. Reduced workplace accidents and a general improvement in overall employee health and wellness in the workplace helps prevent employee absenteeism.
Get some tips on how to start your company’s workplace health and wellness program today.
Talk back with the author- tell Lisa Nichols about your experiences developing an employee health and wellness program and submit your news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
According to recent reports, theft is the #1 crime on college campuses today. There are a number of things your kids can be doing to protect their personal belongings, say campus security experts. The University of Miami recommends the following tips to keep your kids' belongings safe:
- Don't leave items like a wallet, backpack or laptop computer unattended in the cafeteria or library, even for "just a second."
- Keep dorm and apartment rooms locked when asleep, in the shower or away at class.
- Keep car doors securely locked, too.
Thieves prey on kids' gullibility, and make college campuses the perfect breeding ground for predators. Common-sense safety tips often get thrown by the wayside when your child has been up all night cramming for an exam or racing back and forth from work to school. A renter’s insurance policy also affords your college-age kids some protection. And, renter's insurance is often required (or at the least, “strongly suggested”) by landlords. Learn more about renter’s insurance, an inexpensive way to cover your college kids in case of a loss.
Talk back with the author- tell Lisa Nichols about your experiences with kids at college and buying renter's insurance and submit your news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
According to the Daily News Online, an estimated half million people in the U.S. have turned to pet insurance. Customers who purchase pet insurance do so for a number of reasons. If you've ever had to pay out of pocket fees for hip replacement surgery for your Lab, you have an idea of why animal insurance might be a good idea.
A friend's Labrador retriever somehow got exposed to rat poison. It was touch and go while she was in the animal hospital. Thankfully, the kindly vet was able to save the dog. The bills reflected the myriad of blood tests, surgeries and medications that the dog needed to stay alive. When we discuss pet insurance, I think what we're really talking about is a paradigm shift in the way that we think about our animals. As parents work longer hours, surrendering their little ones to caregivers, the role a pet plays in a child's life is not something to bark at anymore.
In the old days, there would have been a quick and easy way to solve the problem with my friend's Lab. But the decision to euthanize not only never occurred to the dog owner, his own distress during the ordeal was as real as if a family member was in danger (possibly more real, he's not that close to his family).Pet insurance policies help mitigate the cost of veterinary care for your pets, providing coverage for annual exams, surgery, lab fees, even mitigating the cost to spay and neuter your pet (coverage varies by policy).Read on to learn more about pet insurance coverage and pet insurance basics.
Talk back with the author: tell Lisa Nichols about your experiences buying pet insurance coverage and submit news, tips and story ideas for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Selling your life insurance policy to a life settlement company can bring extra income today. A new trend in life insurance policies allows "life settlement" companies to settle up your life insurance policy sooner than later. Most life settlement companies require a minimum age of 60-65, and a current life insurance policy in force more than two years and with a minimum value of $50,000. A broker can rep your policy to life settlement companies on your behalf, so you can pick and choose from the offers that end up on the table.
Do you have life insurance in place for your employees? It's a benefit not to be overlooked. Check out top reasons for providing life insurance and disability coverage for your business, and then let me know if you've decided to take the plunge.
Source: St. Petersburg Times
Tell us about your experience selling your life insurance policy to a life settlement company and submit news items, story ideas and tips to the insurance blog
Posted by Lisa Nichols
The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) recently released new data projecting that couples retiring in 2006 will need approximately $295,000 to cover health care costs.
The $295 figure is based on an average life expectancy of 82 for men and 85 for women. If the couple lives to age 95, they'll need an additional $255K for a whopping total exceeding a half-million dollars. Just for healthcare.
While readying himself for retirement several years ago, a friend was stricken with prostrate cancer. "Don't retire," said his employer's award-winning human resources rep. "The out-of-pocket costs to treat cancer with Medicaid are horrendous. You can cut back on work while you receive treatment, and you'll benefit from reduced insurance costs." Wow. Now that's going the extra mile.
Before you buy health insurance for your employees, review some easy steps to select the best group health plan for your business.
Source: National Underwriter
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Posted by Lisa Nichols
A central Florida couple's home, a total loss after a lightning-induced fire, may not be covered by homeowner's insurance. The family's insurance, covering a home worth $2M, and personal effects inside the home for another $2M, had recently lapsed, according to WKMG Local 6 news.
Paying on time and ahead of time (if you can swing it) is the only surefire way to have property insurance when you'll need it the most. If you're switching insurance carriers, price-shopping, or just feeling economically strapped, contact your insurance agent or carrier to find out what options you have available for uninterrupted homeowner's insurance coverage.
And, you'll read this over and over in my articles, review your homeowner's insurance policy to ensure you have the coverages and amounts of coverages you need. You may not understand every line of the homeowner's insurance policy. But you should have a strong grasp of the homeowner's insurance policy exclusions, inclusions and limits of insurance coverage. That way, there won't be any surprises if the worst happens to you.
Learn more about Suite101 readers best, worst and weirdest insurance claims.
Talk back with the author- tell Lisa Nichols about your experiences with homeowner's insurance coverage or submit your ideas, tips and news for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Reported losses from 2006 hurricanes may surpass Katrina's $38 billion 2005 reported losses, a Catastrophe Modeling Expert warns.Karen Clark, president and chief executive officer of Boston-based AIR Worldwide, predicted catastrophe losses "will double about every 10 years due to increases in the numbers and values of properties at risk."
A catastrophe resulting in losses exceeding $100 billion "is not hard to imagine," she said. Source: www.insurancenewsnet.com
A Disaster Recovery Plan takes time to prepare, but it's worth it in the long run. How prepared are you?
Share your best idea for a disaster recovery plan with other Suite101 readers.
Talk back with the writer- tell Lisa Nichols about your unique ideas for developing a disaster recovery plan or submit your ideas, tips and news for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
I had to go after insurance when I became self-employed. And let me tell ya, it wasn't an easy process. I completed an on-line request for quotes and I started receiving calls and e-mails from companies who don't even offer health insurance trying to sell me... something. These companies offer health coverage "plans" or medical "discounts," neither of which interested me. Big blue finally took pity on me and took me in. Thank goodness.
But it sticks in my craw. I mean, I worked for an insurance company for more than a decade. And, but for the grace, I might have been taken in by these fast-talking internet salespeople. What about the folks who have no insurance background at all?
Do you know the difference between ACV and RCV and how important that distinction is? Or could you use a little counseling? Internet options abound, but even the online-savvy craves that personal touch when it comes to buying insurance. Buy insurance online or in person- What's Right For You?
Stop by our discussions area to tell us whether you buy insurance online or in person.
Talk back with the author: tell Lisa about your experiences buying insurance on-line or just email her your ideas, tips and news for the insurance blog.
Posted by Lisa Nichols
Allstate Insurance Company recently announced it was dropping earthquake coverage from the menu, due to rising costs of catastrophic losses. Existing Allstate earthquake policies won't be renewed, and they're no longer writing new earthquake policies, either. With the exception of California, Business Owners' Policies (BOPs) don't include coverage for earthquake. Do you know what your BOP covers? Take some time to review your BOP and ensure that you have adequate protection for your business.