The New York State Department of Insurance (DOI) just released the 2008 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints. The report has been issued to help consumers find the automobile insurer that best meets their needs. You can use this report to compare the ranking of the insurance company you are doing business with now, or check another company you may be considering.

This report analyzed data collected from 2006 and 2007. It only ranks companies doing business in the State of New York. However, as New York is a heavily populated state, with both big urban centers and big suburban areas, the report can be considered a good representation of insurance company performance nationwide.

How The Ranking Works

The insurance companies are ranked on a complaint ratio. The ratio is calculated by the number of complaints upheld against companies as a percentage of their total private passenger auto business.

Insurers with the fewest upheld complaints per million dollars of premiums are shown at the top of the list. The companies with the highest ratio of complaints are ranked at the bottom.

Other Information to Consider

The ranking of an insurance company is important, but it is only one characteristic that consumers should weigh when considering doing business with an insurance company. Others are:

o Referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers about the experiences they had with their insurance companies
o Price of the premium versus perceived value
o Search the Internet for other ideas
o Check your state’s DOI website, which may contain valuable consumer information about companies doing business in your state.

What The Ranking Does and Does Not Contain

o Private passenger insurance is the only type evaluated.
o It only includes the complaints referred by consumers to the DOI. It does not include complaints made directly to the insurance companies.
o Complaints are “upheld” when the DOI agrees with a consumer that an insurance company made an inappropriate decision.
o Information from prior years is included in the tables so consumers can see if the company has improved or gotten worse.
o All companies with at least $10 million in premium in 2006 and 2007 are included in the ranking. Insurers with less than $10 million were included if they had 10 or more complaints against them.

Top Three Most Common Complaints

1. Monetary settlements – settlement amount is too low.
2. Policy terminations
3. Promptness of insurance payments

2007 Auto Complaint Listing (ranked lowest number at top, higher as you go down)

1. Mercury General Group
2. American Express, Amex Assurance, IDS Property Casualty
3. Eveready Insurance Co.
4. Electric Insurance Group
5. Amica Mutual
6. Preferred Mutual Insurance Co.
7. United Services Automobile Assurance Group (USAA)
8. Chubb
9. Utica Mutual
10. State F*arm
11. Central Services Group, Central Insurance Group, NY Central Mutual Fire Ins.
12. Main Street America Group, National Grange Mutual
13. Progressive
14. Liberty Mutual
15. Kingsway Insurance Group, Lincoln General Ins.
16. Response Insurance Group
17. Nationwide Insurance
18. American Modern Ins. Group, American Family Home Ins.
19. St. Paul Travelers
20. Unitrin Group, Kemper
21. Erie Insurance Group
22. Berkshire Hathaway Insurance, GEICO
23. Allstate Insurance
24. The Hartford Insurance Group
25. Hanover Insurance, Citizens Ins., Allmerica Financial Alliance
26. Metropolitan Group
27. American National Financial Group
28. Allianz Insurance Group
29. GMAC, Integon, MIC P&C, National General Ins. Co.
30. Zurich Ins.Group, Foremost, Maryland Casualty
31. Hannover RE Group, Clarendon National
32. State Wide Insurance
33. White Mountains Group, OneBeacon, Esurance, Auto One Ins.
34. Countrywide Insurance
35. Safeco Insurance Group
36. American International Group (AIG)
37. Tri-State Consumer Ins. Group
38. Interboro Mutual
39. Infinity Property & Casualty
40. Long Island Insurance

Conclusion

If your auto insurance provider is not shown on this list, it could be that they don’t sell insurance in New York. Or, it could be that their number of complaints is worse than the company in the #40 position!!

Think about this statement, my friends.

The only thing that truly matters about your auto insurance is what happens when you submit a claim. Claims are about KEEPING PROMISES. When the insurance companies don’t keep their promises, the complaints pile up!

So, why would you EVER consider doing business with any insurance company LOWER than NUMBER 10 on the list?

If you are one of the unfortunate people who experience an automobile loss of any kind, you’ll need to know how to handle your insurance claim so that you maximize your recovery. I’ll even be so bold as to say this: If you do not use the strategies for submitting a claim found in my book, you will not collect all the money you are entitled to collect. You will need to know how to take control of your insurance claim, and add hundreds or even thousands more dollars to your claim settlement. For more information, check out the website shown below in the Resource Box.

A homeowner is practical when he insures his home and the content. One must know whether the area he is residing in is high-risk, moderate-risk, or low-risk. The rates depend on the risk and the flood insurance coverage is also determined. The insurance premium covered by the company depends on these factors.

The coverage varies from one homeowner to the next. But first, they must be eligible for the coverage at the rate that they prefer and the rate that the insurance can offer them.

Preferred Risk Policy premiums are said to be really low if it is made available through the NFIP. The building and the contents of the flood insurance coverage is reasonable. As a matter of fact, it starts at only $100 per year.

If the homeowner fails to qualify for the Preferred Risk Policy, he can check the standard rated policy that is made available to him. This is $25 of all federal claims for those residing in moderate-to-low risk areas.

However, is the homeowner resides in a high-risk area, coverage from insurance companies are also made available to him. There is a separate content and buildings coverage which is more reasonable when it comes to the flood insurance rates.

One can check the form that is provided by the insurance companies. The General Property Form that a customer fills up requires the information that the insurance company needs in order to determine the rate and whether the client is eligible because he is within the insurance coverage.

The calculation of the premiums depends on the following factors. There are the years of the construction of the building and the years the occupant has been staying there. If it is a condominium, the number of floors is also a factor.

The location, as said in a previous paragraph is a crucial indicator whether the client is still within the flood insurance coverage, as well as the flood risks. If the customer is in a flood zone, there are still companies that can provide them with the flood insurance that they need but at a higher price.

Also, the federal law requires the homeowner to purchase a flood insurance policy especially when the area he is residing is high-risk.

By learning one’s risk and estimating the premiums by checking the flood insurance coverage, and finding an agent one can speak with regarding concerns, the homeowner can sleep better at night.

Homeowners in need of a lower price on their homeowners insurance policies should simply shop their policy with other carriers or consider raising the deductible on their current policy. They should not short themselves on coverage. The last thing that should be done is to lower the coverage on a homeowners insurance policy to save money. The proper amount of coverage needed on a homeowners insurance policy is just that, the proper amount of coverage.

If homeowners are not able to find a rate that is within their budget they could also consider increasing the deductible on the policy. Many insurance companies offer higher deductible options. The exposure that the insured would have with a higher deductible would be significantly less than if you were to lower your coverage. Raising the deductible on your policy could save your hundreds of dollars per year.

The amount of personal exposure from raising the deductible on homeowners insurance is, simply, the amount of the increase. A policy that was written with a $1000 deductible and raised to a $2500 deductible exposes the homeowner to a potential of an increased $1500 out of pocket. This is a minimal expense when compared to lower the dwelling coverage or personal property coverage by tens of thousands of dollars. The decrease in premium would be close to the same between raising the deductible and significantly lowering the coverage.

If policy holders find that you are still in need of additional savings, they should shop their auto and homeowner insurance policies together. They would receive a discount on both policies. Generally, the discount for having multiple insurance policies with the same company will be around 10 percent per policy. If you pay $1000 per year on your auto insurance and are able to get the same rate with your homeowners insurance company, you would save $100 per year on your auto insurance.

1. Assemble a list of all your insurance companies for the past 10 years with dates of coverage and policy numbers so your broker can obtain your loss runs (history of loss/claims), which normally should be requested within 60 days of your renewal (anything older may not be acceptable to the insurer).

2. Make copies of your licenses, update your CV, and assemble your letter head and any marketing pieces. The CV is important, since a potential insurer wants to see that you have adequate training. The letterhead, website and any marketing pieces are there for the underwriter to see if you are advertising services that may not be apparent on your application.

3. Write narratives on all claims for the past 10 years, as well as any medical board issues, if applicable. This is your opportunity to give your brief version of the events that occurred. Be concise and brief.

4. Your broker should give you one application, which he/she will use for your renewal and to shop for your coverage. Take your time filling this out, paying attention to the procedure list and marking all procedures that you perform (do not add things that you do not). Never delegate your application to your assistant. If you leave a procedure off in the application or there is a material misrepresentation, though unintentional, the insurer can deny your claims. Also, do not leave any blanks on your application rather add NA if something does not apply.

5. Your broker will send you letters to sign, which will be addressed to your former and current insurer(s) for the past 10 years. List your policy number, sign, and send this back to your broker first thing, prior to finishing your application since obtaining the loss runs can take some time. The purpose of loss runs is that the insurer wants third party confirmation on your losses.

6. Once you get your renewal and other quotes, read them carefully and ask lots of questions. Also, check your retroactive date to make sure it matches your current policy. Some people miss this and stare at a cheap price, while ignoring the terms of the quote. If you lose coverage to save money, you are not saving much.

7. If you are in the non standard market, a market reserved for doctors with malpractice claims, you will want to review premium finance options. The interest rate should be lower than a credit card. If it is not, start asking questions. Also, the norm is that you pay 25% as a down payment and finance the rest over nine payments. Ask your broker for a 10 payment plan. Most finance companies will do this as a favor to the broker.

8. Send your down payment right away to your broker, and make sure you have the funds in the bank. If you are late, the insurer may pull the quote. The broker will not bind coverage without the down payment, because the insurance company can require the broker to pay it. If this happens, then your policy will not be activated.

9. Pay your premium early. Don’t ever be late. This is the one bill to never float. The insurance company can cancel and refuse to reinstate you for coverage. May sure your book keeper knows to pay this bill first and foremost.

You may be wondering if dog medical insurance is really worth the money. Many dog owners consider purchasing insurance after experiencing an emergency with their pet.

For example, when my dogs decided to chow down on raisins (in case you didn’t know, raisins are toxic in dogs), I ended up with two dogs in the vet ER. After coughing up a bunch of money, I started to think about dog medical insurance.

Purchasing insurance for your pet can be a worth while investment. Something you hope will never be needed. But very happy to have in the event of an emergency. Before you purchase a policy, consider a few helpful tips to choosing the right policy.

Dogs Have More Medical Options.

We all know that human medicine continues to rapidly advance, but have you thought about the progression in veterinary medicine? Our dogs have medical options that simply weren’t available 10 or 20 years ago. However, these treatments don’t come cheap. And we’re forced to face the agonizing decision of how much we can afford to fork out.

Read the Policy’s Fine Print.

When looking for a policy, make sure to read the fine print. A great premium may lure you in the door, but it’s important to consider the details. Here are a few questions to ask before purchasing:

o What are your deductible choices (typically the higher the deducible, the lower policy premium you pay)

o Does the policy have limits? You purchase a policy to cover your dog’s emergency. Make sure that you won’t be underinsured should a situation come up.

Can you Choose your Own Vet.

Some insurance plans have networks just like your personal insurance. If you’re happy with your vet, make sure it will be covered under the plan. Otherwise, you could be faced will an unpleasant surprise when submitting a bill for payment.

Watch out for Exclusions.

Some insurance companies will exclude certain medical conditions. For example, since German Shepard’s are predisposed to hip dysphasia it may not be covered. It’s important to have all of the information up front. This way you don’t feel let down when an emergency arises.

If you have just bought your very first home, you are probably unaware of how your purchase has affected your insurance profile and that you need to review your existing insurance cover. In fact, even upgrading from a small, cheap house to a larger family home will impact on your insurance. Most people think that adding some form of homeowners insurance is all that is needed when purchasing a new home. While the addition of a homeowner’s policy is by far the biggest change, your other insurance policies will most likely need to be reviewed too. The following are some of the more prominent policies you may need to revise.

Homeowner’s insurance

If you successfully applied for a home loan, your bank will have required that you take out a homeowner’s insurance policy. The questions that you need to ask yourself are did I get sufficient cover and did I shop around for the best deals?

When analyzing your coverage needs, your assessment needs to be based not only on what is required by your bank, but also on the actual value of the property. Banks often pressurize you to take whatever insurance policy they put in front of you. Except for a few conniving banks, taking the bank’s own cover is not mandatory. This means that you have the option of shopping around for better insurance.

Car insurance

If you just bought a house, your marital status may have changed. If this is the case, then congratulations! You may be eligible for a lower premium as marital status affects your risk profile. Married couples are considered a lower insurance risk by insurance companies. You may also want to cover both your and your spouse’s cars under one policy. This should work out much cheaper than having two separate vehicle insurance policies. You may even want to go one step further and combine your vehicle and homeowner’s policy to get even cheaper premiums. Lastly, it is essential that you update your car insurance policy as your change of address will also affect your policy. This is essential because should you need to claim due to theft from your new home and you have not updated your policy, your claim might be turned down.

Disability and life insurance

If you were to become disabled or unable to work due to an accident or disease, your mortgage will still need to be paid. Disability cover will pay you a monthly benefit if this happens which could very well save you from financial ruin until you are able to work again. Similarly, life insurance will help pay off your debts and perhaps even the mortgage on your home should you pass away. If you are the breadwinner in your family, this type of cover is essential.

Purchasing a new home can be a very exciting experience, but it is important that you remember to review all your insurance policies to make sure that you and your loved ones are adequately covered. If you are unsure of where to start contact your insurance broker and without a doubt, shop around for the best insurance deals!

Being unemployed can be a financial downside to say the least. You perhaps be dependent on a someone else to cover your day-to-day expenses such as as a home to live and food to eat. Health insurance policy is something that everybody needs and not enough people have available because of these additional financial loads. Any emergency such as a car accident or broken bone will call for sufficient medical assistance. What do you do when you don’t have insurance policy and cannot afford costly medical bills? If you’re out of work, you need to find out health insurance policy to forbid this from happening.

COBRA is a law in which many people could be entitled to remain on an employer’s health insurance policy even after they lose their employment. The most idealistic individual for this insurance coverage is someone who is between jobs and is not in need of long-term help. It can hold up at least a year to those who qualify, but the insurance premium money is still an expense that some unemployed persons may not be capable to take care of with their lack of income. If you are able to pay off the premium and are eligible, COBRA will also cover your spouse and kids who are dependent on you for insurance. The best way to find out if you could receive health insurance is to contact your local employer’s benefits department and fill out the required forms.

You could also shop around for distinctive health insurance policy. A lot of free Internet services are proven dependable by the Better Business Bureau Online. By talking with one of these insurance policy experts, you will be able to get assistance in finding the most inexpensive health insurance policy that will fit your specific needs. They know the rates of thousands of insurance companies and can fix you up with suitable coverage for your specific needs. If you have a spouse or kids, getting health insurance coverage is a necessity. Life is full of unpredicted events and you cannot guarantee that everybody will stay completely healthy until you have insurance policy again because accidents do happen. Getting an inexpensive insurance coverage rate on one’s own can be bothering. The experts at these companies are offering their assistance to you, often as a costless service. Whether you need to find out something short-term or for an extended period, they are qualified and committed to helping you.

If you find yourself unemployed at any time in your life, you are likely without health insurance. This can be a nightmare whether you have got a family or not because medical expenses can put you into debt rapidly. Fortunately, there are techniques of getting inexpensive coverage providers that can keep your health, as well as your funds, safe. A simple doctor visit can cost you significantly a lot of money than it would with insurance policy. Do not let yourself become one of the many people who are unluckily living life without appropriate insurance policy.

It is a fact of modern life that credit cards are an increasingly essential financial tool. There are many situations in which if you do not have a credit card, you will either be unable to pay for goods and services, or to take up special promotions. There are also countless more situations when having a credit card will simply be extremely convenient. Credit cards are also safer than carrying large amounts of cash around with you, especially when you travel.

Criteria

Well, first of all you should be over 18 years of age. You will also need a job or some form of regular income. These are then main criteria and if you can demonstrate them well, you will probably not have much trouble getting approval. You may have had a card in the past that you failed to pay or some other blemish on your credit report. If this is the case, you will find it more difficult to get a card.

Credit Rating

Your credit history plays a very significant role when it comes to assessing who will be approved for credit and who will not. It is based on personal information, your salary, if there have been defaults or court judgments awarded against you, and a host of other factors. They are all put into an equation that computes a personal score for you. Lenders will then decide whether or not to lend to you based on this score.

You should also be aware that many other companies will use your credit report also. It is not only credit companies, but also insurance companies and even employers, when looking at job applicants. This may seem surprising but the thing to remember is that you do not want to damage your credit report by failing to meet repayments.

Refused Application?

If you are finding it difficult to get approval for a credit card, you may consider seeking a co-signor. This is someone, usually a parent or close relative, who will guarantee the debt for you. They must understand the nature of the agreement, and if the situation arises whereby you are not able to make your repayments, they will become fully liable for the amount you have borrowed. It may also be a good incentive for you to repay it.

The final thing to remember is that if you have been turned down for a credit card, it may be an indication that you are not ready for one.

If you have you been rated up or declined for health insurance it’s probably because you have a pre-existing condition.

Thousands of uninsured, underinsured and uninsurable individuals are facing serious health issues like heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, cancer, stroke, liver disease, AIDS, pregnancy, depression and kidney disease. Any of these pre existing conditions can cause them to be declined for health coverage. Today, you may even be declined if you are over-weight.

It’s a real challenge obtaining health insurance for someone with pre existing conditions. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, here are some questions we need to address.

What is a pre-existing condition?

A pre-existing condition is any injury or sickness for which diagnosis has been made, treatment has been recommended, treatment has been rendered, or expenses have been incurred within a set amount of months prior to the effective date of coverage (usually 3, 6 or 12 months and this can vary by state). It includes any condition manifesting itself in symptoms which would cause a prudent person to seek medical advice.

What is a pre-existing condition exclusion period?

Insurance companies try to discourage people from waiting until they get sick to purchase medical insurance. This is accomplished by imposing what is known as a preexisting condition exclusion period. This simply means, if you have a medical problem which exists at the time you purchase insurance, the insurer will deny the claims pertaining to that medical problem for a certain period of time.

The rules governing preexisting condition exclusion periods in individual health policies vary widely from state to state and are very much different from the rules of an employer-sponsored plan. If you have or recently have had health coverage, you may be able to apply this creditable coverage to offset a preexisting condition exclusion period.

Why all the hoopla over a pre-existing condition?

The biggest stumbling block with private individual medical insurance is the problem with preexisting conditions. Plain and simple… insurance companies don’t like preexisting conditions. They know in the long run… it will cost them more money to insure you. Frankly, insurers prefer to insure people who are not very likely to need the insurance.

But stop and think! Who doesn’t have some kind of health or medical issue? It may be something as simple as asthma or as complex as cancer. Some pre-existing conditions can be managed and these individuals can live a relatively healthy and normal life.
Yet, insurers can and do turn down “high risks” individuals for coverage because of an existing or previous illness. Even if coverage is found, the premiums charged are often unaffordable. Sometimes the individual may end up with a modified policy paying more because of their medical history or having to take a policy that excludes their pre existing conditions.

Are there things I can do to get healthcare coverage?

Here are some choices for obtaining health coverage. See if any apply to your situation.

(1). Employer-sponsored group health plan

(2). Join a professional organization (e.g. Chamber of Commerce)

(3). Individual health insurance

(4). State risk pool (if one exist in your state)

(5). Discount health cards

(6). Guaranteed Issue Health Insurance

Whether covered by insurance or by some other means, the total cost of health insurance for someone with pre existing conditions is high enough to dramatically impact that person’s lifestyle.

Today it is important for all of us to lead a healthy lifestyle. However, if you already have a preexisting condition that is keeping you from getting affordable health coverage, you should investigate the 6 options listed above to see which would work best for you.

As the political campaigns heat up this summer, health insurance is being discussed more and more. When one looks at the health insurance situation in the country, it is easy to see why this has become a significant issue.

All you need to do is take a quick look at some health insurance statistics to get an idea of why it has been moving more and more to center stage as a political issue. Health care has become a major concern of many Americans. The big problem has been the rising cost. Health care costs are rising at a rate of 6.9% which is double the National inflation rate. Almost $2 Trillion dollars was spent in 2005 on health care, which amounts to almost $6,700 per person. It also accounted for 16% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

It is estimated that by 2015, this will double to $4 trillion dollars and will account for as much as 20% of the GDP. How has this impacted health insurance? The health insurance policy is a basic contract between an individual and an Insurance company. The company receives a premium from a large number of individuals and in return pays the health care costs of those who are sick. In short, the idea is that everyone throws in a little bit of money, and the few that get sick are taken care of by the payments of those who remain healthy.

This system peaked in the 20th Century and at one time, health insurance was something available to most people and at a price they could afford. The Insurance companies invested the premiums wisely and they made a profit. The individual had virtually no worries about health care. They were insured and if they became sick, their medical bills would be paid. The cost of this safety net was reasonable. However, when the health care costs began to raise, this balance changed. The Insurance companies needed to make sure they were solvent enough to meet their obligations, and as health care costs went up, health insurance premiums were forced to follow.

Now, health insurance costs to employers are on the rise. The average is 7.7% increase in the cost of providing health coverage to an employer. Smaller companies have seen rates rise 8.8% while the smallest ones, companies with less than 24 employees, have jumped 10.5%. This has meant that more and more of the cost must be borne by the employee. It now is costing an average of $11,500 per year to provide basic coverage to a family of four. Even a single person must put out around $4,200 a year.

The Health Insurance industry has taken much of the flack for this. They have tried to deal with the problems in many creative ways. Exclusions and limited coverage have become the norm. Also, the basic insurance of our parents and grandparents that cast a complete safety net with few restrictions has become a thing of the past. Yet, still Insurance companies get a bad rap when it is really health care costs that are the culprit.