Insurance

Insurance

In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the insurance; an insured, or policyholder, is the person or entity buying the insurance policy. The insurance rate is a factor used to determine the amount to be charged for a certain amount of insurance coverage, called the premium. Risk management, the practice of appraising and controlling risk, has evolved as a discrete field of study and practice.
The transaction involves the insured assuming a guaranteed and known relatively small loss in the form of payment to the insurer in exchange for the insurer’s promise to compensate (indemnify) the insured in the case of a financial (personal) loss. The insured receives a contract, called the insurance policy, which details the conditions and circumstances under which the insured will be financially compensated.

Principles
Insurance involves pooling funds from many insured entities (known as exposures) to pay for the losses that some may incur. The insured entities are therefore protected from risk for a fee, with the fee being dependent upon the frequency and severity of the event occurring. In order to be insurable, the risk insured against must meet certain characteristics in order to be an insurable risk. Insurance is a commercial enterprise and a major part of the financial services industry, but individual entities can also self-insure through saving money for possible future losses.[1]

Insurability
Risk which can be insured by private companies typically share seven common characteristics:[2]
Large number of similar exposure units: Since insurance operates through pooling resources, the majority of insurance policies are provided for individual members of large classes, allowing insurers to benefit from the law of large numbers in which predicted losses are similar to the actual losses. Exceptions include Lloyd’s of London, which is famous for insuring the life or health of actors, sports figures and other famous individuals. However, all exposures will have particular differences, which may lead to different premium rates.
Definite loss: The loss takes place at a known time, in a known place, and from a known cause. The classic example is death of an insured person on a life insurance policy. Fire, automobile accidents, and worker injuries may all easily meet this criterion. Other types of losses may only be definite in theory. Occupational disease, for instance, may involve prolonged exposure to injurious conditions where no specific time, place or cause is identifiable. Ideally, the time, place and cause of a loss should be clear enough that a reasonable person, with sufficient information, could objectively verify all three elements.
Accidental loss: The event that constitutes the trigger of a claim should be fortuitous, or at least outside the control of the beneficiary of the insurance. The loss should be pure, in the sense that it results from an event for which there is only the opportunity for cost. Events that contain speculative elements, such as ordinary business risks or even purchasing a lottery ticket, are generally not considered insurable.
Large loss: The size of the loss must be meaningful from the perspective of the insured. Insurance premiums need to cover both the expected cost of losses, plus the cost of issuing and administering the policy, adjusting losses, and supplying the capital needed to reasonably assure that the insurer will be able to pay claims. For small losses these latter costs may be several times the size of the expected cost of losses. There is hardly any point in paying such costs unless the protection offered has real value to a buyer.
Affordable premium: If the likelihood of an insured event is so high, or the cost of the event so large, that the resulting premium is large relative to the amount of protection offered, it is not likely that the insurance will be purchased, even if on offer. Further, as the accounting profession formally recognizes in financial accounting standards, the premium cannot be so large that there is not a reasonable chance of a significant loss to the insurer. If there is no such chance of loss, the transaction may have the form of insurance, but not the substance. (See the US Financial Accounting Standards Board standard number 113)
Calculable loss: There are two elements that must be at least estimable, if not formally calculable: the probability of loss, and the attendant cost. Probability of loss is generally an empirical exercise, while cost has more to do with the ability of a reasonable person in possession of a copy of the insurance policy and a proof of loss associated with a claim presented under that policy to make a reasonably definite and objective evaluation of the amount of the loss recoverable as a result of the claim.
Limited risk of catastrophically large losses: Insurable losses are ideally independent and non-catastrophic, meaning that the losses do not happen all at once and individual losses are not severe enough to bankrupt the insurer; insurers may prefer to limit their exposure to a loss from a single event to some small portion of their capital base. Capital constrains insurers’ ability to sell earthquake insurance as well as wind insurance in hurricane zones. In the US, flood risk is insured by the federal government. In commercial fire insurance it is possible to find single properties whose total exposed value is well in excess of any individual insurer’s capital constraint. Such properties are generally shared among several insurers, or are insured by a single insurer who syndicates the risk into the reinsurance market.

Legal
When a company insures an individual entity, there are basic legal requirements. Several commonly cited legal principles of insurance include:[3]
Indemnity – the insurance company indemnifies, or compensates, the insured in the case of certain losses only up to the insured’s interest.
Insurable interest – the insured typically must directly suffer from the loss. Insurable interest must exist whether property insurance or insurance on a person is involved. The concept requires that the insured have a “stake” in the loss or damage to the life or property insured. What that “stake” is will be determined by the kind of insurance involved and the nature of the property ownership or relationship between the persons.
Utmost good faith – the insured and the insurer are bound by a good faith bond of honesty and fairness. Material facts must be disclosed.
Contribution – insurers which have similar obligations to the insured contribute in the indemnification, according to some method.
Subrogation – the insurance company acquires legal rights to pursue recoveries on behalf of the insured; for example, the insurer may sue those liable for insured’s loss.
Causa proxima, or proximate cause – the cause of loss (the peril) must be covered under the insuring agreement of the policy, and the dominant cause must not be excluded
Mitigation – In case of any loss or casualty, the asset owner must attempt to keep the loss to a minimum, as if the asset was not insured.

Indemnification
Main article: Indemnity
To “indemnify” means to make whole again, or to be reinstated to the position that one was in, to the extent possible, prior to the happening of a specified event or peril. Accordingly, life insurance is generally not considered to be indemnity insurance, but rather “contingent” insurance (i.e., a claim arises on the occurrence of a specified event). There are generally two types of insurance contracts that seek to indemnify an insured:
an “indemnity” policy, and
a “pay on behalf” or “on behalf of”[4] policy.
The difference is significant on paper, but rarely material in practice.
An “indemnity” policy will never pay claims until the insured has paid out of pocket to some third party; for example, a visitor to your home slips on a floor that you left wet and sues you for $10,000 and wins. Under an “indemnity” policy the homeowner would have to come up with the $10,000 to pay for the visitor’s fall and then would be “indemnified” by the insurance carrier for the out of pocket costs (the $10,000).[4][5]
Under the same situation, a “pay on behalf” policy, the insurance carrier would pay the claim and the insured (the homeowner in the above example) would not be out of pocket for anything. Most modern liability insurance is written on the basis of “pay on behalf” language.[4]
An entity seeking to transfer risk (an individual, corporation, or association of any type, etc.) becomes the ‘insured’ party once risk is assumed by an ‘insurer’, the insuring party, by means of a contract, called an insurance policy. Generally, an insurance contract includes, at a minimum, the following elements: identification of participating parties (the insurer, the insured, the beneficiaries), the premium, the period of coverage, the particular loss event covered, the amount of coverage (i.e., the amount to be paid to the insured or beneficiary in the event of a loss), and exclusions (events not covered). An insured is thus said to be “indemnified” against the loss covered in the policy.
When insured parties experience a loss for a specified peril, the coverage entitles the policyholder to make a claim against the insurer for the covered amount of loss as specified by the policy. The fee paid by the insured to the insurer for assuming the risk is called the premium. Insurance premiums from many insureds are used to fund accounts reserved for later payment of claims — in theory for a relatively few claimants — and for overhead costs. So long as an insurer maintains adequate funds set aside for anticipated losses (called reserves), the remaining margin is an insurer’s profit.

cars insurance

Vehicle insurance (also known as auto insurance, gap insurance, car insurance, or motor insurance) is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom. The specific terms of vehicle insurance vary with legal regulations in each region.

In many jurisdictions it is compulsory to have vehicle insurance before using or keeping a motor vehicle on public roads. Most jurisdictions relate insurance to both the car and the driver, however the degree of each varies greatly.
Several jurisdictions have experimented with a “pay-as-you-drive” insurance plan which is paid through a gasoline tax (petrol tax). This would address issues of uninsured motorists and also charge based on the miles (kilometres) driven, which could theoretically increase the efficiency of the insurance, through streamlined collection.[1]

 

Australia
In South Australia, Third Party Personal insurance from the Motor Accident Commission is included in the licence registration fee for people over 17. A similar scheme applies in Western Australia.
In Victoria, Third Party Personal insurance from the Transport Accident Commission is similarly included, through a levy, in the vehicle registration fee.
In New South Wales, Compulsory Third Party Insurance (commonly known as CTP Insurance) is a mandatory requirement and each individual car must be insured or the vehicle will not be considered legal. Therefore, a motorist cannot drive the vehicle until it is insured. A ‘Green Slip,’[2] another name by which CTP Insurance is commonly known due to the colour of the pages which the form is printed on, must be obtained through one of the five licenced insurers in New South Wales. Suncorp and Allianz both hold two licences to issue CTP Greenslips – Suncorp under the GIO and AAMI licences and Allianz under the Allianz and CIC/Allianz licences. The remaining three licences to issue CTP Greenslips are held by QBE, Zurich and IAL – NRMA.
In Queensland, CTP is a mandatory part of registration for a vehicle. There is choice of insurer but price is government controlled in a tight band.
These state based third party insurance schemes usually cover only personal injury liability. Comprehensive vehicle insurance is sold separately to cover property damage and cover can be for events such as fire, theft, collision and other property damage.

Canada
Several Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec) provide a public auto insurance system while in the rest of the country insurance is provided privately. Basic auto insurance is mandatory throughout Canada with each province’s government determining which benefits are included as minimum required auto insurance coverage and which benefits are options available for those seeking additional coverage. Accident benefits coverage is mandatory everywhere except for Newfoundland and Labrador. All provinces in Canada have some form of no-fault insurance available to accident victims. The difference from province to province is the extent to which tort or no-fault is emphasized.[3] Typically, coverage against loss of or damage to the driver’s own vehicle is optional – one notable exception to this is in Saskatchewan, where SGI provides collision coverage (less than a $1000 deductible, such as a collision damage waiver) as part of its basic insurance policy. In Saskatchewan, residents have the option to have their auto insurance through a tort system but less than 0.5% of the population have taken this option.[3]

United Kingdom
In 1930, the UK government introduced a law that required every person who used a vehicle on the road to have at least third party personal injury insurance. Today, UK law is defined by the Road Traffic Act 1988, which was last modified in 1991. The Act requires that motorists either be insured, have a security, or have made a specified deposit (£500,000 as of 1991) with the Accountant General of the Supreme Court, against their liability for injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other persons’ property, resulting from use of a vehicle on a public road or in other public places.

It is an offence to use a car, or allow others to use it, without the insurance that satisfies the act whilst on the public highway (or public place Section 143(1)(a) RTA 1988 as amended 1991); however, no such legislation applies on private land.
Road Traffic Act Only Insurance differs from Third Party Only Insurance (detailed below) and is not often sold. It provides the very minimum cover to satisfy the requirements of the Act. For example Road Traffic Act Only Insurance has a limit of £1,000,000 for damage to third party property – third party only insurance typically has a greater limit for third party property damage.

The minimum level of insurance cover commonly available, and which satisfies the requirement of the Act, is called third party only insurance. The level of cover provided by Third party only insurance is basic, but does exceed the requirements of the act. This insurance covers any liability to third parties, but does not cover any other risks.

More commonly purchased is third party, fire and theft. This covers all third party liabilities and also covers the vehicle owner against the destruction of the vehicle by fire (whether malicious or due to a vehicle fault) and theft of the vehicle itself. It may or may not cover vandalism. This kind of insurance and the two preceding types do not cover damage to the vehicle caused by the driver or other hazards.

Comprehensive insurance covers all of the above and damage to the vehicle caused by the driver themselves, as well as vandalism and other risks. This is usually the most expensive type of insurance. For valuable cars, many insurers only offer comprehensive insurance.

Vehicles that are exempt from the requirement to be covered under the Act include those owned by certain councils and local authorities, national park authorities, education authorities, police authorities, fire authorities, health service bodies and security services.

The insurance certificate or cover note issued by the insurance company constitutes legal evidence that the vehicle specified on the document is insured. The law says that an authorised person, such as the police, may require a driver to produce an insurance certificate for inspection. If the driver cannot show the document immediately on request, and proof of insurance cannot be found by other means such as the Police National Computer, drivers are no longer issued a HORT/1. This was an order with seven days, as of midnight of the date of issue, to take a valid insurance certificate (and usually other driving documents as well) to a police station of the driver’s choice. Failure to produce an insurance certificate is an offence. The HORT/1 was commonly known – even by the issuing authorities when dealing with the public – as a “Producer”.

Insurance is more expensive in Northern Ireland than in other parts of the UK.[vague][citation needed]. In 2010 the cost of car insurance rose by an average of 33%.[12]

Most motorists in the UK are required to prominently display a vehicle licence (tax disc) on their vehicle when it is kept or driven on public roads. This helps to ensure that most people have adequate insurance on their vehicles because an insurance certificate must be produced when a disc is purchased, although the insurance must merely be valid at the time of purchase and not necessarily for the life of the tax disc.[13]

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau compensates the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced motorists. It also operates the Motor Insurance Database, which contains details of every insured vehicle in the country.

On 1 March 2011 the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg ruled that gender could no longer be used by insurers to set car insurance premiums. The new ruling will come into action from December 2012.[citation needed]

In June 2011 a new law known as Continuous Insurance Enforcement came into force in the UK meaning that a vehicle must have a valid insurance policy if it has a tax disc, whether or not it is kept on public roads and whether or not it is driven.[14] If the car is to be “laid up” for whatever reason, the tax disc must be surrendered and a SORN declaration completed to say that it is off the public roads.

insurance aviva deal

Get the Aviva deal We’re currently offering 20% off our car insurance – that’s 10 weeks’ worth of free cover! Available to new customers who have at least four years’ no claim discount on their existing car insurance policy* Car insurance from £203 – that’s all 10% of our customers pay** More than one vehicle? Get up to 1/3 off with our MultiCar policy when you add a second vehicle. We expect 20% of our customers to achieve the maximum saving when they add a second vehicle.*** Manage your policy online at MyPolicy. You can even print out your cover certificate online. Named drivers, on your policy, can earn their own no claims discounts. These can be used in the future if they take out their own Aviva car insurance. If you’re hit by an uninsured driver and it wasn’t your fault, your no claims discount won’t be lost and we will refund any excess you’ve had to pay.^ Add breakdown cover backed by RAC (optional). Get 20% off – that’s 10 weeks’ worth of free cover if you’re a new customer with a vehicle eight years old or under.

insurance cars,home,health,life

LIFE INSURANCE

People don’t generally look forward to getting life insurance but it doesn’t have to be a terrible or excruciating process.
InsuranceUSA.com streamlines the decision process and gives you a library of life insurance information designed to help you avoid mistakes and have a reasonable grasp on how life insurance functions. We think you should know as much as possible so you can make informed policy choices.

Unfortunately, while death is the most unpleasant of subjects, it is also the one certainty we all face. We all hope we can leave this life on our own terms but should the unimaginable happen, life insurance can help cushion death’s blow and ease the burden left on surviving loved ones. In this way, you can rest assured with peace-of-mind that your family members will be provided for after you’re gone.

That is the essential function of life insurance: protecting your family’s financial well-being in the event of your untimely demise.

When shopping for a life insurance policy, you will quickly find there are many different policies from which to choose. Different insurance companies often offer rates that differ greatly and it pays to shop carefully for the lowest premiums, excellent customer service, and a strong financial reputation.

You will want to take your family and personal situation in account. For example, if you have children who are grown and independent, you will not need to purchase as much coverage as if you have children who are still young and rely upon you. Also, if your spouse has a job and is generally financially strong, this could also mean you need less coverage.

You will want to carefully consider policy details and if possible you should purchase coverage for a 12-month period rather than month-to-month. Doing so allows you avoid fees.

Make sure you look into a cash-value policy which gives you opportunities to invest or borrow money. This can be a good alternative but more expensive to term-life, which simply pays out to your survivors when you die.

So what are you waiting for? InsuranceUSA.com is here to help you find the life insurance policy that best fits you and your personal situation while remaining affordable. Get started now and sleep well at night knowing your family and loved ones will be provided for no matter what happens!

insurance cars,home,health,life

HEALTH INSURANCE

As health insurance costs continue to soar it is becoming harder to find an affordable policy. InsuranceUSA.com can help you compare rates and find one best suited to your particular health needs and financial situation.
Health insurance can cost a lot, especially if you have a family but it can be even more devastating if you don’t have insurance. Almost half of all bankruptcies result from catastrophic medical expenses.

One possible solution is to obtain coverage through your employer’s group plan if they offer one. If that is not an option, there are a few things you should know when you’re shopping for your own policy.

First, even if you have coverage with your employer, it may not be enough so you may want to consider a supplemental plan to cover you in every situation. If you don’t have a group plan option, you can sometimes find coverage through an alumni association or even with your credit card company.

Be sure to find as much coverage as you can afford. It is especially beneficial if you can find a plan that covers preventative care and prescription drugs.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, if and when you do find an affordable health insurance policy, make sure you know which healthcare providers you can use. Health insurance providers should have a provider directory that you can browse to see if the doctor you want to use is in their network.

When you use InsuranceUSA.com, you get fast, easy quotes with side-by-side comparisons of the most important policy features. All you have to do is fill out a short online questionnaire that only takes a few minutes to complete. Once you submit your details, we’ll search over 100 health insurance providers and you can take as much time as you need to find the best policy at a price you can afford.

So what are you waiting for? By using InsuranceUSA.com you could save up to 20% on health insurance so just enter your zip code and gain peace-of-mind for you and your family!

 

insurance cars,home,health,life

CAR INSURANCE

One of the most important responsibilities of owning a vehicle is car insurance. All states require you have some way of proving you are financially responsible should you be found at fault in an accident. More than likely, you will required by law to at least carry your state’s minimum requirement of liability coverage.
You might think that with most states mandating minimum liability coverage that everyone would be insured, but many drivers don’t have any proof of financial responsibility. Suffice to say, without car insurance, you leave yourself open to lawsuits and possible financial ruin. Moreover, not having any or enough liability coverage is a huge legal risk that can bring about hefty fines and even jail time.

If you need to insure your vehicle or are looking to change insurance providers for some reason, you may feel intimidated by the maze of insurance choices out there. InsuranceUSA.com is designed to help you draw a straight line to a selection of car insurance quotes that make sense for you and your particular situation.

When shopping for insurance quotes, knowing exactly what kind of coverage you need is perhaps the most difficult part of the process. InsuranceUSA.com guides you with information and access to fast, free quotes 24/7 so the process of covering your vehicle is convenient and hassle-free.

We lay out everything you need to know about what kind of coverage you absolutely need and how much. We also explain other types of coverage you can purchase comprehensive, collision, uninsured/underinsured, and more. There’s also useful information on discounts you can obtain to lower your premiums and save you money.

By supplying some basic information such as your vehicle’s specifics, driving history, desired coverage, and more, we can easily and conveniently provide you with a number of quotes specifically tailored for you.

So what are you waiting for? Using InsuranceUSA.com means you could save considerably on car insurance and gain peace-of-mind knowing you and your vehicle are protected!

INSURANCE cars,home,health,life

HOME INSURANCE

If you’re looking to protect your home and belongings then InsuranceUSA.com is the way to go!
Home insurance is a requirement by mortgage lenders but it is also vital to homeowners in a number of ways.

For one, it protects all the structures on your property against damage and gives you the assurance that you will have enough money to repair your home or if it is damaged and deemed unlivable, home insurance companies will pay for you to rent a place or stay in a hotel room until repairs are finished.

Also, if any of your belongings are damaged or stolen, homeowners insurance will pay their replacement cost. Finally, it covers claims lobbied against you for injuries that happen on your property.

When searching for home insurance, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Your policy should cover the cost of your home and a little more in case you’re displaced by some catastrophe and need to relocate to a new location. Figure the actual cost, which takes into account your home’s purchase price and any depreciation versus replacement cost, which is how much it is to replace or fix your home at current levels.

Find out what kind of exclusions your policy contains. That way you know in which cases it will and will not pay for damages to your property. Always check exactly what is and isn’t covered by your policy. While it may cover things such as theft and fire, it most likely doesn’t protect you against damage from landslides or flood waters.

Lastly, be aware of your deductible and whether repairs are going to be affordable should the unthinkable happen.

Home insurance can be tailored to meet your specific situation and you can often save money by seeking out discounts as high as 15% for things such as simply bundling several insurance products from the same company or having a home security system.

By supplying some basic information such as your home’s specifics, location, desired coverage, and a few other important pieces of information, we can easily and conveniently match you to a number of quotes specifically tailored for you.

Using InsuranceUSA.com to find home insurance is the first step in ensuring your home is protected. So, don’t delay any longer, simply enter your zip code and get started today!