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Archive for November, 2009

Is it true that men file more insurance claims than women?

Posted on November 30th, 2009 in Insurance | Comments Off

We all know that there’s a war between sexes on who are better drivers, men or women? And as men are claiming to be far better at the wheel the statistics are actually on the opposite side. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Report dated 2004 notes men being involved in 27,000 more fatal accidents, 432,000 more injury accidents and 1,369,000 more incidents with damaged property, resulting in total 1,828,000 more insurance claims filed by men in 2004 only. And since then the trend hasn’t changed.

And it’s hard to tell that the most risky drivers – men younger than 25 years old – are contributing to these statistics. These are actually men of all age groups.

As an insurance agent from Ohio, Brad Vermillion has stated: “Men are more aggressive in their very nature and pursue a riskier attitude when driving a car. You see a man not wearing a seat belt, speeding and driving under influence far more often than a woman. The amount of miles driven throughout the lifetime is also quite higher with men than with women, which of course means a greater risk of being involved in a traffic accident and filing an insurance claim. The less you drive the safer you are.”

A righteous question rises consequently, whether do insurance companies take into account the statistics provided by the NHTSA and other organizations? “Insurers know about such statistics very well and they are reflected in their pricing guidelines,” stated Vermillion. “A man will always pay a higher auto insurance premium than a woman, even if he lives in a safe area and has a perfect driving and credit record.” Read the rest of this entry »

Your baby’s weight and insurance

Posted on November 30th, 2009 in Insurance | Comments Off

There’s a school of thought that says, “the number don’t lie”. The assumption is that numbers are facts and facts are always true. So if someone counts the number of times something happens, this gives you a basis from which to estimate the probability of the same thing happening across a population. This is the basis of underwriting for insurance purposes. Teams of highly trained people called actuaries count how many traffic accidents there are. They break it down into the age, make and model of car, the age, gender and profession of the driver, the time of day, the weather conditions, and so on. We happily accept information that, in the first half of 2009, only 16,626 people were killed in crashes, a 7% drop as against the same period last year. We are not surprised when we read this proves that there are 1.15 deaths per 100 million miles driven. The facts are facts and must be true. Read the rest of this entry »

You’re a freelancer? Get insured!

Posted on November 30th, 2009 in Insurance | Comments Off

When you’re working as a freelancer, you’re not only thinking about the orders you have to manage y to do. There’s a question hitting your mind day by day: how in the world can I get health coverage?

Of course, it will take some time and you will have to do some research in order to get yourself health coverage policy. As any other big decision, you will have to explore your options thoroughly, choosing the plan that fits best your and your family’s needs.

However, freelancers may take one of several ways when trying to get insurance coverage for their health.

1. Refer to Independent Agents

Seek and acquire health coverage quotes with the help of independent agents. You might wish to begin with agents from your local area, so that you might be sure of their abilities and probably even get answers to all of your questions in one meeting.

You can use the Internet alternatively. Rate quotes are easily obtainable on the Internet. This option permits you to research lots of plans all together. One of the most comprehensive places to start your searches with for a provider is The National Association of Health Underwriters.

2. Consider Joining a Group

If you join a writers’ guild or union, or an association of independent contractors, it will reveal some group insurance opportunities to you.

For example, The National Writers Union proffers certain options (in Canada it’s The Writers Union of Canada).

Another alternative is the National Association for the Self Employed that proffers free quotes to their members. Some also advise joining AvantGuild at Media Bistro. You can also consider the Author’s Guild – it offers reduced insurance for issued authors in chosen states. Read the rest of this entry »