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Earthquake Insurance in California

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:17:44 +0000

As the water began to drain from New Orleans in 2005, we learned that most of the homeowners in New Orleans did not have flood insurance, since they were supposedly in “low risk” areas. The over 60% of homeowners will need to depend upon their own savings, and limited federal assistance, to rebuild New Orleans – at an uncalculated cost for homeowners and taxpayers.

Could that level of disaster, especially that level of uninsured disaster, happen in California? Less than 15% of California homeowners currently carry earthquake insurance, due to its high cost, the “can’t happen to me or my house” factor, and mortgage providers not requiring coverage. The next big quake will result in billions of uninsured damage – but is earthquake insurance really worth the high cost?

How Did We Get Here?

The state of California requires that all homeowner’s insurance providers to at least offer earthquake insurance (albeit, at a high cost). Until 1994, it was widely available – but the high damage costs of the Northridge earthquake resulted in 97% of homeowner’s insurance providers pulling out of the state the California. In response, the California Earthquake Authority was formed by the California legislator to provide earthquake insurance.

What Is the California Earthquake Authority, and How Does It Work?

The California Earthquake Authority provides two-thirds of the earthquake policies in California, sold through their member providers, like Allstate and State Farm. A homeowner purchases the policy through their regular insurance agent, but the policy is actually a CEA policy.

The CEA currently has about $7.2 billion to pay claims, which it states is enough to pay foreseeable damages (Loma Prieta in 1989 had $6 billion in total damages). If the damage claims are more than $7.2 billion, then each claim would be paid a prorated portion of their losses – unlike a regular insurance company, which promises to pay the actual damages under the insurance policy. The state of California cannot help pay the claims out of general funds.

The policies also have a high deductible – usually 15% of the value of the dwelling. In other words, your home must be damaged more than 15% of its value before the insurance starts paying. So, this insurance is not for cracks in the driveway – it is for significant structural damage to your home. The policy also pays for limited contents (starting at $5K) and loss of use (starting at $1500).

Why Is Earthquake Insurance So Expensive?

Insurance policy premiums are calculated based on probabilities – the probability that a house like yours in a neighborhood like yours will catch fire, or a driver like you will have an accident. With data from millions of homes, these probabilities can be calculated with reasonable accuracy. But, no one can reliably predict the probability that there will be an earthquake strong enough to damage your home.

And, as you can imagine, damages from an earthquake, flood, or hurricane, are widespread, over potentially thousands of square miles – instead of one or a few dozen homes, as in a fire. As such, the insurer would have to pay either zero claims, or billions of dollars of claims – too much variance to reasonably plan for or price accurately.

Are We Really At Risk Here in San Jose?

According to the USGS, there is a 62% probability that there will be an earthquake of 6.7 or greater (like the Northridge quake) in the Bay Area in the next 30 years. In my zip code (San Jose 95126), USGS calculates a 80% chance of a 6.0 earthquake and a 20% chance of a 7.0, in the next 30 years. Whether you consider that to be a high risk depends on your risk tolerance for earthquakes – I consider that a high risk of a moderate earthquake and a somewhat low risk of a terrible earthquake, over the next 30 years.

But like any issue involving real estate – it is all local. Where your home is actually located significantly affects your risk – bedrock, reclaimed land from the bay, soil type, nearby streams, actual distance from the epicenter – all can affect potential damage.

But of course, many earthquakes occur where the USGS was not even aware of a fault line – and we never know when or where it will happen, until it happens.

Should I Obtain Earthquake Insurance?

Factors to Consider:
Could you afford to pay for the rebuilding your home from your own savings & investments? Can you afford to pay the high cost of insurance, indefinitely? Could make payments on your current mortgage and on a new loan to rebuild? Can you mitigate your potential losses by bolting your roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation, for example? What is your tolerance for the risk of an earthquake? What is the risks of your current home construction (type, age, foundation)? What are the risks of your specific location (soil type, distance to known faults)?

Are the Costs Worth It?

Let’s assume that you have a home that would cost $250K to rebuild, you will own the home for the next 30 years, and your earthquake premiums are $1200 per year. Over the next 30 years, that would be a total of $36,000 in premiums (assuming your premiums do not increase, to simplify calculations).

Instead of purchasing insurance, you invest the premiums in a diversified mutual fund. With an 8% annual return, you would have $135,000 (pre-tax) in year 30.* But of course, you only have that total in year 30, not in year one – meaning that if the earthquake happens tomorrow, you don’t have the money.

The deductible is another big turn off for many homeowners. The insurance pays only for large structural damage, not broken dishes or cracked driveways – meaning that it is less likely you will use it. However, be aware that you will not need to come up with the cash for the deductible – you may either opt to not undertake those repair or rebuilding costs, or you can apply for an SBA loan to pay for the deductible (assuming a federal disaster area is declared).

Why Not Just Get Federal Aid, or “Walk Away” and Let the Bank Have the Property?

The federal government would probably provide access to SBA loans, if the area is declared a federal disaster area (no small business required). However, the $200K maximum SBA loan may not be enough to rebuild your home – and, it is a loan that you need to pay back (in addition to your current mortgage).

If you have refinanced your mortgage, you have a recourse mortgage – which means that not only can the bank foreclose on the property in case of non-payment, the bank can also come after your personal assets and future income in case of non-payment. So you cannot just walk away, especially if you have a good income and some personal assets. The bank may help out by deferring payments for a few months, but you still must pay back the loan.

Last Thoughts

We have earthquake insurance on our home. Our home was not yet built in the 1906 earthquake (so who knows if it would stand), it is 75+ years old and is not bolted to the foundation, and we have a refinanced mortgage. For my family, the insurance premiums are worth peace of mind in case of a major earthquake disaster. That’s exactly what insurance is for – the “you never know.”

*calculations ignore inflation

By: Elizabeth Potts Weinstein

Home Insurance Claims – Tips For Filing And Winning

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:59:25 +0000

The process of filing home insurance claims can mean only one thing, you have suffered a loss of some sort. Now the work begins. Acquiring home insurance is easy, with the help of your insurance agent or broker. Obtaining a quote and policy activation can happen very quickly. However, things do not go quite so smoothly when you try to file a claim on your home insurance. It can be in some cases, be shocking at how your once accommodating agent can all of a sudden seem a bit jumpy upon hearing the word “claim” mentioned.

A best case scenario is, the claim form is completed and the insurance adjuster has viewed the damage and assessed the claim as appropriate, then it is just a matter of waiting for the check to arrive from the insurance company, which is usually a reasonably smooth procedure.

However, winning a home insurance claim is not always so straightforward. The insurance company will be looking to find ways to throw out your claim in some cases. The main reasons they will use to reject your claim are that you are not adequately covered, your time period for filing has expired or that what you are asking for exceeds the claimable amount as detailed on your policy.

For these reasons, it is essential that you understand exactly what your policy states and covers. The policy itself is a binding agreement between you and your insurance company. You should read all the fine print and know exactly what you are covered for and what deductibles and exclusions exist. It is extremely important that anything you don’t understand and any questions you have to ask be brought up at the time of taking out your policy.

Here are some tips to help you win a home insurance claim. First of all, evaluate your claim situation. Is this claim your first within the initial two or three years of the policy? If the answer to this question is yes, then ask yourself about the harm done to your property. Is your home vastly damaged? If you do not consider the damage to be great, it may well be better not to make a small claim at all. Lets face it, you never know what’s around the corner and you may be wise to save your insurance claim in order to declare something bigger in the future. Insurers are less likely to grant many small claims for damages than one large one.

Following an incident where losses or damages have taken place, you should call your agent to make a report and ask him to forward a claim form to you. Absolutely be able to document all items and property damaged or lost. Make sure you know how long you have to make the claim and where it should be submitted to once it is completed. Even if you are confident about filling in the claim form, make any queries you have in writing and take instruction and guidance from your agent. Ensure you do it right and you will be safe in the knowledge that everything is documented as it should be.

You can expect a successful result if you submit your filing in a timely manner before expiration. Your knowledge of the terms and conditions of the coverage you have in your policy will play a huge part in you filing a accurate claim, this can not be over emphasized. If you are really not happy with the insurance claims adjusters assessment, you may want to consult/hire a independent private claims adjuster. You have that right. All in all as the homeowner, don’t give up if your if your claim is disputed, you have to stay on top of your policy terms and sometimes insurance companies as well to be win home insurance claims.

By: Rhonda Strump

Insurance Industry Must Revolutionize To Survive

admin — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 21:00:23 +0000

People are not as stupid as they used to be. The hard sell no longer works. People understand the sales process better and they demand value for their money. The Internet age is taking its toll on the dinosaurs who are still in the information age and think that sales is a numbers game. The world is now in the communication age and sales are on auto-pilot.

Thankfully for everyone else in the business of offering consumers investment options, insurance agents are being trained the same way in this post-Internet period as they were in the pre-Internet period. The Internet has changed the game drastically and so too the insurance industry needs to change drastically if it is to survive.

At many insurance companies the recruitment and training process remains obsolete. Trainees are told that for every no they get, a yes draws closer. They are told that they need to develop tough skin and be prepared for any rough treatment that may come their way. The truth that fortunately they don’t seem to know yet is that bad treatment is a symptom of a poor sales strategy.

The insurance agent who applies traditional sales tactics on the most non-traditional sales prospects – which most people with buying power are fast becoming thanks to the Internet – will meet with bitter rejection. A “no” is bad in itself but the type of disdain that will make the prospect never want to buy anything of any kind from the seller again will also sink in.

People know that when they are asked about their families, birthdays and to hand over other “joyful” information, the sales person is just collecting data that would help the seller to sell. In most circles that would be viewed as despicably low. Offering to perform oral sex on the prospect might yield better results.

The new and only way to effectively sell anything in this day and age is to set up a system that allows people to buy preferably automatically. This does not have to be an e-commerce store although that would indeed help. The secret is to make one’s offer easy to find and aim to be at the top of the search results. This does not necessarily have anything to do with search engines. Looking at the bigger picture, what it means is that buyers – potential customers – are now in pull mode. One needs to find out where they are looking and place oneself there attractively but unobtrusively.

By: Aleem Khan

Florida Health Insurance

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:21:22 +0000

Florida health insurance that meets your health care needs is very essential. Over the past few years, the cost of Florida health insurance is on the rise. Because of the high cost, the number of uninsured in Florida continues to rise. The state government and certain non-profit organizations in Florida have taken efforts to reduce the cost of health insurance so as to provide medical care to those people who need it most.

Florida health insurance is for individuals as well as groups. It not only protects you, but also provides access to quality heath care services. Health insurance in Florida provides medical coverage to children up to age of 19, pregnant women, self employed individuals, and families. In Florida, the rate for health insurance varies significantly from one insurance company to another. You can save time as well as money by comparing the different health insurance plans in Florida.

In Florida, a wide range of health insurance plans are available to choose from. Most of them provide benefits such as the cost of medicine, prescriptions, doctor visits and hospital stays. The types of health insurance plans available in Florida include individual health insurance, small group health insurance including health savings accounts (HSA) and health reimbursement accounts (HRA); large group health insurance, and temporary health insurance.

To qualify for individual health insurance in Florida, you have to undergo a medical exam. If you qualify for a health insurance plan, then you have to pay the premium, based on your age and medical history. Individual health insurance plan in Florida is cheaper than group health insurance.

Finding an affordable Florida health insurance is time consuming. To find one seek the help of an insurance agent or an insurance broker. There are several websites that help to find the best health insurance plan in Florida. Florida-health-insurance.com and eHealthinsurance.com are some websites. Vista, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc., United Healthcare, and Humana Health Insurance Company are some of the leading companies that offer health insurance in Florida.

By: Kristy Annely

Insurance Claims – Notify the Insurance Company!

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:27:08 +0000

Seems sort of obvious, doesn’t it? But, there are different ways to notify the company that you’ve had a loss. And when you notify the insurance company can make a big difference in how your claim is handled.

The first place to look for information is on your policy. Many policies will have a telephone number listed for reporting a claim. However, I’ve seen policies that require the policyholder to notify the company in writing. So, make sure that the method of reporting your claim is acceptable to the insurance company. Likely, your agent has his name and telephone number on the policy. If so, call him and report the loss also.

Sometimes, an agent will have settlement authority to handle small losses, such as homeowner’s losses under $2,000.00. In that kind of instance, the agent could handle the claim for you. I’ve found this situation to be rare, though. Occasionally, captive agents (agents that work for only one company, like Allstate, Nationwide or Liberty Mutual) will have a small amount of settlement authority.

The first thing you should remember is that the agent is licensed by the Department of Insurance in his state to be an agent. There is a separate license for claims adjusters. It’s actually a violation of insurance regulations for an agent to do claims adjusting. It’s not his job to handle your claim, but to assist you in buying the coverage that’s right for you. Agents can be very helpful by making calls on your behalf if you’re having problems in your claim. They can be helpful in finding out key names and phone numbers for insurance company personnel that are handling your claim. If the agent has a large number of policyholders with that company, and his clientele represents a large amount of premium to that insurance company, it can be very helpful to have the agent call on your behalf when you’re having problems.

After all, it’s all about customer service, and keeping the promises made in the insurance policy.

Sometimes, the agent or an office secretary/customer service representative will fill out a claim form (called an ACORD form), and submit the claim form to the insurance company on your behalf. In this age of the Internet, frequently the claim form is electronic, and the agent will submit the electronic form by computer.

If the agent notifies the company on your behalf, and uses some type of form, ask the agent to send you a copy of the completed form. Then, you’ll be certain that the claim was submitted, and the date the claim was submitted.

Many times, however, the agent will have to refer you to the claims department of the insurance company. Your policy may have a telephone number for the claims department listed on the policy, and instructions how to make a claim.

Your policy requires you to notify the insurance company “in a timely manner” after you’ve had a claim. What is timely? It varies policy to policy. But each state has statutes of limitation that limit the amount of time after a claim occurrence that a claim can be made. Check with your state’s Department of Insurance to determine the statute of limitation where you live…or where the loss occurred. You’ll find a list of all of the Insurance Departments of all 50 U.S. states and their phone numbers in the Appendix, and at the website address shown below.

For example: you live in Minnesota, and own a retirement home in Florida. The Florida house gets hit by a hurricane. The statutes for Florida would apply.

WARNING: If you wait more than a month after your loss to notify the insurance company, they will be instantly suspicious. In those cases, you should expect to receive one of two forms from the insurance company before they begin their investigation of the loss:

Non-Waiver Agreement. This basically states that the insurance company is going to do a thorough investigation of the claim, but that their investigation does not commit them to pay the claim. It states that they do not waive any of their rights under the policy, and that the insured does not waive any of his rights by cooperating with the investigation. The insurance company wants the insured to sign this form. However, if the Insured refuses to sign the form, the insurance company will send him a….

Reservation of Rights letter. This states basically the same thing as a Non-Waiver Agreement, but the Insured does not have to sign it.

Don’t forget to write in your claim journal the date, time, who you spoke with, the phone number you called, and what was said when you reported your claim. That information could be very valuable later if you have problems with your claim.

Most likely, you’ll receive a claim number from the company when you report the loss. Write the claim number in your journal!!! Don’t expect the insurance company to quickly send you a form that has the claim number on it. Sometimes, it may be many days before the claims department sends you any correspondence, and you will likely need to speak with them before then.

WARNING: What about a situation in which someone else is at fault, and you’re making a claim against the other person’s insurance company? This could happen in an auto accident, or if someone causes damage to your house, or your contents. EVEN IN THIS SITUATION, you must notify your own insurance company that you’re involved in a claim.

The reason is that third party claims don’t always turn out well for you, the claimant. Sometimes, the other person’s insurance company denies liability or denies coverage. Sometimes, the other person’s insurance company drags the process out. Sometimes, the other person’s insurance company makes a settlement offer far below the fair value of the claim. Months may pass, and you have suffered a financial loss that is not getting paid.

What if you, or someone in your family, is injured in the claim…and the other guy’s insurance company won’t accept liability?

Those things might occur weeks or months after a loss. In many cases, you can short-cut that process and make a claim against your own insurance policy to repair the damages. Then your insurance company will do something called “Subrogation.” That is, they will pay your claim, and then contact the other person’s insurance company and demand reimbursement, including your deductible.

So, if you don’t report your claim right away, the policy might allow that insurance company to deny your claim based upon late reporting.

Besides, your policy REQUIRES you to notify the insurance company “promptly” after you have a loss of covered property. That requirement is there no matter who is at fault for the damages.

Don’t get caught in this technicality! Don’t lose your right to collect what you deserve when you notify the insurance company.

By: Russell Longcore

Auto Insurance Calculator – The Best Tool

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:34:21 +0000

It is true that if you want to save money on auto insurance, the internet is the fastest and easiest way to go about it. Learn how to effectively shop for the right car insurance deal and get the most affordable rates in seconds. It is very true that a lot of people do not know how much insurance protection they have on their automobiles.

A lot of people also have doubts concerning the outcome from their auto insurance companies if there is an accident and the cars involved are damaged and people in the cars are injured. These issues can be very disturbing and costly with high chances of going to the law courts to settle problems. The lack of complete information on the quality of coverage is due to the fact that many car insurance customers simply buy the policies that were first suggested to them by their insurance agent.

It is true that a lot of people now use the auto insurance online calculator when shopping for the best coverage for the automobiles. This tool makes it so easy for vehicle insurance shoppers to get the right coverage that they need at the right price.

Note that an online car insurance calculator is simply a web tool or portal that asks some few and very important questions about the car owner. These questions highlight your automobile insurance needs and when you are done answering them; you will be given a well calculated amount of protection to buy at the right price.

This tool or web portal is very good at giving you the basic idea of your insurance need but it is important that you know that the figures you get are estimates. If your protection need is very unique, the estimate may not completely fit in. At this point, you need to use the free consultation services of auto insurance agents by simply speaking with one. Get more using an automobile insurance calculator and using free professional consultation services online.

Where To Start?

By: Iyke Phelim

Auto Insurance For Your Kids

admin — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:31:37 +0000

Auto insurance can be very expensive for young drivers. Parents are often worried (with good reason) when a young adult reaches driving age. Here are some things that can help manage the risk and cost.

My opinion is that a young driver should generally not be given a car and insurance without cost or obligation. If the young adult has to work or make a significant household contribution they may have more respect for the privilege being granted. It could also be helpful to have a written agreement about your rules for granting driving privileges. In most states a parent can withdraw permission for the young adult’s driver’s license. This should be considered if the young driver shows recklessness. Many insurance companies have a young driver’s safety program. Your agent may have information on this. Your insurance agent may also be willing to consult with the new driver about how the family’s policy will be affected by an accident or ticket for the new driver. To help keep costs down it is very important for the new driver to avoid tickets or accidents. A couple tickets or accidents could result in the entire family’s auto policy costs to be extremely high!

The largest factor to holding down a young drivers insurance cost is to have liability insurance only on the new driver’s vehicle. That would only be advisable if the cash value of the young persons vehicle is low and you can afford the cost of losing it. The type of vehicle driven can also make a significant difference. (In general the type of car the young adult doesn’t want will have the lowest insurance cost, for example a station wagon vs. a high performance sports car.) Most insurance companies give a discount if the new driver completes an approved safety course. There may also be a good student discount. Check with your insurance agent about available young driver discounts. If the rate for adding the new driver doesn’t seem reasonable you may want to shop rates from different companies. One item that you should not skimp on is the amount of liability coverage. THE STATE MINIMUM IS NOT ENOUGH PROTECTION! Consult with your agent and be sure you and the new driver have enough coverage.

By: Glenn Lamb