When concerning homeowners insurance, it’s important to shop around as soon as possible to avoid being caught in a jam in the event that your insurance company refuses to insure your home.

You have two options concerning comprehensive homeowners insurance: Guaranteed Replacement Cost Coverage & Straight Replacement Cost Coverage.  Guaranteed Replacement is not available everywhere, but is recommended if you can afford it as it pays to rebuild your home even if the amount to rebuild exceeds your policy limit.  Straight Replacement is a cheaper choice, but it is limited.  It will pay to rebuild your house in the event that it is destroyed, however it will only cover costs up to the policy amount - so if you choose this option, make sure to buy enough coverage to rebuild.

Source: http://www.realestateagent.com

Excess Flood Insurance coverage may currently be available but only in the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington.  In order to qualify for an Excess Flood Insurance Policy, you first need to purchase a National Flood Insurance Policy through Allstate.  Excess Flood Insurance is provided by one or more insurance carriers not owned by or affiliated with Allstate Insurance Company.  Excess Flood Insurance is subject to availability and qualifications.  Other terms, conditions and exclusions may apply.  Contact your local Allstate agent to find out whether Flood Insurance coverages are available in your area.

The availability, qualifications and amounts of these coverages and discounts may vary from state to state. In addition, other terms, conditions and exclusions not described above may apply, and total savings may vary depending on the coverages purchased. In some states, we may offer coverages and discounts that are not listed here. For more information regarding your eligibility for certain coverages and savings opportunities, please contact your Allstate agent.

Source: http://www.allstate.com

Sears usually goes to great lengths to hide the origin of proprietary products — those built by some other famous company but wearing a Sears brand. But there was no disguising the origins of the Allstate. It was, of course, the Sears version of Kaiser-Frazer’s compact Henry J.

Most people, however, got their first look at it in the ubiquitous Sears catalog, and many never actually saw a real one. With a total production run of about 2,400 units, Allstates weren’t exactly the most common automobiles on the road.

Theodore V. Houser, a Sears executive who also owned some Kaiser-Frazer stock, had been asking Henry Kaiser to build Sears a car since the west coast construction tycoon had entered the auto business in 1945. (This was not the first attempt by Sears to produce cars: a pretty little high-wheeler had carried the Sears name back in 1912.)

Houser and Kaiser had earlier collaborated when the latter’s steel mills produced pots and pans for Sears’ kitchenware department. Design renderings of early, slab-sided Kaiser-Frazer sedans with Allstate labels were completed, but nothing came of the idea until Kaiser-Frazer produced the Henry J, announced in early 1950 as a 1951 model.

The Henry J looked ideal to Sears because of its middle-class, economy-minded clientele, and Henry Kaiser agreed to produce a version for Sears. This decision caused dismay within the Kaiser-Frazer dealer organization, which fretted about competition from the giant department store and catalog merchandiser.

Henry’s son Edgar, Kaiser-Frazer’s president, was sent to mollify the dealers: Allstates would be produced in small quantities, he told them, and would be marketed mainly on a test basis in the southeast part of the country (where Kaiser-Frazer’s dealer network was notably sparse). The dealers remained unconvinced. As things turned out, Edgar was right.

Go to the next page to read about the Allstate’s styling and sales success (or lack thereof).

For more information on cars, see:Classic CarsMuscle CarsSports CarsConsumer Guide New Car SearchConsumer Guide Used Car Search

Source: http://auto.howstuffworks.com

Learn more about additional home insurance coverage

Provides affordable homeowners insurance coverage for high value items such as jewelry, watches, antiques and fine art.

Can pay up to an additional 20% of the home coverage limit if there is a total loss of your home – and additional money is needed to rebuild, which can be included in your home insurance rate

Pays to replace or repair personal property without depreciation being taken from the value of the property within your home insurance coverage.

Broadens the home insurance coverage for loss due to water backup through sewers or drains.

Pays for increased expense to rebuild due to current building codes or ordinances.

Source: http://www.nationwide.com

No Nonsense car insurance offers you a unique way of purchasing your car insurance. We ensure you have all the necessary legal cover to get you on the road and at the lowest cost possible . You then can take control of the add-ons and at each stage you can see exactly how your premium changes.

Take control of your car insurance today…

No Nonsense car insurance allows you the flexibility to..

You can choose from the following optional extras: GET AN INSTANT QUOTE FOR CHEAPER CAR INSURANCE NOW!

Please note limitations and exclusions may apply. Not all benefits apply to all policies. Please read the full policy documentation by clicking here .

Source: http://www.nononsense.ie

Been here before?

Retrieve your quote to view or change information and coverages, answer unfinished questions, or get your policy started!

You can retrieve a saved quote for up to 30 days.

Does it seem like insurance is more complicated than that maze of wires behind your desk? You’re not alone; many people find that getting the right insurance coverage is tricky, to say the least! We’ll help untangle the issues and answer your questions.

Just give us a call at 1-866-509-9444 for help with your business vehicle insurance.  

Our friendly, knowledgeable commercial insurance agents will answer your questions and help you get your free rate quote for a commercial auto insurance policy.

Or, if you’re the do-it-yourself type, get a commercial auto insurance quote online now. Not quite ready? At geico.com, we’ll help you learn more about commercial auto insurance , find out why GEICO is your best choice for commercial insurance, and discover the options to manage your account , 24/7!

We even make it painless to pay your insurance premium. Acceptable forms of payment include check, credit card, MoneyGram, and Western Union. Checks and credit cards are accepted online . Or, call 1-866-509-9444 to make payments by phone or set up automatic payments from your checking account or credit card.

You may pay your premium in full or on a 4, 6, 9, or 12-month plan. Learn more about our payment plans .

Running Your Business Is A Challenge; Getting Insurance Shouldn’t Be

As a business owner, you have lots of decisions to make every day. You don’t need to be tied up worrying about insurance. That’s why GEICO makes commercial insurance for your fleet as simple as pie — so that you can spend more time building your business and less time worrying about insurance.

Apply online now for your free commercial auto insurance quote .

GEICO is committed to protecting your privacy. GEICO uses techniques to encrypt, safeguard, and secure your personal information. Our Privacy Policy explains the controls we have in place. Our Security Policy explains how we protect your information on the Internet.

Coverage is underwritten by Government Employees Insurance Company.  In some cases coverage is provided through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. , either under an arrangement with National Indemnity Company (NICO), a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, or with non-affiliated insurance companies .  Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states.  Government Employees Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.  GEICO: Washington, DC 20076

Source: http://www.geico.com

Auto insurance in Ontario Regulated by the Ontario government, car insurance is standard in the industry. But insurance companies offer more beyond the basic auto insurance coverage required by Ontario law. They offer insurance options designed to enhance your automobile and accident coverage. You can customize your car insurance policy to ensure you’ve got the specific protection you need.

Ontario auto insurance law The law in Ontario requires that you insure your automobile for at least $200,000 Third Party Liability coverage. This is to cover injuries to any other person, or their property, when you’re the at-fault driver in a car accident. If you are involved in a serious auto accident though, $200,000 will not go very far to cover damages. It’s common to have $1 million or more of liability coverage. Remember - you’re responsible for any shortfall in coverage.

Ontario law also requires you carry Accidents Benefits coverage as part of your car insurance policy. Accident Benefits coverage provides for you and your family if you are injured or killed in an auto accident. Accident Benefits also may provide: payments to non-earners who are not able to carry on a normal life; payment of care expenses to persons who can no longer act as a primary caregiver for a member of their household; payment of medical, rehabilitation and attendant care expenses; payment of funeral expenses and payments to survivors of a person who is killed.

In Ontario, Direct Compensation- Property Damage coverage is also required to be included as part of your car insurance policy. This insurance provides coverage for damage to your car and any property inside the car, because of an automobile accident where you are not-at-fault.

Another required insurance coverage is called Uninsured Motorist. This portion of your automobile insurance policy provides coverage for you if you are in an accident with an at-fault, uninsured driver who is identified at the scene of the accident.

When you buy an auto insurance policy, you’ll receive a Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card - your “pink card”. This is proof that you have the required car insurance coverage. Your auto insurance is valid anywhere in Canada and the United States. It’s a good idea to carry your “pink card” with you at all times. You must produce it if a police officer requests it. You’ll also need to produce your “pink card” for the Ministry of Transportation. You’ll need to do this when you first register your auto, and each year when you renew your license plate sticker.

Ontario’s no-fault insurance - what is it? Ontario has a “no-fault” car insurance system. But this doesn’t mean that no one is at-fault in an accident. “No-fault” insurance means if you are injured or your car is damaged in an accident, then you deal with your own insurance company, regardless of who is at-fault. You don’t have to go after the at-fault driver for compensation.

Similarly, if passengers in your car are injured, then each passenger who has a car insurance policy of their own will approach their own insurance company for benefits. If your passengers don’t have a car insurance policy of their own, then your insurance company may pay benefits to them. The driver of the other car involved in the accident will claim benefits from his or her own insurance company.

Someone is always “at-fault” in a car accident, whether partly or fully. The law requires insurance companies to assign the percentage of fault for each of the drivers involved in the accident. This is done by using the “Fault Determination Rules”. These rules, set out in a regulation under the Insurance Act, help insurance companies deal with accident claims quickly and economically. The Fault Determination Rules differ from any charges laid by the police under the Highway Traffic Act.

*38.12% of Kanetix customers in Ontario who participated in the survey said Kanetix helped them identify an average savings amount of $636.57 (July 25 - Aug 19, 2011) on their car insurance. The cited amount represents the average difference between the best quote obtained at www.kanetix.ca and the current premium amount of participants in the survey. The savings amount varies by individual and does not constitute a guarantee; in each individual case, the difference may be smaller or greater than the savings amount cited.

Source: http://www.kanetix.ca

Not only did Puffpaff question whether the insurer’s action was legal - which, it turns out, it is - but he also was upset because Allstate canceled his auto policies a half-dozen years ago after he filed three large claims.

“Every time I see their commercial I laugh about what they say, because I don’t believe a word … about (how) they take care of you and all that,” said Puffpaff, 61, a repair technician who lives in Charlotte. “They only want your money.”

This year, two of the most popular underwriters of homeowners insurance policies in North Carolina - Allstate and N.C. Farm Bureau - have adopted underwriting guidelines that link homeowners policies with auto policies across the state.

Both companies cite economics as the reason for their stance.

In the case of Allstate, if you don’t have an auto insurance policy from us, they’re telling customers, your homeowners policy won’t be renewed.

The Farm Bureau’s guidelines are slightly different, winnowing out those who don’t have a Farm Bureau auto policy and who also have filed a claim on their homeowners policies within the past five years.

Similarly, new Farm Bureau customers who want to buy a homeowners policy also will have to buy auto insurance.

Like many insurers, it also offers a discount for bundled policies.

The Farm Bureau also will “reconsider” renewing a homeowners policy if a customer wants to purchase an auto policy after being notified of the company’s new guidelines, said Steve Carroll, executive vice president and general manager at Raleigh-based Farm Bureau.

That’s not an option with Allstate, said spokesman Tracy Owens.

Allstate’s underwriting guidelines, which took effect at the beginning of the year, affect 46,000 homeowners policyholders; Farm Bureau’s guidelines, which take effect Jan. 1, will affect 28,000 homeowners policyholders, according to the companies. Policyholders are being notified about the new guidelines 60 to 90 days in advance of their policy renewal date.

Farm Bureau ranks third, with a 13.9 percent share, in the state’s homeowners insurance market, and Allstate ranks fourth with an 8.7 percent share, according to the state Insurance Department.

The department searched its database of consumer complaints at The News & Observer’s request and found it received 33 complaints about the policy linkage this year.

“The public should be protected from these kinds of strong-arm techniques,” wrote Samuel Crowell Jr. of Lexington.

“Can they do this just because we don’t have our car insurance with them?” wrote Victoria Shafer of Mooresville. “How is this fair?”

Fairness is a judgment call, but linking policies is considered legal in North Carolina.

Bob Mack, deputy commissioner of the Insurance Department’s property and casualty division, said state law doesn’t regulate underwriting guidelines - which spell out under what circumstances an insurer will sell you a policy - “provided it’s not discriminatory.”

Insurers have adopted similar underwriting guidelines in North Carolina in the past.

“It goes in cycles,” Mack said.

The policy linkage required by Farm Bureau and Allstate in North Carolina is one-way only.

Both companies are willing to provide your auto insurance even if you don’t have a homeowners policy with them.

That makes sense because auto insurance is viewed by the industry as an attractive business and homeowners insurance isn’t, Mack said.

“It’s a business decision that we’re doing this,” said the Farm Bureau’s Carroll.

“No insurance company likes to discontinue coverage.”

When it comes to homeowners insurance, “even in a good year … we’re lucky to break even,” Carroll said. This year, he said, hasn’t been a good year, with Hurricane Irene, the deadly tornadoes that tore through the state and a flurry of other storms.

“Weather patterns just seem to be more violent than they were 20 years ago,” he said.

Raising insurance premiums isn’t an option now. The state regulates homeowners insurance and imposes a cap on premiums.

Allstate spokesman John Heid said of the company’s underwriting guidelines: “Obviously, the decision was carefully considered. It’s the right decision that will help us remain financially strong for the customers and the communities we serve.”

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com

“We are losing market share and profitability is neither where it used to be, nor where we want it to be,” Riess is reported as saying, adding that the division must finally swing to profitable growth.

The company expects sales in the property insurance segment to increase to nearly EUR9.5 billion by 2014, in a stagnant market, Reiss adds.

Additionally, Reiss expects to reduce costs by two percentage points, but didn’t provide specific numbers, since he also expects premiums to grow at the same time. However, one percentage point equals about EUR70 million to EUR90 million, he adds.

The company also plans to cut jobs in the property insurance segment. It expects to eliminate 400 jobs out of 2,200 positions in the business within the next three years, the report says.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com

If you own expensive TVs, speakers or other home electronics, you may want to consider Personal Electronic Equipment Insurance. This type of coverage is broader than what a standard home insurance policy will cover for damage or loss, including those that take place during an installation on stereos, computer equipment, flat-screen TVs and audio equipment. Depending on the policy, it may even cover the repair and replacement of the items.

Scheduled Personal Property (SPP) is handled as a “floater” to your home insurance policy, and assigns specific value amounts to prized items like artwork, jewelry, expensive handbags, designer clothing and furs (You will need to hire a professional appraiser to assign a value to the items). A common misconception is that your homeowner’s insurance policy will take care of these items in the event that you have a fire, are a victim of theft or other disaster which destroys the valuable contents in your home. While that is true, the replacement limits covered under a standard policy are typically much lower than the value of the property that was lost or damaged. For example, a wedding ring lost in a fire might be replaced at a maximum amount of only $1,500, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Furthermore, SPP will cover valuables that are lost during travel, are accidentally misplaced, and even, wedding rings that slide down the drain.

You’ve probably heard of people arranging for burial plots before death, but you can also buy a burial insurance policy that will help cover the costs of your funeral. Burial insurance policies are typically sold through independent life insurance brokers, and in some cases, funeral homes. The premium is usually only a few dollars each week or month, and the payout is dependent on the age of the insured at the time of death (The policy will usually pay more the younger the insured is at the time of death). While it may sound morbid, having a financial plan for the costs to cover your death is a fact of life. According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, the average cost of a funeral in 2009 was $6,560.

No dog owner wants to think that his or her furry friend could harm another individual, but dog bites do happen. According to the Insurance Information Institute, “more than 50% of them happen on an owner’s property, and they account for one-third of all homeowner’s insurance liability claims.” While most homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies will cover dog bite liabilities we live in a litigious society, and laws vary by state around owner liability. If your dog bites a person and you are sued, standard coverage limits included in your existing policies may not be enough to protect your personal assets. To increase limits, you can purchase an umbrella liability policy, which will cover you above and beyond the liability coverage amounts in a standard insurance policy.

While most homeowner and renter’s insurance policies protect against natural disasters like fire, wind damage, hail and other perils, flood insurance doesn’t fall under the list of covered incidents. To secure protection against flood damage, you need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy.

A lot of money goes into having a wedding, including hiring vendors and paying upfront deposits in order to secure services well in advance of the big day. Wedding insurance is intended to cover any missteps that can happen when it comes to your wedding like replacing lost funds if the caterer you secured with a deposit stops returning calls, replacing item costs if your tailor ruins your custom-made dress during alterations, if the wedding gifts are damaged or you have to suddenly postpone the event due to death or illness. It is often sold through the same insurer you use for your homeowner’s, renter’s or auto insurance coverage.

Insurance is based on protection from the unknown. Whether it’s an unpredictable pet, prized possession or pending marital vows, make certain that you understand exactly what is covered in your current insurance policies to determine whether you may need to take on extra coverage, for financial peace of mind. (To read more on homeowners’ insurance, see The Beginner’s Guide To Homeowners’ Insurance.)

Original story - 6 Types Of Insurance Coverage You Didn’t Think You Needed

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Source: http://www.sfgate.com