Entries from InsWeb’s Insurance Blog | Auto, Home, Life, Health, and more tagged with 'InsWeb Insurance Blog'
Protecting Your Home During the Holiday Season
December is simply one of the most dangerous times for homeowners. Celebrations with cooking, candles, Christmas trees, holiday lights and alcohol foster conditions for a plethora of unfortunate events. Even more, burglars are looking to take advantage of easy targets: households that are clearly on vacation, or better yet, decorations that scream "WE HAVE GIFTS INSIDE!" Ensure your joyous holiday...
Do You Winterize Your Home?
Winter officially begins on December 21, but shorter days and dropping temperatures have already started. Simply ask residents of Buffalo, New York who witnessed an unseasonably early snowfall in mid-October. Interestingly, meteorologists at the NOAA Climate Prediction Center expect a winter that is 8% cooler than last year's. Although the outlook does not warn of disaster-like conditions, history has demonstrated...
Expecting To Gain Those Holiday Pounds?
In a matter of days, the holiday season will return, and all those extra calories will once again propagate every corner of our lives, just like the seasonal decorations overtake the crowded malls. If during this time, you become a Jekyll-and-Hyde with uncontrollable snacking -- wielding a 6-week license to feast, remember that your holiday pounds can easily tip you...
Declining Home Values and Homeowners Insurance
As the housing market slows, and home prices begin to drop, homeowners should not be fooled into thinking that they should automatically reduce their current amount of homeowners insurance coverage. The amount of coverage a home owner needs is based on the replacement value of the home, not its fair market value; therefore, fluctuations in the housing market do...
How Smokers Can Get Affordable Term Life Insurance
Often times smokers underestimate their potential for obtaining term life insurance at affordable prices, let alone adequate coverage levels. Although smokers indeed pay more for term life insurance, there is generally a unique policy for almost every budget, every lifestyle, and every stage of life. For smokers though, the need for comparison shopping for the best policy is everything,...
Insurance and Your Credit Report
Insurance companies use several factors to determine your premiums, including your driving record, age, the type of car you drive, marital status, and your address. But increasingly, companies are using your credit history as an indicator of how likely you are to file a claim. Called an insurance risk score, this controversial number is calculated using a special formula similar...
Preparing for Fall and Winter Driving
Fall is upon us once again and it is time to go through my yearly routine of preparing my vehicle and self for the winter driving months. I have lived in several climates in my lifetime and learned that preparation for the winter driving season is important in all of my living locations. Below is a list of tasks/items I...
Top 10 Money Saving Tips for Term Life Insurance
As Life Insurance Awareness Month is coming to an end, we thought it would be appropriate to share our Top 10 Money Saving Tips for Term Life Insurance. 1. Buy when you're young Many people may feel they don't need life insurance when they are young. While your financial needs may be lower at a younger age, the rates...
Driver Cell Phone Usage on the Rise
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) came out with an interesting report earlier in the year which addressed the increasing usage of cell phones in cars. The report states that driver cell phone usage increased in 2005, with 6% of drivers on hand-held phones in 2005 nationwide, compared to 5% in 2004. The 2005 rate translates into 974,000 vehicles...
No More Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving In California
California's governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed a bill this week that will ban drivers in the biggest U.S. state from talking on hand-held cell phones will driving. The ban will go into effect in July of 2008. From the first day of July day on, the law will allow drivers to talk on cell phones as long as they use...
Why It's Critical To Maintain A Current Home Inventory
Nobody ever thinks a fire is going to burn down their home, and with any luck, it won't. But we can't count on that. That is why we need to take certain precautions to make sure we are as prepared as possible for those "just in case" disasters. For example, make sure your family has an evacuation plan in...
September Is Life Insurance Awareness Month. Ice Skater Scott Hamilton is 2006 Spokesperson!
According to The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE), "Life Insurance Awareness Month was created in response to growing concern about the large number of Americans who lack adequate life insurance protection. According to LIMRA, 68 million adult Americans have no life insurance. Those who own life insurance have an average of four times their annual income...
Sharing the Road with Motorcyclists: 10 Things People in Cars Should Know About Motorcycles
On busy travel weekends such as this last Labor Day weekend, millions of drivers succumb to the grinding halt of getting in and out of town. An hour or two into the frustrating stop-and-go ordeal, it's those darn motorcycles that never seem to be affected by the collective cattle run! While you're effectively going nowhere, you see them moving along...
Term Life Insurance That Pays You For Living: Return Of Premium Policies Explained
In recent years, InsWeb has expanded its Term Life insurance marketplace to include alternate products that each offer their own benefits. One of these unique products is a Return of Premium Term Life insurance policy. Return of Premium (commonly known as ROP) policies, while a bit more costly, offer the benefit of returning your paid premiums if you are...
Homeowner Commonsense: Obvious Ways to Protect Against Theft
I am shocked and amazed when I walk around my suburban neighborhood. Garage doors left wide open without a homeowner in sight. Bikes are left in yards unattended too. I wonder, "Why would someone invite one to steal?" Maybe it's naiveté. Maybe they are among the many people who subscribe to "it won't happen to me." Or, maybe it's just...
Auto Insurance and Staged Auto Accidents
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Rise in U.S. Traffic Deaths Explained by Motorcycle and Pedestrian Fatalities
The Insurance Journal recently reported somber news in regards to a rise in U.S. traffic deaths. Specifically, the announcement stated that traffic deaths in the U.S. reached their highest levels since 1990. Interestingly, the increase in fatalities is attributed to an increase in motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities....
Protecting Possessions in College
As a follow-up to our recent discussion of students heading off to college and taking their valuable possessions with them, here are six time-tested tips that should be practiced by the young adults:...
One Year After Hurricane Katrina
I was just reading a special report conducted by the Red Cross to commemorate the one year "anniversary" (for lack of a better term, as anniversary usually has positive connotations) of Hurricane Katrina. Everywhere in the news today you will find then and now pictures, and it's amazing how much the City of New Orleans and other areas devastated by...
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