Cheap Auto Insurance in Washington - WA

Auto insurance is one of the most important things money can buy. After saving up for that nice, new car, there has to be a way to make sure all those hard earned dollars don’t go down the drain. Especially in today’s economy, consumers are looking for the most practical buy they can find, while not settling for “state minimums.” Washington is a state of diverse terrain, speed limits that jump from low to high and wet climates; a nightmare for most looking to buy cost effective insurance. Following a few tips will help you put a few dollars in your pocket.
Washington is a median state when it comes to insurance premiums at an average of a 1.6 percent increase over a year’s time. The best way to find that magic number for a low premium is by comparison shopping; always easiest to do over the internet. Companies like progressive.com allow you to compare three quotes at once, letting you always know if you can get the best deal. If you would rather talk face-to-face with an insurance representative, Allstate Insurance is known for their great customer service and going the extra mile for each client.
A few things to note when deciding on an insurance company is familiarity with state specific laws, fines and speed limits. A new, and mostly overlooked, law in Washington State is the statewide ban on cell phone usage while driving. This law only became in effect in 2008 and is still ignored by most drivers, but can cost you a ticket. Also, keep in mind the strict DUI laws of this state, one offense and your license is gone for 90 days. Few insurance companies will even insure a driver with a DUI, much less give them a good deal on their premium.
Washington State is also known for its mountainous, icy/wet, traffic-induced roadways. This means it is a top state for accidents and careful driving is a must. Even if an accident is not your fault, your insurance company will likely still note it as an accident. Again, rates will go up.
Comparison shopping and abiding by the normal traffic laws will go a long way in keeping your insurance rates low. Most companies offer discounts to military, students and other organizations. That new car you worked so hard for will always stay looking its best if these tips are followed.

Ware Insurance Offers Online Insurance Interface

Ware Insurance has introduced an online client interface system. It is designed to enhance clients' access to policy and claim information, and helps in risk management, said the company.

Clients would have online access to a variety of data, including general coverage information, detailed data for commercial fleets and vehicles, billing data, claim documentation and online certificates.

Edwin Kellam, Jr., president of Ware Insurance, said: "This new product simply continues and extends our branding given today's high technology opportunities. Our team is excited to offer this to our current as well as new clients."

Ware Insurance provides insurance products and risk management services. The company cater to clients in industries such as manufacturing, construction, health care, marine, professional services, and hospitality in the US.

New Cheap Insurance Website Provides Rapid Insurance Rates and Insurance Quotes To The Public

Website Provides Rapid Insurance Rates and Insurance Quotes To The Public In our current economic climate, hundreds of thousands of hard working citizens are struggling to keep food on the table let alone pay for any type insurance. Whether the insurance be, auto insurance, health insurance, life insurance, business insurance, or home owners insurance- all are necessary and not one person should be left without it. Unfortunately, thousands of people are struggling to pay their insurance bills due to astronomical rates or hikes in their recent insurance premiums and insurance plans. Everyone and just about every business is hurting right now for money, which is why now is the time to take advantage of the very competitive insurance quotes, insurance rates, and insurance premiums that most insurance companies are providing along with additional insurance coverages for cheaper prices. The trick of it is- you need to know where to look to find these incredible insurance quotes, insurance rates and insurance premiums.

http://www.insurance-auto-insurance-health-insurance.com/

A recent study conducted amongst customers who purchased insurance in the past year revealed that more and more people are purchasing insurance online and not defaulting due to the astronomically cheap insurance rates provided by a select few, but very well connected, free online insurance quotes websites. These very well connected online insurance quotes websites are very hard to seek out through all the fierce competition in the insurance industries, but , today is your preverbal “luck day” as www.insurance-auto-insurance-health-insurance.com has just announced their pre launch of their new and exclusive free online insurance quotes website. www.insurance-auto-insurance-health-insurance.com is now providing some of the fastest and cheapest insurance quotes available on the internet in our current day in age. Do not miss out on saving up to 50 % off your existing insurance rates and insurance premiums now with this exclusive and rapid free online insurance quotes website. Take a few minutes out of your hectic day now, to ultimately save you and your family potentially thousands of dollars of your existing insurance rates and insurance premiums.
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Unemployment Mortgage Insurance Vs Disability Or Death Mortgage Insurance by Robert McKnight

Many questions exist about the different lines of mortgage protection insurance. Because of the growing number of home foreclosures and high unemployment, you are searching for more information about this type of insurance. Many wonder about the differences between the different types of mortgage protection insurance and which one is the best for them.
The real question many face is should you get unemployment mortgage insurance, disability or death mortgage insurance.

Unemployment Mortgage Insurance Explained
Unemployment mortgage insurance is for those who simply want protection in the event they lose their job. If you lose your job through no fault of your own, the mortgage unemployment insurance provider will pay you a cash benefit while you search for a new job.
The recent unemployment crisis in the U.S. has many people worried about the security of their job. You would not be crazy to be worried, nor would you be crazy to consider this type of mortgage protection insurance. While this type of insurance can be valuable to anyone who is the breadwinner for a family, it is suited more for the younger worker who needs the extra protection.

Disability Mortgage Insurance Explained
This type of insurance is designed to protect those who lose their job due to disability and are no longer able to pay their monthly mortgage. This can be a short-term disability or permanent disability. However, if you become permanently disabled, your disability insurance will only pay for a specified period of time. It depends on the policy how long that will be, though the more expensive policies will generally cover you for about three years worth of mortgage payments.
Disability mortgage insurance is very similar to other forms of mortgage insurance in that it covers your monthly mortgage payments due to a loss of employment. In fact, some unemployment mortgage policies will allow you to add disability coverage as a reason for unemployment and roll both into the same policy.
An accident or any other reason can result in your disability at any time, but as you age, the likelihood of becoming disabled increases. Because of this, disability insurance is generally more beneficial to older workers where the risk is higher.

Death Mortgage Insurance Explained
Death mortgage insurance is a little different from other forms of protection insurance. Death insurance will pay the entirety of your mortgage in the case of your death. It is designed to lessen the burden of your family and allow them to keep the home you have provided for them.
Similar to disability insurance, it can be beneficial to a worker of any age because of the chance of an accident or terminal illness. However, older workers are more likely to purchase this type of insurance because of the higher risk. You should consider that younger workers with families who have not yet built up their savings and investments are the prime beneficiaries of this type of protection in the case of an accident.

All three of these types of mortgage protection insurance can be beneficial to you if you want to add protection for your largest personal investment. You should examine your own situation to decide which type of coverage is best for you. Keep in mind though, unemployment insurance, disability mortgage insurance, and death mortgage insurance are not mutually exclusive and you can indeed seek complete protection with all three polices from some providers.
Be sure that you take the appropriate measures to protect yourself and your family should the unfortunate and the unforeseen happen. Get started finding mortgage protection insurance today!

How to File a Complaint Against an Insurance Company by Billings Farnsworth

If you live in the great state of New York and have had problems with an insurance company, broker, or agent, then you are entitled to file a complaint against that person or company and have your voice heard through an official way. It is important to understand that you have rights in this country and that if you have been mistreated or misled in one way or another, then you are certainly entitled to tell someone about that in an official manner and have your problem resolved.

The best way to file a complaint is to do it online through an Online Consumer Complaint form. This form will entitle you to a file number and confirmation code which tells you that you are officially on the list to have your case heard by someone with authority. In that complaint form it is very important for you to describe the complaint and situation in the best manner possible. Any evidence that you have about your problem must be submitted in this form and will be used as a part of your case. If you have documentation that shows the problem, then you must submit it with your complaint forms. Things such as pictures, documents and faxes are certainly considered good pieces of evidence for people to use when filing a complaint. You can either turn your form in online or you can mail or fax it to the people in charge. You can find all of those phone numbers online. It is, however, suggested that you file your complaint online because the process will be much faster on your end. This also saves you the time of physically mailing the complaint and the money that it will cost you to mail that complaint. It is also noted that files that complaints that are filed online receive immediate attention from the department and will be dealt with much quicker than those sent in the mail.

Like mentioned before, the complaint must be very detailed and include all of the information necessary. You must not only include all of your information but also all of the information of the person or company who mistreated you. If you are having a hard time figuring out how to write a proper complaint, you should ask someone you know to help you. Do not wait to file a complaint if you have been mistreated. File the complaint and then get a new insurance company.

The Steps of Filing an Insurance Claim - Part 1

The sad part of life is that accidents do happen and people do get hurt. If you are someone who was hurt in an accident, then you have the right to file an insurance claim and get the money you deserve from that accident. In doing so, there are a few things to keep in mind while filing because they can help you file the claim in an orderly and speedy process.

The first thing you want to do when filing a claim is to file it as soon as possible no matter how small or large the claim might be. Waiting around to file claims is not something you want to do because things can happen in the midst of that time and you may lose the chance to get the proper funding that you deserve. If you are involved in a car accident, for example, make sure to inform the insurance coming you are filing against right after the accident. This way you can save yourself a lot of time and stress in the process. These processes take a lot of time anyways, so the sooner you get started, the sooner you will see results.

Next, you want to make a very detailed list of exactly what happened. Take inventory of the things that were broken, stolen or damaged. Take pictures and file a police report of the accident so that there is a satisfactory entity that has record of the accident. You also want to take pictures of the other car and the damages that happened to it. Some people are sketchy and end up getting their car fixed almost overnight after an accident so that it looks they were never involved in an accident with you. That is also why you want to make sure and file a police report. You want to make sure that someone of authority has a detailed record of exactly what happened so you don't get scammed out of the money that you deserve.

You also want to make sure that you are constantly getting updates of what you are supposed to do in the situation. Insurance companies have a lot of people to deal with so they aren't always the best at telling people what to do step-by-step at the soonest time they know. That is why you need to take action and call the insurance people and find out what new updates they have available for you.

Auto Insurance Rate - Get the Best You Can Get

Are you looking for auto insurance rates that are going to make your day? Well, we all know that auto insurance can be a harsh thing to pay every month. The best places to find information on the lowest rates for an insurance company is to use the Internet. We all need a good insurance company that has good auto insurance rates and to find one you need to learn what to look for.

When it comes to looking for insurance for your automobile, you need to know that it will be a easy find online. You might find that insurance companies that have good rates needs you to have an excellent driving record in order to qualify. When you find an insurance company willing to give you a good rate, they might run credit to make sure you have a good score.

A lot of companies deal with your credit in order to find if you qualify for a small quote. When insurance companies provide the low rate, they may also have a reward program. Being in no accidents would be a great way to get a good rate.

When you search the Internet, look in the search engine for names of companies that you may have heard of before and visit their website to get a free quote. Rates always have a tendency to go up with a bad driving record, which means make sure you're careful with your driving.

To get auto insurance rates that are cheap, you need to find a company that's not going to push those high rates on you instead of low rates. When you apply with them, you need to always check to see about the hidden fees they have or want to take on after purchasing. The quote you get from the auto insurance company you think has low rates needs to keep those low rates all the time.

Temporary Car Insurance - When Annual Cover is Too Long

Pretty much everyone seems to be able to drive these days and anyone that drives usually has a car at some point. Due to the fact that having car insurance is compulsory if you want to take a vehicle out on the highway most of us have some experience buying this product. Its not something that many of us particularly enjoy spending our money on but its the law so we grit our teeth and hand over our cash.

The funny thing is that everyone always buys annual cover for their vehicle and never questions whether there are any other options. The reason for this is that a year seems like quite a convenient amount of time between having to search for new quotes and a year between payments makes it a little easier to take. But what if we had need for a policy that lasted for a shorter time period?

For people who need such a thing there is temporary car insurance which allows you to choose a short time period of perhaps just a single day to a month when you can insure a car. You might wonder what the use is of such a short term car insurance but you would be surprised at the number of people who make use of this product.

If you don't own a car but want to take a holiday in a friends vehicle then getting temporary insurance for a couple of weeks could be just what you need giving both you and your friend peace of mind while you take the trip. It can also come in handy if you want to pick up a vehicle you have just purchased but that you don't want cover for until you sell your current vehicle.

Whatever the reason, if you need short-term cat insurance you will find plenty of companies who offer such a service by doing a quick search on the Internet. Just ensure you get a few quotes to get the best price.

Cheap Car Insurance For Young Drivers - What You Need to Know

The day a child is old enough to drive is a day that every parent dreads. As if the stress of the learning process wasn't enough, there is even more stress in the form of financial burden. Since you are required by law to buy car insurance for your teen (or have them pay for it), and teen car insurance is extremely expensive, you will be stressed in more ways than one.

The reason this cost is so high is because of the risk that a young driver incurs. Insurance companies price their policies based on the expected risk of the driver, and due to their inexperience, young drivers are a greater risk of getting in an accident. This is a distressing fact, both from a safety and a financial perspective, but there are ways of getting better rates on your teen's car insurance.

One of the most important things you can do to save money on teen car insurance is to make sure you have the right car. If your child is driving around a late model Corvette, or any other high performance car, expect to pay through the nose for the privilege of insuring it. These cars are also more dangerous for your child to operate anyways, so they are best avoided as much as possible. Another key to keep your teen on your own insurance policy. Even if they are paying their own way, you will save money by adding them to your policy.

Another key to saving on insurance is education. Good student discounts can save you money every month, so if your teen gets good grades, check into a good student discount and see what you can save. More importantly, though, insurance companies offer discounts for those who take drivers education courses. Not only do these courses help you save money on insurance, they could save your teen's life since they will learn the tactics of defensive driving. A worthwhile investment no matter how you look at it.

Overall, there are a few things you can do to save money on your teen's car insurance. These are mostly simple, common sense ideas, but sticking to them could save you a bundle every year, and some, such as the driver's education course, could save your child's life

Van and Business Vehicle Insurance

If your business needs to use a vehicle in any way, it’s vital to make sure it is correctly insured.

Most commonly the owners of new businesses use their own car to get out and about, and claim back mileage in the form of expenses. If you do this you need to ensure that your personal policy allows for business mileage. Don’t be tempted to skip this to save a few quid; if you have an accident in working hours your insurance company will want to know where you were going and what you were doing.

If your business needs its own vehicle, whether that’s a leased company car for you or a sales person, or perhaps a van for deliveries, the business will need to get commercial motor insurance.

Just like private motor insurance, basic business vehicle insurance is compulsory. Any vehicle operated by your business must have at least third party insurance – and depending on your business, higher levels of cover are recommended.

Here are the other options available to you:

Fire and theft: This is typically bundled with third party insurance but can be stripped out. It means if you lose your vehicle through no fault of your own in a fire or someone nicks it, you will get its market value back. Even if you’re only running a knackered old van for local deliveries, it’s worth paying the few extra pounds for this pretty basic cover. It’s sods law that your under-insured van would be stolen when you can least afford it.

Goods in transit: Absolutely essential if your business vehicle is carrying thousands of pounds of stock around. Think through what would happen if a van load of stock was stolen en-route or destroyed in an accident. How would it affect your business’s cash flow to shell out again for the stock or materials? A single theft could put your business under. Goods in transit insurance will cover the value of goods on board.

Replacement vehicle: If you rely on your vehicle to keep the business going, consider buying this insurance. You will get another vehicle while yours is being repaired or replaced. And since that could be weeks, it could save you a small fortune in rental costs.

Legal expenses: Another relatively cheap add-on. For a little extra cash your business will be represented in the event of most legal action involving a business vehicle. It’s estimated that one in three accidents involves a company vehicle or someone driving on business. So think of legal expenses insurance as peace of mind in case your business is dragged into a nasty prosecution.

Breakdown: Pretty obvious why you’d need this, especially if you have a van. It could cost you more than an annual breakdown policy just to get a tow off a motorway. Some insurance companies bundle it with motor insurance, making it a little cheaper.

There are several details to check before signing any commercial vehicle insurance policy:

Coverage of policy: Your policy will be dictated by the kind of work your business does. A builder carrying essential tools would only need coverage for “carriage of own goods”, while a printer with a van load of clients’ work would need “carriage of goods for hire & reward”.

Excess: You’ll be expected to pay the first part of a claim, from as little as £50 up to £500. The bigger the excess the smaller your policy will cost, but the less money you’ll get if something happens. And remember that employees might not treat a company vehicle with the same respect they’d show their own car! Sometimes big companies with lots of vehicles accept a ridiculously high excess to keep the insurance bill down. They figure it’s cheaper for them to do repairs under £2,000 themselves. This is a risky strategy for a small business without big cash reserves.

No claims discount: You can build one of these up just like with your personal car policy. You can also protect it once built up – highly advisable. Once your business is running a couple of vehicles, the chances of insurance claims shoot up.

Limit of indemnity: This is a ceiling on how much the insurer will pay out for each incident, and is usually set at £5 million. As a responsible business owner, you should pay a little extra to increase this to £10 million if you can. If your vehicle was involved in an accident with multiple people, the extra payout might be needed.

Additional drivers: If your business needs the flexibility of adding drivers regularly, check this will be easy without incurring charges. Some policies cover all employees automatically, although you may still need to send their details off. Remember you need to keep a copy of the driving licence of each employee who uses a business vehicle.

Driving outside the UK: Check the rules before you make the trip. With some policies you have to notify the insurer before the vehicle leaves the country.

Directors and Officers Insurance - Business Guide

Directors and Officers insurance, or D&O insurance, covers company directors and officers in the event that they are accused of being engaged in wrongful or misleading acts whilst conducting company business.

Typically, a variety of people or groups may take action against directors - including shareholders, customers, or regulatory bodies. This type of cover will reimburse company directors and officers in such an eventuality.

Why do you need cover?

Many directors assume that they are covered for legal actions against them as they have a "limited liability company". This may not be true in all cases, and claimants may pursue you personally depending on the circumstances of the claim.

You may find that investors will often require your company to have taken out D&O insurance cover before providing funding.

New directors who join your company may also insist on sufficient directors' insurance being in place, as they will not want to risk their own personal assets in the event of a claim against the company.

What does D&O Insurance Cover?

Here are some of the main areas which will be covered by a typical Directors and Officers insurance policy.

• Often covers Employment Practices Liability, which constitutes a large proportion of claims on such policies. This covers harassment and discrimination claims.
• Legislative breaches - e.g. Companies Act, Health & Safety Act, Data Protection Act, Insolvency Act, and hundreds of others.
• Abusing powers, or acting contrary to the company's Memorandum Articles of Association
• Alleged financial mismanagement of the company.
• Disputes arising from mergers and acquisition activity.
• Action arising from potentially libelous or slanderous statements made by directors.

Who might claim against you?

Possible claimants might include:

• Shareholders
• Employees
• Creditors
• Auditors
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Regulators

Examples of Claims

1. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched a public enquiry following the death of a staff member while installing cabling on an office building. A company director was compelled to give evidence at the hearing. The legal costs of representing the director would be met by the company's D&O insurance policy.

2. A venture capitalist firm have made an investment in your company. Several months after the deal was finalised, the VC firm alleges that the financial information provided to them prior to the investment was misleading and inaccurate. They make a claim against the financial director of your company. This type of claim would typically be met by a D&O insurance policy.

3. An employee accuses a director of harassment and discrimination. This is one of the most common types of claims to be covered by Directors & Officers insurance policies.

Shop, Pub and Restaurant Insurance - Make sure you're covered

If your new business venture is a shop, pub or restaurant, there are a number of unique risks you will need to insure against.

Unlike an internet-based business or one run from an office, you will have greater contact with the public. And in the legally-aware society we live in, that exposes your business to a greater risk of being sued!

Before you sign the lease on your first premises, use this complete Bytestart guide to the different kinds of shop insurance you may need.

Why you need to be covered

The whole point of retail premises is to get customers into your shop or restaurant and buying things! But having customers tramping through the aisles is a risk. If there’s a box they could trip over, they will. If something could break and hurt them, it will. You might even find your business targeted by a scammer, who “accidentally on purpose” trips over something in store and makes a claim.

And if the customers aren’t risky enough, there are the employees. Retail and catering needs them to lift stuff and handle hot things. The risk of them being injured at work is higher. And because there is more likely to be a lot of cash on the premises, you are more open to employee fraud.

Finally, the premises themselves are your source of revenue. If you lose them you need protection to ensure your business survives, and is back up and running again quickly. Unlike a business based in an office, you can’t just work from home or a hotel.

These risks are nothing to be scared of; thousands of shops and restaurants successfully manage them each day. Here are the main types of insurance you can use to protect yourself.

Employer’s liability Insurance

This is required by law as soon as you have your first employee, and has been since the 1960s. You are responsible for the health & safety of your staff at work, and may be held to be at blame if they are injured at work, or fall ill as a result of something they have done there. Your employers' liability insurance ensures you can meet any compensation claims.

Of course, having this insurance doesn’t mean you can ignore health & safety risks at work. You are duty bound to ensure employees don’t get hurt. This can be as simple as training them to lift heavy items properly, or if they must use a computer regularly, ensuring they have a suitable chair to sit correctly.

Public liability insurance

This is a voluntary insurance, but it’s a false economy not to get it. If a customer does have an accident on your premises, no matter how small, the legal fees alone could cripple and destroy your start-up business.

Public liability insurance will help you sleep at night! The price generally depends on the type of business you run, your turnover and the number of employees.

Buildings insurance

If you’re in the fortunate position of owning your premises rather than renting them, you will need to protect the building – just like you do your home. Buildings policies tend to be compulsory when you take out a commercial mortgage, and are highly recommended… you don’t want to be the owner of an uninsured pile of rubble!

Contents and fittings insurance

This is highly recommended, again to give you peace of mind. It will ensure the contents of your retail premises including the fittings are covered in the event of a crisis. Let’s say you are renting a unit and it burns down – the owner’s building insurance won’t cover the cost of replacing your fittings and furniture. Your business will need its own policy for that. It’s not worth the risk of not having it… you’d be surprised how much it would cost to replace all of your fittings in a hurry.

Stock protection

And it’s sensible to protect the stock too. At any one time you may have tens of thousands of pounds worth of stock. If it’s destroyed or stolen, has your business got the cash (or even the cash flow) to replace it quickly? A shop, pub or restaurant without stock isn’t a viable business.

Cash cover

The nature of running a retail business means you are more likely to have a lot of cash on site. People prefer paying with cash for small transactions, and it can soon add up to a lot of money in your till or safe.

A cash cover policy will protect your business from a thief taking the cash. Some policies will even cover you while you take the money from your shop to the bank.

You can also extend protection to get the cash back if it’s taken by an employee. This is highly recommended. While most employees are trustworthy, it only takes one bad egg tempted by the amount of cash around to start siphoning off a few pounds every day. Over a number of months this can seriously affect your business.

IT Contractor Insurance - Professional Indemnity, Liability Overview

Contractors and Freelancers provide professional advice and services to a wide variety of clients and as such they may well be liable for any mistakes or errors they may make in the course of their duties. As a result, many contractors take out insurance cover just in case something goes wrong. In some cases, clients will insist that a contractor is covered by a professional indemnity policy before hiring.

Contractor Insurance quotes are very competitive these days - you can get an instant online quote for a variety of policies here (via our partners; Hiscox or simply business).

You may also be interested in our general section on small business cover.

Professional Indemnity (PI) Cover

This covers contractors against claims for negligence, unintentional breaches of intellectual property, loss of data or documents and claims for dishonesty. Clearly, the risks a contractor faces will depend on his area of expertise (i.e. - is he an IT contractor, a management consultant, etc). Typically, specialist insurers will provide PI policies tailor made to the area you specialise in.

Employers' Liability Cover

This type of policy will cover any 'employees' you may have within your company for any injury sustained at work. Employers are obliged to carry this type of cover by law. Even if you are the sole 'employee' of your limited company, you still should take out Employ Liability Cover. The legal minimum level of cover is £5m, but many insurers provide £10m.

Public Liability Cover

This type of cover is also known as 'general' or 'product' liability insurance. This will cover your company against third party claims - e.g. if someone visits your office and falls over a computer cable. It will also cover you if you accidentally damage property at your client site. Read our guide to Public liability Insurance.

Other Types of Insurance

Contractors may also be interested in covering themselves against computer/laptop damage, office contents insurance. Increasingly, contractors are also taking our policies to protect themselves against VAT and tax investigation liabilities. You can find out more about tax investigation and IR35 insurance on Contract Eye.

Office Insurance Cover - A small business guide

One of the costs that’s easy to forget about when you first get premises for your business is office insurance.

Whether you rent or buy premises it’s a vital investment that will give you peace of mind.

Here’s the complete Bytestart guide to everything you need to know about office insurance cover.

What is it?

Just like the Insurance you take out on your car, office insurance is there to protect you in the event something bad happens that could damage your business. But unlike car insurance, it’s not mandatory.

While it’s highly recommended you take it out on any premises you run, there’s no legal requirement to do so. The only insurance you must have is employ Liability Cover if you have employees (some niche industries must also have very specific types of insurance cover).

Why do you need it?

Your office insurance policy is there to cover you against the day-to-day risks of operating business premises. These can include catastrophes such as fire, flood and burglary, as well as accidents such as a member of the public tripping over on your premises. This may not sound serious, but in the litigious age we live in, that’s as much a risk to your business as a fire is.

Catastrophes hit businesses hard. Whether or not you believe the statistic bandied around that 80% of businesses affected by a major incident close within 18 months, it’s likely that any disruption to your premises is going to take up a lot of your time, which will affect revenue. And that could easily wipe out a year’s profits.

Most big businesses use Business Continuity Management to spot potential risks and ensure the business will continue in the event of a crisis. As the owner of a small business, you probably won’t do that much planning. But you do need to know that if something bad happens, your insurance company will be there to help you get back to normal as quickly as possible.

What’s covered?

An office policy tends to lump together a number of different types of cover into one policy. This is a good thing and should save you a lot of time shopping around to find the right cover.

All standard policies should include contents insurance, which will protect and replace everything in your premises if it is stolen, damaged or destroyed. Many policies include glass cover to protect the windows of your office. And they could cover money held on the premises – handy if customers like to show up to pay off accounts with cash. Check the small print of policies whether employees are covered while taking that cash to the bank.

Look out for policies that include an element of compensation for 'business interruption'. Not only will this give you peace of mind in the event of a crisis, but it gives the insurance company an incentive to speed claims through quickly to limit their compensation payouts.

What’s not covered?

Insurance companies will often offer the opportunity to bolt many other types of commercial insurance onto your policy. These will typically include the important insurance policies such as employer’s liability (which is required by law), public and product liability which offers protection for a business that hurts its customers in some way, and professional indemnity for service businesses.

Other policy bolt-ons could include:

• Debt protection (known as book debts), which will help track down and pursue customers that owe your business money and didn’t pay because of a crisis
• Commercial legal protection, which gives you a cushion against potential legal costs in the event of a dispute
• Employee dishonesty, covering the loss of money or property
• Computer breakdown cover, helping protect against the increased cost of trading if IT equipment fails
• Terrorism cover, helping business continuity if your operations are directly affected by terrorism

Other insurance policies relevant to small businesses include, business travel to keep you and your employees covered no matter where you work, and personal accident cover. This will pay out if you or key employees are hurt or killed.

What do you need to watch out for?

Two words – up sell. You can get practically anything insured, but as a small business owner who needs to keep costs under control, ask yourself if you really need it.

As with all insurance, you should also ensure you compare like for like cover while shopping around. It’s a selling tactic to lower prices by reducing cover. And when you are ready to buy, read every line of the policy. It will be time well invested if you ever need to make a claim.

Employers' liability insurance for small companies

Since 28th February 2005, employ liability insurance has no longer been compulsory for businesses made up of just one person - the owner.

MORE TH>N Business sees the change in the law, which will affect around 300,000 UK sole-traders, as a positive move, but warns business owners not to be complacent about varying and seasonal insurance needs.

"The amendment to the law makes a lot more sense to very small companies, as it is legally impossible for a business owner, who is the only employee, to sue themselves.
However, many businesses might not be aware that there are certain situations where taking out EL insurance is still the only option - a legal requirement in fact - and we urge owners of small businesses to consider their circumstances carefully," said Rachel Cotton, manager of MORE TH>N Business.

To help businesses determine whether they do need EL cover MORE TH>N Business' specialist underwriters have provided below a quick checklist. Answering 'yes' to any of the questions is a good indicator that it is still a legal necessity.

- Are you likely to hire staff during peak seasons to ease your workload?

It is a criminal offence not to have EL insurance when taking on temporary staff. Your business would not be covered for any liabilities if, for example, an accident happened and the temporary worker was injured in the process of carrying out work.

- Is any of your work undertaken by self-employed people?

People who you normally think of as self-employed may actually be considered as your employees in the eyes of the law, for example a handyman. Whether or not you need EL insurance for someone working for you in this capacity depends on the extent of your responsibility for their supervision, and on your terms of contract with them. If in doubt, seek legal advice.

- Do you get help from unpaid volunteers or work-experience students?

Unpaid 'helpers' may in some cases be regarded as your employees, especially where you have direct responsibility for their work and supervision. If you do have such individuals working for you, contact your insurance company to check that you have sufficient cover.

- Do you have a gardener, cleaner or security guard working for you?

Even if they work for several companies you have to take out EL insurance in respect of the work that they carry out for you. However, if you employ a firm of security guards or cleaners, for example, they should be covered by their own employer's EL cover.

- Do you employ agency staff, e.g. a delivery person or typist?

Whether or not you require EL cover for agency staff will entirely depend on the your contract with the agency. Contracts do vary, therefore make sure you check the terms and conditions, or seek legal advice.

Failure to meet EL legal requirements could result in a fine of £2,500 per day, which - over the period of a year - could amount to more than £900,000.

Finally, it is essential that businesses continually review their insurance requirements, not just when there are changes to the law - most importantly to protect their own livelihood. In all cases, if in doubt, they should seek legal advice or contact their insurance company.

Company Liability Insurance

Today, there are more than 23 million businesses operating as sole proprietorships or partnerships. This accounts for more than 80 percent of all U.S. businesses, according to BizStats.com. Do these structures protect small business owners from certain liabilities, or if a suit was brought against them, could their assets be at risk?

There is a common misconception that limited liability companies (LLCs) or incorporated structures are absolute safeguards against personal liability. As a result, many business owners forgo arming themselves with a small business insurance plan.

While attention to quality control and seamless risk management procedures can reduce the risk of lawsuits, no organization can completely eliminate the threat of a claim. The expense associated with defending litigations, even on frivolous claims, can add up quickly and possibly put a company in financial peril. With just one claim, savings that took years to build can be wiped out and the owner’s personal assets can become vulnerable.

There are a few instances in which a small business owner could be personally liable, including:

. The owner acted in an irresponsible or illegal manner

. They personally injured someone

. The owner signed a personal guarantee for a loan

. The business is not operated as a separate entity

Businesses can prevent the financial pitfalls of defending a claim by arming themselves with a business liability insurance plan. Typically, with business liability insurance policies, four types of claims are covered: bodily injury; property damage or loss; personal injury, such as libel or slander; and advertising injury. A General Liability policy covers all damages, legal fees and settlement charges up to the policy limits for covered claims. This is usually packaged with Property coverage in a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP).

Typically, liability insurance coverage includes:

. Legal costs: General liability insurance will cover litigation costs such as attorney and witness fees, as well as settlement payments.

. Medical costs: Insurance will cover medical costs for individuals who may have been injured on company property.

. Property damage: Insurance will cover fire, theft or other incidents that damage the assets of the business. It insures the company from physical damage to the property as well as the customer’s property.

. Business interruption: Insurance will cover the business in cases of major disasters, such as a fire, that render the business inoperable. If the business is unable to operate, the insurance would reimburse the company for its losses and the profits that would have been made during that time.

Business owners should also consider Professional Liability insurance, also known as Errors and Omissions insurance, which protects organizations against claims of professional negligence and errors or omissions in professional work.

While the cost of safeguarding a business and its owner with liability insurance can be costly, there are several ways business owners can cut down on the expense, including:

. Shop around: Business liability insurance coverages range by company; read up on what is covered and what is not. Review small business insurance quotes from several insurers and compare rates.

. Consider a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP): Rather than purchasing separate types of insurance from various companies, consider purchasing a package of policies. When receiving a small business liability insurance quote on a BOP, be sure to understand what is included in the coverage. BOPs don’t typically include all types of insurance.

. Enlist a specialist broker: If the small business operates in a niche, it will often require specialized insurance to safeguard against unique risks. Insurance brokers will know what coverages are necessary for the business and know where to go for the best rates.

Company liability insurance safeguards businesses from various allegations of negligence, but it also protects them from having to absorb the fees associated with defending a frivolous lawsuit. Protecting the business from these risks provides a foundation for success. Business owners should invest the time to research small business insurance plans and understand what their needs are. It could mean the difference between survival and financial disaster

Mortgage Insurance

When you get a mortgage for the first time, there are different kinds of insurance you may want to or be required to get. One type is mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance is protection for the bank in case you default on the loan. In that case, the mortgage protection insurance will pay the loan. Obtaining mortgage insurance is a reality for many homebuyers. It is required for people who cannot provide a substantial down payment (usually 20%) for a house they are purchasing. Often the lenders can give you a mortgage insurance lead on where you can get it. As lenders, they are in daily contact with insurance companies so are in a position to give a mortgage protection insurance lead to customers.

The amount of mortgage insurance a home buyer will pay varies depending on the cost of the house they are considering. The mortgage insurance can be placed on top of the mortgage or paid up front based upon the preference or finances of the buyer. Mortgage lenders often have a mortgage insurance calculator that they can provide to help you understand how much mortgage insurance is required for any given house you are interested in

If you are looking for a mortgage insurance company in UK, mortgage protection insurance services are offered through most agencies as well as banks and lending institutions. Some insurance brokers work for mortgage companies in England so getting the insurance through them is convenient for the mortgage company as well as the customers

If looking for mortgage insurance in Australia, many mortgage brokers can help you with your mortgage insurance needs. Five major companies in Australia dominate the insurance market. They consist of Housing Loans Insurance Corp., GE Capital Mortgage Insurance, CGU Lenders Mortgage Insurance, MGICA Ltd and Royal and Sun Alliance Lenders Mortgage Insurance Ltd. Each of them will compete to offer you the insurance your mortgage lender will require. Term mortgage insurance is the mortgage insurance that is only active for the term of the loan.

Many mortgage holders see Professional Liability Insurance Company for a variety of mortgage insurance needs. They are part of a large network that works with many mortgage insurance companies. By working with more than one agency, they are able to get you the best deal you can get. If one company cannot give you a good price on a premium, they will find another company that will. When you are paying for a mortgage, you don't want to pay any more than you have to on other bills such as insurances.

Mortgage Protection Insurance

Insurance to cover your mortgage repayments if you cannot work or lose your job is a good idea but policies of this type can be limited. Our guide explains the pitfalls.

Mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI)is the most common insurance to cover mortgage payments, but these can also be covered by other policies - see our guides on Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover.

The basics

MPPI is not compulsory, although it can be a condition of some loans. But anyone with a mortgage should consider taking it out. For people who might have stretched themselves financially with their mortgage it is probably even more important to be covered in the event of unforeseen unemployment. Good policies will cover any bills related to your mortgage - including interest and repayments.

The State benefits for people in this situation are limited and they are means tested, so if you have savings you would be expected to use them first. Also, expect to wait around nine months before you see any payout.

A good MPPI policy will start to pay one month after you are out of work (either through illness or redundancy). Typically policies pay out for 12 months or 24 months. It is expected that within that period people will have found other employment or recovered from illness.

There are a number of instances where MPPI will not pay out. It won't pay if you are off work because of medical condition you knew about, whether diagnosed by a doctor or not, when you took the insurance, or for a medical condition that persists or returns in the first 12 months of the policy.

It will not pay out for pregnancy unless there are medical complications.

Most policies will not cover for stress or back related injuries - two of the most common reason for workers being unalbe to do their jobs.

It will not pay if you lose your job if you resign, take voluntary redundancy or are dismissed for misconduct, or if you cannot work as the result of an illegal activity. If you are made redundant involuntarily, you will have to be claiming Job Seekers Allowance to get a payout from MPPI.

Finally, MPPI doesn't pay out if you are made umemployed within the first 60 days of the policy being taken out.

Costs, payments and providers

MPPI is often taken out at the same time as a mortgage, and it is often the mortgage lender that will sell you MPPI. It is not compulsory for you to take MMPI from your mortgage provider, or from a company associated with your mortgage provider.

It is often cheaper to take the insurance from an independent provider. Simply search only for the best deal. There is a comparison tool to search MPPI products here at This is Money.

Applying is easy. You just need to enter how much your monthly mortgage repayments are. and whether you wish to include an extra sum assured for other expenses.

To cover a £700 a month mortgage repayment, the cheapest policies can come in at below £10. However, the very cheapest policies will have a longer 'excess period', perhaps of 190 or 180 days. This is the length of time you need to wait after you have stopped work before the insurance begins to pay out.

Making a claim

Once you tell your provider that you're out of work and this is verified, your insurance payments should begin, typically after around one month without a salary. It is usual in most cases that payments are made directly to your mortgage lender, although in some cases payments are made to the customer