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	<title>Insurance... &#187; Insurance</title>
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	<description>how much, what kind and why...</description>
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		<title>When Insurance Makes Sense Financially</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/06/05/when-insurance-makes-sense-financially/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/06/05/when-insurance-makes-sense-financially/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:06:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/06/05/when-insurance-makes-sense-financially/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are all types of insurance that the modern world requires. However, there are some insurance programs that are touted as investments, which may or may not be beneficial to you in particular. Like any investment, you have to know if it is going to help you meet your financial goals in the future. Life [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are all types of insurance that the modern world requires. However, there are some insurance programs that are touted as investments, which may or may not be beneficial to you in particular. Like any investment, you have to know if it is going to help you meet your financial goals in the future. Life insurance, in particular, is one of these products that are often referred to as an investment, but which only really make sense for a particular demographic of people. Single people with no dependents don&#8217;t require life insurance as it is primarily meant to benefit survivors, not the person who has passed away. However, when you are the sole breadwinner of a growing family, having some form of life insurance can be a good way to safeguard the financial health of your family when you die unexpectedly. And, as a side benefit, the policy holder can take out loans against their life insurance policy in times of need. The <a href=http://www.nationalpayday.com/news/interest_rates_and_mortgages_3-1.html>interest rates</a> charged on the loan vary, and should be understood before using this avenue rather than a more conventional form of financing.</p>
<p>Some Things to Consider When Borrowing </p>
<p>Just because this is your life insurance policy does not mean that you don&#8217;t have to pay back the amount you borrowed. If you don&#8217;t pay it back, it will affect the amount of death benefits your survivors can access. Interest charged on a loan from a policy may or may not be competitive to other forms of financing. And, you may end up compounding the interest you owe annually, if you fail to make the appropriate paybacks. This can quickly eat up the value of the policy. If your policy lapses or you decide to discontinue it, you will be responsible for the taxes due on any loans you took out from the policy as taxable income, if it falls under the criteria of gains as decided by the Federal government. These factors will differ from one policy to another, so you need to understand the terms of your agreement before you try to borrow off a life insurance policy. In any event, it&#8217;s best to use this financial vehicle for what it was originally intended, life insurance, and not as a loan vehicle.</p>
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		<slash:comments>58</slash:comments>
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		<title>Insurance as short term investment</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/26/insurance-as-short-term-investment/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/26/insurance-as-short-term-investment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:03:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/26/insurance-as-short-term-investment/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The number of insurance instruments that can be purchased and added to your investment portfolio has dramatically increased in the last decade as insurance has become more prevalent in the lifestyle of the nation. Insurance is now needed for almost everything, from protecting your home to obtaining medical care to driving legally, and obtaining these [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The number of insurance instruments that can be purchased and added to your investment portfolio has dramatically increased in the last decade as insurance has become more prevalent in the lifestyle of the nation. Insurance is now needed for almost everything, from protecting your home to obtaining medical care to driving legally, and obtaining these types of instruments for investment purposed has increased in popularity as the insurance industry has stabilized. The insurance industry is now a multi-billion dollar industry and opportunities for savvy investors abound.</p>
<p>Many of the insurance instruments that are added to an individual’s investment portfolio are intended to be used for long term growth, not short term gains. The insurance industry is not as volatile as some other industries and the funds available slowly increase in value over time. But there are some ways that individuals can use insurance instruments for short term investment as well.</p>
<p><span id="more-40"></span></p>
<p>Many individuals choose to use insurance instruments for short term investment because of the numerous benefits associated with having insurance instruments in their investment portfolio. One of the biggest benefits for holding insurance instruments in your investment portfolio is the tax breaks associated with the instruments. In many cases, the insurance instruments are considered to be an insurance policy for all intents and purposes, meaning that the insurance company that issued the insurance instrument is responsible for all government taxes and fees associated with the value of the instrument.</p>
<p>Another reason that many individuals choose to use insurance as a short term investment is that some of the instruments available can be used as a high yield savings account. A certain percentage of the total value of the instrument can be extracted from the instrument by the investor for use in other pursuits without incurring a penalty for the early withdrawal of funds. For example, an individual that possesses an insurance instrument with a total value of $200,000 can withdraw up to 5% of the total value, or $10,000, as a cash payment to be used for whatever they would like to apply it to.</p>
<p>In many cases, the amount of time that the individual can hold the insurance instrument for investment is dictated in the rules of the instrument itself. Several instruments will only allow the individuals holding them to make withdrawals from the instruments for up to twenty years, after which the instrument must be liquidated and the funds rolled over into other investments. Some of the insurance instruments currently available have shorter maturation dates with higher rates of return, but also possess higher risk of significant loss.</p>
<p>Using insurance products as a short term investment may be quite lucrative for a number of investor that have a good working knowledge about the current insurance industry and the ins and outs of the investment market. Knowing the different types of insurance instruments that are available along with the amount of risk and return that are present with the product will help the individual make the right decision for their investment portfolio. Although the technique is not recommended for casual investors, individuals with large portfolios will be better able to assume the risk that occurs with purchasing insurance products for short term investment purposes.</p>
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		<slash:comments>27</slash:comments>
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		<title>Insurance &#8211; an Investment or expense</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/19/insurance-an-investment-or-expense/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/19/insurance-an-investment-or-expense/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:02:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/19/insurance-an-investment-or-expense/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many individuals are faced with the dilemma of determining the role of their insurance – an investment in their future or an expense to be avoided. Because the rates of some types of insurance are so expensive, it is often a question of whether the price of purchasing the insurance is justified by the risk [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many individuals are faced with the dilemma of determining the role of their insurance – an investment in their future or an expense to be avoided. Because the rates of some types of insurance are so expensive, it is often a question of whether the price of purchasing the insurance is justified by the risk of not having the insurance if something happens. In many cases, the risk justifies the price of the insurance, even if the individual never has to make a claim against their policy.</p>
<p>In many cases, the decision of whether or not purchase insurance for certain items has largely been taken out of the hands of the individuals who need it. For example, it is almost impossible to obtain quality healthcare without health insurance, valid home owner’s insurance is a condition of many mortgage agreements and in many states, it is illegal to drive without some form of car insurance or proof of financial responsibility. The nature of the nation today is to require many individuals to hold these types of insurance to lessen the impact on the economy in the event of widespread loss.</p>
<p><span id="more-37"></span></p>
<p>In many cases, individuals consider their insurance policies to be a necessary expense to ensure that they are covered financially in the case of an adverse event. Insurance is meant to protect the individual from problems that may or may not occur. Many individuals will never need to make a claim against their insurance policy, but for the individuals that must make a claim, insurance can be a life-saver.</p>
<p>Some individuals consider insurance an investment in their future financial success as their savings and everything that they have worked to build will not be wiped out in the event of an adverse event, such as a fire, flood, or death in the family. The insurance is used as an investment to ensure that any adverse events will be paid for by the insurance company that has issued the insurance policy to the individual. The payment of premiums on a timely basis for the insurance policy will help the individual not have a repair bill that is impossible for them to pay.</p>
<p>Some individuals may literally consider insurance an investment and purchase insurance products to add to their investment portfolio. These insurance products are treated like insurance policies, but will rise and fall in value in conjunction with the current investment market and the individuals that possess these insurance instruments have the ability to withdraw a portion of the funds to use for other purposes.</p>
<p>Whether an individual considers insurance an investment or an expense depends on how much money they are paying for their monthly premium, the value of the items that they are insuring, and the amount of risk they would be assuming if they did not possess the insurance policy. If is difficult to determine the value of the insurance policy if the individual has never had to make a major claim against the policy, but many individuals have found that it would have been extremely difficult for them to repair or replace their property without the help of the insurance policy. Whether the individual considers insurance an investment or an expense, it is often better to have it than to not have it.</p>
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		<slash:comments>25</slash:comments>
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		<title>How to claim your Insurance bonus</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/05/how-to-claim-your-insurance-bonus/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/02/05/how-to-claim-your-insurance-bonus/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:01:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/2008/02/05/how-to-claim-your-insurance-bonus/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many different insurance companies offer their policy holders an insurance bonus for either completing different tasks or avoiding making a claim on their policy. The techniques to claim your insurance bonus will differ from company to company and depend on the type of insurance policy that has been purchased. The most common type of insurance [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many different insurance companies offer their policy holders an insurance bonus for either completing different tasks or avoiding making a claim on their policy. The techniques to claim your insurance bonus will differ from company to company and depend on the type of insurance policy that has been purchased. The most common type of insurance policy that offers their policy holders an insurance bonus are car insurance policies.</p>
<p>Car insurance policies are used to cover everything from accidental damage to theft to loss of life. In many states it is illegal to drive a car without proof of financial responsibility, such as a car insurance policy or a document stating that you have enough capital to take care of the costs for any accident that may occur. The car insurance industry has numerous different companies that are competing for the business of the car owners and drivers that require car insurance to legally drive in these states.</p>
<p><span id="more-33"></span></p>
<p>One of the ways that a car insurance company obtains new customers to purchase their insurance policies is by offering these individuals an insurance bonus if they meet certain criteria. These insurance bonuses differ from company to company, and even if two companies offer similar insurance bonuses, the details of the bonus and the instructions for claiming your insurance bonus may differ greatly.</p>
<p>When choosing an insurance company to purchase your insurance policy from based in part on the availability of an insurance bonus, there are several things to keep in mind. You should read the terms and conditions of the insurance policy carefully to ensure that you know all of the details of the policy and what you will need to do to be eligible for the insurance bonus. Many individuals choose an insurance company because they like the insurance bonuses available from that company only to find that they are not eligible for the bonus due to simple things, such as their age or the type of car that they drive, when it is time to claim your insurance bonus.</p>
<p>One of the most common types of insurance bonus is the accident-free bonus which can reduce the amount of your deductible or your monthly premium by a certain amount for every year that you do not have an accident or have to make a claim against your insurance policy. The insurance company makes it easy to claim your insurance bonus as they keep careful track of your account and automatically make the reductions when your account is reviewed. The accident-free bonus is one of the most popular types of insurance bonuses given by insurance companies as it is rewarding you for doing something that saves them money in the long run.</p>
<p>There are other insurance bonus products that reward the individual for doing other things, such as a student getting good grades in school or an individual purchasing a car that is of a specific type. When it comes to how to claim your insurance bonus, each type of insurance bonus will have different rules and conditions.</p>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Advantages of Insurance for your family</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/01/05/advantages-of-insurance-for-your-family/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2008/01/05/advantages-of-insurance-for-your-family/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:59:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/2008/01/05/advantages-of-insurance-for-your-family/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are many advantages of insurance that can be realized by you and your family. Insurance products are becoming more and more popular in today’s rush to protect the items that are important to individuals and many more products are being placed on the market to satisfy niche markets in the industry. The positive benefits [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There are many advantages of insurance that can be realized by you and your family. Insurance products are becoming more and more popular in today’s rush to protect the items that are important to individuals and many more products are being placed on the market to satisfy niche markets in the industry. The positive benefits that come from having the proper insurance products to protect the future of your family is one of the main reasons why individuals choose to purchase these insurance products.</p>
<p>One of the main advantages of insurance is that the individual will not be responsible for the total cost of the item that is insured in the event of loss, damage, or theft. This is most commonly seen in home owners insurance which may insure your home against fire, water damage, and natural disasters. Having the proper home owner’s insurance for your home will insure that your family will be able to repair or rebuild the home in the event of a natural disaster or purchase another place to live if the home has been completed destroyed.</p>
<p><span id="more-29"></span></p>
<p>Car insurance is also a good option to keep more money in your bank account in the event of an accident. Having the proper amount of car insurance will ensure that the individual will be able to have their car repaired or have a new car purchased for the cost of the deductible for their policy and they will not have to shell out the entire cost of the car. Because the insurance policy will pay for a majority of the cost associated with the repairs, the family is allowed to keep their money for use on what is important to them, like food and bills, and not cause them to pay thousands of dollars due to an accident.</p>
<p>Life insurance is a very important type of insurance to have, especially if you have a family or children that will need to be taken care of in the event of your untimely death. Having an adequate life insurance policy will allow your family to pay off your debts and provide you with the funeral that they desire for you without incurring a debt that would be difficult for them to repay. The funds obtained from the life insurance policy may also be used to replace the wages lost from the death of the family member.</p>
<p>Beside monetary benefits, another advantage to having the proper insurance coverages is peace of mind. If you possess the right insurance policies for your needs and have ensured that your monthly premiums have been paid on time, you and your family know that you are covered in the event that the unthinkable occurs. The loss of property or life will be traumatic, but the family will have the means to continue and get their lives back on track without the worry of how they are going to pay for or replace the items that they need.</p>
<p>It is very important to obtain the different types of insurance that may be needed by your family prior to an adverse event occurring, as that is what insurance is supposed to protect you from. The numerous advantages of insurance for your family can only be obtained if the insurance policy is in place before the unexpected occurs.</p>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Insurance: A Necessary Evil?</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2007/09/11/insurance-a-necessary-evil/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2007/09/11/insurance-a-necessary-evil/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Sep 2007 04:36:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/2007/09/11/insurance-a-necessary-evil/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[With the economy being what it is today, many people are concerned with the expense of life insurance. Is it necessary to have health insurance? Those seem appropriate questions to ask especially for young people. After all, if you&#8217;re only in your 20s, you aren&#8217;t always thinking about the future and the implications from not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With the economy being what it is today, many people are concerned with the expense of life insurance. Is it necessary to have health insurance? Those seem appropriate questions to ask especially for young people. After all, if you&#8217;re only in your 20s, you aren&#8217;t always thinking about the future and the implications from not having insurance.</p>
<p>When you&#8217;re young, it seems that you view the cost of life insurance and health insurance as &#8220;rip offs,&#8221; a way for insurance companies to take your money and give you nothing in return. It&#8217;s only when you begin to approach middle age or have children that the reality sets in. You need life insurance to take care of your family when you die, and you need health insurance to take care of them while you are still around. That doesn&#8217;t mean that you don&#8217;t have a choice in how much you pay in premiums.</p>
<p><span id="more-15"></span></p>
<p>When it comes to life insurance, it&#8217;s easy to cut the premiums by taking out a term life insurance policy instead of whole life. One can do something similar with health insurance by raising the deductibles, but the problem there is that unlike term life insurance, when you raise deductibles on health insurance, you also run the risk of lowering the basic coverage as well. In addition, some of the major health insurance carriers do not offer an option of lowering premiums by increase deductibles, especially if it is an employer-sponsored policy.</p>
<p>In an economy where both life insurance and health insurance are necessary commodities, one would think that the insurance industry would make the effort to take measures to reduce premiums. Unfortunately, that is not happening so it leaves people with having to make a choice between buying insurance and taking care of other expenses that may be more important such as food, clothing, rent or mortgage, and electricity. As important as insurance is, adults should not have to make the choice between paying insurance and paying rent.</p>
<p>Sadly, those who are forced to make the choice not to carry life insurance because of cost factors run the risk of leaving their family unprotected. For a young family, that can mean that the surviving spouse has no money for burial expense or for taking care of the children with the sudden loss of income. If the surviving spouse is the mother, that leaves her with having to be sole provider with no means of support other than social security benefits for the children.</p>
<p>While still in mourning for her husband, she has to worry about how she is going to feed, clothe, and educate her children, something that leads many to forego the mourning process in order to find a new partner for financial reasons.</p>
<p>In spite of its cost, insurance is a necessary part of life, one that has severe consequences if it is neglected. It is important for everyone to have the ability to meet their obligations and have both life insurance and health insurance for themselves and their families. It&#8217;s essential that we find a way to return to the time when everyone considered both life and health insurance as an essential part of their budget.</p>
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		<title>Magical Questions That Could Save You Big Bucks When Requesting Insurance</title>
		<link>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2007/06/19/magical-questions-that-could-save-you-big-bucks-when-requesting-insurance/</link>
		<comments>http://insure.catati.com/index.php/2007/06/19/magical-questions-that-could-save-you-big-bucks-when-requesting-insurance/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2007 04:16:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Frank</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Insurance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://insure.catati.com/2007/06/19/magical-questions-that-could-save-you-big-bucks-when-requesting-insurance/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes when people are looking for insurance quotes, they don&#8217;t stop and consider different things that may change the premium when everything is final. They tend to forget that a quote is just that—a quote. A quote is not a firm commitment. It is an estimate based upon a short application and minimal information that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes when people are looking for insurance quotes, they don&#8217;t stop and consider different things that may change the premium when everything is final. They tend to forget that a quote is just that—a quote. A quote is not a firm commitment. It is an estimate based upon a short application and minimal information that a potential policyholder provides when requesting information.</p>
<p>Several factors come into the picture when an insurance company gives you the final price of the premium on your insurance policy. By learning what some of these factors are, you can ask the questions from the beginning and save yourself the frustration of finding out later that your premium will be higher than you had planned. Some knowledge of the rating factors that insurance companies use will assist you in avoiding any surprises.</p>
<p><span id="more-17"></span></p>
<p>Each insurance company uses different underwriting factors, so you want to make sure that you find out what those factors are and how they might affect your premiums. For example, not every insurance company offers discounts for non-smokers, so if you don&#8217;t smoke, be certain to ask the agent or broker about this discount. Certain health conditions that you already have may also affect your premium, so disclosing any of these conditions up front will guarantee you a more accurate quote.</p>
<p>When it comes to automobile insurance, you may want to find out if the company you are selecting offers a multi-car discount, good student discount, safe driver discount, discounts for having a factory installed car alarm, and any discounts for passing a defensive driving course. In addition, some companies combine one or more of these discounts while others discount them individually. Don&#8217;t assume that you know the answers, but ask the agent or broker during the initial consultation.</p>
<p>Unless your health insurance policy is a group policy through your employer, certain pre-existing conditions may be excluded or include a surcharge. This may include things such as a heart condition, diabetes, cancer (even when in remission), and asthma just to name a few. Since not all insurance companies rate these conditions the same way, asking each agent or broker about their policy concerning certain conditions will allow you to obtain the lowest possible rate for your health needs.</p>
<p>Homeowners insurance has several different ways that you can reduce your premiums, and again, each company has its own rating policies. Some of the discounts that a company may offer include discounts for having a smoke detector and being within a certain distance of a firehouse or fire hydrant. In most cases, the agent or broker will already have this information at his disposal, but to be sure that you have the lowest rate, make sure that you provide the information.</p>
<p>Asking questions concerning all issues that may affect the rating of your policy will give you an opportunity to choose another insurance company if necessary. Knowing the right questions to ask will assure you that you are getting the answers you need in order to ask the questions that are essential for your insurance needs.</p>
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