Thursday, May 8, 2008

A Good Dental Plan Makes Your Smile Brighter

Dental insurance is a type of insurance in which the beneficiary and the policy provider agree on a plan in which the policy provider pays for the dental services used. This dental service can be from the dentist, dental hygienist or any other person involved in dental health. In exchange for the insurance the beneficiary has to pay the annual premium, co-payment, deductible, etc.

Dental insurance is broadly divided into two types based on the restrictions for the physicians that can be sought, the payment method to the physicians, etc. these two types are: Fee for service plan and the Managed care plan. These types of plans are more or less similar to the general health insurance.

Fee for service plan:
In the fee for service plan the beneficiary is supposed to pay for the services he has taken every time he / she takes those services. The beneficiary can choose any of the doctors or the health care providers by himself and then submit the claim to the insurance company. This is further subdivided into reimbursement plans and the indemnity plans. In the former, you will claim for the bills incurred while having services from the dental health care provider. This claim will be reimbursed irrespective of the type of services sought. In the latter, you will be reimbursed based on the based on the set amount that the insurance company gives for the specific service. In both of the cases it is you who is going to decide who should your doctor be.

Managed care plan:
In this type of plan the insurance company will decide who is going to be your doctor or health care provider. Financial incentives are provided to the beneficiary to get registered in this plan. Financial incentives are provided to the health care professional so that the beneficiary uses these services to the minimum. This is further subdivided into Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and the Capitation Plan. In the former, there are a group of dental health care providers among which you have to choose one to get the services. It is beneficial for the insurance companies because it is quite easy to manage a small no. of professionals. The capitation plan means that a professional is given the responsibility of both the curative and the preventive dental health services of a certain group of potential patients. The less the services utilized, in other words the better the preventive services the better it is for the professional. The patient is charged in both the cases a capital punishment for utilizing the services of a health care provider outside the plan.

Coverage and payment
The claim is given to the insurance company directly by the claimant of or by the health care provider. Some of the claim is given full but for the most of them partly reimbursement is made. Many insurance companies also keep a cap of certain amount above which the beneficiary has to pay by his / her pocket.
From the above discussion it is quite clear why most people prefer the fee for service plan as it gives them freedom to choose the dental health care professionals.


Article writen by Raasha Tandon of dentalinsurancelocator.com

Friday, April 25, 2008

AARP Dental Insurance

If you have never heard of AARP dental insurance then now is your chance to learn about the best dental insurance available to you today. AARP dental coverage is one that offers their clients many great advantages and benefits. This company has been in the health care business for many years and has perfected how to please their clients and get them the best coverage possible.

With AARP dental, you are able to keep the dentist that you already have! There are not many insurance policies that allow you to keep your own dentist. This is very important for many people, once you have found a good dentist nobody wants to change. This is their number one benefit.

AARP also provides you with great emergency care and saves you money from your own pocket. The ARRP premiums are guaranteed for two full years! This means that your coverage will not change at all within these two years. This is something that many people are searching for, you have found it with AARP dental coverage.


When you are looking for dental insurance, you are looking for stability, to keep your own dentist, great coverage, and benefits to suit your dental needs. AARP has all of this for you. You do not have to look any further for the perfect dental insurance for you and your family. With AARP, the benefits you receive are benefits that you need. Unlike other insurance companies which provide you with benefits that you will never use. AARP knows what you need and provides it for you with 100% satisfaction.

This dental insurance plan is easy to sign up for and even easier to get started with! Check it out today and find out all the great benefits that you have been missing with your other dental insurance plans.


For more information about dental insurance, visit www.dentalinsuranceplansinfo.com

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Insurance for Your Business

The importance of insurance cannot be over-emphasized and neither can the danger of paying for insurance you don't need. It is strongly recommended you solicit the advice of an independent business insurance agent. Don't forget to SHOP! Talk to three or four independent agents and compare notes and prices. An insurance agent will lay out a vast array of insurance coverage much of which you simply may not need. Your situation will be unique and you must consider each insurance element carefully to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Whatever your final insurance program looks like, you should review it at least every six months. Your business can change rapidly, especially in the first few years and insurance needs change with it. Keep your program up to date by calling in your agent and reviewing your coverage. Make changes where necessary.

Liability Insurance

This is probably the most important element of your insurance program. Liability insurance provides protection from potential losses resulting from injury or damage to others or their property. Just recall some of the big cash awards you have read about that have resulted from lawsuits concerning liability of one kind or another and you will understand the importance of this insurance. Your insurance agent can describe the various types of liability insurance coverage that are available. If you will end up with a comprehensive general policy, make certain that the general policy does not include items you don't need. Pay for only the insurance you need. For example, your business may not need product liability insurance.

Do not confuse business liability coverage with your personal liability coverage, both of which you need. Your personal coverage will not cover a business-generated liability. Check to be certain.

Compare the costs of different levels of coverage. In some cases a $2 million policy costs only slightly more than a $1 million policy. This economy of scale is true with most forms of insurance coverage. That is, after a certain value, additional insurance becomes very economical.

Key Person Insurance

This type of insurance is particularly important for the sole proprietorship or partnership where the loss of one person through illness, accident, or death may render the business inoperative or severely limit its operations. This insurance, although not inexpensive, can provide protection for this situation. Key person insurance might also be necessary for others involved in your business.

SGC was a small firm run by three partners, a software programmer, marketer, and a general manager. Their product was a complex computer program used by aerospace firms. Al, the programmer, was involved in a severe automobile accident, became totally disabled, and SGC lost their programming capability. The problem was that the computer program written by Al was essentially the company's sole product. Modifications to accommodate the customer became impossible and the time to bring another programmer up to speed was excessive. SGC lost considerable business as a result of this situation. These losses could have been offset by key person insurance.

Disability Insurance

You, as a business owner, should be covered by disability insurance whether or not you decide on key person insurance. This insurance, along with business-interruption insurance, described below, will help ensure your business will continue to operate in the unfortunate situation where you are unable to work. Your disability insurance policy needs to provide satisfactory coverage. Particular attention should be paid to the definition of "disability," delay time until payments start, when coverage terminates, and adjustments for inflation.

Fire Insurance

Fire insurance, like all insurance is complicated and you should understand what IS and IS NOT covered. For example, a typical fire insurance policy covers the loss of contents but does not cover your losses from the fact that you may be out of business for 2-months while your facility is rebuilt. Fire insurance is mandatory whether you're working out of a home office or you have a separate facility. You should discuss a comprehensive policy with your agent. Take the time to understand the details. For example, will the contents be insured for their replacement value or for actual value at the time of loss?

Consider a co-insurance clause that will reduce the policy cost considerably. This means that the insurance carrier will require you to carry insurance equal to some percentage of the value of your property. (Usually around 85%.) With this type of clause it is very important that you review coverage frequently so you always meet the minimum percentage required. If this minimum is not met, a loss will not be paid no matter what its value.

If you are working out of your home, your existing homeowner's policy may not cover business property. If this is the case, have your insurance agent to add a home-office rider to your policy.

Automobile Insurance

You probably already have automobile insurance but it might not include business use of your vehicle. Make sure that it does.

Worker's Compensation Insurance

If you make the decision to hire employees, you will be required, in most states, to cover them under worker's compensation. The cost of this insurance varies widely and depends on the kind of work being performed and your accident history. It is important that you properly classify your employees to secure the lowest insurance rates. Work closely with your insurance agent.

Business Interuption Insurance

This protects against loss of revenue as the result of property damage. This insurance would be used, for instance, if you could not operate your business during the time repairs were being made as a result of a fire or in the event of the loss of a key supplier. The coverage can pay for salaries, taxes, and lost profits.

Credit Insurance
This will pay for unusual losses as the result of nonpayment of accounts receivables above a certain threshold. As with all policies, you must thoroughly understand the details so discuss it with your insurance agent. One of the largest providers of this coverage is American Credit Indemnity, Baltimore, MD. (800) 879 1224.

Burglary/Robbery/Theft Insurance

Comprehensive policies are available that protect against loss from these perils, including by your own employees. Make certain you understand what is excluded from coverage.

Rent Insurance
This policy covers the cost of rent for other facilities in the event your property becomes damaged to the extent that operations cannot continue in your normal location.


This list could be continued since it is possible to purchase insurance for just about any peril you can imagine ... if you can pay the premium! When considering your insurance coverage, use the following checklist:

Insurance Coverage Checklist:

* Can you afford the loss?

* What coverage is required by Federal, state, or local law?

* What SPECIFIC items are covered by the policy?

* Are items to be insured for their replacement cost or original value?

* What SPECIFIC items are EXCLUDED by the policy?

* If there is a co-insurance clause, do you have adequate coverage?

* Have you chosen deductibles wisely in order to minimize costs?

* Do any of the policies you are considering duplicate or overlap one another?

* Do you need any insurance based on location, e.g., flood, earthquake?

Use the following checklist to review your insurance plans:

Insurance Plan Checklist:

* Employ an independent insurance agent rather than going to individual insurance companies. Ensure the agent shops for your insurance.

* Talk to and get quotations from at least THREE agents and pick the best one for you.

* Use money saving comprehensive policies, if possible.

* Perform periodic (every 6-months) reviews of your insurance program.

* Have business assets professionally appraised to determine coverage needs.

* Ensure existing personal insurance coverage includes business-related activities and add riders as necessary or obtain additional coverage.

For more information, visist www.TotalBusiness.com, Website that provides business owners with the information they need in order to successfully start, manage, grow, and sell their businesses.

The site features over 3,000 articles and 60 guides on business topics such as starting a business, financing a business, sales and marketing, building a website, setting up an office, hiring employees, and selling a business. The site also contains articles on legal and accounting issues affecting businesses and allows business owners and entrepreneurs to get free expert advice from local lawyers or accountants. The site contains over 1,000 business forms and agreements that are helpful to business owners and provides a business directory with over 1,700 merchants who provide services specifically for small businesses.

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Auto Insurance Explained

Automobiles particularly cars are quite expensive nowadays. For many people it takes several years of hard work and lot of savings to purchase a car. Therefore, it becomes essential to secure a vehicle by the means of insurance. Automobile insurance is the best way to protect you the automobile and the huge amount invested in it.

Auto insurance is basically an agreement between an insurance company and a vehicle owner. The latter is required to pay premium at a certain fixed tenure while the former agrees to pay for any damage or loss of the vehicle. In many countries it is mandatory to have an auto insurance policy. For this policy does not just provide monetary assistance to a vehicle owner, it is also of great help while tracing a vehicle in case of theft and the like.

Once you make up your mind regarding which car (any other vehicle) to purchase, the foremost thing you ought to do is to decide the amount of liability coverage that you require. For help and further information in this area you can consult your local Department of Motor Vehicles. After you make up your mind about the liability sum, think about the type of insurance you want. There are different types of auto insurances policies available that vary according to their coverage. For instance the comprehensive auto insurance covers all cases of accident and theft of your vehicle. Whereas the Third Party, Fire and Theft insurance covers only those situations of accident when the policyholder collides his vehicle with someone else's one. The company will not reimburse in case any other automobile hits the insured one. It is at your discretion as to which policy to adopt. The expense of the policy most often varies with its coverage. So the more a policy covers, the higher is its cost.

Thirdly, look for the insurance company from where you desire to purchase your desired policy. For this purpose you can check out the sites of various insurance agencies, can acquire online quotes that are totally free of cost, make a survey in your social circle and so forth. However you should know that in order to determine the contemporary rates, companies take the help of statistical history. These rates depend on the money the required to pay on all claims and company business expenses. The rates of auto insurance policy are also related to the insurance company you choose. This is because each company offers different claim experiences with the number of people they insure. Moreover the cost of doing business i.e. the amount of money to be paid to sell and service their policies and the financial targets to achieve are different for different companies. The companies thus charge accordingly.

Along with these there are several other factors that directly affect your auto insurance rates. These are age, make and model of your vehicle, purpose served by the it, driving record, the manner in which you maintain your car and your credit ratings.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Portfolio Insurance

For the past few weeks the market has had a very nice advance breaking out of an eight month sideways pattern. Then the brick wall. Several days of slamming down taking back some of the nice profits that have been accumulating.

Now what? We know which way is up, but we don’t know how high is up? Don’t think you are confused. So am I and I am considered a professional trader.

The market is giving mixed signals. Some technicians claim their signals are bullish and others say their signals are bearish. The fundamentalists (those folks including many economists) are also on both sides of the fence.

Is there anything folks can do to protect their investments?

Wall Street says buy and hold. We have seen what happened with that scenario in 2000. Many investors lost their shirt, pants and underwear. Less than 1% of brokers called their clients to tell them to sell. They did not know either because they have not been taught how to protect portfolio profits. Many investors said I can’t sell here because I will have to pay huge taxes. Well, they didn’t have to pay any taxes because they gave back all their profits and in some cases much of their original investment. Can that happen again? You betcha sweet bibby it can. Has your broker learned anything since 2000? More importantly have YOU learned anything from the 2000 debacle?

There is what I call portfolio insurance that helps you identify how high is up. How? Having been an exchange member and floor trader for 17 years I learned very quickly (or you go quickly broke) that I had better have my exit strategy planned before I buy.

Did you know that when a general makes a battle plan he also has a retreat strategy for his troops? If the battle does not go well he wishes to withdraw with as many of his troops in tact as possible. The same strategy should be employed for your investments. When you buy any stock or mutual fund you must have a plan to sell before you lose all your money. Any fool can buy. It is the wise investor who knows when to sell.

Your automobile may cost $15,000 and I will bet you have a policy that has a deductible amount to protect you from a total loss in event of an accident. This also the way you should think about buying stocks or mutual funds. The deductible is
your stop loss order for every position in your portfolio. No one is 100% right when buying so you must know how much you are risking before you buy and place the open stop loss the moment your order is executed.

When you buy your portfolio insurance (and it is free) it is also prudent to raise that stop as your stock advances so you will not give back your profits. Every professional trader uses stops. You can too.


Article written by: Albert W. Thomas, author of best seller "IF IT DOESN'T GO UP,DON'T BUY IT!", former 17-year exchange member, floor trader and brokerage company owner. Visit his website at: www.mutualfundmagic.com

Thursday, March 13, 2008

What is Credit Insurance?

Are you wondering what is credit insurance? Very simply, credit insurance is an insurance policy that protects a loan on the chance that you are unable to make the repayments. The next time you have occasion to apply for a loan or mortgage, you will be asked if you want to buy credit insurance, or it might already be included in your loan proposal. If so, it will increase your loan amount and you'll pay additional interest.

Credit insurance usually is optional, which means you don't have to purchase it from the lender. Before deciding to buy credit insurance from a lender, think about your needs, your options, and the rates you're going to pay. You may decide you don't need credit insurance.

If you decide to get credit insurance be aware that it can be an expensive form of insurance. For example, it may be less expensive and more practical for you to get life insurance than credit insurance.

Before deciding to buy credit insurance, ask the lender the following questions:

1. How much is the credit insurance premium?

2. Will the credit insurance premium be financed as part of the loan?

3. Can you pay monthly instead of financing the entire premium as part of your loan?

4. How much lower would your monthly loan payment be without the credit insurance?

5. Will the insurance cover the full length of your loan and the full loan amount?

6. Can you cancel the insurance? If so, what kind of refund is available?


Prior to signing any loan papers, ask the lender whether the loan includes any charges for voluntary credit insurance. If you don't want credit insurance, tell the lender. If the lender still insists that you take out credit insurance, find another lender.


You may freely reprint this article provided the author's biography remains intact:

About the Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help UK homeowners find the best available loans via the www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Dental Insurance

Dental costs are becoming an increasingly significant health care expense and more and more people are making sure they are protected against these costs with a dental insurance policy. Dental insurance policies typically work in the same way as any other medical insurance policy. You will pay your monthly premium and this will entitle you to specific dental care procedures such as checkups, cleaning and x-rays. You will also be covered for other procedures that are deemed necessary to keep your teeth and gums in good health.

As with all insurance policies, they will vary in what treatments they cover and how much they cost. While more expensive policies will give you greater benefits and allow you access to a greater range of services, cheaper ones will be restricted in what they cover and you will be required to contribute to the cost of procedures you require. If you think you will need dental surgery, oral implants, the services of an orthodontist and other more expensive forms of treatment, you will probably want to go for a more comprehensive policy.

One of the main differences between medical and dental health care is that children generally require far more treatment and expense than adults do. This is true right up through your child's teen years when orthodontists' bills can often be extremely expensive. You may therefore wish to cover only your children with dental insurance and you should check with your insurer to see if this is possible. While some insurance companies will allow children to have their own dental insurance policies, others will only insure them as part of an adult or family plan and if this is the case you will require to insure them with your own dental insurance provider and this may mean taking out dental insurance for yourself if you do not already have it.
Another option offered by some insurance companies is to take a form of dental discount card. This is not dental insurance in the strict sense of the meaning but does provide you with discounts on dental treatment when you require using them. They can be a cheaper way of obtaining limited protection against dental costs and for this reason are growing in popularity. Not all insurers will provide them so shop around and see what's on offer. As with all insurance, there can be great differences is what you will be offered for your money and considering that dental insurance can be a significant expense, it is wise to make sure you know what is available before you decide to opt for any policy.


About the author: Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insurance in the UK. If you found this article interesting you may find more articles of the same nature in the insurance guide located on site.