Water damage is one of the leading causes for personal property insurance claims in Ontario. Learning how to deal with preventable water damage is essential for everyone who lives in Ontario.

Water damage has surpassed fire as the leading cause of personal property claims in Ontario.

The challenge with water is that even the smallest amount of water can be a major headache, resulting in the homeowner having to claim under their personal property insurance. Intact Insurance classifies water damage as the following; flooding, broken pipes, sewer backup, and leaky plumbing.

Protecting your home from water damage

Since water damage is so widespread throughout Ontario, it’s important that you inform yourself and ensure you have the coverage you require to protect your home. Speak to your insurance broker to confirm what your insurance coverage protects and adjust if necessary. Furthermore, we suggest contacting your local municipality to find out if there are any special programs that may be in place to protect your home against water damage. 

Reducing your risk with preventative tips

We cannot control Mother Nature; however, we can implement preventative tips to help reduce our risk of having unwanted water in our home. The following checklist has been adapted by Intact Insurance.

Tips for Preventing Water Damage outside your Home

• Clean eaves troughs and downspouts to ensure proper drainage
• If you have any damage on the outside of your home (including cracks, etc.) repair them
• Ensure you caulk window trim and door frames
• Check your roof and flashing for repairs
• Install weather stripping on exterior doors and windows
• Winterize your pool or hot tub
• Turn off the water supply to outdoor taps after the taps have been left open to drain completely. Leave the taps in the open position until the spring
• Always clear snow away from the foundation of your house

Tips for Preventing Water Damage inside your Home

• Check heat-duct and water pipe insulation
• Inspect any washing machine and dishwasher hoses for cracks or leaks, and clean the filters
• Water shut-off valve - learn the location of it and learn how to use it
• Have the furnace and air conditioner professionally serviced annually
• Have any chimneys cleaned annually and repaired as needed

We’d love to help you navigate water damage prevention - Contact Us if you have any questions or would like a no obligation AMEZones home insurance quote. 

Are you a small business owner or a co-owner of a company? Among the many days to day responsibilities you encounter, you also are responsible for your family. You need to protect your family at home as well as your business family.

Life Insurance for Business Owners

Life insurance for business owners can help lay a proper financial foundation by protecting your current and future business. Let’s look into the different situations that life insurance can benefit your company or business.

Collateral Assignment Life Insurance

A life insurance policy can be used for business owners that require cash to begin a business or buy a company. Typically, when you buy a life insurance policy you will name a beneficiary. This beneficiary has an insurable interest to the insured. This beneficiary can be a family member, spouse or a business partner or company. When you’re getting a life insurance policy for an SBA loan or bank loan – it is the same overall concept. You have to assign a primary beneficiary, however- the lender will be named the collateral assignee. If you were to die the lender will get the balance of the loan from the life insurance death benefit. Your primary beneficiary will then get the balance once the loan is paid off.

What would happen in the event that you didn’t use a collateral assignment? If you had the lender the sole beneficiary, the lender would then collect one hundred percent of the life insurance policy’s death benefit. E-exchanger life insurance can help you avoid that.

Executive Bonus Plan Life Insurance

With an executive bonus plan, you’re using a compensating method for specific employees by paying the life insurance policy premiums on the key employee’s life. The employer or business owner will pay for a benefit that is owned by the executive or employee. There are benefits to both the employer and employee when it comes to Executive bonus plans.

For the employer, there is no administration needed, the plan is simple, and costs are tax deductible. For the employee, the executive is the owner of the life insurance policy and of the cash values. The policy is not lost if they were to change employers. The death benefit can be income tax-free.

Key Person Life Insurance

The purpose of key person life insurance is pretty basic:

A company buys a life insurance policy on a key employee, business owner or executive who is very important to the business. The company will apply for a life insurance policy, pay for all of the premiums and own the policy. The business is also the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. If the key person were to die, the company will receive the death benefit of the key person. The tax-free benefit can be used in a variety of ways. It can help make up for company sales as well as lost earnings. The benefit can also help cover some or all of the costs of finding a good replacement and provide proper training.

What would happen if the key person were to die unexpectedly? Could your business move forward without a hiccup? The life insurance death benefit can provide liquidity quickly so you can provide ongoing financial demands.

How about securing loans for your company’s growth? Sometimes loans are needed to help with the financing opportunities of expanding a business. Your lender will often seek collateral as security and the death of a key employee may pose too much of a risk to your lender. It is very common for a lender or bank to require key person life insurance on anyone that is vital to the life of your company.

One of the most important uses of key person life insurance is when there’s a need to buy out a deceased co-owner's interest in a company. There are some unfortunate situations that can arise if a key person policy isn’t in place. How would the deceased co-owner's family receive their share of the interest in the business without selling it off? How would the surviving owners pay off the dead owner’s family in order to avoid becoming partners with them?

Buy Sell Agreement with Life Insurance

When you’re an owner of a company or a partner in a business, a buy sell agreement can be an excellent way to avoid uncertainty. When a partner or company owner dies, the life of the business and its future are uncertain. With a buy-sell agreement, you can make sure you’re helping to protect you and your company from the unexpected or unintended transfer of ownership. By considering a buy sell agreement and funding it with life insurance, you can provide protection and extend the life of your company.

The buy sell agreement will aid the sale and purchase of a company based on a specified event. The most common events are retirement, disability or death of the owner of the company. The buy-sell will lay out specifically who will get what with regards to shares of the business. It will define how much and it will guarantee the buyer at a predetermined price. The buy-sell agreement also allows for the purchasing of company shares from the estate of the surviving family. Lastly, a buy-sell can be beneficial with creditors. Creditors will most likely be much easier to deal with when they can see that a company has protection established to make the loan decisions easier.

Business Succession Planning

Life insurance plays an important role as the driving force in succession planning. It is key that you have adequate coverage for you and your business partners. You need to get a formal valuation of your company and make sure that your coverage is updated with the growth of your company. Succession planning is a very important topic and can be vital to your business. If you let the estate plan dictate how your company transitions, it may cause significant issues. There are many companies that have had disastrous results due to poorly designed succession plans. Just ask the Robbie family and the Miami Dolphins.

Get Started

If you’re ready to get started, make sure you work with the following 3 resources:

• Attorney
• CPA
• Life Insurance Broker

You’ll need experts in each of these areas in order to secure the best strategy and policy for your business succession plan.

How to Get Quotes and Apply

Once your plan is in place you can begin shopping for your life insurance policy. Simply use the free quote on this page to get an idea of rates.

However, the best way to secure coverage is to have our research customized quotes. You can simply contact us at AMEZones.com.  We’re independent and licensed life insurance agents. We’ll find you the best policy at the most competitive price from dozens of top rated life insurance companies. Once we find you the lowest rate, we’ll help you apply conveniently online or over the phone. We’ll help you from start to finish.

When you buy a vehicle you will be provided various options to buy along-side of it and one such choice is that of extended automobile warranty. Sometimes referred to as a service contract, or extended service program, an extended automobile warranty is designed to offset repair expenses following the purchase of a new or used automobile. In essence, an extended warranty is a safeguard against costly, unforeseen repairs. Not to be confused with manufacturer’s warranties, an extended warranty kicks in subsequent to the expiration of the manufacturer’s bumper to bumper warranty. An extended auto warranty is typically sold as a separate contract, and – unlike a manufacturer’s auto warranty – is not included in the purchase price.

You need to be aware of the benefits of this extended service program which coincide with this option even as you consider whether to obtain this kind of warranty for your car and this will assist you to find out whether an extended auto warranty is the suitable choice for you. There are a couple of benefits of having this kind of warranty. First, it provides the car owner of with peace of mind in recognizing that a number of aspects are covered. Because each warranty type will differ with regards to what’s covered under it, it’s imperative to peruse the extended service program document in order to see the coverage points included. By choosing an extended auto warranty you will understand that certain areas are covered on your vehicle in case something happens, which will result in the vehicle requiring to be fixed.

Extended auto warranties will also ascertain that your financial investment gets protected. Because many people live on a restricted budget, it is usually a good idea to put forth the finances whenever you have them in order that you won’t be caught short in the future should anything go wrong with the automobile and you’ll have to get it fixed. Besides, the cost of an extended automobile warranty is oftentimes much more reasonable as compared to what you would be needed to pay should one necessitate to have their car fixed in the future. As a result, by you spending a smaller sum of money in the beginning you might save quite a couple of dollars eventually should replacement parts or repairs be necessary for your automobile.

In the strictest sense of the word, this is not a warranty at all. Like auto warranties, this plan covers repairs for an agreed upon period of time. True warranties, however, are included in the cost of the car; extended auto warranties are actually service contracts, or extended service program because they cost extra and are sold separately. An extended automobile warranty may be bought at the time you purchase your vehicle; it is also possible to buy one much further along in your car ownership experience. If you are the type who prefers to be prepared for all eventualities, an extended warranty may be just what you are looking for. Considering the ever-increasing cost of car repairs, these service contracts do make a lot of sense. If you are interested in buying an extended automobile warranty, you need to know that the car service contracts industry is slowly moving away from the phrase “warranty” since it is confusing to consumers. Try looking for “Extended Service Programs” instead.

Working for “the man” got you down? Just wait till he takes your life insurance policy away.

If you’re fortunate enough to work for a company that offers employee benefits, life insurance through a group policy might be among the perks you can take advantage of. Group life insurance policies generally offer a decent amount of coverage at a reasonable price and some give the option of adding a certain level of additional (supplemental) coverage.

Sounds great, right? Now you can check getting life insurance off of your “to do” list.

Or not.

While group life insurance through your employer is far better than no life insurance at all, it may not be enough to protect your family from financial hardship if the unthinkable were to happen to you.

The Downsides to Many Group Insurance Policies 

• Coverage Limits—Some policies may set a limit on the amount of coverage you can get. Often, the coverage you’re eligible for will be based on some multiple of your income. To obtain more coverage, you may have to apply for an additional policy from another source.

• Less Flexibility in Benefit Options—Group life insurance doesn’t typically provide the option of adding benefit riders like those for accelerated death, child term, or disability.

• Lack of Control Over Your Policy—With the policy owned by your employer, not by you, you could find yourself with no life insurance if your boss reduces the benefits or entirely drops the group policy.

And there’s more. 

The Biggest Potential Problem with Group Life Insurance 

Now you Have it, Now you Don’t—A group policy typically disappears if you’re laid off or if you voluntarily leave the company. So, if that’s your only source of life insurance, you’re banking on the idealistic vision that you’ll be working for your employer for a long time. Unfortunately, real world data shows that’s not very likely. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer was 4.6 years in 2014.

While some group policies are portable, allowing you to take coverage with you by remaining a part of the group after you leave a company, with most you simply lose coverage. If you opt to continue coverage with the group policy, be warned—you might find yourself paying a rather hefty premium to the insurance company.

Some group life policies offer the option to convert them to individual policies. These are also generally quite expensive, but they offer the advantage of being guaranteed issue. 

Term Life: An Affordable Way to get More Peace of Mind

According to LIFE Happens.org, four out of every ten married couples have only group coverage. And one in four Americans believes he/she needs more life insurance. If your only form of life insurance protection is through your company’s policy, individual term life insurance might be just the thing you need to protect your loved ones financially and give yourself peace of mind.

Term life insurance offers coverage at premiums often significantly less than those for portable group and whole life policies. Best of all, they’re flexible in the amount of coverage you can apply for and the length of the time (the term) your policy will be in effect. Typical term periods are 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. The term period locks in the policy cost for that specific time and your rates will not increase at any point during your coverage.

You can quickly and easily get a term life quote online. And if you need help determining how much coverage your family might need or have other questions about term life insurance, reach out to a trusted life insurance professional for guidance.

If someone asked us when parents should consider and begin to practice child safety as it relates to cars, we’d answer that these things should start before their child is even born.

This may sound strange, but as any mother will tell you, the impact from a child begins months before birth. Thus, our answer to the previous question. Since mothers are carrying unborn children for the gestation period, child safety is impacted by the mother’s safety.

While expectant mothers are undergoing physical changes to their bodies, such as the expansion in their abdomens and widening of their hips in the first trimester — changes that continue for all 40 weeks they’ll carry their child — we suggest the same for them as we would any other driver. Wearing their seat belts.

We’ve heard the myth that seat belts endanger the lives of the unborn, but it’s just that — a myth, as long as seat belts are worn properly. That means expectant mothers should wear their seat belts, with the lap belt should be across her hips and below her belly, and the shoulder belt should be across her chest, between the breasts.

Car Seat Installation

With the new arrival of a bundle of joy, we shift from the safety of the mother to the child itself. It may be easy to think that installing a car seat is a simple matter. Put the child seat in the car, insert child, and we’re done, right?

Not so fast. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says 75% of car seats are installed and/or used incorrectly. Fortunately, many hospitals have Child Passenger Safety (SPC) Technicians who can help parents of newborns properly install and secure their car seats.

But what do you do if you’re on your own? While the documentation and instructions included with the child seat is a good start, we think the NHTSA’s free child safety seat inspection centersare also worth the few minutes of time they’ll take to visit. These government-funded centers are based throughout the nation, and they’ll help to ensure a child seat is installed correctly, preferably using the LATCH system.

LATCH, or the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system, has been standard equipment on every car sold in the United States since 2002. All child seats produced since that time are also LATCH compliant. The system employs different sets ofÿanchors to be used with child restraints.

However, if you don’t have access to these resources then you’re left to install it yourself. With all the latches and straps installation may seem complicated. But don’t worry; we’ve got you covered below.

Installation for Infants

The primary role of a car seat for infants is to protect the head and neck, which are the most vulnerable to long-term complications in the event of a collision. There are two types of car seats for infants: rear-facing, infant-only; and convertible seats. Rear-facing, infant-only care seats are ideal for newborns but they become obsolete once the child grows to more than 20 pounds. When you’re installing your little one’s car seat we suggest you follow the steps outlined in the manufacturer’s instruction manual. However, here are some general tips that will help you properly secure your newborn. If you’re more of a visual learner you can watch installation videos provided by the NHTSA.

• If you can move the car seat more than an inch then the straps aren’t tight enough. To get them tight enough we suggest you find a way to put your weight into the car seat and then pull the straps as hard as you can. It’s important that the seat moves as little as possible while you’re in transit.
• Ensure the carrier straps are tight and the harness clip is even with your baby’s shoulders or armpits and the straps are in the slot that lines up close to the infant’s shoulders.
• If your baby has some extra space in the seat you can place rolled receiving blankets or towels on each side to keep him or her from wobbling. Avoid placing anything under the harness straps.
• Locking clips are necessary for some vehicles made before 1997. This is necessary because these vehicles don’t have seat belts that lock when the brakes are slammed, so the clip keeps belt from slipping if an accident occurs.
• Your baby’s head should be at least two inches below the top of the safety seat and make sure the seat is set at a 30 to 45-degree angle.
• You can see more tips at DMV.org or Kids Health.

Convertible seats, the alternative to rear-facing, infant-only seats, are designed so that they can be used by infants after they’re heavier than 20 pounds. When the baby reaches that weight the seat can be turned to face forward and it’s secured with three types of harnesses: T-shield, tray shield, and five-point. All of these types meet required safety standards, but the five-point harness is regarded as the best option since it can be tightened to fit snugly and it doesn’t get in the way of the baby’s head. When installing a convertible seat you should make sure all straps are as tight as possible to prevent it from wobbling.

Ages One to Three

While infants should always be placed in rear-facing car seats, once a child has reached at least one year of age and weighs at least 20 pounds they can utilize forward-facing child safety seats installed in the rear of the car. That being said, they’re safer in a rear-facing seat, so keep them in one for as long as possible.Forward-facing seats, like the ones that come before, should be installed using LATCH rather than seat belts, if possible. Here are some other tips:

• If you’re installing a forward-facing seat make sure it’s set directly against the back and bottom of the car seat. When you’re installing the seat make sure to put weight on the seat to push it back as far as possible so the straps will be as tight as they can be.
• Make sure the seat can’t move side to side or tip forward more than an inch. If it does then unbuckle it and try again.
• If your car was made before 1996 then you’ll probably need to buy a locking clip to prevent the lap and shoulder seat belts from slipping.
• Make sure the straps lie flat and tug on them to make sure they’re secure once your baby is fastened into the seat.
• If you can pinch any of the harness material between your fingers then it’s too loose and needs to be adjusted.

Ages Four to Seven

There are no rear-facing car seats available for this age group, and we don’t know of any children of this age group that would be content to sit facing the rear of the car. So, once a child reaches age four, you’ll have no choice but to move to a forward-facing seat.

Keep a child in this age range in their child seat until they outgrow either the height or weight limits specified by the seat manufacturer. Once this happens, it’s time to switch to a booster seat.

Ages Eight to Twelve

Once a child reaches eight years of age or is at least 4’9” tall, they should be placed in booster seats. Most booster seats simply elevate the child’s seating position and enable them to use the standard seat belts on a car. LATCH is not required nor should it be used with booster seats.

At some point during this period, you’ll likely transition the child from booster seat to just using the standard seat belt of the automobile with no otherÿencumbrances. Make sure they’re wearing the belt properly, with the lap portionÿacross their upper thighs and the shoulder portion across their chest.

Other Considerations

We’ve heard lots of chatter regarding the so-called “combination seats.” These seats are marketed as being able to go from a rear facing infant seat to a forward facing toddler seat and then finally to a booster seat for older children. A testing study performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found significant problems with these combination seats.

Children should always ride in the back seat of a car, if possible, no matter if they’re in a car seat, a booster seat, or if they’re old enough to wear seat belts.ÿAll modern cars now have both driver side and passenger side front airbags, which are designed for full-sized adults. Airbags can injure or kill a child, and the back seat is simply the safest place in the car.

Finally, don’t assume that just because your child isn’t in a car that all auto-related dangers areÿabated. Child pedestrians are killed at a greater rate than any other age group. In fact, male children, aged 5 to 9 years old, are the largest group of pedestrians killed every year. Children can still fall victim to an automobile by darting into a road without looking or by playing on a street.

A recent survey DealerRater conducted for Automotive News looked at the different ways car buyers deal with negative equity on their trade-ins. It found that the majority of consumers deal with this all-too-common situation in the worst possible way. 

Automotive News-DealerRater Survey

The Automotive News informal survey, conducted by DealerRater, looked at the most common actions that buyers take when trading in a car with negative equity ("negative equity" is when your car's value is less than the loan balance).

From May 5th to the 24th of this year, DealerRater interviewed 88,874 consumers who visited a dealership to shop or to have their car serviced. Of those, 46,700 respondents traded in their previous car when they bought or leased their most recent vehicle.

Over one third (37 percent) of those 46,700 respondents said they had negative equity in their trade-in. Here is how those buyers dealt with that situation:

• 54 percent rolled their negative equity into their next loan or lease.
• 21 percent "took some other action" (Automotive News did not specify what these other actions were).
• 19 percent increased the amount of their down payments.
• 6 percent opted to buy or lease a different vehicle than they had originally planned to.

Over half of the buyers polled rolled the debt into their next loan or lease. From a financial point of view, this is disappointing since this is the worst way to deal with this situation. Not only does it make your next loan or lease more expensive, it can put you in a debt spiral that's hard to escape.

Avoid Trading in a Car with Negative Equity at All Costs

Having negative equity is sometimes also referred to as being "underwater" or "upside down." Regardless of the word you use, negative equity is a growing problem with loan amounts rising and loan terms increasing.

Having negative equity isn't typically an issue if you plan to keep your car for a while and/or pay off the loan in full. It only becomes a problem when your vehicle is totaled, stolen, or you want to trade it in halfway through the loan term.

Let's look at an example of why being upside down can present an issue if you want to trade in your car. Say you have a balance of $12,000 left on your auto loan, but the vehicle is only worth $10,000. This means you have $2,000 worth of negative equity—and it isn't going to just disappear. Your options are to either deal with it now or deal with it later.

If you want to trade in your car, rolling the balance over into a new loan means paying on the new vehicle, plus the $2,000 from your last car. This means you're making payments on two cars at once, and your monthly payment and interest charges will be larger, as a result.

Worse yet, it typically means you'll be further upside down in the new loan. Rolling negative equity into a new loan just compounds your problem, which can create a debt cycle that can quickly spiral out of control.

For these reasons, every expert on the subject, including the team here at Auto Credit Express, will tell you that trading in a car with negative equity should always be viewed as a last resort option. This statement rings more true for those dealing with less than perfect credit, especially considering the higher than average interest rates these borrowers face.

Instead, it will be in your best interest to look at these alternatives:

• Cover the negative equity out of pocket.
• Find a new car with a big manufacturer rebate attached. If you don't have the cash to cover the difference out of pocket, this is a good alternative to explore.
• Hold off on trading in your vehicle until you are no longer underwater or you have paid off the loan. Try making larger payments than your minimum amount to take care of this faster.
• Try to sell the car yourself to get more than you would if you were to trade it in.

The Bottom Line

In an ideal world, you would always have equity in your vehicle so you could avoid this situation. Because negative equity is a common issue, however, it's best to figure out a way to avoid trading in a car when you are upside down in your loan. Buyers, especially those dealing with credit issues, should do whatever it takes to avoid this situation.

Another car buying roadblock can be your credit. Having bad credit or no credit can make it difficult to get approved for a car loan. Luckily, Auto Credit Express is here to try to make that process easier.

We connect car buyers to local special finance dealerships that know how to work with challenging credit situations. Our service is free of charge and obligation, so go ahead and get started by filling out our car loan request form right now.

1) Some of the most helpful coverages are the cheapest.

The coverage you are required by law to buy -- liability insurance -- typically is the most expensive. It should be. The most common coverage limits can mean your insurance carrier is on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars for any damage you do.

Most other coverages are capped by the value of your car, though.

While collision, which pays to repair your car if you are at fault, can be pricey, other optional coverages such as gap coverage, roadside assistance, rental reimbursement, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and comprehensive coverage can provide a lot of protection for a little price increase. Comprehensive coverage will normally be the most expensive of these other optional coverages, but is usually about only half the price of collision coverage and a third the price of liability coverage. It's worth the cost of comprehensive to cover your car for things such as theft, fire and vandalism.

Uninsured motorist coverage is especially important, considering the benefits it offers and the number of uninsured drivers on the road. Take a look at your coverage options. Paying a little more now may save you a lot in the future.

2) Many factors can affect your car insurance rate.

Auto insurance companies use many different criteria when evaluating an insurance application during a process called underwriting. Each car insurance company has many guidelines regarding which groups of drivers they want to accept and how much they will charge those groups they consider a greater risk. The guidelines are different for each company, meaning that two companies comparing the same driver can arrive at vastly different conclusions.

During the underwriting process, car insurance applicants are placed in a group based on how much money and how many claims the insurance company believes it may have to pay. Underwriting is done automatically by software behind the scenes.

At this time, the insurance company will look at motor vehicle records to see how many accidents or tickets a driver has received. Many insurance companies also use an insurance history report to see if the driver has made any car insurance claims, and how much money was paid. Although accidents and violations can only affect the rates you receive for three years, many companies will look back five or more years when deciding if they want to offer you insurance.

In addition, many auto insurance companies look at the credit history of the applicant. Typically,drivers with bad or no credit history pay more. But that means you can save money (quite a bit) by shopping around as your credit improves.

3) Insurance prices vary (a lot) by company.

Car insurance rates differ significantly from one insurance company to another. That's because each insurance company uses its own formula to assess risk and decide what you pay for coverage. This means no two insurers will have identical prices for the same policy -- often, the difference is hundreds of dollars. So, if you don't compare rates, you can wind up overpaying. 

"Auto insurance is a highly competitive business and one of the most effective ways to reduce insurance costs is simply to shop around," according to Jeanne Salvatore, senior vice president of the Insurance Information Institute. "Drivers should look for an insurance company that will provide a good price along with excellent service."

The best plan is to decide what coverages and options you need and comparison shop so you can find cheap auto insurance that still provides sufficient coverage.

4) If you let your policy lapse, you'll pay more in the long run.

Most insurance companies view drivers who are licensed but don't have insurance as risky or irresponsible. Because of this, if you let your policy lapse, you'll probably pay more when you go to buy car insurance. To avoid this, if you don't want to pay for insurance or are planning to let your policy expire because you want to switch car insurance companies, make sure to purchase car insurance before your current policy is cancelled.

5) Higher deductibles can lower your premium.

Insurance prices are based on how much money the insurance company believes it could have to pay. If you agree to pay for a larger portion of your own damages by raising your deductibles, your car insurance company automatically knows they won't have to pay as much for your claims. Because of this, they will usually give you a lower premium. If you decide to raise your deductibles to save money, be sure you can afford to pay the deductible if you have to make a claim.

6) Insurance discounts can make a difference.

Most insurance companies offer auto insurance discounts for things like a safe driving record, car safety features, anti-theft devices, electronic payments, payment in full, and more. Make sure you're getting rewarded for being a safe driver and for having a safe car by shopping around for car insurance that appreciates your record.

7) Coverage affects what you pay.

The majority of your car insurance premium generally goes toward the legally-required liability portion of your policy. It's typically not a good idea to reduce this portion in an attempt to save money, because you'll be responsible for any amount of damages above your policy limits.

However, other coverages, although generally helpful, could be reduced or eliminated to lower your premium. If you have an older car that's not worth very much, or if you won't have a problem paying for a new car, collision and comprehensive coverages may not make economic sense.

Use our coverage calculator to see how much car insurance coverage you need.

8) The car you drive can affect your auto insurance rates.

The Highway Loss Data Institute compiles insurance accident statistics for most types of cars. Many insurance companies use data like this when setting prices on your insurance. For example, if the car you drive is very expensive to repair, the company is going to have to pay more if you get in an accident. Conversely, if the car you drive is extremely safe and protects occupants well, your insurance company will not have to pay as much if you're involved in a crash. If your model of car is generally less likely to be stolen, your car insurance company is less likely to have to pay to replace it.

Insurance is having a close link-up with uncertainty. As people can’t see their future they try to protect with some insurance policy. Whether it is a nonliving product like a car or it about our own health, we don’t want take any chances and hence we go to shop for an insurance. In fact we all know that we are going get some kind of benefits out of our investments. Now when it comes to life insurance we people tend to become reluctant. This mainly happens as life insurance is somewhat related to death and people don’t like to imagine about their own passing over.

In reality lots of people don’t have a proper knowledge about the benefits of provided with a life insurance policy. Once you know it all you will surely buy one for you. Let’s check the obvious advantages of life insurance

• Your precious family worth it: After a long weary day when we come back to our nests we feel relaxed with our family. It is true that we tend to stay blind towards our death, but it is not that we totally forget about it. A sting of anticipation makes us worried about our loving family and their situation after our demise. The moment you take out a life insurance you know that they are have the protection now. Even if you are not around your dear ones have it all.

• Intelligent investment choice for all: If you contemplate your life insurance policy as another investment option, it won’t disappoint you. You can do the simple math on your own and you will find that you are getting substantial return on investment. If you calculate the amount you are investing and the amount you are getting back you will be fairly satisfied with your decision. So now you know that your hard earned money is going to the right bucket.

• Benefits you can enjoy within your lifespan: If you think that your family will get the sum out of your life insurance policy after your death then you don’t have full knowledge about it. Companies, selling life insurance know that people want enjoy the benefits of their investment while they are still living. So they provide some additional benefits or add-ons with the policy which you can enjoy before you die. These are add-ons or riders basically cover different type of illness such as terminal, chronic, or critical illness. Under these circumstances you get a percentage of the total amount of your life insurance policy and can spend that amount as you wish. Even if you get out of your illness, you are not liable to return the amount you got, it will only get deduct from the total amount your family will get as death benefit.

• Safeguard your finances: We understand our financial situation and work day in day out to make it better. Now this is not wise not to opt for a life insurance while making a stronger financial base. As bread earner of the family it is your liability to protect all you have already earned or else your family suffer. You have a life insurance and everything you have earned is under protection.