Car insurance for Young Adults

Typically, young adults are going to pay more for their car insurance than anyone else under age 70, because they are considered the riskiest on the road.

However, young adults can lower their auto insurance rate by taking a defensive driver course, raising their comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles, commuting through public transportation, buying a home or renters policy through the same car insurance company, or buying a safer car.

Ways to Save on Your Car Insurance
One way to save money on your auto insurance is to purchase a vehicle with front and side airbags, antilock breaks, automatic seatbelts and daytime running lights. Many auto insurance companies give discounts for these safety features, not to mention cars with these features are generally cheaper to insure! Another way to save a few bucks is to join an auto club, such as American Automobile Association (AAA), or taking advantage of discounts through your employer.

In the event you own an older vehicle, it may be a good idea to drop the collision and comprehensive coverages from your car insurance policy, because both coverages require you to pay a deductible in the event you file a claim, and in some cases, that may be more than your car is worth.

If you were recently married or are about to be married, you will notice a considerable drop in your auto insurance rates. That’s because insurance companies view married couples as more “stable” and less of a risk. Also, when you turn 25, you can expect to see a decrease in your auto insurance rate because auto insurance companies view people 25 and older as a more “stable driver”.

Living With Mom and Dad
If you still live with your parents, but don’t own your own car, you are still eligible to remain on their policy. This will save you money because your parents are considered lower-risk drivers and will likely have a better auto insurance rate than if you had car insurance on your own. However, if you purchase your own vehicle, most car insurance companies will require you to buy your own insurance, to avoid any confusion as to who the car belongs to.

Financial Picture
To save money, you should look into what other insurance coverages you already have and see if you’re paying for double-coverage. If you have health insurance through your employer, you can waive Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which pays for your medical expenses in the event of an accident. At times, some car insurance companies will allow you to limit medical damages under your uninsured motorist coverage in exchange for a lower premium.

Just be careful as to not sacrifice adequate car insurance to save a couple extra bucks. For instance, if you’re in a major accident with an uninsured motorist, and your medical bills are high, you will end up paying for those bills, not the uninsured motorist!

If you think you’re paying too much for car insurance and would like to get quotes from other auto insurance providers. Here, you will be able to evaluate multiple rates from best-in-class insurance providers – helping you find the best and cheapest auto insurance coverage for your budget.

Living Abroad and Your Health Insurance Needs

Taking an extended trip abroad requires an enormous amount of planning. Although it may not be foremost in your mind, your health insurance coverage is an important part of this planning.

Standard health insurance plans are generally not designed to cover extended periods of international travel. Most managed care plans do cover emergency treatment regardless of where it is administered, but other types of care are typically limited to a local network of providers. Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may pay nothing if you seek routine care from a non-network provider, while preferred provider organizations (PPOs) generally cover only a portion of these costs. And most Americans do not qualify for the national health-care programs offered to citizens of many European nations. Before you go abroad, find out what coverage you will have. Tell your insurance company how long you will be overseas and what countries you will visit.

For some travelers, travel insurance may be an adequate solution. However, travel insurance may provide only limited coverage, typically for no more than six months.

If your stay abroad will last more than six months and you want to get the most comprehensive health insurance available, you may want to look into expatriate health insurance. Many larger insurers such as Lloyd's of London offer this type of insurance specifically for Americans living in other countries.

Expatriate health insurance plans can be customized in many ways. In addition to standard medical and emergency coverage, you can get a plan that includes maternity coverage, specialty treatments such as acupuncture and chiropractic, and even emergency evacuation. Choosing the right features depends on your family's needs, your financial situation, and your travel plans.

If you decide to purchase an expatriate plan, you can expect to complete an extensive application. You'll need to disclose any health problems your family members have had in the past 10 years, from broken bones to hereditary conditions to substance abuse. The cost of an expatriate plan varies depending on the features you choose; the number of family members to be covered; the age, sex, and state of health of each family member; your travel itinerary; and various other factors.

Top 10 Ways to Cut Your Medical Bills

With health-care costs on the rise, you may be looking for ways to lower your medical expenses.

Here are 10 ideas

1. Practice prevention
2. Shop around for health insurance
3. Cut the cost of prescription drugs
4. Check your medical bills
5. Join your spouse's health plan
6. Keep track of your medical expenses
7. Negotiate a discount with your health-care provider
8. Contribute to a flexible spending account
9. Take advantage of free health screenings
10. Get to know your health insurance

Practice prevention
As basic as it sounds, one of the most effective ways to lower your medical expenses over time is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, you can:

• Take advantage of wellness programs

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Exercise regularly

• Kick unhealthy habits (e.g. smoking)

• Have regular checkups

Shop Around for Health Insurance
If you don't have employer-sponsored health insurance, you may be looking to obtain coverage on your own. To get good coverage at an affordable price, shop around. Because premiums vary widely, you'll probably save money if you get quotes from several companies. Evaluate each plan's coverage and features, taking into account exclusions, limitations, and the freedom to choose health-care providers, among other things. Also find out how much you'll end up paying out of pocket in the form of co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles, because even relatively small amounts of money can really add up if you make frequent visits to your doctor.

Cut the Cost of Prescription Drugs
Prescription costs can eat up a large portion of your budget if you take prescription drugs regularly. Fortunately, it's not hard to find ways to save money. For example, try ordering your prescriptions through the mail, using a traditional or online pharmacy. If you belong to a prescription drug plan (e.g. through your health insurance), you may be able to get a three-month supply of your prescription drug through the mail for the same price you would pay for a one-month supply at your neighborhood pharmacy. You can also ask your pharmacist or doctor to recommend a less-expensive generic drug whenever possible.

Check Your Medical Bills
Medical bills are often confusing to read. However, taking a few minutes to go over the charges may save you money in the long run. Check to make sure that the bill accurately reflects the procedures you have undergone and takes into account any applicable insurance coverage you may have. Some errors, such as wrong computer codes, are common, and you may be billed for health care you never received. Contact the appropriate billing office if you think you've found a mistake. If you've received an explanation of benefits from your insurance company that you believe is wrong, ask the company to review your claim.

Join Your Spouse's Health Plan
Many married couples maintain separate health insurance coverage even though it may not be cost effective to do so. Examine both your coverage and your spouse's coverage to see if it makes sense for either of you to join the other's plan. Keep in mind that most plans allow you to add a spouse to your plan within a certain time period after you get married (e.g. 30 days). Otherwise, you may have to wait for the plans' annual open enrollment period.

Keep Track of Your Medical Expenses
Come tax time, you may be able to deduct certain medical expenses if you itemize, and your total medical expenses exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. Allowable medical expenses include everything from health-care services to medical aids (e.g. eyeglasses, hearing aids). Keep track of these expenses if there's a chance you'll be able to deduct them on your income tax return.

Negotiate a Discount with Your Health-Care Provider
Many people don't realize that you can sometimes negotiate to lower your medical bills. While it may not always work, it doesn't hurt to ask your doctor, hospital, or pharmacy if they're willing to come down in price. Before you begin to negotiate, do a little research to find out what other health-care providers in your area are charging. You can also ask your health-care provider if they'll lower their price if you pay in cash up front.

Contribute to a Flexible Spending Account
Your employer may offer a flexible spending plan that allows you to put pretax dollars in an account. You are then reimbursed for your out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as prescription drugs, dental care, and co-payments. Because flexible spending contributions are taken out of your pay before federal and state taxes are calculated, you get to use pretax dollars to pay your medical bills.

Take Advantage of Free Health Screenings
If your health insurance doesn't provide adequate coverage in some areas, or if you don't have any health insurance coverage at all, you may want to look into free health screenings. Local clinics and hospitals often provide a variety of screenings, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, and mammograms.

Get to Know Your Health Insurance
Your health insurance may cover more than you think. Nowadays, insurance companies often provide benefits designed to help you stay safe and healthy. For example, you may receive discounts on vitamins, alternative medicines, health club memberships, or bike helmets. You may also be surprised at the range of coverage your health plan offers. For instance, it may cover dental care for young children, chiropractic care, and acupuncture. Read your plan membership materials to find out what products and services are available through your health plan before you pay for them on your own.

New Car Insurance Costs

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Buying a new car can be a very exciting and overwhelming experience. Sorting through options, makes, models and features is enough to make your head spin.

Not to mention the financing and car insurance costs. However, being prepared before you shop can help make the buying process quicker and easier for you!

Identifying the ideal car for you.
Before heading out to the car dealership, make a list of what you are looking for in a new car. As you are writing the list, think about the same concerns a car insurance company would consider when quoting you a rate, such as:

• How do you use your car?

• How many passengers do you typically carry?

• How often do you drive your car?

• Where do you drive?

These factors will help you pinpoint the best car for you, while also helping to potentially keep your car insurance premium down.

Features to consider before you buy.
Make a list of all the features and options that are important to you, such as head and leg room, transmission type, engine, trunk size, airbags, security system, anti-lock brakes and other safety features. Car insurance companies often give discounts for some of these items; saving you significant money on your overall quote.

Also, check out auto manufacture's websites. Many have special pages that let you "shop" for your dream car - giving you the opportunity to select the features that are important to you, while also providing you with the true cost of these "extra perks."

The cost.
Before you buy you should always factor in all costs involved with buying a new car, including sticker price, gas, maintenance, financing rates, taxes and car insurance.

How much you pay for your car has a powerful effect on your car insurance premium. A luxury car with all the latest safety features will typically cost more to insure than a no-frill economy car, due in part, because the higher-priced car may be more expensive to repair or is more likely to be stolen.

Yet some cars do consistently get better deals on car insurance rates than others. For example, a $14,000 Dodge Neon costs about the same amount to insure as a $34,000 Volvo XC70. According to Edmunds.com, the Dodge Neon would set you back an average of $4,410 in premiums over five years, while the Volvo would cost $4,605.

Why, you may ask?

The Volvo tends to receive a bigger insurance discount because it inflicts less damage to other cars in an accident, suffers less damage, has a lower theft rate and protects its passengers better in an accident.

According to one national insurance provider, the Dodge Neon does worse than the average car in all three categories, equaling the reason why it costs so much to insure.

Do your research!
Not only do you need to look at what your new car has to offer, you also need to do some background research as well.

Car insurance premiums are based partly on the price of the vehicle, which affects the replacement cost if it is stolen or "totaled" in an accident. How expensive the vehicle is to repair - including parts and labor - can also impact your insurance rate. In addition, surcharges may apply to vehicles that are frequently stolen or involved in accidents.

To find out if that next dream car might be more than you bargained for, visit Highway Loss Data Institute's website. Here you will find industry-wide information on injury claims, collision repair costs and theft rates by vehicle model.

Top 10 Things to Know About Life Insurance

That way, you'll be sure to get the best possible coverage at the right price. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

1. Shop around
2. Never buy more coverage than you need
3. The healthier you are, the better the rates
4. Buy sooner rather than later
5. Realize the importance of periodically reviewing your coverage
6. You don't necessarily have to pay a commission
7. You may be paying more for monthly premium payments
8. Don't rely solely on the life insurance offered by your employer
9. Tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
10. Buying more is sometimes cheaper

Shop around
When it comes to life insurance, it pays to shop around because premiums can vary widely. And thanks to the Internet, it's now easier than ever. Try out one of the many insurance websites that can provide you with instant quotes. Make sure the website you shop from takes into consideration the factors in your medical history that can affect the premiums.

Never buy more coverage than you need
The key to purchasing the right amount of life insurance is to have just enough coverage to meet your needs. If you have more life insurance than you need, you'll be paying unnecessarily for higher premiums. On the other hand, it's important not to have too little coverage, resulting in you being underinsured.

The healthier you are, the better the rates
It's true – healthy people get better rates on life insurance. You will be asked to pay a higher rate for anything that shortens your life expectancy (e.g., if you smoke, take medications regularly, are overweight, have a bad driving record).

Buy sooner rather than later
If you've been putting off purchasing life insurance because you don't want to pay the premiums, you may be doing yourself a disservice in the long run. The younger you are when you purchase life insurance, the lower your premiums will be.

Realize the importance of periodically reviewing your coverage
Any life change signals the need for a review of your overall financial plan. When it comes to life insurance coverage, you'll want to make sure that this major life event (e.g., birth of a child, children are grown) won't leave you underinsured or overinsured.

You don't necessarily have to pay a commission
One of the reasons for higher premiums is that most life insurance policies pay commissions to the agent/broker. However, you may be able to purchase a no-load policy through an insurer that sells no-load policies directly to consumers.

You may be paying more for monthly premium payments
You may not realize it, but you may be paying more for your life insurance if you pay your premium in monthly installments. Many insurance companies charge extra fees if you make monthly premium payments instead of paying the annual premium.

Don't rely solely on the life insurance offered by your employer
Many employers offer their employees some sort of group life insurance. But this amount of coverage is usually not enough to adequately meet your life insurance needs. In addition, group life insurance policies are not portable, meaning that if you leave your job, you can't take your life insurance coverage with you.

Tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
If you're thinking about lying on your insurance application, think again. If your insurance company finds out that you lied about a health-related condition or your lifestyle (e.g., smoking habit), they may be able to terminate your coverage.

Buying more is sometimes cheaper
Life insurance usually costs less per thousand dollars once you get into higher coverage amounts (e.g., $250,000). If the numbers work out, you may be able to pay a lower premium while increasing your coverage.