Thursday, July 11, 2013

Consider Purchasing Insurance for Rental Cars

If you use a rental car, you'll likely be asked whether you want to purchase additional coverage, such as coverage covering property damage to the rental vehicle and liability insurance to cover injuries that might occur in an accident. Use the suggestions below to determine whether you should pay extra for your cars to include additional coverage.
If you don't have auto insurance that covers property damage, collision and comprehensive, then chances are you'll be required to purchase some kind of property coverage for a car from the rental car company. The property coverage you purchase for a rental vehicle is usually referred to as CDW, collision damage waiver. Even if the rental company does not require such additional coverage, you will likely purchase such insurance to protect yourself from the costs of property damage to the car.
If you have collision and comprehensive coverage, you should call your insurance company to find out whether your policy will provide property coverage for a rental vehicle. Sometimes policies will cover rental vehicles, but if you drive an older or less valuable car than the vehicle you're renting, you might run into problems with having your collision and comprehensive policy cover a rental vehicle.
Liability coverage for personal injuries that could occur in a rental vehicle are covered by policies much like liability insurance you purchase for your own vehicle. If you carry minimal liability coverage, you can choose to purchase greater coverage through the rental car agency.
Take the time to let the rental car agency go over the coverage they provide to you in order to understand details such as whether towing services are provided to you in the event the car is in an accident or is damaged and whether you'll be provided with a new rental vehicle to meet your travel needs.
Be prepared for significant price jumps in quoted rental car rates if you choose to purchase additional coverage to protect the rental vehicle and people who could be injured in a car accident. Car agencies are not insurance brokers and frequently have a flat rate that they charge for such protection. Additional amounts you'll have to pay can be up to about $20 a day for such additional protection.
Follow the rules of the rental car company, especially in terms of who's driving the car. If there is a problem that occurs and an unauthorized driver was driving the vehicle, you will likely not be able to take advantage of the protection you purchased.
If you are deemed negligent by the rental car agency in terms of your behavior that might have contributed to a problem that arises with a rental car, at times it will void all or a part of the coverage you purchase.
If you're renting a car, the protection provided for additional fees can be a good idea to avoid unforeseen liability and difficulty in the event there's a problem that occurs with a rental car. Use the suggestions above to decide whether to pay more for your rental vehicle by choosing to opt into additional auto insurance coverage available through the rental car agency.

Why Most Insurance Agents Succeed at Sales

Success in selling Insurance is not an accident. When you first start off it's hard but the more you learn about how to succeed at what you are doing, the easier it becomes.
Success and failure is not an accident. You don't fall into success nor do you fall into failure. Sadly more people walk into failure than they need to. It is my hope that this article will give you some steps you can take on the path to success in Insurance sales.
1) Set a sales goal - there is a ton of information available on goal setting so I won't address those in this article. Keep in mind that a goal is like the bullseye an archer aims for when he draws back his bow. You cannot hit a target you don't aim for. Let your sales goals reflect the targets you want to hit in your career.
2) Make a plan to reach that goal- break it down so that you know each day the activities you need to perform to hit your goal. For example, if you want to earn $100,000 a year you know that you need to make $2000 in commissions each week (taking 2 weeks off for vacation), which breaks down to $400/day and $50/hour. Each task that you perform must be equal to someone getting paid $50 for the job. See your time being worth $50/hour.
3) Control your activity to increase your productivity- In line with making a plan you must control your activity. If you spend 3 hours a day reading emails, listening to voicemail, mailing envelopes and taking coffee breaks, you are losing 3 hours a day which is $150/day, $750/week and $37,500 a year. Can you afford to lose $37,500 year to non productivity? I can not.
4) Stop making excuses for failure - Failure is not an option. When some agents are failing, they blame everyone but themselves. "It's the leads; it's the clients; it's because I have no support staff; it's because I have no money." Take 100 responsibilities for your actions. Failure is waiting for us all. Leave him at the bus stop.
5) See yourself successful - Finally, see yourself succeeding. Nothing causes more failure than a mental image of failure being acceptable and expected. Look instead at how much better your life can be if you hit your sales goals, achieve your income projections and have time to share your wealth with people you love and care for. Nothing in life is better than that!

Patient Collections - Is It Worth The Risk?

Research has shown that a patient that gets sent to collections is 70% more likely to leave the practice than a patient who was not sent to collections. If a non-paying patient does not return to the practice, no revenue is lost. However, if a paying patient is mistakenly sent to collections, the cost of that patient leaving the practice will be felt.
  • Annual Average Patient Billing $ 2,500
  • Average Patient Life Span with Practice 7 years
  • Lifetime Dollar Value of Each Patient $17,500
Since 37% of patient statements initially sent are inaccurate, and more than half the patients wrongfully sent to collections stated they never received a statement; does it ever make sense to turn patient accounts over to collections?
The answer is YES. However, before any accounts are sent to collections, it is wise to first make sure they go through a comprehensive pre-collection process including the following:
  • Statements are sent
  • Questions on the account are satisfactorily answered
  • Incorrect balances are fixed
  • Posting errors are remedied
  • New insurance information is updated
  • Secondary insurance is filed
  • Effort was made to locate the patient
  • Effort was made to inform the patient
Once these steps have been taken, unpaid patient accounts can safely be sent to collections. To further mitigate the risk, when choosing a collection agency, make sure that:
  1. The agency specializes in medical collections and doesn't use aggressive tactics. It is imperative that your collection partner understands the nuances of the medical industry. You do not want to use a vendor who is calling on gym memberships one minute and calling your patients the next. Medical bills are not only financial but emotional for most patients. Therefore, these patients must be handled with kindness and respect.
  2. The agency provides you with 100% visibility. If they aren't showing it, they most likely aren't doing it. Demand complete access to view the status of your accounts at any time so that you are fully aware of how they are being worked.
  3. The agency records all phone calls. How else are you going to really know "what" they are saying to your patients and "how" they are saying it? You should be able to request any phone call at your discretion.
  4. The agency provides a convenient on-line way for patients to pay. The more options given, the more likely patients are to pay.
  5. The agency comes highly recommended. The agency should be able to provide endorsements from other medical providers.
Following these guidelines will increase the success of sending patients to collections without repercussions.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Cheapest Auto Insurance: How to Find the Best Possible Deals

The numerous aspects involved in owning and running a car makes it one of the most expensive possessions anyone can own. A house is obviously the biggest, but with gas, car payments, tax and maintenance, the car-related bills pile up. Finding the cheapest auto insurance possible is understandably a priority.
The catch is that insurance is an absolute must if we want to drive our vehicles on the road, so there is no escaping the obligation. The good news is that with enough searching and some clever moves, it is possible to find a selection of low premium policies, the best of which depends on your circumstance.
Of course, the quality of coverage should not be sacrificed for the sake of a low cost auto insurance quote, but with some of the unnecessary frills that are added to policies, it is possible to shave the unnecessary to gain savings. So, what can be done to lower the cost?
Comparing Quotes
This is hardly a surprise technique to finding the cheapest auto insurance around, but there is a certain trick to locating the best deals. The fastest way is, of course, over the Internet, and the development of comparison sites has meant the best deals according to your preferences can be located quicker than ever.
The usual procedure is to enter some basic information into an instant quote request form, and wait a few seconds to get a result. However, it is better to send a more detailed quote request, even if it means waiting for 24 hours for a reply. Remember, getting low premium policies is not always down to price, but the quality of the coverage too.
In the event that a good deal is spotted, it is essential that direct contact is made with the insurance company either by email, online chat or by telephone before any auto insurance policy is signed. Also, be sure to check out the reputation of the company on the BBB website.
Go To Who You Know
In these days of choice, it may seem strange to recommend going to a familiar insurance company, but it has more to do with the potential for securing major discounts than anything else. If your home and health insurance is already held by one company, the cheapest auto insurance may be available there too.
This is because of the concept of bundling, where a company is likely to agree to major savings for a customer to get all of their insurance needs from them. While low premium policies are great, there are other advantages to enjoy too.
Not least amongst them are the future discounts that may be on offer. For example, some companies will offer a discount on home insurance if there is no claim made on their auto insurance policy. Bundling allows for transfer of benefits, though the exact terms depends on the insurance company.
Improve Your Security
Finally, a good way to ensure the cheapest auto insurance is to enhance the security levels on the car. This means that the chances of your vehicle being stolen are reduced dramatically, and with it the cost of the premium.
Some simple options are needed to accomplish this. For example, get an immobilizer put on your steering wheel, or have an up-to-date alarm system installed. There are also other anti-theft gadgets to install that can make a difference, including in-car cameras linked to the internet, allowing for fast thief recognition.
There are low premium policies out there to find, but as has already been mentioned, the true value of an auto insurance policy is the quality of coverage it provides. After all, the most expensive outcome would be to have to pay for repairs because the damage was not covered.

Choosing the Best Life Insurance

Choosing the best suitable premium policy for life insurance is sometimes confusing. You are given two reasonable choices- each with their own advantages and disadvantages. However, the best and the right premium would always depend on your needs and your current financial status.
When you are thinking of long terms, most insurance brokers or consultants would suggest the guaranteed premium. This type of policy ensures that what you are currently paying will be the same for the next couple of years to come-regardless of the current financial state of the company. The rates you are given by the time you started paying will remain the same until the end of the term. So if you choose a 10-year term, it means you have almost 10 years of savings. However, this type of premium usually starts with a higher rate than the usual monthly or reviewable premiums.
Reviewable premiums on the other hand are a lot cheaper. It is made affordable especially for those with a tight budget as of the moment. Consultants recommend this type of premium to those who want security but are unable to commit to a locked insurance rate. Policy holders under this type of premium are given updates of the results after a review is done. Reviews are done in a set time interval and usually after the review a slight rise in the rates are concluded.
It is very important that you choose the best suitable premium for your life insurance because it will determine the type of coverage you are entitled to get. Each person has his or her own preference when it comes to this, so it is never a wrong decision to choose one from the other just as long as you are satisfied with the benefits and coverage of the policy you have chosen.
So if you are confused as to which premium to choose, check your current financial status and know if you can commit to a guaranteed premium first. If you don't think you can afford a guaranteed premium, choose the reviewable premium instead. You can also consult an agent or an insurance broker to help you decide which one to choose. With their deep knowledge and experience about life insurance and its policies, they can surely help you choose the best suitable premium. To help you better understand life insurance rates, premiums, coverage and policies, you can always go online and do a research.

Do Not Risk Your Savings, Learn to Spend It Wisely!

Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors of the twentieth century, once said in an interview 'Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing'. His thought behind saying this was that everyone today focuses on how quickly they can make money, which urges them to invest randomly without analyzing the associated risk. The reason people risk their hard-earned money is that there are hoards of insurance offerings in the market that promises high returns and also because their financial planning is weak and uncertain. The solution to this is consulting the best professional adviser who can make you comprehend the investment pyramid and thereby, develop a financial strategy for you.
Finding the right financial adviser is very crucial when planning an investment in the insurance sector. This can be done in two ways, the first one being doing your own research that is not only time consuming but has a certain level of ambiguity attached to it, or you can go for the second and simpler way of opting for firms that offer insurance marketing services. The main goal of these firms is to help the various insurance companies make a connection with the audience via financial or insurance marketing, which in turn helps the audience get the assistance from the dedicated professionals.
This team of professionals is commonly referred to as the agents insurance marketing, who help you find the financial advisor. The team comprises people from different backgrounds in business development, information technology, sales, and marketing. This whole process begins with making a connection with the audience so that they are aware of what the company has to offer. The audience/clients on the other hand, look for an advisor database provider so that they can simplify their search. People who want to plan their investment want someone who understands the market, and a partner who will help them grow their business. These companies embrace such challenges and strive to surpass the clients' expectations.
Today, it is easier to locate insurance agents and advisors as there are various search tools that allow you to build, refine, review and download the list of agents in no time. These advisors provide 360 degree view of the market and ensure that you spend your money wisely. All the data available in the advisory database undergoes a rigorous quality check to ensure the highest degree of accuracy. This process of updating the information in the discovery database of the agents is dynamic, which guarantees high levels of precision and certainty.
One thing that is needed to be done by the investor is to have complete faith on the advisers they choose, and instead of avoiding the risks involved, one should acquire knowledge of the investment pyramid. Also, it is important for them to think of long term benefits rather than expecting their money to grow overnight that would be similar to what Warren Buffet once said 'you cannot get nine pregnant women to deliver a baby in one month.'