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There are 6 different types of homeowners insurance in general that are consistently utilized. Of these HO-3 is the most usual policy then it is followed by HO-4 and HO-6. Others less used, but still important, are HO-1, HO-2 and HO-5. Everyone is described below:

HO-1

A limited policy that offers varied degrees of coverage but includes items that are specifically included in the policy. These may be used to include a valuable object in the home, such a painting or certain types of jewelry.

HO-2

Similar to HO-1, HO-2 is a limited policy in that it will cover only specific portions of a home against damage. The coverage is ordinarily a “named perils” policy, which lists the cases that would be covered. As above, these factors must be spelled come in the policy.

HO-3

This policy is the most common one written for a owner and is designed to cover all aspects of the home, its structure and it contents. Also includes any liability that will arise from daily living. This includes visitors in the home that might encounter an accident or even injury on the premises. Covered aspects of liability must be clearly spelled out in the policy to insure proper coverage. The coverage is ordinarily called “all risk”.

HO-4

This is unremarkably referred to as renter’s insurance. Similar to HO-6, this policy covers those aspects of the living accommodations and its contents not specifically covered in the blanket policy written for the renter’s complex. This policy can, as well, cover liabilities arising from accidents and injuries for guests and passers-by up to 150′ of the renter’s complex.

Extremely low in cost and high in coverage, this is an extremely recommended policy for anyone renting an apartment

HO-5

This policy, similar to HO-3, covers a home (not a dwelling or even apartment), the owner and its possessions. Liability that might arise from visitors or even passers-by. This coverage is differentiated therein it covers a wider scope and depth of incidents and losses than AN HO-3.

HO-6

As a form of supplemental homeowner’s insurance, HO-6, a.k.a. a Condominium Coverage, is designed especially for the owners of condos. It includes coverage for the share of the building closely-held per insured and for the property housed in that of the insured.

Designed to span the gap between what the homeowner’s association can cover in a blanket policy written for associate entire neighborhood and those things of importance to the insured. Occasionally the HO-6 covers liability for residents and guests on their private property. The liability coverage, contingent to the underwriter, premium paid, and more factors of the policy, can cover incidents up to 150′ from the insured property, all valuables in the home from theft, fire or even water damage or even more forms of loss.

It’s significant to read the Associations By-laws to determine the aggregate amount of insurance needful on your lodging.

Extremely low in cost and high in coverage, this is a extremely recommend policy for anyone owning a condo.

Copyright 2005

Fern Kuhn, RN
Specializing in Diabetes

http://www.diabetestestingcenter.com

http://www.homeinsurancehelp.info

http://www.healthinsurancecenter.info

You may reprint this article as long as you keep the links active.

Benefits of getting auto insurance online

Throughout the world if you want to drive your vehicle you have
to get it insured. Having vehicle insurance means that driving
is safe and at the same time affordable. It’s very stressful not
to have insurance. Having a good insurance policy puts your mind
at ease as you drive. It’s the basic duty of a vehicle owner to
consider auto insurance seriously, because every time when you
are behind the wheel you are running a risk.

Presently it’s possible for you to get auto insurance online,
the internet offers you much options and convenience. You can
even sit in the comfort of your home and apply for insurance.
The following article throws light on the various benefits of
getting auto insurance online.

Simple online tools

The simple online tools make getting online insurance very easy.
The host of help online will help you to select the right type
of insurance for you even though you know nothing about auto insurance. The
information the internet provides makes it simple to find the
best suited insurance coverage.

Online forms

These forms are very easy to fill, this also helps in prompt and
accurate elimination of errors and you can get a printed copy
for your proof. This also helps you to save your valuable time.
Moreover getting insurance online makes sure that you are
accessing to the correct forms.

Uncomplicated claim processes

Today almost all companies dealing with insurance will allow
their customers to make their claims online. This can be
considered as a great advantage as it reduces your botheration
in relation to the claims, along with saving of your time. This
is treated as a major plus point as many people are of the
opinion that getting insurance claims is a daunting task.

Ease and confidentiality

Making use of the internet for getting the best suited auto
insurance is not a demanding task. It’s very simple and you can
even enjoy the comfort of your room for selecting the best auto
insurance.

Reserves

After finding the insurance you want the next step is to point
and click in order to get the best deals on cheap auto insurance
online. As there are many providers to choose from you can be
sure of getting the cheap and best prices.

Quick quotes

The online insurance application helps you to get fast quotes,
they also provide you with an opportunity to compare several
insurance policies by price and by coverage. This provides you
with a chance of selecting the right type of insurance from the
right company.

The above article tells you about the several benefits that you
can enjoy if you are buying auto insurance online.

About the Author

http://www.knowautoinsurance is a site specially dedicated to
information regarding cheap auto insurane.
It provides valuable ideas in relation to insurance resources
and design tips.

Mortgage Protection - easing your biggest concerns.

OK, now you have a lovely new home and with it comes a lovely new mortgage. With the average mortgage advance standing at around £150,000 it’s a long-term commitment to repay a lot of money. The repayments also take a fair slice out of your monthly income.

What could go wrong with these financial arrangements and can you hedge your bets by insuring against the risks? After all you have a family to protect.

Most people would identify 5 main areas of concern, all of which boil down to your ability to maintain the mortgage repayments:

• Interest rates might increase and make the monthly repayments unaffordable
• You might loose your job
• You might be forced to take time off work through illness or accident
• You may become permanently unable to work through accident or very serious illness
• You could die before the mortgage is paid off.

The financial industry is packed with pretty shrewd people so it’ll come as no surprise to learn that there are financial products to help with each of these risks.

If you want to reduce the risk of interest rates rising to unaffordable levels, you should have discussed these matters with your mortgage adviser. He will then have told you about “fixed” and “capped interest rate” mortgages. As the name implies, a fixed rate mortgage fixes the interest rate you pay whilst with a “capped” mortgage, the lender agrees not to increase your interest rate above a pre-agreed level. Both types of mortgage revert to the standard variable rate after the fixed or capped period finishes which is typically after three or five years, depending on your lender.

Fixed rate mortgages are currently very popular accounting for 55% of new advances and there are some very good deals around. The capped rate for capped rate mortgages is usually set at the outset above the equivalent fixed rates available but the rate you pay is lower than the fixed rates. In this context your interest rate risk can be effectively controlled. After the end of the protected period you always have the option to re-mortgage and find another rate protected deal. There are never any guarantees on the rates that will be available but the mortgage market is highly competitive, especially for re-mortgages, and special rate offers abound. It’s really a matter of knowing which lender to approach. When the time comes you’d be well advised to ask a mortgage broker to search out the most suitable options.

Worried about paying your mortgage if you lost your job? Then you need Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance - but be aware that in its basic form, this insurance is really only designed to cover redundancy. If you resign or are fired for gross misconduct your unlikely to be insured. The cost? Online you can expect to pay around £2.45 per £100 of monthly mortgage payment for a policy which starts paying out 30 days after you’ve been made redundant and will pay out for up to 12 months. You’re sure to have been offered similar insurance by your bank or mortgage company but watch out, their premiums are likely to be two or three times higher for identical cover.

Mortgage Payment Protection Policies can also be extended to cover the third area of concern - you lose income through illness or accident. But before you rush into this insurance you need to ask your employer how long they’d continue paying you if you were off work. Remember, you only need to insure for the period after your employer stops paying. You would then receive statutory sickness pay, but the odds are you’ll need that income for general living costs. The cost for this insurance? Well, online it’ll again cost you around £2.45 per £100 of monthly mortgage payment for a policy which starts paying out after 30 days, However, if you combine illness, accident and unemployment cover all into one policy you can currently get combined insurance for around £3.95 per month. The essential point to remember is that these policies will only pay out for 12 months. That leads on to the fourth area of concern.

How would you pay your mortgage if you were unable to work again through a serious accident or critical illness? In this context it is important to appreciate the reality of the risk. The insurance industry estimates that 1 in 5 men and 1 in 6 women suffer a critical illness before their normal retirement age. Just think what a heart attack at 40 would mean to your family finances, especially if you have a mortgage with many years still to run. For many, insurance is a must.

The best option is to arrange insurance that totally repays the outstanding mortgage if you can’t continue to work. That at least removes one big worry. The insurance you need is called Critical Illness Insurance but make sure “total and permanent disability” cover is included. This ensures that your mortgage will be repaid if you are incapacitated through an accident.

You can buy Critical Illness Insurance with “decreasing cover” where the size of the payout decreases as the years go by. This is ideal if you have a repayment mortgage where you are repaying the mortgage bit by bit each month. Decreasing cover is also the cheapest form of this Insurance.

If you have an interest only mortgage, the situation is different as the sum you owe your lender, remains constant. You certainly don’t want the cover to decrease - so here you need Critical Illness Insurance with “level cover”.

As with all these insurances, there’s always a twist to watch out for. With Critical illness Insurance you always need to survive for a minimum period following an accident or diagnosis of a critical illness. If you don’t, the policy will not pay out. With most insurance companies the survival period is 28 days although some have reduced this to 14 days.

That leads on what happens if you were to die. Most lenders insist on Mortgage Life Insurance to repay your mortgage in one lump sum. However, you really don’t need it if you’re single and living alone. In these circumstances, if you would die, your estate would simply repay your mortgage by selling the property. For everyone else, Mortgage Life insurance is the most commonly held form of mortgage protection. Again it comes in a “decreasing cover” format for those with repayment mortgages and “level cover” format to repay interest only mortgages.

All this insurance will not be cheap but there are ways of significantly reducing the cost. Buy a Mortgage Payment Protection Policy that combines unemployment, accident and illness cover. Sometimes this is called “unemployment and disability” cover. This will save you about 20%. The cheapest way to buy Critical Illness and Mortgage Life Insurance is again to buy a combined policy. Here it’s difficult to be precise about the savings as the cost will be strictly calculated on your own personal details and health record - but you can certainly expect to save 20-25%.

The final bit of advice is shop around for the insurance. Your bank or building society will be absolutely delighted to arrange it but you’ll pay top dollar. The Internet is by far the cheapest way to buy all these insurances, especially if you use one of the many discounting brokers. You’ll find these brokers if you search under “life insurance”, “cheap life insurance”, “life insurance quotes” or “Mortgage Protection Insurance”.

Competition on the net is rife, so it’s norm for these brokers to cut commission and pass the savings back to you through lower premiums. There are other aspects you’ll need to consider such as whether to buy a policy with a “Guaranteed Premium” or a “Reviewable Premium”. So you’re best advised to talk matters over with a life insurance adviser. Ten minutes on the phone with an adviser could save you more and avoid a lot of heartache.

Be lucky, keep fit, happy and well insured!

Michael Challiner has 15 years experience in financial services marketing at senior level. Michael now works as the editor of Express Life Insurance

Futher reading What is mortgage life insurance ?
Futher reading Mortgage insurance topics

Used car insurance can vary between companies, so it pays to shop around. Study the market and try to get several quotes before you buy a policy. Don’t shop price alone, service is just as important as price.
The insurance policy you select should offer both good prices and quality service.
Used car insurance is an investment and you should feel comfortable about your policy. You should try to balance the service and price. Nowadays, most of major insurance companies offer comparable quality customer service, of course they want your business. So don’t take decision in hurry go through all the documents before you get involved and take it.
Some on used car insurance is generally flexible in terms of both the types and amounts of coverage you select. However, every state has enacted some used car insurance laws that require drivers to carry at least some auto insurance. In many countries you are required to present proof of insurance before you register a car, so you will probably need to insure your car, regardless of its value.

You are likely, right now to pay a high rate of interest, then go for an another insurance company which offer you low price and high service in better rates, however you should not show your energy into shopping for an used car insurance.

The rise of the internet has changed the buying and comparing the auto insurance. Online you can find numbers of companies those who provide you good deal in prefect spending in used car insurance buying. Not only in buying but also in comparing the insurance quote and driving down insurance prices, its easy and faster then ever been before to find the perfect used car insurance you are looking for.

Anna Josephs is a freelance journalist having experience of many years writing articles and news releases on various topics such as pet health, automobile and social issues. She also has great interest in poetry and paintings, hence she likes to write on these subjects as well. Currently writing for this website Best Cheap Used Car . For more details please contact at annajosephs@gmail.com

This article is written by Anna josephs, writer of the website www.bestcheapusedcar.com/“> Best Cheap Used Car . This article is published only for the educational and information purpose.

Home insurance refers to an insurance policy that is a combination of personal insurance protections. Home insurance policy protect against certain accidents that can happen at the home. It is also known as homeowners insurance. Home is a largest investment for all thats why home insurance policy is essential to protect your home. Home insurance policies generally provide coverage against theft, fire, lightening, smoke, frozen pipes, ice and snow.

Cost of home insurance depends on the cost that is required to replace the house. It is a contract including all items that should be covered or not. Home insurance policy normally doesn’t include claims against earthquakes, floods, war or ‘Acts of God’. Sometimes homeowners can purchase special insurance that provide protection against flood and earthquake.

Home insurance policy is a contract that works for a limited period of time. Insured party has to pay an amount of premium to the insurer for each term. Sometimes insurer charges a lower premium. Another type of home insurance is perpetual insurance that is not fixed for a fixed term and can be acquired in some areas.

Buyers should read all contents of the policy at the time of purchase. They should maintain a list of personal property and review their insurance policy annually. They should read all terms & conditions before signing any type of contract.

About Author: The author owns a website on Home Insurance. Website provides information about home insurance, homeowners insurance, and some tips to buy home insurance policy at cheap rates. To get more information click: Homeowners Insurance

Connecticut Auto insurance

Connecticut auto insurance is compulsory for all vehicle owners in Connecticut. You face legal measures if you personally drive or allow somebody else to drive your vehicle without a Connecticut auto insurance.

You could be behind bars or might face a huge fine. In some cases, you might lose your driving license. Besides, you need to pay for all damages due to any accident. In Connecticut, you cannot register your vehicle without a valid proof of insurance.
Where can I get my auto insurance?

Numerous auto insurance companies in Connecticut are vying against each other to offer most competitive rates for Connecticut auto insurance. Different companies offer different rates and provide different privileges on their insurance. You can collect various quotes of numerous insurance companies through their agents and brokers and then choose the most suitable auto insurance for your vehicle.

What is the available coverage?

Connecticut auto insurance offers following coverage:

Liability coverage: You receive a minimum of $20,000 each person per accident for Bodily injury liability, $40,000 for all bodily injuries in an accident, and $10,000 for damages to property in each accident. It is in your best interest to keep higher limits of coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist: This protects you and your family members or passengers in your vehicle from injuries. This coverage is applicable in accident by any uninsured or underinsured motorist. Minimum coverage available is $20,000 for each person and $40,000 for all persons in an accident. You can of course buy double the amount of your bodily injury liability. In case faulty driver’s insurance is insufficient, you can meet your medical and other expenses through underinsured motorist conversion coverage.

Optional coverage: There are many more additional coverage available like collision, comprehensive, medical payments, towing, rental charges, etc.

Although Connecticut does not make it compulsory to buy any of the optional coverage, you can save a lot of money in the event of any accident if you have such optional coverage in your insurance.
Can I forego my insurance premiums?

No, it is in your best interest not to forego your insurance premium of insurance or allow your policy to lapse due to any reason. You pay fine of $250 for first month of lapse followed by $5 for every successive day.

Stop paying for high priced Connecticut Auto Insurance when you can get great rates on Discount Car Insurance the Cheapest Car Insurance anywhere.

For many years the process of purchasing a term life insurance
policy meant meeting with an insurance sales agent and
discussing available policies. This meant the buyer had to carve
out time to meet with the agent, to listen to a variety of
policy options that may not have been of interest to them, and
to expose themselves to the potential of being “over sold” by a
persuasive agent. The time-consuming process reduced the
incentive to “shop” for the best rate and certainly led many to
spend more than what was necessary for their term life insurance
policy.

Today, buying term life insurance online offers an alternative
to the traditional method of finding insurance. Term life
insurance policies, in general, are relatively simple and
streamlined. They are devoid of details requiring a great deal
of discussion and detail and can be quickly understood and
encapsulated, removing the need for an agent to assist in
“interpreting” the product. The simplicity of term life
insurance makes its online purchase very attractive. Although an
important investment, term life insurance is not an especially
confusing or complex product and can usually be fully understood
by a reasonably well-informed consumer without expert assistance.

Buying term life insurance online provides consumers with a
great opportunity to compare the policies and rates of many
different providers simultaneously without the requirement of
lengthy discussions and meetings with a host of agents. There
are literally hundreds of internet sites where one can find
policy details and price comparisons. A few keystrokes and mouse
clicks are all that is required in order to evaluate an array of
competing term life insurance policies. This unique advantage of
using the internet to buy term life insurance represents a
significant advantage over traditional buying processes.

Those who buy term life insurance online also find great rates
on policies. Not only are they likely to find the best rates via
comparison shopping, they are also benefited by the fact that
offerings made over the internet direct to the consumer require
less overhead investment on the part of the agent or insurance
company than traditional processes. As such, rates are generally
lower across the board. Buying term life insurance online
creates a great means of saving money on a policy.

Additionally, buying term life insurance online is incredibly
quick. There is no need to schedule visits with multiple agents
in their offices. There are no long conversations about
unrelated products or lengthy sales pitches about a new program.
The insurance-buying process is streamlined and what was once a
time-consuming hassle is transformed into a quick, easy means of
searching out and purchasing a term life plan that perfectly
meets one’s needs.

Old methods of purchasing term life insurance do not afford the
efficiency, flexibility or cost-savings of finding the right
policy online. Using the internet to purchase term life
insurance policies is a great way for consumers to get what they
really want quickly, inexpensively, and painlessly.

UK drivers are putting themselves at risk because they struggle to keep their eyes on the road.

Roadside objects such as billboards, flashing signs and Christmas decorations cause a third of motorists (32 per cent) to lose concentration while behind the wheel. And 41 per cent of these drivers confess to being distracted for up to 5 seconds - which equates to driving 15 car lengths at 30mph - two and a half times the stopping distance needed at this speed. At 60mph, this means drivers would find themselves travelling at least the length of a football pitch without their full concentration on the road.

Overall roadside distractions are pulling the attention of 83 per cent of UK drivers away from the roads, Privilege finds.

And it’s male drivers who are most affected as one in five (22 per cent) confess to being captivated by scantily-clad women on adverts, compared to just one in ten female drivers by semi-naked male models (11 per cent).

As public spaces become cluttered with illuminating and moving visuals, 26 per cent of British drivers have been distracted by huge advertising hoardings, a fifth (21 per cent) by the new vehicle activated signs and 17 per cent by Christmas lights and decorations.

Dr Mark Young, an expert in transport ergonomics at Brunel University, said:
“While we currently know a lot more about in-vehicle distractions such as mobile phones than external distractors, there is a growing body of concern about the lack of any coherent strategy for arranging roadside furniture.

“Drivers’ visual workload varies through the course of a journey, and at crucial times - negotiating a difficult roundabout, for example, there is a small but significant risk of distraction from novel stimuli like advertising. In fact, this risk is probably underestimated and we need to do more research on the possibility of excluding non-essential information when the driver is already busy dealing with the road.”

Ian Parker, Managing Director of Privilege Insurance, said:
“It appears that the development of new technologies, products and advertising techniques is getting in the way of road safety. The implications of the increase in eye-catching roadside objects such as illuminating signs has not been monitored until today. Privilege is providing motorists with tips on how to concentrate while driving amid the increase in distracting objects.”

To help drivers focus on the roads, relevant signs and drive as safely as possible, Privilege is providing drivers with the following tips and advice:

Try to take notice only of official signs and notices which are crucial for driving. Try saying them out loud as you pass them if it helps make you concentrate on them. If someone asks you what the last sign was, you should be able to tell them.

Constantly scan the road environment for other potential hazards. Don’t let your vision wander off from the beaten track.

When you are stationary try to keep your gaze on the traffic in front - or any road signals. Listen to mid-paced music to relieve boredom, rather than allow your concentration to wander to roadside distractions.

Privilege specialises in offering highly competitive insurance for safe drivers, with a guarantee to beat fully comprehensive renewal quotes for any driver with 4 years+ no claims discount. For a competitive Privilege quote, telephone 0845 246 8336 or visit www.privilege.com.

James Gore, PR Manager of www.privilege.com for information, news and quotes for

car insurance in the UK.

As a business owner, you’ve come to expect big increases in your employee health insurance premiums of late. Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased an average of 11.2 percent in 2004, and this was the fourth consecutive year of double-digit growth, according to the recent Annual Employer
Health Benefits Survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
That’s about five times the rate of inflation nationally, and probably significantly higher than the price increases your company has imposed on its products and services in the same time frame.

The reasons for these increases are not mysterious. The largest share of the ongoing increases track to increased utilization of advanced medical technologies — new diagnostic and preventive screenings, and other high-tech therapies and medical hardware — the majority of which are delivered at hospital on an inpatient or outpatient basis.

Prescription drugs also continue to play a major role in the rising cost of health care, owing to the higher prices of new formulations, the wider application of combination therapies and greater consumer demand for, and need of, medications in all areas of prevention and treatment. About the only area that has seen relative stability is physician costs.

Such increases, when they are part of the costs of running your business, are naturally cause for concern. It only makes sense that employers who want to continue offering their employees access to quality health care become more knowledgeable about how well their money is being spent by the health care carrier they choose.

For example, did you know that virtually all carriers in Florida spend roughly the same percentage of your premium dollars
on medical claims — which works out to a medical loss ratio of 76 percent to 80 percent? They also spend about the same percentage, 10 percent to 12 percent, on administering your plan (processing claims, providing customer service functions,
covering fixed costs).

And most of the carriers factor in a 2 percent profit margin. The balance of your premium dollars go to the commissions,
which carriers pay to the independent health insurance brokers who act as consultants.

Brokers are, of course, a critical element in matching clients with carriers. Most small business employers don’t have the
time or staff to determine the best package of benefits for their group, shop the market for bids and compare product offerings carefully.

They depend on their broker to explore the different options, give them objective recommendations on the best choices and complete their applications. And brokers’ services may often continue after enrollment.

It’s extremely valuable for employers to better understand where their premium dollars go. Don’t hesitate to ask questions to fully recognize why one health plan may be preferred over another.

Employers can exercise some control over their costs by finding a health benefits company that provides the best value for their company’s premium dollars. The way in which you shop a health plan can impact the price.

It’s the same as if your travel agent had a great deal for you — air, car, hotel and meals included. You tell your agent to book
it. Coincidently, your neighbors just booked that same trip for $1,000 less through their travel agent.

One agent shopped for the best price, the other agent arranged the trip through his or her vendor of choice. Whether it’s a family vacation, buying a car or choosing a health benefits plan, how you shop can impact your cost.

So why are health care premiums different?
Take a closer look.

Peter Joseph is senior vice president for commercial sales for VISTA, a health benefits company headquartered in South Florida with more than 330,000 members. VISTA, through its affiliated companies, Vista Healthpla Inc., Vista Healthplan of South Florida Inc. and Vista Insurance Plan Inc. offers a choice of health benefit plans, including health maintenance organization (HMO), preferred provider organization (PPO) and point-of-service (POS). Reach Joseph at 954-858-3000 or through VISTA’s website, http://www.vistahealthplan.com.

As a past travel professional, I heard many, and I stress many horror stories about travellers that didn’t take travel insurance to protect their well-being and vacation investment!

Nothing was worse than getting that phone call from our travel tour operator telling me that our clients had an unfortunate accident, or suddenly became ill, and they did not have travel medical, and not enough money to cover their medical bills at destination, or enough credit on their card to purchase a one-way flight home.

All these incidences were avoidable if they just took the time to understand how extremely important having an emergency medical policy, or trip cancellation coverage while on their vacation.

I know many individuals comment that they never get ill, or injured on past vacations, and my feedback to them is that they have been very fortunate. I myself have never been severely injured, or ill during my vacations, but I don’t take any chances.

Just like home insurance, or car insurance, you never expect your house to burn to the ground, and you certainly do not anticipate ever getting into a car collision. However, we all buy protection for the un-known for these two incidences, correct?

The problem with vacation travel is that many people feel that their holiday is short-term, and the odds of something serious happening are less likely to occur. But if something were to happen where you end up in a foreign hospital, I don’t think you want to find out later that your medical bills have exceeded the value of your house, or your savings account!

Unknown Emergency And Accident Means Just That! You Never Know If And When Something Will Happen

It’s hard to put something in perspective if you have never had an emergency situation with your health, or have had a serious accident. So to help you I will tell you two stories that I have come across with my experience of being a travel agent.

One occurrence was a mother and child was booking a flight to travel home to Jamaica to attend a family wedding. Her travel agent booked their flight, and recommended to her insurance medical and travel cancellation coverage. The women declined, and the agent didn’t express the serious nature of not taking the policy, so in the end the woman had left her office without any medical coverage.

Months later, I had our local travel insurance representative come visit my office, and he told me this story, and the unfortunate result was her young boy had come down with an ear infection prior to their flight to Jamaica, and even though she was consulted by the boys doctor not to take the flight until his condition healed, she ignored the requests!

The mother didn’t have the money to purchase two more flight tickets for another date, and proceeded to take her original flight. The end result was her child ended up losing his hearing due to his eardrum becoming damaged during the flight, a sad story, but an avoidable one if she would have taken cancellation coverage, and re-booked her flight for another day when her son was better.

My next story really touches my heart, because it was a client of mine for many years. My past client god rest his soul, was a typical stubborn man that grew up in a farm community, and had a true understanding of comprehensive coverage for accidents, because he operated many heavy machinery.

When he first came into my office, he was travelling with a group of people including his wife, and when he booked his first vacation package with me, he haggled me to the point where I gave in, and offered him and his guests a substantial discounted price. His group was saving at least $150.00 per person for their vacation package. But when it came to offering him and his travel guest’s insurance policies, he was not budging. For people that know me, I don’t take no for an answer when it comes to your overall wellbeing.

In the end, I won the battle, and he and his wife purchased the travel insurance, and they talked all their guests in getting it as well. This small group travelled to a hot destination every year after, and it seemed that their group started to grow larger every time they came to see me, and all the time they would joke about wasting money on this insurance I always provided to them.

My client after dealing with me for several years now came in once again with the largest group ever, and they all agreed to take a vacation in Cancun. Most have never been to the Mayan Riviera, and they were extremely excited to go there! The problem this time is that with a really large group with many different personalities and characters, my client was less jokingly, and said that he was talking to one of his guests going on this trip with them, and he expressed his opinion that insurance is nothing but a scam, and us travel agents only sell it for the commissions.

As these comments really insulted me, my client’s guest was right! We do make commission off selling travel insurance, but by no means do we offer or sell it for the main purpose of making money. My client was truly influenced by what this other person had commented, and we ended up having a lengthy debate, to the point it was getting a little heated. With over 15 plus couples traveling together this time, was I willing to lose a client and such a large group because of insurance? Oh yeah! Believe it or not, I would drop that business in a heartbeat if I knew they were traveling un-protected, and I told him that directly as he and his wife sat across from me.

In the end, I had won the battle again, my client made many phone calls and also convinced the others to take the coverage, and even though his trip was fully booked with me, he did leave my office feeling a little battered and slightly upset.

The Phone Call A Travel Agent Never Wants To Ever Receive!

When we send our clients off to their next vacation destination, all we want to hear when they get back is how much they ate, drank, and how their trip was another experience that will give them many incredible memories. You want them to talk about it for months, and have the big post picture party where they all exchange vacation photos and talk about how Henry fell into the pool with a handful of Margaritas!

In this situation, it wasn’t like that, and several days after my client had left for his holiday, I received a phone call from one of our tour operators that I had booked their package with, and they had expressed to me with the deepest sorrow and apology that my favourite client had passed away. His wife out of respect had asked the tour company to notify me of what happened.

With extreme disbelief and shock, I was told that he went into the water when there was an extremely powerful undertow, and he drowned. The fact that you have over 30 people at destination for only one reason, and that’s to relax and have fun, it just didn’t register that all these people on this trip had suddenly had a serious un-expected tragedy on their hands, and now they all were cutting the vacation short to come home.

This story always brings tears to my eyes, and a feeling of emptiness to this day!

Whether this story tugs on your heartstrings or not, I just want to express a few things to everybody taking the time to read this. As a travel professional offering travel insurance, as well as many of the online travel companies that sell travel protection to their clients, want you to know that our sincere and true intentions are to make sure that each and everyone of you are covered and have the peace-of-mind! We don’t want to see you being left stranded anywhere without help, or become financially burdened by any un-expected medical incident or accident while away from your home.

I lost one of my favourite clients, and even though I call him a client, he and his wife were more like friends to me. One thing that really stuck with me when this tragedy came to a final conclusion, is that not only did the tour company that called thank me for offering medical/cancellation insurance, but my entertaining and grumpy friend’s wife, from that small farm town, expressed her deepest gratitude to me for being extremely stubborn with them, and not taking no for an answer when it came to protecting their best interests.

The next time you decide to travel, I highly recommend that you consider looking at your insurance options, and make sure you have sufficient travel protection. Be sure to check the policies offered and make sure it’s adequate for your travel situation.

I will be writing another article that will express the common pitfalls, and some of the incorrect information that you may be getting from your current work plans, or the credit card offers.

Also I will explain some of the detailed terminology that is very important to understand, because what’s in the fine print may determine the outcome of your future claims while on vacation. Please remember to be nice to your travel agent when they offer you a travel insurance plan, and ask them tons of questions to get the best options. If you’re purchasing a policy online, don’t hesitate to contact the customer service department, they are there to help you and explain anything that may be unclear to you.

About the author: William Lezubski (Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC), and Certified Travel Counsellor(CTC) - William is a professional in the Travel Industry and is the owner and author of “Discount Caribbean Vacations Web Site” available at http://www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com. When deciding to go on a vacation this year, take the time to properly insure your wellbeing, and holiday investment with proper travel insurance coverage! Also don’t forget to travel with luggage that will keep your belongings safe and protected while enroute to your favorite destination.