It isn't cheap to insure your life while being fat

People usually have the tendency to change in weight during different stages of their lives and even from one year season to another. Gaining some fat during winter is definitely what most of us are accustomed to and from the insurance perspective this won't affect the rates you'll have to pay for insuring own life. Healthy fluctuations in body weight are normal and you can rest assured that your rates won't climb at all. However, if you gone the weight gain route things will get quite different because it's a whole other story.

What's the problem with excessive weight in terms of insurance?

Any healthcare and insurance specialist will tell you that the implication of overweight and obesity are much more serious than it may seem at first. Excessive weight is a very negative health factor that raises the risk of developing such health conditions as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, arthritis, impotence, depression and even certain types of cancer. All these conditions have a very negative impact on a person's life expectancy and that's the major factor that affects everything related to both health and life insurance.

Let's first look into the definitions of obese and overweight. While some people may think that these are some loose terms used to describe a person who's fat there are actually strict numerical boundaries used by specialists for defining the actual grade of excessive weight within a patient. Specialists use the so-called body mass index (BMI) chart for classifying people according to their body weight. The BMI uses a relation between the person's height and weight, being considered as the standard measure for identifying to what extent a person is over or underweight. There are countless BMI calculators to be found online, so you can easily find out what your BMI is. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 means that the person is officially overweight. A number greater than this range means that the person is clinically obese. Although, some may argue that it's not an accurate measure of how much excessive weight is there in the body, and they are partially right. In specific cases (like heavyweight athletes or bodybuilders) the relation of height and weight can indicate that the person is obese while they have a very low fat percentage in their bodyweight. However, in general this relation very accurately describes the excess weight conditions, that's why it is widely used today.

What can you do to get good life insurance?

If you're looking for cheap life insurance then the obvious solution will be losing weight to a healthy level. A person with significant amounts of excessive weight will always have higher insurance rates than persons with normal weight, both from life and health insurance perspective. However, the main driving force for losing weight should be the interest about own health and safety rather than life insurance quotes. Keep in mind that by losing weight you minimize the risk of developing numerous health problems in the future. That's why there's a good reason for keeping your weight within a healthy range all the time.

Self Defense Tactics vs. Fraud

Insurance fraud is not just something that insurance companies need to worry about. You need to protect yourself against fraud. Scams by malicious individuals or groups, or simply negligence, can both cost you thousands of dollars and put you in danger.

When Shopping for Coverage

First and foremost, be cautious about the sources of insurance offers, especially those that are unsolicited. Selling insurance door-to-door or over the phone should be an automatic red flag. Avoid purchasing auto insurance in these ways.

Regardless of which auto insurance company you choose, make sure they are licensed in your state (this is a regulatory measure to keep insurance companies operating according to the law and their own financial standards). Furthermore, when you are looking into a policy, make sure you take the time to understand it. Don't feel bad asking a lot of questions of your insurer―it's their job to keep you informed, and it's your responsibility as the policyholder to be informed. Make sure all "free" additions are in fact free, and understand any caveats that might not be covered under your policy.

When On the Road

Fraud rings have a number of techniques for causing accidents which, legally, appear to be your fault and will force you to pay for another person's intentional damages and medical expenses.

Being an alert driver is always a good (and necessary) part of driving, and doing so should keep you out of most accidents regardless of whether they are intended for fraudulent claims. However, knowing these techniques can help you see potential problems ahead of time so you can avoid them.

When at an intersection with multiple left-turn lanes, it is possible that a con artist can try to side swipe you. If you are not mindful of staying in your lane when making a turn, you may drift into another lane, allowing a willing driver to swipe you. If you are in the wrong lane then you are considered responsible, regardless of what you personally saw to be willfully reckless driving. The easiest way to avoid this is to simply be mindful of lanes and other vehicles when you turn.

The Swoop-And-Squat is a technique whereby two cars working together will attempt to cause you to rear-end one of them. The "squat" car gets in front of you, and the "swoop" car quickly cuts off the squat car, "forcing" it to stop abruptly. This makes it very easy for you to accidentally rear-end it, but once the swooping car drives off, it appears to authorities as any rear end.

Of course, a swoop car is not necessary in order for a driver to stop quickly, so always be aware of your distance from the car in front of you; make sure that if the car ahead of you stops, it will take you at least 3 seconds to reach it. This way, you'll have enough room to stop whether the driver intends to commit auto insurance fraud or not!

The common element in all situations: awareness. Think critically, stay informed, avoid trusting face value, and you will be less likely to be fooled or manipulated.

4-Star Myths about Insurance

#1: Color Determines Costs

This is simply and completely untrue. Nobody cares about the color of your car. You won't even be asked about it when you get quotes!

As for the old tale that police will pull you over more if you have a red car, well, that depends on the police officer I suppose.

So what does determine your premiums?

• Driving Record
• Age
• Gender
• Collision History
• Vehicle Type
• Make, Model, and Mileage

The other factors vary from insurer to insurer, and there may be thousands.

#2: Getting the State Minimum Coverage Saves You Money

The less coverage you buy, the lower your premiums cost; that much is true. However, as a consumer, you should understand that insurance is meant to SAVE you money. It saves you thousands of dollars if you are in a collision, it makes sure you can pay your medical bills (and those of others), and it makes sure you don't have to forfeit your future earnings in a law suit. Insurance can save you tens of thousands of dollars in a collision, but only if you get the right amount.

The right amount of coverage for you has nothing to do with the state minimum. Choose your level of coverage based on the assets you can't afford to lose: your home, your car, your savings, your portfolio, and so forth.

Some people need only the state minimum: the people who have great health insurance, nothing to lose, and who do not plan on fixing their car if it is involved in a collision.

#3: New Cars Cost More to Insure since They Are Stolen More

Neither of these are really true. When it comes to insuring cars, there is a constant balance being struck between factors. Two of the factors are theft rates and driver/passenger safety.

Used cars are at a disadvantage in terms of insurance costs on both of these fronts.
Theft rates are higher on older vehicles because thieves have had time to develop methods to break the security devices and take the car. Newer cars are simply harder to steal because thieves don't have the tools.

Newer cars are also more up-to-date with modern safety regulations, meaning they are generally better at protecting the driver and passengers in the vehicle. Used cars are usually not quite as good at protecting their contents.

#4: If Your Car Is Wrecked or Stolen, Your Car Insurer Will Pay for a New Car

There are two major points here:

1. Your insurer will only pay up to your maximum car insurance coverage level.
If you have $20 thousand of coverage and you just totaled a $50 thousand vehicle, you are not going to get enough for a new car. You are going to get exactly $20 thousand, and not a cent more.

2. You will only get the value of the car at the moment before you crashed, not the sticker price of a new car.
Cars lose one-third of their value when you drive them from the dealership. You will at best get paid the bluebook value of a car at that age and mileage by your car insurance.

Fraud levels rising

Let's be honest. There's always been a problem with fraud. Most people are easy to trick into parting with their money. But, when you look around, it's often not so easy to get close enough to wealthy individuals. But you have big companies in every city and most of them are also easy to trick. For those with inefficient accounting departments, you just send them invoices that look convincing and, by routine, most will pay. With insurance companies, all you have to do is submit claims supported by documentation that looks reasonable and the money comes back. The fact that all this costs us money is not a factor. Criminals want their life of comfort and we can go hang. Why are we given the bill? Well, when companies look at their overheads, they adjust their prices to cover them and stay in profit. So the more they pay out to fraudsters, the more we pay for those goods and services.

So what do the criminals need to get the best results out of the insurance industry? The answer comes in the staged accident. You set up two drivers with modest vehicles and put passengers inside. Then at a time when there are likely to be a good number of independent witnesses around, you stage an accident. With reliable people to confirm the accident has occurred, we then get into the professional level of crime. The insurance industry in combination with the FBI and other professional investigators have been identifying clinics that issue fake medical reports. Some are just fronts and only process fake claims. The criminals who plan for the longer term set up genuine clinics that put through one or two fake claims a month. These are harder to identify because the doctors could be the victims of deceptions. Some injuries are difficult to verify and, if their patients are convincing enough, they will sign off on neck and back injuries. Everyone with a convincing medical report then claims damages for their injuries and, because it save on court costs, many insurers settle rather than fight.

The problem is worst in Florida where medical expense claims are set to rise to $1.5 billion in the current year ending 2011. This represents about $100 on every driver's auto insurance quotes right now. If the level of fraud continues to rise at this rate, every driver could be facing a surcharge of $170 by the end of the year. Just stop and think about this. If the insurance companies were prepared to recruit fraud investigators, your premium rates could be reduced by at least $50 by the end of 2011. But, of course, this would require the insurers to invest in new staff and their training. In the short term, this would hit their bottom line. Less profit would upset the stockholders. So it's cheaper for the insurers to keep making a profit by passing on the cost of the fraud to us through higher premiums. So this is a real political issue across the US. Everyone's auto insurance rates are being affected by the rising level of fraud. If the insurance industry will not protect consumers, the state should make resources available to investigate fraud.

Check your credit history

If everything was left to common sense, the whole business of writing insurance would be easy. All you would need is an assessment of the individual's driving ability. Good drivers have fewer accidents so pay less. Bad drivers are responsible for claims. That's bad for business so they pay more. Except they had to take this simple idea and make it all complicated. Now, every last fact in every accident that's reported, is collected by the insurers and analyzed. If you sat in front of a computer in an insurer's main office, you could do a search and find out how many Chevrolet Tahoes have been involved in an accident on a straight dry road when all the driver had to do was brake to avoid the collision. In fact, it's remarkable what you can find out when you add in time of day, weather, and any other variables you care to pick. Literally, there are statistics on everything. So, if you asked the computer whether it was Professor Plumb in the library with the candlestick, there would be an answer. Equally, if you put a driver of any age, race, religion and gender into any make and model of vehicle in a particular part of the country, with an estimate of the annual mileage, you will see the probability of an accident. The computer models are that precise.

So perhaps it might come as a surprise that one of the factors now considered by the insurance companies is your credit score. This ranks them alongside banks and loan companies, landlords and anyone interested in whether you are likely to pay them. It also matches the interest of potential employers who look at job applicants to see whether they manage their money well. The theory seems to be that people with bad credit scores are more likely to be unreliable employees - perhaps when they are short of money, they are supposed to be more likely to steal? Anyway, insurers also think that a poor credit score means you are more likely to make a claim. This is wrapped up with the ZIP-code weighting. Poor people live in the type of neighborhood where vehicles are vandalized or stolen. They stage accidents to make fake claims. All the usual stereotyping that works so unfairly.

But once you know insurers are going to check your score, you need to take action. A recent survey found there were mistakes in the credit records of 80% of adult Americans. Most of the mistakes were not serious, but enough reduced the credit scores. Remember there are three major companies, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, so you need to check all three. This is absolutely free. The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you the right to one free copy of your history every year, and the right to have any mistakes corrected. Once you are sure everything is correct, you can get the auto insurance quote knowing they will be based on the right information. If you have found major errors in you credit history, contact your current insurer without waiting for a auto insurance quote. Most companies correct the premiums immediately.

Drivers getting older

If you're getting older, there's one simple truth. You have years of driving experience and the odds are you're a lot safer driver than the youngsters. In fact, statistically speaking, drivers in the age range of 55 to 64 are among the safest on the road. Almost all drive within the speed limit and have defensive habits. Eyesight is still good and reflexes fast enough to get out of trouble if an emergency looms. Over 65, the accident statistics show more accidents. Over 75, the accident rate rises faster although it's still less than the rate for those under 24. For those of you who eat statistics for breakfast, older drivers cause about 15% of the fatalities on our roads. Almost all the traffic accidents involving seniors occur during daylight hours or on the weekends. Seniors are off-peak, leisure drivers.

So no doom and gloom. The fact we're getting older is no reason to think of quitting driving. Indeed, the way our cities are built and the pathetic public transport systems, cars are the only way we can get around the place. But we can start taking a few basic steps to prepare ourselves. The first step is to ensure our vehicle is fit for the purpose. We might start thinking about swivel seats to help get into and out of the vehicle more easily. Hand controls can overcome physical problems.

Fitting a simple cushion can improve posture and help us see the road more clearly, but before you fit any of the new adaptive devices, you should talk with a rehabilitation expert to find out which are the best value for - look for members of the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The other factor is to keep your insurer in the picture. If you do adapt your vehicle make sure to send details of the cost so that, if the worst happens and your vehicle is stolen or it's totaled, the fair value includes the cost of replacing the adaptation devices. Remember there are rebate schemes offering up to $1,000 for adaptive devices. If you have a prescription, most states waive the sales taxes and the cost of the equipment is tax deductible.

 

Think about muscle strength and how easily you can move your head. Can you adjust the foot pedals or change the height of the seats so you can see over the steering wheel more easily? There are solutions for every problem so make sure you get the best advice and, just as important, training in the use of any new devices. This is not a time to be proud. Accept the help. And just to reinforce the need to keep your auto insurance company in the loop. You will hold down your premium rates if you show a clear intention to stay safe on the roads. Indeed, many modifications and training courses may qualify you for a discount. Auto insurance companies want you to be safe (and make no claims) so talk to them to get the best possible deals.

What to Do in Auto Collisions

Follow these rules to get yourself through collisions as safely - in terms of health and finances - as possible.

Rule #1: Be Prepared

Being prepared is about having all the important and necessary items to deal with medical emergencies, law enforcement, and insurance issues. You also need to be mentally ready, and knowing what to do goes a long way. Print off this list and keep in with you in your vehicle for reference.

The items you must have in your vehicle at all times are:

• Mobile phone
• Information regarding special medical needs
• Notepad and pen
• First aid kit
• Seat-belt cutter
• Disposable camera
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of insurance and coverage information

If any of these confuse you, read on as they are explained below.

Rule #2: Safety First

The first thing to do after a collision is check to see that everybody involved in the collision is safe. Start with yourself, then others in your vehicle, and then other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians who may have been injured, shocked, stressed, or otherwise mentally affected.
If you think someone may have suffered a head or neck injury, do not try to move the person. Simply stabilize their head so that it remains still and resting.

If someone is badly wounded and bleeding, apply pressure to the wound with a clean cloth, gauze, or a clean shirt if need be.
Always call an ambulance or another emergency vehicle for serious injuries.

Rule #3: Call the Police

To protect yourself, you need the police to come. First off, a police report is necessary for insurance claims. Secondly, they will help control the scene of the accident and make sure the involved parties remain calm and the situation stays under control. They are experienced at dealing with these things and a cool head is needed when you're not in the best state of mind.

Rule #4: Document Everything

Once you are sure everything is safe and secure, collect the contact information of everyone involved as well as witnesses. Talk to other drivers and exchange your driver's license information, registration number, and insurance details. Protect yourself from fraud by noting differences between names on each form of information.
Document the damage done to vehicles, yours and others'. Take photos with your disposable camera. Also, photograph the scene of the accident, taking in the position on the road, the vehicle debris, and all property damage.
Only once you have documented things should you move the vehicles from the road-and then only if it is obstructive and dangerous to leave them.

You will be totally prepared to file a successful claim, handle any legal issues, and talk to police.

Rule #5: Keep Your Mouth Shut

Stay calm and polite, but don't reveal anything you don't have to. You do not need to sign anything except the documents provided by police and other municipal workers. Never admit fault to anyone, including police. Report the simple facts accurately and let professionals do their jobs. There is plenty of time for talking later.

Rule #6: Car Insurance Quotes

If rates go up, use car insurance quotes. Car insurance quotes can find you an affordable police right away!