Oregon Insurance News

Benefits of Group Health Insurance

Jim Fox — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:13:26 GMT

If you run your own company or even a small business, it can be hard to find the right health insurance for your employees. When you are debating about what type of insurance you should provide, group health insurance may be your best option. Group health insurance is more affordable than individual plans and can be provided at a discount cost to all of the employees in your company.

When you are contemplating a group health insurance plan remember these benefits…

A group health insurance plan may reduce your liability, as the company owner, and decrease the risks for the company
When your employees have good health care, it may help you boost the morale of your company. Your health care coverage will send a message about the way that you view the importance of their well-being and health.
You can be confident that the integral members of your staff have access to good healthcare and their health problems can be taken care of as well as possible.
Productivity may increase as your employees morale is boosted.
As you look to bring in more workers, the positions that you offer may be more enticing because of the health benefits that are provided.
When running a small business, having one employee out sick can be very difficult. With a good health plan you can minimize the number of sick days you experience.

Start looking for the group health insurance plan, that can change the face and feel of your company!

5 Ways to Protect your Home from Natural Disasters

Jim Fox — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:57:46 GMT

If you are a homeowner, then natural disasters which could damage your house are going to be a matter of concern. While there is no way to fully predict the future and what it will hold, you can prepare for the worst in order to save yourself a lot of hassle and grief.

Here are some of the ways that you can protect your home and your interests from natural disasters:

1- First of all, take a home inventory. List anything of worth located in your house for insurance purposes, in order to make replacing these items easier.

2- Keep your financial documents in order, and have them in a secure strongbox you can grab and take with you quickly.

3- Create an Emergency Contact List for your insurer. This aids with locating important people who will need to be notified in case of an emergency situation.

4- Prepare for evacuation- if necessary. Having emergency kits ready to go at all times makes this process much easier.

5- Last of all, evaluate your homeowner insurance policy. It is important to update your policy to your unique situation, and to your comfort level. Updating coverage will allow the best protection for you and your house.

Investing the time and effort in order to increase your readiness level is definitely work, but it is well worth it all in nature. Through these efforts, you will be able to make sure that you and your home are in better condition when faced with an emergency.

The Difference Between Whole Life Insurance and Term Insurance

Jim Fox — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:17:19 GMT

When you know that you want to get life insurance, you should be sure that you are wise about the type of insurance you purchase. Whole life insurance and term insurance are often two types of life insurance that individuals must decide between.

It is important to understand the difference between whole life insurance and term insurance before decide on either of the policies. A term policy is life coverage only. This means that on the death of the insured the insurance policy will pay the face amount of the policy named by the beneficiary. As you are purchasing term insurance you can purchase it for periods of one year to 30 years.

On the other hand, whole life insurance will join a term policy with an investment component. The investment can be in bonds or even in money-market instruments or stocks. As the policy builds cash you can borrow against it.

While you are deciding between the life insurance policies, you should be sure that you talk with your family and your insurance agent. Find an insurance policy that is going to work for your financial situation and the needs that will need to be filled if the policy is cashed.

Life insurance is an important investment. Take time out of your busy life to find the life insurance policy that will provide you with the coverage and the protection that you need.

Myths Of Why You Don’t Need Business Insurance

Jim Fox — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:31:49 GMT

It is very common for business owners to hear rumors circulating about why business insurance is unnecessary. Indeed, owners will often hear about why business insurance is unlikely to be needed or how it is an optional thing to have.

Being properly informed about how business insurance will be utilized and how it will protect you is essential to making an informed decision about it. Here are some important things to know:

1- Having a small business does not exempt you from being sued. It is a common misunderstanding among business owners that having a small company or not making a lot of money will protect against being sued. Unfortunately, any business can be sued as easily as any other.

2- Having a corporate structure does not erase the need for insurance. A corporation has certain protections under the law which keeps individuals within from being sued. In actuality, this protection can be lifted at any time and individuals can then be targeted.

3- Friends and family may not be able to resolve issues if you are gone. Some people think that in the case of their death, their friends and family will unite to work out any issues and take care of them. In actuality, legal action will likely happen, as there can be no guarantee about the future.

All of these reasons stand to show you why having business insurance is constant and important. Secure it today, so that you have the best protection for your interests in the future!

The Secret to Living a Long Life

Jim Fox — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 18:18:49 GMT

While most people believe that the secret to long life lies with adopting a carefree and low stress lifestyle, it turns out that there might be other factors which are more pronounced in the end. Recent studies have found that having an established career and goals in life to be dedicated to actually helps longevity more than early retirement and low stress solutions.

Studies have found that while being active is equally important in either scenario, positive stressors might in fact be the key to having a longer and healthier life. Working and having purpose and direction seem to be the factors at work which determine lifespan in some cases.

Positive stressors are things in life which occupy the mind and weigh on a person, but actually serve e useful purpose. Without such stressors, we would not be motived to do anything or to achieve. As such, staying occupied and engaged is something which cannot be overemphasized.

Commitments also seem to play a role in the proceedings, since those who are married tend to live longer than those who do not, and those who continue to work past retirement age while being active with hobbies also seem to do very well.

It seems that the key to the secret of long life lies with having purpose and direction, and being motivated enough to keep working. Staying on course and challenging one’s self seem to do more in the end than simply relaxing and drifting without the influences of stress in life.

What Everyone Should Know About Flood Insurance

Jim Fox — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:47:27 GMT

Flood insurance is sometimes misunderstood and not always applied to the situation. By being informed about the risks and rewards of having such coverage, you should be able to make the best possible decision about it.

1- Flood Insurance is Usually Optional. To begin with, it is important to understand that flood insurance is often supplemental or added onto policies at the request of the client. As such, most people will need to make the request to their agency to have it added on.

2- Adding is not Always Automatic. Even if the policy is a comprehensive one, there is not always a guarantee that flood insurance will be part of it. As such, finding out if it is a part is highly important.

3- Limited Slots. Another important thing to know about flood insurance is there is a limited amount of slots open for those who can add it. There can only be so many claimants per event, which means that insurance may limit those who qualify.

4- Many people are unaware of these implications and do now know how to utilize them.

By making every effort to be covered in the case of such an emergency, you should be able to get through the situation and get the coverage you need. This coverage is essential to keeping your quality of life as it is.

Contact us to find out about flood insurance and how you can add it to your policy, in order to make sure you are protected and covered.

The Most and Least Stolen Cars Around the Block

Jim Fox — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:24:41 GMT

When you go car shopping, you should be sure that you consider which cars are stolen the most and which cars are stolen the least. You do not want to walk out to pick up your car and find that someone has taken your car without your permission. Surprisingly, a car is stolen every 43 seconds. There are about 60 million vehicles driving on United States roads but there were 740,000 vehicles stolen last year alone.

Last year the top three most stolen vehicles were…

1994 Honda Accord
1995 Honda Civic
1991 Toyota Camry

It is suspected that the reason that the most stolen cars seem to be older cars is because the newer cars have advanced security and anti-theft technology. The Honda’s have strong resale value and Honda uses the greatest number of common parts among its vehicles, making the parts from the Accord easy to peddle.

The most common 2011 model-year vehicles were…

2011 Toyota Camry
2011 Mercedes-Benz C300
2011 Ford F-350
2011 Honda Civic
2011 Toyota Corolla

If you want to buy a car that is not stolen often, these are the cars that are stolen the least, according to the Insurance Journal…

Audi A6 4WD
Mercury Mariner – 1009-10 model years
Chevrolet Equinox – 2010 model year
Volkswagen CC – 2009-10 model years
Chevrolet Equinox 4WD – 2010 model year
Lexus RX 350 – 2010 model year
Saturn Vue
Chevrolet Aveo – 2009-10 model year
BMW 5 series 4WD
Mini Cooper Clubman mini

Why Married Couples Should Look Into Life Insurance

Jim Fox — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:11:52 GMT

If you are married and do not yet have life insurance, it is well worth looking into. Married couples need life insurance in order to protect them and cover them from a variety of circumstances. It is a part of getting life in order and being ready, while making sure that the people you love are taken care of.

Here are some reasons why married couples should look into life insurance:

1- The sooner that you begin planning, then the better prepared you will be. Getting on a life insurance policy immediately helps to protect the important things in life. There can be no guarantees about the direction life will take, so getting it done while you are able is essential.

2- Life insurance is more affordable than ever. It will be up to each couple to decide on whether they are getting term or universal life insurance. However, either case can be afforded and made to match a budget. These are trying financial times, but you do not have to stop receiving what is important because of that.

3- Life insurance can also extend to your children or your future children, giving you an edge in planning out their lives and how they will be protected.

4- There are financial perks that accompany being properly covered. These perks add incentive to be covered, since married couples will want to save money whenever possible.

When it all comes down to it, being ready will allow you better peace of mind. Knowing that life will be taken care of is a vast relief.

Top 5 Reasons to Have Renters Insurance

Jim Fox — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 19:51:32 GMT

There are many people that rent without realizing how important it is to purchase renters insurance. When you are contemplating renting, you should be sure that you understand these five reasons that renters insurance may be an investment well worth your time and your money.

Renters insurance will provide protection from natural disasters. If your rental property happens to be damaged by fire, hail, strong winds, lightening or even volcanic eruptions you can use your renter’s insurance to cover all of your losses. When talking with your insurance agent make sure that you discuss flood and earthquake insurance as well.
Renters insurance will protect you from those unexpected mishaps. All of those totally random and devastating occurrences that may happen in your nightmares will be covered with your insurance policy. Your policy will cover everything from damage that occurs because of a riot to the damage that occurs when snow piles up on your roof and makes it collapse.
Renters insurance will protect you from vandalism or theft. If anyone should vandalize your home or break in and steal something that belongs to you, your renters insurance will cover the cost of the loss or the damage.
Renters insurance can provide you with the coverage that you need when you are in between homes. More than likely you will be provided with a percentage of your policy value. Discuss what this value is with your insurance agent to be sure you will be able to live off of this amount.
Renters insurance will also cover some liability costs. If something should happen in your apartment that ends up affecting someone else’s property, the liability will be covered. Your liability coverage will also cover any court costs that are associated with a liability lawsuit.

A renters insurance policy may be extremely useful to you. Take time to learn what policy is going to be the best for your renting situation.

Why You Need Business Insurance

Jim Fox — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:13:20 GMT

There are many different reasons why you may need business insurance. When you do not have business insurance you may be exposing yourself to some serious liability issues. Just one mishap may cause your business to be in financial ruin. Here is a list of some real life scenarios that could happen and leave you liable.

A customer slips on a just-washed floor in your market and breaks her ankle.
Your secretary needs surgery and months of physical therapy to correct her carpal tunnel syndrome.
When you come into the office, you find all of your technology has been stolen.
You find out that one of your employees is stealing inventory from you and selling it out of his home.
A UPS delivery person slips and hurts himself while delivering office supplies to your home office.
An accountant has been fraudulently writing checks to herself and family members and you do not find out until after she has left the company.
You fire an employee that has been late to work on multiple occasions and the employee then sues you for wrongful termination.
A flood occurs in your warehouse and all of your inventoried products are ruined.
An employee leaves a coffee maker on and it causes a fire in the office building where you rent your office space.
Donors to your company sue your board of directors for mishandling funds.

The list of scenarios can go on and on. When you own a business, make sure that you are investing in business insurance to keep yourself safe.