Homeowner Insurance Claims

The most common causes of a homeowner insurance claim

(BPT) – The value of a homeowner insurance policy is often thrust into the national spotlight when natural disasters happen. The devastation and financial loss they can cause reinforces the importance of making sure you have adequate insurance coverage to rebuild if disaster strikes your home. In 2017 alone, the U.S. was struck by 16 separate billion-dollar disaster events, resulting in a record-breaking $300 billion in damage, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Thankfully, most Americans don’t experience large-scale natural catastrophes, but millions of homeowners do experience some kind of property loss each year and need to make an insurance claim. The most commonly reported homeowner insurance claims are actually the result of events that can occur at any time, so it’s important for homeowners to be prepared for these potential risks. View full post…

Posted: May 3, 2019
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

Do You Have Disability Insurance?

If an injury or illness kept you out of work, would disability insurance pay your bills?

(BPT) – You helped friends move their furniture; now your back is so sore you can’t move. You could be out of work and unable to collect at least three paychecks.

Your doctor says you’ve eaten your last bacon-wrapped hot dog, or your health could keep you out of work for four paychecks.

You made a diving catch to clinch the win for the company softball team. Though you were carried off the field a hero, you’ll be away from the office for eight paychecks.

We’re all temporarily able-bodied – no one is immune from an unexpected illness or injury. One in four of today’s 20-year-olds will experience a disability before they hit retirement age, according to a June 2016 Social Security Administration fact sheet.

Back injuries, heart attacks, knee replacements or View full post…

Posted: December 21, 2018
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

Useful Medicare Fact & Myth Rules

Health care costs in retirement: Medicare Facts & Myths

(BPT) – As their 65th birthday looms, many people eagerly anticipate the affordable access to health care that Medicare will provide. After all, Medicare covers everything, right? Not exactly. Because of this common misconception, many people are caught off guard when they realize that each one of the dozens of Medicare options available to them comes with its own set of out-of-pocket cost implications. In fact, a survey of the newly retired found 43 percent are spending more on health care than they had planned & have a hard time understanding Medicare Facts & Myths.

The more you know about Medicare plans and costs, the better prepared you’ll be to avoid unpleasant surprises. Think you’re savvy enough to discern myth from fact when it comes to your health care costs in retirement? Read on to put your knowledge to the test.

Myth: When comparing Medicare plans, it’s best to choose the lowest-premium option to help minimize your costs.

Medicare Fact: While premiums are an important factor when choosing a health care plan, they should View full post…

Posted: September 21, 2018
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

Effortless Enrolling in Medicare

Enrolling In Medicare: 5 allies who can help

(BPT) – Enrolling in Medicare for the first time or starting coverage under a new plan? It might bring you back to that first day starting a new job. You knew some of the basics, but you also knew there was a lot more to learn. More than likely, you got help from colleagues who have been around for a while and helped show you the ropes.

Don’t worry. With Medicare, you have the same kind of knowledgeable support. You’ve got a team on your side that can help make navigating the health care system easier. Goodbye hassles, hello helpers.

Here are five allies in your corner:

1. Your Primary Care Physician. This physician is the “go-to” doctor who provides guidance on your health care needs, taking the time to really get to know you, your medical history and View full post…

Posted: September 7, 2018
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

You Need Flood Insurance

If it can rain, it can flood: Why flood insurance is a wise bet for homeowners

(BPT) – The federal government considers floods the nation’s most common natural disaster. They strike every state and leave homeowners with huge repair costs. Why? Because typical homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flood damage and flood insurance must be purchased.

Those policies may provide protection for water damage when it comes through a hole in the roof or from wind-driven rain. But coverage doesn’t extend to damage caused by water from a storm-swollen river, torrential rainfall or other flood-inducing conditions.

Homeowners are required to purchase flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage and live in a high-risk flood area as identified by the National Flood Insurance Program.

For others, though, it’s optional.

With premiums starting as low as $171 a year for a home and its contents, it’s View full post…

Posted: July 22, 2018
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

Maximize Your Medicare Coverage Dollar

The real bottom line: Maximize the value of your Medicare coverage

(BPT) – In a recent survey, 43 percent of newly retired people said they were spending more on health care than they planned. One of the primary reasons? An unintentionally misguided approach to choosing their Medicare coverage.

To make the process of comparing their plan options easier, too often people focus largely on their monthly premiums.

“Although it may seem like the obvious choice to select a plan with the cheapest monthly premium, it’s important to look beyond the premium and focus instead on the overall value a plan provides,” said Ben Kehl, vice president of consumer experience for UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement. “One of the best ways to do this is to give careful consideration to what’s important to you in a Medicare plan as well as what isn’t.”

Not sure where to begin with this value-focused approach to your Medicare choices? The following three questions can help you move beyond a plan’s premium and consider other factors that contribute to a plan’s value. Your answers can help you maximize your Medicare health care dollars by selecting a plan that provides the greatest value for you.

How much financial risk are you comfortable with?

All Medicare plan options cover some health care costs, but they vary in the amounts View full post…

Posted: July 6, 2018
Under: Insurance
By: BPT

Do Stay At Home Moms Need Life Insurance

Do Stay At Home Moms Need Life Insurance?

While it is often said that life insurance is purchased in order to replace a breadwinner’s income, the proceeds from these policies are also used for many other purposes as well, such as paying for final expenses, reducing estate taxes, and keeping a business afloat should an owner or partner pass away unexpectedly.

One area where life insurance is not always considered – but should be – is with non-working, stay at home spouses. Consider, for example, the many important jobs of a stay at home mom. These duties typically include cooking, cleaning, driving carpool to and from school, arranging other daily activities for the children, and taking charge of overall child care.

If you were to add up the cost of hiring outside help to take over all of these essential roles, the dollar figure would likely be substantial. View full post…

Posted: December 7, 2013
Under: Insurance
By: Liran Hirschkorn

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