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Category : Property

Quite a bit of attention is being paid lately to floods and the devastation they leave behind. In the wake of Katrina, more and more questions have been raised about what kind of preventative measures would have lessened the catastrophic effects of such an event. How well equipped are individual homeowners to handle financial consequences on their own, as opposed to relying solely on agencies like FEMA to provide them with economic assistance? Are Americans taking advantage of the nation’s flood insurance program?

With the sudden presence of traffic violation cameras (red light, speeding, aggressive driving) in states across the country, many Americans feel that their privacy is violated. Others believe that this is a government ploy for fundraising, or to replace the local police department. Many people are curious as to the effect a red light camera violation will have on their insurance premium.

As soon as they start learning to drive, whether they are starting with a learner’s permit or going straight to the license, you should inform your insurance company to have them added to your policy. This is usually much more cost-effective than placing them on their own policy, especially if you are a safe driver with a clean record. They will also be eligible for more coverage under your policy.

Here’s a sobering statistic you might not be aware of: nationwide, when a person is injured in a car accident, the odds are about one in seven that the driver that caused the crash is uninsured. According to a recent Insurance Research Council (IRC) study, the estimated percentage of uninsured drivers rose from 12.7% in 1999 to 14.6% in 2004. The IRC studied data provided by eleven insurance carriers, which represents approximately 58% of the private passenger auto insurance market in the United States.

Although you may not hear much about it on the evening news, according to the FBI, cargo theft is on the rise and represents a threat to both our economy and our national security. Over the past five years, criminals involved in this type of activity have become more sophisticated, and more violent, in their methods. Due to this uptick in criminal behavior, the price tag associated with cargo theft is increasing. In fact, the Major Theft Unit in the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division estimates that cargo theft costs U.S. businesses up to $30 billion a year. Such estimates may not present an accurate scope of the problem because businesses are often reluctant to report thefts out of concern for their reputations or because they fear insurance premiums will increase.

Following a damaging fire, thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, ice storm, or other disaster, one of your first concerns will be the structural damage your home has suffered and how to repair and restore it back to its original condition. In most cases, your homeowner’s insurance policy will pay for the labor and materials to repair your home and for you to temporarily live somewhere else while your home is uninhabitable.

According to Newsweek, one in four automobiles sold in the United States is a sports utility vehicle. Every SUV purchase nets an average of $15,000, according to Forbes magazine, in profit for the vehicle’s maker. Because of this high demand and lucrative sales potential, the makers of SUVs have been accused of ignoring safety when it comes to the design and production of their products. The biggest safety complaint about the SUV is its high rollover record.

The arrival of summer can mean several welcome events: a return to outdoors living, an opportunity for vacation, and more time with the family. One of the issues people may not associate with summer are the power surges that often occur due to the tremendous demand for energy, especially to cool homes. A power surge is a brief spike in electrical power. While on the surface it may not seem like much to be concerned about, power surges can cause serious damage by burning up electrical circuits inside appliances. They can also damage electrical outlets, light switches, light bulbs, air conditioner components, and even garage door openers.

Coinsurance clauses are commonly found in a builder’s risk completed value policy. As one might deduce merely from the name, a coinsurance clause involves the policyholder becoming a co-insurer of the risk of loss with the insurer. In other words, certain conditions would result in the insurance company not paying the total amount of loss, thereby leaving the policyholder to bear the remainder of the loss amount. The insured and the insurer jointly assume the risk.