Found Not Lost

I am switching insurance plans at work and there are numerous paperwork to fill out and decisions to make, one of which is life insurance for kids. My husband and I have life insurance, but do the kids really need them? My mother always used to say that she had these ‘penny insurance plans’ (that’s what they were called then) for us when we were younger. They didn’t cost much, just a few pennies a day, and the value is just enough to bury you if anything should happen. That always seemed like a morbid thought to me. For adults, they value your insurance against the cost it would take to replace your earning potential to your family should anything happen to you right now. For kids, it’s so your parents won’t have to dig into their retirement fund in order to bury you? Really morbid…

But then, I have been having such weird and random thoughts all day.

I’ve been lucky enough not to have had a catastrophic car accident (knock on wood). However, I’ve been unlucky enough to be involved in the type of minor bumps and dings that can quickly diminish the car’s value. The worst part is, most of the time it’s not even my fault or was not even in the car when the damage happened!

Sometimes you ignore the small bumps if they aren’t too bad just to save on increased insurance premiums, sometimes you just get it fixed and forget about it. That is, until you try to sell your car and can’t sell it for as much because of its diminished value.

According to Advocate Auto Claims, you can re-coup the diminished value of your vehicle up to four years from the date of the accident. The website claims that you can re-coup this loss in value from the other person’s insurance if they are at fault, and this is applicable in all 50 states. And in Georgia, you can recoup the loss even if it is your fault. I’m not sure how this applies in no-fault states, but go to the Advocate Auto Claims website and get more details on how you file a claim. They will even give you a free estimate of the amount you can recoup.

The health insurance system in this country sucks, but it sucks even more when you don’t have any insurance at all. When we were young, we had health insurance through my mother’s job. We had our medical cards and when we needed to see a doctor, we just made and appointment and the insurance took care of everything.

Not so now. My job provides health and dental insurance coverage for us. It’s not the best, but it’s not the worst either. I think most people probably get this same type of insurance. Even with my employer and me paying into it, the payments are still pretty expensive. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except that when you go to the doctor nowadays, you still end up paying for even more because your insurance didn’t cover all the charges!

Now you have supplemental insurance companies that help to bridge this medigap, the portion not covered by most health insurance, especially for senior citizens who are on a fixed income.

It seems to me that the problem is getting more complicated rather than solved. Now you’ll have one more additional premium to pay!

At the beginning of the year, my husband and I changed our car insurance carrier and signed on for a new homeowners insurance. We simply went by the recommendations of our insurance broker, we didn’t really look elsewhere. Just lazy, I guess.

But now, the more I think about it, the more I am regretting that move. I should have done a bit more research than I did. There are now places online where you can get free quotes and compare policies before tying yourself to just one. The good thing about insurance though is, you can always change your mind. So as soon as I run across a cheaper rate with similar coverage, I think I will be switching.

If you are in the UK, one place to get free quotes is Auto Net HGV Insurance. This branch specializes in truck insurance. When you enter your information online, they will build a policy custom tailored for your needs and get you the lowest price possible. They will guarantee that you are getting the lowest rate possible or they will refund your money! Awesome, huh? If online forms are too impersonal for you, of course they also have qualified service representatives that you can call and they will set up just the right coverage for you.