Using natural light wherever possible, fitting LED lights and generally using power-efficient equipment reduces heat and the risk of fire. It also makes the premises more comfortable and popular with customers. Ask your insurer whether there are incentives to upgrade the building by fitting energy-efficient systems. If you comply with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, the Insurance Information Institute reports that, as from 2010, there are more than twenty insurers offering up to 10% discount on premium rates. One of the factors you might want to consider is the use of solar or wind power. Ignoring the capital cost to produce enough electricity to allow you to “go off the grid”, one of the main worries is the risk of outages. Some insurers are now offering specialized business interruption coverage to boost confidence.

When it comes to the vehicles used in the business, some of the commercial auto insurers offer discounts if you buy or lease hybrids. Even though you may not be impressed by the claimed threats of global warming or climate change, the insurance industry is firmly on the side of reducing emissions. The better the fuel-economy of your fleet, the lower the premium rates are likely to be. Similarly, the idea of pay-as-you-go will both save you money on the premium rates if you reduce milage to the absolute minimum and persuade your employees to drive more safely. The more safely and efficiently you run the fleet, the lower the premium payments. It also makes an excellent add-on to your marketing to show how much you care about the environment and that you are committed to reducing America’s dependence on imported oil. If you build environmental factors into your current risk management system, there’s a real chance of improving your bottom line, negotiating discounts on your business insurance rates, and giving yourself some marketing copy that will enhance your reputation with green customers. In this instance, there’s no reason why your skepticism about climate issues and other environmental factors should stand in the way of improved profits. Talk this through your your business insurance advisor to find out what your state’s insurance industry has on offer if you do decide to become more eco-friendly.

There’s nothing new in starting a modern article by referring to the speed with which the world has been revolutionized by the computer but, in this instance, it’s highly appropriate. Back in the late 1960′s, when the first green shoots emerged, computerization was all about automating in-house processes like the accounting system. The software to replace labor was still a few years ago. Yet, once it arrived, two things happened. First, the employers cut their costs and improved their profits by terminating thousands of jobs. Second, by removing many of the people who used to deal with customers, the businesses showed a decline in quality of the services they provided. And you can see many corporations these days hiding behind call centers and e-mail systems, rarely providing real people we can talk through our problems with.

It would be wiser if the Internet and automated systems were used not as a smokescreen but as a means to improve the customer experience. Eventually, the quality of this aspect of service will come back into focus as a way of distinguishing between faceless corporations. The car insurance industry provides a good example of what can be done. In case your vehicle is involved in an accident, what you want is a smooth system for handling your claim. This means that there should be a minimum fuss in submitting the claim online, the identification of suitable repair shops you can go to, getting quotes with the least delay, and agreeing which repair center will actually do the job. All this administration needs to be prompt because, if your vehicle isn’t on the road, there are storage charges mounting up and rental charges for a substitute vehicle. Add up the thousands of policyholders and the cost to the insurers is higher than it needs to be. If this loss is controlled, premium rates can be stabilized if not reduced. And it’s certainly a win-win situation for everyone involved.

This is the reason why it’s important to support a new website and mobile app for Android and the iPhone that will improve the current situation. These applications allow you to upload photographs of the damage using your cell phone or hand-held device with a camera, and send those pictures to repair shops approved by your insurer near to where you live. The shops provide updates on whether they have spare capacity and offer an estimate of the cost of repairs within 24 hours. And since the site works with insurers to limit the list of repairshops to those preapproved by the insurers, the claims are processed with minimum delay and the final costs are also kept low. Right now, this is still at a testing stage with five insurance companies in a limited number of states. Yet, assuming the trial is a success, we could see this rolled out across the country. In case this technique really does reduce administrative delays and associated costs, we will see stable car insurance rates. Maybe, it’s not the cheap car insurance we all want to see, but it’s a good step in the right direction. This should also move the slumbering giants on both sides of the fence. There are creative ideas in the air and insurance companies who would benefit the customer by getting together.

Complete Driver Education Classes

Most insurance companies will not even consider insuring a teenage driver who has not taken and successfully completed an approved driver education class. These classes include instruction on driving laws as well as hands-on driving lessons. There are different levels of driver education. Most students complete the basic level. But insurance companies prefer the advanced level because it includes instruction on defensive driving, bad weather driving, and how to avoid a crash. Insurance companies offer deeper discounts for this advanced instruction with the expectation that teenagers will be better drivers.

Drive a Safe Car

New drivers want the coolest car on the block. But to get a discount on their insurance, they need the safest car available. When calculating rates, insurance companies consider the type of vehicle teenagers will be driving and the cost associated with repairs or replacement if the teenager is involved in an accident. Do not skimp on safety to get a lower rate – teenagers need a safe car more than they need to save a few bucks on their insurance costs.

Achieve Good Grades in School

Just about all insurance providers have “good student” discount programs that allow students to submit their report cards to receive a reduction in premiums. The thought behind this is that if teens can work hard enough to make good grades, they will probably be just as diligent with their driving.

Establish Credit

Teens may be able to get a small department store credit card that their parents co-sign for so they can establish personal credit. Again, auto insurance companies correlate the teen’s ability to manage their credit with their driving ability and will lower rates for those teen’s who establish personal credit.

This article examines ways student drivers, especially teenagers, can get discounts on auto insurance coverage. By meeting certain criteria, student drivers can obtain affordable auto insurance that offers quality coverage in case of an accident.

For the more rational members of the community, there’s no such thing as too much help if there’s a disaster. The more Government or state aid, the more quickly the community can be put back on its feet. This help should not just look at the big picture of repairing roads and bridges so people can move around again. It also comes down to the individual level for those most in need. Not surprisingly, the federal government recognizes there are whole swathes of the population who either cannot afford health insurance or will end up underinsured – this includes those who think they are lucky enough never to be affected by a natural disaster. This brings us to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This federal agency has the responsibility for coordinating the response to any disaster. It can be man-made like an explosion at a nuclear power plant, an erupting volcano, or a hurricane producing a major storm surge. If the scale of the resulting disaster is more than a state can reasonably be expected to deal with on its own, FEMA steps in to offer its expertise.

This includes its Individual Assistance Program, designed to help those who are uninsured or underinsured. This aims to offer practical help to move home contents into storage, provide temporary housing while reconstruction work continues, and cover the cost of any medical treatment for injuries sustained in the disaster. Note you cannot claim twice under an existing policy and then under the FEMA program. If there’s overlapping cover, you have to decide which one to claim against. But if your cover is not going to be accessible because you cannot afford the high deductible or because you were underinsured in any event, the FEMA program will help bridge the gap. Indeed, the FEMA program can be the difference between having nothing and having some clothes to wear and somewhere to live while the situation is stabilized.

If you live in an area which is prone to flooding or seems to be getting more than its fair share of catastrophic weather events, you should look at the FEMA Individual Assistance Program. It may not be a substitute for conventional homeowners insurance quotes from a private insurer, but you should know what additional help is available when you getting your next homeowners insurance quotes.

Unfortunately, where people live can have a direct bearing on the likelihood of a claim. For example, their neighborhood may be a hot spot for vehicle vandalism and theft. People who live there should therefore pay more for comprehensive cover. Equally, if there’s a high rate of accidents, collision rates would be higher, and so on. Perhaps the majority of people might instinctively resist the idea of basing any part of the calculation on ZIP codes but, when you come down to the facts, the ZIP code is not irrelevant. It’s a perfectly legitimate factor although, perhaps, one that should come in lower down on the scale. For the record, the voters in California forced a change in the law through the ballot box and local insurers cannot directly rely on ZIP codes in that state.

There’s a similar reaction against the use of credit scores. The insurers believe there’s a direct link between a driver’s credit history and the degree of responsibility shown as a driver. The opponents argue any use of this factor discriminates against the poor with either cannot get a credit card or who have very low scores. The fact this may incidentally target minority groups is also relevant.

Well, if you live in Massachusetts, there’s some good news. Acting on directions from Governor Deval Patrick, the regulations produced by the state’s Insurance Commissioner have been written into an Act. This makes it more difficult for the insurers to return to the old practice of using credit scores. So there you have it. A state has finally begun the process of limiting the use of socioeconomic factors when it comes to setting premium rates. Except some critics say the insurers have found other ways to identify the poor and disadvantaged and so load their premium rates by other means. For example, Massachusetts insurers give discounts to those holding homeowners insurance, or who belong to professional associations, i.e. more favorable rates are given to those who can afford to buy their own homes or who have better levels of education. This is not limited to Massachusetts. The insurers in every state use personal factors like marital status, education and current employment to fix the rates. This inevitably means the insurers are basing their rates on socioeconomic factors as well as the driver’s history of tickets and claims.

The question you now have to ask yourself is whether you feel strongly enough about the issue to pressure your state’s Insurance Commissioner to make regulations limiting the way in whichcar insurance rates are set. If the Insurance Commissioner will not act, are you prepared to collect signatures to get this issue on to the ballot at the next election? Remember, if you are successful, this could mean lower auto insurance quotes for many of the poor and disadvantaged.

Car theft rates are often tied to ZIP codes. When a town or neighborhood sees an increase in vehicle-related offenses, it’s often a signal of economic and social decline. If funding policies fail to address the causes of this decline, the whole area can rapidly go downhill with all those who can afford it moving out and businesses closing down. A vicious circle then chases the neighborhood down to the bottom. This is one of the reasons why insurers take ZIP codes into account. It’s a fact of life there are more claims from these areas.

This month has seen the release of two reports on vehicle theft rates by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) and the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). They give us a picture of theft rates falling nationally as the design of security systems improves, but with the same areas reporting stubbornly high numbers. It seems there’s local pride in being able to steal more vehicles than anywhere else. The HLDI identifies the Cadillac Escalade as the most stolen brand. The NICB decides the winner is the 1994 Honda Accord. The reason for the difference is the way in which the two national bureaus collect their data. The NICB relies on the police to collate all the reports of vehicles stolen, whereas the HLDI relies on claims data supplied by the insurance industry. In theory, the numbers should tally and produce the same winning brand. After all, it’s a requirement of making a claim that the insured should report the vehicle stolen. But not all the vehicles reported stolen are then the subject of an insurance claim – this requires a comprehensive policy and many people now drive with only a liability policy, particularly when the vehicle is older and not expensive to replace. So look at the lists of the most easily stolen vehicles before you buy. When the car insurance quotes come in, you will save money. If you do buy a vehicle easily stolen, fit anti-theft devices and then get a new set of car insurance quotes to see how much you can save.

So let’s start with the good news. Most insurers offer a discount for people who fit security measures to reduce the risk of a burglary. Check with your current insurer to see what gives the biggest savings. Now come back to your home with a little more confidence. You may still find the worst has happened, but you have done your best to prevent it. Now the practicalities: did you have enough cover? Whether you are a renter or an owner, it’s worth paying the full rate to cover the replacement value of all your possessions. Walk through the rooms and make a list. It’s too easy just to think of the more expensive items like the television, your computer(s), cameras and music equipment. You will be surprised how quickly the value of the contents rises when you actually list all you have.

In fact, there should be two lists. One should be the everyday possessions, the other the expensive items. This can be jewelry, artwork and other collectibles. Take photographs of all the expensive items. For all the larger electronic and domestic goods, make a note of the serial numbers. Insurance companies are always more comfortable if you have proof of purchase – yes, it’s a good idea to keep receipts and instruction manuals should a claims adjuster ask for them. Receipts are also useful to show the original value. If you have no receipts, look for evidence of payments on credit card and bank statements. Even PayPal may show payment when you bought online.

Although this all looks a lot of hassle, you are smoothing the way should you come back to a burglarized home. Now you have a master list, it’s easy to find what’s been stolen. The claims check is also likely to arrive more quickly, which should make you feel a little better. Now spend some dollars to make your home a fortress and the next homeowners insurance quotes will not rise too much. When you claim, remember this will be recorded in CLUE and A-PLUS so, when you next come to renew your home insurance, all insurers will know about your claims history.

This is all changing. All around the country, insurers are sending out letters warning their insured that teams of inspectors will be visiting to assess the exterior condition of their homes. In plain language, for once, the insurers also warn they reserve the right to cancel the policy if they find the condition of your home “unacceptable” for some reason. This has caused some annoyance in many homes because there’s an obvious linkage with current events. Looking around at the recent bad weather, a lot of people suspect the insurers are looking for ways to reduce their risk in future storms and hurricanes. Homes that were acceptable without inspection twenty years ago, may now be rejected because the inspectors don’t think you have been maintaining your property.

So what exactly is going to happen? In the first instance, this is going to be an external evaluation. Insurers do have the right to come into your home to look around but, there’s no sign any are proposing to use this right on a casual basis. Presumably, it will be as a follow-up should the external inspection cause concern. This review could actually affect you in two quite different ways. First, you have a general duty to tell the insurer if anything significant has changed in the property since you first took out the policy. So, for example, if you have built a garage or obviously improved the property, you should have told the insurer. This affects the rebuild valuation. Indeed, you should be doing your own review of rebuilding costs every two years. You will be surprised how quickly the cost of labor and materials rises. A failure to keep the valuation up-to-date is one of the grounds on which an insurer can cancel a property.

Second is the reverse situation. This is the households that allow the property to fall into disrepair. The less money you spend on preventive maintenance, the greater the risk the insurer will think even a slight wind might cause damage. So this will be the main motive behind the inspections. The hope is it will encourage you to do all the repair work you’ve been putting off and make the home more secure. In the long term, this will reduce the number of insurance claims and boost the insurer’s profit margins.

So if your home insurance company has sent you one of these letters, you should look around your property. If there’s anything obviously wrong, you should put it right. Avoid problems if at all possible. Some people like to be positive. You can call and ask when the inspection is likely to take place. Talking with these home insurance inspectors gives you the chance to discover how you might make your home safer.

This is all smoke-and-mirrors. You can see a listing of perils covered which will include wind damage but, when you look at the clause on deductibles, you will probably find there’s a mandatory hurricane deduction. Unlike the auto insurance policies, this is not a fixed amount. These deductibles are a percentage of the value of your home and some insurers pitch the deductible up to 5% of your home’s value, e.g. $15,000 if your value is $300,000. For homeowners to have to find 5% as a lump sum to trigger the payment of the rest of the claim can be a major financial strain.

Now let’s comes to the theme of this article. One of the reasons why the claims process can slow down to a snail’s pace is disagreements over the difference between wind damage and water damage. The majority of policies exclude or restrict water damage. So, as an example, suppose a strong gust of wind removes the roof from your home. That’s clearly wind damage and the cost of rebuilding will usually be covered. Why “usually”? When the wind exposes the timber frame of your home, it can get wet and this can cause the frame to warp. Now the question is whether replacing the frame is responding to the damage by the wind or damage caused by the subsequent rain. You argue that the timber would not have gotten wet had the roof not blown off, so the main cause is the wind. The insurer argues the wind did not cause the timber to twist out of shape. That was the rain.

It would be good if all such arguments could be quickly resolved but, after Katrina, insurers are more defensive faced with large weather events. Worse, they have also been reducing the number of claims adjusters and everything now takes longer. This puts a heavy burden on home insurance policyholders. You’re often forced to take emergency measures to protect your property, e.g. when the roof blows off. Keep a detailed photographic record to show the before and after situation, keep all the invoices and bills for the materials and labor, and make sure you keep a constant stream of updating messages going to the home insurancecompany. It must always have the chance to monitor this work.

The aim is simple: to keep younger inexperienced drivers off the road. This would be achieved by setting a national standard for graduated drivers’ licensing. Federal highway funds would be tied to encourage states to enact the federal standard within three years. The bill creates a ladder to climb for a full license. It begins with a learner’s permit no earlier than 16, passes through an intermediate stage and ends with a full license. It also creates a number of specific criminal offenses, including driving unsupervised at night without a full license, using a cell phone while driving, and a limit on the number of young passengers. The intention is formally to introduce the rule that no one can have a full license under the age of 18.

Needless to say, the GOP believe this unreasonably interferes with the sovereign right of states. Further, they argue driving in an essentially rural state is not the same as in New York which is full of traffic. Only state legislatures know the detail of local conditions and can make appropriate laws. This explains why teens in North Dakota can start to drive on their 14th birthday, whereas New Jersey prevents a teen from moving to the intermediate stage until his or her 17th birthday. This is not to say any state is derelict in its laws. The Insurance Institute for HIghway Safety rates 37 states as having good laws, but there’s a general failure to deal with distractions while driving. Only 30 states currently ban texting. Worse, only 28 states ban cell phone use by novice drivers. Most driver safety experts think there should be a general ban on texting by drivers of all ages.

Whatever your opinion on hand-held technology and cell phone use, the death of teen drivers is potentially preventable both by limiting unsupervised driving and by insisting on every driver going through an approved course of instruction before being allowed a full license. Of course, nothing can prevent teens determined to drive no matter what the law says. But if we can reduce the number of accidents, this will reduce the auto insurance rates for both teen and young adult drivers. Doing nothing should not be an option. Indeed, it may be better not to use auto insurance quotes as a reason. Simply pitching this to parents as a way of keeping more of their children alive should be enough to pass the bill into law.