Author: Jim Johnson
Source: articleage.com

RV insurance is one of those things in life that you are glad to have and hope you never have to actually use. Almost all states require that you have some form of insurance for your motorhome or RV and it just makes good sense anyway. So if you are going to be buying RV insurance soon, here are a few tips to consider as you do:
* If you don’t plan on living in your motorhome, and you only use it for short, small trips, you may actually want to consult your current homeowners policy and see if it is covered there. You then may want to call your insurance agent and ask if there is a rider that can be purchased to include your RV on your homeowner’s policy if it is not already covered. If so, what are the coverages and for how much? Make sure you get a complete picture of exactly what is covered and what the limitations of the coverage are before proceeding. Often you can save money by adding your RV onto to your homeowners policy, but be sure that you get proper coverage if you do.
* For those that spend a good deal of time in their motorhome, or maybe even live and full-time in it, getting an insurance policy from an insurer that specializes in RV insurance would be a wise move. Most auto insurance companies don’t really understand RVers needs all that much and so you can easily wind up with a policy that has clauses and requirements that make no sense at all for a person who lives in their RV. The coverage limits themselves can be very inadequate too, so don’t just go to your auto insurance company and accept what they provide. At least shop around and get some quotes from RV insurance specialists too.
* If you do live in your motorhome, say so clearly when getting the insurance quote. Some people think that telling the insurance company that you only use the RV for short trips occasionally will save them money if they live in it instead, and perhaps it will. But if you actually do have to file a claim at any point, the insurer may simply deny the claim if the coverage is written for occasional use and you are actually living in the RV. So state what your exact usage will be and you should be fine.
* Avoid any insurance companies that are relatively new, and so haven’t had enough time to build up a track record of customer service. The insurance field has had some less than honest people set up a company, sell policies and then either just deny most claims or disappear altogether. That’s why most states have an insurance commissioner to prevent this kind of activity as much as possible. So before you buy a policy, check to see how long the company has been in business and perhaps even check with the insurance commissioner in that state to be sure that the company is in good standing with them before you decide to buy. Using insurance companies endorsed by major RVing groups like The Good Sam Club is usually a wise move for peace of mind as well.
Getting adequate RV and motorhome insurance is much easier today than it has ever been in the past, and there are more choices than ever too, in large part thanks to the internet. So if you are looking for RV insurance, shop carefully and if you use the suggestions given above it will most likely help you make a wise and successful choice.
Jim Johnson writes on many consumer related topics including motorhomes. You can find out more about motorhome insurance and rv insurance by visiting our Motorhomes Review website.

Author: Stephen L. Nelson, CPA
Source: articleage.com

By following the eight rules explained here, you can save money, and just as important, you can save yourself from making serious mistakes when you shop for and acquire insurance policies.

Rule 1: Buy Insurance Only for Financial Risks You Can?’t Afford to Bear on Your Own

The purpose of insurance is to cover catastrophes that would devastate you or your family. Don?’t treat insurance as a chance to cover all your losses no matter how small or insignificant, because if you do you?’ll fritter away money on insurance you really don?’t need. For example, if your house caught fire and burned down, you would be glad you had homeowner?’s insurance. Homeowner?’s insurance is worth having, because you likely can?’t??and you certainly don?’t want to??cover the cost of rebuilding a house. On the other hand, insuring an old clunker is a waste of money if the car is only worth $800. You would be throwing away money for something you could cover yourself if you had to.

Rule 2: Buy from Insurers Rated A or Better by A.M. Best

Insurance companies go bust, they are bought and sold, and they suffer the same economic travails that all companies do. Between 1989 and 1993, 143 insurance companies declared bankruptcy. You want to pick a reliable company with a good track record.

A.M. Best is an insurance company monitoring service that rates insurance companies on reliability. Look for insurers rated A or better by A.M. Best, and periodically check to see whether your insurer is maintaining its high rating. If your insurer goes down a notch, consider finding a new insurance company. You can probably get A.M. Best?’s directory of insurance companies at your local public library, and you can find A.M. Best on the Web at www.ambest.com.

Rule 3: Shop Around

There are many, many, many kinds of insurance policies, and insurers don?’t advertise by price. You need to do some legwork to match your needs with the cheapest possible policy. Talk to at least two brokers to start with. Look for no-load insurance companies??companies that sell policies directly to the public without a broker taking a commission??since they usually offer cheaper prices.

Rule 4: Never Lie on a Policy Application

If you fib and get caught, the company can cancel your policy. If you lie on an application for life insurance and die during the first three years you hold the policy, the company will cancel your policy, and your beneficiaries will receive nothing. Health, life, and disability insurers run background checks on applicants through the Medical Information Bureau, so you can get caught lying. The medical examination you take for life insurance can also turn up a lie. For example, if you smoked tobacco in the previous year, it will come up in the test.

Rule 5: Don?’t Buy Specific-Risk Policies??Buy General Policies Instead

When it comes to insurance, you want the broadest coverage you can get. Buying insurance against cancer or an uninsured motorist defeats the purpose of having an insurance policy. If you have ulcers, your cancer insurance will not help you. Get comprehensive medical coverage instead.

Uninsured motorist insurance is supposed to protect you if you get hit by someone who doesn?’t have car insurance or doesn?’t have adequate car insurance. But, in my opinion, you don?’t need it if you have adequate car insurance yourself, as well as health, disability, and life insurance. I should point out that some attorneys advise you to carry uninsured motorist insurance because, by doing so, you may be able to recover damages for ?”pain and suffering.?”

Rule 6: Never Cancel One Policy until You Have a Replacement Policy in Place

If you cancel a policy without getting a replacement, you will be uninsured for however long it takes to get a new policy. And if disaster strikes during this period, you could be financially devastated. This rule goes for everyone, but especially for people getting on in years, since older folks sometimes have trouble getting health and life insurance.

Rule 7: Get a High Deductible

You save money by having insurance policies with high deductibles. The premium for high-deductible policies is always lower. Not only that, but you save yourself all the trouble of filing a claim and needing to haggle with insurance company representatives if you have a high deductible and you don?’t need to make as many claims.

People who buy low-deductible policies usually do so because they want to be covered under all circumstances. But the cost, for example, of a $400 fender-bender is usually worth paying out of your own pocket when compared to the overall cost of being insured for $400 accidents. Statistics show that most people have a fender-bender once every ten years. The $400 hurts to pay, but the cost of insuring yourself for such accidents over a ten-year period comes to far more than $400.

One other thing: If you have a low deductible, you will make more claims. That means you become an expensive headache for the insurance company. That means your rates will go up, and you don?’t want that to happen.

Rule 8: Use the Money You Save on Insurance Payments to Beef Up Your Rainy Day Account

While you can save money on your insurance premiums by following the rules mentioned earlier, it?’s probably a big mistake to use that money for, say, a trip to Hawaii. Instead, use any savings to build a nice-sized rainy day fund that you can draw on to pay deductibles. A big enough rainy day fund can cover both periods of unemployment and your insurance deductibles.