Life Insurance

An important part of a sound financial plan, life insurance provides a valuable death benefit to your beneficiaries upon your death. Your beneficiaries can then use this money to replace some of the income you would have earned or to help pay off debts or other expenses.

The two types of life insurance are term and permanent. The one that's right for you depends on many factors, including your budget, the amount of coverage you need, and the length of time you'd like the coverage to last.

Term Life Insurance

Term policies can help meet a wide variety of business and personal needs and often provide the most coverage for your premium dollar for set periods of time. Whether you want to supplement your existing coverage or simply purchase insurance to meet a specific need, our term policies have the flexibility to help meet your needs. Learn more about our products.

Auto Insurance

Understanding Your Auto Insurance

Auto insurance can seem confusing. But once you understand the different types of coverages that make up your policy, it’s not hard at all. Your auto insurance is really a package of seven primary coverages. Taken together, these coverages make up a standard auto policy. Each of these coverages has its own separate premium. Your premium payment is the total of these separate premiums.

1. Bodily injury liability provides protection if you injure or kill someone while operating your car. It also provides for a legal defense if another party in the accident files a lawsuit against you.

In the event of a serious accident, you want enough insurance to cover a judgment against you in a lawsuit, without jeopardizing your personal assets.

Bodily injury liability covers injury to people, not your vehicle. Therefore it’s a good idea to have the same level of coverage for all of your cars.

2. Medical payments, no-fault or personal injury protection coverage usually pays for the medical expenses of the injured driver and passengers in your car. There may also be coverage if you are injured by a vehicle as a pedestrian.

3. Uninsured motorists coverage pays for your injuries caused by an uninsured driver or, in some states, a hit-and-run driver, in a crash that is not your fault. In some states there is also uninsured motorist coverage for damage to your vehicle.

Given the large number of uninsured motorists, this is very important coverage to have, even in states with no-fault insurance.

4. Comprehensive physical damage coverage pays for losses resulting from incidents other than collision. For example, comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car if it is stolen; or damaged by flood, fire or animals. To keep your premiums low, select as high a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket.

5. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car when your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle or other object.

To keep your premiums low, select as large a deductible as you feel comfortable paying out of pocket. For older cars, consider dropping this coverage, since coverage is normally limited to the cash value of your car.

6. Property damage liability protects you if your car damages someone else’s property. It also provides you with legal defense if another party files a lawsuit against you. It is a good idea to purchase enough of this insurance to cover the amount of damage your car might do to another vehicle or object.

7. Rental reimbursement coverage pays for a rental vehicle (usually up to $25 a day) when the insured's vehicle is out of commission as a result of a loss covered under comprehensive or collision coverages.

All You Need to Know About Health Insurance

Let's face it--in today's world, health insurance is a necessity. With medical expenses soaring higher than a hang glider, paying for them could have you digging deep into the pockets of your jeans.

What types of health insurance are available?
Health insurance plans generally fall into one of two categories: indemnity plans (also known as reimbursement plans) and managed care plans such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs), and point of service (POS) plans.
* An indemnity plan allows you to choose your own doctors and pays for your medical expenses--totally, in part, or up to a specified amount per day for a specified number of days.
* Managed care plans generally provide broader coverage, but they all involve an arrangement between the insurer and a selected network of health-care providers (doctors, hospitals, etc.). For example, an HMO will require that a primary care physician in the network coordinate all of your care and refer you to specialists in the network.
No matter which type of health insurance you buy, you'll need to make sure it offers the right kinds of coverage.

What should be covered?
A good health insurance policy contains several types of coverage.
Hospital expense insurance pays your room, board, and incidental services costs if you're hospitalized.
Surgical expense insurance covers surgeons' fees and related costs associated with surgery.
Physicians' expense insurance pays for visits to a doctor's office or for a doctor's hospital visits.
Major medical insurance offers extremely broad coverage with a very high maximum benefit that's designed to protect you against losses from catastrophic illness or injury.

What might be covered?
When comparing health insurance plans, check to see if they provide additional benefits that you may need, including:
* Prescription drugs
* Preventive care
* Mental health benefits
* Maternity care
* Vision care

What will it cost?
In addition to the monthly premium expense, you may have other out-of-pocket costs. These costs can really add up, especially if you have children or other family members who visit the doctor frequently. Check to see if the health insurance plan you're considering requires you to pay any or all of the following:
* Co-payment: The amount you'll have to pay each time you visit a health insurance provider (generally required by HMOs).
* Deductible: The amount you'll have to pay toward your medical expenses (usually annually) before the insurance company begins to pay claims (generally required by indemnity plans).
* Coinsurance: The percentage of your medical costs you'll have to pay after you reach any deductibles that apply.

Where can I get health insurance?
You may get health insurance through a group plan at work or through another group affiliation (a school, a club, etc.) or by purchasing an individual plan on your own. By purchasing an individual plan on your own, you may even be able to customize the health plan. Shop online to compare rates from several companies to find the best plan and rate to meet your needs.

How do I decide which plan is best?
The best health insurance plan for you is the one that gives you the greatest flexibility and the most benefits for the lowest cost. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a standard health insurance plan. As you would when making any major purchase, you'll need to shop around and get several quotes before choosing a plan. Here are a few points to consider:
* What co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance requirements apply?
* How much freedom do you have to choose your own health-care providers?
* Does the plan cover the health services that you need?
* Does the plan cover the health-care providers you're currently using?
* Does the plan offer family, as well as individual, coverage?
* Does the plan cover pre-existing conditions? If so, is there a waiting period? (The average waiting period is three months to one year.)
* Does the insurance company have a good reputation in the industry and a positive rating from a major ratings organization? (Contact your state's department of insurance for more information.)