  |
|
|
|
Lisa Nichols 's BlogPosted by Lisa Nichols Business Travel Tips in the News:
Posted by Lisa Nichols Continental Airlines has thrown their cap in with American, United and US Airways by charging passengers $15 for a first checked bag. Elite frequent fliers, first and business coach passengers won't have to pay the fee. In addition, passengers who purchased full-fare coach seats won't pay a fee for a first checked bag. The change is effective immediately for flights in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. The first bag checked fee will also apply to Continental Airlines’ passengers to Canada and the Virgin Islands beginning October 7th. Get discount business travel tips to make your next trip less expensive. Posted by Lisa Nichols I’m the new Feature Writer for Business Travel. I’ve been toiling for a couple of years in the Business & Finance section of Suite101 and I just made the move from Insurance to Business Travel this week. I spent many years travelling almost non-stop for business. It was exhausting. And it was kind of a trial by fire, since there was no one to tell me what to expect when I walked onto that first airplane. I’ve had some funny moments as a business traveler. I once arrived so late for a flight that the signs that announced boarding information were already down. Since the flight included heads of several departments that were all counting on me to be there, the relief was evident when I strolled on board with the door whistling shut behind me. Once I was traveling on business and I overslept and missed the beginning of a seminar. Some joker had set the clock in my hotel room to his time zone and I never thought to see if it was the correct time. Since the fellow leading the seminar lost his voice the night before and had wanted me to take over, everyone was waiting for me when I walked in an hour late. And there have been many other times when business travel has proved funny- or heartwarming. I’ve been lucky to meet people all over the country and to hear their personal stories and the experience has changed me. It’s made me a better writer. I’ve already started writing articles in the Business Travel section of Suite101.com. I source my own topics and I have at least one article due every week, so I welcome suggestions and press releases for new story ideas. Posted by Lisa Nichols HBO and Virgin America have put their heads together and come up with an “Entourage Class” on a new non-stop flight from JFK to LAS (Las Vegas). The first flight takes flight today with many of the Entourage cast characters and Virgin founder Richard Branson at a champagne christening. Passengers will get to walk the red carpet, then view an advance screening of the Entourage Season 5 opener. The Entourage Class will be part of First Class on Virgin America’s non-stop flight from New York to Vegas throughout September. Star passenger perks include Godiva chocolates, Kiehl’s travel kits and of course, champagne. Virgin America's JFK-LAS fares start at $159 one way in Main Cabin and $744 one way in First Class.
Posted by Lisa Nichols A new article outlines some of the best features of the airline credit cards offered by five major U.S. airlines. In general, the more a rewards credit card is used, the bigger the benefit there is for the cardholder. In addition, scooping up exclusive package deals offered by airlines to cardholders only and taking advantage of every opportunity to earn extra miles can help corporate airline rewards cardholders save money on business travel. Am I 100% pro-airline credit cards, no questions asked? No. I also wrote a counterpoint to the benefits of corporate airlines rewards cards in another article, so you can compare the two points of view and decide for yourself if you want to get a rewards card or if you want to stick with a low interest or zero percent interest credit card. If you have some big expenses coming up for your business, there are some definite benefits to be had by charging them to your business miles credit card. You can charge everything, reap the rewards, and then hopefully pay off your balance before the interest rate kicks in. But alongside the benefits of these credit cards, there are downfalls too. It’s important to have all the facts before you choose, so you can make the best decision for your business needs. Posted by Lisa Nichols A hurricane emergency kit is a great Father’s Day gift idea or birthday present for loved ones who live in an area threatened by severe weather. The emergency survival kit can include items like non-prescription medication, a flashlight, batteries, bottled water and a weather radio. It can be expensive to create a hurricane emergency kit, depending upon how much stuff is included. You may want to combine a year’s worth of holidays and birthdays in this one present. Simply tell the gift recipient that this present is for everything, Christmas, Mother’s Day and birthdays, for the next year. In addition to giving an emergency survival kit to dad as a unique Father’s Day gift idea or birthday present, include a copy of a hurricane safety plan. And most importantly, check in with family to make sure that they have looked at all of the items in the hurricane survival kit, stored it in a safe place and that they have reviewed the emergency plan.
Posted by Lisa Nichols For years, my mom has made her Cioppino seafood soup recipe on Christmas Eve. The fish soup, long a family favorite, is a true catch of the day recipe; my mom makes it a little bit differently every year. It takes time to get everything together to make Cioppino, but it's surprisingly easy to put together. Sauté some onions and garlic, add in tomato sauce, wine and spices and just before you serve, toss in the seafood. It's really that easy. And this Cioppino recipe is so good. It's perfect for a cold evening and has always left my friends suitably impressed with my culinary achievements. The bouillabaisse recipe makes the whole house smell wonderful while it's cooking and by the time it's served, it's quickly devoured. I know you're thinking, ok, so this is a change, but that's the great thing about writing for Suite101: We're encouraged to write about what we love and never discouraged from posting articles on other areas of the magazine's website. So yes, I'll keep writing the business articles, but I'll also post a few more of mom's incredible recipes in coming weeks. Posted by Lisa Nichols According to a new report, Americans without health insurance for 2008 spend $30 billion on healthcare coverage. In Covering The Uninsured In 2008: Current Costs, Sources Of Payment, And Incremental Costs, a study released by Jack Hadley of the George Mason University and John Holahan of the Urban Institute, the report states that the U.S. government finances close to 75% of uninsured healthcare expenses. Americans without healthcare coverage receive about $56 billion in free care. Learn more about ways for uninsured Americans to pay for prenatal healthcare and getting medical debt help to help pay for healthcare costs. Posted by Lisa Nichols I have a great deal of respect for Bric’s luggage, some of which is in my own closet, so I couldn’t resist writing a review of some of their new lines of travel gear. The Bric’s Business Luggage Review gives an overview of price points, sizing and styles for several of the latest models from the famed Italian luggage designer. The Bric’s luggage people were kind enough to provide a photo for the article that shows one of their yummiest new roller bags. Their luggage is always fashionable but more importantly, it wears well and stands up to the toughest of baggage handlers. The article fits well with something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, women’s business travel tips. Companies don’t provide employees with a handbook about business travel (though they probably should), so I’m improvising and providing tips you can use when you go out of town. I’ll keep adding to the “handbook” of business travel tips for women and alerting you on the blog when there’s something new to add to the list of ideas. Meanwhile, if you have a topic about insurance or business travel that you’d like to see in the magazine, please drop me a note. I’m always looking for new ideas, and I love to hear from readers. Posted by Lisa Nichols I’ve been scooting around lately, posting some articles in other areas of our online magazine. One article, Women’s Business Travel Tips, might be of interest to some of you. I used to travel a good deal for business, and the first time out, I found myself scrambling around my hotel room with, quite literally, nothing to wear an hour before a meeting (Imagine a bag filled with mismatched t-shirts, a skirt with a Diet Coke stain and shoes that don’t go with anything). I quickly learned what to pack for most three-day business trips and I’ve shared my ideas in Women’s Business Travel Tips. If you have an idea for something you’d like to read about in the insurance area or in the general business area of Suite101, please drop me a note or leave a comment on one of the articles. Like all freelance writers with multiple commitments, I’m always looking for new ideas. Posted by Lisa Nichols In this week’s Kiplinger Letter, the popular business and economic news round-up explores the people behind the 47 million uninsured Americans. Of people in the U.S. without insurance, the breakdown looks like this: 9.2 million of uninsured Americans have household incomes of at least $75,000. According to Kiplinger, some people do not have health problems and don't want coverage. Other people who are uninsured in our country can't get insurance because of preexisting conditions. 7.5 million of uninsured people in the U.S. are between the ages of 19-24 and have no access to healthcare, can’t afford healthcare or don't believe that they need healthcare because they are in good health. 70% of the uninsured are in families with one or more full-time employees. 10% of the uninsured have one or more part-time employee in the family. The rest of the family members are retired or unemployed. 8.4 million of uninsured Americans are eligible for some kind of government program, but are not aware that they are eligible, don’t know how to sign up for a government program or cannot access the documents they need to sign up for the program. 10.2 million of uninsured people in the U.S. are not citizens. 80% of this group are legal residents. Many people in this group have low-income jobs and either cannot afford or do not have access to health insurance. Posted by Lisa Nichols A new article gives tips on 10 ways to improve Web traffic from Joy Gugeler, the formidable editor-in-chief of Suite101. The article appeared in MastheadOnline, a headline news website about the magazine industry in Canada. Aaron Leaf culled tips from a presentation done by Joy Gugeler at the Magazines West conference in Vancouver, B.C. last week. The presentation highlighted best practices for magazines to use to improve search engine results. Gugeler’s Tips for Improving Web Traffic Include:
So how am I doing? Posted by Lisa Nichols In a smart marketing move, American Modern Insurance Group has combined a company-wide effort to move policyholders to EFT and paperless billing with, what else, a green initiative. According to a press release, TREE2, American Modern’s tree conservation and restoration program, will plant thousands of longleaf pine trees destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. For every American Modern customer that signs up for EFT, the insurance company will plant a tree along the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast. Customers already on EFT will automatically get a tree planted in their honor as part of the TREE2 project. Many companies have partnered with eco-friendly initiatives in their effort to get customers and employees to go green, but American Modern stands out as the one insurance carrier that’s focusing on areas torn apart by storms. A quick call to the insurance company netted this information: “We're in the business of helping people put their lives back together after disaster strikes," said Joe David, vice president of marketing at American Modern. ”The TREE2 project seemed like a natural extension of our mission by helping storm-ravaged communities give Mother Nature a hand in restoring the many trees that a major storm destroys. Also, as part of the Munich Re Group, we are fully committed to actions that help minimize the impact of carbon emissions on our environment. Replacing lost trees is one great way to achieve that goal." The program will benefit parks, public properties and schools. Learn more about American Modern Insurance Group’s TREE2 program online. Send your insurance tips and news to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols Consumer Reports recently introduced a new tool for comparing hospitals online. The tool lets website members review hospitals for information about price and quality of care. According to a Consumer Reports blog about the healthcare area of the website, they will soon introduce an online rating tool that measures physicians’ care. A friend of mine in the healthcare industry told me she found a website that lists exactly how much doctors get paid by various pharmaceutical companies. Physicians get kickbacks for providing patients with meds from various companies. My friend found doctors that she knew who were making well over $100,000 annually from certain drug companies. It’s not an illegal practice. In fact, it’s practically a tradition, and most likely something that many physicians factor into their total salary. Professional athletes wear logos, doctors provide samples and prescriptions for certain drugs… It’s just part of the marketing wheel. Still, I can’t wait to read the Consumer Reports criteria for judging doctors. It promises to be interesting, if not out and out controversial. Posted by Lisa Nichols A new children’s dental care office opens today in San Jose, California. The Children’s Dental Center makes visiting the dentist a little less stressful for kids with TV screens, a movie theater and video games. The center provides services for children of families who may otherwise have trouble paying for dental care. The Children’s Dental Center is part of The Health Trust, which provides sliding scale fees for uninsured children. In addition, the children’s dental care office will provide “oral health scholarships” to kids who cannot afford to pay for visits to the dentist. Appointments for the Children's Dental Center at 1153 S. King Rd., San Jose, California, can be made by calling 1-408-240-0250. Learn more about paying for dental care and getting medical debt help. Posted by Lisa Nichols Internship opportunities in the insurance industry are widespread and offer college students a way to flex their career muscles. Even if you never thought you’d work for an insurance company or agency, there are a number of reasons why you should search internship opportunities in this industry: In a world where paper trails reign supreme, you’ll learn a lot about accountability in a paid intern job at an insurance company. Participating in meetings and helping the people you work with prepare for presentations gives you the building blocks that you’ll need for any job. When you search internship opportunities in insurance, you’ll find openings in claims, marketing, underwriting, new products and more. Depending upon the company needs and your skill sets, you might find yourself writing articles for company newsletters, the company intranet or the company website in a paid intern job. You may also have the opportunity to help choose stock photography for collateral materials or to provide input into the graphic design elements of a brochure. In addition to working in highly specialized departments in a paid intern job at an insurance company or agency, you might get the opportunity to work in the call center. Jump on it. Learning how to help people with questions ranging from billing dates to claims status is a great way to prepare yourself for dealing with the different personality types you’ll encounter when you enter the workforce full time. Posted by Lisa Nichols A review of the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan brought up some lively discussion in our family. My brother-in-law and I were discussing the new SUV when he said, “Please don’t buy a brand-new car, Lisa. They depreciate the minute you drive one off the lot.” Well, I already knew that. In fact, they say a new car depreciates by at least 20% as soon as it’s purchased. But that’s not the main reason I wouldn’t buy the 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan, or any new SUV, the first year it’s on the market. New cars are notorious for still having some bugs. Kinks that need to be worked out. However, according to the last J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey conducted in June 2007, auto manufacturers have cut way down on the kinks. The survey found that the typical problems experienced with design quality and quality of production at 90 days of ownership have improved at a rate of 6% each year. And in the last 20 years, the industry has seen an improvement rate of more than 120%, according to survey results. Still, I’m loathe to buy the 2009 Vokswagen Tiguan or any new SUV during its first year. There have been significant improvements, yes, but the process for rolling out a new car is not yet perfected. And there is still that little matter of depreciation. Before you buy any new SUV, check with your insurance agent to learn more about the costs of car insurance for the car or truck you want to buy. And, check out our tips for how to save money on car insurance to see if you whittle down your premium. Posted by Lisa Nichols As hurricane season approaches, homeowners’ insurance companies will start sending out press releases with tips on how to stay safe during the windy season. When I worked as the PR and Marketing Communications Manager for a P&C insurance company, these kinds of releases were standard operating procedure. They’re a good way for insurance companies to reach out and provide helpful tips to customers and to encourage prospective customers to get online homeowners insurance quotes. Hanover Insurance Group is one of the first homeowners’ insurance companies to throw their hats in, with a press release sent last week outlining personal and property safety tips to use during a hurricane. Hurricane Safety Tips from the Homeowners Insurance Company Include:
Get more hurricane safety tips online before you get homeowners insurance quotes. And, find some helpful tips about buying flood water damage insurance online. Posted by Lisa Nichols This week the GMAC auto insurance company released survey results from the 2008 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. The auto insurance company polled 5524 licensed drivers from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. I already reported on some of the major findings in an earlier blog. Some additional findings from the auto insurance company survey that you might find interesting: Auto Insurance Company Finds American Drivers Lacking Knowledge According to the survey results released by the auto insurance company, an “alarming” number of American drivers lack knowledge about driving laws. The drivers were tested on questions from standard DMV driving tests. Results include:
Learn more about the best ways to save money before you get auto insurance quotes online. Increasing deductibles, claiming car insurance discounts and comparing auto insurance quotes online before you buy insurance can help save you money on insurance this year. Posted by Lisa Nichols This week the GMAC car insurance company released survey results from the 2008 GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. The results tell a disturbing tale about licensed drivers in the U.S. The car insurance company polled more than 5500 licensed drivers from 50 states and the District of Columbia. The questions on the survey came from state DMV exams. Car Insurance Company Finds Unsafe Drivers in America The results from the GMAC car insurance company 2008 National Drivers Test found that 16.4% of American drivers wouldn’t pass a written driver’s exam if they took the test today. Kansas drivers passed the test with flying colors, with an average score of 84%. New Jersey drivers included in the car insurance company’s survey fared poorly, with an average test score of 69.9%. Learn more about the best ways to save money before you get car insurance quotes online. Auto insurance discounts, increasing deductibles and comparing car insurance quotes online before you buy can all result in a significant savings. Posted by Lisa Nichols If you’re thinking about buying a condo, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. Ask all of the questions you can before you make an offer. That way, you know exactly what you’re getting into before you buy the condo: Get HOA Fees, Rules and Insurance Details Before You Buy a Condo Find out exactly what the HOA (homeowner’s association) fees are before you buy a condo. These vary widely depending upon a number of factors, so you need to know the exact figure before you buy. If someone is telling you that they don’t know how much the HOA fees will be, tread carefully- or just walk away. When you’re buying a condo and you’re a pet owner, make sure that you fully understand condo rules relating to pets. Many condos have rules about the number of pets that you can own, and additional rules relating to pets in common areas around the grounds of the condo. Find out how much homeowners insurance will be before you buy a condo. In addition, find out what kind of insurance the HOA has for the condos. Condo insurance provided by the homeowner’s association will not cover your personal belongings. But the insurance should cover a couple of things related to living in a shared space that won’t be covered by your insurance. Get information on insurance for landlords and insuring vacation timeshare units online. Posted by Lisa Nichols Florida residents can once again begin buying car insurance from Allstate Corporation in Florida, say news reports. The company had been suspended from selling car insurance since the beginning of the year for non-compliance. Allstate had been shut down for not complying with multiple requests from regulators to share information about how the Florida insurance company calculates homeowners’ insurance rates. The Florida Insurance Commissioner removed the Allstate ban when the insurance company began complying with requests to provide information to the state department of insurance. The company also included documents that confirmed that everything requested was included. I did some freelance work writing optimized website pages a while ago for a company that specializes in forensic accounting consulting services. I’d never heard of forensic accounting, but the concept makes sense and could apply to any company under investigation, including insurance carriers. Investigating insurance carriers falls upon regulatory agencies, and knowing what to look for is really part and parcel of the regulators’ jobs. Forensic investigations might bring to mind shows like CSI or Patricia Cornwell’s books, but it really just means following the paper trail to make the court discovery process or any investigation more relevant. I’ve written a number of articles here about interesting insurance career paths and hot insurance jobs but I think that now I’m going to have to find out who attorneys work with when they need to get forensic insurance information, too. Posted by Lisa Nichols In a new poll, many Americans claim that they or someone in their household got married in order to get healthcare coverage. The poll, released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 7% of people surveyed said they or someone in their home decided to tie the knot to get health insurance. Paying for Health Insurance a Struggle for Many Paying for health insurance is a major struggle for many individuals and families right now. So the idea of getting married to save money on healthcare is really not so farfetched. According to Business Week, health insurance premiums have gone through the roof in the last eight years (Mozes, Alan. “Health Insurance Premiums Skyrocket” Business Week, April 2008.) Business Week reports that paying for health insurance through an employer-sponsored healthcare plan jumped by 30% from 2001-2005, while salaries increased by only 3%. Buying Healthcare Coverage a Challenge Going back to the Kaiser Family Foundation poll, the results found that buying healthcare coverage is becoming an even bigger concern in America. Of people surveyed, three in 10 said that they or their families struggle to pay for health insurance. 37% surveyed said that they report having some sort of financial trouble related to paying for medical bills, including medical bills going to collections, trouble with paying other bills and bankruptcy. Posted by Lisa Nichols Travelers insurance company is increasing the amount of hull insurance it provides to commercial airplane companies to $50 million, according to reports. Travelers used to cap aviation insurance at $20 million for physical damage to airplane hulls. The insurance company is doing an all-around expansion of its aviation business, so updates were definitely in order. Larger Airplanes Eligible for Coverage under New Aviation Insurance Policy According to the company website, the changes to the aviation insurance policy will allow Travelers to insure larger airplanes, including aircraft that offers international service. Planes eligible for coverage under the new policy include the Bombardier Global Express, the Falcon 7X and the Gulfstream 450/500/550. In addition to the increase in hull coverage, Travelers also offers up to $300 million in aircraft liability insurance. Travelers Expands Additional Airplane Insurance Coverages Travelers insurance company has been expanding airplane insurance coverages for some time now. The company started offering worker’s compensation insurance for airlines in March of 2008. The worker’s compensation insurance policy covers pilots, ground crew and various members of airline administration. In December of 2007, Travelers introduced a flexible airplane insurance policy for airline fleets, providing coverage for pleasure and business use. And in May of 2007, Travelers also rolled out an insurance policy designed to meet the needs of its corporate airplane customers. Posted by Lisa Nichols This week, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled against a homeowner impacted by Katrina and in favor of a homeowners insurance company that writes in Louisiana. Joseph Scher, who had won his case in two lower courts, finally lost his battle against Lafayette Insurance Company. Scher had claimed that the homeowners’ insurance company was responsible for flood damage repairs to his New Orleans home. Flood Damage Repairs Not Covered by Homeowners Insurance Policy Scher didn’t have flood insurance to pay for damages and repairs to his home. Flood insurance doesn’t come with the homeowner’s insurance policy and has to be purchased separately. But the homeowner claimed that the flood damages in need of repair were caused by construction workers working on the New Orleans levee and not by Katrina. Scher claimed that since the flood wasn't caused by a natural disaster, the insurance company should pay. The court disagreed, stating that the definition of flood doesn’t change depending upon the cause and that the insurance company wasn’t responsible for the loss. Ouch. Prepare for Natural Disasters with Emergency Kits and Safety Plans Prepare for natural disasters this year by creating an emergency kit. And get safety plans for tornados and hurricanes to keep your home safe this year:
Posted by Lisa Nichols San Francisco, California restaurants are charging customers for something new: a surcharge that helps the restaurants pay for employees’ healthcare. According to the Contra Costa Times, one California restaurant menu reads "A 3.5 percent service charge will be added to all checks for the San Francisco affordable healthcare legislation." San Francisco Universal Healthcare Provisions Hit Small Businesses Hard The surcharges started being added to the menu after a new law went into effect in January that requires all businesses with more than 20 employees to spend a minimum amount on health insurance. It’s the first time that such a large city has started a universal healthcare plan, and it has made some business owners irate. Restaurants especially have small margins for profit, so the extra expense has proved costly since it started in January. San Francisco Restaurants Try to Pay for Universal Healthcare Other restaurants charge similar surcharges to patrons or charge diners a flat fee in addition to their meals. Some citizens worry that the increased prices will put a dent in tourism. The Contra Costa article claims other restaurants with fewer employees are refusing to expand, to avoid paying for healthcare. The rest of California- and the U.S.- continue to watch San Francisco’s progress providing universal healthcare to all citizens. Meanwhile, the city restaurants’ trade group has filed suit to stop the program. Learn more about insurance for restaurants. Posted by Lisa Nichols There are a number of tips you can use to make money and save money when you own or manage a hotel. Reviewing your insurance coverage, raising rates, finding new ways to make money and assessing your property taxes can all save your hotel, motel, spa or resort money in the long run. Review Insurance for Hotels and Motels to Save Money A new article, Insurance for Hotels and Motels, walks you through some of the must-haves for insurance when you manage or own a hotel. Insurance for hotels, motels, resorts, ranches and spas is easy to understand and navigate with some helpful tips. The article includes information about hotel insurance discounts and coverages to help you find the right policy for your resort, at the best price. Hotel Management Money Making and Money Saving Tips HotelInteractive.com has several tips that hotel managers and owners can use to save money or make more money from their business. Tips include increasing rates during the peak season- even by small amounts- to help off-set costs and reduce motel debts. Another tip hotel and resort managers can use to save money includes reviewing property taxes to ensure the business is assessed properly. Find New Ways for Your Hotel to Make Money Generating new ways to make money can also add to your hotel’s bottom line. My folks travel often and they find the best deal on parking at an airport hotel. Offering guests an opportunity to park in your motel’s secure parking lot and take advantage of the shuttle to the airport for a small fee is a way to make money that can quickly add to your hotel’s profits. Posted by Lisa Nichols Yup, you read the headline correctly: not only is it bass fishing season, it’s also time to sign up for a very competitive, very fun fantasy league- that follows bass fishing. Fantasy Bass Fishing League Basics The fantasy bass fishing league, sponsored by Bassmaster.com, offers bass fishing fans a way to check their knowledge of bass fishing pros and the places where they fish against other bass fishing enthusiasts. Prizes include, you guessed it, a fishing trip for two to Mexico’s Lake El Salto. By joining the fantasy bass fishing league, you’ll receive insider tips and scouting reports from expert anglers. Fantasy Bass Fishing League Eligibility and Fees To be eligible to win, you have to register on the website before August 10, 2008. If I understand the rules correctly, you can register for the fantasy bass fishing league for free, but have to pay Bass Insider membership fees to be eligible to win the trip to Mexico. A one-year membership costs $59.95 and includes a 30 day free trial. Get information about bass boat insurance to keep your boat and your gear protected in and out of water this season. And, learn more about the fantasy bass fishing league online. The website explains that choosing people for your league is “part art, part science.” And let us know how you do. Posted by Lisa Nichols Surprise, surprise, the Honda Accord has been named the best certified pre-owned car by Forbes. Pre-owned cars are used cars that have been examined by the manufacturer and been deemed worthy of a new warranty. In other words, they aren’t lemons: they’re the cream of the crop, and they will cost you more than the average used car. Buying Used Cars vs. Buying Certified Pre-Owned Cars Buying used cars instead of new has long been considered the best choice for many. It’s a great way to save money and to get more car for the money you have available to spend. A certified pre-owned vehicle lets car dealerships and manufacturers get in on the used car market. In the past, buying a used car at a dealership didn’t seem like much of a deal; they seemed a lot more expensive than cars for sale by individuals. Adding a “pre-owned certification” gives buyers who are nervous about buying a used car some assurances that the car is still considered valuable by the manufacturer. Before You Buy a Used Car Before buying a used car, it’s a good idea to get a vehicle history report. And, you can check on prices for auto insurance for any vehicle make and model with your insurance agent before you buy. Your insurance agent can also help you save money with new auto insurance discounts. Posted by Lisa Nichols I love taking weekend road trips. In fact, I always do all of the driving. Some weekend road trips I want to take in the near future offer fun for the whole family. Weekend Road Trips to Take with Family Go Camping in the mountains in North Carolina. There's an exit sign in the middle of nowhere way up high that advertises camping. I'd like to see what it looks like. Try Pheasant hunting in South Dakota. My friend's dad takes this road trip every year. I don't want to kill any pheasants. I just want to see the route and maybe see a couple of the birds. If the timing was right I would hit Sturgis too. I have been to the area many times but never during the biker rally. One of my other brothers is working on visiting all of the ballparks. I like that idea, too. Taking road trips to watch the many talented farm teams in towns like Omaha would also be great family fun. Visit Darwin, Minnesota to see the world's largest ball of twine. Silly, but I got this in my head a while ago and now I want to go. Just to say I did. Compare Auto Insurance before You Take Family Weekend Road Trips Before you travel, compare auto insurance to make sure you have the coverages you need at competitive rates. Learn more about auto insurance, classic car insurance and RV insurance before you travel. Then, go online and compare rates to see if you can save some money with a new policy- the resulting savings just might pay for at least one of your family’s road trips this year. Posted by Lisa Nichols Some of the best road trips to take offer spooky fun and wild midnight tours. Some ideas to consider for your family’s road trip this year: The Best Road Trips Offer Your Family a Spooky Good Time Visit Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween. My brother did this road trip one year and it sounds amazing. Wind your way through the town's stocks and gallows and then do the "Witch’s tour," where you’ll see crazy things like a door gouged with nail scratches. From a "witch" that was trapped beneath the door. Psychics and Tarot card readers and the rest of those folk also arrive en masse in Salem, Massachusetts on Halloween. Take a driving trip down south to visit beautiful Savannah, Georgia. I was less than an hour away from here recently and on many other occasions, but I never seem to make it off of Hilton Head Island to go to Georgia. My friends visited Savannah, Georgia on their honeymoon and did the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil tour that actually starts, appropriately enough, at midnight. It goes through the Mercer house from the book and into the old Bonaventure cemetery, too. Update and Compare Car Insurance before You Take Road Trips Before you go on a road trip, you need to make sure that your car insurance is in order. Whether you’ll be kings of the road in an RV, plan to take an economical approach with a compact car or you want to toodle around in an antique auto, you need to make sure that you’re protected on your road trip. Learn more about updating and comparing RV insurance, auto insurance coverages or your classic car insurance before you take your driving trip this year. Posted by Lisa Nichols Workplace wellness can help reduce employee obesity problems. Companies that implement health management programs get their money back and then some. According to the Wellness Councils of America, companies can get a return of $24 on every dollar spent on a workplace wellness program. And a new study about American employees’ obesity problems indicates the timing couldn’t be better to begin a health management program at your company. New Study Points to Workplace Wellness Benefits Companies can benefit from a workplace wellness program. According to a new report, 65% of American employees are overweight or obese. Kronos Optimal Health Company analyzed the results of almost 10,000 American employee health screenings and found that 65% of women and 77% of men who are 40 or older are obese or overweight. Encourage employees to spend their lunch hours and breaks getting fit as part of your workplace wellness program. Offering low-fat vending machine snacks and cafeteria meals and providing health management programs to help employees get healthy can benefit companies in a number of ways. In addition to saving money on healthcare costs when employees are in good physical shape, a workplace wellness program may also result in reduced absenteeism- to the tune of 30% annually, according to a 2005 survey by The Art of Health Promotion. Get tips for starting a low cost or free workplace wellness program at your company now. Posted by Lisa Nichols Share your ideas for insurance articles and the insurance blog. I started writing about insurance for Suite101, the interactive online magazine, in June 2006. Since that time, I’ve written dozens of insurance articles. To date, some of the topics covered in the insurance section of the online magazine have included: Save Money on Insurance: Insurance articles include getting medical debt help, homeowner’s insurance discounts and saving money on auto insurance. Before You Buy Insurance Guides: RV insurance, mobile home insurance and finding unemployed medical coverage. Insurance articles about SEO tools for companies and agencies provide tips for starting a business blog, online reputation management and business website development. Jobs in Insurance: Posts on the insurance blog include information about RN case management jobs, product development careers and underwriter jobs. Insurance company and agency marketing and PR tips and tricks include: creating customer loyalty, using competitive intelligence and identifying marketing goals and objectives. Business insurance articles focus on free workplace wellness ideas, group health plans and internet liability insurance. So tell me, what would you like to see on the insurance blog? What insurance articles would you like to read? I’m open to suggestions and always love reading your ideas. Frequently, emails from readers of this online magazine turn into insurance articles and fodder for the insurance blog. If you have questions about your insurance coverages, please contact your insurance company or insurance agent for more details. Posted by Lisa Nichols Kroger is one of the newest grocery store chains to allow customers to compare insurance rates with information provided at the check-out stand. The nation’s largest chain of traditional supermarkets started offering low cost insurance quotes and personal financial products in the last quarter of 2007. Comparing insurance rates at the grocery store has been picked up by a number of retailers, including Wal-Mart. Strategic Partnerships Put Low Cost Insurance Quotes in Front of Customers Strategic partnerships have been at the crux of insurance companies’ efforts to remain profitable in recent years. With incredible amounts of competition in the form of websites that let customers compare insurance rates, insurance companies had to look for other avenues to get in front of customers. Partnering with well-known, trusted entities like supermarkets has become the savior of insurance companies. The companies need to make sure that they’re still seen as a viable way for customers to get low cost insurance quotes. Compare Insurance Rates from Trusted Companies Customers want to compare insurance rates from companies they trust before they buy. When an insurance company looks to broker a strategic alliance, they look for partnerships that will benefit them by association. Big-name insurance providers like Amica look for specialty insurance providers that will give them the expertise for specialty claims that they don’t have. Smaller, less well-known insurance companies benefit from an association with a national supermarket chain by association. It’s a brand that rubs off on another brand, and it’s at the heart of the strategic alliance partnership. Learn more about getting low cost insurance quotes on auto insurance, homeowners insurance and health insurance. Posted by Lisa Nichols Save money on car insurance, learn about discounts for homeowners insurance and get medical debt help. High premiums for insurance make it unaffordable for many people. Learning how you can save money on insurance can help take away the sting of high-cost premiums.
Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols The need for specialty coverages like high net worth insurance and luxury vacations trip insurance continue to increase. A new book highlights a new breed of customers with all-new needs for specialty insurance coverages. Middle Class Millionaires Aren’t Afraid to Spend Money With the release of the new book The Middle Class Millionaire, authors Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff explore the new concept of the suburban millionaire. The book defines these people as having a net worth of less than $10 million. Over 8 million people in the U.S. fall into the middle class millionaire group. One characteristic that defines the group is their frequent spending for items that are important to them. From electronic gadgets to technological wizardry, these everyday millionaires aren’t afraid to shell out for items that they consider essentials. High Net Worth Insurance Protects Middle Class Millionaires High net worth insurance provides millionaires with peace of mind. The insurance industry, often accused of being slow to catch on to new trends, haven’t been slouches when it comes to addressing the needs of middle class millionaires. High net worth insurance provides coverage for millionaires’ unique needs, including excess liability, high value homes and expensive collections. Luxury vacations trip insurance can help recoup expenses when a costly trip is delayed or cancelled. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols You can reduce your company’s online risks by monitoring employees’ email. Risks that occur through email including downloading harmful viruses and malware, releasing proprietary information and making statements that leave the company liable. Does Your Employees’ Email Put Your Company at Risk? Lawsuits or security breakdowns could occur from your employees’ email activities. According to a recent survey done by Harris Interactive, almost 70% of American employees who use email have sent or received emails that could put their company at risk. The employees admitted that they had sent or received passwords and login details, videos, jokes and a number of other items through email that could put their employers at risk. Implementing Employee Email Monitoring Protects Companies Monitoring employee emails can help reduce the risk of online liability or security breaches. Despite the number of employees who regularly engage in email activity that could place a company at risk, very few U.S. employees polled felt that they had done anything wrong. 92% of employees in the email survey stated that they had never sent or received email that could pose a threat to their employer. That’s a big company security disconnect. Monitoring employee emails can help mitigate company risks. It’s critical that email monitoring practices are clearly stated in company email policies. The policies, which outline appropriate email usage and include information about email monitoring practices, should be distributed to all new and current employees anytime they are updated. Traditional business liability doesn’t protect your company from online threats. Learn more about internet liability insurance for your company. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols Google Webmaster tools continue to expand, much to the delight of small business owners and marketing managers. With a Web hosting company and some website marketing, you can easily build a website that brings in new insurance agency and company prospects. Web site search engine optimization efforts improve when you work to improve the look and feel of your small business website. Google Gadgets Make Websites Sticky The latest Google Webmaster tools include Google Gadgets. Google Gadgets are widgets you can place on your small business website to make it more sticky. The widgets include local gas prices, local weather, a calendar, horoscopes and more. You want to strike a balance between website stickiness (where visitors stay on the website for longer periods of time) and messiness, where the website is too junky and turns visitors away. Experiment with Free Tools to Market Your Small Business Website Web hosting companies offer a number of tools, tips and tricks to help you with small business website marketing. When you build your website, think of it as an ever-changing living being, and not as static pages full of information. You want people to know that they’ve found your insurance agency or company, but you also want them to know that the information they have found is current. Use the free tools from Google and your Web hosting company to market your small business website effectively, so you can improve search engine optimization results. Learn more about available Google Tools, creating a small business website for your insurance company or agency and creative ways to use search engine optimization tools. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols A weekly round-up of health insurance in the news: Kids Get to Keep Parents Health Insurance The Wall Street Journal reports that Florida’s governor promises to back legislation that will allow kids to stay on their parents’ insurance policies until they are 30. 17 states have passed laws that allow kids stay on their parents’ insurance policies until they are in 20’s in the last two years. More than 13 million people between 19 and 29 don’t have health insurance. Americans Hide DNA Test Results to Get Best Prices on Health Insurance A growing number of people aren’t getting DNA tests that could tell them a lot about their predispositions towards certain medical conditions because they’re worried they won’t be able to get affordable healthcare coverage, says the New York Times. In other cases, people get the DNA tests but pay for the expensive exams on their own, so they won’t be reported to their healthcare insurance companies. Health Net Sued for Allegedly Denying Too Many Claims Health Net is being sued for allegedly promising to provide coverage for medical expenses but then cancelling insurance policies of insureds who needed expensive medical treatment. The lawsuit claims the company had goals and bonus payments for employees who saved Health Net the most money through denying claims. Fat Tax Levied on Obese Insureds in the UK Insurance companies in the UK are levying a “fat tax” on overweight insureds. Insurance premiums for customers who are “seriously overweight” could be 50% higher than their skinnier counterparts, according to reports. The increased cost for health insurance will apply to people with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols A weekly round-up of homeowners insurance in the news: State Farm Stops Writing Homeowners Insurance in Florida State Farm Florida Insurance Company will stop writing new homeowners insurance policies in Florida. Most Florida homeowners with State Farm Insurance (more than 1 million) will not be affected by the change, according to reports. However, about 50,000 coastal homeowners in Florida will be dropped by State Farm. According to Florida’s state Office of Insurance Regulation, the homeowners’ insurance company decided to pull out because of the risk of hurricane in the state. Mortgage Insurance Payments May Be Tax Deductible Homeowners with mortgage insurance may enjoy a tax deduction this year, according to reports. Low-income and moderate income homeowners who purchased mortgage insurance, in lieu of making a 20% down payment on a new home purchase, are eligible for the tax deduction. Homeowners with mortgage insurance, who pay on average up to $100 a month for the coverage, will be eligible to save about $300 on their federal taxes for 2007. Allstate Reaches Agreement with Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Allstate has reached an agreement with the Louisiana Insurance Commissioner. The homeowners’ insurance company will pay fines and expenses related to cancelling almost 5,000 homeowners’ insurance policies in the wake of Katrina. Allstate will also reinstate homeowners insurance policies cancelled after the hurricane. In many cases, the homeowners’ insurance company will be forced to offer the Louisiana insureds wind and hail coverage. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols A weekly round-up of auto insurance in the news: Michigan Auto Insurance Companies Can’t Deny Coverage The Office of Financial and Insurance Services (OFIS) in Michigan has decreed that auto insurance companies cannot deny coverage to insureds who don’t get their vehicles inspected immediately following an accident. According to the release from OFIS, millions of Michigan residents with auto insurance will benefit from the change, meant to protect people who have been hospitalized or otherwise detained from immediately reporting an accident to their auto insurance company. Farmers Offers Auto Insurance Discounts to Customers with ESC Farmers Group, Inc. has reported that it will begin offering an auto insurance policy discount to customers who own vehicles with electronic stability control (ESC). Beginning this month, new and future policyholders who have ESC will receive a 5% auto insurance discount. ESC take anti-lock brakes a step (or stop) further, with additional sensors to keep cars and trucks under control. Insurance May Be Denied in UK if Proper Safety Precautions Ignored Following a bump in recent car thefts where the keys were left in the ignition, police in Arran are telling auto insurance customers that they may not have coverage if they leave their keys in the car or leave their vehicles unlocked. A local Sergeant explained that very few locked vehicles are stolen, and vehicles should be equipped with the basic equipment- locks- to prevent auto theft. Submit news, tips and story ideas to the insurance blog. Posted by Lisa Nichols A weekly round-up of the insurance industry in the news: Property and Casualty Industry Continues to Decline Although Property and Casualty insurance companies reported profits through 2007, insurance companies expect profits to decline this year. Reports indicate that while price wars have continued to offer ways for people to save money on insurance they have also decreased the money going into insurance company coffers. Insurance companies’ positions are further weakened by the economic downturn. Aetna, Cigna, Liberty Mutual, Travelers and Bupa Plan to Expand in India Aetna, Cigna, Travelers and UK-based insurance company Bupa all have plans to expand in India, say reports. Aetna, Cigna and Bupa are rumored to be planning new health insurance companies as part of joint ventures with Indian companies. Liberty Mutual and Travelers are also exploring Property and Casualty partnerships in India, with Travelers rumored to announce a partnership with Indian-based L&T this year. USAA Insurance Once Again Tops BusinessWeek’s Customer Service “Champs” U |
