Monday, December 29, 2014

The Advantages of Having Quality Family Insurance


Having family life insurance is one of the responsibilities to observe especially when you are starting a family. This is a protection that ensures each member of the family.There are different insurance types with different coverage and policies such as medical necessities and expenses and even funeral costs. One of the must-dos its to examine the family insurance quote offered by several insurance companies to gain quality seattle family insurance.

When your family has insurance, this will prepare you for any sort of mishap that would or might happen in the days to come. This helps you and your family to manage better when there are unexpected events that will need expenses such as medical ones or even in the event of an untimely death or even ensuring the future for your kids. You will need to pay for securing the family that you have and the insurer you’ve chosen will take the responsibility of accepting the premium. You can check the websites of insurance companies to widen your options on finding the best insurance coverage for your family. You will also get to make comparisons with varying insurance plans as well as choosing a preferred premium. Be smart, gain quotes from different insurance agencies to have the best deals in the family life insurance. But how do you get the best quote for your family? Aside from researching, be it from various insurance companies’ websites, you can also contact with insurance brokers.one sign of a good insurance company is when they utilize simple and comprehensive terminology for explaining policies and regulations about family life insurance. You should be totally aware about the coverage of insurance as well as the benefits that you’re getting when you plan on signing that particular insurance contract. 

It is a good step to get yourself an insurance broker or agent to assist you in achieving a good quote for your family insurance. Your insurance broker will also shed light on all details regarding insurance basics such as terms and conditions, policies and benefits. Therefore it is important to find an insurance broker that is willing to set time according to your schedule since constant communication is vital here. They make all the process and paperwork related to family insurance less tedious and less complicated because they will help you with a lot of things like filling out forms, having your whole family undergo medical examinations and etc. But first, find a good quality seattle family insurance.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Getting Yourself a Life Insurance Quote


Good comprehension should be there when you’re planning to have a life insurance. This includes knowing well on the coverage and policies that this insurance pertains and what it does for you, your family and your business depending on the type of insurance that you’re choosing. When you’re in Seattle, it is important to take an eye for top seattle insurance quotes.

Now you might be wondering as to what might be the essence of having to examine insurance quotes. Insurance quotes are actually your basis as to how much insurance you can afford for. These things will be considered: the type of insurance, what benefits are you needing, the amount of insurance and whether it is going to be term life or whole life. These are important considerations to help you achieve the best insurance quote that is there. One of the first things that you should do is to get a trustworthy insurance agent especially when you are not that knowledgeable or not that of an expert in this field. Insurance agents will first assess your current situation might as well your financial situation. Insurance agents will also provide you the best options available along with assistance and advices for a great insurance coverage. When you already are aware of the insurance type you need, then you can get a great life insurance quote. There are many things to consider before searching a life insurance quote. These are being aware of your own income, knowing your net worth, setting your financial goals, gauging your financial abilities , checking your health status and medical conditions, number of children sent for schooling, and etc. These are one of the things to be asked about when getting yourself a life insurance quote. 

Along with looking for the best type of insurance coverage, you could know more about how this insurance works with your current financial status. These are important things to get yourself top seattle insurance quotes. This is important to gauge and comprehend it such insurance with these policies and benefits would work for you, check if these would adequately protect your family when you are no longer there or it covers some risks and etc. It is also important to get yourself up to date with latest insurance quotes especially when certain major life changes happen in your life such as marriage, moving up and etc.

Friday, December 12, 2014

What is Washington Healthplanfinder, and why do I need it? – By Heidi McAtee, AINS

Washington Healthplanfinder is a new way to find health insurance.  It’s a customer-friendly, online marketplace where individuals and families can find, compare and enroll in a health plan that fits their needs and budget.  It provides:

·       Side-by-side comparisons of brand new health plans
·       Financial help to pay for copays and monthly premiums
·       A link to expert customer support online, by phone, or in person through local organizations or insurance brokers.

As you may have heard now is the time to start thinking about your 2015 Insurance plans.  Open enrollment started November 15th for plans starting January 1st through March 1st 2015.  Any enrollment after these dates will need to be preceded by a qualifying event.  What justifies a qualifying event?

·       Getting married
·       Giving birth, adopting or placement of a child
·       Permanently moving to a new area that offers different health plan options
·       Losing other health coverage (for example, due to a job loss, divorce, loss of eligibility for Medicaid or CHIP, expiration of COBRA coverage or a health plan being decertified)
·       Becoming a US Citizen
·       Getting out of jail

While the Healthplanfinder website is a great tool for comparing coverage, it isn’t your only option.  If you do not qualify for a tax credit (, you do not need to purchase your plan through the website, in fact we’d almost discourage it.  The website has its benefits of comparing coverages, paying your bill online, and easily shopping from year to year.  However, so does dealing with a broker outside of the exchange.  Most companies have an online system that allows you to review your coverage, see where you are with regards to reaching your deductible, make payments and request explanation of benefits letters.  Dealing direct with a broker will also help you keep track from year to year what plan you are on, what options you have going forward. 

In addition to the purchase of health care being a law, it is important to know that you could be fined for not buying a qualified plan.  Starting in 2014, if individuals do not have health insurance, they will have to pay a fine of $95 or 1 percent of their annual income, whichever is greater.  The fine for individuals will gradually increase to $695 or 2.5 percent of the individuals income, whichever is greater, by 2016.  For families the penalty will be $285 or 1 percent of their household income, whichever is greater, in 2014 with the penalty increasing gradually to $2085 or 2.5 percent of their household income, whichever is greater, in 2016.


For more answers to your questions regarding your health insurance options, please call us a 425-740-5200 or visit http://wahbexchange.org/ it is a great resource for coverage basics, how to enroll, where to enroll, and who to talk with about your potential tax credit options.

Monday, December 1, 2014

A B C’s of Ordinance or Law Coverage – By Kevin Degginger


Imagine a covered cause of loss leads to major damage to your building. Since more than 50% was damaged, local law requires the whole building to be torn down and rebuilt to current building codes. You have building coverage with replacement cost valuation on your policy, so you’re covered…..Right? Unfortunately the real answer is, It Depends. Property policies typically have an Ordinance or Law exclusion meaning, coverage does not pick up the cost associated with upgrading a building to meet current codes and ordinances after a loss. Thus, merely having replacement cost coverage for a building doesn’t mean you have “upgrade cost.” This gap is made up by adding an “Ordinance or Law Endorsement”. Ordinance or Law coverage is broken into three segment limits. Coverage A – typically matching the building coverage limit- this coverage covers the loss of value of the undamaged portion of the building that must be torn down due to the building code being enforced following a loss. Coverage B – is your demolition cost- paying for the cost to actually demolish and remove the remaining portion of the building left standing after a covered cause of loss. Finally, Coverage C – increased cost of construction – covers the additional cost to upgrade building to meet any changes in code since the original building was constructed. Lastly, make sure your policy includes debris removal. Without it, you will be expected to pay the expenses associated with removing the demo’d property prior to rebuilding.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Time Element Coverage – Often Overlooked

seattle insurance services
When a business owner looks into purchasing property insurance, they often times do so with the intention of insuring the value of their building, stock, personal property or equipment. After all, that is what is asked of them when attempting to satisfy the requirements of the banks and lending institutions that are loaning out the funds to purchase such property. What seems to go repeatedly unnoticed, however, is the indirect loss that can result from the destruction of critical property, such as loss of profit. 
For example, a business who manufacturers and produces noncritical airplane parts buys a new facility in Everett, WA that will allow them to accept new orders, maximize production, and ultimately increase revenue. The bank requires them to hold property insurance on the value of the building to insure they will be covered in case of loss. With that, the business owners take out a policy that includes building coverage and some coverage for the equipment that is being used in the manufacturing process. A couple months later, the building catches fire and burns to the ground. Although there would be coverage for the value of the building, there would be nothing in place to keep the business in operation, keep key employees, provide protection for reduced sales, and help restore the insured to their original position. This is where business income coverage comes in to play.

The purpose of time element coverage (business income) is to protect a company’s financial statement and provide coverage for lost profits and those expenses that are continuing and necessary for operation. If the company referenced above had business income coverage in place, not only would their necessary bills continue to get paid, but the profit shown on the financial statement would be replicated and paid out by the insurance company. Admittedly, this coverage is more pertinent for businesses like the one described above as opposed to a contractor who makes their money out in the field, but it is important nonetheless to be aware of the indirect losses that can take place when a building or key piece of equipment is damaged beyond immediate repair.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Cyber Liability & Network Security – Protecting what 3rd Parties Don’t.

Cyber Liability and Network Security

Every decade the insurance and risk management industries come across new-found exposures and the need for enhanced coverage for commercial entities. In today’s marketplace, a set of newly minted exposures has outpaced the others and that is Cyber Liability and Network Security coverages.
With all the news in the media surrounding data breaches of major corporations across the world, the loss of customer data has been pushed to the forefront. Whether it is Target or most recently Home Depot, businesses large and small are feeling the effects of both domestic and foreign network hacking. In these larger instances, companies are staffing their IT departments and much of this information is kept in-house. In the case of most small to medium-sized businesses, they have outsourced this exposure and rely on 3rd parties. The problem is, and what many don’t realize, when you outsource IT and your database storage, you don’t necessarily relieve yourself of the liabilities that come along with attaining that information through your day-to-day operations.
Your organization is fully responsible for the safety and security surrounding this information. In turn, it must be taken into consideration when developing your overall insurance/risk management program. The exposure to loss will either be insured or retained. Whether you buy insurance for this or not, at least the decision is made in advance, based on your business exposures. Which seems much less problematic than the alternative; trying to decide after the fact, the best course of action for dealing with a data breach and the potential law suits that follow.


By K.L. “Mac” McIntosh III, CIC, CRM