"The greatest wealth is contentment with a little." - English Proverb

SavingAdvice.com Blog

Bridging the gap between saving money and investing

Insurance

Why You Need Life Insurance To Protect You And Your Family From Financial Strains

By Leave a Comment

Why you need life insurance

Life insurance is something that everyone needs, but only a few people actually have. It’s easy to ignore buying a policy when you’re relatively healthy and young. However, the longer you wait, the higher the chances are that something might happen to you before getting yourself covered. If purchasing life insurance has been on your to-do list for quite some time now, but haven’t had the chance to be checked of yet, then maybe it’s time to revisit your plans.

Why It’s So Important

As people grow older, marry the love of their lives, build families, and start new businesses, they begin to realize more and more how essential life insurance is, and that’s the time they reach out to insurance brokers. Life insurance is fundamental to sound financial planning. Life insurance can also be relatively cheap, depending on the policy type you choose. That, of course, only tells one thing – you’ve got no excuse why you shouldn’t get coverage now. If you think that this is the perfect time to purchase a policy for you and your family, then don’t hesitate to visit websites like SimpleLifeInsure.com to talk to reliable insurance brokers.

However, if you’re one of those who are still on the fence of whether buying a policy is a good idea or not, read on to learn more about why you need life insurance to protect you and your family from financial strains.

Pays Final Expenses

Believe it or not, funeral and burial costs can quickly run up to thousands of dollars. So, if you don’t want your parents, wife, or children to suffer from financial strain at your death, you need life insurance. The problem is that the suffering that your family will experience will not only be financially but also emotionally, and that’s going to be very difficult without a policy in place.

Replaces Your Lost Income

A life insurance policy will work to provide the much-needed financial security to your family when you pass away. If you were to die all of a sudden, what do you think will happen to your loved ones? Can they survive the struggle from financial and emotional strains? That’s doubtful, primarily if your family relies on your income solely. What you can do is to get yourself and your family members adequate coverage. That way, you won’t leave them, or they won’t leave you helpless when monthly bills start to come around.

Covers Educational Expenses Of Children

Like most parents out there, you’d want to be sure that your kids get well-taken care of in the future. You also want to afford them a high-quality college education. So, while your kids are still at home, think about additional coverage so you won’t have to sacrifice their welfare when financial strains come your way or when you pass away.

Pays Off Debts

When you die, your debts won’t disappear. What if you and your spouse co-signed a loan like a mortgage? When you’re gone, it will be your spouse who will need to shoulder the repayment responsibility entirely. Another thing that may result from the lack of insurance policy is that creditors will try to collect from your estate. What happens is that your heirs receive a depleted remainder of your money and property because of your debts. A life insurance policy allows your loved ones to take care of all lingering financial responsibilities that you’ve left behind.

Replaces Your Spouse’s Income

A life insurance policy doesn’t only work for you; it also applies when it’s your spouse who passes away first. For a long time, your whole family has depended on you and your spouse’s combined income. So, you would need to replace his/her salary for you to maintain the lifestyle that your children have grown up with. And if your kids are still very young, you would need to spend money again to hire someone to help you with domestic tasks like cooking, laundry, and cleaning the house – chores that you and your spouse have shared before. All of those things should be enough to convince you that life insurance is essential for your family.

Builds Cash Value

Two common types of life insurance are the term and whole policies. Term life insurance stays in place for a period of time that you’re going to set when buying a policy. While whole life insurance covers you permanently until you decide to cancel the policy, so when you buy a whole life insurance policy, you’ll have the chance to build up cash value over time. The cash value is an attractive prospect to many people simply because you can tap it at any time. The cash value serves as an extra cushion for any financial emergencies down the road.

Final Thoughts

Getting a life insurance policy means that you and your family can prepare for any eventuality. It will help you sleep a little easier every night knowing that there’s a protection in place for you and your loved ones when financial strains come in and should something undesirable happen to you.

For more great savingadvice articles, read these:

How Much Does Insurance Increase After An Accident?

What Does Your Home Insurance No Cover?

What Is Your Insurance Score and Why Does It Matter?

 

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Lemonade.com

By Leave a Comment

Lemonde.com reviews

Nearly everyone needs some kind of property insurance. If you rent your home or apartment, renter’s insurance can help you cover the cost for replacing items that are damaged or destroyed by a covered event, like an electrical fire. People who own their home need homeowner’s insurance. This goes a step further, covering both damaged items and structural repair costs. Finding good and affordable coverage can be a daunting task. However, Lemonade.com, a property insurer, aims to simplify the process while keeping your costs low.

What is Lemonade.com?

Lemonade.com is a property and casualty insurance company. It embraces technology to help keep the company’s overhead costs low, and it passes those savings onto the customers. Additionally, Lemonade believes in transparency.

All of their customers pay a simple flat fee for the service, which means Lemonade has no incentive for denying or delaying any claims. With traditional insurers, unpaid claims lead to bigger profits. Since Lemonade only takes in a flat fee to cover its costs, denying claims doesn’t create a financial benefit.

If there is any leftover money after covering all of the valid claims, Lemonade doesn’t keep it. Instead, through its Giveback program, the extra cash is donated to various charitable causes. Customers even get a say in where this money goes based on the virtual group they join.

Lemonade.com Coverage Options

In order to get a policy with Lemonade, you have to either use the company’s Android or iOS app, or head to its website. By issuing claims digitally, Lemonade can keep operational costs low, allowing policyholders to get more affordable coverage.

With Lemonade, you get two primary coverage choices. The company offers both renter’s and homeowner’s insurance, so you need to select the option that aligns with your living situation.

Renter’s insurance can cost as little as $5 a month while homeowner’s starts at $25 a month. Your exact premium will depend on a range of factors, including anything from the amount of stuff you own if you have any high-value items (jewelry, computers, etc.), your credit history, the size of your deductible, and your number of recent claims. For homeowner’s insurance, the property’s details also come into play.

Lemonade considers other risks as well. For example, if your area is susceptible to severe weather, that may lead to a higher premium. Additionally, if you have home security devices, your premium might be lower.

Once you create your policy, you can pay your premium with a credit or debit card. If at any point you no longer need the coverage, you can easily cancel the policy.

With any policy, you also get additional coverage when your items are outside of your home. For example, if your laptop is stolen while you are at a coffee shop, you are covered for that loss. Further, if your dog bites someone, you have might coverage for that too.

Filing Claims with Lemonade.com

While no one ever hopes to file a claim, it is nice to know that Lemonade’s process is incredibly easy. Use the smartphone app and tap the Claim button. Then, follow the simple process to submit your claim. It usually only takes a few minutes as long as you can provide sufficient information about the loss or damage.

During the process, you do need to submit a short video. In that clip, you describe what happened in your own words, making it easier for Lemonade to get a realistic picture of the situation.

If you have receipts to show the value of their items, you can submit those too. But, that isn’t a requirement; it can just help speed up your claim.

Once you submit those details, you give Lemonade bank account information for a wire transfer. Once approved, Lemonade sends the payment (minus your deductible) straight to your bank account.

In most cases, the approval process is almost instant. However, there may be situations where Lemonade needs to take a closer look, so it can take longer if a manual assessment is necessary.

Where Lemonade.com is Available

Lemonade.com doesn’t offer coverage in every state yet, though they are continuously expanding the company’s service area. As of June 2019, renter’s, condo, and homeowner’s insurance are available in:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • Maryland
  • Michigan
  • Nevada
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Ohio
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • Washington DC
  • Wisconsin

Rhode Island residents have access to renter’s and condo insurance, while Arkansas and New Mexico residents can sign up for renter’s insurance. However, Lemonade continues to expand, so other states and options could be forthcoming.

Is Lemonade Always Cheaper?

While Lemonade aims to offer the best price possible, that doesn’t mean they will be the cheapest in every scenario. The company’s policies do tend to cost less, but each insurer uses different pricing models, so not everyone will find a deal with Lemonade.

However, since getting a no-obligation quote is free, you can also go through the process and see if Lemonade is right for you. If so, then you can sign up and have coverage in just minutes. If not, you can keep looking elsewhere until you find the right insurer for your needs.

Do you use Lemonade.com? Are you interested in trying Lemonade the next time you need insurance? Tell us about your experience or share your thoughts in the comments below.

Read More:

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

Do You Need to Buy Separate Health Insurance for College Students?

By Leave a Comment

health insurance for college students
In many cases, health insurance is less than affordable, making it difficult for individuals to decide whether or not coverage is worth the cost. It isn’t something to be overlooked, especially for students. More than 20 million students are expected to return to college this fall and, without fail, colds and the flu will begin spreading. You don’t want yourself or your child to fall behind because they didn’t have the health care they needed while away at school but do you really need separate health insurance for college students?

Health Insurance Options for College Students

According to HealthCare.gov, each of the options below is available for college students.

  • Your parent’s insurance: Children are permitted to remain on their parent’s insurance until they are 26 years old.
  • Student health plans: Many colleges and universities offer a student health plan. In many cases, this is much cheaper than purchasing your own health insurance and gives you the basic coverage you need.
  • Individual health insurance: You can enroll in your own health insurance program that covers the essentials. Catastrophic health plans are available for individuals under 30. Catastrophic plans cover severe illness or injury and can be more affordable than full health insurance coverage.
  • Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program: If you apply for individual coverage, you may discover you are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. If you qualify for one of these government-funded programs, you can begin coverage immediately.

Each of the options above is available to all college students but it may be wise to compare the cost of each side-by-side. You may find that remaining on the family’s health plan may prove to be cheaper than a student health plan or individual coverage.

Do You Need Health Insurance?

You may be able to save the money you planned to spend on insurance altogether. You’ll need to take note of a few things before you decide to do so though.

This year, the health insurance mandate will subject individuals without insurance to a $695 tax penalty per adult and up to $2,085 per family. While the new tax law signed by President Trump removed the mandate, it is not in effect until 2019. So, anyone without health insurance in 2018 will still be required to pay these fees.

However, many students won’t be subjected to the fines at all because most won’t be making enough money to file income taxes ($10,000 a year or less). So, you probably don’t need health insurance for college students to avoid a fine but the decision to go uninsured should not be taken lightly.

Generally, it is a good idea to hold health insurance at all times. This helps ensure you will have the means to pay for a doctor visit, ER visit, or other medical procedure, whether money is tight or not.

Health Insurance Tips for College Students

If you do decide to purchase health insurance for yourself or your child, there are two things to keep in mind if they are traveling to school.

  1. Know where to go (within your network): Once you get settled in into your dorm, find out what local offices accept your insurance. It is a good idea to get the name and number of an eye doctor, dentist, and general practitioner in the area. Then, make a well visit with them and get your insurance on file.
  2. Pick a local pharmacy that accepts your insurance: Once you find a doctor that will accept your insurance plan, you’ll need to find a pharmacy that works with your coverage as well. Most of the time, your doctor’s office can point you in the right direction. You can also call the number on the back of your insurance card for more information.

If you’ve been considering buying a new health insurance plan for your college student (or yourself), consider all of your options and the cost of each. Then make an educated decision based on what is best for your health and finances.

Read More

Here’s What You Need to Know About Back-to-School Insurance

By Leave a Comment

back-to-school insurance
The end of summer is almost here, which means many students will be headed back to school. Depending on the age of your child, you’ll need to research what your back-to-school insurance needs may be, whether it is auto, health, or home coverage. Since the best time to review your insurance plans is before the school year begins, here’s what you need to know.

Car Insurance for Students

Kids in high school may be preparing to take drivers ed and get their licenses this year. If that’s the case for your child, you may want to begin researching car insurance rates or what it may cost to add them to your insurance plan. Some insurance companies will offer a significant discount for ensuring your teenager if you agree to put a lowjack in your car to monitor speed.

You may also want to inquire about student discounts for car insurance as well. There are some companies that offer a discount for students with a high grade-point average.

Students headed off to college may also see a change in premiums and coverage if they go more than 100 miles away from home and bring a car to campus. However, you also stand to save up to 30% if your child leaves the car at home.

Health Insurance

Elementary school-aged children are especially susceptible to colds and cases of flu. Schools are a breeding ground for germs. Because of this, it is important to make sure you have solid health insurance coverage so you’re able to take them to the doctor when needed.

Many colleges require students living on campus are required to have health insurance. Thankfully, your children can remain on your insurance policy until they are 26 years old. If that isn’t an option financially, they can apply for individual health insurance. Students also have the option of receiving care from on-campus health care services. Some universities offer free health care while your child is enrolled full-time.

Home Insurance

College students often bring expensive electronics along with them to school. This can often make their dorm room or apartment prone to burglary. Most home insurance policies will cover these items as long as your child is staying in the dorms but will not cover certain items. Students living off-campus will need to purchase renter’s insurance, or you may consider adding their renter’s insurance to your policy.

Most home insurance policies cover up to 10% of property owned by an insured that is at a residence other than the residence listed on the policy. A $100,000 policy will cover $10,000 of belongings in a dorm.

When students return to school each year it is a reminder for many people to review their current insurance coverage. Taking a good look at your insurance may help you discover gaps in coverage and prevent any losses in the future.

Readers, are you preparing to make any changes to your insurance coverage now that students are headed back to school? 

Read More

The High Cost of Some Prescription Drugs Can Be More Than Most Automobiles

By Leave a Comment

<img src=" The High Cost of Some Prescription Drugs Can Be More Than Most Automobiles.jpg" alt”pillbottlelayingsidewayswithpillsfallingout">

According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price for a new light vehicle is $35,411. Even the lowest priced new cars will usually run over $12,000. While that number may not be a surprise. Due to the high cost of some prescription drugs;  many consumers are caught off guard when it’s time to pick up their prescriptions.

To make matters worse, some health insurance plans don’t help with the cost.

The High Cost of  Some Prescription Drugs

Tier one medications, typically name-brand drugs that manufacturers push through marketing campaigns, are often more expensive. In 2016, $5.6 billion was spent on prescription drug advertising, trying to convince consumers to ask their doctors about specific medications. These ads usually don’t discuss the cost of the drugs and selecting the wrong one could hit your wallet hard.

To help you make smarter decisions about your prescription medications, here are 11 that cost more than a car, according to GoodRX.

1. Actimmune

Actimmune is for the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease, a rare condition that impacts the immune system, and severe, malignant osteopetrosis .

Most patients need 12 vials a month, and Actimmune costs $4,360 per vial. That brings the monthly total to $52,321. If you use it for a year at that rate, your annual cost is a stunning $627,852. With various discounts and rebates and patient compliance, the cost can be lowered an average of $24,000 per month or $288,000 per year.

2. Daraprim

Both those with AIDS and transplant patient may use Daraprim, as well as those battling with toxoplasmosis. Typically, people use the medication for a few months.

A single one-month supply, consisting of 60 tablets, costs $45,000, or around $750 a pill.

3. Cinryze

A treatment for the rare, life-threatening condition hereditary angioedema, which causes swelling in various body parts, Cinryze costs around $44,140 for a typical one-month supply. Over the course of a year, that comes out to $529,680.

4. Chenodal

While a generic of Chenodal could technically be created, since the patent has expired, the “closed distribution system” has prevented generic manufacturers from producing the medication.

A typical 90 pill monthly supply of the gallstone dissolving drug usually runs about $473 per tablet or $42,570 in total. However, some patients need 210 tablets a month, and that runs $99,330.

5. Myalept

A medication for treating leptin deficiencies in those with generalized lipodystrophy, Myalept costs approximately $4,213 per vial. If you use the standard 10 vials a month, that’s $42,137.

Myalept is also the only medication available for treating the condition, so those who suffer it have no other options for finding cost savings.

6. H.P. Acthar

Also called Acthar, H.P. Acthar is an approved treatment for multiple conditions including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Lupus, certain ophthalmic conditions, and more. One vial of the medication has a price tag of around $38,892.

7. Juxtapid

A 28 capsule supply runs about $36,992, or $1,321 per dose. The medication treats those with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that can lead to heart disease.

8. Firazyr

Another treatment for hereditary angioedema, though using a different approach, Firazyr costs around $32,468 a month, or over $10,822 per syringe.

9. Harvoni

Harvoni treats Hepatitis C, a condition with notoriously high treatment costs, is widely advertised on television. It is the first combination drug, which needs to be taken once per day, in the treatment category, and a 12-week course of the medication is common.

28 tablets of Harvoni cost $31,500, or $1,125 per tablet. Over 12 weeks that brings the total to $94,500.

10. Cuprimine

Cuprimine is proof that even older medications can cost a bundle. It was invented in the 1970s, but still costs over $261 per tablet today. In fact, the high price tag is so controversial, that it debates in Congress have occurred and an episode of Dirty Money, a Netflix show, covered the topic.

A treatment for Wilson’s disease, those taking the drug usually go through three tablets per day, one after every meal. That brings the monthly cost up to $31,426.

11. Sovaldi

Another Hepatitis C treatment that usually requires a 12-week course is Sovaldi. At $1,000 per tablet, a month’s supply is around $28,000. For a full course of treatment, that comes out to $84,000.

Would Your Insurance Cover Some of the Cost?

Whether an insurance company will cover some of the costs of any prescription varies dramatically. If your doctor recommends any of the medications above, it’s wise to contact your insurer to discuss your coverage.

Additionally, asking your physician for information about alternatives can also result in cost savings, depending on your condition or the availability of generics.

In some cases, lower cost options may not be available, or your insurance might not provide coverage. In those cases, you need to discuss your situation with your doctor. They may be aware of programs that can help offset some of the expense, though that isn’t a guarantee.

Often, when a physician prescribes a medication, there is sound reasoning behind it. While shouldering these high costs could be scary, if your health is at risk, you may need to follow your doctor’s advice.

 

Have you ever been startled by the high cost of some prescription drugs? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

 

Looking for more great articles? Here are a few to get you started:

 

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

What Determines Your Car Insurance Premiums Might Surprise You

By Leave a Comment

Car Insurance Premiums

Insurance companies keep the exact formula for calculating car insurance rates a highly guarded secret. However, there are known things that affect car insurance premiums. Some of them will surprise you.

Your Gender

Car insurance costs less for women because numerous statistics show they are much safer drivers.  The following statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety were found on the website for the Department of Motor Vehicles:

  • Men accounted for 71 percent of driving fatalities during 2012;
  • Men are more likely to drive while under the influence (38 percent of males killed in a car accidents during 2012 had blood alcohol levels higher than 0.08  — compared to 20 percent of women; and
  • Men are more likely to drive over the speed limit (23 percent of male drivers involved in fatal accidents were speeding at the time, in contrast to 14 percent of female drivers in those circumstances).

Your Age

Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 have higher premiums because they have a higher accident rate.

Drivers aged 16-17 are 3.5 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash, according to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Your Career

Some insurance companies factor occupation into their car insurance rate calculation, and it can make a $500 difference in your premiums.

Occupations that lead insurers to charge the most  tend to have the following attributes:

  • High stress levels
  • The person spends a lot of time in the vehicle
  • Heavy cell phone usage

By contrast, ocupations on the low end of the rate spectrum have the following characteristics:

  • Low stress levels
  • They’re responsible for the well-being of others
  • They use public transportation
  • They need to pay attention to details, which insurers believe carries over to their driving

These factors together account for scientists enjoying the lowest premiums — at an average annual cost of $870; at the other end of the spectrum, business executives have the highest rates, with an average annual cost of $1,375.

Your Education

Apparently better educated drivers represent less risk to insurers — and vice versa.

People who have not finished high school are 4.3 times more likely to be killed in a car accident than college graduates, according to data published in The Washington Post.

The more education you have attained, the lower your monthly premiums, and vice versa.

Your Marital Status

Marriage tends to make people drive more responsibly than single drivers.

Unmarried drivers were twice as likely to be injured in an accident as married drivers, according to a study published in a journal called Injury Prevention.

Because of the reduced risk of injury, being married can reduce your insurance rates.

Your Credit Score

Insurance companies use your credit score as an indication of whether you will pay your premium on time — and the impact on annual rates  can be significant.

Single drivers with good credit ratings each paid $68 to $526 more per year on average than those with the highest credit rating, according to Consumer Reports

Your Car’s Characteristics

Several things about your car impacts how much it costs to insure:

  • Age – generally new cars are more expensive to repair and therefore have higher premiums.
  • Safety features – Enhanced safety features can discount your insurance 5 to 30 percent.
  • Theft history – The recovery rate stolen cars can be as low as 19 percent in some states, so the cars that get stolen most frequently have higher premiums.

Your Claim History

Many people believe submitting an accident claim will increase your insurance rates, but that’s not always true.

Circumstances surrounding the accident in the claim dictate whether rates will be increased, and by how much:

  • Fault – If you are not at fault, your rate may not increase since your insurance company did not have to pay.
  • Severity – A claim for a minor scratch may not affect your rates, but a major at fault claim exceeding $2,000 could result in a premium increase of 41 percent.
  • Accident Forgiveness – Some policies include accident forgiveness, which can lock in your rate even if you get into an accident.

Your Traffic Tickets

Non-moving violations, such as a parking ticket, is unlikely to affect your insurance rates. However, moving violations such as speeding may depending upon your insurance company.  For example, a single speeding ticket in California results in an average annual insurance premium increase of $688. The more tickets issued, the more your rate may be affected.

Your Coverage and Deductible

The more coverage opt for, the higher your premiums are; similarly, having a high deductible can lower your premiums.

Increasing your coverage isn’t a matter of dollar amounts but types of policies. Most states require liability insurance as a bare minimum. If you choose to adding optional collision and comprehensive coverage that can increase. your premiums.

On the other hand, increasing your deductible lowers your premiums because you assume more risk, but how this calculates can be surprising. For example, increasing your liability insurance deductible from $50 to $1,000 could reduce your premiums by 56 percent.

Your State’s Laws

From here, insurance rate formulas can vary based on different state laws. Some states prohibit insurance companies from basing premiums on certain factors. For example, California, insurance companies cannot use occupation and education levels.

Your Insurer

Individual insurers can also have their own variations in the way they calculate premiums — reach out to your insurance company to find out exactly how it computes premiums.

You can also get more information on this topic from the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Readers, which of the factors affecting car insurance premiums surprise you surprise you the most?

Read More

Read more insurance related articles:

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.