Lets face it, paying for insurance sucks (except if you work for insurance company or one of their stakeholders).  Most of the time you are required to have it (like auto insurance).   If you don’t have it you are taking a gamble.   A car accident, house fire or just one night in the hospital could ruin your life financially.   The number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States is medical bills.   So what it comes down to it insurance premiums may feel like robbery, but going with out with insurance is plain STUPID.  Insurance really is a necessary evil.

So are fed up with insurance costs (although you need it).  Quick Simple Insurance has decided that the “squeaky wheel gets the grease”.   Complain about insurance on facebook,  get a quote (sheez)and tell a few friends about your gripe.    Takes only 5 mins to do and now you have a chance to win $1000 bucks on Halloween in our raffle!   We are also giving away HUGE RUNNER UP PRIZES.  So you also could win:

• 2nd Place – Brand new IPAD 2
• 3rd Place -  Brand new Playstation 3
• 4th Place -  Brand new Ipod Shuffle
• 5th Place – $50 in cash!

To enter this raffle all you need to do is the following.   Post your gripe about insurance on our facebook page, get an insurance quote from www.saveoninsurance.us and have two friends like your post.  Then comment about what kind of insurance quote you got and what state you live in (we need to verify that you got a quote).  That’s it!

So again here are the rules:

1.  Your post must have at least 2 likes

2.  You must get a insurance quote at www.saveoninsurance.us (any kind of insurance quote).    THIS IS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE.

After getting a quote please post what state you are located in and what kind of insurance quote you requested (car insurance, health insurance, etc)

There is NO OBLIGATION to buy insurance.  However you probably are paying too much for insurance anyway.  It would be a good idea to talk to the insurance agent.   You will get contacted my an insurance agent (not me).   If you save money, great!  If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you. There is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY when getting a insurance.

3.  This contest needs 500 LEGITIMATE QUOTES by October 31st, 2011 in order for this contest to be valid.  SO TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

4. If for any reason Facebook decides to delete the facebook contest page, the contest will be completely VOID and no prizes will be awarded.  This contest is legit, if you have questions friend and message me.  My facebook email address is seoprodigyfb@gmail.com

5.  No bullying or negative commentary on entrants posts.  Also please don’t criticize this contest on the wall.  If you have an issue, just email me directly.  I will respond to your concern.

6.  Entrants must qualify for insurance in the United States.  So if you are a foreigner residing in the US and still need insurance, you can enter the contest.  Comments and likes from friends outside the US are more than welcome.

7. Prize winners must submit mailing address information to claim winnings.

8.  We reserve the right to use your story posts for promotional purposes.  We respect your privacy and will not use any personal names in any promotions outside of this contest.

9. Must be 18 or older to participate

10. This contest is NOT A LOTTERY.  You do not spend money to enter (although you might actually save money with cheap insurance rates)  It is a RAFFLE and a GIVEAWAY.   The winners will be selected randomly.

11.  We don’t care whether your personal facebook profile name is real or fake.  What I do care is that you give me a legitimate insurance quote that has a real name and phone number.

12. This contest is void where prohibited

The promoter would much appreciate it if you could Google +1 to quicksimpleinsurance.com.    Any tweets to http://quicksimpleinsurance.com is nice too. Quick Simple Insurance is striving to be a target online destination for getting home insurance quotes.

This contest ends on October 31st, 2011.    SO MAKE SURE TO POST YOUR STORY AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS IMMEDIATELY!!!

Winners will be randomly chosen from a raffle.  Happy Halloween to the lucky prize winners!

GOOD LUCK!

ABOUT ME

I am a independent insurance blogger.  I am not a major corporation.  I am not an insurance agent.  I do have an incentive to deliver qualified insurance leads.  But that is it and only it.

Quick Simple Insurance would like to raise $1000 to help support the Hurricane Irene victims!  For every legitimate insurance quote received, we will donate $1 to the American Red Cross disaster relief!

Any insurance quote qualifies:

http://quicksimpleinsurance.com/auto-insurance/
http://quicksimpleinsurance.com/health-insurance/
http://quicksimpleinsurance.com/home-insurance-quotes.html
http://quicksimpleinsurance.com/long-term-care-insurance/
http://quicksimpleinsurance.com/life-insurance/

If you do support our cause, please make sure to comment your name and what kind of insurance quote your received.  Also make sure to follow us on our facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-an-Insurance-Quote-Well-donate-a-1-to-Hurricane-Irene-Relief/199034716831021

Quick Simple Insurance is giving away a FREE IPAD 2! Here is how you enter.  First like our home insurance facebook page.  Then take a minute to write a 100 word story about your most memorable home insurance or car accident.  You can add comments to your own blog post to make it the correct length.  We realize that not everybody is a homeowner, so if you got a crazy car crash story where you need a auto settlement attorney we would like to hear about that too!

Here are the rules:

I am a independent insurance blogger who giving away an IPAD 2 to the most liked home disaster or car accident story. To be eligible to win you MUST have the following qualifications:

This contest ends on Aug 1st, 2011. SO MAKE SURE TO POST YOUR STORY AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS RIGHT AWAY!

1. Your post must be at LEAST a 100 words

2. You must talk about how your insurance company did or did not deal with your home insurance disaster.

3. If you got in a car accident, please mention if you did or did not get a auto accident lawyer.

4. ORIGINAL stories only. We will be checking for copied stories!

Yep, just take 5 minutes to tell us about your disaster and end up winning an IPAD 2!

People often save years in order to have enough money to purchase their first home, but they lose sight of how easily their dream home can be significantly damaged or destroyed entirely. Recent weather patterns have spawned record snow-falls, tornadoes in winter, and flash floods at an unprecedented rate. One need only look at the recent tragedy in Japan to see how quickly a life’s work can be destroyed.

Home owners insurance policies were designed to help families feel a sense of peace during times of stability, and to help them pick up the pieces in times of tragedy. Such coverage can ensure that a family will not go without shelter, after experiencing a catastrophic loss. Many homeowner insurance policies ensure that hotel or alternative accommodations are available when a family has been displaced, though this coverage is sometimes optional.

In order to ensure proper coverage in the event of a fire, flood, storm, or other catastrophic loss, homeowners are encouraged to review their homeowner policy details. Taking the time to review a policy and compare insurance offerings can ensure that proper values are assessed to belongings. Homeowners should take the time to make a note of whether their personal belongings are covered at replacement value, or actual cash value, as this can make a significant impact on the overall value of items lost in a claim.

Additionally, homeowners should take the time to log, videotape, and photograph personal belongings, especially those items of value, and to store their records, photographs, and logs in a fire safe box on or safe deposit box. When applicable, owners should make note of model numbers, serial numbers, editions, and other such details that will help any future adjuster determine lost item value. Such a log can help in preparation of a proof of loss statement, or to validate ownership of items in question. Preparation of a record of this nature can be time consuming, but in the event of a catastrophic loss, it can help alleviate much of the stress related to the claim experience.

Home owners insurance can prove to be an invaluable investment in a family’s future. The cost is often well under the actual value that it provides. Taking the time to compare insurance coverage levels to the actual value of covered belongings can ensure proper claims valuation, and is of utmost importance in protecting family assets and valuables.

If you are getting a new homeowner insurance policy there are some important things to consider.

Your home insurance rate will be based upon your behavior (similar to mortage loans).  Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that its best to shop around and choose the best home insurance.

If you have filed many homeowners insurance claims in the past, the home insurance company may consider you a large liability.  Remember no insurance company will issue a insurance premium that isn’t profitable.  You will also likely pay higher home insurance rates.   The lower the credit score, the higher the insurance premium.

Timing is also very important.  Home insurance premiums go up after natural disasters such as hurricanes or floods.   Prices also change every three years.  It would be a good time to review your current homeowner insurance premium.

“But don’t shop solely on price,” the report said. “Lowest-price policies might exclude what you need coverage for most. Some home insurance companies try to sneak in open ended exclusions that reduce the incidents for which they’d pay out claims.”

When you first purchased your home, chance are that your home insurance agent did not explain to you the various types of home owners insurance policies, but instead drafted a policy that met your apparent needs. While this can be helpful, home owners are advised to educate themselves on their insurance options to ensure that they are effectively covered for all potential exposures. This guide will educate home owners on the various types of policies, and what perils may be excluded under your current form:

HO-1 Form

The HO-1 form is a general insurance form that is very basic in scope. This form is rarely written in today’s insurance industry because of the narrow scope of coverage. HO-1 offers coverage only for dwelling and personal property losses related to fire and lightening, theft, vandalism and malicious mischief and/or windstorm. This form is often the choice of the budget-conscious, but should only be a short term solution to a budget crisis, because it can expose homeowners to greater risk should any losses occur.

HO-2 Form

The HO-2 form is the most standard policy issued. Most states refer to the HO-2 as the “broad form.” The HO-2 form covers fire or lightning; windstorm or hail; explosion; riot or civil commotion; damage caused by aircraft or vehicles, smoke, vandalism or malicious mischief; theft; volcanic eruption; falling objects; weight of ice/snow/sleet; accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam specific to certain devices; sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning or bulging; freezing of plumbing, heating, air conditioning or named devices; and sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current.

HO-3 Form

The HO-3 form is often referred to as an All Risk policy, offering more extensive coverage than either the HO-2. The HO-3 assumes coverage for every incident, with the exclusion of a few named perils, including water damage, power failure, neglect, war, intentional loss and more. A policy offering this level of coverage will generally be significantly more expensive than either of the two previous forms.

Other additional coverage options can be underwritten to a policy as endorsements, and include flood coverage, earthquake coverage and more. It is important to speak with your insurance agent about your unique needs prior to purchasing any insurance policy. If you are already insured, review your existing policy, compare homeowner insurance policy options, and make necessary adjustments to ensure that you and your family have the coverage you need in the even of a loss.

You may be reading the title and wondering just what exactly expansive soil is, and how likely it is that it would affect you and your home.

Expansive soils are soils that are made up of certain minerals that are susceptible to water absorption. These soils are typically high in clays. This type of soil can cause damage in two ways. First, when they absorb water, they expand and can put pressure on the foundation of your home. This press can lead to cracked floors, basements, foundation walls, and worse. Next, when the soils dry up, they shrink back and remove pressure and support from a house or structure, resulting in subsistence damage.

Signs of expansive soils can be seen outside of a home as well, with damage to underground utilities, driveways, sidewalks and parking lots.

Expansive soils are found throughout the United States, and may affect as many as 1 in 4 homes. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that more than half of all homes in the United States are built on expansive soil, but only half of those homes will sustain some damage as a result.

In any given year, damage to homes caused by expansive soil expansion and shrinkage exceeds damage caused by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined, but oftentimes, because the damage occurs slowly over time, home owners don’t realize the true cause and don’t report any one incident to their insurance carrier.

Many homeowners insurance plans do not cover expansive soil damage. The damage that it can cause is significant. Home owners are advised to talk to their agent about expansive soil coverage, or to take preventative measures, such as soil replacement to avoid this sort of damage.

Being green is a pun, literally.  Some earth friendly home owners are looking to leave a lighter carbon footprint by investing in environmental friendly, sustainable housing.  While their are countless ways to reduce carbon emissions and use less fuel, some homeowners are looking into the these interesting ideas:

• Green Roofs: there are methods to have roof tops with specific vegetation.  With careful planning you can have low maintenance green shrubbery on your roof. This is currently popular in Europe and a few select places in the USA.  Does anybody remember Bilbo Baggins house in the Lord of the Rings!  Now that’s a green homeowner!

• White Roofs:  the simple, yet effective “white roof” program takes advantage of simple physics to lower temperatures on buildings.   The color white reflects the suns rays and stays substantially cooler (up to 45 degree cooler year around).   This can save a homeowner big bucks on their energy bill.    If you are a believer in global warming, this green homeowner tactic should really hit home.

• 3-star Showerheads and Rainwater Tanks:  There appliances that limit water pressure and usage to conserve water.  Rainwater tanks can conserve water for gardens, toilets and lawn sprinklers.  Don’t worry, the toilet water being conserved doesn’t get reused in your kitchen facet.

• Cob Building: this is method of building homes with a clay, sand, straw.  Homeowners utilized this method has been around for thousands of years but lost popularity in the early 1900s and just recently gained attention again in the last 20 years with the environmental movement.  No need to chop down a tree for a cob house.

There are many ways to go green and SAVE green.  But just recently some homeowner insurance companies are actually rewarding discounts to homeowners who decide to take  greener approach to the way they live.

Some home insurance companies have turned their attention to greener products, rewarding discounts and lower-priced coverage to clients willing to make environmentally conscious decisions about the way they live.  These incentives include discounts on “natural building” of houses that utilize solar panels or windmill generated electricity.

You can even get a break on home insurance for building a eco-friendly home after a natural disaster.

We live in the United States and most of us love dogs. After all most rental properties have rules about having pets (at the very least a pet fee….but thankfully their isn’t a mortgage penalty for having a dog)  Fido is a family member in most homes. They are there to play with and protect family family member and watch the house. Man’s best friend is usually family’s barking sibling.

Dogs are fun and very healthy for family relationships.  They relieve our stress and even protect the house from unwanted intruders.  However certain dog breeds can be unpredictable. Not too long ago a 7 day old new born was attacked and tragically killed by pit bull in New Port Richey, Florida. The dog had never showed any signs of aggressive behavior before. The family’s baby boy was only left alone on the mother’s bed for few seconds when out of nowhere the pit bull suddenly turned violent.  After this tragic accident the pit bull was euthanized.

These risks should be taken into careful consideration and home insurance companies are paying attention. Homeowners need to be extremely careful with their selection at the dog kennel.  Certain breeds (dobermans, rottweilers, pit bulls, etc) can put the family and neighbors at danger.  Before making these decision, make sure to contact you home insurance company about the new dog.   Having a dangerous breed could effect your coverage.

Some Homeowners Insurance companies are starting to

1. Deny coverage on certain types of dog breeds
2. Choose not to offer insurance coverage for dog related injuries/damage.  A responsible person should NOT ignore this potential liability.
3. Limit the number of people in the household covered (may not cover younger people)
4. Limit coverage extending to certain dog breeds with a reputation of aggression
5. Opt not renew the home insurance policies to homeowners who purchase certain types of dog breeds

Why are home insurance companies doing this? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and DogBiteLaw.com presented these facts:

* A third of all home owners insurance claims involve dog attack ramifications.
* Nearly five million Americans every year are bitten by dogs
* Most serious dog attack victims are children
* Off all dog bite incidents, one in five require medical attention. Sometimes these incidents requires reconstructive surgery
* Dog attacks cost approximately $1 billion in insurance and medical losses every year.

Given these statistics dog owners often run a much higher risk than non owners. Homeowner Insurance companies are becoming increasing selective about insuring household pets.

Homes located in areas where heavy mining has occurred, may be at risk for subsidence. Subsidence occurs when the earth beneath a home becomes unstable, causing sagging, leaning, collapse or other damage as a result. Natural occurrences of subsidence are also sometimes seen apart from mining, in areas where there is a natural void in the earth.

The damage caused by such mining can also be seen in damaged utilities, sidewalks, parking lots, and driveways. When homes in a given area begin to experience subsidence, condemnation may occur, wherein the government determines that providing utilizes and other infrastructure amenities to such a neighborhood is no longer feasible, and requires residents to move out.

Incidences of condemnation have been seen throughout Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas, states with heavy mining activity. In some cases, the government provides a fair price for a home, and purchases it so that the owner may move out, and in other cases, residents have to leave, still owing on a mortgage or rent for that property, with no recourse.

The implications of mining subsidence are significant. Subsidence can cause serious damage or permanent loss of residence, and it is not a coverage often included in a standard homeowners insurance policy. If you live in an area of heavy coal mining activity, as seen on this map, you may want to consider adding a subsidence endorsement to your existing home owners insurance policy, in an effort to ensure coverage in the event of damage due to mine or natural soil subsidence.