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The American Cancer Society estimates doctors will diagnose over 1.4 million new cases of cancer in the U.S. in 2007, with more than 559,650 cancer-related deaths. If you are among the majority of cancer patients and survive for at least five years following your diagnosis, you may face another fight: buying life insurance.

Buying life insurance for cancer patients is challenging, but not necessarily impossible. Your chances for securing a policy depend greatly on the type, stage and grade of the cancer, and even on the treatment plan. There is a relationship between the rate you’ll receive and the curability of your cancer. Certain types of skin cancer, for example, are considered very low risk by life insurance companies and a skin cancer history may not even impact premiums.

Applicants with common and treatable forms of breast and prostate cancer may be able to get a “standard” rating under ideal circumstances. But patients with a history of leukemia or colon cancer may fall into a “substandard” or “high substandard” rating at best, or receive declines. Anyone with cancer that has metastasized likely won’t be able to obtain a policy.

Dr. Charles Levy, senior vice president and chief medical director of AIG American General Domestic Life Insurance Cos., says, “We’re better and better able to differentiate the risks of individual cancers.” Life insurers like AIG American General have sophisticated tables to determine premiums, where they can factor in cancer types and treatments. The end result is better premiums because applicants aren’t lumped together as an “average.”

Most insurers will not offer a policy to someone who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. Depending on your type of cancer, the life insurer may also want to add a surcharge, also called a temporary flat extra. For example, AIG American General sometimes charges temporary flat extras for two to five years, depending on the applicant’s cancer and treatment. The good news is that although these extra premiums can be expensive, they will automatically disappear after a set period of time.

Cancer insurance risk specialists

While a dedicated life insurance agent will search cancer insurance companies to find insurers that will sell you a life insurance policy, in some cases you may be better off seeking out a broker who specializes in finding life insurance for people who have a history of cancer.

These brokers will know the specific questions underwriters will want answered when considering your application. Many brokers have developed relationships with several insurers, so they know which companies offer the best-priced life insurance policies for cancer survivors. Some brokers have experts who specialize in gathering your medical records and organizing them.

By directing your application to life insurers that will view your application most favorably, these brokers will help you find the most accurate price quotes and the lowest premiums for life insurance. Always check the financial strength of the insurer before you buy any policy and be sure that the agent or broker you choose is licensed in your state.

Life insurance strategies for cancer survivors

If you are a healthy cancer survivor, life insurance is even more feasible. There are things you can do to ensure you’re getting the best premium offers possible for your situation.

1. Gather all possible medical records before you apply, from the first pathology report to medical records to treatment records. That ensures medical underwriters have the most complete picture of you, your health, and your cancer history. Having all those records before you apply for cancer insurance will reduce delays in your application process, because your life insurer is going to request them and will wait for them. The information you provide can garner you better premiums in the end: The less life insurer underwriters knows about you, the more likely they are to have to assume you are the highest risk and offer you high premiums accordingly. According to Levy, “If it’s fuzzy, we’re more likely to err on the side of conservatism.”

2. Make sure you have complied with your doctor’s treatment plans. For example, says Levy, if your doctor asked to see you back in one year and you haven’t been back in four years, get to your doctor for your check-up before you apply for life insurance. Your life insurer is not going to offer you a policy without before seeing the results of that check-up. Similarly, if you’ve had breast cancer and you’re due for a mammogram in December and you apply for cancer insurance in October, your life insurer will likely wait for the results of your next mammogram.

3. Get prices from several companies. Policy costs can vary a great deal among companies.

4. See if you can get group life insurance through a professional, fraternal, membership, or political organization to which you belong.

5. Consider a “graded” policy (one with limited benefits) if you cannot get full death benefits. In the first few years of a graded policy, the company pays only the premiums and part of the face value if the insured person dies of a condition, such as cancer, that existed before the policy took effect. If the insured person dies after the specified grading-in period, the company will pay the full face amount of the policy.

If your cancer has been successfully treated, and you are otherwise in good health, you can likely obtain a cancer life insurance policy. If you can show that you are healthy and your treatments have gone well, several insurers may compete for your business.

Find Home Insurance Quotes and Leads in Minnesota

It is always recommended that you use a homeowners insurance company and seek tips and advice from a reputable and reliable insurance agent.  Only qualified and professional insurance agents can offer the correct insurance coverage. 

Below are examples that need to be considered with an agent when asking for a quote on homeowners insurance: 

1.  Most homeowners policies will also provide coverage for loss of use. This means that if you need to live somewhere else while the house is being restored the insurance company will pay for this expense.

2.  In addition to the coverage’s mentioned, there are many other coverage’s to consider depending on the type of house, the contents in the house and any other structures located on the property. We recommend a review of your coverages be handled by a local insurance agent. 

3.  Make sure that your personal possessions are properly covered. We recommend that personal possessions are insured at replacement cost NOT actual cash value.

4.  Liability coverage is also included on most homeowners policies. This is very important. The minimum on most policies is $100,000. We recommend at least $300,000.

5.  Be certain to Make sure you have enough insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding your house at current construction costs. To figure out the amount of coverage needed, take the total square footage of the house and multiply by current local rebuilding costs per square foot. For example: A 2000 square foot home with local rebuilding costs of $150 per square foot (2000 * 150) comes to $300,000 of dwelling coverage.

Below are some imperative details that need to be considered with an agent when asking for a quote on life insurance: 

When you obtain the answers you are now in a better position to get a correct life or homeowners insurance quote.  Just as an owner of a home needs insurance on their house, an insurance agent also needs homeowners insurance leads that will generate him activity for their agency.  Find top homeowners insurance agents by your zip code and learn how to get listed today.

We offer the best homeowners insurance source of information for our visitors offering them top homeowners insurance agents by your zip code and a Learn the Basics section about homeowners insurance.    

If you are like most automobile owners, you have probably shopped for auto insurance at least once in your lifetime. And like most of those people, you may have wondered whether there was really anything that you can do to lower the price of your insurance. Well, the good news for you is that there are certain steps you can take to lower your auto insurance premium. Some of the information provided in this article may seem obvious or be viewed as common knowledge by some people, but we hope that you are able to take away at least a couple pieces of information that will help you lower your annual auto insurance premium. If you can, then we have accomplished our goal!

Auto insurance companies generally take into account several factors when determining your rate, such as driving record, geographical location, vehicle model, coverage limits, vehicle safety features/anti-theft devices, operator discounts, prior insurance, and age. (And in some states and with some companies–sex, marital status, where the vehicle is kept at night, and credit score are also factors) While many of these factors are difficult, if not impossible, to change, there are still some relatively simply steps you can take to save money.

The 11 steps you can take to lower your auto insurance premium are:

(Note: we have tried to list the steps from the most obvious to the least obvious)

1.) Needless to say, try to avoid being involved in accidents or receiving moving violations by driving defensively and obeying all traffic laws–This is by far the most important way to reduce your auto insurance premium (plus it is safe and smart!).

2.) If you already own a registered vehicle, make sure to keep your insurance current, without a lapse in coverage, since many insurance companies provide much better rates to individuals who already have current insurance and have an established history of insurance coverage. Note: If you have had a lapse in insurance on a registered vehicle, we recommend getting insurance coverage as soon as possible and THEN do more shopping for better rates. Since you will have re-established your insurance, you will now be (PRESTO!) an insured motorist and most likely able to secure a better insurance rate immediately with another company.

3.) If you have an anti-theft device on your vehicle, make sure to let your insurance company know about it. If you do not have an anti-theft device already installed, consider adding one if you have comprehensive coverage on your vehicle. Insurance companies generally offer discounts for anti-theft devices from 5% to 20%, or more, of your comprehensive coverage premium, depending on the type of anti-theft device. Vehicle recovery devices (e.g., Lo-Jack or On-Star) generally provide the biggest discount, with automatic anti-theft devices (i.e., those that arm themselves) probably being second on the list, and passive anti-theft devices (i.e., those that you must arm) and window glass etching or ignition shut-off mechanisms probably providing less of a discount. Of course, before installing an anti-theft device you will probably want to compare the savings you will receive by adding it to the total cost of installation. Depending on the cost of installation, it may not be cost-effective to install it.

4.) Check with your insurer to find out whether they offer discounts for attending a defensive driving course. These courses may normally be taken by drivers of all ages. Discounts vary by state and from company to company, but by paying a small fee and spending a few hours of your time for a defensive driving course, you may be able to save yourself approximately 5% to 10% or 15% of your TOTAL insurance premium. Note: If you are over age 55, ask about a special “Mature Driving Course” or “55-Alive Driving Course” discount. Also, if there are multiple drivers on your policy, ask whether you can receive a larger discount if all of you take the course–some companies will offer larger discounts, some won’t, but if you ask, you can at least decide which driver/s on your policy should take the course to maximize your discount.

5.) For youthful operators (generally considered to be drivers under the age of 25), make sure you ask the insurer what discounts they may be eligible for. This may seem obvious, but it is amazing how many people miss out on significant savings because they forget to ask about specific discounts for younger drivers. Driver’s Ed or Driver’s Training and Good Student discounts are the most common types of discounts for youthful operators, but always ask if other discounts may apply.

6.) Always notify your insurance company when you have changes that may be beneficial to you. For instance, if you were single and are now married, make sure to let the insurer know. If you used to commute a far distance to work, but now have a shorter commute or work out of your home or are retired, you will most likely be eligible for a lower rate. If you used to park your car in your driveway or on the street and now park it in an enclosed or covered garage or shed, you may get a lower rate. As a basic rule of thumb, if it seems to you that you are less of a risk due to some change in your life, chances are your insurance company will think the same thing and give you a lower rate.

7.) Check rates for higher Bodily Injury (BI) limits. That’s right, HIGHER limits! Believe it or not, it may be substantially cheaper for you to have limits for BI coverage of 50/100 or 100/300 than it is to have the state minimum coverage. One of the reasons for this odd phenomenon is that insurance companies consider you to be less of a risk if you are the type of individual who would be conscientious enough to have higher limits of BI coverage. Insurance companies have shown statistically that drivers who have higher BI limits are, overall, better risks and less likely to be involved in accidents or losses. Therefore, you can insert yourself into this group of drivers that is viewed more favorably by your company by carrying higher BI limits. Note: If you currently carry lower BI limits, your insurance company may not immediately rate for the change–you may have to wait until the next renewal to see a price change, or, in some cases, you may have to increase your BI limits and then shop for other insurance so that companies give you “credit” for your higher limits.

8.) Consider taking full coverage off of that older vehicle that is paid for. Many, many people carry full coverage on an older-model vehicle they own that may only be worth a couple thousand dollars. Even if they have a total loss of their vehicle, they may only receive a small amount of money for their vehicle after the deductible is taken into account. Yet, they may be paying several hundreds of dollars extra every year for full coverage. To save money, compare what you would receive for your vehicle if you had a total loss to what it costs to carry full coverage, and then make an educated decision. Note: Taking full coverage off of an older vehicle probably makes the most sense when the drivers of the vehicle have a good driving record, since they are even less likely than the average person to have an accident and file a claim.

9.) If your credit score has recently improved, contact your insurance company to find out whether they will re-run your credit score to possibly give you a lower rate. Most auto insurance companies now use credit in one form or another to accurately rate a policy. Whatever your personal opinion is of this practice, it is the standard method of operation for most auto insurance companies. (Note: There are states that have made laws against use of credit for auto insurance rating purposes. In these states, this step will not help you.) Because your credit score is a MAJOR factor with some companies, an improvement in your credit may save you a LOT of money, but only if you request that they re-check it).

10.) Check on how much it would cost to add comprehensive coverage, collision coverage, or bot
h to your vehicle. Surprisingly, some companies actually offer lower rates if you have comprehensive, collision, or both, than they do for liability-only policies. This is definitely counter-intuitve, but it is based on the same principle mentioned above regarding higher BI limits–the insurance company may view you more favorably (as far as risk is concerned) if you are an individual who would at least carry more than the basic coverage on your automobile. So, when you shop for quotes on a vehicle, you may want to check what the difference in price would be between liaiblity coverage, liability plus comprehensive coverage, and liability plus comprehensive and collision coverage.

11.) Lastly, periodically contact your insurance company to see whether they may be able to place you with one of their underwriting companies that is designed for “better” drivers (”better” according to your insurer’s rating factors–they are not judging your “goodness” or “character” for this!). Normally, insurance companies (particularly the larger companies) have multiple underwriting companies (subsidiary companies) that specialize in underwriting different categories of drivers based on the company’s risk assessment of you. If you are not in the insurer’s “best” underwriting company (reserved for their “best” risks), you always have room for improvement with that company, and by simply asking to be considered to be placed in one of the underwriting companies for “better” drivers, you may be able to save yourself a LOT of money over the years. Note: You may only have a real chance of being placed in a better underwriting company if your driving record has improved dramatically over the last couple or several years or if, in the states where credit may be used, your credit score has improved. Either or both of these improvements may give you leverage with the insurance company to request that their underwriters review your policy for placement with a better underwriting company.

We encourage you to visit our website www.quotehippo.com to sign up for our Free bi-monthly insurance newsletter and get your Free quotes on Auto Insurance, Life Insurance, Home Insurance, Health Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, and Small Business Insurance. We now also offer great quotes on Mortgage Loans and Auto Loans. Our slogan is “Insurance & Loans Made Easy” and that is what we strive for.