Insurance World

There is no denying the fact that success of a business depends on the hard work of the team but one disaster can wipe out your efforts and bring down the profits to dust. So, to avoid such an instance, you need to insure your business, whether it is a small enterprise or a large corporation.

There are insurance companies, which have policies that combine protection for all major property and liability risks in one package. You can also opt for separate coverage. Such a policy is called a business owners’ policy (BOP). Larger companies may purchase a commercial package policy.

BOPs include property insurance for buildings and equipments owned by the company. If there is any loss of income due to disruption of operation and business because of accidents like fire, it can be covered under the Business Interruption Insurance.

There are liabilities, which cover the company’s legal responsibility for the harm it may cause to others. It is the result of your company’s failure to do the business operations. It can also be the bodily injury or property damage caused due to defective products, faulty installations and errors in services provided.

However, BOPs don’t cover professional liability, auto insurance, worker’s compensation or health and disability insurance. Separate policies are needed for professional services, vehicles and employees. Generally, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks are not covered in the business insurance.

Protection Against Flood Damage

If your office is in the flood zone area, you must definitely go for a policy, which provide coverage against flood. Try to find out whether the place had been hit by flood in the past. Make sure you do something in advance to make up for the loss. Otherwise you may face trouble.

Protection Against Earthquake Damage

Earthquake is also not included in most property insurance policies such as homeowners and business owners’ package policies. Special Earthquake Insurance Policy or Commercial Property Earthquake Endorsement can cover you if you live in an earthquake-prone area. However, earthquake policies have different deductibles.

Business Interruption Insurance, which reimburses you for the lost income during a shutdown, applies only to the damage covered under your business property insurance policy. There won’t be reimbursement for the loss caused due to the closure of business because of the earthquake. For it, you must have an earthquake coverage policy.

Protection Against Terrorist Attack Losses

In the US, loss due to any terrorism is covered only for those businesses that have optional terrorism coverage. It comes under the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act 2002. Still, there are exceptions in workers’ compensation, which include injuries and deaths due to acts of terrorism.

Many people think that auto insurance companies are taking advantage of the fact that drivers, no matter what, are required to carry some sort of insurance to drive, by the laws of our country. When it comes down to the wire, the truth of the matter is, we have options when it comes to how we choose to get covered. Lets face it, auto insurance companies are there to make money, however, they are also there to protect you, your family, fellow drivers and pedestrians among others. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you have to be paying unreasonably high prices for that protection and peacefulness of the mind. There are a few pieces of information that many people are just not aware of that may be of some assistance to some.

Companies Versus Brokers

Firstly, there is not only one way to get coverage from auto insurance companies. Lets elaborate on that a little and take a quick moment to mention insurance brokers, who can also be referred to as “middlemen”. Anytime you do business with a middle man, they have to get paid for what they do, and that is generating business for companies. You have the option of getting car insurance through a broker, or you can also deal personally with insurence companies, both of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

When you wheel and deal directly with auto insurance companies, the “middleman” is taken right out of the equation, and this helps a company keep their rates as low as they can. But as we all know, there are always two sides to a coin, and it may not always be easy to get in touch with a large company everytime you have a question or would like to change your policy. Brokers are there, on the other hand, for added convenience, and are in fierce competition with eachother to get your business. With this in mind, insurance brokers will do the shopping around for you making sure you get a policy tailored to your needs, with the best price for you. With a broker, you can simply call them if you have any questions, and deal with them on a more personal level.

Who Decides What Rate I Will Pay?

Auto insurance companies work along side underwriters, mainly “property and casualty” underwiters. There are different types, but these specialize in auto insurance, as well as homeowner’s and worker’s comp to name a few. These guys are responsible for assessing the risk you propose to auto insurance companies, and then coming up with an appropriate rate. Their purpose, or mission, is to diminish the amount of loss, and to assist in generating profits for a company. An insurance underwriter can “make or break” an insurance company, which do not always have control over the rates you are assigned in exchange for coverage. They just want to make sure they stay above water.