Health insurance premiums

According to the Health Care Costs Snapshot published on the Kaiser Family Foundation website, health insurance premiums have increased a cumulative 78 during the past seven years, far outpacing cumulative wage growth of 19 percent over the same period. All told, these figures demonstrate the growing burden of health insurance costs on employers and employees.
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The Insurance Journal

The Insurance Journal features several channels of real-time web casts and videos focused on the insurance industry. Video channels include agency management, news, market forum, commercials, education, mergers and humor. Web casts and videos are ranked for popularity, listed by newness, and identified as features. Learn more at InsuranceJournal.tv.
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HSAs

According to a survey of 100 insurance and healthcare executives conducted at the recent American Re HealthCare Symposium, when asked which areas within the healthcare market they saw growing the fastest over the next year, 36% said health savings accounts/high deductible plans will see the most significant growth, followed by mini-med plans and Medicare/Medicaid advantage plans.
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Life insurance tax advantages

There are two important tax advantages associated with life insurance. The first tax advantage is that death benefits are generally not taxable as income for income tax purposes for a person named as the beneficiary. The second tax advantage is that for cash value plans there is generally no tax on the increase in the cash value as it grows over time.
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Best health plans across America

U.S. News and World Report annually ranks the best Health Plans across America. More than 500 HMOs and POS plans and many smaller ones are evaluated on their performances in up to 50 measures on a scale of 1 to 5 and converted to overall scores that determined their rankings. Eight of the top ten health plans from the latest rankings were located in the New England states.
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The Rainmaker

John Grisham's 1995 novel "The Rainmaker" is the underdog story of one lawyers fight against a large insurance company. Recent law school graduate Rudy Baylor represents the family of a terminally ill patient whose insurance company has denied coverage for a life-saving operation. Drama unfolds as Baylor makes his case of bad faith against the team of insurance lawyers.
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Expense ratio

In the business of insurance, the expense ratio is the ratio of underwriting expenses to net premiums written. It measures the company's operational efficiency in underwriting its book of business. A company's expense ratio can be lowered through economies of scale and by direct marketing strategies.
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Insurance career websites

According recent website traffic data compiled by Alexa, GreatInsuranceJobs.com is the most popular website by traffic rank among all insurance industry employment websites. The other top insurance employment websites include InsuranceJobs.com, InsuranceJobsBoard.com, UltimateInsuranceJobs.com and InsuranceWorkForce.com.
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Marsh & McLennan

Marsh & McLennan is the world's largest insurance broker. According to annual rankings published by Business Insurance, Marsh & McLennan compiled revenue of nearly $10.5 billion, more than $3 billion more than its nearest competitor. Marsh & McLennan has been the top insurance broker by volume for 36 consecutive years.
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Title insurance

Title insurance protects both the lender and the homeowner against loss resulting from any defects in the title or claims against a property not discovered in a title search. Title insurance premiums are usually paid in one lump sum at the time the policy is issued, and the policy remains in force until the property is sold. Mortgage lenders normally require that borrowers obtain title insurance.
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Life expectancy

The life expectancy of Americans is nearly 78 years, according to the latest data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. This figure has increased from 69.6 years in 1965 and 75.8 years in 1995. The life expectancy of blacks was nearly five years less than for whites. According to the data, the top three causes of death for Americans were heart disease, cancer and stroke.
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Alien insurer

An alien insurer is an insurance company formed according to the legal requirements of a foreign country. In order for an alien insurer to be able to carry on general operations and sell its products in a particular state in the United States, it must conform to that state's rules and regulations governing insurance companies.
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Sanborn

D.A. Sanborn sold his first map to Aetna Insurance in 1866. Sanborn maps allowed underwriters to more accurately access the risks of a business when unable to inspect the property in person. The Sanborn Map Company held a monopoly on insurance maps through the 20th century. By the 1960s, the insurance industry was undergoing a number of changes, ending the use of insurance maps.
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To Catch a Thief

Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 film "To Catch a Thief" tells the story of a John Robie, a former jewel thief who attempts to prove his innocence during a rash of jewel heists. Robie's plan is to catch the jewel thief in the act. He enlists the help of insurance man H.H. Hughson, a reluctant provider of a list of the most expensive jewels on the Riviera. The film featured Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
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Whole life insurance

Whole life insurance is generally used when the need for life insurance is lifelong, or permanent. Whole life has a built-in savings element since you pay premiums and build up a cash value through the life of the policy. Premiums for whole life are initially higher than term insurance, but are smaller than the premiums you would pay if you were to keep renewing a term life insurance policy.
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Disability events

Most people cannot afford to become disabled. Over 70% of Americans do not have adequate savings for emergencies, while 44% of American families report spending more than they earn. Financially, unexpected illnesses and injuries cause about 350,000 bankruptcies each year, while half of all mortgage foreclosures result from disability events.
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Higher interest rates, lower premiums

Insurance companies earn income by investing the premiums they receive from policy holders. The more investment income the insurance company earns the lower the premium it can charge its policy holders. Thus, policy holders will benefit from high interest rates. Higher interest rates generate better investment returns for insurance companies resulting in lower premiums for policy holders.
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Low mileage discount

Some auto insurers offer a low mileage discount to their customers. If you drive locally or less frequently, or you are in a car pool, you may be qualified for a low mileage discount. It costs nothing to call and ask your insurance agent if they offer this discount. Your savings can be as high as 5%.
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Teen driving

According to research compiled by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, teen driving risks increase even more when other passengers are present in their vehicle. Teens tend to drive faster when other passengers are present. They also get distracted by other passengers. Over thirty states have enacted graduated driver license stipulations that include passenger provisions for teen drivers.
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Senior drivers

In 2008, there were more than 28 million licensed drivers age 65 years and older, a 17 percent increase from 1994. People age 65 and older represent the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. The numbers of senior drivers will increase significantly as the Baby Boom generation ages. By 2030, one in every four drivers will be 65 or older.
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Insurance fraud

Almost half of all U.S. states classify insurance fraud or attempted insurance fraud as a felony. In states where it is not a felony, insurance fraud is often prosecuted as bribery, theft or forgery. At the federal level, most insurance fraud cases are prosecuted under mail and wire fraud statutes, for which the sentences include significant fines and/or jail time.
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A.M. Best

Alfred M. Best published his first insurance industry supplement in 1899. Best's ratings of insurance concerns later appeared in 1906. Best's company grew along with the insurance industry through the 20th century. Today, A.M. Best is the largest and most recognized publisher of in-depth reports and financial-strength ratings about insurance organizations.
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Insurance Research Council

The Insurance Research Council (IRC) is an independent, nonprofit research organization supported by leading property and casualty insurance companies and associations. IRC provides empirical research in subjects relating to all lines of property-casualty insurance, including coverages of automobiles, homes, businesses, municipalities, and professionals. IRC publishes its research on ircweb.org.
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Hurricane Deductible

Insurance companies that sell homeowners insurance in hurricane-prone areas usually stipulate a "hurricane deductible". Typical homeowners insurance deductibles are a flat amount such as $500. A hurricane deductible is based on a percentage of the insured value of the home. Hurricane deductibles are put into place to limit the Insurer's exposure in these high-risk areas.
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Catastrophe insurance

Insurers of high risk weather areas traditionally purchase catastrophe reinsurance for managing their potential risks. They may also issue investment bonds such as insurance-linked securities, weather derivatives or catastrophe bonds, to raise money in case of catastrophe. Investors purchase these investments for their relatively high yields and for portfolio diversification.
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The INA

The Insurance Company of North America was established by John Nesbitt and Ebenezer Hazard in Philadelphia in 1792. The company sold marine insurance and a few years later fire and building insurance. The INA was the also noted for being first stock insurance company in America. The INA was later acquired by CIGNA, which later became part of ACE Group in 1999.
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Trip cancellation insurance

Trips and vacations may be canceled for various reasons, such as death or illness, or if the tour or resort operator go out of business. Trip cancellation insurance covers your financial risk. A policy makes sense when you book an expensive vacation well ahead of time. The premium on a trip cancellation policy costs about five to seven percent of the price of the trip.
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A standard homeowners insurance policy

A standard homeowners insurance policy provides financial protection for your home and other structures, personal property and personal liability. Most events are covered with some exceptions. A standard policy does not cover losses due to floods, earthquakes or maintenance damage. For floods and earthquakes, a separate endorsement or policy is required for protection.
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Dogs and insurance

A dog bite liability can be claimed on your homeowners insurance. Some insurance companies will place you in a higher risk category or not underwrite you at all if you have a certain breed of dog, such as a Pit Bull or Rottweiler. This means higher premiums. Consider this when choosing a dog breed. You may avoid potential insurance headaches and save money.
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Weather

Every region of the United States is exposed to one type of natural disaster or another. Forbes Magazine and Sperling's Best Places compiled weather, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, and brushfire data to find the safest locations in American. According to the study, Honolulu, Hawaii and Boise, Idaho are the safest places. The least safest places are Monroe, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi.
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