Survival Insurance Policy

Let's face it, you can have life insurance, you can have car insurance and you can have homeowners insurance but none of these policies will help you a bit during a time of crisis. You may think that you are covered for just about any contingency that can happen but my friend you are so very wrong.

You have totally forgotten the most important insurance that you can perhaps have. That is your survival insurance. When situations develop you can only rely upon yourself and no one else. The government will be much to busy to be concerned with you and I. They will simply be overwhelmed. If you think I am exaggerating thing back to the crisis situation that occurred in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina struck.

It would be nice if we could easily sidestep the issues that we do not care for and step cautiously behind the curtain only to emerge shortly and once again see things are as we would like them to be. Unfortunately that is not the case. The world is what we see and we have to learn to do the best we can in it. We can not rely upon the old adage that it will not happen to me or it won't happen here. Many families have been completely wiped out by the breadwinner thinking along these same lines.

I am sure that you would deliberately not feed you children nor would you subject them to unnecessary cold or other uncomfortable conditions. But think for a moment what you are doing to your family when you fail to be prepared. We must be prepared for any sort of emergency or disaster.

With our world in such turmoil it is to our best interests to stock up on extra food and supplies. Don't wait until the last moment and then rush to the store to stock your pantry. This won't work and you will only endanger yourself and your family. It is your responsibility to care and prepare for your family so why not start at home. It is up to you to take personal responsibility to provide for your family. Several items that people should prepare with include:

Valuable metals such as gold or silver which in an emergency could be used for bartering. Keep in mind that these precious metals will only be worth anything at the beginning of the crisis. As things get worse food will quickly take their place as a valuable commodity. Have a large portion of your cash readily available in an emergency. Banks during a crisis situation will not give you your money.

Have at least a 3 month supply of food and water. A years worth of these items would be better and should be your goal. These necessities should include bottled water. If you happen to have a private well you should still keep some purification tablets available.

Keep a healthy supply of batteries readily at hand. I personally prefer to recharge my batteries. I have a recharger plus I can connect it to the inverter in the BOV when on the road. In my emergency kit I have several different types of lights as well as an abundance of batteries. I have included a crank radio as well as a crank light just in case. I keep matches in my emergency kit as well as lighters. Incidentally if you decide to keep lighters in an emergency kit make sure that you stock up on lighter fluid or butane.

I would be foolish to go to all this trouble without maintaining some sort of weapons and ammo. My spare clothing is a normal compliment of sock, underwear, etc. I keep two BOB - One for winter and one for summer.

Additional items include things like 2 way radios, watches with cigarette lighters built in, a tent, an elaborate first aid kits, a generator, various fishing rods and tackle, Maps, as well as propane stoves.

I would like to think that I am ready for any emergency however from experience I am well aware that when it comes down to the wire I probably am missing something important.

From Unsafe Shortcuts to Insurance

Most DIY weekend warriors are not afraid to handle a saw and a hammer when the need arises. While the whole DIY industry encourages self-reliance and a reasonable amount of self-confidence, sometimes a professional's advice can definitely be of immense help.

Be fearless

According to Margeau Gilbert of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the shift from hiring contractors to becoming a mini-contractor is on the rise:

"Some homeowners are becoming mini-general contractors. The most intrepid will tear down walls, build additions on their houses, erect gazebos or waterfalls and decks. DIY projects are definitely in vogue right now."

DIY projects like painting are fast becoming normal activities, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute:

"The faux painting techniques are definitely number one. The results can be incredible when done correctly because painting is the least expensive way to make a change. It's also probably the easiest and most innocuous of DIY projects"

Know your limits

According to Ms. Gilberts:

"Insurance companies are wary of insuring DIY projects because many aren't up to code, have inferior materials, or were the product of unsafe shortcuts. I'm not saying that people who do DIY projects are purposely doing this.

Ms. Gilberts continues with:

"I'm saying that mistakes can be easily made. Above all, know your limits. If you're handy around tools and have a real comfort level reading manuals written in arcane language, then by all means, have fun."

Dangerous shortcuts

Perhaps one of the most dangerous shortcuts one can make is with electrical wires. When installing new electrical wires, make sure that the wires run smoothly inside the walls and that the wires will not twine or snag other wires.

Snags or intertwining electrical wires can cause fires. Insulating material and walls that have a 1-inch accommodation for summer expansion can cause a conflagration that can run a house to the ground in hours.

Another thing you have to watch out for is small repairs with water pipes. To save yourself the bother of paying for wasted water, make sure that any alteration to water pipes are supported with plenty of plumbing tape. Waterproof and inexpensive, plumbing tapes can seal a leak in seconds.

How to save more money with DIY projects

To make sure that you're maximizing the savings, consult a local contractor or builder and get an estimate. Simply bring with you the measurements of a particular projects (such as the wall area if you want to repaint) and ask for an estimate.

For a small fee, you can get a professional estimate and of course, advice on what paint to buy and how to efficiently coat your walls. Also, befriending your local contractors will ensure that you can easily call them when something goes wrong.

Large projects that require significant manpower must be handled carefully. If you think re-tiling the roof is too big a job for you, don't force yourself. Simply get a contractor and allow the professionals to finish the job for you. Sometimes, a DIY moment can wait. The important thing is your house is experiencing a make-over, not a gradual demolition.

The Importance of Redundancy Insurance

If one thing seems certain in the troubled economic times facing most of the world's economies at the moment, it is that very few jobs are as secure or free from the risk of enforced redundancy than they have been in the past. This is undoubtedly true in the UK, which is experiencing a current rush by those presently in work for redundancy insurance.

This is a particularly useful - yet eminently affordable - insurance that guarantees an alternative, replacement monthly income in the event of the policy holder being made compulsorily redundant. Even if the worst should happen, therefore, and the regular pay cheque from an employer suddenly disappears, there is for most householders still enough coming in to pay the bulk of the household bills and expenses.

Just how much of the normal, earned income is covered in this way is very much up to the individual policy holder, who decides in advance what proportion of his or her salary needs to be insured. With most forms of unemployment insurance this can be up to 50% of regularly earned income or £1,500, whichever is the lower amount. The specific terms and conditions of various policies will differ, of course, from one insurer to another, so these limits can also vary. However, all payments from a redundancy insurance policy will be tax free.

A further difference between the various redundancy insurance policies on the market is on the maximum length of time for which the monthly benefits will be payable during any one period of involuntary unemployment. Although some (more expensive policies) will offer payouts for up to 24 months, the most typical time limit is 12 months. This should give the average worker enough time to find alternative suitable employment.

Benefits will typically start to be paid to the policy holder anywhere between 30 - 90 days after they are made unemployed. This will depend on the individual provider's policy details, so it is imperative that anyone taking out unemployment cover is aware of when they would start to receive benefits in the event that they needed to make a claim.

One benefit to look out for, which not all policies provide, is back to day one cover. This is where the benefits are back paid to the first day of the claim after the 30 day waiting period. This ensures that the policy holder can take full advantage of the cover.

The cost of the redundancy cover should be investigated too by shopping around. Like the policy features and benefits can vary, so too can the cost - to quite a wide degree. Typically the independent brokers tend to offer cheaper unemployment cover than their contemporaries on the high street, with it often costing just a few pounds a month for every £100 worth of protection required.

Redundancy insurance provides a highly dependable, simple and straight forward way of securing a replacement income in the event of involuntary unemployment and can go a long way to ensuring that personal finances are kept fully in order during the interval between losing one job and finding alternative employment.

Insurance Quotes - General Information

These are the days when you and all your belongings can be insured in different categories. The unforeseen circumstances of our lives and secure environment that one of the main prerequisites for a peaceful and carefree life.

But the most common insurance plans life insurance, medical insurance, home insurance, auto insurance and mediclaim. You can insure your household items as well. His company and its services can also be insured under various schemes.

The terms, conditions, costs and benefits offered vary from one insurance company to another. Before buying any product, it is necessary to compare the facilities, the costs of printing and find different companies to come to the door. Asking prices for the various insurance companies and comparing them to help him gain more service at less cost.

Some companies engaged in online help to potential applicants to get free insurance quotes from different insurance companies in fast time, which can be a time and work hard for you to do everything alone.

The process is simple and easy. You simply have to fill out a simple form and to find and compare the rates and coverage it offers. You can determine the best policy to serve the insurance after comparing the prices offered by the online business.

Many people who have taken the services of these providers to ensure their reliability. To educate customers about the terms and conditions and explain the fine print for clients. This helps the customer to obtain a better perspective on the need for insurance, and insurance benefits earned by the laws and regulations of the land in relation to insurance.

Insurance quotes are indispensable in the field of insurance. Everyone needs to know what they're buying and what the benefits are before purchasing itself. Make sure this event only basic right.