Insurance is a contract between the insured and an insurance company that protects against the risk of large and calamitous loss.
The importance of home insurance cannot be undermined. There are two primary reasons why home owners buy home insurance. Firstly, a home is the most important asset belonging to a home owner, and the need to protect it is imperative. Secondly, mortgage lenders require home owners to own insurance to protect the lender’s investment form damage or loss.
The major risks covered by home owner’s insurance are:
Damage or loss to the home and other structures included on the property
Damage or loss to personal property items in the home
Injury or harm to third parties who come to your home
The home insurance covers the person insured and the members of his home. Third parties who come to your home are also covered through the liability portion of the insurance policy for injuries. Additionally, you and your family members also have some liability protection to others even while you were away from your home.
There are two distinct types of insurance under home insurance - Title insurance and Homeowner's insurance. They protect against totally different types of risks.
Homeowner's insurance covers loss or damage to the home, structures on the property, personal contents of the home, as well as third-party liability.
Title insurance, on the other hand protects ownership interests in the real property. Title insurance is purchased to guarantee that the home owner has a good and marketable title to the property. When purchasing a home by means of a loan, lenders require you to obtain title insurance. That way they know that you have clear ownership of the real property and the home.
The title insurance company conducts a search to find out what liens, encumbrances and defects are present to the title as it stands in the hands of the seller before you can obtain the loan. Once the title insurance coverage is obtained, the Title Company guarantees that the buyer has marketable title to the property after the purchase. Any liens, encumbrances and other defects to the title that occur during your ownership of the property, however, are not covered by this insurance
William Brister - http://www.businessproguide.com - A guide to all your business needs. http://www.insuranceproguide.com - Everything you should know about insurance
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Brister
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Home Owners Insurance Covers More Than Just the Home
Let us look at a scenario for a minute. It has been snowing for three days straight and you have not had the time to shovel the sidewalk free from snow. The mail person tries to deliver a package to your front door and slips and falls in an ice patch on your front porch. There is a broken leg and medical bills through the roof. Who is going to pay for the medical bills associated with that broken leg? The homeowner if they do not have homeowners insurance.
Homeowners insurance and renters insurance cover more than the physical home and the homes belongings. This insurance is there in case something happens to a person on your property. While you may not be directly at fault for the injury, legally if the injury occurred on your lands due to a "negligence", all medical bills can fall into your lap.
Depending on the location of the home, the insurance rates will vary widely. Some areas, such as central North Carolina, carry very low homeowners and renters insurance rates. Other parts of the United States, like Key West, Florida, will carry rates far higher due to the increased risk of hurricane and flood damage.
It is important to speak with your insurance representative about the homeowners insurance policy and the medical coverage in the policy. When the homeowner is renting out the home, it is important for the renter to carry insurance on the home as well. This will provide double coverage in the case that something goes wrong and the homeowner is facing a huge stack of medical bills through no fault of their own.
Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida specializing in Tampa Condos and also in2Va Team for Northern Virginia Real Estate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Vakulenko
Homeowners insurance and renters insurance cover more than the physical home and the homes belongings. This insurance is there in case something happens to a person on your property. While you may not be directly at fault for the injury, legally if the injury occurred on your lands due to a "negligence", all medical bills can fall into your lap.
Depending on the location of the home, the insurance rates will vary widely. Some areas, such as central North Carolina, carry very low homeowners and renters insurance rates. Other parts of the United States, like Key West, Florida, will carry rates far higher due to the increased risk of hurricane and flood damage.
It is important to speak with your insurance representative about the homeowners insurance policy and the medical coverage in the policy. When the homeowner is renting out the home, it is important for the renter to carry insurance on the home as well. This will provide double coverage in the case that something goes wrong and the homeowner is facing a huge stack of medical bills through no fault of their own.
Julia Vakulenko is a licensed broker associate with Tampa4U.com Realty. She has one of the hardest working Tampa Real Estate team in Florida specializing in Tampa Condos and also in2Va Team for Northern Virginia Real Estate.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julia_Vakulenko
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Getting The Protection That You Need With Loan Insurance
Loan insurance has always supposedly been designed to offer individual borrowers the peace of mind they need to feel safe n the knowledge that their debt is protected against ill health and unemployment. However, investigations into the payment protection insurance industry by the finance industry regulator Financial Services Authority have proved this not to be the case in the last year or so.
Instead of protecting the consumer, loan insurance was a cash cow for high street banks and lenders, providing them with a decent profit as a result of the strict terms and conditions that contain several exclusions. As a result of those very exclusions, many individuals were unable to claim on their loan insurance as and when they needed to. This may have resulted in their debts becoming even more severe and most certainly brought on financial difficulty through no fault of their own. As a result, in some cases, loan insurance represented very bad value indeed.
Some of the exclusions contained within the loan insurance small print should have been highlighted by sales representatives that sold the loan insurance to individuals in, but profits were apparently more important. This simply serves to highlight the fact that the general public needs to be more informed about loan insurance and what it can do for them.
It is most definitely up to the consumer to read the terms and conditions associated with the loan insurance that they are considering to make sure that they would qualify for a payout should they need to claim. This is absolutely necessary for peace of mind and also to escape the individuals that would dupe them for profits and results. Instead of being a statistic, consumers need to be pro active and help themselves because, as far as loan insurance is concerned, there are very organizations that will do it for them.
Simon Burgess is Managing Director of the award-winning British Insurance, a specialist provider of loan insurance, mortgage payment protection insurance and income protection insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Lance_Burgess
Instead of protecting the consumer, loan insurance was a cash cow for high street banks and lenders, providing them with a decent profit as a result of the strict terms and conditions that contain several exclusions. As a result of those very exclusions, many individuals were unable to claim on their loan insurance as and when they needed to. This may have resulted in their debts becoming even more severe and most certainly brought on financial difficulty through no fault of their own. As a result, in some cases, loan insurance represented very bad value indeed.
Some of the exclusions contained within the loan insurance small print should have been highlighted by sales representatives that sold the loan insurance to individuals in, but profits were apparently more important. This simply serves to highlight the fact that the general public needs to be more informed about loan insurance and what it can do for them.
It is most definitely up to the consumer to read the terms and conditions associated with the loan insurance that they are considering to make sure that they would qualify for a payout should they need to claim. This is absolutely necessary for peace of mind and also to escape the individuals that would dupe them for profits and results. Instead of being a statistic, consumers need to be pro active and help themselves because, as far as loan insurance is concerned, there are very organizations that will do it for them.
Simon Burgess is Managing Director of the award-winning British Insurance, a specialist provider of loan insurance, mortgage payment protection insurance and income protection insurance.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Simon_Lance_Burgess
Friday, September 19, 2008
Insurance to cover your Home Loan Payments
In this era of cut throat competition, where banks are introducing new schemes day after day, the insurance companies are not left behind. Private sector insurance companies have come up with innovative scheme where one can have a security of repayment of a loan if the borrower expires suddenly.
People do not prefer to take a home loan because of the risks associated with it. They are more worried about the uncertainties of life that holds them back from taking such a loan. Long loan tenure and repayment are among some of the top risks that come to the mind while opting for a housing loan.
As people are becoming more conscious about the uncertainties of life it make sense to pay a little extra and be secure of unexpected risks in the future. Introduction of schemes that protects a person against such risks is now becoming common.
Now-a-day the market is concentrated with several insurance products and innovation of home loan insurance schemes is the new attraction amongst the people. These schemes provide a wide range of choice for a person who wants to protect his home loan. Majority of these products currently available in the market are flexible enough and the premiums paid against them are eligible for tax exemption under the Income Tax Act.
Insurance schemes offered in the market have multiple options and a person can choose one that suits him the best. A variety of options can be combined together so that the policies can be modified to meet the specific requirement of a person. The premiums and returns differ according to the service provided under the policy
The insurance cover can be taken for entirely insurance purposes or for insurance and investment combined.
The policies that are based on entirely insurance purpose covers only the risk of non-payment due to a sudden demise of the borrower. Once the loan is repaid the insurance cover comes to an end and the borrower does not get anything. On the term's expiry, the borrower only gets the sum assured and the cover ceases without any maturity benefits. This is because term insurance plans are pure risk covers without any investment dimensions. Therefore, premiums under these plans are the lowest.
http://www.rupeetimes.com/news/home_loans/insurance_to_cover_your_home_loan_payments_1633.html
People do not prefer to take a home loan because of the risks associated with it. They are more worried about the uncertainties of life that holds them back from taking such a loan. Long loan tenure and repayment are among some of the top risks that come to the mind while opting for a housing loan.
As people are becoming more conscious about the uncertainties of life it make sense to pay a little extra and be secure of unexpected risks in the future. Introduction of schemes that protects a person against such risks is now becoming common.
Now-a-day the market is concentrated with several insurance products and innovation of home loan insurance schemes is the new attraction amongst the people. These schemes provide a wide range of choice for a person who wants to protect his home loan. Majority of these products currently available in the market are flexible enough and the premiums paid against them are eligible for tax exemption under the Income Tax Act.
Insurance schemes offered in the market have multiple options and a person can choose one that suits him the best. A variety of options can be combined together so that the policies can be modified to meet the specific requirement of a person. The premiums and returns differ according to the service provided under the policy
The insurance cover can be taken for entirely insurance purposes or for insurance and investment combined.
The policies that are based on entirely insurance purpose covers only the risk of non-payment due to a sudden demise of the borrower. Once the loan is repaid the insurance cover comes to an end and the borrower does not get anything. On the term's expiry, the borrower only gets the sum assured and the cover ceases without any maturity benefits. This is because term insurance plans are pure risk covers without any investment dimensions. Therefore, premiums under these plans are the lowest.
http://www.rupeetimes.com/news/home_loans/insurance_to_cover_your_home_loan_payments_1633.html
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Credit crunch: Insurers refuse coverage of some home loans, in areas
WASHINGTON -- Just when consumers and the U.S. economy need banks to lend more freely, the mortgage industry is making it harder to borrow -- even for those with good credit.
Mortgage insurers, whose backing is required for borrowers who can't afford the traditional 20 percent down payment on a home, have already flagged nearly a quarter of the nation's ZIP codes where they refuse to insure some home loans.
That encompasses a wide variety of neighborhoods: McMansions in Scottsdale, Ariz.; luxury Miami condos; 1960 ranch houses in Flint, Mich.; and early 20th century kit homes in Metuchen, N.J. -- and houses in Utah's St. George.
The entire states of California, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Nevada -- which have seen the highest foreclosure rates and the worst price declines -- are blackballed on some mortgage insurers' lists. Twenty-two zip codes in the St. George area were included on lists this month from AIG United Guaranty and Radian Guaranty that flagged "declining markets."
Banks that have lost billions because of bad bets during the housing boom are now reverting to strict lending standards not seen in nearly 20 years, according to industry data and interviews with lenders.
For new homebuyers and those seeking to refinance, it can mean higher down payments and a higher bar for credit scores, among other requirements. The toughest restrictions are in markets where home prices are falling, though regions where property values are rising are not immune.
"We're in the midst of an epic, broad, sweeping change in the mortgage industry," said Chris Sipe, a loan officer with America East Mortgage in Frederick, Md.
The reluctance to extend credit comes despite a flurry of government initiatives, including steady interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, intended to make it easier for would-be borrowers and those facing interest-rate resets on their mortgages.
Lenders' growing leeriness threatens to dampen sellers' already soggy prospects for the spring homebuying season -- and that means more pain for the already battered housing sector and the broader economy.
In recent weeks, mortgage insurers have flagged more than 9,600 ZIP codes in at least 34 states where they won't insure certain types of home loans -- those for investment properties or second homes, those with riskier adjustable-rate or interest-only mortgages, or for buyers making down payments of less than 3 percent.
With banks and mortgage insurers pulling back, state and federal programs for first-time buyers and people with poor credit are attempting to fill the void.
Don Brekke, an equipment operator from Colorado Springs, Colo., tried to buy a bank-owned 1950s ranch home for $113,000. At first, he couldn't get a loan because the house was in a potentially declining market and lenders required a 10 percent down payment, more than he could afford.
Ultimately, he was able to qualify for a 100 percent loan from Colorado's state financing authority, and he plans to close in the coming days.
"It was a bunch of headaches -- going around and around to get this done," Brekke said.
The combination of sinking home prices and tighter lending standards has been a major aggravation for Ron Broussard, a 38-year- old sales representative for a home builder.
Broussard took advantage of soaring Southern California property prices three years ago to refinance a loan on a house he had owned since the late 1990s. Today he's still stuck with a $720,000 mortgage and has been renting it out since moving with his family to Texas a year ago. Once appraised for $1.1 million, Broussard's lender now says it's worth about $300,000 less.
He does not yet owe more than the property is worth, but Broussard worries that is a possibility.
"The way the market's going, you know, who knows?" he said.
Broussard has found little sympathy from his lender, Countrywide Financial Corp. While Broussard accepts responsibility for taking out a mortgage whose monthly payments are due to skyrocket once the unpaid principal exceeds the home's value by 15 percent, he feels betrayed by the lender's unwillingness to negotiate better terms.
The stinginess of banks is showing up in home loan statistics: The value of all new mortgages plummeted to $450 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007, down 38 percent from a year earlier, according to trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance.
Subprime loans, made to borrowers with poor credit, virtually disappeared from the market, plummeting 90 percent to $13.5 billion in the October-December quarter.
There is a silver lining: The Federal Reserve has repeatedly cut interest rates, helping borrowers whose mortgages were just about to reset to higher rates and people with student loans. Reflecting the Fed's efforts, rates on 30-year mortgages dropped below 6 percent this week for the first time in more than a month.
But the long-term impact of the Fed's move is far from certain, and the central bank's actions could end up feeding inflation and pushing up long-term rates.
http://findarticles.com
Mortgage insurers, whose backing is required for borrowers who can't afford the traditional 20 percent down payment on a home, have already flagged nearly a quarter of the nation's ZIP codes where they refuse to insure some home loans.
That encompasses a wide variety of neighborhoods: McMansions in Scottsdale, Ariz.; luxury Miami condos; 1960 ranch houses in Flint, Mich.; and early 20th century kit homes in Metuchen, N.J. -- and houses in Utah's St. George.
The entire states of California, Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Ohio and Nevada -- which have seen the highest foreclosure rates and the worst price declines -- are blackballed on some mortgage insurers' lists. Twenty-two zip codes in the St. George area were included on lists this month from AIG United Guaranty and Radian Guaranty that flagged "declining markets."
Banks that have lost billions because of bad bets during the housing boom are now reverting to strict lending standards not seen in nearly 20 years, according to industry data and interviews with lenders.
For new homebuyers and those seeking to refinance, it can mean higher down payments and a higher bar for credit scores, among other requirements. The toughest restrictions are in markets where home prices are falling, though regions where property values are rising are not immune.
"We're in the midst of an epic, broad, sweeping change in the mortgage industry," said Chris Sipe, a loan officer with America East Mortgage in Frederick, Md.
The reluctance to extend credit comes despite a flurry of government initiatives, including steady interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, intended to make it easier for would-be borrowers and those facing interest-rate resets on their mortgages.
Lenders' growing leeriness threatens to dampen sellers' already soggy prospects for the spring homebuying season -- and that means more pain for the already battered housing sector and the broader economy.
In recent weeks, mortgage insurers have flagged more than 9,600 ZIP codes in at least 34 states where they won't insure certain types of home loans -- those for investment properties or second homes, those with riskier adjustable-rate or interest-only mortgages, or for buyers making down payments of less than 3 percent.
With banks and mortgage insurers pulling back, state and federal programs for first-time buyers and people with poor credit are attempting to fill the void.
Don Brekke, an equipment operator from Colorado Springs, Colo., tried to buy a bank-owned 1950s ranch home for $113,000. At first, he couldn't get a loan because the house was in a potentially declining market and lenders required a 10 percent down payment, more than he could afford.
Ultimately, he was able to qualify for a 100 percent loan from Colorado's state financing authority, and he plans to close in the coming days.
"It was a bunch of headaches -- going around and around to get this done," Brekke said.
The combination of sinking home prices and tighter lending standards has been a major aggravation for Ron Broussard, a 38-year- old sales representative for a home builder.
Broussard took advantage of soaring Southern California property prices three years ago to refinance a loan on a house he had owned since the late 1990s. Today he's still stuck with a $720,000 mortgage and has been renting it out since moving with his family to Texas a year ago. Once appraised for $1.1 million, Broussard's lender now says it's worth about $300,000 less.
He does not yet owe more than the property is worth, but Broussard worries that is a possibility.
"The way the market's going, you know, who knows?" he said.
Broussard has found little sympathy from his lender, Countrywide Financial Corp. While Broussard accepts responsibility for taking out a mortgage whose monthly payments are due to skyrocket once the unpaid principal exceeds the home's value by 15 percent, he feels betrayed by the lender's unwillingness to negotiate better terms.
The stinginess of banks is showing up in home loan statistics: The value of all new mortgages plummeted to $450 billion in the fourth quarter of 2007, down 38 percent from a year earlier, according to trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance.
Subprime loans, made to borrowers with poor credit, virtually disappeared from the market, plummeting 90 percent to $13.5 billion in the October-December quarter.
There is a silver lining: The Federal Reserve has repeatedly cut interest rates, helping borrowers whose mortgages were just about to reset to higher rates and people with student loans. Reflecting the Fed's efforts, rates on 30-year mortgages dropped below 6 percent this week for the first time in more than a month.
But the long-term impact of the Fed's move is far from certain, and the central bank's actions could end up feeding inflation and pushing up long-term rates.
http://findarticles.com
Friday, August 1, 2008
Tata Capital to enter home loans business
K.R.Srivats
New Delhi, Aug 1 Tata Capital Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited, plans to enter the booming home loan market by March 2009, its Managing Director and CEO, Mr Praveen P Kadle, has said.
“Although we will be a late entrant in this market, we see good business opportunities in offering home loans. We hope to start this by March next year”, Mr Kadle said here.
Tata Capital, a non-banking finance company, had commenced its operations in 2007. This had marked the entry of Tata Group into a host of new financial services. Currently, the company was capitalised at about Rs 2,000 crore and offered suite of products across multiple financial domains—personal loans, car loans, distribution and broking, wealth management, SME Finance, capital markets, private equity and infrastructure finance.
PE Fund
Mr Kadle also said that Tata Capital would by end-September launch its first private equity fund targeted at opportunities in mid-sized companies. While the size of the fund was yet to be finalised, indications are that the initial fund size may be around $ 250 million. Plans are afoot to also launch a venture capital fund focusing on the technology space (information technology/telecom).
Currently, the balance sheet size of Tata Capital is around Rs 4,000 crore. On whether the company would look at inorganic growth, Mr Kadle noted that most of the opportunities here were expensive. “Indian valuations are expensive. Inorganic growth may not be attractive, but that does not mean we will not look at inorganic growth”, he said.
Insurance broking
Meanwhile, Tata Capital would soon foray into insurance broking. “A subsidiary of Tata Motors has got licence for insurance broking from IRDA. This company would eventually come under Tata Capital. We will also get into commodities broking soon”, Mr Kadle said.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/02/stories/2008080252280600.htm
New Delhi, Aug 1 Tata Capital Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited, plans to enter the booming home loan market by March 2009, its Managing Director and CEO, Mr Praveen P Kadle, has said.
“Although we will be a late entrant in this market, we see good business opportunities in offering home loans. We hope to start this by March next year”, Mr Kadle said here.
Tata Capital, a non-banking finance company, had commenced its operations in 2007. This had marked the entry of Tata Group into a host of new financial services. Currently, the company was capitalised at about Rs 2,000 crore and offered suite of products across multiple financial domains—personal loans, car loans, distribution and broking, wealth management, SME Finance, capital markets, private equity and infrastructure finance.
PE Fund
Mr Kadle also said that Tata Capital would by end-September launch its first private equity fund targeted at opportunities in mid-sized companies. While the size of the fund was yet to be finalised, indications are that the initial fund size may be around $ 250 million. Plans are afoot to also launch a venture capital fund focusing on the technology space (information technology/telecom).
Currently, the balance sheet size of Tata Capital is around Rs 4,000 crore. On whether the company would look at inorganic growth, Mr Kadle noted that most of the opportunities here were expensive. “Indian valuations are expensive. Inorganic growth may not be attractive, but that does not mean we will not look at inorganic growth”, he said.
Insurance broking
Meanwhile, Tata Capital would soon foray into insurance broking. “A subsidiary of Tata Motors has got licence for insurance broking from IRDA. This company would eventually come under Tata Capital. We will also get into commodities broking soon”, Mr Kadle said.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/02/stories/2008080252280600.htm
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Home Insurance Guide - Secure Your Home With Home Insurance
Home insurance refers to an insurance policy that is a combination of personal insurance protections. Home insurance policy protect against certain accidents that can happen at the home. It is also known as homeowners insurance. Home is a largest investment for all thats why home insurance policy is essential to protect your home. Home insurance policies generally provide coverage against theft, fire, lightening, smoke, frozen pipes, ice and snow.
Cost of home insurance depends on the cost that is required to replace the house. It is a contract including all items that should be covered or not. Home insurance policy normally doesn’t include claims against earthquakes, floods, war or ‘Acts of God’. Sometimes homeowners can purchase special insurance that provide protection against flood and earthquake.
Home insurance policy is a contract that works for a limited period of time. Insured party has to pay an amount of premium to the insurer for each term. Sometimes insurer charges a lower premium. Another type of home insurance is perpetual insurance that is not fixed for a fixed term and can be acquired in some areas.
Buyers should read all contents of the policy at the time of purchase. They should maintain a list of personal property and review their insurance policy annually. They should read all terms & conditions before signing any type of contract.
About Author: The author owns a website on Home Insurance. Website provides information about home insurance, homeowners insurance, and some tips to buy home insurance policy at cheap rates. To get more information click: Homeowners Insurance
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gagandeep_Dhaliwal
Cost of home insurance depends on the cost that is required to replace the house. It is a contract including all items that should be covered or not. Home insurance policy normally doesn’t include claims against earthquakes, floods, war or ‘Acts of God’. Sometimes homeowners can purchase special insurance that provide protection against flood and earthquake.
Home insurance policy is a contract that works for a limited period of time. Insured party has to pay an amount of premium to the insurer for each term. Sometimes insurer charges a lower premium. Another type of home insurance is perpetual insurance that is not fixed for a fixed term and can be acquired in some areas.
Buyers should read all contents of the policy at the time of purchase. They should maintain a list of personal property and review their insurance policy annually. They should read all terms & conditions before signing any type of contract.
About Author: The author owns a website on Home Insurance. Website provides information about home insurance, homeowners insurance, and some tips to buy home insurance policy at cheap rates. To get more information click: Homeowners Insurance
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gagandeep_Dhaliwal
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