My Personal Finance Blog

Depending on the breed of your dog, you may either not qualify to receive insurance from certain companies or you may face a significantly higher home insurance premium. Many insurers believe certain types of dog to be dangerous and therefore high-risk. So although dog owners consider their pet to be as much as family-member as anybody else, they must also be considered expensive assets in terms of homeowner insurance.

There is a debate raging between dog owners, organizations and home insurance companies around the topic of breed discrimination. As the temperament of dogs can vary greatly even within a breed, it is controversial to consider any one breed more high-risk than another. Never-the-less, dog owners should be aware of whether their particular breed is deemed dangerous by their insurer so they can estimate their liability coverage and the price of their quotes.

The factors and criteria by which homeowner insurance companies determine how dangerous different canine breeds are can vary between companies. Dog owners should be well aware of how dangerous their pet is deemed to be before taking out or renewing their cover.

Because of the varying criteria used by different companies to determine the risk-level of each breed, dog owners should research and compare home insurance extensively before settling for a policy. They should also speak to an agent for guidance but shouldn’t be surprised if the agent refuses to offer any cover at all or if he/she does, it is at a high rate.

The size of the dog is a key factor in how dogs are evaluated for home insurance. Small dogs are less likely to be a problem as they might be less likely to bite. Larger dogs, however, will always be evaluated by how violent they are, could be or the harm they are capable of inflicting.

The bite is another key factor is determining the risk level. Breeds with a history of inflicting frequent bites to humans are inevitably going to cost more to insure than those without. Unfortunately, the dog owner has to pay the price, fairly or unfairly, for the history of the breed of his dog. However, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 4.5 million Americans suffer dog bites every year so it is an important factor that must be carefully considered.

Reputation of the breed is also a key factor. Insurance companies collect reports involving dogs made by authorities such as the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and use them to judge the risk level of the breed and how dangerous it is to its owner.

Highest risk Canine Breeds according to Homeowner insurers

The following breeds are considered as the most high-risk and those homeowners should avoid:

• Akita
• Alaskan Malamute
• Chow Chow
• Doberman Pinscher
• German Shepherd
• Pit Bull
• Presa Canario
• Rottweiler
• Siberian Husky
• Staffordshire Bull Terrier
• Wolf hybrid

Dog owners with any of the above breeds can expect to pay a high homeowners insurance premium. In some cases, dog owners can consider themselves lucky even to find a homeowners insurance provider willing to insure them and their beloved pet.

The Baja Peninsula is a diverse and intriguing place. If you would like to explore it, you have many wonderful options. Before you get too serious about your plans, though, you need to take care of one important thing: Mexican auto insurance. The number-one way to stay safe during any visit to Baja is by purchasing Mexican insurance. That being said, you may be looking for a great place to go hiking. It’s difficult to beat the excitement of Picacho del Diablo, which is the tallest peak on the peninsula. It is wildly popular with hikers, climbers and other adventurers, so you can rest assured that plenty of people will be there when you go.

The Basics of Picacho del Diablo

Picacho del Diablo rises to 10,154 feet above sea level. It’s hard to miss, and it’s a joy to climb. From San Diego, the drive to this peak is about 250 miles. Despite the relatively short distance, the drive takes most people the better part of a day. While the going is smooth and quick when you first enter Baja California, it gets slower the further south you go. You should plan on dedicating a day to making your way down to this popular peak, which is located in a national park.

Why Mexican Auto Insurance?

You shouldn’t attempt the drive down to Picacho del Diablo without proper insurance. Mexico insurance auto liability coverage is super cheap; it’s also really easy to find online. You can technically purchase it at the border, but it’s much better to buy it online. You will be in your car for nearly a day on your way down to this popular mountain. If you are involved in an accident at any point, you will need to show proof of car insurance for Mexico. The cops routinely detain people for being unable to show proof of this important coverage in any auto accident.

Other Details

Like most parts of Mexico, Picacho del Diablo and the surrounding area can be unbearably hot during the middle of the summer. Most of your hike will occur at elevations of more than 6,000 feet, though, so you won’t have to deal with uncomfortable temps the whole way. Many climbers prefer to come during September or May. That has a lot to do with the fact that rain is much more likely during July and August. If you’d like to avoid rain and thunderstorms, you should avoid those two months. Other than that, you are sure to have an amazing time climbing this mountain.

Are you satisfied with the quality of coverage you get for the money you pay? Of course, most of us think that cheap means low-quality and tend to overpay just believing that this will give them better insurance or services. In fact, it is not so. Paying too much money for insurance often leads only to over-spending money and doesn’t increase the quality of coverage you get. So if money is vital to you and you want to lower your insurance costs, here are some simple tips how to do it:

Lower theft risk: The majority of new cars carry anti-theft features. And the more such features your car has the lower will be your insurance premiums. Theft is one of the major risks for insurance companies, especially in urban areas, and if you do something to prevent such risks your policy will be much cheaper.

Multiple car discounts: Sometimes insuring two cars can cost you the same amount of money as insuring a single vehicle. People often get pleasantly surprised with multiple car discounts they can get from their insurance companies when asking for one. It’s much cheaper to have a single policy covering all your cars rather than separate policies for each individually. Even if you think of selling your second car, it is better to get it insured too because it will allow you to opt for the multiple car discount. But when you actually sell the car and report it to your insurer it is quite likely that your rates will go up.

Get one-year policies: Not only you save yourself from the hassle of looking for a new policy every six months instead of a year, but you also get fixed rates for a longer period of time. Which is quite nice if you find a cheap policy initially.

Storage discounts: In case you will be storing your car for a certain period of time, it would be smart to inform your insurance company about it. Because during that time you aren’t likely to be needing any collision or liability coverage, making your car insurance much cheaper during the storage period.

Check your exact mileage: When the insurance agent asks you how much mile you drive within a certain period of time, it is better to be as precise as possible. Your mileage strongly affects your rates, so if you drive only a few miles to work and back it is good to know how much “a few” really is.

Opt for group discounts: In case you are a member of a credit union, college association, driver’s club or any other organization, you can opt for a group discount on your car insurance in case the organization is affiliated to your insurance company.

EFT payments are cheaper: You might notice that every time you pay for car insurance by mail, you are charged more than by any other means. Start using your banking account for settling payments: it’s not only more convenient but actually cheaper.

This may sound quite interesting to those business owners who have to deal with alcohol. Because liquor liability insurance is a form of commercial insurance that protects the business from legal action on behalf of the consumers who harm or injure themselves or others from consuming the product (alcoholic beverage). In case your enterprise produces, bottles, distributes or sells any alcoholic drinks, this type of insurance will definitely be helpful.

Liquor liability coverage is somewhat similar to product liability insurance and can be sold as an integral part of it, or as a stand-alone policy, depending on the insurance provider. However, you have to keep in mind that this type of insurance coverage is not included into your standard commercial insurance, which will be unable to protect you if such claims arise.

Keep in mind that this type of insurance coverage can be quite costly, with rates varying from state to state. In fact, experts say that only 35% of enterprises that should carry it actually have it in their insurance policies. It’s partially caused by the common belief within the hospitality industry that there is no such thing as liability with drunk patrons. And while it’s still a subject for intense debate, insurance companies continue to add exceptions to such policies, sometimes making them completely useless when legal action comes.

If your business is located in a “dram shop liability” state and deals with alcoholic beverage as a source of income, then such liability coverage is a must.

What your liquor liability policy should carry:

• Assault and Battery Coverage – In most cases bars, pubs and restaurants face claims caused by drunk fights. That is why your business insurance policy should carry assault and battery liability coverage. Otherwise, there’s not much sense in having such a policy at all.
• Defense Costs Included – One of the biggest parts of expenses in such claims for your business are of course attorney fees. Insurance companies understanding that, quite often exclude defense costs from the coverage amount. And this often means that you won’t have quite much to spend on a skilled lawyer that will be able to defend your interests in court effectively, even if you have a $500,000 business insurance policy.
• Employees Included – In case your business serves alcoholic drinks, then your workers will drink no matter what the rules say. And most insurance companies will exclude your workers from liability coverage. It’s good to have your workers insured as patrons.
• Damage Definition Includes Mental Damages – Some policies exclude non-physical damage from coverage stating that it’s not a direct form of damage. Make sure to get a policy where stress, psychological damage and anguish are also regarded as damage to the patron.
• Reduced Premiums Based on Safety and Claims – Some business insurance companies specialized in providing insurance to bars and restaurants sometimes offer free trainings to policy holders’ employees on how to reduce the damage and improve safety of their business. Having no claim history can even let you opt for a considerable discount, so ask your insurer for one if you comply.

When you set your mind on the development of your future business and compete for success there’s a certain thing that you always have to remember about: risk. Risk is an inevitable part of any business enterprise no matter how “safe” it may look in theory. Just like your car may crash into another car, your business can become a victim of a natural disaster, legal liability or other risk that will make your efforts useless. That is where insurance can serve you right.

What do you need in terms of coverage?

The amounts of coverage and types of coverage to be included into your policy depend on the size of your business and what does exactly. In case your business uses rent space it is better to ask your landlord if there are any specific insurance requirements your business has to meet. It is quite possible that your landlord or leasing company will require you to buy commercial property insurance. This type of insurance covers mostly the building itself and the items contained in your office.

Think about liability insurance

Even if your business has the form of a corporation that limits your personal legal responsibility in case of legal claims, there are situations when you can be held responsible in person for your company’s actions. This where liability coverage kicks in. Liability insurance coverage will protect you and your business from legal action and depending on the type of your enterprise’s activities you can purchase various specific types of liability protection.

Even if your business produces the safest of products or offers virtually harmless services there’s just always a possibility that someone will sue you. And there are too many companies that have ceased their operation due to legal following, being uncovered by liability insurance. So try to evaluate the risk your activities may pose to third parties or your workers and get a coverage amount that will be able to pay for all the costs involved.

Make a friend out of your insurance agent

Your insurance agent is the person responsible for all your business insurance connection and maintaining a good relationship with the person is important. Of course, you shouldn’t be too insisting. Make sure that the person you’re working with clearly understands your business insurance needs and makes it possible for you to get adequate coverage without overpaying. There will be agents who will try to sell you as many policies they can, and you should avoid them. Insurance agents are like family doctors, who can either help you or make you pay a fortune for medications you don’t need.

Make part of an association

If there’s a special association of businesses similar to yours offering you membership, it would be wise to join. There are numerous benefits of joining a business association, one of them being competitive business insurance rates for their members. And these rates can save you much more money than you will have to pay for the membership. Just think about that.