Cbay versus Spheris

The continuing decline of Spheris in MT industry makes one perplexed as to why the MT giant lost the battle to its Indian counterpart Cbay Systems which is continuing to grow at a pace that is now compared to even Infosys and Wipro. Just a couple years ago, you asked anyone in India, which is the biggest medical transcription company in India and pat came the reply, Healthscribe (Now Spheris or Cbay don't know for sure!!!), but things are different now. The continuing losses at Spheris have been accumulating for years. The Spheris management has blamed a combination of factors, from delays in implementing technology to lost business as customers defect in an industry splintering under pricing pressures. According to Spheris Inc. CEO Dan Kohl, not a happy man these days, “I am not satisfied with where we are at this point. I want to see a clear sign that customers are happy with us and that we’ve begun to really turn the corner in a positive way, which will mean signing some new business, feeling good about that and stopping the losses.”

The eternal question everyone has on their mind is can Spheris right the ship and retain its No. 2 market position in US and now in India is a question that is perhaps most worrisome to its strong workforce both in US as well as India as well as about 500 health systems, hospitals, and group practices throughout the United States that have for so long depended on the excellent services rendered to them by Spheris.

But the financial status is really very sad. The net revenue, which reached $52.3 million in the first quarter of fiscal year 2007, has fallen every consecutive quarter since, to $40 million in the second quarter of 2009. After that the company terminated its voluntary registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and after three weeks the CEO Kohl resigned after just 13 months into the job, and Spheris announced that they have hired a new high-powered turnaround consulting firm to sail the company through the troubled water by debt restructuring.

Thus started speculations and the rumor mills about Spheris's future. By closing the curtains on its finances, Spheris has opened the door to speculation regarding its future. The Nashville Business Journals apparently referring to my earlier blog post "Cbay, Spheris, Medquist or they are alll one now" said, "Whispers range from a sale to a bankruptcy, with the former gaining steam in the past week after a blogger in India reported competitor Cbay Systems Ltd. had struck a deal to buy Spheris’ operations in that country."

Both Spheris and Cbay have declined to address the potential sale, though no one has denied the deal. Though Spheris is trying to its best to sound most optimistic and in fact according to Spheris spokeswoman Lisa DeMoss, “Customers are a central focus in this process, and we are confident that we are taking the right steps to meet the needs of Spheris’ customers and position the company for a successful future. We are pleased with our progress to date and will continue to focus on both our operational and financial initiatives.” The fact is that there is suspicion over Spheris's ownership as well.  According to reports, private equity firms Warburg Pincus and TowerBrook Capital Partners as the majority shareholders in the company sharing about 83 percent stakes between them, 55 percent of Warburg Pincus and 28 percent TowerBrook Capital Partners. However, the interesting fact is that Warburg Pincus does not include Spheris its list of portfolio companies on its Web site, though TowerBrook’s portfolio list does include Spheris.

The new consulting firm Spheris is now under the direction of is Capstone Advisory Group, which hopefully will be able to sail Spheris through these difficult financial times. Bob Butler from Capstone is the new CEO of Spheris who has to carve out a debt restructuring plan to come out of the financial mess, which is like the company owed $75.2 million under its senior secured credit facility and another $125 million in senior subordinated notes as of June 2009.

With stiff competition from Medquist and Cbay (or are they both one) as well as other major players and independent contractors working from home for an estimated $15 billion industry, the uncertain future is looming large on Spheris and so the worries keep growing for their strong workforce both in US and India. While things are looking very grim for Spheris, Cbay continues to grow at an amazing pace, so if they both became one (or are they already are in India???), it will bring a lot of respite to at least Spheris' strong workforce in India.  Lets keep our fingers crossed...



© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Individual Health Service Plan

What is an individual health insurance plan? Speaking technically, it is an agreement between the insurer and the customer regulating that the insurer will pay for listed customer's medical services in case of an emergency against a certain fine. But the main question that many people are asking is about the elements to be considered before going with such an individual health insurance option.

There's no doubt that the quality of medical and preventive services has made a huge leap forward compared to say 50 years ago. sciences have made rapid advancements in today's world. Still, going off without health insurance is quite a risky decision even taking all the progress into account. Today, insurance companies are competing for customers, trying to offer the most advanced health insurance plans that would include just any thing imaginable for a reasonable price. So if you aren't employed with a big company or your employer doesn't provide group health insurance options, getting an individual health insurance plan is the right thing to consider.

We recommend you to consult with your insurance agent or broker in case your individual policy makes part of an integrated group health insurance policy. Sometimes such options are more costly than simple individual plans but in contrast provide more opportunities and larger coverage. In case you're married be sure to check with your partner's employer if they can include you in their group health insurance plan. And if there are no other options left, individual health insurance policy is just what you need. Even if the rates would be higher than with group health insurance or your coverage will be limited, still it's a far better option than simply going off without any medical coverage in case of an illness or exceptional situation. It's better to find a health insurance expert who will help you find cheap health insurance solutions for individuals with respect to your financial abilities and actual needs.

And there are plenty of options to choose between when going with an individual health insurance plan - Preferred Provider Organization, Health Maintenance Organization, High Deductible Health Insurance or Health Savings Accounts Qualified High Deductible.

When thinking of an individual health insurance plan experts recommend considering health savings account plans that cater certain benefits for the customer. This way you will be able to save some additional amounts of money on a monthly basis by decreasing your premiums. And this type of plans also offers tax favored savings accounts so you should think well about going with that option if you want cheap health insurance with certain benefits like the money accumulated each year with your savings.

Even if your employer provides group health insurance solutions you still may want to get an additional health insurance plan to cover things not included in your group policy. In such case you will have to get an individual health insurance policy and tailor it to your exact needs. That is also a very good option if you have family members not included in your employer's plan.



© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Unable to download Skype!!!

Now this is the problem which I think everyone across the globe is getting while trying to download Skype. Problem occurred when I had uninstalled my Skype a few months back and needed to install it once again for some of my assignments. Went to Skype site, clicked on download, downloading started at a great speed around 40 KB/sec. The 1.6 MB of data downloaded in less than a minute and then it stopped downloading any further. Tried multiple attempts but in vein. Looked for all the possible resources and forums on Google, but still no luck. I think everybody is having the same problem. Then after Googling for another 10 minutes, found one link to download the full Skype version (22 MB file) and to my utmost surprise, the link worked. The link is from a site called Redbus. Don't know the problem with Skype people that you cannot download from their own site, but can download easily from some foreign site. Is it some kind of dirty game that Skype is playing here where they may be offering that particular site some great incentives to make you able to download from their site. Well, the answer I don't know, but still this whole process smells fishy to me. What say guys???



© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Are Resveratrol Pills the best way to prevent aging?

The eternal French favorite for centuries, the ooh-la-la style of sipping those bloody red beverage, the very mention of the name of which gives the wine connoisseur across the globe a high, the RED WINE is now slated to change the life of the entire human being...thanks to a phytoalexin called Resveratrol. After studying for more than 16 years on the so-called French paradox that is that French despite a high fat diet and a very high consumption of wine have on average a very low incidences of heart disease compared to Americans. So, the scientists across the globe started researching on that magic product in the red wine the French love to sip so often and finally identified a substance called Resveratrol which they found not only beneficial in reducing heart ailments but also help in significantly extending life by preventing a large number of age-related diseases.

So, should we start drinking Red Wine everyday? The answer, according to the physicians, is no because though taken in moderate quantity, it is beneficial to heart, the alcohol content in wine makes it detrimental to use in the long term because alcohol increases triglycerides, one of the major contributors to one's developing heart disease. So, what to do? Well, take a Resveratrol pill like a
Revgenetics Resveratrol. These pills contain a high amount of Resveratrol in them slowing down the aging process and thus helping one in feeling more rejuvenated and younger. These pills claim to contain as much as 5 to 250 mg of Resveratrol per pill depending on the size and brand of the pill. Many companies across the globe are claiming to produce the best quality Resveratrol pills like Longevinex and Revgenetics and they are offering various sorts of discounts and coupon like Revgenetics Discount and Revgenetics Coupon.

The benefits of Resveratrol as claimed by the companies promoting this magic substance are end-less like,

* It is all natural, so no chemical or medical side effects.
* Provides a longer and healthier life.
* Makes one feel younger and stronger and rejuvenated.
* Treating against obesity.
* It helps to induce increased fat loss.
* Increases metabolism.
* Helps in treating and preventing diabetes.
* Prevention against cellular damage.
* Prevention against retinopathy.
* Prevention against kidney disease.
* Prevention against heart disease, myocardial infarctions, and stroke.
* Anti-inflammatory benefits.
* Prevents against developing and spreading of cancer cells.
* Decreases the risk of blood clotting.
* Helps prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

So, if all these factors are to be believed, we can certainly give us an extra decade of healthy old age by regularly using Reservatrol pills. Further studies are recommended before actually going for the pills, but if scientists are to be believed the pills are all beneficial and nothing to lose, but only go for the genuine branded products.



© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Happy Republic Day!!!

Well the day has come to celebrate again...the 61st Republic Day.  I would like to sincerely wish all the people across the globe a very prosperous and peaceful year ahead and to all my fellow Indians across the globe a Very Happy Republic Day.

Republic Day marks the day in the year 1950 when India became republic and a new constitution, the biggest in the world, came into effect on January 26, 1950.  Having gained independence on August 15, 1947, Indian went 3 years of transition phase to bring all the independent kings and nawabs and independent rulers to bring under democracy that is a government of people, by the people and for the people, though many people won't really agree with this definition of democracy now a days, but still theoretically that is what democracy means.

In any case, its time to celebrate, time to send messages to the friend, family, relatives and nears and dears one on the occasion of the 61st Republic Day of India. So, once again...to one and everyone...A VERY HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY!!!





© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Things to do after a car accident

Of course, the environment can be a factor contributing to accident risk. Bad weather, rain, snow, strong wind - the likelihood of an accident to occur in such conditions is certainly quite high. But still, it's much easier and cheaper to try to avoid an accident rather than having to deal with the consequences. Not to say that accidents are quite hazardous and can be deadly even if you're not speeding. However, if you faced an accident, it really helps to remember certain things that will help you cope with the situation as effectively as possible. Here are some things to keep in mind that will actually help you.

It would be very good if you've had these tips printed and stored somewhere in your car, because it is so easy to forget everything when being in a stress situation. And having an accident, regardless of how serious it is, is surely a stressful situation.

First of all, you should do everything possible in order not to panic. Try to calm down and examine the situation. See what damage has your and the other party's car sustained, ask if anyone's injured. Other people's health and life has priority than car damage, so if there's anyone hurt call for medical assistance in the first place and then get busy with the vehicles. It may be a single scratch or a serious crash, so being cool-headed and able to evaluate and react accordingly is very important.

Cooperate with the police and tell everything they ask you too. Escaping the scene is not a very bright idea, because it will cause much more trouble and legal action when they find you. And it will be almost impossible to get car insurance coverage if your accident is not documented with the police. No matter who's at fault in the accident, be there and tell everything as it happened. This will make it a lot easier and faster for everyone involved.

Don't let yourself go. Try talking only to the policeman, answer all the questions in an informative manner. Of course, it is quite hard to remain calm, especially when you're not at fault and the other party starts talking to you aggressively. Getting caught in an argue will only make things worse. So keep the conversations to a minimum, speaking in details only to the police and your car insurance company.

Take note of everything you can. When an accident takes place, people sometimes forget to write down the info of the other party involved, which only makes the coverage process longer. Make sure you have all the names, contacts and details written down. Before the police arrive, it really helps to call your insurance agent for an advice, and he or she will surely ask you to learn the other party's insurance company.

In general, your insurance company should be the first to know about the accident, so it really makes sense of having their contact number somewhere in your wallet. Ask how to proceed and tell everything required as it will ease the process of filing and processing your car insurance claim.



© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Health Savings Account (HSA)

The Health Savings Account (HSA) has a colorful reputation. Depending on who you ask, it's either the best thing ever to come on to the healthcare market, representing a sweet investment opportunity for the healthy and wealthy, or it's an unaffordable luxury plan of no relevance to the ordinary, low- and middle-income American. Well, let's start with a simple definition. As the name suggests, an HSA is a savings account where you make provision for the need to pay all the obvious medical and long-term care expenses including some not included in the average health plan, e.g. dental care and drugs bought over-the-counter. Because this is for an approved medical purpose, the savings are "tax free", i.e. come out of your pre-tax income. You can deposit up to $2,900 per year as an individual. It doubles to $5,800 for a family. The income rolls over, i.e. it accumulates with the investment returns also being exempt from tax. To encourage you to make active use of the account, it's portable, i.e. you can move it from one job to another. It also remains valid whether you are unemployed or taking a voluntary rest between jobs. If you need to make a withdrawal, this is tax free so long as used for healthcare purposes. After you reach the age of 65, you can access these funds for any purpose, i.e. this can be a tax-free retirement savings fund.

If we stopped here, this would look a good opportunity for most people with a little surplus income. But an HSA must be paired with a high-deductible health plan. The minimum deductible must be $1,100 for an individual, doubling to $2,200 for a family. If a claim arises, you therefore pay this deductible and all the associated copayments and out-of-pocket expenses up to $5,600 (which doubles to $11,200 for a family) before the plan pays out. Thus, you may find treatment for an injury or illness eats into your savings or unused credit. Although the premium on a high-deductible plan will be lower than for the conventional plan, the savings will always be less than the potential out-of-pocket payments you have to make. Worse, if your health fails and you need more regular treatment, you will never realize the long-term benefits of an HSA. The money will never accumulate to give you real tax benefits. HSAs work best if you never make a claim. You will also be hit by higher administrative and transaction fees. If this gives you an incentive to refuse healthcare to maximize your tax benefits, this is a bad plan. Healthcare decisions should be driven by your medical needs, not financial advantage.

So, if you have good health and your financial resources will absorb the out-of-pocket payments should your health suffer, you should include an HSA in your request for health insurance quotes. The high-deductible premiums are among the cheapest you will find. But if you prefer the idea of a health plan where the insurance company picks up most of the bills, the HSA is not for you. You should focus your request for health insurance quotes on the conventional policies.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Pay-as-you-drive policy

A group representing the insurance regulators has been meeting over the last few days. There have been a number of issues on their agenda, but the most interesting has been whether to adopt a policy for every state to require its local insurance companies to offer pay-as-you-drive policies. These policies have a simple purpose. If motorists drive less, there's a reduction in the level of greenhouse gas emissions. This is a good thing because it will cut down on the overall damage to the environment. No matter what you believe about climate change, this will improve the health of the many who suffer from skin allergies and asthma caused by the pollution. The insurance companies therefore reduce the premiums for those who drive less. Not only is this environmentally responsible, it's also good business sense. Lowering premiums attracts more business, but if these drivers reduce the number of miles they drive a year, their risk profile is lower. They should be involved in fewer accidents. This becomes a way of reducing premiums but maintaining profitability.

The regulators advocating this mandatory approach were using a number of other programs as their model. In the appliance industry, there are rating standards called Energy Star. As an example of using this program to promote environmentally sound practice, Maryland is offering an appliance rebate scheme if local people buy energy-efficient refrigerators, water heaters and washing machines. In the building industry, there's a national building code called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). A certificate issued by the US Green Building Council confirms the design meets the nationally accepted benchmarks for sustainability. Because of the savings in running costs, rents are usually lower and business benefits. Applying the same principles to vehicle insurance assumes drivers will act rationally when offered lower prices and drive less. The Brookings Institution estimates the introduction of this pricing model across the country would reduce the use of private vehicles for travel by about 8%. This would save every household about $300 a year and reduce emotions by about 2%. But the regulators decided not to force the adoption of this format of policy.

The reason for leaving this on a voluntary basis is the desire to encourage innovation, not to force it These policies are available in an increasing number of US states and represent an excellent way for you to buy cheap car insurance. But there's no standardisation. You will have to look carefully at the detail of each policy on offer to decide whether it's for you. Remember that, in some cases, the price of this cheap car insurance is the use of technology to spy on the number of miles you actually drive. Not all drivers are honest. They sign up for discount faithfully promising low mileage and then drive high miles. The pay-as-you-drive model assumes there will be checks on everyone's honesty. For the good drivers, this is a good thing. They will be rewarded with continuing low premiums. The dishonest drivers will find their policies cancelled. If you have Big Brother problems with this technology, you can always pay the full premium. A halfway house is to allow insurance agents to read your odometer on a regular basis.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Cbay, Spheris, MedQuist or they are all Cbay now

Started in 1998, as a small firm, Cbay Systems has hit big time now and is promoting itself as the number one medical transcription services company in the world.  Don't know for sure, if they are the numero uno, but going by the deals sealed by them within the last one and a half year, they are now a very big company, a 400 million dollars company or 2000 crore rupees company in India. and they are still growing. First, Karvy, then Phillips stake in MedQuist, and now if the rumor mills are to be believed Spheris India, are all a Cbay group of company.

CBaySystems CEO Raman Kumar's words will vouch for his deal with MedQuist, “This is the big one, the one we’ve been waiting for,” after the $285 million (1425 crores) deal struck with Royal Philips Electronics that has straightaway catapulted his company to the number one slot in medical transcription industry from number three. After announcing the sealing of deal in May last year, the combined revenues of Cbay Group stood at $400 million (2000 crores) and thus almost dwarfed its nearest competitor Spheris.  As per the business data, the deal was backed by SAC Private Capital Group and Lehman Brothers who put in $123 million (615 crores), thus giving them 57.8% stake in the combined share capital of CBaySystems Holdings while Philips will maintain a convertible equity stake in the company.  

With an average growth rate of around 70% since its inception, Cbay Systems has managed to achieve what no other MT company has ever achieved, taking control of US healthcare operations through its offices, franchies, offshore centers.

But, the deal might not have come to Cbay without its added litigations.  As it is well known, alleged over-billing practices have put MedQuist into financial and legal wrangles, lawsuits, compensation payouts, and a Nasdaq de-listing. Raman Kumar set his eyes on MQ some 6 years back only, according to him, “In 2003 MedQuist got into trouble. This is when we knew that the company would become a target at some point.”  From that point onward, the market leader in MT industry started taking a downward trend and showed 6% slump in revenues, thus giving the CBay opportunity to snap up Phillips' 69.5% stake at a rate of $11 per share. Being an Indian, Raman Kumar knows how the system works in India.  In his own words, “MedQuist has kept its exposure to India to a minimum because it’s a minefield. If you don’t know how to navigate the country, you can end up with problems. You need to be a specialist in India and that’s what CBay brings to the deal.” He adds, “I believe that integration will be simple. When you combine a high-price seller, such as MedQuist with a low-cost producer like CBay, you create a magnum opus.”

Though not officially confirmed yet, if rumor mills are to be believed, CBay has struck the deal with Spheris to take it over, and as it can be seen that Spheris India website http://spherisindia.com is not loading, giving the rumor further authenticity boost, that something is wrong with Spheris and everything is good with CBay.  Maybe, we can say now that only 4 large players are left in India in MT industry, CBay, Focus, Heartland, and Acusis, but it will be really interesting to know who will be the final Big TWO.


© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

What is happening to COBRA?

History can surprise sometimes. It's too easy to assume particular laws must be Democrat or Republican. Take the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 as an example. Better known as COBRA, this provides a safety net for people to keep their group insurance plan in place after leaving employment. Employees can maintain health cover for up to eighteen months if they pay a subsidised premium of 35% of the original cost. The period of cover is extended if the employee is disabled or divorced. This is an excellent bridge between employer-provided health plans and private coverage at the full premium rate. During a period of unemployment, many could not afford to pick up the bill for full private coverage. They have to wait until a new employer provides cover or a sufficient pay check to pay the premium on private cover. Yet for all this law mandates protection for employees, it was signed into law by President Reagan.

Until the latest recession, this law worked well but, as unemployment began to rise and employers stopped hiring, a funding gap began to emerge. With little or no chance of finding alternative employment, too many people were looking at continuing monthly payments that were going to eat away all the family's savings and add to the already barely manageable debts. In some states, the 35% premium was more than the state's unemployment benefit. So, when the stimulus package was launched in March, it contained a subsidy representing nine months cover for those entitled to COBRA benefits. That means the subsidy disappears in December and several million of the unemployed will suddenly lose their COBRA benefits.

The expectation is that the Republicans will oppose any attempt to extend the subsidy program. The reasons are not hard to identify. The proposed reform of the healthcare industry motivates the Republicans to oppose anything connected with healthcare that might add to the already massive federal deficit. If the Democrats can maintain some degree of unity, it might be possible to force new legislation through to continue the subsidy, but this may not be a sufficient priority despite the still rising level of unemployment.

Health insurance is caught in a perfect political storm and instead of discussing issues with a bipartisan spirit, the political class is polarising. Despite the efforts of the White House to focus attention on the plight of the unemployed and their families, it seems likely that a wave of uninsured people will wash up and be left stranded on the beach as the nine month subsidy slowly ebbs away. Given the insurers have been increasing the premium rates on private plans over the last year, even those who remain employed are beginning to struggle.

Although the use of sites like this helps people find the still affordable policies, the percentage of uninsured adults will keep rising. Health insurance should be a basic right for everyone, but it has become a political football leaving people exposed. The hypocrisy of the politicians is ironic. All treatment at emergency rooms for the uninsured is partly paid out of federal funds and partly by the insured. It is impossible to avoid subsidising the healthcare for the unemployed. All that changes is the name on the account sourcing the subsidy.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

View Best Ads

It took me fraction of second to decide, that I must share this great concept with you.

No fee, No selling/buying of any kind, we get to see ads everyday but filtered as per our interest and need, only positive news to start our day with positive energy and can play Quiz too, to relax.

The greatness of the concept does not end here, we are rewarded for everything too, the rewards are so significant in terms of honor and value, I really could not stop myself and I referred it to you, generally I avoid but trust me its worth considering.

Just see yourself; I am sure you will be also as excited as me to share with near and dear ones.....

Whether you are viewing ads, reading news, playing quiz, or predicting NIFTY fall or rise, you will be earning all the time. What else is stopping you to join the site. Don't trust me and then see it yourself. Click the banner and get into the site.

Let's Grow Together....

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

How to make your insurance policy cheaper?

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.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Look for options before going for a policy

The advice given by this site is perfectly sound. It really does save you money to shop around and, by using the internet search engine provided here, you can get multiple quotes. Checking through them gives you the best chance of finding the best deal for you and your family. But this site would fail you if it did not take you on to the next question. After you have the policy in place, does it still pay you to shop around? Ah ha! We hear a chorus of, "Huhs". Well, let's spell it out. Everything here encourages you to comparison shop, i.e. to get the current prices and pick the one that's going to give you the best value-for-money solution to your problem. One of the standard ways in which people aim to save money is to take on ever bigger deductibles. Many of the cheaper policies also load you with copayments. So having a policy is only part of the solution if you have the misfortune to fall ill. It's no longer enough to smile complacently, safe in the knowledge your policy will cover the costs of treatment. You have agreed to self-insure the amount represented by the deductible and/or copayments and out-of-pocket expenses. When you are picking up a percentage of the total cost, it's in your interest to get the best value. And, guess what? That means shopping around for doctors and hospitals in exactly the same way you found your policy.

By a curious irony, both the insured and the uninsured now often face the same problem: to find prices on the internet for the treatment needed. In the same way you might shop around for an HD TV to replace your old set, you start asking, "How much does this operation cost?" followed closely by, "Where can I find a better price?" A number of doctors and healthcare facilities have begun to cater more directly to the uninsured market and now post their prices online. More importantly, some will negotiate on these prices. The fact you have a policy does not prevent you from taking advantage of this opportunity. But you need to move with care (as always). There is never just one price for any procedure or operation. So many different factors affect price starting with where you live and who the local providers are. The prices will differ depending on whether you ask a hospital, clinic or individual doctor to quote. The root of the problem is often the insurance industry. The companies offer many types of policy and, depending on the volume of business directed to doctors, clinics and hospitals, negotiate different prices for each treatment option. It's not unusual for there to be ten and more prices for the same treatment depending on who is paying.

So you cut through this arbitrary pricing structure and find the real prices. If you have a health insurance policy, ask your insurer for the provider prices for the networked doctors. The better companies help you find the lowest price treatments. On the internet, there are search engines giving you lists of doctors in your area with the best prices for the treatment you need. Did you know thirty-three states require hospitals publish their prices? Shopping around really can save you money on your health insurance!

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Cars that let you save on insurance

Do you think much about car insurance rates before you buy that car you've been dreaming of for years? If not, you should be, because the car you ride makes a big importance in what you will pay for insuring it. The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) accumulates and analyzes information regarding the insurance costs of every car make and model present on the road according to theft rates, repair costs, number of claims filed, safety and damage to infrastructure. the cost to insurance companies from theft, collision, and injury claims as they relate to cars.

For example, two door cars are much likely to be stolen than their four door peers. A convertible Chevrolet Corvette has a theft rate five times higher than that of a Buick LeSabre. And Toyota Celica is 67% more likely to be stolen than her sister Toyota Camry.

Another primary factor determining the cost of insuring your car is safety of those who are inside when the car crashes. Some cars will leave the passengers intact, while others have frightening lethal rates even with non-devastating collisions. So if you want to keep your life and pay lower insurance premiums, you should definitely check out the crash test ratings and see if your dream car fits into the "safe" category.

The same should be done with car theft rates. Every year these lists change, because newer and more exclusive cars tend to become the target of car thieves more often than older models. However, some car models keep on appearing in top theft lists, contributing to their "popularity" and high insurance rates respectively. These cars are:

• Toyota Camry


• Toyota Corolla


• Toyota Pickups


• Honda Accord


• Ford F-150


• Acura Integra


• Nissan Sentra

Another factor that may raise your insurance rates is how much a single theft claim costs according to the car stolen. This variable is determined by how often such claims are filed and how much the car costs. Currently the most expensive theft claims are filed on the following cars:

• Cadillac Escalade


• Chevrolet Corvette Convertible


• Lincoln Navigator

Respectively the lowest theft claims come with the following vehicles:

• Buick LeSabre


• Volvo V70 Station Wagon


• Mercury Grand Marquis 4-four

In what concerns injury claims and passenger safety, the rule of thumb here is the bigger the car, the safer it is. Vehicles with a smaller mass tend to get damage more in accidents, and the same applies to faster sports cars. Thus the rating of the most expensive vehicles in terms of injury claims:

• Suzuki Esteem 4-door


• Kia Rio 4-door


• Mitsubishi Mirage 2-door


• Kia Spectra 4-doors

While the cars with cheap car insurance due to low injury claims are:

• GMC Sierra 2500


• GMC Yukon XL 1500 4-wheel


• Chevrolet Silverado


• Chevrolet Tahoe 2-wheel

So it is better to investigate your cheap car insurance options before actually buying the car you were dreaming about. Because in reality it may turn into a real nightmare, with costly insurance premiums, high repair costs and the risk of being stolen the other day you actually buy it.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Car insurance company rating

There are certain institutions in the country that can rate companies. Some of them deal with insurance companies only as there are too many to take into consideration. But we have some questions that we want to discuss now. How do coverage, rates and services differ and what makes this or that company better than the other one? How can one and the same service cost differently in different companies? If you have not dealt with an insurance company before it is tough to choose one and not to have doubts about it later on. What is important here is to know for sure your insurance company will be stable and will help you out when the time comes. You should know the financial strength ratings of your insurance company so you are not afraid of any risks that may arise. There are many companies that fail with time. They are unable to maintain the reputation due to the lack of financial strength and many other important factors that are pretty significant.

If you want to make a good decision about your insurance company you should ask around, analyze and come to a conclusion with the list of top five insurance companies to deal with. You should also trust your senses. Sometimes people have bad feelings about companies but they don't care enough to trust them. Have a conversation with your family, relatives and friends about the insurance companies they use. It could be useful for you to take advice from those who you can rely on - people that will only advice you something descent. It is very important to know how easily and how quickly claims are processed. It would be perfect if the company that you plan to get insured with had a 24/7 claim service. Let us tell you the main reason for insurance. Take for example your car. Your insurance should protect you from any injury or property damage that may occur during an accident. It has to protect your assets and help you with the liability. In order to choose a good company you must shop around and ask for the costumer satisfaction ratings. They are extremely important. They can tell lots about the way company maintains itself on the market. But it should also be mentioned that it is not possible to tell the future according to the past. Sometimes unpleasant cases happen but it is not fair to judge the company like that. You should always check how long the company is around for. If they have been on the market for a decade and have lots of pleased costumers - you should definitely worry about nothing. History can show you all the advantages and disadvantages giving you the best perspective on what there is to expect.

Information on the insurance companies is not difficult to seek. You can always ask or email if you have any questions. With the help of internet insurance sites it became very easy to get insured. Cheap auto insurance is only a question of time. But we would not recommend you to run after the price. Cheap doesn't always mean - the best. But if you decided you need cheap auto insurance and nothing else - there is no better place than internet for it. It is there to give you plenty of offers to choose from. Trust our word.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Google may pull out of China

In what could be termed as the turn of the table or maybe the most sensational news in Internet industry, one business giant has threatened a communist giant that it will switch off its operation if they continue to interfere in its business by means of hacking and censorship. Yes, the business giant here is Google, the king of Internet, and the communist giant is China, the ruthless still perhaps the most powerful country in the world after the US, and so the tug of war that is being played here is keenly watched across the globe because the result of the war may almost change the Internet industry or the people outcry in China may almost destabilize the most powerful communist government in the world. If Google has to pull out of China that means Google will be losing about 335 million Internet users that is more than the entire population of the United States that means Facebook, Yahoo, and Windows Live will start vying for the top position on Internet and Google might lose its numero uno position on the Internet which it has maintained for over a decade. What it also means that if Chinese government bans Google subsidiaries like Youtube, Blogger, Gmail, etc., in retaliation, Google might end up losing almost 50% of its user base. The local Chinese search engine Baidu may become the uncrowned king in China and perhaps start trying to expand its base outside of China also.

But, we must congratulate Google to show the guts to take on the mighty China, which perhaps no other country in the last 50 years have dared to do. Even if the Chinese government mercilessly massacred more than 3000 students and intellectuals at Tiananman Square in 1989, the biggest messiah of human rights in the world, The United States, could not dare to take any action against China. Even if they keep using their army in Tibet for suppressive actions, no country in the world dares to speak against China, and now Google has openly threatened China to pull out is something that Google must be given a pat on its back. Here is a business giant that does not have any arms power is threatening a country that has the biggest army in the world. Just wait and watch for things to unfold, Google versus China, maybe some Hollywood biggies would have secretly started writing scripts on what may turn out be the biggest war after the World War II where no arms will be used but still millions of people will be affected and may change the Internet industry forever.

Have your say on "Should Google pull out of China?" and "Is China right in using hacking and censorship to suppress Google?"

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

How to choose right insurance plan for your children?

No-one said life ever has to be fair but, as parents, you quickly discover the world is not set up to make things easy for you. There are challenges at every turn. Of course, all the healthcare needs can be put on the back burner if you or your partner have a family plan provided by your employers. Now all you have to do is read the small print to see what coverage is provided for children while they are at elementary school or high school while still under the magic age of 18 years. After they pass the threshold of their eighteenth birthdays, the coverage gets more patchy. They are still family members but the extent of the coverage may change. If you have not been fortunate to find an employer offering health coverage as part of the pay package, the world has been less welcoming. It's entirely possible that you and your family are one of the growing millions who are uninsured or underinsured. This leaves a number of options to explore for the children.

For some years, the federal government has recognized that children are the future of our country. If they do not grow up strong, the future may not see the US remain so dominant internationally. So, with federal encouragement, states have been offering a safety net for children. The alternatives are Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) which was established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to expand health insurance coverage to uninsured children in families with income too high to qualify for Medicaid. For the record, Congress has provided about $40 billion to fund SCHIP through 2007. Federal funding is currently available. Outside the federal and state programs, some elementary and high schools group together to offer health coverage for their students where the families are uninsured or underinsured. Some states have not set generous criteria for access to their SCHIP and the group policies help the modestly well-off families bridge the health plan gap.

Once children turn adult at 18, they are mostly on their own. If you as parents provide private coverage, this can represent the best outcome as they work their way through college and university. Otherwise, this leaves the young adults to live with the risks of no cover, or accept one of the "affordable" policies offered by their college or university. It's a sad fact your children will consider themselves invincible. Many are lucky and survive the education part of their life without accident or illness. But if anything serious goes wrong, they will add significant medical expenses to the burden of loans and credit card debts. Local community clinics can only provide basic care. The college or university policies are often highly affordable. More importantly, starting a health insurance policy at low student rates gives them track record when they later seek coverage as an employee. But one word of caution. These are not comprehensive policies and they often limit or exclude serious injuries or disease. As parents, you may feel it wise to top up the basic cover. Get multiple health insurance quotes to find the best value additional cover. Even if your children are enrolled as medical students, they cannot expect anything more than routine treatment from the medical professionals in their area. They will be treated as "ordinary" students when it comes to paying the deductible and any copayments.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Why Californians have the best insurance plans?

According to The Beatles, "It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play." So, in 1988, voters in California passed Proposition 103 which, as history tells us, proved to be one of the best Propositions they have voted for. Why? Because it pushed forward reform of the automobile insurance industry. The result? Evidence shows California has the most competitive market in the US with the slowest increase in premium rates. If you ever wondered what consumer protection should look like, California is the model all the other states should follow. Curiously, Illinois is the most unregulated market and the least competitive. Are Californians pleased with the result? Looking at the pattern of increases in the rest of the US, the estimate is that Californian drivers have saved more than $17 billion in premiums. That's almost $2,000 per driver. What's not to like about that? With the last year of recession, the continuing low premiums and strong competition between the insurers guarantees better service standards on claims, just when family budgets benefit from low monthly instalments and fast payments if there is an accident.

But, when the legislature in any other state suggests applying the lessons learned, the insurance industry begins to spend money through the lobbyists and advertisers. Soon, everyone with even half an ear on the issue of insurance knows the Californian approach has broken the insurance industry. Local insurers teeter on the edge of insolvency, barely able to scrape even a few cents of profit from their underwriting. Were it not for the strong profits earned elsewhere, the Californians would be denied insurance altogether. Put the other way round, the rest of the US is subsidising Californian drivers. Except, of course, this is completely untrue. The insurance companies in the Californian market routinely report profits in excess of 10%. This is the lie that proves the automobile insurance industry at large runs on greed. A mere 10% profit margin is chicken feed and close to insolvency.

So what is the Californian approach? It throws out reliance on the zip code and credit scoring. Instead, insurers must focus on the safety record of the individual driver. That ensures the good drivers pay less and the bad drivers pay a bigger percentage of the losses they cause. In most other states, the good drivers subsidise the bad. To complete the package, the auto insurance companies must disclose the basis on which they calculate the premiums. This empowers the Department of Insurance and prevents insurers from trying to cheat on the rate calculations to recover some of their lost profits. If the Commissioner finds evidence of overcharging, he can order the company to cut its premiums and refund the amount overcharged. This is the ultimate sanction and, so far, the Californian courts have consistently refused the appeals of the insurers affected. What better way is there to get full consumer protection? None! That's why the auto insurance industry would prefer you not to know about Proposition 103 and the beneficial effect it has had. History and current events are off the curriculum in other states as politicians take the money from the insurers and look the other way. Only in states where electors get to vote on the issue or can pressure their representatives is there any chance of improvement.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Great blog advertising techniques

In today's highly competitive world, to succeed on Internet one must learn to use the best available blog advertising techniques. The easiest thing to do in the world is to start a blog site, but the most difficult thing in the world is to get real visitors to your site and then be able to sustain them. To achieve this, one must try to look out of the box, not just traditional advertising techniques but to keep pace with the changing Internet advertising scenario.

The oldest and still the most reliable Internet advertising technique is the PPC technique basically originating from the stable of Google, the age-old Adwords, and likes like Adbrite, Adtoll, Bidsvertisers, Chitika, etc., where you pay Internet advertising company to show your banners and links on their advertising networks.

The similar one is to place your blog banner or pop-up or pop-under or links on other blog sites for some price and that too is very effective one but a bit costly.

The third advertising technique is link trading where one blogger gets into an agreement with other blogger to exchange their banners on each other sites, that method is the cheapest one, but not always the best because a higher page-ranked blog site generally prefers to link exchange with the similar high-traffic sites and so the negotiation part does not always work.

The latest one and perhaps the most effective advertising technique is paid blogging where you basically get paid for writing about other website or putting a link on your blog. The review can be neutral or positive based on the advertiser's preferences. This approach is considered the most effective one because here you have a real reader who is reading the review of your website on some other site and if the write-up is good enough, chances are always high that the reader will click the link to get to the site he is reading about.

So, these are some of the best and time-tested Internet advertising techniques which when used in combination gives the most effect result. Choice is yours, deal or no deal.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Things to consider before going for car insurance

For many drivers out there having their car insured costs quite a lot of money every year, with car insurance making up a hefty part of the budget. Depending on the number of cars, their models and makes, your driving and credit records, and location auto insurance can cost thousands of dollars per year. And of course, people want to keep this number as low as possible, while still having the right amount of coverage. If you feel that your insurance costs are way too high and can be cut down, here are some helpful tips on how to do it right.

Do some comparison shopping

There's a very fierce competition in the insurance market with numerous players striving to attract customers any way they can. Having such a wide selection of companies these days all it takes is to shop around for some time. You'll definitely be amazed how two similar offers can differ in price when coming from two different companies.

With the advent of easy access to insurance through numerous online sites, there's a limitless possibility to shop around without even picking up the phone. However, don' limit yourself only to online sales, as your local providers can have good rates too, so it never hurts to see what they have to offer.

Opt for discounts

Are you a good student? Have a clean driving record? Your annual mileage is below 10,000 miles? Or you are a member of a special club? You can receive a discount for your achievements, it only takes to ask your insurance agent what discounts your insurance company provides and what are the requirements.

Also keep in mind about having multiple policies from a single provider. Most insurance companies, which offer various insurance products - car, health, homeowners, life - provide customers with discounts if they have more than one policy with them. Such discounts can help you save up to 20% of your initial premiums.

Buy a cheaper car

The car you try to insure plays a determining role in your insurance rates. The faster, powerful and expensive your car is, the more costly it will be to insure. Such cars are also much likely to be stolen, which pushes their insurance rates even higher. So if you want cheap car insurance, it is better to find a medium-sized car with a package of safety features and reasonable repair costs. Insurance companies often inform users about their safety ratings by car make and model, so check them out!

Work with a reliable insurer

When looking for cheap car insurance you are likely to get offers from different companies, both big and small. And it's always better to get your insurance from a reputable enterprise that is known for processing claims promptly and being respectful to their customers. No cheap car insurance policy will save you from the headache of working with an unreliable provider, which doesn't provide you with necessary coverage and customer support. Ask other customers how they feel about a particular company, learn if there were any complaints about it. The best source for such information is your state's insurance department.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Get paid automatically, daily, no minimum payout

I think for the first time in PTC industry a site has come where you get paid automatically daily. Even if your earning is as low as 1 cent, you can get paid through Paypal. I was a bit skeptical before joining this program, but just to check the authenticity of the site, I joined it today in the afternoon and by night I got the email from Paypal that I have received money, though it was 2 cents only. Don't know for how long the same payout system will exist, but as long as it is there, I think one must try to earn as much as possible from this site.

So, don't wait any longer. Join Clockpay.net today and check for yourself. I think this is really a good program (even better than Donkey Mail because you don't have to wait for the payout to reach). Here whatever you earn during the day, you get the very same day. Don't trust me, join the site, and check it yourself.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

A new concept to earn money

A new concept to earn money online that is free, fun, and absolutely easy. You play quiz, read latest news, view ads of your choice and earn money. That too from an Indian company called View Best Ads.

It took me fraction of second to decide, that I must share this great concept with you.

No fee, No selling/buying of any kind, we get to see ads everyday but filtered as per our interest and need, only positive news to start our day with positive energy and can play Quiz too, to relax.

The greatness of the concept does not end here, we are rewarded for everything too, the rewards are so significant in terms of honor and value, I really could not stop myself and I referred it to you, generally I avoid but trust me its worth considering.

Just see yourself; I am sure you will be also as excited as me to share with near and dear ones.....

Let's Grow Together....

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Political Risk Insurance

With the globalization processes going on in the world economy it is clear that the world itself is getting smaller every year. And as much benefits this brings, there are as many downfalls posing risks to any business working internationally. Local riots, wars, social instability in other regions can directly affect your business. In order to protect your enterprise from such risks you can employ political risk insurance.

Political risk insurance (PRI) is a type of business insurance that covers the loss due to political or social instability within the country. This type of insurance coverage is also a tool for attracting foreign investments, providing proof of the enterprise's stability. Even small businesses may be required to purchase such insurance when working with many international partners.

Let's take an example. A small business works as an importer in the US and wants to set up a shipping facility to reduce its costs of import. But the enterprise has problems with setting up the facility, not because of credit unavailability or poor financing, but because the area is often subjected to social riots or political disputes that impede normal functioning. And due to that many foreign companies are not willing to work with businesses from that area.

In such a case, a PRI coverage would be very beneficial for the project. In case of any loss or damage to the property or goods due to political or social riots the cost will be paid for, and this will initially encourage the presence of foreign partners, assuring financial stability of their operations. From this point of view PRI is not only a form of business insurance but also a risk management tool for foreign investment projects.

PRI is not quite similar to other types of cheap small business insurance. It is typically purchased and tailored by each company individually, assuring that specific risks of the region and situation are eliminated. However, there are three typical risks included in the majority of such policies:

• Expropriation, which means nationalization of previously private owned property by the government. Take the Venezuela oil industry for example.


• Political violence, which in a broader sense includes social protest, riots, military actions and so on, that may damage the enterprise's assets. Think of typical violent protests at G20 summits.


• Currency inconvertibility, which makes it quite difficult to operate for the enterprise financially. Think of the inflation in Zimbabwe.

PRI doesn't make part of standard cheap small business insurance and rarely can be found at your local insurance provider. These policies are typically sold as an element of a private-public partnership in the parent country as a tool for encouraging foreign investments. This means that the situation differs from one country to another taking into account the foreign business policy of the current government. To find brokers and agents who offer PRI you can consult with a list issued by the World Bank.

Prior to going on an international level it is better check the current situation in the region you're looking forward to work with. International trade usually benefits all the parties involved. However, the current economical downshift is likely to cause more political and social unrest, making it almost mandatory to have political risk insurance for your project if you want to succeed.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Why men file more insurance claims than women?

We all know that there's a war between sexes on who are better drivers, men or women? And as men are claiming to be far better at the wheel the statistics are actually on the opposite side. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Report dated 2004 notes men being involved in 27,000 more fatal accidents, 432,000 more injury accidents and 1,369,000 more incidents with damaged property, resulting in total 1,828,000 more insurance claims filed by men in 2004 only. And since then the trend hasn't changed.

And it's hard to tell that the most risky drivers - men younger than 25 years old - are contributing to these statistics. These are actually men of all age groups.

As an insurance agent from Ohio, Brad Vermillion has stated: "Men are more aggressive in their very nature and pursue a riskier attitude when driving a car. You see a man not wearing a seat belt, speeding and driving under influence far more often than a woman. The amount of miles driven throughout the lifetime is also quite higher with men than with women, which of course means a greater risk of being involved in a traffic accident and filing an insurance claim. The less you drive the safer you are."

A righteous question rises consequently, whether do insurance companies take into account the statistics provided by the NHTSA and other organizations? "Insurers know about such statistics very well and they are reflected in their pricing guidelines," stated Vermillion. "A man will always pay a higher auto insurance premium than a woman, even if he lives in a safe area and has a perfect driving and credit record."

But the overall trend has started to shift in recent years, making the gap between men and women smaller in what concerns auto insurance premiums. "The last couple of years have shown more and more women driving at longer distances and for more extended periods of time. This results from a wider access to cars among women and more intense and active lifestyle attitudes, forcing women to move around a lot more than in previous years," states Dave Roush, CEO of Insurance.com. "Women spend more time behind the wheel and raise the stress levels, which inevitably results in more aggressive attitude from women on the road. This trend is only starting to take shape and it's a matter of time to judge whether it will minimize the gap between men and women in what concerns auto insurance rates. But for now men are well ahead in this competition."

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

How to find good insurance policies?

It is not anything new - you need to stay protected 24/7 if there is a chance of doing it. People sometimes think that protection is expensive. They have an idea in their head that you have to spend too much money so they do not worry about tomorrow. Especially when you are on the road you need a good protection. Your car can be your loyal friend that takes you to work and takes you back home but it ca turn into your worst enemy if you don't think about protection on time.

Shopping around is not difficult especially since so many car insurance companies started to appear. They all have great offers and can be totally tempting. Internet is the best place to look for car insurance. Not only can you read the reviews from people tat have already gone through the car insurance but you can hook yourself up with some additional information and latest updates. You will be so surprised to find out you can actually do trust internet with such important decisions.

It is very easy to get quotes you need online. You are always one click away from a good advice or a nice offer. Internet is like a discount market. With services like insurance you can benefit lots. If you have a perfect driving record you deserve a good discount and internet insurers are ready to give you that. They are open for any kind of competition with other insurance companies that are selling their services online therefore you will always get a good price. The company will do whatever to win you over. It is a fact.

If you are a member of a professional driver's association or you are a part of an automobile team - you will also get a discount. Anywhere you look - you can see the number that will satisfy you.

And do not forget that there are companies that insure cars, houses, boats and so on. If it is not the first thing you insure with the company they will literally "give you anything you want for being loyal".

The car you drive can affect your payments as well. A cheap car will have low premiums; a brand new one will give you high premiums. Insurance companies can also advice you when you are about to purchase a car. They have a table with the statistics of the automobiles that are most likely to be stolen. T will help you in the future if you take their advice on time.

If you want to make sure your decision is a correct one - don't rush into anything. Take as much time as you need but make sure it is a well-thought nicely considered decision. You can also get professional advice. Don't be afraid or shamed to show you don't know something. It is natural. Plus you will be a winner in the end when you have made the choice that was worth asking about.

Auto insurance quotes will do you good. You can Google them anytime you like and compare the offers from different insurance companies. Auto insurance quotes will help you to feel protected on the road. Your car needs a much protection as you do. Make sure you are both very safe! We trust you with your decision.

© 2010 Ranjan Kumar

Things to consider before insuring home

When a person decides to get insurance for his or her house, they are certainly looking for a cheap policy. And by cheap we mean having a low price for the largest bundle and amount of coverage possible. And to much surprise, it is really possible if you know the rules of the game.

But what are the rules, you might ask? While there are many hidden stones in such a complex industry as insurance, there are certain guidelines that you will find very useful and effective when choosing a new policy or looking to switch you current home insurance provider. So here are the essential Dos and DON'Ts of home insurance that would be very wise to follow:

DO: Find an online service that will allow you to get quotes from multiple home insurance providers, necessarily licensed in your area of residence.

DON'T: Buy the first policy you are offered with when shopping.

DO: Contact an insurance agent in person to tailor your policy and make sure you're getting the best and most adequate coverage for the money you pay.

DON'T: Drop home insurance or necessary types of coverage altogether just to lower the costs.

DO: Review your deductibles and adjust them if needed to relate adequately to your financial abilities if an insurance situation takes place. Remember that higher deductibles will eventually lower you rates.

DON'T: Raise your deductibles to the amount you will find hard to pay in case it comes to filing a claim.

DO: Speak to your insurance agent to learn if there are any homeowners insurance discounts provided by your insurer you are eligible for.

DON'T: Forget about updating your insurance coverage after adding square footage to your house, performing important modifications (installing ventilation or security systems), or buying expensive things that are to be kept on your property.

DO: Find a provider that will carry more types of insurance rather than only homeowners insurance, for you can receive substantial discounts if having your auto, life, health and home insurance policies with the same carrier.

DON'T: Drop substantial amounts of liability coverage in order to save money because some day it can be really helpful and your savings can lead to serious losses if you do not have enough liability coverage.

DO: Renew your policy and avoid cancellations because it will get more expensive to renew it or get a new one if your policy was simply void without any reason.

DON'T: Drop your homeowners insurance policy in case your mortgage lender doesn't require it anymore or you have paid off your loan.

Try to employ as many of these tips as possible and you will see that having good cheap homeowners insurance with low rates and adequate coverage is really possible. Keep in mind that having cheap coverage can turn around to be very costly when facing an insurance situation. So try to get adequate coverage while still having your family budget in mind. Shop around and find the best policy out there to keep your house protected no matter what.

© 2009 Ranjan Kumar

How to earn with you blog site?

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Tired of seeing your adsense account increasing by cents month by month and still years away from the magic figure of 100 dollars. Well, the easier way to earn money through your blog is to try Host My Post. The site gives you the advertising blogs to publish on your website and the best thing is that you get paid for hosting those posts. That means, you don't have to write anything and still you will get paid for hosting their posts.

Here is how it works. You get points for each blog posts that you host on your blog. The points vary from your blog ratings. If you have a higher page rank and good Alexa rating, your blog will be categorized into a higher ranked blog and you will get higher points for each blog you host. Once you accumulate 1000 points, it gets converted into 13 dollars. That means if you post a total of 50, 20-point blogs, you earn 13 dollars. Isn't it a great idea to earn money through your blog sites while you keep enriching your blogs by writing your own blogs at the same time. Try Host My Post and be assured of earning good money.

© 2009 Ranjan Kumar

How to buy a car?

You can be a fussy costumer or a simple easy believer when you make purchases. It doesn't matter too much as long as you remain happy with your purchases. But there are always two sides to the story. If we discuss cars there can only be two types of shoppers. There first type will go to a dealer, pick a car and ask for the price. But there is also a category of shoppers that will ask for the price and go shopping around looking for the best possible variant that involves the car model they chose. You can be one or the other. It doesn't matter as long as it keeps you satisfied.

But there are a few necessary things. Please remember to consider them before you go shopping. You should know the type of car you want to get. The amount of doors, the year of the production, everything matters. If you know you need a Porsche, ask different car providers about the price they are willing to offer. Don't just go for the first number you were given. That would not be wise. There usually are different options to pick from. In order to sell you the car the car place will do anything so be ready to negotiate.

Internet is your best friend. We meant it seriously as internet is usually that place where the options meet you and make you happy. If you think of getting a brand new car, you can research online and find the bets sites. Most internet sites will be of a great help to you, showing you the model in different colors from different angles. Interior and exterior of the car will all be available to you online.

When you have collected all the information you need about the car, you should go to a car sale place and try to bring the price down for yourself. Usually these things to work but we don't give you a 100% certainty. If we talk about used or old cars the situation is better as it is easy to negotiate. New cars are perfect so deals want what they want for them. It is possible to save yourself some dollars and bring down the sticker price a bit.

Don't consider buying one car model. Have a few optional variants and choose from them. Of course, if it is the car of your dreams, it is different.

When you try to get yourself a used car you want to reduce the price to the minimum. If you have a conversation with a private party instead of the store, you should gather as much information as you possibly can about the vehicle. The maintenance records of the car are very significant. Ask the party about the reason for selling the automobile. You will definitely understand when he wants to sell it as the car is in a terrible condition.

You should have a few test drives to see how you feel in the car. Nobody is forcing you to get something you don't like. Don't be afraid to be impolite in this. You should stay comfortable with your decision. Get insurance for yourself when you have your car. It doesn't matter if it is new or old - it needs it anyway. Cheap auto insurance can also be purchased via the internet. With the help of cheap auto insurance you will protect yourself and your car wherever you go.

© 2009 Ranjan Kumar