Maxitec Insurance Solutions

Identity Theft - Is The U.S. Government Making it Happen?

2009-07-23T18:14:00.002-04:00

Because my husband doesn't trust our bank not to mess up, he insisted I pay a large bill with money orders. Reluctantly I went to Walmart and asked for a money order. Since the amount I needed was larger than $1,000 they had to get a little bit of information from me. So the nice woman behind the counter then called their office and asked for "the money order book." A long while later a young man laxidazically came towards the counter stopping on the way to socialize with everyone he met. In the mean while, a long line was building up behind me. He took so long I started to yell at him to get a move on it.

Then came the question. This consisted of:

1. Name
2. Date of Birth
3. Driver's License Number
4. Social Security Number
5. Proof of all of the above

Before I told the woman this information I asked the young man to leave. He just didn't look honest, and I didn't like how he was acting.

Also, why should I give out all this information out loud with a long line of who knows how behind me.

I stupidly didn't walk out. I wrote the information down on a paper for the woman.

She told me it was "the law" in order to stop money laundering.

Firstly, I don't think it stops money laundering. If I want to launder money and all these stupid rules are in effect I would do the following:

1. Go to several different money order places to get money orders less than the $1,000 limit.
2. Have several friends each get a money order.

What this law does do is: PUT ME IN DANGER OF HAVING MY IDENTITY STOLEN--BIG TIME.

From now on I will use my checking account, whom by the way did make a $13 mistake on my account by double posting on that same date, or I will do No. 1 or 2 above.

One consoling thought is that I have Identity Theft protection through HomeTec. I personally think these insurers should complain about this new law. There will surely be an increase in claims arising from it.

Take a look at all HomeTec has to offer. Get a free report at: http://tinyurl.com/12uvxt.

Regards,

Helene Solinga

NY Disability Benefits--Who's Covered

2009-03-05T07:38:00.002-05:00

People tend to come to me with all their questions--especially when it comes to insurance. Even my father-in-law with whom I have disagreements with all the time rather come to me for assistance than his son the lawyer, (benefits law no less).

A co-worker of mine is a contractor. She is from another country and this is her first job in the U.S. She is about to have a baby. So she called her company who is situated in another state that does not have disability laws and asked them about being paid while she is out on maternity leave. They told her she gets no pay. She asked our department's secretary, and was told she gets nothing. Then she came to me. She knows I tend to know everything as I'm always helping her. I tend to be a wealth of useless information, (but it's not really useless as I know more than businesses and others want me to know).

I told her wait a minute. You are a New York employee. I asked her if she gets a W-2 form at the end of the year or a 1099 self-employed form. She said she gets a W-2, but turned down all health benefits offered by her employer as she's covered through her husband. I told her she is entitled to New York Disability benefits from her employer and they have to have insurance in place for that. If they don't, they have to pay her directly. This amounts to $170 a week. I gave her the URL's of government sites that specifically point out she's covered.

She sent the URL's to her employer. Now they are standing up and taking notice. They had no idea this law was in place. They have hundreds, if not thousands, of employees worldwide, but they did not know about this New York law. They do not specifically have an office in New York, but they do have employees in New York.

Well ignorance of the law is no excuse--and that too is a law.

As long as I am discussing this, I would like to point out that although New York State has a law making it mandatory that companies have New York Disability Benefits Insurance in place for employees, they also have an exclusion--and that is:

A New York State government department does not have to have this insurance and their own employees are not covered. I had to state this travesty. It's mind boggling that this is the case. Shame on them.

Please do check out the banner link I have placed on top. This company pays you the deductibles on your Homeowners/Renters Insurance, Automobile Insurance, gives you Roadside Assistance including up to $100 in towing expenses, gives $25 a month in gas rebates, has Identity Theft Protection and throws in a free trip to boot. It's an excellent service and I did leave out a few other benefits.

The link to find out more is at: http://www.myebizsecret.com/?ac=600266.

I will soon be starting a service to help people with their insurance woes and questions. I'll keep you posted. Please subscribe to this blog and let me know if there are any insurance topics you would like me to discuss.

Regards,

Helene Solinga

Identity Theft Insurance

2009-02-27T20:09:00.002-05:00

Through my credit card company I had Identity Theft Insurance. The sales people went on and on about how their coverage was the best around because it not only covers you if someone steals your identity, but also pays all legal expenses you incur as a result. The cost of this was $9.95 a month. Okay, not much money to worry about.

Then I joined another service that gave me a ton of benefits and bonuses including Identity Theft Protection. So I said to myself, well the other one is only $9.95 a month. To give them the benefit of the doubt I called the current I.D. Theft carrier and asked how much coverage do I actually get. Again they went on and on about how all my legal expenses are paid. I had to dig it out of them, but finally got the answer. It covered me up to $2,500. I couldn't believe what I heard. I asked them to repeat it. I got it right the first time--$2,500 maximum as a reimbursable loss.

I said to them, "Cancel it." They tried to stop me and offered to send me the benefit book. I said, "No, just cancel it." So they did.

At this point I would like to explain what identity theft is. It is a crime. Identity theft and identity fraud are used interchangeably, but it's the same thing. It's when someone wrongfully obtains and uses another person's personal data in some way that involves fraud or deception. It is typically for economic gain.

As a victim you are left with a ruined credit history and the time-consuming and complicated task of regaining financial stability. These identity thieves also now have the ability to use your good name for criminal activities. So on top of a bad credit record record, loss of time, and expenses and lots and lots of money, the victim can end up in jail for criminal activities. Oh boy.

In fact, millions of people fall prey to these types of criminals each and every month.

I mentioned earlier that I cancelled this important coverage through my credit card company because I was able to get it through another source. This is the Identity Theft Protection I replaced it with:

Expense Reimbursement
- Up to $25,000 per policy period
- Lost Wages in the amount of $500 per week for 4 weeks included
- $100 deductible per policy period

Toll Free number to consult with someone about your problem.
- Unlimited number of 30-minute telephone consultations with a trained Fraud Resolution Specialist

Within 48 Hours
- A Fraud Resolution Specialist will perform a 10 step Fraud Resolution Emergency Response which includes assisting members with reporting fraud to credit bureaus, creditors and authorities

An I.D. Theft Emergency Response Kit & ID Theft Preventative Education

Legal Matters--Not Just pertaining to Identity Theft
- A 25% rate reduction on numerous legal matters such as:
--Traffic Ticket Defense
--Uncontested Divorce
--Real Estate Closings
--Small Business Incorporation
--Collection Letters and Bankruptcy Proceedings

Plus there are other benefits I'm not going into here.

You can find out more about this benefit and the rest of the benefits involved by going to:
http://www.myebizsecret.com/?ac=600266

You will have a choice of getting all the benefits involved and paying a monthly fee, or being about to make this a business for yourself, (no insurance license necessary), and earn money for yourself in addition to getting these benefits. It's up to you.

Regards,

Helene Solinga

Homeowners Insurance - Property Deductibles

2009-02-22T19:31:00.002-05:00

Today I will talk a little bit about Homeowners Insurance. This is coverage a mortgage company insists you buy and keep in force for as long as you have a mortgage. This only makes sense as it not only protects their interest, but also your interest in your home as well. So you should find it doubly important to keep it in force.

The first part of your policy is a dwelling limit. This should be the amount it would cost to rebuild your home in the event of a covered loss. It is not the amount you can sell your house for. This is called Replacement Cost. It is important that this amount be true to form. If it's not enough, co-insurance formulas come into play and you can end up with a house that's not covered for enough money.

Also, it is important that all people who own the house and are listed on the deed are named on the Homeowners Policy. The company will only pay the proportionate share of the named-person's interest in the house. So if two people own the home and only one is on the policy, the company will only pay for 1/2 the claim.

There are also deductibles associated with this part of the policy. It can be as little as $50 deductible per claim or as high as $1,000 deductible per claim. The premium will go down with the high deductibles. Sometimes you choose which deductible you want and sometimes the Company will insist on a higher deductible. My Homeowners Insurance deductible is $1,000 because of various claims they paid out on it, (i.e. a tornado, and an electrical storm). We do not switch carriers because the premium is right--even with a $1,000 deductible, and other companies give us problems because of our wood-burning stove. So we stay put.

However, with an additional coverage we were able to purchase that $1,000 deductible will be reimbursed to us. It is sold by an independent company called HomeTec and will be a lifesaver in the event of another claim. The best part is that after 10 years I get all the money I paid into it back. You can find out more at: http://www.myebizsecret.com/?ac=600266. If you join, let me know and I will assist you with handling any Homeowners or Automobile claim you might have. The company offers other benefits and bonuses in addition to paying your Homeowners Policy and Autmbile Policy deductibles.

Automobile Collision Insurance & It's Deductible

2009-02-18T19:55:00.005-05:00

Today I would like to talk a little bit about Automobile Collision Insurance and the deductible all policies have associated with it.

Collision occurs when you are in an accident with another vehicle, with a stationary object, or find yourself going over an embankment or similar roadway object. It is not if you hit an animal or an animal hits you or something falls on your vehicle like a tree. It is not an accident if your car blows up or catches fire.

And.....

No Fault Insurance has nothing to do with collision insurance per se. No Fault Insurance deals with Personal Injury to yourself or your passengers. It has nothing to do with whose fault the accident is and the fact that if you are the cause of an accident it doesn't matter because No Fault Insurance will not make you the person to blame. Forget it. If you cause an accident you are at fault. No Fault will only pay you or your passenger's injuries at the hospital or doctor.

Now, I have always seen a deductible associated with Collision Insurance. It can be as low as $50 per claim or as high as $1,000 per claim. The premium you pay will reflect how high or low of a deductible you have.

The Company I'm associated with will pay you up to $500 on a claim to cover your automobile deductible. It will also do the same for your Homeowners Insurance or Renters Insurance, but goes up as high as $1,000. The Company has other benefits as well. The best part is you can get rid of some of the programs you have now, like Triple A and I.D. Theft Insurance at the same time. It's quite a comprehensive coverage that this company offers and I suggest you take a look at it.

You can check this company out at: http://www.HomeTec.com/maxitec

If you are so inclined to make money selling this coverage to others, you are welcome to check this aspect of the company out as well. Just go to: http://www.myebizsecret.com/?ac=600266
Well that's all for today.

I would like to know what questions you have regarding insurance--actually any kind of insurance--so I can answer them and give you pointers. Just leave a comment on this blog or DM (direct message) me on my Twitter account at http://www.twitter.com/maxitec_hometec

Regards,

Helene Solinga

Automobile Comprehensive Coverage & Deductibles

2009-02-16T21:58:00.004-05:00

Automobile comprehensive insurance can be confusing--like all forms of insurance. Unless you know what is and what is not considered comprehensive insurance coverage and how it works on your automobile insurance policy you can find yourself losing a lot of money by not reporting a loss.

First, understand that comprehensive coverage for your automobile is for situations out of your control and as such, is not considered a chargeable accident on your policy. The Insurance Company will not increase your rates because you put in a claim of this type. If you have too many claims they might increase your deductible, but your insurance rates will not go up.

Some types of claims associated with comprehensive coverage include:

Vandalism to parts of your vehicle
Theft of your vehicle
Glass Breakage on your vehicle
Something falls on your vehicle like a tree
You come in contact with an animal causing damage to your vehicle

Usually there is a deductible applied to each comprehensive claim. It is possible in many states to get Full Glass Coverage, which means the company will fix or replace the glass on your vehicle free of charge to you--with no deductible.

If you have Rental Reimbursement on your vehicle, it will be possible for you to rent a vehicle while it is being fixed. You will have to read the terms and conditions on your policy, or ask your agent, to find out exactly how much coverage you're entitled to, (i.e. how long you can rent a car for, how much you will be allowed each day to spend on a rental and what the waiting period is before this coverage becomes effective).

The deductible will be applied to each claim--not each part of the coverage. Your premium will go down the higher the deductible is. So get different insurance quotes for the various deductibles you can apply to your policy.

If the thought of a deductibe worries you if there is a claim, now there is a way to cover that deductible. If you will go to the following site, it will all be explained to you: http://www.usahometec.com/maxitec.

If you would like to be able to sell this policy and make money helping others solve their deductible problems, you are invited to view the business opportunity part of this site at: http://www.myebizsecret.com/?ac=600266

That's it for today. My next post will explain Automobile Collision Insurance.

Regards,

Helene Solinga