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Eleanor Said:

Where can I get affordable liability insurance for small moving company?

We Answered:

OK, does "affordable" mean cheaper than you've already been quoted? Under market pricing? Less than it costs? That's like saying, "Where can I find a small moving company that will move me from my house in Pittsburgh to my house in Texas for $500 all inclusive?"

Moving company insurance is EXPENSIVE. The commercial auto part is EXPENSIVE. You need filings, so you'll need motor truck cargo coverage. General liability, for the loading and unloading, is EXPENSIVE. And WORKERS COMP for the guys lifting, is EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE. Lots of back claims, you know.

You're going to need to go to a local, independent agent, and get quotes from A rated carriers. Most likely, they will NOT be admitted to do business in your state - companies aren't exactly falling over themselves to write this line of business, it's HIGH RISK. Which means, high premium.

If you don't budget $10,000 for insurance, (one paid-for truck at least 6 years old, no collision on the truck, no drivers under 25, all operations within 100 mile radius, no over state lines work), you're NOT going to find it.

Cassandra Said:

Can you, please, name a small insurance company in the Unted States?

We Answered:

I know this isn't what you want to hear but there is no such thing as a "small" insurance company in the US. If one existed it would either have to be a brand new startup or it would fold rather quickly. In order for any insurance company whether it be Life, Health, Auto and Property, Mortgage or whatever they have to be in every state to remain competitive in order to "spread the risk" or maintain solvency. A small company could be wiped out by one tornado and we can see what happened with companies like Allstate following hurricane Katrina and the biggest reason they balked at many claims is because it would probably have taken them down as a company had they payed every one of them. Any insurance company in the US has to keep X number of dollars in one reserve while using X number of dollars as investment to keep the company afloat while balancing incoming premiums with claims paid out. No small company would ever survive past the first year and if they don't find new customers through their sales force they will fold as a company and that is why they are all Huge, Large, Nationwide or however you want to put it. The only weird thing about the US is any Insurance company can be located in one state and sell their products across the US while abiding by each states laws except in New York state. If you want to sell in the state of New York your company has to be located there. So there are many companies that have home offices in one state such as Georgia for instance where AFLAC is located and they are then required to have a licensed business office in the state of New York and they can only market their products from that office and no further than the state lines. So in any case we are not going to find any small company and if there was one I would send you the link to their pending bankruptcy case in federal court :) Small bank, small financial institution, insurance companies don't really exist in the US and if they do they are on the way to the unemployment office.

Margaret Said:

can a health insurance company send you to collections even if your making small payments?

We Answered:

Absolutely, if you failed to pay the required premiums to maintain coverage they can cancel your coverage, but they will have likely provided coverage for some period of time that they did not receive payment for. You are under a contractual obligation to pay the past due amount even after they cancelled you and if you have not reached an agreed upon payment plan, they are well within their rights to send you to collections. Usually it is in their best interest to agree on just about any payment plan as collection agencies usually only pay pennies on the dollar for what you owe. Call them up and see what they will agree to.

Lester Said:

If I am planning on starting a small video production company, what type of insurance do I need?

We Answered:

I've written video production packages. There's a WHOLE BUNCH of coverages you might need, depending on your particular operation, including, but not limited to:

inland marine - property coverage for cameras, lights, and other mobile type equipment
property - for the stuff that doesn't move from your studio, like editing equipment
commercial auto - sometimes there are vans with installed editing studios
workers compensation - for your employees
commercial liability - if someone sues you for slip/fall type stuff
equipment floater - which can include rented equipment, if you're renting out lighting/camera packages
copywrite/trademark coverage - liability coverage for those two things, which you'll need to air PSA's or commercials



Depending on what you're doing, you might find a package starting at $2500, or it might start at $10,000. You'll need to find an agent in your area, that specializes in production insurance - MOST agents have no idea where to go, or what's actually needed.

Charlie Said:

Is business insurance a good idea for a small design company?

We Answered:

Yes, insurance for any company dealing with the public is always needed. You never know who will try to screw you over, always cover your butt!

Katie Said:

What is the best health insurance company for the self employed?

We Answered:

Based on your question I would suggest that you need a trusted adviser to help you through the process of purchasing health insurance so that you understand what you are purchasing. Check with the agent that writes your home or auto insurance he/she can provide you a health insurance proposal that takes into account your budget and health status. He or she can answer questions as to what is and is not covered by the policy, explain deductibles and co-pays and show you the hospitals and doctors that participate in the network.

Ultimately, you are the one who determines what is the best insurance because you decide what right balance is between affordability and policy benefits.

If you choose a plan that covers everything i.e. doctors office visits, prescription drugs, preventative health benefits, maternity coverage, low deductibles, low co-pays as well as vision and dental benefits your monthly premiums will be significant.

On the other hand if you are young, healthy and use the health care system sparingly you could consider a plan that covers only the major health catastrophe. If that is too scary consider a plan with a higher in hospital deductible, higher co-pays for doctor's office visits and perhaps not cover prescription drugs.. Either of these approaches will result in a lower monthly premium. You then can use the monthly premium savings to pay for the occasional doctor visit or prescription and still come out ahead.

Some are going to suggest you go to their site so that they earn a few pennies on a "click through". Some are going to suggest going on line to get a quote but you probably already know that there is much more to health insurance than price. Some might even suggest a discount plan as the "best and cheapest" approach but that is not insurance at all.

Perry Said:

I work for a small company and canceled my insurance last week. Why am I still being deducted for the premium?

We Answered:

~~Most employers have to pay the entire premium for a month. Therefore they would deduct your premium for this month because they pay up front. Whether they can get be reimbursed for the time you were covered under your wife's would be between them and their insurance rep. Normally though, you aren't able to drop until the start of the next month.~~