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.

The hard times many of us had to face with the recession have made some people think of “special” ways for getting some extra money. And when every dollar counts, any measure will do. Insurance companies report records in claims these days, typically for small amounts, and there’s a growing number of frauds the carriers have to deal with. Having overwhelming numbers of claims may seem like the perfect way to get a fraud unnoticed, but fortunately for insurance companies it is not so.

Every insurance company has its own special investigation unit, which is usually comprised of people who have experience working in law enforcement domain. And as you’ve guessed it, this unit is dealing with cases when fraud is suspected. Taking into account that fraud is illegal, these guys are just as serious as police detectives and FBA agents – when there’s a crime, they are bloodthirsty for finding out the truth. And that’s what they typically see people trying to get away with:

1. Leaving the car unlocked and the keys in place.

Missing a set of keys when your “car” gets stolen and having no signs of forced entry when it is found will make the investigation unit suspect that you’ve just decided to get rid of your car and get money for it.

2. Blame vandals for setting your auto on fire after spilling some gasoline somewhere near the engine.

You may think that the fire will destroy all the evidence. Well, there are things like computer simulations, pattern analysis and other ways to investigate such cases that will get you red-handed.

3. Visit your doctor after the accident too often.

Some doctors will be quite nice to you and provide medical attention even when it’s not needed anymore, for a special price of course. Needless to say that there are medical experts in investigation units, who clearly now how much medical attention does the person need in every particular situation. Besides, insurance companies keep track of the doctors and attorneys who encourage more medical bills to be paid by the carrier.

4. Filing a claim for an accident that didn’t happen.

If there’s no damage to your car, but you claim to have been hit, insurance company investigators will analyze all the data and clearly see if you are telling the truth or not. And you’d better be telling the truth, otherwise expect to get sued anytime soon.

5. Add some people to the car, claiming they were there during the accident.

Remember that accident reports and accounts are analyzed thoroughly and if the information differs, investigators will get very suspicious. It’s not only your report that is read when the claim get filed, the police report, witness report and the other party’s report are also taken into account.

6. File old damage as a new one and get paid for it.

Your car insurance will pay for that old dent you always wanted to repair. Well, not so fast, because thorough analysis will allow the investigators to state whether it’s a new damage or not.

7. Ask your repair shop to add the deductible to the final bill.

Having your car insurance pay for the damage to your car also means that you will have to pay a deductible first. Some people may think, that it’s better to negotiate with the repair shop and see if they can bill you with a higher price so that you won’t have to pay upfront first. However, insurance ivestigators will know if the service is too costly, or it takes too much time to repair your car after the accident.

What can you do to lower your auto insurance premiums

Insurance is all about estimating the risk of being in an accident. If you are a very safe driver, you will pay less than someone who regularly crashes into other motorists. Unfortunately, insurance companies cannot look into the future to discover whether you will have an accident in the next year. All they can do is make general assumptions based on who you are, where you live, how far you drive each year, and so on. Rightly or wrongly, you will be judged by your membership of a class based on your age, gender, the job you have, what type of vehicle you drive and whether you have a good driving record with no tickets. This means that a lot of the factors used to judge risk are under your control.

If you are a responsible person with a good credit record and a clean driving record, you will pay a lower premium. From the moment you start driving, your mission in life should be to avoid accidents and tickets. You will earn auto insurance discounts if you are trained by driving instructors approved by the insurance companies. Further savings will be earned if you have a B or better GPA and your school or college confirms you are a good student.

Once you finish education and get a job, try to find work close to where you live. The lower your annual mileage, the lower your premium. The lowest premiums come when you can use public transport a lot of the time and only drive short distances in off-peak traffic. If you live in the suburbs or exurbs, join a carpool.

When you are buying a vehicle, do not buy a powerful sports car while you are young and inexperienced. Always check the cost of insurance before you buy. It is better to stay with boring, underpowered vehicles that are not regularly stolen until you have built up years of safe driving. Only then can you afford to drive something more expensive to repair if you do finally have an accident. For the record, driver aged more than 25 have fewer accidents and pay significantly less than younger drivers.

Finally, you can decide to self-insure. Every auto insurance policy gives you the option of paying a deductible. These usually come in the amounts of $100, $250, $500 and $1,000. So, if you have a claim against your policy, you pay the agreed amount and the insurance company pays the balance. You get the maximum discount if you agree to pay the maximum deductible. But before you shoulder this burden, ask yourself whether you could afford to pay $1,000 per accident if you had two accidents in the same year.

Perhaps it’s the wrong way to think about insurance, but it’s really nothing more than a form of licensed gambling. You find this insurance company prepared to take you on and then place a bet on how long you are going to live. The insurance companies studies the form guide and decides how long people like you tend to live. It sets the premium and the jackpot number. If you die within the first few years, your family are big winners. They hit the jackpot for just a few premium instalments. But if you live far longer than expected, the insurance company wins big because it has the use of all your money during your lifetime and only pays back the sum agreed. That’s one of the interesting things about inflation. What looks a big number now may be peanuts in fifty years time. That’s why buying a policy with a fixed benefit is such an interesting bet.

Now to a simple distinction: a term policy buys you a fixed cash sum if you die within the period agreed. If you live past the due date, you lose, i.e. no benefit is payable and there is no refund of your premium instalments. The contract terminates. A permanent policy pays a benefit but there is an accumulating cash value, i.e. there is a form of savings account built into the plan. This appreciates in value during the term of the policy so, if the insurance company makes good investment decisions, the amount payable on death can be significantly more than the amount you paid in. This reflects and offsets the problem of inflation. Agreements to pay a fixed dollar amount usually represent very poor value over the long term. The further benefit of the investment element is that you can recover the cash value of the policy before you die. This is done either by surrendering the policy to the insurance company or by selling the policy on the open market. Sale of the policy realises more than the surrender value. Alternatively, most insurance companies allow you to borrow money from the investment account. This is good over the short term but never forget that interest is payable on the loan. If you are not careful, the continuing deduction of interest over time can wipe out the remaining cash value in the account. It is always worth paying back the loan or cutting your losses and surrendering the policy if repayment is unaffordable.

Because it has additional value, permanent life insurance policies are more expensive to buy than term policies. But, once the contract is in place, the amount of the instalments is fixed so, as inflation devalues the dollar, it becomes an increasingly affordable proportion of your monthly paycheck. If you renew successive term policies, the premium rises with each new policy. Some argue that the key advantage of term policies is you get cheap coverage and can invest the money saved on the premiums. If you make good investment decisions, you can emerge a winner. So, if you are only thinking short-term, i.e. up to ten years, go for term. If you are thinking strategically over your lifetime, go for a permanent policy. When buying the first policy or looking to top up your cover, always get the maximum number of life insurance quotes to ensure you find the best deal.

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.