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These are facts you must acquaint yourself with if your home insurance would help you to give good account of your financial standing. Your home insurance should necessarily be a source of saving on money while the core values of policy coverage remains intact.

These are some of the factors that could help you out where you aptly use them as a resource:

a. It will be a very good idea if you decide to save some good money through your chosen method of premium settlement. How do you do this? Payment of monthly premiums through issuance of checks accumulate administrative charges. You could therefore issue your check for the year once and for all, or you instruct you bank to use electronic fund transfer to effect payments on your behalf.

b. You ought to ensure that your preferred insurer is licensed to give you an insurance home coverage. If you are not sure if a particular insurer of your choice is licensed to underwrite your type of policy, you can run an official check on them through some government agencies like A.M Best Company, Phelps Inc., BBB among others.

c. Improving the facilities and renovating basic structures in your home will definitely go a long way in getting you some deserved discount. For instance, certain fixtures and fittings and other improvements on the landscaping or the ceiling will all amount to earning you a very good discount. But don't forget to intimate your agent or insurer of any such improvements in order to facilitate your rate discount.

d. Please, to safeguard yourself in the interests of affordability and valued quality, check out rates quotes on insurance or quote sites. Then go ahead to compare and even analyze the rates and see how you fit in perfectly into any of these, bearing in mind that quality should be reckoned with in the whole process.

Omedo I. Charles is a prolific writer and a magazine reporter. He has several yet-to-be-published fiction manuscripts. He can be contacted on charlesomedo@cbfmail.com

We've been on the downward side of the commercial insurance curve for the past year and a half. In 2006, profits were at all-time high levels for the insurance industry. These record profits triggered a flood of capital into the insurance marketplace. Additionally, many new insurance companies sprouted and began operations; thus, competition and supply increased. As we all learned in know, when demand stays the same but supply increases, prices drop. The forecast for the immediate future is a continuation of the decline in insurance pricing for Liability, Property, Auto, and Workers Compensation. Over the past year and a half alone, restaurant owners have seen their insurance rates decrease by 15-40%.

Is there an end in sight? There is-once the carriers begin paying out more in claims and operating costs than what they are making in premium dollars. A hardening of this cyclical market will commence once insurance companies start seeing red in their bottom line again. Damaging hurricane seasons that produce large property losses or catastrophic events like 9/11 can certainly expedite the process. More litigation or especially large lawsuits pertaining to Workers Compensation, Food-borne Illnesses, or Liquor Liability can also cause increased prices for the Restaurant Industry. Additionally, there is always the next "claim du jour" that we have not thought about yet. For example, prices could be affected by class actions suits related to FACTS or other privacy suits cased by leaving credit card information on sales receipts.

Only one thing is certain: the hard market will be back. Regardless of whether market rates are increasing or decreasing, focusing on risk management, loss reduction, and paying attention to details can help you cut costs in any market situation. Considering the current state of the overall economy, cutting substantial costs now can help you save a few jobs down the line. Remember, sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

Consider these helpful hints that might help improve your insurance situation:

Location, location, location. Any successful restaurant entrepreneur must have the ability to analyze situations effectively and identify hidden opportunities. Consider the way you have set up your concept as an organization to locate potential savings. Some clients my firm works with lease their stores, and additionally lease their employees from a PEO. Property insurance and Worker's Compensation insurance are built into these costs. As a result, the restaurants utilizing this strategy gain greater levels of control and substantial savings by carving out those coverages and then negotiating from there.

Manage your claims. America may be the land of the frivolous lawsuit; if so, the restaurant industry is undoubtedly the epicenter. Is there anything more frustrating than getting served with a lawsuit and being clueless as to the circumstances underlying the claim? Of course, the lawsuit is usually from some mail-order lawyer who has a really "clever" saying like, "We take names, then kick butt!"

Executing prompt claims reports and tracking incidents are necessary components of solid claims management. You will also reduce claims costs. Properly set up these processes and procedures to protect your organization from potential surprises and minimize claims issues. Without doing so, you can become a target. Also, create special instructions for claims handling that dictate what claims will be paid. This allows you to avoid disrupting ongoing business in the event that a major loss occurs.

Choose the right partner. The commercial insurance industry can be a confusing and misunderstood place, and unfortunately there is plenty of incompetence floating around. Even worse, the brokers' commissions in commercial insurance are typically set up in such a way that you essentially pay the same price for a Filet Mignon as you do for a burger! However, my experience in the industry has taught me that lawyers, restaurant executives, and owners do not have the time to truly how commercial insurance really works.

What you need to do is team up with an insurance broker who has industry expertise, understands the market, and has a track record for consistent success. Do your due diligence and talk to references and restaurants the broker personally services. Keep in mind that you may hear something like, "We handle Brinker," but the actual team doing the work is in another office. Also, remember that your broker does not necessarily need to be local. They do, though, need to be active in the industry to be cognizant of industry-specific issues, be creative, and have some leverage to negotiate the best deal for you. Choosing a great broker can increased the bottom line by $25,000+ per location, contribute solutions across an organization, and enhance a balance sheet on both micro and macro levels.

Finally, when it comes to choosing the right broker, make sure that he or she is backed by a good team. No one person can effectively handle all of your commercial insurance needs. Choose a team that provides great service, handles claims and loss control, and has alternative risk expertise.

Have a renewal strategy. Do not let yourself get caught in the insurance cycle. If you work the cycle, it cannot work you. How can you effectively work the cycle?

In soft markets, you may be compelled to cancel a current policy to take advantage of lower available rates. This, of course, will depend on how much you have already paid in premiums.

You may also be able to free up more cash by lowering premiums mid-term, thus allowing you to release significant escrow dollars currently being held. You can, additionally, reduce the length and sting of the next hard market by extending current terms in the soft market.

Always pay attention to what time of year your current policy is set for renewal. By negotiating rates at the end of a quarter, when insurance companies are seeking premiums to make their numbers, you can negotiate better terms.

For coastal properties, make sure to renew before the hype of a new hurricane season rolls in.

As a general rule, renew early. You do not want to be held hostage by last-minute quotes. We are all familiar with the unappetizing terms presented in renewal options the day before renewal. You want to be able to have the quote early enough to be reviewed. Make sure that your broker allows this to happen. This way, if the terms are not to your liking, you have the luxury to look elsewhere.

The tips and hints listed above should offer some insight into what can otherwise be a confusing and frustrating endeavor. With that said, realize that there are always significant savings available in every aspect of every restaurant concept in the country. Risk management and insurance just may not be the first place most people look.

Morgan Ryan is a vice president in the Dallas office of McGriff, Seibels & Williams. McGriff is the eighth-largest insurance brokerage in the U.S. Based in Birmingham, Ala., the firm operates 11 offices throughout the nation, including the Dallas office, which focuses on restaurant and real estate business.

Morgan Ryan, ARM

Commercial Insurance

Articles written by Morgan Ryan

You've probably heard some information about the "run your car on water" trend that's sweeping the Internet. It might be difficult now days to escape the ads and they'll probably become more plentiful as gas prices continue to inch even higher.

Chances are you've been intrigued by these ads and their promises of greater fuel efficiency. You've probably wondered if this is just some scam that will cost you a lot of money but won't pay off in the end. You might even have questions about the safety of converting your current vehicle so you run your car on water.

Below you'll find information that will help you better understand these run your car on water claims so you can decide whether this is a change that would be in your best interest.

Run Your Car on Water: The Basics

First, let's look at an overview of what this process entails. As you may already know, water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and an atom of oxygen. Both of these elements are combustible in the right conditions. Using certain equipment and electricity, these elements can be separated in the water and then the elements can be used as a power source. When this process is used in your automobile, the hydrogen and oxygen can generate enough energy to keep your car running.

There is nothing fake about this technology. Top automakers, including Toyota, have been working on hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles for several years.

The difference between their efforts and what you have been reading about on the Internet is that their technology will require you to purchase a completely different vehicle. With the process being advertised now, you can keep your current vehicle and modify it so that it can run on water.

Before we move on, however, it's important for you to realize that this technology doesn't mean you never have to put gasoline in your car again. The gasoline is still needed because it serves a purpose in the entire process. However, the modification will greatly reduce your consumption of gasoline. Most cars become 40% more fuel efficient after these changes are made.

Run Your Car on Water: Not as Risky as You Might Think

There are several common arguments used against this process. Unfortunately, most of these arguments are not accurate and are simply being used to prevent people like us from adopting a better way of fueling our vehicles. Remember when we start using less gasoline we take money from the government and from oil companies - neither group is going to be happy about that.

One of the arguments is hydrogen is dangerous and can cause cars to explode. First, gasoline is also very combustible. If something happens to your gas tank, your car will explode. Even the fumes from the gasoline can lead to an explosion. Even if what people say about hydrogen was true, that wouldn't make it any more dangerous than using gasoline.

Early attempts at using water for fuel were potentially dangerous. However, the use of Brown's Gas has made the entire process much safer and has reduced the risk of those types of dangers significantly. In fact, Brown's Gas generators are already being sold and used throughout other parts of the world without any problems.

Another common argument is that by modifying your car you run the risk of causing permanent damage to the vehicle or you can reduce the resell value of your car. Both of these concerns are unfounded.

To be fair, if you're not mechanically inclined you could damage your car by doing the modifications yourself. That's true no matter what type of work you did on your car, even an oil change can be destructive if you don't know what you're doing. If you know what you're doing or if you can hire someone who knows what they are doing, you won't have any problems.

Even if something would go wrong, the conversion is 100% reversible. The change is not a permanent modification.

That's also part of the reason why you don't have to worry about the changes reducing the resell value of your automobile. You can always reverse the changes before selling the car. Additionally, making the modifications could actually increase the resell value of your car because it has become more fuel-efficient. Already fuel-efficient cars are in great demand and that trend will continue so already having a car that will save potential buyers money will probably be an asset.

At the end of the day, the run your car on water ideas are based on solid science and the arguments against the technology simply don't have a leg to stand on.

Increase Your Fuel Efficiency By 40%

Travel for the over 50's no longer has limits. Traditionally the over 50's have been marketed "soft" tour options such as 5 star beach resorts, cruise ships offering Bridge and Croquet; and gentle coach tours through Southern France. Only recently have the over 50's been recognised as a market for Adventure Travel.

The over 50's are an affluent market; they have disposable income, time to travel, desire to experience the real culture and want more adventurous travel. Whether that is climbing the Himalayas, overland camping safaris in Africa or multi-day trekking tours through developing countries, the over 50's market is rapidly expanding. The demand for activities such as white water rafting the Nile and gorilla trekking are also increasing.

The days are passing when brochures handed out to an over 50's at their local travel agent are limited to cruise sips, all inclusive beach resorts or gentle tours. With more over 50's being computer literate they are seeking out options on their own over the internet and are confident to book their ideal tour. More and more operators are offering everything from camping safaris in Africa on overland trucks, multi-day treks on the Inca Trail in Peru and Mount Kilimanjaro climbs in Tanzania.

Where has this shift come from and why has it taken so long?

The 20-30 year old market has traditionally been seen as the market with expendable income and time to travel. Over the past 10 years as the work culture has shifted to longer hours and less job security, housing markets have skyrocketed and the culture of living on credit is out of control. The 20-30 year old consumer has become less lucrative for the adventure travel market.

We are seeing fitter and more active over 50's who have paid off the mortgage, kids have moved out of home; coupled with the age of internet and cable television making the global village more attractive and accessible. More and more over 50's are deciding that in their retirement there is more than just gardening and playing bridge on Wednesday night; they are wanting to break away form the norm and travel to places once seen as inappropriate for the over 50's.

It certainly has taken a very long time for the Adventure Travel market to recognise and value the over 50's as a prospective consumers of the global adventure travel. But as more and more recognise this market; options are set to increase in the future.

Deborah Thiele is Director of Africa Expedition Support; a safari company based in East Africa. Deborah has worked in the tourism arena for over 7 years in Africa, South America and the Middle East within an administrative role, tour leader and on-road trainer. She has completed 4 Trans Africa (UK to Cape Town) overland and lead hundreds of tours all over the World. Deborah is originally from Adelaide, Australia. More information is available via email info@africaexpeditionsupport.com or http://www.africaexpeditionsupport.com

Most people I know Love To Travel. Anywhere, anytime, for as long as possible and as often as possible. I am sure we would all love to travel more but the finances just does not always allow it right? Why do we have to wait until we are retired to really travel like we want to? No problem anymore. We found the instant solution and so can you. Would you like to go to a one-stop-shop to easily book your next vacation?

Does not matter if its accommodation, flight, cruise, rental car, excursions or all of the above, you can do it right from you own home (or even the office if you can get away with it!) on your own computer with a few clicks of the mouse. Or if you prefer having your arrangements taken care of by someone else, you can make one phone call to get a trained professional to do it for you. Easy and convenient. What else could you want in a vacation package?

Affordability: How about a one-time very affordable price for life? No dreaded bills at the beginning of the new year for Maintenance fees, User charges and/or Exchange Fees which usually arrive right before or after Christmas and right before tax payments are due!

Flexibility: Think going as often as you want to go and can afford to go for at least 8 days/7 nights and should you want to stay longer, arrangements can be made. You can book a year in advance or as late as 6 days before you travel!

Selection: Will 5000 resorts World Wide (all 4 & 5 star) and cruises with all the major Cruise Lines give you a big enough selection?

Specials: Receive notification of special offers by e-mail and save literally thousands of dollars (comparisons are often shown)

Opportunity: Let your friends and family pay for your vacation.

Sounds too good to be true? It is not. Read the testimonials. That is why thousands of other people all over the world absolutely love it.

Ina Smit has traveled to 17 countries and is regarded as an authority on the subject of travel due to her extensive travels worldwide and everything she experienced while traveling. Take the plane, take the train, bus, ferry or whatever, but visit her at: http://www.WWTravelSite.com