Where will you SCORE/GET HIT with Insurance Costs in 2013...

If you're looking to save money on Insurance this 2013, here's how:

1.  Consolidate all your personal lines with one carrier.  "Huh?"  Call me.
2.  Get a Rugby Supplemental/Accident Only plan.  Got $10,000 laying around?
3.  If you OWN a business:  General Liability and Business Auto rates are good right now... Again, Call me.

Where you're going to get HIT with Insurance Costs in 2013:

1.  Workers Comp:  Business Owners, the Prop will Fall on You...  Have you checked your ExMod lately?
2.  Health Insurance:  Expect either your employer to ask you for a bigger contribution, drop benefits entirely, or just a simple 30-40% increase... Yes, your LineOut Lifters just dropped you...
3.  OLD Ruggers:  Long Term Care insurance.  This is for the 50+ crowd.  Get it, NOW.

Tax-wise, $1,000,000,000,000 (that's 1 Trillion), gets taken this year by the Feds to pay for Obamacare, which doesn't technically start til 2014. Plus, your wages will get pinged another 2%.  So, you'll have less money in 2013 if all else stays the same. 

Your only recourse is to score multiple tries... Or, make more money. 

Monday Morning Bruises: You PAY for your OWN mistakes...

Ah, sitting at the desk on Monday morning, less than 48 hours after 80 minutes of rugby and countless beers...  A precious feeling!

Now, the mistakes you made on the pitch... there's no one but you to blame... fact.

How the hell is this related to insurance?  Because many believe insurance is designed to pay for your mistakes.  No.  no.  NO!

Example:  General Liability is there in case you get sued.  Don't get sued, and you'll never use the insurance.  (IMHO, that's why you buy it...)  You can get sued without screwing up.

Another Example:  Deductibles on Health Insurance:  If you play rugby, and get hurt, you're going to pay for some part of the medical services, simply because you CHOSE to play.  "What do you mean that's not covered?"  Ha!

Final Example:  Cheap Auto Insurance.  You buy the cheapest shit out there, you get in an accident, car goes bye bye... "Wait?  I had insurance!"  Um, no, you had what your State required, and nothing more...

So, that bruise on your arm from a bad guy's thumb, or the rake on your leg from a prop's boot... your problem.

Disability for You, Auto for the Ballot Box

Two interesting articles on this fine Thursday:

1.  Disability Insurance:  IMHO, much, much more important than Life Insurance.  Especially if you play Rugby.

2.  Auto Insurance:  Strange what the Gov't thinks is a good idea...

We Do Car Insurance, but CA won't let me offer a Same-Sex Couple discount!

Kudos to Esurance.com for doing this.

Here are the states:

Esurance has already offered similar car insurance savings for same-sex partners in Calif., Ill., Ore., and Wash. Now, customers in Ala., Ariz., Colo., Conn., Ga., Ind., Ky., Md., Minn., Miss., Nev., N. J., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Texas, Utah, Va., and Wisc.

Strong Work.

Do Rugby Players Ride Scooters?

Is it even allowed?

Non-Profits and Hired, Non-Owned Auto Coverage: Weird, but important...

You're running a Rugby Clinic, and the Guest Coach is arriving today at the Airport.  You ask "Bob the Prop" to pick up the Coach.  Bob the Prop drives his own car, and gets in an accident.

Normally, Bob's auto will cover anything if Bob's is at fault, or liable, for damages and bodily injury.  But what if the plaintiff wants more.

Hired/Non-Owned protects your Non-Profit, Sports Association, or Clinic as EXCESS cover over Bob's insurance.  Ranges from $500 to $1000 extra, but if you rely on volunteers who use their own vehicles, it could save you a boot to the head from a smart lawyer.

"That's not ENOUGH to buy a NEW ONE!" Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost

Why do you buy auto/motorcycle insurance?

Most Rugby Players, like regular people, think that they are insuring the vehicle or bike.

No.

You are mostly insuring the Liability of you Killing Someone, or destroying THEIR property.  (There's the un-under-insured stuff too...)

Most auto and motorcycle policies pay on collision only the ACV, or Actual Cash Value at the time of accident.  This is usually LOWER that what you would need to replace.

Replacement Cost?  Please understand, that your Collision coverage is NOT Replacement Cost. 

The Cop who pulled you over: License and Smartphone, Please...

I'm sure the civil libertarians will go all screaming-at-the-ref, but I think it's an interesting move.

Could the Cop "notice" that you were texting, FBing, or playing WWF?

Rucking Insurance Insurance services now provides personal lines... Heck, we'll email the quote to your SmartPhone....

PD and BI: What MythBusters Cannonball Accident Can Teach About Insurance...

So, MythBusters missed....

Now, thank the Rugby Gods, no one was hurt.  That would've been BI, or Bodily Injury.

So, the Door, the house, and Van?  PD, or Property Damage.

IMHO, the show itself will make reparations, maybe not even filing a claim with their General Liability Insurance.

Now, if there was a claim, Kip Fuller of Farmers Insurance thinks that the fault could be with either the firing range or the cannonball shooter/MythBusters.  Even further, if the homeowner or the van owner file a claim with their own insurance, those companies might subrogate, meaning the homeowner's or auto policy will go after MythBusters to pay part or all of the damage repairs, replacements, etc.

Either way, no one got hurt, and two households are getting some new stuff that they currently "miss."

What to do after an Auto Accident: From Paperless-insurance.com

Important and simple five steps from Paperless-insurance.com

1.  Call Cops
2.  Avoid Additional Damage
3.  Get Info
4.  Document
5.  File Report

Details here.

Cheeky Video Ad From Foremost

Love this goofy shit...

Business Auto/Fleet Auto Program: RUCKING Over Rates!

Rucking Insurance Services has now secured appointments for every commercial auto/business auto/fleet auto insurance program in the US. 6 years in the business, and we've been recognized as the new breed of brokerage: Serving a specific community exclusively, instead of regular non-rugby-playing people...

WE CAN RUCK OVER ANYONE'S RATES.

Contact us for a free quote. 

Hired Auto Physical Damage: Key for Business Auto/Fleets

Yawn, except for the Rugby player who owns a business that operates a fleet of vehicles.

"Hired Auto Physical Damage" is a must have endorsement on your business auto.  A big job comes in, and two trucks go out of commish, and you're under the ruck, boots a flying...

Having Hired Auto Physical Damage gives you a little more peace of mind when renting a vehicle or two to get done what needs to get done.  You rent a truck that ends doing damage, and your covered under the policy limits.  Remember, this is WAY different than just liability cover.  Know the diff?

Rugby players tend to be impatient people, so don't overlook this when reviewing your fleet auto policy.

Geico dropping CA auto rates, expect other Co.'s to follow..

I just read that Geico got a 10%+ rate DECREASE approved in CA.  (I'll find a corroborating link...)

Expect the other carriers to follow suit, as this is how Capitalism works...

IMHO, Right now, if you can qualify, Traveler's is the best for Home/Auto in CA.

You don't "Sign Up" for Insurance...

Too many times, I get this reply:

"Okay, I'll sign up."

Whether it's Health Insurance, or Business Insurance, or Workers Comp, or Disability, or even for a bloody motorcycle, y'all think you're "signing up."

You are BUYING. You sign up for a club, you sign up for a golf tourney, you sign up for a Rugby team. You sign up for a gov't program...and we all know how those go.

Once you realize that Insurance is a purchase, like buying a house, car, or clothes, you'll take it more seriously.

...maybe.

The Team Van: Do's and Don'ts of transporting Rugby Players

We've all piled into a van at least once for some overly-lengthy road trip. We stunk, drank bad beer, ate convenience store microwaved burritos, and then stunk more...

Renting the van is still the best option. Unless you have a wondrous benefactor with lots of cash, stick to renting. Buy the insurance from the rental place too...

Move in with your GF to get better car insurance rates...

Statistics.

This is the TRUE driver of insurance companies. You know about the death spiral already.

Well, with car insurance, ask the GF to move in together, and you'll get a better rate.

Statistics say so...

I'm checking if this true for same-sex couples....

Best Cars to Own for Auto Insurance, according to USAA

If you're the player who has the car that drives everybody to away games, read.

Auto Insurance for Broke Gay Couples...only in California!

I'm not kidding. The State of CA is extending it's Low-cost program to same sex couples.

Ergo, if you live on Broke Bitch Mountain, you and Jake Gyllenhal can still get auto insurance.

(Sorry, couldn't resist that one...)

Just in time too, because ALL P&C rates are rising over the next few years, as the market HARDENS up...

(Nope, couldn't let that one go either...)

Rugby Team Van: $2k per year for insurance, in NorCal

I've been getting requests for insurance on team vans. Here's a few Rucking points:

• Anything over 10 passenger's needs a Class B license to drive
• Rates are around $2,000 for the year. This will vary, obviously, risk by risk, but it's a good starting point budget-wise.
• Might want a legal entity for your club to mitigate exposure. If so, email me and I'll direct you to a lawyer who sets up teams and leagues.

Ruck on!