Sammarusich Blog

During the boom years, all you had to worry about was the color to paint your home. Everything else was just great as house values kept on going up, releasing ever more housing equity as collateral for your loans. Now we have a recession and a wave of foreclosures has been sweeping across the land. Friends and neighbors have suddenly disappeared and their empty homes now stand out like bad teeth along streets that have forgotten how to smile. Needless to say, all these empty homes have no buyers and the resale value of all property has been falling over the last eighteen months. To complete the picture of the perfect economic storm, unemployment has pushed up above 10% in some areas. With this number of people out of work, there’s little chance of any significant pick up in the housing market over the next months. Indeed, you may be feeling the pressure of keeping your own head above the water. Too often people are discovering that the loans they acquired in the good years have terms raising the interest rates now. At a time when money is tight, this is unwelcome news.

The answer is negotiating a loan modification. This should be easy. You call up the loan company, explain your problems, show how much you can afford, agree to extend the term of the loan, and reduce the monthly instalments. Except you suddenly discover you no longer know who owns the mortgage. All these clever banks and finance companies sliced and diced all the loans into securitized bonds. The debts were all sold on and funding out who the owners are now can a real problem. But let’s assume you are lucky. That the original lender still owns the debt or you can find someone to talk to who works for the new owner. What exactly do you want? There are two options. The first changes the interest rates applied. Many people have been caught out by variable rates that have increased. To survive, you need to replace this balloon rate with a low fixed rate. The second option is hopefully added on to the first. You need to add years to the term of the mortgage. If you repay the same amount over twenty years instead of ten, your instalments are suddenly affordable again. Yes, you will pay slightly more interest over the additional ten years. But this will be a small price to pay to save your home.

At this point you discover that the person listening is not that sympathetic and sees no reason why the owner of the mortgage should now make less profit. Telling this person about family emergencies and health issues cuts no ice. You also discover the much-publicized Home Affordable Modification Program introduced by the Obama Administration is actually not that helpful. So what does work? The answer is either you are persistent or you get a specialist to help you. But be warned. There are a small army of crooks and con artists out there pretending to be home loan modification specialists. Never employ someone to help unless you have proof they offer real services. Always remember one truth. In the end, the lender makes more money if you stay in your home and pay something. If there is a foreclosure, everyone loses.

In the good old days, the world was a simple place. You went into a store to buy goods, or to an agent or broker to buy services. The price was quoted and you paid it out of the cash in your bank account. If your account was poorly stocked with dollar notes, you had to wait until you had saved enough. In this primitive way, people lived within their means, only buying goods and services when they could afford them. Those who had regular income and some collateral, were graciously allowed to borrow money from their banks. But pity those who defaulted. Their collateral would rapidly disappear into the hands of their bankers.

It was a tough world for borrowers. Then there was a revolution. Suddenly, there was cheap credit available and we could all have what we wanted right now. Just one down-payment and the rest in easy instalments. Then the revolution became a financial tsunami as the newly launched credit cards suddenly put real buying-power in our hands with generous credit limits. Add in the housing equity release plans and all the other wonderful financial gizmos dreamt up by the folk who live on Wall Street, and you have the modern age just before the worst recession in decades and the credit crunch that took everyone by surprise.

Buying insurance policies has always been potentially expensive. When you see the premium rate expressed as an annual sum, it can look a little daunting. Yet, when you are old enough to put wheels on the road, there’s mandatory liability cover in all but three US states. This is where dreams would fade were it not for the willingness of insurance companies to be flexible on the payments. First they dropped to 6 monthly payments. Some went for quarterly. And then the final act of liberation – the monthly instalment plan. Now you could buy your policy on the same basis as your home, the furniture and white goods in it, and the car you wanted to drive. Everything had come down to the total amount you could afford to pay every month and still have something left over to buy food. This has some major benefits. You can buy insurance with no down payment. Just use the internet search engines to find cheap auto insurance quotes offering the lowest premium rates, pay the first instalment in advance and you are legal on the road.

But there is more to it than that. Ignoring the supposed advantage of easier money management, it also frees you to change your auto insurance policy whenever you find a better deal. If you have paid six or twelve months in advance, this locks you into the policy. Yes, companies do allow you to change, but usually subject to cancellation charges – sometimes eye-poppingly high. The freedom to change insurers can be important if you change the make and model you drive. The existing insurer may be less competitive on the rates for the new vehicle, but the charges may take up the saving available by switching to a competitor. However, because insurers prefer stability, they offer discounts on 6 or 12 monthly payments to give them your cash in their hands. Paying on a monthly basis is always more expensive. As always, it’s your choice.

The easiest thing to say in the world right now is that some US states are suffering more than others in the recession. The national media rightly focus on the headline figures showing the total numbers of unemployed, the foreclosure rate, and so on. This can be somewhat deceiving because it hides the fact that some states are actually turning in statistics very different from the national average. In Michigan, for example, the unemployment rate stands at 15.3%. The government estimates that, by the end of 2009, some 310,000 jobs will have disappeared with no sign of any consistent move for businesses to begin rehiring. That’s why Michigan has sponsored a tax rebate for small businesses – the majority having been unprofitable for the last year – and is extending a tax credit to home buyers to help meet their mortgage obligations – Michigan is ranked 8th in the national foreclosure rank. Not surprisingly, Michigan is facing a budget deficit right now and, with the cost of the tax rebate and credits extending into 2010, the deficit can only grow worse.

So if a state has taken on major new commitments at a time when its tax revenues are falling, it is interesting to see it also championing new provisions that might help families struggling to make ends meet at the expense of the profits of the insurance industry. This is carrying the idea of redistribution somewhat further than Barack Obama intended during his presidential campaign. He was only talking about using taxes on rich individuals to reduce the wealth gap. This is more bold. Going back to the beginning, everyone with a vehicle on the road will tell you their insurance premiums have been rising during the recession. The Consumer Price Index may have been falling, but many now see the cost of insurance as one of the biggest headaches when it comes to the family budget. So, this November sees the state election panel accepting a ballot proposal for 2010 to cut car insurance rates by a flat 20% and to protect the consumer against a range of unfair practices. If the backers can collect 300,000 signatures, the proposal will appear on the ballot next year. Should a sufficient number of voter support the proposal, the law would be changed. In theory, it will stimulate competition between the insurance companies licensed to sell policies into Michigan and advance the interests of consumers by encouraging affordable policies for everyone.

Needless to say, the insurance industry is shocked and awed by this proposal, insisting such a change in the law would force them out of business. To many experts, this claim seems somewhat exaggerated. The insurance industry declared hundreds of millions of dollars in profit during 2008 and paid good dividends to their stockholders. Just one company, State Farm, declared profits of $5 billion. So the notion they would all become insolvent overnight is less than convincing. Voters in Michigan will say whether this change is the law is desirable. If the vote is affirmative, the legislature will move to cut industry profits. One indicator to watch will be the car insurance quotes. If these keep on rising leading up to the vote, the people may be encouraged to promote their own interests. But if the industry moderates its pricing policies up to the vote. . . Well, let’s just say the politics will be interesting.

Washington likes acronyms when it comes to lawmaking and this new law is no exception. This is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and this November sees it finally come into force. Because it affects both employers and the insurance industry, this has been a hard-fought change and was only signed into law last year. Now it should prevent you from obvious discrimination. Sadly, it does not rule out discrimination by backdoor means. If an employer overhears you talking at the water cooler or routinely surveys local news including the obituaries, it is legal to use this information. But, overall, you should find some improvement. It covers two different situations with the same type of result. Firstly, it prohibits employers from asking you to go through a genetic test or making genetic information the basis of deciding whether to hire, promote or fire you. Secondly, it prohibits insurers from testing or demanding genetic information about you or your family in deciding whether to offer you coverage, in setting the premium rate and level of the deductible, or continue the cover.

Let’s be completely clear. The law does not care who is asking for the information If it is going to be used for either purpose, the asking is unlawful. If this happens to you in an interview, it may pose a dilemma. If you cite the law and refuse to answer, the interviewer may think you a troublemaker with something to hide and not hire you. That you can complain to the local Department of Labor and take satisfaction in seeing a civil penalty imposed, this does not replace the offer of employment in these difficult economic times. The temptation to answer will be strong. But when it comes to insurance companies, you must stand up and assert your rights. If the insurer persists, report to your state’s Department of Insurance. This will put the insurers at risk of losing their license to sell policies in your state. This is a big stick to wave in defense of your rights. More importantly, the Department can order the insurers to offer you insurance on regular terms which protects you. Once employed, it’s just as important to stay alert. The operators of group health plans are known to offer incentives like lower premiums to employees who answer a questionnaire including questions about their family medical history. Obviously, insurers want to know if there is a risk of serious diseases like cancer. You might be more at risk if there is a history of cancer in your family. Everyone should refuse to answer.

The reason for the law is important. Genetic tests are increasingly important in diagnosis and deciding on the best treatment for medical problems. Too many patients were refusing these tests because they feared discrimination should their employers or health insurance companies learn of the results. The medical profession strongly supported this change in employment and insurance law. Doctors want to be able to make an accurate diagnosis which means using the best available tests. With this law in place, your rights should be protected. If you are considering a change in insurer, remember you cannot be discriminated against when the companies give you health insurance quotes. They must always be able to prove their quotes are close to the average for people of your age, gender and general social background. If you think you are being victimized, complain.

Some of you have probably heard of universal policies used for insuring life. What are they all about and what benefits do universal policies bring to their holders? Well, simply put, universal insurance polices are insurance products that provide coverage for a person’s entire life.

Universal insurance policies are a form of whole life products that most of you are quite common with. Term insurance policies provide coverage only for a specified period of time, whether permanent policies require you to pay premiums for the entire life and respectively provides coverage for as long as you live. It is important to understand this difference, because universal policies can be regarded as a combination of term insurance with some of the investment options provided only with whole life policies.

Universal insurance policies are a specific insurance product that targets certain groups of people, while other groups may think it’s useless for them. To make it clear to you, here’s a short explanation of a universal life insurance policy. Like any other insurance policy used for covering life, universal policies have death benefits that are paid out when the policy holder passes away. This is what both term and continuous policies provide. However, universal policies also incorporate an element, which is more common in continuous policies: an additional tax-free savings account. This account is used to accumulate money over a long period of time, which then can be employed for paying your insurance premiums instead of you. To put it in other words, your policy will start paying for itself over a certain period of time so you won’t have to pay premiums for the entire policy term. Besides, this money can be used for other purposes as well, without affecting your death benefit like in case of whole life insurance policies.

But not everyone will find such policies useful. Universal insurance policies are most useful for those who are looking for long term insurance services and plan to have coverage upon retirement. In order to accumulate any significant amount of money at your savings account within universal insurance you’ll have to pay insurance premiums for at least 15 years before getting any results. So anyone looking for less prolonged coverage plans or mortgage securing options should look into other insurance products or special investment tools, rather than universal policies. Otherwise, having such a policy for a long time will sure give you certain possibilities that other insurance products.

First of all universal insurance is a relatively cheap life insurance if compared to whole life policies. First of all, you don’t have to pay premiums over your entire lifetime as at a certain point when there’s enough money accumulated, the policy will start paying for itself. And it won’t affect your death benefits, like most whole life insurance policies do.

In order to get the most attractive and useful universal policy you should take your time and compare life insurance quotes for this specific product type. It really pays to shop around, because different companies have different rates and options for their universal insurance polices and you of course want to get the best product for the lowest price. Don’t hesitate to see what different companies have to offer and get the policy that attracts you the most.