www.aiadc.com). Property and casualty trade group that provides a forum for timberland mens shoes the discussion of problems. Promotes safety programs and lobbies on behalf of the insurance industry. American Society of CLU & ChFC (270 S. Bryn Mawr Ave., Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2194; 610-526-2500). Chartered life underwriters specialize in life and health insurance, education funding, and estate planning; chartered financial consultants provide overall financial planning. Will send the following free publications: Consumer’s Guide to Insurance and Financial Services; The Initial Advantage: Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant; and 30 Years of Retirement. Also publishes three newsletters titled Assets: A Business, Tax, and Financial Newsletter; The Financial Monitor; and Query: Questions and Answers about Your Financial Security. CHAPTER 11: All about Insurance Association of Health Insurance Agents (1922 F St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006; 202-331-2160; www.agents-online.com). Lobbies for health insurance matters and educates the public about health insurance issues. Consumer Federation of America Insurance Group (1424 16th St., N.W., Suite 604, Washington, DC 20036; 202-387-6121). A consumer-oriented group frequently critical of the insurance industry. For a $40 fee, they will help you evaluate life insurance policy proposals and analyze the projected rates of return on your insurance policies. They also offer several helpful publications about shopping for insurance, including “An Analysis of Cash-Value Life Insurance Policies”; “Most Credit Life Insurance Still a Rip-Off”; “Medical Malpractice Insurance”; and “Consumers Waste More Than $6 Billion Annually on Life Insurance Premiums.” Health Insurance Association of America (555 13th St., N.W., Suite 600 East, Washington, DC 20004; 202-824-1600; www.hiaa.org). The lobbying group for health insurance companies. Also educates the public about health insurance. Independent Insurance Agents of America (127 S. Peyton St., Alexandria, VA 22314; 703-683-4422; 800-221-7917; www.iiaa.org). Association of independent insurance agents who are not tied to selling any particular insurance company’s products. The IIAA offers several free Consumer Education Guides on various insurance topics that are available by calling 800-261-4422. They include “The Consumer’s Independent Guide to Auto Insurance”; “The Consumer’s Independent Guide to Homeowners Insurance”; “The Consumer’s Independent Guide to Small-Business Insurance”; “The Graduate’s Independent Guide to Insurance”; “The Women’s Independent Guide to Insurance”; “Non-Profits’ Essential Handbook on Insurance”; and “Don’t Get Soaked by a Flood.” The Association also offers these free brochures, which are available by calling 800-447-6788: “After an Automobile Accident”; “Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim”; “Filing Your Home Insurance Claim”; “Insuring Your Sports and Recreational Vehicles”; “Protecting Your In-Home Business”; “Protecting Your Small Business”; “Renter’s Insurance: Shattering a Few Myths”; and “Taking Inventory of Your Home.” Insurance Education Foundation (P.O. Box 68700, Indianapolis, IN 46268; 317876- 6046; www.ins-ed-fdn.org). Organization dedicated to educating high school teachers and students about how the insurance industry works. Among their offerings is a multimedia program called “Choice, Chance, and Control” that helps explain insurance to teenagers. The foundation also sponsors Insurance Education Institutes for teachers. Insurance Information Institute (110 William St., 24th Floor, New York, NY 10038; 800-331-9146; 800-942-4242—National Insurance Consumer Ho timberland boots uk tline; www.iii. org). The association of property and casualty insurance companies. Offers the following helpful free publications: “Am I Covered?”; “Here Today...Gone Tomorrow”; “Home Inventory”; “Home Security Basics”; “How to File an Insurance Claim”; “Hurricane Awareness”; “If a Hail Storm Hits”; “Insurance for Your House and Personal Possessions”; “Insuring Your Home Business”; “Insuring Your Business Against PART TWO: Financing Your Present and Future Needs a Catastroph timberland waterproof boots e”; “Nine Ways to Lower Your Auto Insurance Costs”; “OOPS!!”; “Settling Insurance Claims after a Disaster”; “Surviving Severe Cold Weather”; “Tornado Safety: Before, During, and After”; and “Twelve Ways to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance Costs.” Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (1005 N. Glebe Rd., Suite 800, Arlington, VA 22201; 703-247-1500; www.highwaysafety.org). Research and education organization dedicated timberland clothing to reducing loss, death, injury, and property damage on the highways. Ranks safety of different car models. Offers several free publications, including “Shopping for a Safer Car,” which includes a listing of the ratings of all the vehicles IIHS has crash-tested. Other publications include “About Your Airbags”; “Beginning Drivers, Helping Them Make It Home”; “Crashworthiness Evaluations”; “Driver timberland outlet store locations Death Rates by Make and Model”; “Need an Airbag On/Off Switch? Probably Not”; “Injury, Collison, and Theft Losses by Make and Model”; and “Kids and Airbags.” For a copy of these publications, write to IIHS at P.O. Box 1420, 1005 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22210. Life Insurance Advisers Association (890 Treasure Island Dr., Mattawan, MI 49071; 800-521-4578). A group of independent life insurance consultants who provide advice for a fee and do not sell insurance policies. This set up not only can save you a great deal of money, it also guarantees that your advisor has no financial interest in the insurance that he or she proposes timberland uk . Such independent advisors can help you find the best deal in life insurance by recommending no-load or low-commission policies at wholesale prices. Medical Information Bureau (MIB) (160 University Ave., Westwood, MA 02090; 617-426-3660; www.mib.com). Organization of life insurance companies operating a confidential exchange of underwriting information about consumers’ medical records. This allows insurers to verify the health claims of consumers applying for life, health, and disability insurance. At the above phone number, you can inquire whether an MIB record on you exists and what your MIB reference number is. National Association of Health Underwriters (2000 N. 14th St., Suite 450, Arlington, VA 22201; 703-276-0220; www.nahu.org). Represents professionals who sell disability income, hospitalization, and major medical health insurance policies. NAHU offers a free brochure called “Buying Health Insurance?” National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (2901 Telestar Ct., Falls Church, VA 22042; 703-770-8100; www.naifa.org). Group of life and investment advisors representing health, property, and casualty insurance agents. National Committee for Quality Assurance (2000 L St., N.W., Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036; 202-955-3500; 800-236-5903; www.ncqa.org). NCQA is a pri timberland boat shoes vate, not-for-profit organization dedicated to assessing and reporting on the quality of managed care plans. NCQA’s mission is to provide information enabling purchasers and consumers of managed care to distinguish among plans based on quality. NCQA accredits CHAPTER 11: All about Insurance managed care organizations by surveying them and making sure they meet certain standards in both clinical and administrative functions. To find out whether a managed care program you are thinking of using is accredited by NCQA or not, call their Accreditation Status Line at 202-955-5697, or download their Accreditation Status List from their Web site. NCQA also provides two-page Accreditation Summary Reports, giving you more detail on the performance of a particular plan. NCQA also measures the performance of managed care, looking at the results achieved by the plans. The performance is kept in a national database called Quality Compass, making it easy for you to compare your local plan against national averages in 71 performance measures. NCQA also publishes a free brochure titled “Health Plan Report Cards” for any state. National Flood Insurance Program (Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 500 C St., Washington, DC 20472; 888-225-5356 ext 445; www.fema.gov/ nfip/answe2d.htm). Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in response to the rising cost of taxpayer-funded disaster relief for flood victims and the increasing amount of damage caused by floods. The NFIP makes federally backed flood insurance available in communities that agree to adopt and enforce floodplain management ordinances to reduce future flood damage. To buy a flood insurance policy, call your insurance agent or one of the private insurance companies that write flood insuran timberland jackets ce under a special arrangement with the federal government. The NFIP is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. National Insurance Consumer Helpline (800-942-4242; www.iii.org). A consumer information service sponsored by insurance industry associations. Answers your questions about auto, health, homeowners, and life insurance; refers any complaints to the appropriate sources; and sends informational brochures. United Seniors Health Cooperative (409 Third St., S.W., Second Floor, Washington, DC 20024; 202-479-6973; www.ushc-online.org). Dedicated to helping seniors obtain good health care coverage and insurance. Advises seniors on selecting both private Medigap insurance and federal Medicare coverage that best meet their needs. Offers several books for a nominal charge titled Do You Speak Managed Care?: USHC’s Consumer Guide to Medicare HMO’s; A Dollars & Sense Guide for Medicare Beneficiaries; Long-Term Care: A Dollars and Sense Guide; Managing Your Health Care Finances, and Medicare Healthplan Choices: Consumer Update. GOVERNMENT REGULATORS Federal Insurance Administration (500 C St., S.W., Washington, DC 20472; 202646- 4600; www.fema.gov). Administers the federal flood insurance and crime insurance programs. Health Care Financing Administration (7500 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21244-1850; 410-786-3000; www.hcfa.gov). The federal agency that oversees the Medicare and Medicaid health insurance system. Offers free publications titled Con PART TWO: Financing Your Present and Future Needs sumer’s Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance and Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare. National Association of Insurance Commissioners (2301 McGee, Suite 800, Kansas City, NO 64108; 816-842-3600; www.naic.org; Washington office: 444 N. Capitol St. N.W., Suite 701, Washington, DC 20001-1512; 202-624-7790). A nonprofit association of the chief state insurance regulatory officials in the United States. Coordinates the regulation of insurance—particularly interstate issues, such as solvency regulation. Proposes model laws, regulations, and guidelines designed to protect consumers against insurance company insolvency. Offers a free copy of these publications from the Kansas City office: “Buyer’s Guide to Fixed Deferred Annuities”; “Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare”; “Guide to Auto Insurance”; “Long-Term Care Shoppers Guide”; “Guide to Home Insurance”; “Guide to Cancer Insurance”; and “Life Insurance Buyer’s Guide.” INSURANCE QUOTE SERVICES The following services quote insurance rates and help evaluate insurance policies based on your age and health condition. AccuQuote (3180 McArthur Blvd., Northbrook, IL 60062; 847-480-7000; 800-4429899; www.accuquote.com). An Internet-based insurance quote service for term policies. Their Web site has a helpful explanation of how to figure how much insurance you need, how to qualify for coverage, what criteria are used to rate the financial strength of insurance companies, and much more. The site includes a Life Insurance Needs Calculator. You can apply for coverage online by sending an e-mail to the company. Best Quote (3700 Park East Dr., Beachwood, OH 44122; 800-896-8006; 216-2927900; www.bestquote.com). Offers free quotes on various term insurance policies and is able to sell you the policies timberland baby clothes that fit your needs. Choice Quote (887 Oak Grove Ave., Suite 201, Menlo Park, CA 94025; 800-7782001; 650-327-4571; www.choicequote.com). Quote service that spends time assessing your needs over the phone and recommends the lowest-cost term life policy you can qualify for that will suit your needs. Choice Quote also sells Survivorship Life, also known as second-to-die insurance. INSurance INFOrmation (Cobblestone Court #2, 23 Route 134, South Dennis, MA 02660; 800-472-5800). Offers to find the lowest-cost term insurance policy. Will either suggest a new policy if you do not have one or evaluate a policy you already own to determine whether the service can recommend one less expensive. Provides only advice; does not sell insurance. Insurance Quote Services (Building C, 3200 N. Dobson Rd., Chandler, AZ 85224; 480-345-7241; 800-972-1104; www.iquote.com). A database with term insurance prices. Asks your age, how much insurance you want, and your health condition. Then sends an IQ Analysis listing the five lowest-cost term insurance policies in the country, based on your situation. Will sell any of these policies. Will also send free brochures CHAPTER 11: All about Insurance titled “The Insider’s Guide to Life Insurance” and “IQ—The Smart Way to Buy Life Insurance.” QuickQuote (9650 Gateway Dr., #201, Reno, NV 89511; 800-867-2404; 775-8503030; www.quickquote.com). Founded as an Internet-based real-time insurance and annuity quoting service. When connected to the QuickQuote Web site, you fill out a brief questionnaire to help determine what insurance you qualify for based on your health condition and personal profile. You then get an immediate quote on the least expensive and best term or annuity policy for your needs. Then, if you want to buy a policy, you fill out a short form application, which is submitted electronically to QuickQuote. Their Web site also has basic information on how annuities work, how to exchange one annuity for another without tax penalty, and how IRA rollovers work, among other topics. QuickQuote also markets a full line of life insurance products, including universal life, second-to-die, and whole life policies over the Internet. Quotesmith (8205 S. Cass St., Suite 102, Darien, IL 60561; 800-556-9393; www. quotesmith.com). Quotes prices for term insurance policies from over 140 companies. Also provides safety rating timberland shoes uk s from A.M. Best, Duff & Phelps, Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Weiss Research on all its quotes. Also quotes prices on annuities, medicare supplement policies, second-to-die policies, and health insurance policies. SelectQuote (595 Market St., 6th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105; 800-343-1985; www.selectquote.com). Tracks term insurance prices across the country. Quotes the lowest rate for your situation and can sell you the policy. TermQuote (6768 Loop Rd., Centerville, OH 45459; 937-434-8989; 800-4448376; www.term-quote.com). Searches its database of about 70 companies to find the lowest-cost term insurance policy for your age and health condition. Employs a Certified Financial Planner and Chartered Life Underwriter to help you determine how much insurance you need. Will also sell a policy for which it has quoted rates. INSURANCE RATINGS SERVICES The following services rate insurance companies based on financial strength and investment performance. A.M. Best & Co. (Ambest Rd., Oldwick, NJ 08858; 908-439-2200; www.ambest. com). Provides ratings on life and property/casualty insurance companies. A top rating of A++ means that the company has a very strong ability to meet its policyholder obligations over a long period of time. A bottom rating of F means that the company is being liquidated. Best’s ratings are available online, or call their ratings hotline at 312-3683158. For more in-depth information on ins timberland pro seriess urance companies, Best’s offers the following publications: Best’s Aggregates & Averages; Best’s Experience by State; Best’s Flitcraft Compend; Best’s Insurance Reports; Best’s Intelligencer; Best’s Key Rating Guide; Best’s Quantitative Analysis Report; Best’s Retirement Income Guide; Best’s Review; and Best’s Underwriting Newsletter. PART TWO: Financing Your Present and Future Needs Duff & Phelps, Inc. (55 E. Monroe St., 35th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603; 312-3683157; www.dcrco.com). Offers the Insurance Claims Paying Ability Service for life, health, annuity, and property/casualty insurers. Rates companies on a scale from AAA for the highest claims-paying ability to DD, which indicates that the company is being liquidated. Moody’s Investors Service (99 Church St., New York, NY 10007; 212-553-0300; www.moodys.com). The Moody’s Insurance Financial Strength Ratings, from Aaa to Ca, are available for all North American corporate bond, life, private mortgage bond, and property/casualty insurance companies, as well as all major reinsurance companies. Not only provides current ratings but also informs you whether a company is on its Watchlist for possible upgrading or downgrading. Standard & Poor’s Insurance Ratings Services (55 Water St., New York, NY 10041; 212-438-2000; www.standardandpoor.com). Provides extensive rating black t cheap timberlands imberland boots s of life, health, and property/casualty insurance companies. Ratings range from AAA to CCC, which means that the company is extremely vulnerable financially. R rating indicates the company is under the supervision of insurance regulators and may be in receivership or liquidation. Also offers the CLASSIC Database Service, which provides on a computer diskette a massive amount of data on most insurance companies. For S&P’s ratings on a particular insurance company, call 212-438-2000 at no charge for the rating. Publications include S&P’s Insurance Book; S&P’s Insurance Digest; S&P’s Insurer Ratings List; S&P’s Insurer Solvency Review; S&P’s Selective Ratings Package, and S&P’s Select Reports. Weiss Research (4176 Burns Rd., Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410; 800-289-9222; 561-627-3300; www.weissratings.com). Issues conservative ratings of insurance company financial stability. For a small charge, you can get a Weiss Verbal Rating over the telephone (a grading system from A [excellent] to F [failed or in the process of failing]). For a higher charge, the firm will send a more detailed Personal Safety Report on any life insurance, health insurance, or annuity company. These reports are explained in great detail in the Weiss Approach to Insurance Company Safety Ratings booklet. Ratings are available online. LOW AND NO-LOAD INSURANCE COMPANIES