What is Risk Management Insurance?

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 04:30:18 +0000

Adding additional Risk management and insurance is a simple but necessary addition to any business insurance plan. It’s designed to protect your business financially in the event that a covered risk prevents you from operating effectively for a period of time, causing losses. But why might you need business interruption insurance?

Fire & Natural Disasters

If a fire destroys your building, it can take weeks or months before normal operations can be resumed, and in most cases, income would be lost during that period even though many regular business expenses would continue. The same situation arises when natural disasters strike. Does your current insurance policy cover you for business interruption? And if so, does it cover you if that interruption is due to earthquake or flood or only for other events?

Your Suppliers

Let’s say that you’ve taken out cover for business interruption after a disaster – but what if a disaster destroys the premises of your biggest supplier, rather than yours, and they’re suddenly unable to supply you? If you’re unable to find a replacement supply, that too could bring your business or production to a halt.

Contingent business interruption insurance can offer you cover for losses in those types of circumstance.

With any business interruption insurance however, it’s vital to know what exclusions apply and source additional cover if you need it. Do you need to add this type of cover to your business insurance policy?

Manage Your Debt and Credit

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:35:18 +0000

Credit was once defined as “Man’s Confidence in Man.” But in fact, the definition of credit today is more like “Man’s Confidence in Himself.” Using credit today means you have confidence in your future ability to pay that debt. Forty years ago, your parents may have paid cash for their homes and their cars, a largely unheard-of event today. If they borrowed money at all, chances are it was from a relative or friend, and not a financial institution.
Today debt and instant credit are part of our everyday lives. The convenience of instant credit, however, has taken its toll. Many individuals use credit cards to spend more than they earn, and a few of these people actually build themselves a debt prison from which some never emerge. On the other hand, those who never use credit can be denied a loan or credit when they have a justifiable need or use for it. Using credit establishes a history of financial responsibility: Until you establish a credit history, your chances of qualifying for an important loan, such as a mortgage, are greatly reduced.
What is the balance between using credit wisely and staying out of overwhelming debt? Let’s look at the facts and some pros and cons.
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Installment Debt
Debt comes in many forms, and most types help us in our daily lives — when used responsibly. Most people cannot buy a home without some financial help, and many cannot buy a car (especially a new one) without some sort of financing. The money borrowed to purchase large-ticket items is called installment debt: The debtor pays a portion of the total at regular intervals over a specified period of time. At the end of that time period, the loan with interest is paid off.
Installment debt allows you to purchase items at a competitive interest rate: for example, 5% to 7% for a 30-year home mortgage and 8% or 9% for a car loan. The loan is paid back on an amortizing schedule, monthly payments of a fixed amount that remain constant over the life of the loan. At first, most of the monthly payment consists of interest. In later years, principal begins to be paid down.
Installment debt is easily budgeted and the debt is eliminated on a predetermined date. Even for those who may actually have the cash to purchase the desired item, installment debt can make financial sense if you can earn a higher return (after taxes) on your investment of cash than you must pay on your installment debt.
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Revolving Credit
A revolving line of credit, also called “open-ended credit,” is made available to you for use at any time. Examples of revolving credit are credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and department store cards. When you apply for one of these cards, you receive a credit limit based on your credit payment history and income. When you use the credit line, you must make monthly minimum payments based on the total balance outstanding that month. Some lines of credit will also have an annual account fee.
While revolving credit is a convenient way to borrow, it can also become an endless pit of minimum payments that barely cover the interest due. Many cards charge annual rates of interest of 18% or higher. As you pay off your debt, the minimum payment is also reduced, thus extending your payoff period and, consequently, the interest you pay. Paying just the minimum due on a $2,000 credit card loan could mean making monthly interest payments for 10 or more years!
Revolving credit, in addition to being convenient, eliminates the need to carry a lot of cash and can help establish you as a creditworthy risk for future loans. The itemized monthly statements also can help you track your expenses. But some people can easily yield to the temptation that the convenience of credit cards offers. Impulse buying, failing to compare costs, and purchasing large items you can’t afford are all downfalls brought on by always available purchasing power. Spending more than you earn in any given period is a dangerous practice at best, but doing it over an extended period of time can be financial suicide.
Installment Debt vs. Revolving Debt
Lower interest rates and an amortizing repayment schedule can make installment debt a much cheaper alternative to revolving credit.
Installment Revolving
Beginning Balance $2,500 $2,500
Interest Rate 10% 18.5%
Years to Repay 4 30*
Interest Cost $544 $6,500
*Paying 2% minimum monthly payment.
Sources and Costs of Debt
Source Type of Debt Cost
Banks and Credit Unions Personal, secured Low
Personal, unsecured Moderate
Mortgage Low
Credit Card Low to High
Mortgage Companies Mortgage Low
Department Stores Revolving High
Insurance Companies Personal, unsecured High

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Using Credit Wisely
To use credit intelligently, start by examining the terms of the card(s) you are currently using. Keeping track of your cards, their rates, and your current balances will help you to be aware of how you use credit cards. Increased competition in recent years has led some credit card companies to offer enticing features to attract new cardholders, including no annual fees and low interest rates for an introductory period. (And credit card companies sometimes will give their introductory rates to existing cardholders so that they won’t transfer their balances to another credit card company.)
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Eliminating Credit Card Debt
If you think you may have too much credit card debt, begin to address it by honestly evaluating your spending habits. Examine your existing expenses to analyze how your money is spent. You will most likely be able to identify the problem areas where you are more likely to spend too much or too readily with credit cards. Then, based on your current spending practices, create a realistic budget to pay off your credit card debt in the shortest time possible while not adding any more debt to it. For assistance, you may want to turn to your financial advisor, who can help you to allocate your resources wisely to address your credit card debt.
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The Role of Debt
Today, carrying installment debt is almost a fact of life. Mortgages, car loans, or small-business loans (to name a few) are part of almost everyone’s life. On the other hand, carrying credit card debt is usually not a good idea. At interest rates of 16% and up, it’s hard to justify keeping savings that could pay off that 18% department-store credit card in the bank at 2%.
Debt and credit play increasingly important roles in our lives. As the aging Baby Boomers get closer to their peak earning years, many are realizing the need to reduce debt and increase savings. Even though analyzing your spending habits and creating a budget to address your debt may seem a little overwhelming, the simplicity of the philosophy of the Depression era still stands: Never spend more than you earn. Once you have come to grips with this basic fact, managing your debt will become far easier and more rewarding.
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Summary
• Installment debt means the loan is paid off in a specified period of time by making predetermined payments periodically.
• Revolving credit is a line of credit that is instantly available through use of a credit card (and sometimes a check).
• As you pay down your debt in a revolving line of credit, the minimum payment is also reduced, thus extending your payoff period and, consequently, the interest you pay.
• Spending more than you earn in any given period is a dangerous practice at best, but doing it over an extended period of time can be financial suicide.

Be Wise

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 15:40:21 +0000

Wise money management is essential for a balanced, happy life. Financial stress resulting from poor money management skills can affect our capacity to make good decisions, harm our relationships, affect physical and mental health, and ultimately to function well in life. It is no exaggeration to say that poor money management breaks up marriages and breaks down hope. Yet, money management is a skill which can be learned. Even if financial problems are largely the result of just not earning enough income, good money management skills can reduce the stress of these circumstances and provide a bit more mental room to focus on solutions.

Here are six tips for managing your money wisely, which, if applied, will improve the overall quality of your life:

KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING. It is important to stop the financial leakage. We all know what it is like to have our money dribbling away one coin or one note at a time. It is important to pay attention to our spending. It can be very helpful to record all expenditure for a set period of time just so you know where your money is going. Prepare to be shocked; most people have no idea how much money is being lost to unnecessary expenses. Once you know where your money is going, you can curtail unnecessary expenses.

DESIGN A BUDGET THAT WORKS FOR YOU AND STICK TO IT. You can design your own, or get a free budgeting form off the internet. Make sure at least some of your money goes to debt reduction and savings. Create a budget that will meet your financial obligations and if you have to cut down on certain expenditures to live within your budget then do so. Once you remove the stress of financial insufficiency through good money management, you will find you are able to improve your financial circumstances gradually. This is next to impossible when you are overspending.

Managing your Financial » period of time

What is Risk Management Insurance?

Manage Your Debt and Credit

Be Wise