Tag Archives: travel

Dec 14 2013
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Personal Insurance, Personal Risk Management

Planning a Foreign Trip This Holiday? Look into K&R Insurance

Kidnapping is defined as the unlawful act of stealing, carrying off or abducting someone by force or fraud, especially for use as a hostage to extract a ransom payment. What were once canstock13916519crimes perpetrated exclusively against the affluent and influential, kidnappings, abductions, unlawful detainments, illegal arrests and ransoms are happening more and more to people from all socioeconomic levels and walks of life.

Kidnapping statistics are alarming. In the U.S., for instance, there has been a significant rise in child abductions due to parental custody disputes. Internationally, surges in human trafficking and tourist hijackings have also been reported – especially in remote and unsafe parts of the world. In 2012, the following top 10 global kidnapping hot spots were identified, prompting state and federal agencies to issue travel warnings and alerts in these zones:

  • Afghanistan
  • Somalia
  • Iraq
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Yemen
  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Haiti
  • Colombia

The problems are not just isolated to the above-mentioned Nations, but are quickly spreading to more locations worldwide. Kidnapping today is big business: Extortion and ransom payments total in the multi-millions of dollars each year.

What Is Kidnap And Ransom Insurance?

Kidnap and ransom insurance provides comprehensive coverage and protection for those traveling in high-risk parts of the world. It’s designed to minimize the financial impact of these incidents on both individuals and multinational corporations.

Who’s At Risk?

Traditionally, high-profile families (famous celebrities and powerful company executives), non-government organizations and employees of corporations operating abroad are the most vulnerable, however, potentially anyone can fall victim to such crimes.

What Does Kidnap And Ransom Insurance Cover?

Kidnap and ransom insurance policies typically cover losses from monies paid for ransom, as well as reimburse the insured for other expenses related to kidnapping or extortion, such as:

  • Transit and delivery costs
  • Investigation, negotiation and recovery services
  • Accidental death or injury
  • Legal fees
  • Medical care
  • Lost wages
  • Crisis management consulting

What You Can Do To Minimize The Danger

Kidnappings, hijackings, abductions, detainments and unlawful imprisonment can happen when you least expect it. The following are some things that you can do to help lower your chances of becoming a target:

  • Avoid traveling in dangerous regions and countries
  • Be hyper-vigilant of your surroundings, both at night and during daylight hours
  • If you are living or working in hazardous areas, participate in kidnapping prevention and preparedness training.

Peace Of Mind When Traveling

Many insurance companies offer coverage to traveling employees and their families, as well as to individuals as part of a personal insurance travel package. As mentioned earlier, anyone can be vulnerable to a kidnap, ransom or extortion crime while visiting a foreign land, so it’s prudent and recommended that one be adequately protected. Discuss your particular situation with an agent or broker experienced in the kidnap and ransom insurance area so you’ll be able to enjoy peace of mind knowing you and your family are safer and more secure when far away from home.

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Dec 07 2013
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Personal Insurance, Personal Risk Management

Travel Insurance – Should I Buy It?

travel-insuranceThe question pops up every time you buy a plane ticket.

Would you like to add travel insurance?

It’s not free, of course. Credit cards may offer you coverage for free, but add-on travel insurance is another matter. Is it a complete waste of money? Or can it truly save your trip?

There’s no easy answer. There are factors, or rather situations, that call for travel insurance and there are cases when it’s unnecessary. Most importantly, it also depends on what the insurance policy covers. So it’s really not about whether or not you should get travel insurance. Instead, it’s about knowing which kind of insurance to choose.

Here are some situations when it makes sense to buy a travel insurance policy.

An Expensive Vacation or Cruise

You’re going to gift it this season. Or you’ve beensaving up for the trip of a lifetime, which is going to be an incredibly huge investment. That around-the-world cruise vacation or African Safari will cost you $15,000, but it will create memories that are truly priceless.

Should you buy a travel insurance policy? Definitely yes. The important factor here is the price. It’s a hefty amount and you ought to protect it with trip cancellation and interruption insurance. Let’s face it, the unexpected can happen no matter how thorough you are in planning your trip.

What if you suddenly get sick? Or what if an emergency such as a crisis in the family occurs? Or the cruise line or airline goes bankrupt? In these cases, travel insurance can safeguard your well-earned money so that you can simply move your travel date, book another ticket and go on the vacation of your dreams.

Additional tip: don’t buy this insurance from the cruise ship company. You won’t get your money back if that same company goes out of business.

Trip Not Covered by Health Insurance

Most people assume that their existing health insurance covers medical expenses abroad. In almost every case, it won’t. Traveling outside the country, including on foreign-flagged cruise ships, demands caution. And one of the most important areas you should safeguard while traveling is your health.

In this case, because your current health insurance policy most likely doesn’t cover medical expenses abroad, you should definitely get a travel medical insurance policy.

Most travel insurance policies of this type will fly you to the doctor of your choice but you should thoroughly read the fine print to understand what you’re getting. In case you get sick or require urgent medical attention abroad, the insurance should cover your initial treatment, free and quick transport to a hospital or medical facility of your choice and other adequate medical resources.

What about getting sick in a developing country? This is another situation where getting a good travel medical insurance policy makes sense. Not only will the policy pay for your care. The insurance company can also help to ensure you won’t get overcharged.

Extreme Sports Travel

Do you love mountaineering? Ice or rock climbing? White water rafting? Adventure racing? Frozen lake kite winging? The list goes on. What all of these activities share in common is this – they’re all extreme and put a traveler’s life at risk.

If you’re the adventurous type who loves taking part in extreme sports abroad, then you should definitely get insurance. A basic travel insurance policy may cover “some” specific adventure travel, but the company will usually ask you how high the mountain is or how deep will you scuba dive. If the basic package doesn’t cover your adventure and extreme sports, be sure to purchase additional coverage. It’s more expensive, of course, but it can save your life. In fact, most people buy it for the peace of mind it affords.

There are many other situations when travel insurance is necessary. Understand your travel needs and research your options so that you can spend your trip relaxing rather than worrying out insurance coverage.

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Nov 23 2013
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Personal Insurance, Personal Risk Management

Traveling? Renting a Car? Should You Buy the Insurance? So Many Questions!

Car_Rental_Insurance_JusRenting a car can be a confusing process. The additional fees and services offered by car rental companies are often tacked on the bill followed by paragraphs of legalese. Supplemental liability insurance is one of these extra fees. While the name implies importance, it may be an unnecessary fee when renting a car. To determine whether you need supplemental liability insurance on your next car rental, start by assessing your current coverage.

What is Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLP)? 

Most states require that rental car companies provide drivers with minimum levels of liability insurance during the rental period. Supplemental insurance provides additional coverage above the state minimums, up to $1 million in liability protection.

For some drivers, this additional coverage is a great deal that can cover additional costs associated with an accident. For other drivers, this coverage is already included in other areas and duplicating this service through the rental company is a waste of money.

Using a Credit Card? 

Many credit card companies offer bonuses that customers are not using. Charge backs and reward points are often scrutinized and compared when searching for a new credit card but many cards also offer secondary rental insurance which consumers fail to use.

The best way to determine whether your credit cards offer rental insurance is to read the terms of use or speak to customer service. Determine how long after an accident you have to file the claim. Most credit card companies offer drivers a 45 day window. If your credit card offers SLP, buying coverage from the rental car company is unnecessary.

Did You Call Your Insurer? 

Most drivers do not need supplemental liability insurance for the simple reason that they already have coverage under their current auto insurance. In addition to covering the driver while driving other people’s cars, rental cars are covered by basic auto insurance for the same deductible.

Don’t Want to File a Claim?

Even drivers who have primary automobile insurance may opt to use SLP to prevent their insurance rates from rising in the event of a rental car accident. Rental cars are notorious for being driven recklessly and drivers with a lead foot or those that are particularly harsh on rentals may not want rising rates over a couple of scratches. In this case, SLP is a good way to prevent extravagant bills for car damage without effecting insurance rates.

Don’t Own a Car? 

While insured drivers may already carry supplemental liability insurance, drivers who do not own a car may find value in getting additional coverage during their rental period. Without the secondary coverage available from auto insurance, customers with expensive rental cars or valuable assets can protect their money by accepting the nominal daily charge for supplemental liability insurance.

If you’re a non-car owner that travels frequently, the fees associated with SLP can add up fast. Consider contacting an auto insurance company to ask about liability coverage for drivers who do not own a car. Most policies cost less than $300 a year and will provide adequate coverage in case of accident without the additional cost of supplemental liability insurance.

Supplemental liability insurance may not be a great deal, but for drivers with the right prerequisites, it can be a valuable addition to rental insurance. Being underinsured in an accident can have serious consequences. Make sure you understand your coverage before turning down supplemental insurance while renting a car.

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Jun 29 2013
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Personal Risk Management

International Travel Tips

We’ve received quite a few requests lately about International Travel, with questions ranging from safety issues to health insurance accessibility.  Traveling abroad is the experience of a lifetime. Ensure it’s a positive one by following these recommendations.

Obtaining a Passport

If you need a passport, you should apply for one well in advance of your trip—passport processing takes 6 weeks or longer. For information on the requirements for and steps to obtaining a U.S. passport, visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/.

Before You Leave

  • Ÿ Sign your passport and fill in your emergency information.
  • Ÿ Give copies of your itinerary and passport data page to family and friends for emergency use.
  • Ÿ Let your bank and credit card company know your travel plans to avoid having your accounts frozen for unusual activity.
  • Ÿ Contact your health insurance provider to find out if your policy applies overseas and, if so, what it covers. If travel is not covered, you may want to consider short-term supplemental insurance.
  • Ÿ Carry a letter from your physician describing your prescriptions and medical conditions.
  • Ÿ Learn about necessary vaccinations and health precautions.
  • Ÿ Research your destination to stay safe. For information on travel safety and warnings, go to www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis_pa_tw_1168.html and click on the country you are visiting.
  • Ÿ Find out customs restrictions for the country you are going to, as well as for returning to the United States.
  • Ÿ Put together a first-aid kit with diarrhea medication, antihistamines, antibiotics, etc.
  • Ÿ Pack wisely. Many airlines charge to check bags, and heavier luggage costs more.

While on Your Trip

  • The best currency exchange rates will be at local banks and ATMs, not at airports or hotels.
  • Ÿ Avoid flashy clothing and jewelry to discourage theft.
  • Ÿ Appear confident, even if you’re unsure about where you are going. Always carry a map.
  • Ÿ Select food with care; all raw food is subject to contamination.
  • Protect your passport!  Your passport is the most valuable document that you will carry abroad. It confirms your U.S. citizenship. When entering some countries or registering at hotels, you may be asked to fill out a police card listing your name, passport number, destination, local address and reason for travel. You may be required to leave your passport at the hotel reception desk overnight so that it may be checked by local police officials. These are normal procedures required by local laws. If your passport is not returned the following morning, immediately report the impoundment to local police authorities and to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
  • If your passport is lost or stolen abroad, you should report the loss immediately to the local police and to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

 

Assistance Abroad

The State Department strongly encourages American citizens to register their travel in case of an emergency. Register online at: www.travel.state.gov/travel/tips/registration/registration_4789.html. Consular officers abroad can aid with passport replacement, contacting family or friends in the United States, financial emergencies and obtaining appropriate medical care.

Contact information for U.S. embassies, consulates and consular agencies overseas may be found at www.state.gov/countries.

If your family needs to reach you in an emergency, they can call 888-407-4747, and the State Department will relay the message to consular officers in the country you are visiting.

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