Ever since the Japanese earthquake and following tsunami hit our television screens, there’s been slightly more interest in whether earthquake cover is needed in the US. In other words, there’s a temporary outbreak of paranoia, worrying whether such a disaster could ever happen here. For a few months, people will get quotes and talk to insurance agents about the cost of cover, and then interest will all slowly die down again. Even in the US states at risk, less than 10% of the population carries earthquake cover.

Given that California sits on a major fault line, this may seem surprising. But, when asked why cover is refused, most people come up with an entirely rational reply. If there’s a “big one”, this would not simply cause one home to fall down. This would open cracks in the ground and damage all the major infrastructure of roads, bridges, the cabling and piping that brings essential services to an area, and so. There could not be any rebuilding of individual homes until access was restored and the basic services were reconnected. When you look at the deficits being run by many of the at-risk states, there would be serious delays in accessing federal funds and then commissioning the necessary works. So having earthquake insurance on the homes is not going to be much use for months or, indeed years. In some areas where there are landslides or sections of the land fall into the sea, it might never be possible to rebuild on the same sites. This is not to say pessimism is the right approach. Since earthquake damage is usually excluded from the standard policy, you should ask for quotes and decide whether the cover on offer is affordable.

There’s an increasing disconnect between what the TV ads are saying about the rates for insuring your vehicle and the quotes floating into your inbox. The marketers would have you believe there’s no problem in finding really cheap insurance (but only with their company, of course). Yet the insurance industry itself funds the Insurance Information Institute as a research body. It regularly publishes studies. Mostly, they are uncontroversial. So it came as a surprise when it revealed a steady rise of some 10% in the premium rates between 2008 and 2010. The latest straws in the wind are also suggesting a further rise of some 4% this year. When you consider the rate of inflation has been zero – there has been a recession, after all, and many prices actually fell – it’s a disgrace the insurance industry has been pushing up its prices.

Yet, when a talking head does appear above the parapet to talk for the industry, the message is always the same. The rates are going up because the repair and medical costs have been rising faster than inflation. Indeed, when you look at all the evidence on medical costs, you can believe what these insurance apologists are saying. Then you have to ask yourself about the value of the US dollar. It’s been falling steadily over the last three years. So the cost of all those imported spare parts from foreign manufacturers has also been rising. If these same insurance companies were not announcing increased profits to their stockholders, you would almost feel sorry for them.

Some people in politics want everything to be black and white. “Big government bad, small government good” and similar slogans have become rallying cries during town hall meetings and elections. Sound bites are convenient ways of getting a message across, but unhelpful when it comes to more complicated issues. On the face of it, we seem on the cusp of slipping back into recession. To try avoid this double dip, the Fed has announced plans to buy $400 billion in long-term Treasury Bonds. It’s trying to drive down longer term interest rates. While the Fed tries action, this September sees Washington politics try inaction (again). This time, the House rejected funding for government through mid-November. If this measure does not pass by September 30, government will shut down. As if we did not need further proof of political dysfunction. . .

Hanging this “business as usual” shingle outside Capitol Hill should not distract us from the day-to-day reality of trying to keep life together in business. Yes, the Fed may be trying to keep longer term interest rates down but, with many banks undercapitalized, there’s little or no money to lend, even to those businesses with good collateral. All growth is having to be funded organically – that’s assuming we have survival under control. That means using every cent of revenue in the most effective manner. Of course, this means deciding what the most effective strategies are. At this point, we should admit a prejudice. We believe small businesses do best when the employees are all positively motivated. Note we said “positively” motivated. This is not fear of unemployment. Any boss can bully and try extracting every last ounce of effort out of people. We think staff are more willing to go the extra mile if there’s a mixture of encouragement and trust. One of the ways in which you can lift a burden from an employee’s shoulders is to offer a health plan. With more than 50 million Americans without any health insurance or access to Medicaid, there’s a constant fear of illness in the family. Give some reassurance and you will find the staff are more loyal.

Buying home insurance is something that is far more important than many people realize, as this is your financial protection in the event that something unexpected happens to your home or to your treasured belongings within the home. When it comes to buying home insurance some people also fail to realize that there can be a big different between cost and coverage levels, which means that it is important to make sure that you do your research to find the right level of cover at the right price.

Of course, most of us lead busy lifestyles and taking time out to contact one insurance firm after another can be difficult if not impossible for many people, as they have work or family commitments to focus on. However, there is a quick and easy way to do your research and find the right home insurance cover for your needs and this is by going online. More and more people are now going online to find their home insurance cover and below are just some of the reasons why this method of finding cover has become so popular.

Most people have the good sense to make sure that they are financially protected with home insurance cover in place. The right home insurance plan provides us with peace of mind as well as financial protection in the event of a range of unexpected events that can affect our homes or our possessions within the home.

However, some people make the mistake of taking out a home insurance plan that is suited to their needs and then simply renewing it year after year without actually working out whether their needs are still the same as they were when they first took the plan out. A lot can change over the course of a few years and you may find that your insurance requirements have altered, but if you are still taking out the same cover year in year out your insurance will not reflect your changing needs.

Some people may find that due to changes in their lives and their homes they require a higher level of financial protection or a more comprehensive home insurance policy than they originally took out. For example, when you first took out home insurance you may have been living alone with little by way of valuable possessions in the home. However, since taking out the plan you may have moved a partner in who has valuable jewellery or electrical gadgets in the home, which may not be covered by your plan.