Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Assurant Health Insurance Plans and Network

Fortis, Union Security Insurance, Time Insurance, and John Aldan Life Insurance are all part of the Assurant Health Family. Every insurance company associated with Assurant offers flexibility and affordability. The plans cover: small groups, short term insurance, eye care, disability, dental coverage, student health care, and more.
There are a few basic types of Assurant health insurance plans, and each is available in a variety of states. The individual, basic policies include: Network Plans, Health Savings Account Plans (HAS), Traditional, and Healthy Lifestyle. The last is an affordable option for those who are in great condition but would still like to visit a doctor for physicals every now and then.
Assurant health insurance plans also cover small businesses. Employers who have anywhere from 2 - 50 employees can choose from Consumer Choice coverage and Major Medical. With the Consumer Choice Plans, employers can help their employees save for their own, individual health care while covering the major expenses. Major Medical Coverage, of course, is a must for any employers who can afford it.
And, of course, there's something for students and self-employed individuals. Assurant Health is a leader in both student and short-term plans. There are a number of carriers involved with the Assurant network, and individuals all across America should be able to find the best Assurant health insurance policy that will cover their needs. This coverage is affordable, easy to qualify for, and to obtain. Those who are seeking any type of insurance whatsoever need to check into the Assurant health network to check out the many options.

Opportunities of Software Quality Assurance Jobs

Software quality assurance and testing is an industry involved with making sure that software programs and applications are in great, working order before entering the marketplace for sale to consumers. As such, software quality assurance plays a vital role in the product development stage for software producers and makers. Many opportunities exist for individuals who want to further their education with either a bachelor's or master's degree, and some software QA and testing jobs can be quite lucrative-paying as well.
Educational Requirements for QA Careers:
As mentioned, a bachelor's or master's degree is required by the majority of employers. Getting one of these degrees in the field of quality assurance or even software engineering qualifies you for working in the field. Beyond your degree, however, two major certificates can further qualify you for software quality assurance and testing careers. The first certificate, the Certified Associate in Software Quality (CASQ), is a two-part test and can be obtained once you have at least three full years of undergraduate education even though most CASQ candidates choose to finish out their undergraduate bachelor degrees.
The second possible certificate, the Certified Software Quality Analyst (CSQA), can only be obtained for those who have earned a bachelor degree plus related experience in the software quality assurance and testing industry. Unlike the two-part Certified Associate's test, the Certified Analyst's test consists of four parts and tests your knowledge on topics such as quality control, quality assurance procedures, and security.
Responsibilities of QA Testers:
Working in software QA and testing jobs means that you'll have several responsibilities when working for a client. The first involves testing the actual software on its merits. Many types of testing procedures exist for those who work in the software quality assurance and testing field, including white box testing, black box testing, functional and stress testing techniques. While white box testing uses the software program's written code to test it out, black box uses a variety of other measures based on the program's stated functionality and requirements.
In addition, an individual working in software QA and testing will be responsible for testing the strength of the software as well. In other words, the QA tester must intentionally throw viruses, bugs, and other errors at the software to determine where security holes and faults lie. This enables the software developers to fix any known problems, if any exist.
Finding Jobs in the QA Field:
When it comes to finding jobs in the software quality assurance and testing field, there are basically two different types of places you can work for as QA worker. The first is for third-party agency companies that provide QA services to software developer and maker companies. Many small-to-medium size companies may not be able to afford or may not find it necessary to keep a QA tester in its software development at all times, which is why these services are contracted out.
The second job opportunity in the software quality assurance and testing field is working directly for large corporations and software developers, such as Microsoft, Kodak, and Electronic Arts (EA). These companies hire their own internal staff to perform software QA and testing duties.
Overall, the software QA and testing industry can be an enjoyable and exciting career, especially for those who love working with different programs and software each time they work with a client. In addition, signing on with a major software company may enable you to earn a high-paying salary as well.

Pet Assure - Pet and Dog Insurance Review

Pet Assure has a different approach to protecting your dog's health and well-being. This is not a dog insurance company, although they do not provide specific plans that the customer can choose from. By joining this terrific program the dog owner will be able to receive 25% off most veterinary visits. Every dog is eligible, unlike the policy of conventional dog insurance companies, regardless of age, pre-existing conditions, or genetic or hereditary ailments.
Covered are office visits, all vaccinations and other injections, surgery (including spay/neuter), elective procedures (dental cleaning), hospitalization, and much more. There is no limit on how much can be spent on any one procedure. Although most dog insurance providers have a waiting period before your dog is covered, once you and your dog have joined Pet Assure, the discount can be received immediately.
This program allows the dog owner to pick their own veterinarian. It should be noted, however, that the veterinarian you choose has to already be a participant in the program before the 25% discount on care can be given. When journeying with your dog, it would be a good idea to locate participating veterinarians where you will be going. If your current veterinarian is not a participant of the program, it might be helpful to explain the program to them and give them the chance to sign up.
The Pet Assure discount is applied at the time of service, and you will pay only 75% of the bill, the 25% discount is given immediately. You will never have to deal with a claim form when you and your dog are members of Pet Assure. Not only is there no waiting period for members to deal with, as mentioned above, but there are absolutely no exclusions. There are also no deductibles or incident limits. Any medical condition is covered, regardless of the health or age of your dog.
A valuable part of Pet Assure is their Lost Pet Recovery Service. Upon joining this program, your dog will be issued with a Pet ID tag containing your individual identification number and the toll free 24/7 Lost Pet Recovery Service telephone number. Once your lost dog is located and the toll free number called, Pet Assure operators will contact you using the contact information you have provided. They will keep trying until they have spoken to you, to make sure you know where to go to retrieve your dog. Better than a microchip, which has to be scanned, the Recovery Service makes it as easy as possible for you to be reunited with your dog.
The Pet Assure Single Dog Plan costs $9.95 per month, or $99 per year. The Family Plan, which covers 4 dogs, costs $13.95 per month and $149 yearly. Another plan, Pet Assure Lite provides the pet tag and merchant discounts without any veterinary discount. This last might be valuable to the dog owner who has a dog insurance policy elsewhere.
The Pet Assure program is probably best suited to dog owners whose dogs have a pre-existing condition and are ineligible for a regular insurance policy.

Assured and Assured Short-hold Tenancies in UK

Both assured and assured short-hold tenancies are the most common methods of residential leases in the United Kingdom. They were introduced by the Housing Act 1988 in their current form. This Act initially set the Assured tenancy as the default, which has is more tenant friendly. The Housing Act 1996, which came into effect from 28th of February 1997, however, ensured that the Assured short-hold tenancy was to be used unless otherwise stated.
There other types of leases but the following are the caveats where the assured or assured short-hold tenancy can be used:
  • the tenancy is between the "private" tenant and "private" landlord
  • the tenancy starts after the 15th of January 1989
  • the property is rented as separate accommodation and it is the tenant's main residence.
Both types of tenancy can be be in 2 forms:
  1. fixed term: this type of lease runs for a fixed period of time
  2. periodic: this type of lease runs indefinitely from one rent period to the next
Furthermore, a tenancy can not be an Assured or an Assured Short-hold Tenancy (AST) if:
  • the pure rental income is greater than £25000 per year
  • the total yearly rent is less than £250 (this maximum limit for Greater London is £1000);
  • agricultural tenancies
  • a educational body such as a college or a university grants a tenancy to a student
  • when letting a holiday property is involved (there are certain conditions on this)
  • the landlord is classed as a resident landlord
  • a tenancy where the landlord is the local authority, Crown or a Government Department (there are certain conditions on this)
The main difference between the 2 types of tenancies is the way the landlord can gain possession. With the Assured tenancy, it is harder for the landlord to regain possession, and there needs to be a ground for this. Whereas with the AST, the landlord can seek repossession of the property without grounds.

What is a Life Assurance Quote? Is it the Same As a Life Insurance Quote?

What is a life assurance quote? Life assurance is life insurance; they have the same meaning, which is the protection against the loss of income should the insured pass away.  Life assurance is a term commonly used in United Kingdom while life insurance is more common in United States.
Finding a quote nowadays has never been easier. All you have to do is get online and search for a quote provider. You just have to fill out a brief personal questionnaire and submit. Afterward, you will receive a quotation in no time. In the quotation you will find the following: the financial rating of the life assurance company, the type of assurance, and your personal heath rating. The quote you will receive takes all of these into consideration.
Once you get the quote form various companies, you will find that there are subtle differences between policies. By dealing with this online, you are able to get the quote immediately and compare them.  Moreover, you will be able to concentrate well and make sound decision in what policy to avail.
In purchasing a life assurance policy, there are several things that you must ask yourself:
- Will you need a term life or a whole life?
- How long will you need coverage?
- How much coverage you need?
- How much can you afford the premium
- What is the financial rating of the company?
- Are you the only one who will need to be covered under the policy?
- Do you have access to other life insurance?
Having the answers to these questions will help you determine the right amount of coverage that is suitable for you. You won't have to contact a sales representative or an agent to make that decision. You already have that information; the next step now is how to make best use of it.
In conclusion, finding a life assurance quote is quick and easy. Just make sure you consider all the various factors above. Cost alone should not be the only thing that influences your choice. Making an informed decision will be extremely beneficial in choosing the right life assurance policy just for you.

Alternative Life Assurance Policy Options

Life assurance, as its known in the UK, should be given careful consideration especially if you have dependents. Term life assurance is the most popular type however there are other types you should be aware of that you find better suit your circumstances or wishes.
Whole-of-life policies are offered by most insurance companies. As you have probably guessed they pay the sum that has been assured on the death of the person insured, regardless of when it happens.
Normally you will pay premiums until you reach a certain age, probably around 75 years, however your cover will continue until death. They are however more expensive than term insurance because the life assurance company will have to eventually pay out on the policy.
This life assurance policy will normally be offered in different cover options from minimum to maximum cover. What you choose will depend on how much is invested in the investment fund by the assurance company. With maximum cover the deduction will be much larger and premiums will likely rise to ensure cover is maintained for the policy.
With-profits policies
Final option is with-profits policies which will guarantee a minimum amount payout of cover if you do die but each year the sum will increase by the addition of annual bonuses. There are further bonuses usually added when the insured person dies which will increase the final payment further for the recipient.
There are also universal policies available which will work in the same way as the unit linked whole of life assurance policy. Every month the units are uncashed which will pay for the life assurance cover. However there are a wide range of benefits that come with these policies which include disability benefit. This will mean should the person become permanently disabled they will receive the sum that has been assured. Other benefits include fatal accident benefit, critical illness cover as well as the option to waiver the premium which will ensure that your payments are made should you find yourself unable to work. The latter will be of particular use in our current economic climate.

A Life Assurance Broker Can Always Get You The Best Deal

When it comes to getting your life assurance then a life assurance broker can always get you the best deal on your life assurance. It is essential that you get several quotes before you take out your policy and going through a broker is the easiest and quickest way to ensure that have got the best deal possible.
Term assurance is one of the cheapest forms of protecting your life and will pay out a lump sum to your loved ones in the event that you should die during the term of the cover. Before you look for quotes your life assurance broker will need to know how long you want the cover to last and how much you want to insure your life against.
When it comes to taking out term assurance then you can choose to take level term assurance or decreasing term assurance. If you choose to take decreasing term assurance then this means that the sum you are assured for will decrease as time goes by and this usually runs alongside such as a repayment mortgage, level term assurance will remain the same throughout the time that you pay you premiums. It is important to remember that a term assurance policy is only taken for a number of years and then expires and when it expires there is no payout, the policy simply ceases.
The quotes for premiums for term assurance will depend on factors such as your lifestyle, the cover you want, how long you take it out for, your occupation and if you are a smoker or not. Even then a life assurance broker can get you the best deal on your policy as the quotes for cover do vary from provider to provider and a specialist will know where to look online and deliver you the cheapest protection in the shortest time possible.