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Insurance comparison websites simplify the insurance buying process and most people now buy insurance through these sites. Once you know the class of cover you need, you type a few details into any of these sites and instantly gain access to multiple insurance companies with the cheapest quote displayed in a few seconds.

While the process of buying insurance especially car and home insurance appear simplified, same cannot be said of the products.

The insured enters into a contract every time he/she buys an insurance policy and like any contract needs to be examined carefully to ascertain its suitability for the buyer.

The frequency of advertisement in both the print and electronic media by the owners of these sites drowns out complaints and muttering of people who may have had a claim declined because they based their insurance purchase decision on price (premium) alone.

As a way of illustrating how the use of price alone to select an appropriate insurance policy could be problematic, let us look at how the price of a burger is determined.

£0.99 could fetch you a burger at a McDonald’s restaurant but that same store will also have a burger made with a bun of similar size for £5.99. The difference in the price of the two burgers being the topping.

While the cheaper burger may only contain beef, the more expensive offering will probably have a better quality beef, possibly bacon plus lettuce, onion, Mayonnaise, mushroom and pickles.

The £0.99 burger (let’s call this the bare-bones burger) may appeal to some but may not necessarily be what others want.

The £5.99 burger (ROBUST burger) though more expensive, may just be what the other person needs to satisfy his appetite and is willing to pay the extra to meet his needs provided he is aware of the extras which add up to make this other burger expensive.

Bare-bones vs Comprehensive policies

Much like the example above, insurance policies can also be said to either bare-bones or ROBUST/comprehensive. However, it is not always easy for every insurance buyer to tell the difference between the bare-bones policy and the comprehensive, especially when presented in abridged versions with the cheapest ranked topmost.

Risks covered as standard by insurance company ‘A’ could be sold as an add-on by company ‘B’.

The premium quoted by ‘A’ may thus appear higher than that of ‘B’ because the standard policy ‘B’ is offering is a bare-bones cover. If you then opt for this policy because of the cheaper price without realizing that some of the risks you need are not included, this could lead to a dispute when a loss/claim is reported.

Possible Conflict of Interest

Some of the comparison websites are either wholly or partly owned by Insurance companies and thus a conflict of interest may arise. Results of premiums quoted could thus be skewed in favour of the parent or partner companies.

Operators of these sites may also be swayed by the offer high commission rates resulting in the sites promoting particular brands.

Some Insurers are not Included

As at a time of writing, some of the largest insurance companies in Britain notably Aviva and Direct Line are not listed on comparison websites so it is possible that improved terms could be obtained from companies not listed.

Finally, it is worthy of note that these comparison sites only serve as a go-between, linking the prospective buyer to the insurance companies. They only present premiums generated using algorithms furnished by insurers and afterward direct a buyer to the website of the insurer with the chosen quote. In the event that a dispute arises, traceable to a misunderstanding at the point of quotation, these firms are unlikely to assume responsibility.

Ikenna is a Chartered Insurance practitioner based in London with over two decades experience in Insurance operations. He has sold Insurance policies in the past, and at other times been involved in drafting / wording insurance contracts as well as helping customers through the insurance claims process.

His unique perspective on insurance is therefore reflected in his articles which he hopes readers will find incisive and beneficial.
For more articles like this visit https://insuranceinboldprints.blogspot.co.uk/

How to Run a Good Company

UPDATED October 11, 2016

This insight is from the point of view of a customer. And you probably have your own point of view. Leave a note with that.

Sometimes you can look around and really wonder what is keeping a particular company glued together? And you might wonder how it doesn’t just fall apart.

All companies are different, but the basic rules of integrity, honesty, and personal responsibility, usually are the same, no matter where you travel to.

Run a business, just ideas:

• Treat your employees fairly. And by fairly, I mean, don’t punish the good workers when you really want to curtail what a bad worker is doing to your company

• Sometimes customers won’t make complaints if they are afraid of losing services that they need (necessary services). Therefore if you get one complaint about a particular person, it may very well be that there are really ten or fifteen or even a hundred complaints but, perhaps, the other 90 people who didn’t complain are simply ‘afraid of losing services’ or afraid of repercussions, or perhaps some of them never bother to come back to your company.

• Though you don’t see a problem in the company, others see the problem and thus the problem is not invisible even when it is not being solved.

Most times, management never realizes it but one single worker who is treating customers badly, can, behind the scenes, be treating co-workers worse. And, like frightened customers, frightened co-workers or co-workers who are being badgered or plagued by one lazy employee, will harm your company and lose business right in front of your eyes. And you, as the company manager or boss will be wondering how this is happening.

Have meetings once a month or a couple of times a year, for employees. (All employees must attend). And in that meeting, directly ask ALL employees if they see any lacks inside the company. And ask them to submit their suggestions and ideas on how this company can be run more efficiently to make workers happy and to make customers happy. All this, when applied, will bring an upward motion to your happiness and production meter.

So, the way that a company continues to be successful and continues to make money, instead of lose money, is to be fair to all the customers and to be fair to all the employees.

Sometimes a manager in a company fails to see that one single employee is causing a problem for the whole entire company. That’s what happens when you have an instigator amongst the employees. So, it is good for new managers to be trained properly so that an entire business doesn’t fail due to the mischief of one single employee.

Once the store manager or main company manager solves the problem of the one single employee, that’s when things pick up in the company and that’s when the business begins making more money.

When a company caters to one particular employee instead of treating all the employees fairly, the whole atmosphere changes for that company and sometimes that is so not cool.

Praise and reward your good workers. When you get letters of recommendations or complimentary letters, slide those letters into the business employee files.

You will see a huge progress in areas that saw no progress or no profit.

That’s how companies keep good workers and that’s how companies keep business morale up.

The better the atmosphere for employees, the better work ethic your workers have. The more smiles you pass on to the guys and gals who work for you, the more profit and progress your company makes each month.

Linda is a volunteer in the field of video and television production. In her spare time, Linda continues to work on her photography, collage and sculpture hobbies. Her community television shows have been aired, for more than 15 years, in two cities in New York, in the USA. Some of her work can be viewed here at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWYe-5QBNDg&feature=player_embedded

Maya Angelou said, “I think a hero is anyone with an intent to make this a better world for all people.” Have you ever looked up heroine quotes? The paucity of examples is absolutely infuriating. Of the few samples we find the cinematic reality of female detectives, wonder woman and then we have the down-to-earth Harriet Beecher Stowe “To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization.”

Are women not heroes? What does one call a Mother who nurses a sick child back to health? Is she not a hero in that child’s eyes? What does one call a woman who follows her passion in the face of war, like Rachel Corrie? Is she not a hero? What do you call a woman who is clearly different, diagnosed as autistic, but carries on her life of creating beautiful, soulful art? Is she not a hero? How do we define and synthesize being a woman and a hero? Are the only examples either in history, in the movies, or martyrs?

When I go back over the heroines in the fables I love: the seven swans sewing sister, or the girl who confronted Baba Yaga. Each one has little hope, and yet still trusts that they will be okay. They endure even when the odds of their succeeding seem dim. The sewing sister is almost burned at the stake for her intransigence. The girl confronting Baba Yaga could be turned into a deformed chicken at anytime. They are heroines because they kept going, with determination, and trust that they will be okay. A heroine cannot afford to have hope, she has to have courage when there is no sane reason for her to have courage. A heroine has to firmly tie the rope to the trunk of the tree before she dangles over the edge to rescue someone. She has to trust that she makes those knots work, not hope that they will work. We are heroines in our own story. We are here for a bigger purpose than we have lived so far. We have a higher purpose, and the first step is to listen to our intuition, our gut feelings, and anything that says “yes!”

What are the steps to awakening our inner heroine? Everyone has their own path, and their own inner guidance that will lead them on. When we awake, we can ask our higher power, our soul, or Great Spirit, “What is your will for me?!” We will receive an answer if we are willing to listen. The answers make come through synchronicities, people (acting as Angels) signs, symbols & songs on the radio, or animals that cross our paths. The next right step will come if we are willing to listen, and wait for the guidance that is already there. And with each step more will be revealed as we are ready to take it in. Maybe going out to your child’s parent-teacher talk when you feel like “it’s a bad hair day” is today’s version of being a hero? When we place our children, or lovers, or friends first, before our own insecurities that is a heroic act. Maybe releasing the limited vision of who we think we are and acting from our authentic selves is an act of heroism?

When I let go of having to be perfect and get whatever help I need, hiring a writing coach, working with a therapist, or saying no when I want someone to like me is an heroic act to me. When I break my long standing belief that I am self-reliant and realize that self reliance to the extreme means isolation, and choose to reach out for support that is an heroic act to me. When I share my vulnerabilities and realize I am not alone in feeling that way that is an heroic act to me. I am a reluctant heroine. I would rather be comfortable and only do the things in life that are my preference. Still the impetus to dig deeper, to do the things that scare me, to step out and share my truth in whatever ways are open drives me on. Maybe that’s not heroic, maybe that’s just being an everyday, ordinary strong woman.

We need more heroines to evolve this world, to heal this planet. At the very least we need more quotes about heroines to pass along to our daughters, sisters, and grand-daughters.

This week’s exercise is to look at the everyday acts you do, and see them from another’s eyes.

1. Be forgiving, and open-minded towards yourself. What could you possibly see that is heroic?

2. What are the challenges you take on and accomplish? Are you a heroine to yourself?

3. What do you do with courage, even though it seems impossible?

4. How are you an everyday heroine?

Mari Selby is a contributing writer for San Francisco Book Review. For the past 18 years Mari has been the director of Selby Ink, a publicity and marketing firm. http://www.selbyink.com Selby ink promotes authors who make a difference, and helps those authors to develop name recognition through traditional publicity efforts as well as social media. Selby ink specializes in the following genres: body-mind-spirit, relationships, environmental issues, and social justice.

A phenomenon has taken place on this planet that simply baffles my mind. This phenomenon is not exclusively American. I have traveled quite a bit, as I practice Muay Thai in Asia and see it everywhere I go.

People are literally addicted to their cell phones. It drives me crazy.

People walk into you, or cut you off all the time. The worst part is they either don’t realize they have done so, or just don’t care.

I swear the next generation of Homo Sapiens will be crossed-eyed with one arm longer than the other, and a gigantic over-developed thumb.

A recent trip through the airport was a frustrating experience for me. People walking toward their gate were all walking with their heads buried in their phones. It was like walking through an obstacle course. You have to have the footwork of a professional Muay Thai fighter, just to survive.

When I arrived at my gate, everyone had their phones out, and were preoccupied with them.

I was a bit early for my plane so I went to the bar to grab a drink. I have always enjoyed meeting people from all over the world in airport lounges. Not any more… to a person, everyone was buried in their phones while sitting at the bar. Even the bartender, between serving customers, picked up her phone and started scrolling away.

This happens everywhere I go. I went to the gym the other day after Muay Thai training, and there was a guy sitting on the machine I wanted to use… you guessed it, staring at his phone for 20 minutes. If you can Facebook while you are working out, your workout might not be all that hard.

I was at a concert recently and everyone around me was recording the concert on their phones, completely missing the concert itself.

Another time, I was trying to watch some May Thai fights in Utah, but couldn’t see because the person in front of me had their phone in the air, recording them.

I took my wife and son to Thailand last year. When taking a break form Muay Thai training, we were on the most beautiful beach in the world, I looked over at my wife and saw her scrolling through her Facebook feed.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me.

I don’t carry my phone any more. I got rid of it. I still have a phone and use it when I need it, but if I don’t answer your call or text for a few days, it’s because I didn’t see it. It’s not that I don’t care… wait, actually it is. Being in contact with people via a cell phone is really not all that high on my priority list these days.

Some of the things that have surpassed it are; sunsets, sunrises, trees, water, people watching, etc. You know… the world around me.

I honestly feel free. My wife gets frustrated with me sometimes because I don’t readily take her call, but I’m OK with that. The world is going on out there, and I am part of it.

If she wants to go out somewhere, I insist that she leave her phone behind. I want to spend time with her… not the back of her phone. Unfortunately for her, she has to spend time with me… just me.

There are some pitfalls to leaving technology behind.

I sometimes get lost because I don’t have my GPS system, and I’m OK with that as well. I eventually find my way, and have stumbled upon some other awesome places by accident.

I don’t have much of a library of pictures from my travels, but I have some amazing memories.

I highly recommend everyone give it a try for just one week. Leave your phone at home. Check it in the morning and before you go to bed at night in the event of an emergency, but leave it by your bed when you leave. You will be amazed at how liberating it is.

The world is going on out there… be a part of it.

For more information about Muay Thai classes in Salt Lake City, Utah, go to http://www.ultimatecombat.com or stop by 555 East 2100 South / Come try the funnest, most fat-melting workout in Sugarhouse & near South Salt Lake & North Salt Lake, or in Salt Lake City. Our Muay Thai is a BLAST!

For more information about Muay Thai in general, go to http://www.TheUltimateCombat.com

Before we talk about how do I deal with a racist family, let us first find out what racism does to the victim. Racism lowers self esteem, makes you feel useless and scared. It not only hurts the individual, but also the fabric that holds our society together. It is both stupid and pathetic to say we believe in freedom and still discriminate people based on their skin color or otherwise.

The good thing is that some of us are more sober than others. We view all human beings as equal. That is why it bothers us when a family member opens their beautiful-God-given mouth and spew venomous words which are laced with racism. We wonder how to make them understand that it is just not okay to hurt other people’s feelings in this way. The following are ways of answering the question, how do I deal with a racist family?

Target their conscience:

This is not about you winning the war and losing the battle. It’s not about you arguing with them until they keep quiet. Yes, they will keep quiet, but they will remain resentful, angry, and defensive – worst of all, they won’t change. When dealing with family members who are racists, address their conscience. Bring to the fore their good attributes and tell them what they just said does not match your view of them.

Separate the behavior from the person.

You don’t say “you are a racist” to your family member and expect a decent conversation. Calling them racists will lead to defensiveness, anger or aggression. Be tactful and accommodating as you talk to them.

Choose your battles wisely.

Scan the environment before dealing with racism. For instance, is the person in a good mood? If the coast is clear, proceed cautiously, diplomatically and respectfully. Avoid yells, insults or condescending tones. Actually, if there is no way the conversation can be held in a calm environment, it would be better to avoid it. Stay calm even when the other person hits the roof. If you stay down, they will see the folly of staying up there.

Keep your righteousness to yourself.

I need to remind you that your relative may not see anything wrong with what they are doing. You will be doing a disservice to yourself if you appear to show them how socially cognizant you are. None of us enjoys people rubbing their righteousness to our face – especially if we are wrong – it makes us feel guilty.

Avoid the “I do the talking you do the listening” approach.

Be willing to give them a hearing. Allow them to express their ideas and listen intently – and for goodness sake – remove that smirk off your face. Remember, communication is both verbal and non-verbal and they will most definitely notice any negative body language.

Be the role model.

The most effective way to deal with racism is to be a non-racist yourself. Be careful what you say about people of different cultures or backgrounds. Don’t preach water and drink wine.

Get into their frame of reference.

Try to get into their mindset and challenge their thought processes respectfully. Find out why they think the way they do. What is to blame? Background? Media?

I agree – dealing with racism among family members is not a walk in the park. However, someone has to do it. This is my final advice though – bring cheese and chocolate on the table – keep the knives away. There. you now have the answer to, how do I deal with a racist family?

Ranches Lee Hall is a pastor. He’s been online now for several years operating different blogs and online businesses and providing helpful information. He enjoy songwriting, reading the bible, playing the keyboard or piano he currently runs http://stopracialprofiling.org