A powerful drug that treats acne, Accutane is quite popular among those who suffer from a severe acne condition. Accutane is usually used for the treatment of cystic acne but is never really given to individuals who have mild acne breakouts. Before you decide on what to do with those pimples though, it is best to learn more about the skin condition. Often, we base our conclusions on things we see on commercials or unreliable data we read online and this usually involves believing in what one would call a myth. Here are the most popular myths about acne:
Acne Myth #1 Washing your face often enough will get rid of acne
Your pimples aren’t caused by dirt. In fact, frequent washing of the face may even irritate the skin but the question is, what causes pimples? The pores sticking together is one of the major reasons why you get pimples.
Acne Myth #2 Too much stress can cause acne
It is true that being under too much stress affects one’s hormones but did you know that certain psychiatric drugs can cause acne? If you are stressed out and taking antidepressants, the stress you are going through isn’t what’s causing your acne breakouts.
Acne Myth #3 The sun cures acne
Sun exposure is beneficial for us to get that much needed Vitamin D. However, sun exposure after 9 in the morning will only cause skin damage. Aside from causing wrinkles and sunburn, too much sun exposure may lead to skin cancer.
Acne Myth #4 What you eat can either stop breakouts or cause them
Although diet is connected to a number of health conditions or disappearance of such conditions, experts say that there is still a need for hard evidence to prove this theory. It doesn’t hurt to eat healthy though but do not count on it to get rid of your acne.
Acne Myth #5 Sex causes acne
This myth is an age-old one when people from the 17th century wanted to discourage pre-marital sex.
If you think your acne could no longer be treated with topical treatments, asking your dermatologist if you are eligible to use Accutane is a good idea. Make sure however that you read more about Accutane before you start using it – some people are more sensitive to drugs than others and getting an allergic reaction won’t help you at all.
May 15th, 2012 | Posted in finance | No Comments
It can be shocking to be notified by an insurance company that you have not been approved to receive auto insurance coverage. This can be particularly devastating if you rely on your vehicle to get back and forth to work or to get your kids to school. Driving without insurance places significant risk on you and your family if you are caught driving without insurance or are involved in an accident.
Determine the Reason
Hopefully the insurance company will include the reasons for their denial in the notice they send to you. If not, you will probably have to submit a written request to obtain the reasons. You need to know this to make sure their decision was based on facts.
Verify the Facts
It is possible they used factors in their risk calculation that are not accurate or need explanation. For example, if you have a poor credit history because of financial difficulties you experienced while married but now you are divorced with little debt in your name, this may be a reason to ask for a review of their denial. Even if they based your denial on your driving record which you know is not perfect, you should still get a copy of your record to confirm its accuracy.
Appeal the Decision
You can ask to meet with or talk to a representative from the insurance company to go over the factors they used in their calculation. You will need to provide documentation for any information you plan to refute such as that mentioned above. Errors on your application can be easily corrected and your application resubmitted for consideration.
Apply to Other Providers
If they stand by their decision to deny you coverage, you have no choice but to apply to other companies for insurance. You should be prepared to address discrepancies you may have uncovered during the appeal process to the initial auto insurance provider. Keep your paperwork handy and include detailed explanations on your application. This is especially important if you are applying online for quotes. It may be better to actually speak to a live representative if you have several clarifications that need to be made to your application. Any actions on your part to improve your risk level should be documented including refresher driving classes.
Take Legal Action
Insurance companies have the right to deny applicants coverage for legitimate reasons which are primarily based on risk to the company if they insure you. The only time you have legal recourse is if you suspect the company of denying you coverage based on discriminatory business practices. To proceed with a legal case against them, you will need evidence of this behavior.
Contact the State
If you continue to be denied based on subsequent applications to different companies, you may have to apply to your state’s Assigned Risk Pool. This is a last resort for the hard to insure. Since it is legally required to be insured, your state must offer minimum coverage through local providers to drivers who are otherwise unable to get coverage.
May 10th, 2012 | Posted in finance | No Comments
Look out your car window and, sometimes, between the billboards, you can see a tree. In the good old days before we started covering the land with concrete, there used to be whole forests. Now the trees are gone and the ground is covered up, all we get are floods – the water can no longer soak into the ground and disappear. Of course, some of us keep trees as pets in our yards. We miss the old times and enjoy watching something big and green growing up into the sky. And yet. . . Have you ever wondered what holds the trees upright? Yes, these wonders of nature do grow up into the sky but, to ensure they don’t just fall over every time the wind blows, they develop big root systems. Many of these roots spread underneath our homes and can cause problems with the foundations. Some roots go the other way and produce that delightfully uneven sidewalk our old folk like to trip over when their eyesight’s not so good.
If the roots from one of your trees produces cracks in your neighbor’s home, or a stranger passing by falls over a cracked sidewalk, you can face a claim. This will usually be covered under the liability section of the policy. You can also face enforcement action from your local council. Local laws usually entitle the council to order you to remove “dangerous” trees and make good the sidewalk. If you refuse, the council can come on to your land, remove the tree and send you the bill. Whoever’s responsible for maintaining the road outside your home is likely to have similar powers. Completely removing a large tree can be an expensive business. Unfortunately, your insurance policy only covers you when your trees cause loss or damage to others. It does not pay out for preventive work to cut back the branches or roots. You get to pay the tree surgeon to do that out of your own savings.
When the snow and ice builds up on the branches, the additional weight can bring them down. This is where your study of the policy terms can pay off. Most policies pay for the repair of your own home or garage if a tree blows over or heavy branches fall through the roof. The unknown is whether the policy will also cover the cost of removing the tree or branch. Hiring men with chainsaws and a truck to remove the pieces does not come cheap. If the tree simply falls to the ground without damaging any structure, the chances of a successful claim for removal are small. Remember if your tree falls on your car, only comprehensive cover will get you back on the road. There are standard terms covering storm damage and, damage caused by falling branches or lumps of ice from trees is usually included.
The fact the northeast has just experienced record snow for October should convince you of the need to review your home insurance policy. In 2010, the Insurance Information Institute reports total claims of $2.6 billion for winter storm damage alone. The weather is causing an increasing amount of damage and, unless you have good cover from your home insurance policy, you might find it difficult to repair your home.
December 12th, 2011 | Posted in finance | No Comments
The problem with insurance is nothing in life is ever completely certain. One day the housing market can be rolling along, everyone certain prices can only ever go up. The next day, we’re pitched into a recession, major banks are in trouble and the housing market has collapsed. Because insurance is based on the concept of good faith, there’s supposed to be give and take on both sides of the relationship. An insurer cannot physically inspect every property it agrees to cover. To some extent, it must always rely on the honesty of the home owner to get proper estimates for the cost of rebuilding. After all, if the owner innocently underinsures, he or she will have to pay the additional costs out of savings. The insurer will not be at risk. If there was fraud, the insurer has the right to cancel the policy and avoid any payment. This protection for the insurer is fairly comprehensive. Hence, to offer better balance, most insurers offer guaranteed or extended replacement cover cover.
The point of this cover is simple. No matter how hard you try, no pre-estimate of the cost of rebuilding is ever absolute. It’s only when you get on the ground and start work you find out what all the problems are going to be. Costs have an unfortunate habit of rising and it’s relatively common for owners to have to sacrifice features of their old home to get the building work finished within budget. But, if you’re prepared to pay about 10% more on the premium rate, you can buy guaranteed cover, i.e. the insurer will pay the actual cost.
Let’s go back to the beginning again. Many insurance policies have a cap, i.e. the insurer places an upper limit on the amount you can claim. This may be a limit for all standard policyholders, or the cap may vary depending on the amount of premium you pay. The only way you can avoid the cap is by buying the extended cover. Why might costs go up significantly more than you expect? Suppose you bought an older home. It was picturesque with a wooden frame and shingles. If you now come to rebuild it, you can find reproducing the traditional building methods are expensive when you face compliance with the current building code. Everything may need to be redesigned including the electrical and plumbing systems. Once you are talking in hundreds of thousands for rebuilding, paying an extra 10% in premium can be very good value to get guaranteed completion.
Stepping outside the scope of the homeowners insurance policy, some insurers are now offering Home Value Protection policies to safeguard against a fall in the resale value of your property. In reality, this is slightly closer to a bet than most insurance policies and you need to read the terms carefully. Most have a high deductible if you claim during the first two years. Since most experts believe the housing market will begin to pick up again within the next two years, you may conclude such policies are not good value for money. Nevertheless, the next time you’re reviewing your insurance portfolio, it may be interesting to get additional quotes for Home Value Protection when you get your homeowners insurance quotes.
December 9th, 2011 | Posted in finance | No Comments
There’s a reason why most sites like this talk about discounts as the best way of saving money. It happens to be true but, to take advantage of the discounts safely, you need to think carefully. Let’s start with the most commonly mentioned. All you have to do to make big savings is to increase your deductible. Indeed, the theory is often proved correct that an increase from $500 to $1000 can save you up to 25% of the annual premium. But there are two issues to think about.
Many insurance companies are already increasing the deductible whether you asked for it or not. The reason for this is the rise in the number of claims from bad weather. No matter what your view on global warming or climate change, the last two years have seen record-breaking claims for damage caused by snow, flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes. This year is ending on another unusual note with unexpected snowfall disrupting the northeast in late October, early November. The amount of snow and disruption to more than 2 million homes has broken new records for October for West Virginia through to Maine. All these additional claims mean premium rates will be going up again next year, and the deductibles are being adjusted on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. Don’t be caught out. Before you raise the deductible yourself, find out what your insurer has done. Second, if you do increase the deductible, can you afford to self-insure all the small accidental losses around the home? If not, resist rises in the deductible.
Now on to the other discounts. In the good old days before the internet, people used to rely on the agent to claim all the discounts. These people knew you and your home. They understood the inner working of the insurers. They used to protect you (well, they were supposed to protect you). Now you have moved online, you are the only one who can look out for your own interests. There are a range of monitors and sensors you can fit to your home that will save you money. The details will vary from company to company so, before you spend any money, get a list of the approved devices and cost their installation. Never fit anything unless you can recover the cost in savings within a reasonable period of time. These include central station alarm systems for both unauthorized entry and temperature rises, smoke, water and gas leaks, and so on. Whenever you renovate, ensure your rebuilding cover is increased and that you gain access to the discounts.
Finally, revisit the question of bundling policies together with the same insurer. Almost all companies will give you a discount if you give them more business. So if you have one or two family cars, giving the same company both the auto and homeowners insurance policies can represent at least 10% in savings. This needs quite careful research to confirm. Get as many quotes as possible for individual cover with different companies, and then look at what savings you will get if you bundle with any one of them. Never assume one of your existing companies will give you the best deal. Always shop around and get as many car and homeowners insurance quotes as possible.
December 9th, 2011 | Posted in finance | No Comments