According to a recent report by Moody’s Investors Service in New York, the life settlement industry might be taking a slight hit from what is otherwise a very positive overall trend. According to the report, decreasing mortality rates mean that the life insurance industry is gaining on their investments since people are living longer and paying more premiums before a payout is required.

However, the report also noted a “substantial decline of new life insurance sales for the industry in recent quarters” for a variety of reasons, including increased scrutiny of life insurance settlements which has “put pressure on insurers’ credit profiles,” according to Arthur Fliegelman, vice president and senior credit officer at Moody’s Investors Service.

The report notes the slippery slope the insurance industry is on when it comes to senior life settlement policies: too few policies being cashed in hurts the ability of insurance companies to finance insurance plans for people over 70; but too many life settlements being cashed could result in increased government regulation.

Many people assume that their standard home insurance policies automatically cover flood damage. However, this is not the case.

If your home is located in a flood plain, your lender will require you to purchase flood insurance. Flood insurance is designed to cover the costs of flood damage. It is important to note that even if your home is not in a designated flood plain, it can still incur flood damage. That is why homeowners are eligible to get a home owner insurance quote and purchase flood insurance whether or not they live in a designated flood plain.

If you are not sure whether your home is located in a flood plain, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can help. FEMA regularly releases draft flood risk maps to communities in high-risk flood areas. These maps can help residents make informed decisions about flood insurance options and flood protection measures.

Homeowners can purchase flood insurance from some insurance companies or through the National Flood Insurance Program. For more information or a free home insurance quote, contact HomeInsuranceQuotes.us.

The International Society of Life Settlement Professionals has announced it will be hosting a series of educational webinars beginning Wednesday October 21. The first of three monthly webinars will serve as a follow-up meeting to discuss the recent Senate Finance Subcommittee hearing about the life settlement industry as well as the recent issues in the media such as life settlement securitization.

"Our webinar sessions will enable participants to perform objective and in-depth analysis of industry developments and expose any conduct that would diminish the value of life settlement (life settlements investment) transactions," said Andreas Hauss, ISLSP founder. "These transactions offer the seller needed liquidity and the investor non-correlated diversification to rebuild their wealth in these difficult economic times."

The recent senate hearing was about misconceptions about the prospective securitization of senior life settlements investment policies despite contrary and verifiable knowledge that life settlements do not pose risks similar to those experiences with mortgage backed securities.

Most importantly, subcommittee member Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) warned the committee to not confuse the Wall Street misbehavior that led to the current economic hardships with an industry that’s "helping people get the full value of their policies."

In the current economy, more people than ever are working from home. While there are many benefits to having a home office, there are also several issues that need to be considered. Getting insurance for home offices is one problem. After all, not only is this your residence, but it’s also your business.

One example is with personal liability. While your home owner insurance might cover you for injuries sustained if a delivery person is injured while dropping off a personal item, it would not cover you if the same delivery person was dropping off business supplies.

In a similar vein, free home insurance quotes would provide you rates for coverage that would replace your personal items. However, these policies likely would not cover your business items such as computers, fax machines and more. This is why it’s a good idea to get a separate business policy if you have a serious home business.

The American Home Insurance Association has launched a new initiative designed to let homeowners know how important it is to take advantage of the many opportunities to get a home owner insurance quote and see for themselves the types of savings that are available on the open market.

“There are too many people making false economies,” said spokesperson Adam Schwartz. “Sure, times are tough and it’s hard to keep up the installments, but too many people are reducing the amount of their coverage to save dollars.”

Instead, the AHIA recommends that instead of cutting back on the amount of coverage afforded by their home insurance policies, homeowners should conduct several free home insurance searches and perform simple tasks to get better policy deals. These steps can make insurance premiums more affordable, even in tough economic times.

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