You may only use the Site if you are domiciled in the United States and you are 18 years old or older.

1. Services Available on the Site. Via the Site, we provide a service by which consumers can apply to receive insurance or discount program quotations from our network of insurance agents, brokers, discount program representatives and other service providers. We seek to provide valuable information that individuals can use to make their own decisions about insurance and discount programs. Once you provide us with the information needed to complete an on-line application, we will attempt to match you with appropriate insurance agents, brokers, discount programs or other companies.

We do not issue insurance contracts or bind coverage. We do not endorse or recommend any companies or insurance policies, and we do not provide insurance, tax or financial advice. We do not guarantee that any of the insurance agents, brokers and/or companies to whom we forward your application will contact you or agree to provide you coverage. We are not responsible in any way for the conduct of the insurance agents, brokers, discount program representatives and companies that are matched with your on-line application. If you would like personal advice or specific policy recommendations, you should consult with an insurance agent, broker, or other qualified professional.

We reserve the right, for any reason, in our sole discretion, to terminate, change, suspend or discontinue any aspect of the Site, including, but not limited to, content, features or hours of availability. We may also impose limits on certain features of the Site or restrict your access to part or the entire Site without notice or penalty.

There is no charge to you for use of the Site.

2. Proprietary Rights. As between you and the Site Proprietor, the Site Proprietor owns, solely and exclusively, all rights, title and interest in and to the Site, all the content, code, data and materials thereon, the look and feel, design and organization of the Site, and the compilation of the content, code, data and materials on the Site, including but not limited to all intellectual property and proprietary rights therein. Your use of the Site does not grant to you ownership of any content, code, data or materials you may access on the Site. Any commercial use or exploitation of the Site is strictly prohibited. You may view the content on the Site on your personal computer or other internet-compatible device, and make single copies or prints of the content on the Site for your personal, non-commercial use only. You may not otherwise copy, reproduce, distribute or otherwise exploit any content, code, data or materials on the Site. If you make other use of the Site, except as otherwise provided above, you may violate copyright and other laws of the United States, other countries, as well as applicable state laws and may be subject to liability for such unauthorized use. We do not grant any license or other authorization to any user of our trade names, trademarks, service marks or other marks or logos without our separate express written agreement. Third party marks are the property of their respective owners.

3. User Submissions. In the course of your use of the Site, you may be asked to provide, or you may provide on your own inclination, information or materials to us (such information and/or materials referred to hereinafter as “User Submissions”). User Submissions include, for example, information you submit to us via your application to receive quotations (”Application Data”). User Submissions also include information and materials you submit to us via other on-line forms on the Site, by e-mail, or in any other manner via the Site. Our information collection and use policies with respect to the privacy of personal information (with the exception of testimonials, which may be used as set forth in Section 5, below) are set forth in the Site’s Privacy Policy which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Please read our Privacy Policy before submitting any User Submissions. You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for the accuracy and content of the User Submissions. We cannot be responsible for maintaining any User Submissions that you provide to us, and we may delete or destroy any such User Submissions at any time. We reserve the right to refuse to post or to remove any User Submissions, in whole or in part, that, in our sole discretion, are unlawful, unacceptable, undesirable, inappropriate or in violation of these Terms and Conditions.

4. Testimonials. If you submit a testimonial to us about how the Site has worked for you, such testimonial will be deemed not to be confidential or secret, and may be used by us in any manner. By submitting or sending a testimonial to us, you: (i) represent and warrant that the testimonial is original to you, that no other party has any rights thereto, and that any “moral rights” in such testimonial have been waived, and (ii) you grant us a royalty-free, unrestricted, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive and fully transferable, assignable and sub-licensable right and license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, display, translate, summarize, modify and adapt such testimonial (in whole or part) and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, in our sole discretion, with or without your name.

5. User Conduct. You warrant and agree that, while using the Site, you shall not upload, post or transmit to or distribute or otherwise publish through the Site any materials that: (a) are protected by copyright, or other proprietary or intellectual property right, without first obtaining permission from the proprietary or intellectual property rights holder; (b) are unlawful, threatening, harassing, profane, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, deceptive, fraudulent, contain explicit or graphic descriptions or accounts of sexual acts (including but not limited to sexual language of a violent or threatening nature directed at another individual or group of individuals), invasive of another’s privacy or hateful, (c) restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Site, (d) constitute or encourage conduct that would constitute a criminal offense or give rise to civil liability, or (e) contain a virus or other harmful component, advertising of any kind, or false or misleading indications of origin or statements of fact.

You also warrant and agree that you shall not: (a) impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any other person or entity; (b) upload, post, publish, transmit, reproduce, distribute or in any way exploit any information or other material obtained through the Site for commercial purposes; (c) engage in spamming, flooding, harvesting of e-mail addresses or other personal information, spidering, “screen scraping,” “database scraping,” or any other activity with the purpose of obtaining lists of users or other information, or send chain letters or pyramid schemes via the Site; or (d) attempt to gain unauthorized access to other computer systems through the Site. You agree that you will not use the Site in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair the Site or interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of the Site. You may not obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available or provided for through the Site.

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold the Site Proprietor and its directors, officers, employees, agents and affiliates harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, arising in any way from your misuse of the Site, your placement or transmission of any message, content, information, software or other materials through the Site, or your breach or violation of the law or of these Terms and Conditions.

6. Your Account and Password. We may enable you to establish an account on the Site with a user name and password. If so, you are responsible for maintaining the strict confidentiality of your account password, and you are responsible for any activity under your account and password. You agree to (a) immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session. It is your sole responsibility to control the dissemination and use of your password, control access to and use of your account, and notify the Site Proprietor when you desire to cancel your account on the Site. We will not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this provision.

7. DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES. THE SITE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL SERVICES, CONTENT, FUNCTIONS AND MATERIALS, IS PROVIDED “AS IS,” “AS AVAILABLE”, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTY FOR INFORMATION, DATA, DATA PROCESSING SERVICES, OR UNINTERRUPTED ACCESS, ANY WARRANTIES CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY, USEFULNESS, OR CONTENT OF INFORMATION, AND ANY WARRANTIES OF TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND WE HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL SUCH WARRANTIES, EXPRESS AND IMPLIED. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR THE SERVICES, CONTENT, FUNCTIONS OR MATERIALS CONTAINED THEREIN WILL BE TIMELY, SECURE, UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE, OR THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. WE MAKE NO WARRANTY THAT THE SITE WILL MEET USERS’ REQUIREMENTS. NO ADVICE, RESULTS OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM US OR THROUGH THE SITE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY MADE HEREIN. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE SITE, YOUR SOLE REMEDY IS TO DISCONTINUE USING THE SITE. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON THE SITE TO MAINTAIN ANY USER SUBMISSION; YOU SHOULD RETAIN ALL SUCH DATA AND INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN RECORDS FOR USE IN THE EVENT THAT THE SITE FAILS OR IS UNAVAILABLE, OR THE DATA OR INFORMATION IS LOST.

8. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE SITE PROPRIETOR OR ANY OF ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, OR CONTENT OR SERVICE PROVIDERS (COLLECTIVELY, THE “PROTECTED ENTITIES”) BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING FROM, OR DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATED TO, THE USE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, THE SITE OR THE CONTENT, MATERIALS AND FUNCTIONS RELATED THERETO, OR ANY APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOSS OF REVENUE, OR ANTICIPATED PROFITS OR LOST BUSINESS OR LOST SALES, EVEN IF SUCH PROTECTED ENTITY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR CERTAIN DAMAGES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO CERTAIN USERS. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PROTECTED ENTITIES BE LIABLE FOR OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY CONTENT POSTED, TRANSMITTED, EXCHANGED OR RECEIVED BY OR ON BEHALF OF ANY USER OR OTHER PERSON ON OR THROUGH THE SITE.

9. Links from and to the Site. You acknowledge and agree that we have no responsibility for the accuracy or availability of information provided by Web sites to which you may link from the Site (”Linked Sites”). Links to Linked Sites do not constitute an endorsement by or association with us of such sites or the content, products, advertising or other materials presented on such sites. We do not author, edit, or monitor these Linked Sites. You acknowledge and agree that we are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on such Linked Sites.

10. Applicable Laws. We control and operate this Site from our offices in the United States of America. We do not represent that materials on the Site are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Persons who choose to access this Site from other locations do so on their own initiative, and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.

11. Miscellaneous. The Terms and Conditions and the relationship between you and us shall be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You agree that any use of action that may arise under the Terms and Conditions shall be commenced and be heard in the appropriate court in the State of Colorado. You agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within the State of Colorado. Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of the Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of the Terms and Conditions is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of the Terms and Conditions remain in full force and effect. You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action by you arising out of or related to use of the Site or the Terms and Conditions must be filed by you within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred.

This Privacy Policy is incorporated into, and part of, the Terms & Conditions , which govern your use of the Site in general.

Age Requirement for Use of Site: This Site is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18 years old. You must be 18 years old or older to provide any personal information to the Site, or to us through the Site.

Domicile Requirement for Use of the Site: You represent and warrant that you are domiciled in the United States.

1. Collecting Information:

Personally Identifiable Information

The Site may request and collect certain personally identifiable information including, but not limited to, Application Data and other personal information contained in User Submissions, through various means such as online forms, online applications, e-mail and comments submitted to the Site. Such information collected through the Site may include financial information, health-related information, and other sensitive information.

Other than as set forth in this Privacy Policy, and unless given permission by you to do so, we will not sell or disclose your personally identifiable information to third parties.

Non-Personally Identifiable Information

We may also collect certain non-personally identifiable information via the Site, such as Site usage activity and preferences, also known as demographic or profile data.

Why must you give so much personal information?

Insurance companies establish their rates using a variety of criteria. Since we deal with hundreds of companies, we must ask you questions required by all of them to determine the most competitive match for you.

In some cases, where permitted by law, insurance companies may need to obtain additional background information about you, such as credit reports, driving records, or claims history verification, and may need your social security number or drivers license number to obtain these reports. Should you decline to provide information requested on the application form, you may eliminate some of the most competitive quotations.

Site Technology

As with many Web sites, we may use “cookies” and/or other technology (e.g., web bugs, e-mail bugs, clear GIFs, web beacons and tracker GIFs) in the Site or in our communications with you to enhance the functionality of the Site and to make your transactions and other activities more convenient and efficient (collectively, “Tracking Technologies”). These technologies may vary, but in some cases may involve a small file stored locally on the computer used to access the Site, and may be used by us to store and collect information relating to your viewing and use of the Site and our correspondences with you. You may set your web browser software not to accept cookies, but, if so, certain functionality of the Site may be affected. We may collect your IP (Internet Protocol) address to help diagnose problems with our server, administer our Site and identify our users. We may also use such technologies to remember user preferences or minimize the need for you to re-enter information.

Third parties (including, but not limited to, software vendors, advertisers and fulfillment companies) may also use Tracking Technologies by or through the Site. We have no control over what information such third parties track or collect, and we have no responsibility or liability for any tracking, data collection or other activities of such third parties.

2. Usage and Sharing:

We use information collected on and through this Site for a variety of purposes in the course of business and as otherwise set forth herein. For example, such information may be used to process your applications to receive quotations or to send you information about our and our affiliates’ products and services and other information and materials that may be of interest to you. This information may also be used to evaluate what portions of the Site are more popular than others, determine where visitors came from, where they go, and how long they stay on a particular page, or the Site in general. We may match information collected from you through different means or at different times, and use such information along with information obtained from other sources, including third parties.

Application Data may be forwarded to insurance agents, discount program representatives, brokers and/or companies who may contact you with a quote by email, telephone, postal mail or other forms of communication. We are not responsible, and shall not be liable, if an agent, broker, discount program representative or company to whom we forward your Application Data violates our Privacy Policy or their own privacy policy, if any.

We may disclose your personal information to companies that perform technology or marketing services for us for their use in performing such services. We may transfer, sell or assign aggregate, non-personally identifiable information about Site usage to third parties. We may transfer, sell or assign personal information to third parties as a result of a sale of all or substantially all of our assets relating to this portion of our business or in connection with a merger, consolidation, change in control, reorganization or liquidation. We also reserve the right to disclose any information concerning you if required by law or to protect or defend our rights or the rights or well-being of our users or if you are involved (or are reasonably suspected to be involved) in any illegal activity, even without a subpoena, warrant or court order.

3. Opt-Out:

If you would like to opt not to receive promotional or marketing material from us in the future, please send an e-mail to opt-out@insuranceshoppingnetwork.com. However, your option not to receive promotional and marketing material: (a) shall not preclude us from corresponding with you, by e-mail or otherwise, regarding your existing or past relationship with us (e.g., your pending or past applications or our responses to questions or inquiries you pose to us), and (b) shall not preclude us, including our employees, contractors, agents and other representatives, from accessing and viewing your personal information in the course of maintaining and improving the Site.

4. Security:

The application form on the Site supports encryption to help protect the security of your transfer of data to the Site. Although we will take all reasonable security precautions regarding information stored on the Site, due to the open nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee that any information stored on our servers, or transmitted to or from a user, will be free from unauthorized access, and we disclaim any liability for any theft or loss of, unauthorized access or damage to, or interception of any data or communications. By using the Site, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to assume these risks.

5. Consent to Processing:

By providing any personal information to this Site, you fully understand and unambiguously consent to the transfer of such personal information to, and the collection and processing of such personal information in, the United States and other countries or territories.

By submitting this information you are authorizing Brokers, Agents, discount program representatives and/or Insurance Professionals in the AllStatesCarInsurance.com network to contact you directly with quotes via telephone, fax, and email, regardless of the presence of your phone number(s) on any local or national no-call list.

6. Links:

This Site may contain links or references to other Web sites outside of our control. Please be aware that we have no control over these sites and our privacy policy does not apply to these sites.

7. Your Acceptance of this Policy:

By using this Site, you signify your acceptance of our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this policy, please do not use our Site. We reserve the right, at our discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions from this policy at any time so visitors are encouraged to review this policy from time to time. Your continued use of our Site following the posting of changes to these terms means you accept these changes.

Should you have any other questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact us.

So what’s going on? Well, a lot of people convinced themselves that buying property was a sure-thing investment. Buy today, sell tomorrow with a big gain. That made it a no-brainer to buy your own home. Unfortunately, two things happened. The was a boom in the construction industry which produced more houses for sale than there are buyers. Secondly, the credit crunch has made banks more cautious in lending money (actually, some banks have gone bust).

The result? Negative equity! Lots of people who owe more on their homes than the homes are worth. How does this affect the home insurance policy? Not at all! Well, that’s perhaps a little optimistic so let’s explore.

Home insuranceis designed to replace your home if it’s destroyed. The value of the cover is therefore not the sale price but the cost of rebuilding. So, no matter how much your home falls in value, it makes no difference to the premium. Except that there are more national statistics to worry about. According to the latest figures published up to July 2008, US inflation is at a twenty-seven year high. The Labour Department monitors the producer price index (PPI), that’s prices at the wholesale level. That rose by 9.8% in July.

So you should care because? Because the prices of bricks and all the other stuff needed to repair or rebuild your damaged home just got that much more expensive. Worse? There’s no sign price inflation is going to slow. So, when it comes to renewing your home insurance policy, it would be wise to get two or three online quotes from “reputable” builders to revalue the policy. Without this precaution, you might find yourself underinsured, even on a small claim. But if you get hit by a hurricane or some other natural catastrophe, you may not be able to afford rebuilding if you don’t have the savings to bridge the gap between the insured amount and the actual cost of rebuilding.

Unfortunately, most people never think about home insurance. They have their home insurance policy but never read the small print. The bad news? The majority of policies either exclude or limit the cover for people who telecommute or operate a home business.

Let’s deal with your boss offering you the chance to work from home. That’s great for you, saving all that money in gas or bus fares to travel to work. But if your boss gives you a computer, router and other office equipment, make sure the business insures it all. If not, you’re likely to find a burglary expensive. Your home insurance probably doesn’t cover any property belonging to someone outside the immediate family. So who’s going to pay for all the missing kit? The answer is to add an endorsement to your existing policy and to pass the additional cost on to your boss (you can sell this because your personal endorsement will be less than the business insurance cost).

If it’s your own business, how much is all your equipment and inventory worth? Even if some of the value is covered under your home policy, there’s almost certainly no cover if you take any of it outside the home. Worse, there’s no liability cover so if anyone is injured whilst dealing with your business, you’ve just discovered the joys of self-insurance. You’ll be pleased to know there are options. If your own business is small scale, add an endorsement to your policy (sometimes called permitted incidental occupancies). But if the business is more substantial, there’s no substitute for a work at home business owners insurance policy. It’s more expensive but, because it offers strong liability cover against all claims for loss caused by the operation of your business, it pays for itself in the long run. You can use online quotes to find the best homeowners insurance for your needs.

An endorsement is cover added to your policy. You pay more but get extra protection.

Be warned. You’re the only one with the responsibility to get everything you have adequately covered. Neither the insurance company nor its agent is going to walk you through your home and talk you through all the potential problems. You have to decide what to add to the policy.

To give you an insight into the problems, let’s look at the contents. Most insurance companies give you blanket cover - an average amount that covers most of the stuff you’ll find in most homes. But if you have anything unusual or more expensive, you should take two steps. The first is to make a detailed schedule of everything you have. This will help you decide whether you should buy more blanket cover. It’s not a good idea to guess. As you identify the more expensive items, you should consider having them appraised and agreeing their value with the insurance company. The more this increases the value of the contents, the more likely it is that you will be asked to improve the security of your home. That brings us to the second issue.

The standard policy terms pay on the actual worth of the property when it is lost. That’s not the replacement cost! There’s this little thing called depreciation (or fair wear and tear) and, unless you have an endorsement, you are not allowed to “make a profit” on the policy by buying new to replace the old. Ask about the cost of an endorsement for replacement no matter what the actual value of the property may be.

Then we have the quite separate problems of whether your policy will cover the property of non-family members while it is in your home, and what you do with a home office. Suppose you bring work home with you on a laptop owned by your employer and one of the children knocks it off the table. Is it covered? If a neighbor lends you some equipment and it breaks down, who pays for its repair or replacement? As to your own home office, the standard policy covers up to about $2,500. If you have more than this, you should either include the specific items or look for separate small business insurance.

So what are you looking for? Well, let’s get technical. The insurance company protects you against “perils” except where there are “exclusions” telling you that there may be limitations on that cover. Often, those exclusions are the smaller print coming near the end of the policy when the insurer hopes you’re attention is wandering. Check out exactly what is covered. If it’s not clear, ask someone before you buy. The first part of the policy usually deals with “property protection”. So that covers the structure of the place you call home together with everything permanently attached like the plumbing, the electrical wiring and all the other “stuff” (sorry another technical term including your air-conditioning, heating system, and so on). All the other buildings and structures on the land will be included so long as they’re all used for domestic purposes. That covers the garage, shed, patio and fences/walls. Pay special attention to any “loss of use” provisions - that should cover your out-of-pocket expenses if you cannot live in your home while it’s being repaired.

Then we get into the everyday personal property (usually called the “contents”) owned by you and the family who live with you on a permanent basis. Depending on the wording, you may be covered for the cash value or replacement cost. But watch out. If you have anything unusual that’s more expensive or difficult to replace, that’s got to be specially endorsed on the policy. Some things may be excluded like a firearm, the car covered under your auto insurance policy, and so on. Other things may be included like the charges the local fire department may claim if it is called out, the cost of removing fallen trees or other debris after a storm, and so on. Everything else will have to be separately negotiated and added on to the policy as an endorsement.

■ Check your CLUE report, the database where insurance companies share information about you. Errors in your CLUE report can make it difficult to find affordable coverage anywhere and may hurt you if you’re trying to sell your home. Also check a home’s CLUE report before you buy, so you’ll have a heads up about any problems that could cause insurers to shun the house.
■ Compare prices from several companies, but don’t switch insurers just to save a few dollars. You may lose a valuable claims-free discount, and a new insurer is more likely to drop you after filing a few small claims.

■ Check out the insurer’s complaint record with the state insurance department and national database.Homeowners insurance claims are some of the most complex to settle, and the experience can be very different from company to company— which you’ll quickly discover in any Florida, Louisiana, or Mississippi neighborhood hit by hurricanes. It can be worthwhile to pay a few extra dollars in premiums if your insurer is less likely to hassle you at claim time.

■ Most people have too little homeowners insurance because they haven’t increased their insurance amount to keep up with home improvements or rising building costs. Have your agent or company reassess your home’s replacement value every few years, hire an insurance appraiser, or use a Web tool that can help you estimate the value. It can cost just $50 to $100 to increase your coverage by $50,000.
■ Homeowners insurance policies do not cover flooding, but you can get coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (www.floodsmart.gov). The coverage can be valuable even if you don’t live in a high-risk flood area—even before Hurricane Katrina, 25 percent of all flood-loss claims were filed in low-to-moderate risk areas. You can generally get $100,000 of coverage for $230 to $860, unless you’re in a particularly high-risk area. Also consider adding earthquake coverage, sewage backup coverage, and building and ordinance coverage (for people with older homes), which aren’t automatically covered in most homeowners insurance policies. Buy extra coverage for jewelry and other valuables worth more than $1,000.
■ It’s important—and inexpensive—to buy extra coverage if you have a home office or rent an apartment. Also consider an umbrella policy to protect your family from expensive lawsuits; you can generally add $1 million in liability coverage for just $250 to $350 per year.