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What Is The Purpose of Insurance?

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When you insure yourself, your loved ones, your pets, and your possessions, you are protecting yourself from risk and damage. Luckily, there are plenty of types of insurance available for all your needs. In this article, we'll break down why insurance is important, what is its purpose, types of insurances, and how you can find the best possible insurance for your specific situation.

What Is the Purpose of Insurance?

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Insurance is there to offer a financial payout — by paying for the insurance, either monthly or annually, you are protecting yourself from future risks. These could be health risks, sudden death, financial loss, protecting children, and more.

By getting home insurance, for example, you are protecting your home from the costs of any sustained damage. Should damage occur, depending on the type of insurance, you may be able to make a claim and have everything taken care of without hurting your own wallet.

What Is Insurance?

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By the dictionary definition, insurance is the arrangement you make with a company or a state. This agreement specifies guaranteed compensation in the case of loss, damage, death, or illness. Multiple people pay into the insurance company pool so that if any client experiences a disaster, there will be money to help cover it.

In return, you provide the company or state a specific payment, often made monthly or annually.

What Types Of Insurance Are There?

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There are many types of insurance out there, available for any case. These are some of the most common insurance options available:

Health Insurance

You can claim your health insurance in cases where medical costs become too high to manage (should you not have a preexisting condition).

Life Insurance

If you decide to get life insurance, you are contributing monthly or annual payments to your insurer — in the case of your death, your beneficiaries will receive a lump sum.

Child Insurance

Child insurance offers free or low-cost medical coverage for your children.

Pet Insurance

By insuring your pet you are protecting them and yourself from high vet bills should they get sick or have an injury.

Home Insurance

Home insurance covers many types of potential damages to one's home.

Car Insurance

Should you get in an accident, you can make a claim with your car insurance to cover the costs.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is an essential part of going on a vacation as it protects you from any property theft or damage and covers any medical costs should you fall ill or get injured.

How Does Insurance Work?

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The company that manages the insurance is in charge of ensuring you. They provide a legal contract which details everything needed regarding the compensation available should the insured make a claim. The contract will also offer information about payout and any other clauses necessary.

By insuring yourself, you are protecting yourself and your wallet from loss. The insurance company will provide a cover — typically, you can insure a big amount at a lower price due to the fact that many people never have to make a claim. However, by being insured, they are protecting themselves from any future accidents and damages.

It's important to note that you can't start your insurance application after the accident or damage has already happened. Insuring yourself is therefore considered an investment toward your health, home, car, loved ones, or any other possessions — should the worst happen, you can rest assured that your situation will be taken care of.

What Can Insurance Protect You From?

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Types of insurance can give you a good idea of what insurance can protect you from. It all depends on the insurance policy — the more you pay, the more you will get. Whatever your need, you can find your ideal insurance coverage as long as you don't have a preexisting condition — often, insurances won't protect you from damage and illnesses that existed prior to you getting the insurance.

For example, let's say you have a pet that was previously sick and you didn't have insurance. This sickness contributed to another illness that requires a higher vet fee. You decide to get insurance and make an insurance claim. Your insurance will most likely reject the claim considering your pet had a preexisting condition. Typically, they will receive this information from your vet, making it impossible for you to cover any costs through insurance.

Why Do People Buy Insurance?

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People buy insurance in order to protect themselves from future damage and other unwanted situations that would require a payout.

Getting insurance is like putting money away toward your savings. However, more often than not, the coverage offered by insurance works out in your favor. Paying for your insurance monthly also ensures you can contribute to your plan in an affordable matter whereas saving money sometimes isn't as straightforward.

How Does Insurance Help (Present and Future)

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Let's look at life insurance in more detail and why it's useful for people to purchase.

For example, when you buy a new home with a mortgage, you're agreeing to the mortgage's terms and conditions which often state that if you pass away, payments will be made by another person in your family. By getting insured, you're making sure that your passing doesn't leave your family with the burden of paying off the mortgage.

Another example of why people would buy life insurance is in the case of getting married. By insuring yourself, you're also making contributions to your partner's well-being. Should the worst happen to you, insurance guarantees that your partner is covered.

Of course, there are many more reasons why someone would consider purchasing insurance. Insurance companies have become very flexible with their coverage options, allowing people to find their perfect insurance cover.

Where Can You Get Insurance?

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You can get the insurance you like by searching your specific keywords online. The best way to find the best plan for you is to compare multiple coverages and plans offered — typically, websites will offer various insurance comparisons based on your specific situation.

All you have to do is input your information and budget, and you'll get available plans. Then, all you need to decide is if you'd like to pay monthly or annually (where this option is applicable) and go through with your application. Applications are straightforward and can typically be done in seconds. Then, you just set up your direct debit and start making your payments.