Travel Insurance, Travel & Better Living

It’s a Long Walk From Guatemala to Honduras

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:32:28 +0000

Subscribe here Unless you’ve read my About Us page, you may not know that I lived in Mexico & Guatemala from July 1985 to July 1986. That means I lived in Guatemala in during its Civil War. I learned Spanish in Antigua, Guatemala, too. In the course of the year, I traveled quite a bit. I love [...]

Travel Insurance and Hurricane Coverage

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:25:08 +0000

Subscribe here Will your travel insurance plans give me back 100% of my money if there is a hurricane? Vickie Hi Vickie, The short answer is “no, travel insurance plans will not give you 100% of you money back if there is a hurricane”. Having said that, depending on how a hurricane affects your trip determines if your trip [...]

Passport Fees are Increasing on July 13, 2010

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:28:01 +0000

Subscribe here I’ve been lazy renewing my passport, but I’m going to do it today. That’s because Passport Fees are increasing on July 13, 2010. I knew there was an increase coming, but I kept putting it off. Now I have to get going. And, I can thank Lori Rice’s article on Galavanting for reminding me to [...]

Does Trip Cancellation Insurance Give You All Your Money Back?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:38:20 +0000

Subscribe here My itinerary with Expedia is partially refundable if I have to cancel. I’d lose $800. How does trip insurance work if some of my cost is refundable? Would I get the $800 back in a trip cancellation claim or would it not help at all? Sincerely, Nicole Hi Nicole, If you will get a cash [...]

The 9 Worst Places for Your Health

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:36:52 +0000

Source: MSNBC June 8, 2010 MSNBC lists some surprisingly bad locations for your health, and the best places to optimize it: Worst place to keep your toothbrush — the bathroom sink There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl, and all of those germs are propelled out every time you flush, settling on [...]

The Fastest Way to Get a Newer Credit Card

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:56:36 +0000

Subscribe here Is your credit card wearing out quicker than you want? Are you haveing trouble reading the account number? I hear it all the time from people as they are calling us to order their trip insurance policies. Side note: In case you’re wondering why people call us to order their trip insurance policies instead [...]

What Happens When You Get the Wrong Advice in Writing?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 21:15:15 +0000

Subscribe here I always advise people to get trip insurance details in writing. But, what would happen if you got the wrong advice in writing and your claim is turned down? It’s hard to believe the travel insurance seller would pay the claim after the travel insurance company denied it. Here’s something that happened just today, June [...]

Do Travel Insurance Claims Require Documentation?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:49:57 +0000

Subscribe here My Mother is ill and is at home surrounded by her family and friends. She has a health care directive that forbids any medical professional from giving her any medical treatment no matter what happens to her. I just paid the deposit on a trip that starts 6 weeks from now. I will cancel [...]

When 48 Hours Does Not Equal 2 Calendar Days

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 27 May 2010 14:31:10 +0000

Subscribe here I called one of your competitors and was told that all the plans with the Cancel For Any Reason coverage require you to cancel your trip at least 48 hours prior to your departure. Is this true? They gave you the wrong information about the “cancel for any reason” insurance policies. It’s not a surprise [...]

CSA’s Updated Iceland Volcano Statement

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:26:24 +0000

Follow this Blog here CSA Travel Protection’s 5/21/10 Iceland’s Volcanic Ash Cloud Update A cloud of volcanic ash again interfered with regular flight patterns beginning Sunday May 16, 2010, in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. A flight ban was imposed in the area on Sunday, and restrictions, delays and cancellations are still lingering. For those plans that do [...]

The Skinny on the Iceland Volcano and Travel Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:37:28 +0000

Subscribe here If you didn’t get trip cancellation insurance before April 14, 2010 you are being confronted with a basic insurance principle: Risk. To understand what insurance is and how it works, you must first understand something about risk. Risk means the same thing in insurance that it does in everyday language. Risk is the chance or [...]

How is the US Housing Market Doing?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 12 May 2010 13:44:53 +0000

Follow this Blog here I subscribe to 2 Blogs that cover the US Real Estate Market. They are fairly technical and give a lot of good macroeconomic data to support their findings. The blogs are: Doctor Housing Bubble Blog UrbanDigs: Analyzing & Consulting on Manhattan Real Estate While I am not a real estate professional, like everyone else, I [...]

TravelSafe’s Updated Iceland Volcano Statement

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:31:39 +0000

Follow this Blog here May 7, 2010 Statement from TravelSafe on the Iceland Volcano Eruption As conditions have continued to evolve with regard to the Icelandic volcano eruptions and resulting ash clouds, our insurance carriers have clarified their positions as to how coverage will apply for future travel. For policies Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company For [...]

Travel Insured’s Updated Iceland Volcano Statement

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:31:52 +0000

Follow this Blog here May 5, 2010 Statement from Travel Insured on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland Airports around Europe have been recovering from the initial events of the Iceland volcano Eyjafjallajokull with commercial air traffic returning to normal on April 22, 2010. Travel Insured policies provide Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption coverage for unforeseen events; meaning [...]

Travelex’s Updated Iceland Volcano Statement

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 10 May 2010 14:36:52 +0000

May 7, 2010 Statement from Travelex on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland Explanation of Benefits Update Coverage for plans underwritten by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliated companies or United States Fire Insurance Company ** Ash clouds from the volcanic eruption in Iceland have caused flight delays in major European airports and beyond. While most airports have recovered [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover the BP Oil Spill?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:54:51 +0000

Follow this Blog here We are planning on renting a house in Alabama. Which trip cancellation plans will cover us if the beaches are fouled with oil? The Gulf of Mexico oil spill following the April 20, 2010 explosion on the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit Deepwater Horizon is a man-made disaster. Unfortunately, man-made disasters are not a [...]

How to Opt Out of Facebook’s Instant Personalization

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:58:59 +0000

Follow this Blog here Do you use Facebook and want to keep your personal information private? I do and while I don’t mind sharing my details, I prefer to be the one who decides what, where and when that happens. I heard about Facebook’s Instant Personalization today along with how to opt out of it. Not surprisingly, Facebook [...]

Here’s How Travel Insured Covers the Iceland Volcano Delays

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:16:18 +0000

Statement from Travel Insured International on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland Travel Insured International, East Hartford, CT – April 15, 2010 Volcanic Eruption in Southern Iceland Currently Airports in the UK and the Scandinavian countries are closed due to the clouds of volcanic ash resulting from the eruptions in Iceland. At this time it is not clear when [...]

Here’s How CSA Travel Protection Covers the Iceland Volcano Delays

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:21:06 +0000

Statement from CSA Travel Protection on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland Volcanic Ash from Iceland Halting Air Travel 4/15/2010 Volcanic Ash from Iceland has grounded thousands of flights throughout Europe, and has stranded tens of thousands of passengers. This may be the first time in history that an ash cloud has affected some of the most [...]

Here’s How Travel Guard Covers the Iceland Volcano Delays

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:40:10 +0000

Travel Guard’s Updated Statement on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland April 16, 2010 National Air Traffic Services (NATS) says volcanic ash emitting from the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland has caused a significant number of flight cancellations and travel delays across Europe. More than one-quarter of all air space in the area is closed. Travel [...]

Here’s How TravelSafe Covers the Iceland Volcano Delays

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:35:54 +0000

Statement from TravelSafe on the Volcanic Eruption in Iceland April 15, 2010 Iceland Volcano Eruption For policies underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company: If your policy was purchased April 13, 2010 or prior and your travel is affected by the volcanic eruption in Iceland, the following provides a brief summary of the coverage provided by your policy. All [...]

Why Does My Trip Cancellation Coverage End on My Departure Date?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:41:53 +0000

Steve, I received my travel insurance confirmation and I am very concerned because it says that my Trip Cancellation Expiration Date is July 31 which is the day I leave on my trip. Can you please explain this? Thanks, Karen Hi Karen, The reason your travel insurance confirmation says your Trip Cancellation Expiration Date is your [...]

Can We All Be On the Same Travel Insurance Policy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:25:40 +0000

Hi Steve, My husband and I are planning a trip with another couple. We live in different states (Florida, Montana) so will make our own travel arrangements to meet and share a house on Nevis. We are all 51 years old. What is the best way for us to insure? Should each couple buy their own [...]

Cancel for No Reason Option and Initial Payment Date

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:07:39 +0000

I have a question regarding the initial payment rule for any of the travel insurance plans I find at TripInsuranceStore.com, that have the “Cancel for No Reason Option”. I just got tickets with my frequent flyer miles today. All it costs me are taxes. I will be making accommodation reservations at a later date that I [...]

Can Vitamin D Kill Human Cancer Cells?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:17:32 +0000

Is This the New Silver Bullet for Cancer? by Dr. Mercola I take 4000 units of Vitamin D a day. My doctor says Vitamin D is one of the most important single supplements a person can take. I already knew I had a smart doctor, but I recently found out she also knows Dr. Mercola, so that’s [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover My Scheduled Surgery?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:24:53 +0000

I made my initial payment yesterday, March 8, 2010 for a trip leaving March 21, 2010. But, I am scheduled to have surgery on my ear on March 17th. Can I be completely covered for anything related to the surgery? In a nutshell, the answer is “No”. The reason why not is because your ear condition [...]

Disable Your iPhone’s Data Roaming When Overseas?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:42:22 +0000

Follow this Blog here I got to take the Saturday Feb. 20th phone shift here at TripInsuranceStore.com. While I answer phones during the week, I enjoy working on the weekends because I get to talk with more people than a regular weekday. This past Saturday I got to meet Robert from Decatur, Georgia. Robert happened to mention [...]

Take a Look at TripInsuranceStore.com’s Commercial

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:18:35 +0000

A big Thank You! goes out to the Emmy & Telly Award Winning Steve and Kathy Show for producing and airing Trip Insurance Store.com’s first Commercial! Check out the Steve and Kathy Show if you like funny TV. Here’s Trip Insurance Store.com’s Commercial: You can see the rest of TripInsuranceStore.com’s Videos here including Erik Hasing’s interviewing Steve [...]

Do I Have to Disclose Private Information if I Have a Claim?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:17:51 +0000

If I had to cancel my trip, will your trip cancellation plans give me back all the money I’d lose for my airfare, cruise, excursions & hotel costs with no questions asked? I guard my privacy and I won’t disclose personal information. Jamie Jamie, If you want to protect your privacy, I suggest you do not [...]

Can I Change My Travel Dates Later?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:28:56 +0000

Steve, I’m planning another trip in August 2010 but I’m not sure as to the departure and return dates. Since my initial deposit will be in the next few days, I want to have the waiver of the pre-existing condition exclusion and Cancel for Any Reason coverages by buying now. May I use estimated dates [...]

Do I Insure My Trip Value or What I Paid?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:27:29 +0000

Steve, I have purchased our trip insurance several times over the past few years through TripInsuranceStore.com and have a question about amount of trip to cover for an upcoming trip this summer to Svalbard, Norway. The original cost of the trip was $7260 pp. We got several discounts including early booking and past passenger bringing the cost [...]

The Top 10 Things Children Really Want Their Parents to Do With Them

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:36:34 +0000

Source: Dr. Mercola Many moms today feel as if they are not good mothers unless they are racing around, shuttling their children from lessons to practices, and back to lessons again. What do you think matters most to your children? You driving them to lessons and practices? Or the smile and hug you greet them with [...]

Don’t Die in 2010 With Appreciated Assets

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:27:12 +0000

Expired Estate Tax Could Lead To Costly Court Battles By: Tara Lynn Wagner The expiration of the estate tax may sound like welcome news, but experts say it’s actually going to cause a multitude of problems that could lead to long, bitter court cases for survivors. NY1’s Money Matters reporter Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report: The [...]

Can a Non-traveler Buy Travel Insurance for a Traveler?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:13:43 +0000

My parents get frequent flyer points on their credit card. Can I use their credit card to pay for our travel insurance even though they aren’t going on the trip? Catherine Hi Catherine, This is a common question, and once you see the answer, you’ll think, “Oh yes, that makes sense”. Though it’s worth asking since it’s [...]

Can People Be Added to a Travel Insurance Policy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 16:51:42 +0000

I purchased trip insurance from you. We have two more people who will now join us on the trip. One of them is 17 and is a friend of the family (not related). It looks like I must purchase separate policies for the 17 year old and the second person who will be joining us. [...]

A Good Tip To Give Children Who Get Lost

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:51:47 +0000

We’ve been teaching our children since they were little about what to do if they are lost (we have a 6 & 11 year old). We’ve given them the standard advice: “find an employee in the store with a name tag or a policeman”. A while back I found a new tip that seems so obviously [...]

Homeopathy – Quackery or Real Medicine?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:15:38 +0000

Posted by Steve Dasseos I knew when I read Dr. Mercola’s post on Homeopathy that others need to read this, too. I first learned about homeopathy from my Grandma in 1977. In fact, when I was growing up I thought my Grandma was a doctor. She was always “prescribing” things to help her, her family and friends [...]

Jim Waited Too Long to Get Travel Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:05:05 +0000

My wife and I are cruising from New Orleans on 01/17/10 on NCL. I have learned that my mom has just been diagnosed with pneumonia and has been admitted to the hospital. Now I worry that, worst case, I might need to cancel the cruise. What plan would cover reimbursement of trip cost? Jim Hi Jim, I [...]

How To Give Your Pet an at Home Wellness Exam

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:03:59 +0000

How to Perform an at Home Wellness Exam on Your Pet By Dr. Karen Becker We have a 6 year old Bischon-Poodle mixed breed dog named “Buddy”. This is our second Bischon-Poodle. Unfortunately, we had to put “Katy” to sleep in 2005. If you’ve held a pet as he / she’s put to sleep you’ll understand me [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover You Without a Passport?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:18:13 +0000

Very confused… We need a plan to cover us if our Southwest Airline flight’s delayed too long and we miss our cruise’s sailing. We cannot catch up to the cruise as we are traveling without passports (I know…). The trip delay / missed connection / trip interruption rules are confusing. Can you help me figure [...]

Santa Claus Gets Free Travel Insurance in 2009

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:02:40 +0000

Yes, you read that right: “Santa Claus Gets Free Travel Insurance”. By special arrangement, TripInsuranceStore.com is giving the real Santa Claus free travel insurance for Christmas 2009. What if Santa gets sick or injured and can’t deliver his presents this year? Santa won’t have to worry about that because he’s getting free travel insurance this year. “Santa [...]

Is Trip Cancellation Covered Due to H1N1?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:45:38 +0000

I’ve been looking over your very helpful and user-friendly website. Would your plans also cover cancellation due to H1N1? I’d appreciate your help. Regards, Janet Hi Janet, Thank you for the kind words. Yes, our plans can cover cancellation due to H1N1 in three ways: 1) Assuming none of you have H1N1 now, but you get it before you [...]

Can I Get Reimbursed If I Don’t Have a Loss?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:55:05 +0000

I saw this provision in one of your travel insurance plans under the Emergency Accident / Sickness Medical section “The Company will not cover any expenses provided by another party at no cost to the Insured or already included within the cost of the Trip.” What does this mean? Elsie Hi Elsie, You ask a good question [...]

Save Money by Driving to Your Cruise Ship

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:40:22 +0000

We’ve seen the growing trend of cruisers driving to their cruise ships. It’s always made sense to me that a Floridian would drive to the port, but now we’re having clients as far away as Canada drive to their cruise ports. Just this week, I personally spoke with Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Canada, New York, Nevada, Missouri [...]

You Won’t Get Swine Flu From Us

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:52:57 +0000

Afraid to visit certain places because you don’t want to get Swine Flu / H1N1? You won’t get the Swine Flu & H1N1 viruses from from Trip Insurance Store.com. You can safely call us or visit, browse and buy trip cancellation travel insurance, flight accident insurance and rental car insurance plans from Trip Insurance Store.com. Steve Dasseos, [...]

Travel Insurance Won’t Help With Paul’s Pre-Ex Condition

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:36:07 +0000

We are leaving for Europe on 11/12/09. We booked non-refundable flights on 6/14/09. This is the issue. I had a TIA on 8/31/09. Following several hours in the ER on 8/31, I’ve seen my doctor several times and had many tests to determine the area of concern. I am now taking medications to control my blood [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Giving Birth?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:59:19 +0000

Hi Steve, Which travel health insurance plan will cover me? I am 30 weeks pregnant and I just bought my plane tickets for a trip to the USA. I plan on having my child in the USA and I want to get travel health insurance to cover all my expenses. Thanks, Rudeen Du P. Before I [...]

Most Vegetables and Fruits Have ‘Unacceptable’ Levels of Pesticides

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:31:38 +0000

By: Dr. Mercola According to the European Pesticide Residues Committee, apples, peas, and grapes are sometimes covered in crop spray that is above the maximum levels allowed under EU law. The findings come from tests of more than 4,000 samples of food and drink. The levels of pesticides varied considerably, with imported fruit and vegetables tending to [...]

Trip Cancellation Insurance for non-US & non-Canadian Residents

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:26:13 +0000

Hi Steve, My wife and I plan to take a cruise trip to Scandanavia for 12 days and we wanted to take a travel insurance. We are Hong Kong residents. Can you help people like us find a trip cancellation travel insurance plan? Thanks, Jay Hi Jay, Yes, I have one trip cancellation travel insurance plan that’s [...]

95 Free Classic Video Games You Can Play Online

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:14:46 +0000

Thanks again to my friend

Don’t Want To Get A Passport

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:33:25 +0000

Hello, Steve. I have several friends who love to cruise. They have never had, nor do they plan to get, passports. (I know…weird, but it’s their belief system.) At any rate, Homeland security has o.k.’d (at least for now) birth certificates for identification purposes. Our friends are concerned that at some point only passports will [...]

Are Claims Easier With Primary Coverage?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:55:09 +0000

Hey Steve, I was wondering if the policies that provide primary medical coverage are more or less of a hassle to process a claim than the ones that provide secondary coverage? Thanks, Jim Great question Jim! There’s so much confusion about primary and secondary medical coverage in a travel insurance plan that it’s not as simple [...]

The Quickest Way to Report Stolen Cards

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:29:17 +0000

Written by Michelle Schusterman Whether it’s a purse left sitting on a cafe table, or a pickpocket on a crowded subway, many of us have experienced the panic of losing credit cards while traveling. A bad situation is made worse when you’re in a foreign country, unsure of who to contact. This is the situation CancelThatCard.com was [...]

Trip Insurance Won’t Help Brenda’s Husband

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:17:27 +0000

We are considering a Euro River Cruise in June of 2010. The sailing we are interested has limited availability so we need to make a non-refundable deposit ASAP; however, due to family issues my husband is not sure he will be able to go…..can he purchase insurance only for the non-refundable/non transferable deposit as long [...]

7 Tips for Being a More Light-Hearted Parent

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:14:59 +0000

Written by Gretchen Rubin (the Happiness Project) Do you want to be a more light-hearted parent; less nagging, more laughing? Gretchen Rubin has some tips that will help: 1. At least once a day, make each child helpless with laughter. 2. Sing in the morning. It’s hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it [...]

Increase Your Chances of Surviving Cardiac Arrest

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:53:31 +0000

Cooling is catching on for cardiac arrest patients By Caleb Hellerman CNN Senior Medical Producer PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) — Seated on a jetliner, Dr. Mary Gallagher and her husband, Don Dietrich, were about to take off for an anniversary vacation in Puerto Rico. But a glance at her husband of five years set off an alarm — [...]

Travel Insurance Won’t Help Robert

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:12:13 +0000

Steve, I want travel insurance, but I don’t want to pay for all the coverages. Here’s what I want: Trip Cancellation & Interruption coverage, but no medical Coverage for all variations of missed flights for any reason Full coverage for my $2300 laptop that I’ll buy on my trip Thanks in advance, Robert Hi Robert, In a nutshell, you cannot get [...]

One More Reason To Use Cement Trucks

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:52:57 +0000

I sure am happy I refer to Cement Trucks and not other big things that can hit you. I’ve used the phrase “if you get hit by a Cement Truck” so many times in the past 20 years, 2 months and 8 days that I wonder when I’ll meet someone who did get hit by a [...]

5 Deadly Foods for Dogs

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:39:40 +0000

We have a dog named Buddy. Buddy’s a Poodle – Bischon mix (I don’t know if Buddy’s a PooBee or a BeePoo). Buddy’s the furry one in the lower left of center in the picture. And, no, that’s not a tree growing out of my head. We don’t feed Buddy table scraps and partly because of [...]

Tricky Travel Agents

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:52:13 +0000

I recently took a trip insurance application over the telephone from Brian O., one of our Wisconsin clients. In the course of our conversation, Brian said “my travel agent told me to tell you to be sure to use Location Number ___ when you order the Travelex policy”. I said, “I’m sorry Brian, but I can’t [...]

Apollo 11 Moon Landing 40th Anniversary

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:35:32 +0000

Remembering the Apollo 11 Moon Landing I’m a space, sci-fi and science buff. I was born in 1957, so I grew up with space exploration in the news. Plus, I had an aunt & uncle who lived in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I remember the Apollo 11 moon mission today as if it happened yesterday. It was [...]

Don’t Insure A $0 Trip Cost To Save Money

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:12:40 +0000

I’ve read that buying a trip cancellation travel insurance plan with a $0 trip cost is a good idea because I’ll still get all the medical, evacuation & other coverages without paying extra for the trip cancellation. It sounds too good to be true. What do you think? Don’t do it. But, you probably need more explanation [...]

How Does A Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver Work?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:32:57 +0000

A Collision Damage Waiver covers damage to your rental car and “Loss of Use” coverage for cars (not trucks, not passenger vans, not exotic vehicles, not off road vehicles). You’re covered on a per calendar day, not per person basis. Most Rental Car Collision Damage Waiver plans cover repair of the rental car’s physical damage and [...]

One Reason to Not Get Travel Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:01:09 +0000

I’ll be studying abroad in Cape Town, South Africa and traveling for 5 months. I want to insure my laptop, digital camera and similar things. Which travel insurance plan do you think is my best option to insure these items? Thank you, Jesse Hi Jesse, My answer might surprise you since I sell travel insurance, but I [...]

Why You Should Care About Inflation and Deflation

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:51:44 +0000

I used to be a Certified Financial Planner. I gave up all my Securities Licenses (Series 6, 7, 63 & 22) in September 2004 once TripInsuranceStore.com was well established. I still keep close tabs on what’s happening in the economy. This is the first of a series of blog posts about what I think you should [...]

Easily Find Travel Insurance Information on TripInsuranceStore.com

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:25:05 +0000

Now you can find Travel Insurance information more easily on TripInsuranceStore.com with Google Custom Search I put a lot of information on www.TripInsuranceStore.com. The reason for that is that I personally want to know everything I can learn, before I buy, if what I’m considering buying will do what I want it to do. I know [...]

Will Waiting Cause My Travel Insurance Cost to Increase?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:48:37 +0000

I see the deadline to get travel insurance is the day before my departure for the policy I’m considering. Will there be a difference in the price quote if I wait until I make my final payment or wait until the day before my trip vs buying my trip insurance today? Linda Hi Linda, All the travel [...]

Do Not Open Photos From Tagged

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:54:27 +0000

Have you been getting emails that say ” ______ sent you photos on Tagged “ I have received more than 20 emails titled ” ______ sent you photos on Tagged ” since June 4th, 2009. I always delete them, but after seeing 12 more this morning in one of our email accounts, I decided to investigate [...]

What Is The Wolfram Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:44:30 +0000

I love learning new skills and concepts, researching ideas, especially things I don’t know anything about. Thankfully, I have a good memory and can retain much of what I read. Just yesterday I came across a tool called the “Wolfram|Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine” that has already simplified my life and saved me time. Here’s what the Wolfram|Alpha [...]

Do Past Customers Get A Discount?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:43:56 +0000

Steve, I’m a satisfied past customer, but like many people, I’m trying to spend my money wisely. So, do past customers get a discount? I’m asking because my travel agent said her travel insurance plans are discounted for past customers. Margaret Hi Margaret, Thanks for writing. Unfortunately, travel insurance prices are regulated by each State’s Insurance Department, [...]

New US & Canada Border ID Requirements

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:08:09 +0000

Be Sure You Have A Passport When Crossing The USA – Canada Border Source: CNN Travel “Americans and Canadians heading to the United States from Canada on vehicles or cruise ships will face new entry requirements beginning next week, the US Homeland Security Department said. Americans and Canadians entering the United States will have to show a [...]

Who Is The Travel Insurance Claim Paid To?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:17:31 +0000

I’m buying the plane ticket for a friend. Will the insurance pay me, the purchaser of the ticket, if they are forced to cancel their trip? The trip insurance plans I see say they will pay the person whose name is on the ticket, NOT the one who paid for it (that’s me). I want [...]

Can I Re-book To Reset My Initial Deposit Date?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 18 May 2009 21:00:17 +0000

We are in the process of switching our reservation from Holland America to AAA as it’s $120 cheaper!! I will confirm this on Friday and then call you. So I am assuming I have 14 days or so to get the travel insurance and that would cover pre-existing conditions, right? Thanks, Sharon Hi Sharon, Switching the cruise [...]

Get Travel Insurance Certificates of Coverage

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:59:48 +0000

Do you want to just see for yourself what travel insurance covers? I created a new page that has all our Pre-screened Companies‘ Certificates of Coverage. Go to this page: http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/3/certificate.shtml and you can view or download the ones you want to study with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Now, a word from our sponsor: TripInsuranceStore.com (the [...]

Remember The 5/11/09 Postal Rate Increase

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:38:31 +0000

US Postal Rates Increasing on May 11, 2009 Don’t forget that US Postal Rates are increasing on Monday May 11th. And on Feb. 11, 2009, the United Stated Postal Service said you can count on an increase every May: “Prices for mailing services will continue to adjust each May”. You can view or download the Complete Price [...]

History of Flight (and Other Silliness)

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 07 May 2009 20:28:24 +0000

I found this video on youtube while looking for something else. It’s a News Magazine feature about the history of flight as told in the 1950’s. And, I found these satirical, and I think funny, videos: (I apologize in advance if you are a North Korea military buildup supporter): Mickey! Top Gun – North Korean style Now, a word [...]

Does Rebooking My Cruise Reset My Initial Deposit Date?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 04 May 2009 21:33:42 +0000

Dear Steve, we are in the process of switching our reservation from Holland America to AAA as it is $120 cheaper!! I will confirm this on Friday with a deposit and then call you. So I am assuming I have 10 days or so to get the travel insurance and that would cover preexisting conditions. [...]

Another Update on How Travel Insurance Covers Swine Flu

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:45:39 +0000

Here’s an update to my 4/29/09 post “Update on How Travel Insurance Covers Swine Flu”. Check out this page, too: http://www.tripinsurancestore.com/3/epidemic.shtml. Pertaining to Swine Flu, the only way you can be sure that you won’t lose money by being forced to cancel your trip is if you have a “Cancel For Any Reason” plan. One Swine [...]

Update on How Travel Insurance Covers Swine Flu

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:58:50 +0000

Here’s an update to my 4/27/09 post “How Does Travel Insurance Cover Swine Flu?” With 3 exceptions, of the plans we sell & trust*, the key date is April 23, 2009: If you had bought a travel / trip insurance policy before April 23, 2009 and you first contract Swine Flu while you’re on your trip, all [...]

How Does Travel Insurance Cover Swine Flu?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:53:07 +0000

Before I get into the Travel Insurance & Swine Flu details, I hope and pray all the Swine Flu cases get under control quickly and that no one dies from this sickness. As of 4:50 pm Central Time on 4/27/09, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not classified this outbreak of Swine [...]

I Got The Opposite Advice From Your Advice

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:18:25 +0000

Steve, I called another company and they gave me the opposite advice from what you told me about pre-existing conditions. I don’t completely trust what they said. Since you say you stand behind what you sell, and I like you, I want to buy my travel insurance policy from you so you can earn the [...]

Moon Occults Venus on April 22, 2009

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:40:13 +0000

Don’t miss this celestial treat early Wednesday, April 22nd: Early risers in North America are in for a treat on the morning of Wednesday, April 22nd, when the waning crescent Moon passes in front of the brilliant crescent Venus. Source: Sky & Telescope The apparent path of Venus behind the Moon on April 22, 2009, depends on [...]

What If I Miss My Ship In Port?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:44:56 +0000

My question is: What if we miss the ship in a port for any reason? Excursion ran late, traffic delays, etc. Will travel insurance cover us if we missed the ship’s departure at a port of call? Would it get us to the next port to meet with the ship? If you miss the ship because [...]

Susan Boyle – Singer from Britain’s Got Talent 2009

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:06:52 +0000

This is amazing! My wife told me about this just a few hours ago: 47 Year old Susan Boyle surprises the judges (Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan) and audience with her performance in the auditions for Britains Got Talent, singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables. “This is the biggest surprise from three seasons [...]

4/15/09 TripInsuranceStore.com Update

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:39:26 +0000

Sorry I haven’t written a Blog post since April 6th. You’ll be happy (I hope) to know that I didn’t get hit by that Cement Truck I keep referring to. I got away from the office April 9th – 12th. And, I’ve been busy updating TripInsuranceStore.com. The main reason is that Travel Guard surprised everybody [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Annual Timeshare Fees?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:42:17 +0000

Steve, My wife and I are planning a trip to Calif. next October. We’re exchanging a week at our Hilton Head timeshare for a week at the Welk resort in Escondido. It costs us $950 a year to have the timeshare. Can we insure our vacation against an illness, etc. so that we can recover [...]

Simple Ways to Stop Acne Naturally

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:13:19 +0000

Dr. Mercola wote an article called “Simple Ways to Stop Acne Naturally” which contains a seven minute video explaining how to stopp acne naturally. Here’s an excerpt from Dr. Mecola’s article: How to Treat the Root Cause of Your Acne What you want to do is to eliminate the underlying reason that is [...]

Frequent Flyer Mile Upgrades Are Pricier

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:36:57 +0000

In case you haven’t been paying attention, it’s getting more expensive to use your Frequent Flyer miles to get either an upgrade or a “free” premium seat. This comes at a time when airplanes are more crowded as the airlines cut back on routes to keep their costs down. Thankfully, Ed Perkins just wrote Upgrading With [...]

How To Compute Your Per Person Trip Cost

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 21:20:59 +0000

Do my spouse and I evenly split the expenses or insure our actual out of pocket costs? Gretchen Hi Gretchen, You can split the costs on items you’re sharing, but for specific things like airline tickets you need to insure your actual out of pocket costs. For example, if you’re both flying but one of you has a [...]

10 Tips To Get A Hotel Upgrade

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 21:49:23 +0000

Larry Bleiberg wrote How to get a hotel upgrade for CoastalLiving.com’s blog. I knew you will like Larry’s 10 tips for getting a hotel upgrade. Here are 3 of Larry’s 10 tips: Contact management before you arrive: Let them know if you’ll be celebrating a special occasion. Book a mid-price room Be personable and friendly – I’m thankful all [...]

Balance An Egg On Spring Equinox

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:35:35 +0000

Can you really balance an egg on Spring & Fall Equinox? Watch the Trip Insurance Guru as he attempts to balance an egg on 3-21-2009: PS -If you liked what you saw, please subscribe to my Blog. You can also connect with me on Facebook, even follow me on Twitter @ SteveDasseos. [tags]egg, equinox, trip insurance, [...]

Get More Luggage and Baggage Coverage

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:08:35 +0000

I am traveling to New Zealand. I am flying from Nashville to Los Angeles, then on to Auckland, returning by the same route. I am interested in insurance that will cover my luggage in the event that anything happens to it. Thank you, Michele L. If you just want luggage coverage, travel insurance doesn’t give you [...]

Travel Guard Response to Recent AIG News Reports

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:46:15 +0000

March 17, 2009 Travel Guard Response to Recent AIG News Reports There have been a number of articles and news stories recently regarding AIG, Inc., (the Holding Company.) Some of you have expressed concern, others have expressed frustration. I am writing to let you know that we share your anger and appreciate your commitment to your customers [...]

No Shoes, No Lawn Mowing

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 17:02:40 +0000

I originally wrote this on July 8, 2008. After working out in the yard this evening, I realized it’s a good idea to bump it to the top. I don’t have a large yard, but I still don’t like mowing the grass. So, I got the great idea to have my 10-year-old son mow the [...]

How To Creatively Find A Job

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:33:19 +0000

Surviving the Recession: Ditch the Job Search; Start a Problem Search By Richard A. Smith I know a few people who are looking for jobs. I even know people who, imho, ought to get a different job (but they’re not asking me for advice). I haven’t had to look for a job since 1981. As an entrepreneur I’ve [...]

Can This Miracle Spice Stop Cancer, Alzheimer’s and Arthritis?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:06:36 +0000

By Dr. Mercola For more than 5,000 years, turmeric has been an important part of Eastern cultural traditions, including traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. Valued for its medicinal properties and warm, peppery flavor, this yellow-orange spice has more recently earned a name for itself in Western medicine as well. Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover All My Children For Free?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:04:17 +0000

4 of us are traveling from Chicago including our 22 month old daughter who travels free on the airline. Do we include her in the list of travelers? Or are all children automatically covered free? Paul Hi Paul, Two of our travel insurance plans can insure your children up to age 15 free: the Travelex Plus & [...]

Is it Still Safe to Get Travel Guard Travel Insurance?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:52:25 +0000

I wrote “Is it Safe to Get AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance?” on September 30, 2008. A lot has happened in the past 5 months, including AIG receiving $150,000,000,000 ($150 billion) in US Government Bailout funds. Hi Steve, my wife wants me to ask you: do you think it’s still safe to get Travel Guard travel [...]

Beware Of The “Koobface” Worm On Facebook

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:35:37 +0000

New Variant of Koobface Worm Spreading on Facebook Sources: Rik Ferguson, TrendMicro.com, Brian Krebs, Washington Post I’ve been using Facebook steadily since the beginning of 2009. Right now I have 220 friends. As much fun as it is to fun track down people, you still have to be on your guard. Facebook and the rest of the other [...]

Do You Have A Food Allergy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:50:45 +0000

I’ve been getting hives from head to toe for 5 months. At least twice a day except for a 2 week break in November 2008. I’ve been trying to find the cause. First, I thought I was allergic to wool. I stopped wearing wool, but they continued. Then I thought it was stress from lack of [...]

Beware Of This Airline Ticket Scam

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 22:51:35 +0000

I haven’t flown Delta, but now that Northwest and Delta have merged, I’m sure I’ll be using Delta. Thankfully I wasn’t waiting for a Delta e-ticket confirmation when I got the following email. But, I suspect more that a few people will be tricked into opening the ticket.zip attachment. One tip to know if you’re getting [...]

Airline Legal Minimum Connection Times

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:25:40 +0000

Worried about making a flight connection? I routinely answer travel insurance questions on the Cruise Critic Message Boards. My id is “iamtrustworthy“. Here’s a summary of one I answered today: I have a 27 minute layover in Atlanta, but the legal connection times for domestic to domestic flights is 55 minutes. My travel insurance plan will cover [...]

Explore The Seas With Google Ocean

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:28:29 +0000

Google Ocean Lets Users Explore Shipwrecks And Reefs Source: Daily Mail, Feb. 2, 2009 I love looking at maps and atlases. Thanks to high-speed broadband, I can look at the earth with Google Earth and now the oceans with Google Ocean. Sylvia Earle, Ocean Explorer explains how Google Ocean works: PS -If you liked what you read, please subscribe [...]

If You’re So Smart, Why Can’t You …

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:17:31 +0000

Elizabeth Gilbert has a different way to think about creative genius My good friend Amrit Hallan sent me this link and I’m thankful he did! For better or worse, I took intelligence tests in 4th grade. The results must’ve been good because in the years following many teachers told me they expected great things from me. [...]

Is It Too Late To Get Travel Insurance?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:14:38 +0000

We’re taking a cruise March 1, 2009. We paid our cruise in full in January 2009. My husband was hospitalized last week for something unexpected & his doctor says he’s ok to travel. I called another website (________) & they said my husband doesn’t have a pre-existing condition. Which cruise insurance plan should we get? [...]

Does High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contain Mercury?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:06:56 +0000

Most Common Source of Calories in U.S. is LOADED With Mercury! Source: Dr. Mercola Almost half of tested samples of commercial high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contained mercury, according to a new study. Mercury was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient. HFCS [...]

How Primary Differs From Secondary Medical Travel Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:42:39 +0000

Most travelers are are mis-informed about how Primary & Secondary Medical Travel Insurance coverage works. Read this to learn the truth about what Primary or Secondary Medical coverage means and how they differ: Primary Medical Coverage means your medical bills are paid from the first dollar. No “coordination of benefit” claim forms need to be filed. [...]

Do I Have To Cancel My Trip If A Family Member Dies?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:32:27 +0000

Barbara from St. Louis asks: I see that your travel insurance plans can cover me if a family member gets sick or dies. My question is do I have to cancel my trip if a family member dies? I don’t like my brother-in-law and while I’ll be sad for my sister when her husband dies, [...]

10 Diseases Linked To Soda Pop

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:25:57 +0000

I’m a natural skeptic. Ever heard that if you put a nail or a quarter in Coke or Pepsi (or any other cola) the carbonic acid will corrode it in just a few days? I heard that too. So in 2002 I finally got around to testing it. Nothing happened! Not after a day, a week [...]

You’re Getting Another Postal Rate Increase

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:20:22 +0000

US Postal Rates Increasing on May 11, 2009 The US Postal Service announced today (Feb. 11, 2009) that on May 11, 2009 the US postal rate increases. And they also said you can count on an increase every May: “Prices for mailing services will continue to adjust each May”. You can view or download the Complete Price [...]

Can Vitamin Waters Improve Your Health?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 22:23:57 +0000

Source: LifeScript.com: January 24, 2009 Drinking soda pop isn’t the best for you (more on this the day after tomorrow). I don’t like coffee, though when I lived in Guatemala, I liked the coffee plantations’ aroma. Nor do I particularly like tea, though I drink tea now and then. I like plain water. It might be [...]

When Do I have To Cancel My Trip If I Can’t Travel?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:32:59 +0000

My Mother’s ill and I may need to cancel my cruise. Who do I contact first? The cruise line and cancel (if need be), or the insurance company? Since I have never done this before, I am not sure of the process and the order of the process. Thanks, Marlene Hi Marlene, You first call your travel [...]

Watch Mount Redoubt Volcano On Live Webcams

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:15:56 +0000

Thanks to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, you can the Mount Redoubt Volcano eruption in real time via two webcams set up by the Alaska Volcano Observatory. Click here to view them. Up in Alaska, scientists are readying for the imminent eruption of Mount Redoubt, a 10,197 foot peak that lies in the mountains 100 miles west [...]

5 Myths About Women’s Heart Health

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:18:34 +0000

5 Myths About Women’s Heart Health Source: LifeScript.com February 03, 2009 About 450,000 women suffer heart attacks each year; in fact, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S. In time for American Heart Month, read up on 5 heart health myths that put women at risk. Here are the 5 Myths: Myth #1: The pain [...]

New Cruise Line Check-In Rules

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:15:02 +0000

I’m worried about missing my flight connection and getting to my ship. I am traveling from New Hampshire to Seattle for an Alaskan cruise in May. I have 35 minutes between flights at Chicago O’Hare. Will travel insurance cover me if I miss my plane? Mary I had this conversation via our instant chat just this [...]

Where Is The International Space Station?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:26:54 +0000

I’m a space, sci-fi and science buff. I was born in 1957, so I grew up with space exploration in the news. Plus, I watched “Lost In Space”, “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Star Trek”. On top of that, I had an aunt & uncle who lived in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I got a 3.5 inch [...]

Can I Cancel My Trip If I Get A Job?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:40:29 +0000

We’re going to Mexico for two weeks this Summer, but my wife “might” get a job in the meantime. She’s currently unemployed. I would like to insure her share of our prepaid non-refundable trip costs because only she would cancel if this happens. I’ve read the certificates and “business reasons” language, but nothing quite fits [...]

Dr Bernard Kanka Wants To Give Me $850,000

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 00:11:25 +0000

I got this email with the Subject line “Accept This For Your Past Efort” last week: Dear friend, Greetings! I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting that fund.Now, I want you to contact my secretary on the information below: Ask him to send to you the total sum of ($850,000.00) US Dollars in a bank [...]

51 PC Freeware Programs

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:16:45 +0000

I’m always willing to listen to advice and I actively seek out feedback since I’m smart enough to realize that any success I may have is due to the help and advice of others. Today a good friend of mine recommended these 51 PC Freeware Programs to me: “Here are more than 50 good freeware software [...]

1 Simple Tip To Stay Healthy On Your Cruise

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:47:48 +0000

Bring your own hand sanitizer. The on-board ship hand sanitizers are only as effective as the people who use them. You’re probably well aware that it’s important to wash your hands after touching doorknobs and railings. However, there’s another common place many people overlook. Consider the buffet: You may religiously use the ship’s hand sanitizer, but one [...]

How To Overcome Self Doubt

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:07:17 +0000

Why Should You Listen to Nick Vujicic? Watch this video to see why: Here’s come information on Nick from his website www.AttitudeIsAltitude.com: About Nick Vujicic: Imagine being born without arms. No arms to wrap around someone, no hands to experience touch, or to hold another hand with. Or what about being born without legs? Having no ability [...]

9 Top Tips to Maximize Your Lifespan

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:09:34 +0000

Source: Dr. Mercola Biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, Cambridge researcher, and chairman and chief science officer of the Methuselah Foundation, Cambridge researcher believes aging is a preventable phenomenon, much like a disease, stating that aging is merely a side effect of being alive. Here he explains his belief that humans could live for centuries, if only we [...]

Can I Cancel My Trip If I Don’t Feel Safe?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:34:23 +0000

My wife and I may go to the Holy Land and Jordan. We’re in good health so insuring for that is not our concern. My question is: With the situation in Israel now and in the past the trip could be cancelled. Does any insurance cover you if your tour company cancels because they feel [...]

You Can Skip Your Mandatory Required IRA Distribution For 2009

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:34:59 +0000

As a former Financial Planner, I’m regularly asked for financial advice. For the most part, I don’t give it, but there are certain people I can’t / won’t refuse. My parents fall into that group. In late 2008 my Mother heard from her Bridge Club that the IRS was suspending the mandatory required IRA distribution for [...]

Rental Car Insurance For 4 Wheel Drive Exploring

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:55:46 +0000

I’ve read in your blog that your Collision Damage Waiver does cover dirt roads for normal use of the car. I saw that you only allow US & Canadian residents to take this insurance. Is there any way I can get your rental car insurance? I’m a 41 year old Belgian and I’m planning a trip [...]

Tip #1 For Having a Successful Travel Insurance Claim

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:38:09 +0000

Since money isn’t ever quite as easy to get as it is to spend, I want to help you get the most out of your trip cancellation travel insurance policy. Here’s the first in a series of what you can do to help your travel insurance claim be processed quickly and correctly: Tip #1: If you [...]

Can I Protect My Credit Card Reward Points?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:36:32 +0000

I read that no insurance company will reimburse points, rewards, etc. I used reward points from my credit card to pay for my cruise. If the cruise is canceled, the points will probably be reposted back to my credit card. But here is the problem: the credit card discontinued the reward program as of 1-1-09. [...]

Get Your Mail-In Rebate

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:21:45 +0000

I used to buy certain products because the Mail-In Rebate convinced me it was a better deal. It’s a good deal if you got the rebate 100% of the time with no hassle. Ocassionally, I got the rebate, but, in my experience, most of the time I’d either miss the deadline to apply for the [...]

Clear Up Your Confusion on Vitamin D

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:38:55 +0000

Vitamin D deficiency is pandemic in the United States, but many Americans, including physicians, are not aware that they may be lacking this important nutrient. Dr. Mercola has a new & Free video that will help you clear up all your confusion on how Vitamin D can help you and your family. This is the same [...]

Does Your Health Insurance Cover You Outside The USA?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 22:51:13 +0000

I called my insurance company and asked what coverage I have if something happens outside the USA. They were clueless. Should call back and speak to someone else? Sally Hi Sally, First, get out your plan’s Description of Coverage to have handy. Next, call back your insurance company and ask this: “If I get hit by a [...]

One Easy Way To Stop Spam

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:10:58 +0000

I’ve used email for 14 years and my biggest email pet peeve is the lazy, careless and indiscriminate use of both the “To:” and “CC:” fields to send emails to multiple people. The one easy way to stop spam is to use the “Bcc:” address field when you send the same email to multiple recipients. I’ve [...]

Everything You Need to Know About the Latest Threat to Your Baby

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:03:53 +0000

Dr. Mercola wrote this very informative article on the discovery of the chemical melamine in a sample of infant formula sold in the United States. This is good information for any parent or grandparent to know. Here’s Dr. Mercola’s article: U.S. health officials have uncovered trace amounts of the chemical melamine in a sample of infant [...]

Why Do I Have To Supply A Non-Traveler’s Medical Records?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:02:44 +0000

I didn’t buy trip insurance from you, but I need your advice: I had to cancel my cruise due to my father-in-law having surgery. I filled out my trip insurance plan’s claim forms. I just got a letter saying they want me to give them my father in law’s medical records. Why is this happening? [...]

Santa Claus Gets Free Travel Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:35:00 +0000

Yes, you read that right: “Santa Claus Gets Free Travel Insurance”. By special arrangement, www.TripInsuranceStore.com is giving Santa Claus free travel insurance for Christmas 2008. What if Santa gets sick or injured and can’t deliver his presents this year? Santa won’t have to worry about that because he’s getting free travel insurance this year. “Santa Claus is [...]

Do Trip Insurance Companies Pay Medical Claims Directly?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:45:03 +0000

If I have a medical claim on my cruise, do the trip insurance companies pay the providers directly? How does it work? Although I have excellent credit I don’t think the ol’ Visa can handle an air medivac charge like I’ve seen and I certainly can’t see a doctor in Mexico saying they would accept [...]

Happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:27:11 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! Steve, Deanna, Becky, Teresa & Mary at TripInsuranceStore.com wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a joke that Steve thinks is pretty funny! You decide: The Parrot A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird’s mouth was [...]

Is My Pacemaker Excluded From My Travel Insurance Policy?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:12:17 +0000

Steve, Stan just had a pace maker put in. Will this change their existing trip cancellation policy’s coverage? Val Hi Val, Thanks for writing. Don’t worry – Stan’s still completely covered by his trip cancellation travel insurance policy with no changes because the pace maker was put in after his insurance policy’s effective date. However, along these lines, [...]

How Light Pollution is Ruining Your Health

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:32:57 +0000

Humans are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun’s light. Because of this, we’ve engineered the night for our own comfort by filling it with light. Light pollution is largely the result of poor lighting design, which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky. Wherever human light spills into [...]

What Date Is My Trip’s Final Payment Date?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:07:24 +0000

Hi, question: Final trip payment date – we paid our cruise by credit card. It’s on our statement, but have not yet paid it (due date is the 22nd). Is final payment date the date it appears on our statement or the date that we actually pay our credit card? I am concerned about pre-existing [...]

How To Protect Yourself Before A Disaster Strikes

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:27:34 +0000

Have you ever said to yourself (after hearing about a disaster) something like “I’m going to get myself ready so I won’t be caught off guard”? I have, but then my life gets busy and I don’t do anything. Enter Asa Aarons. Thankfully, Asa came to my rescue with his column “Rescue Essentials When Disaster Strikes“. I [...]

How Not To Save Money On Rental Car Insurance

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:09:24 +0000

If I am on your rental car cdw insurance policy but not listed as an additional driver on the rental agreement (I don’t want to pay their additional fee) will I be covered if I’m driving? Rosita Hi Rosita, In order to be covered on our rental car cdw policy, all drivers must be listed on both [...]

Can I Round My Trip Cost Down?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:24:25 +0000

The total cost of our trip (Cruise only, driving to port) is $1,018 per person. I don’t need pre-existing of financial default coverage, if I round it down to $1,000, other than a reduced reimbursement for trip cancellation, is there any other penalty that could occur? It looks like $1,000 is a cutoff for price [...]

How to Clean Clogged Inkjet Printheads

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:05:30 +0000

How to Clean Clogged Inkjet Printheads by Blake W Patterson A clogged print head on your inkjet printer is not a fine thing. Over time (especially when there’s long periods of no printer use) the many tiny holes that make up a modern inkjet printer’s head can become clogged with dried ink. Most printers today have some [...]

Pre-Election 2008 Breaking News: Minnesota Commemorative Quarters Recall

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:43:38 +0000

(Steve’s note: I didn’t write this – I don’t know who wrote it. But, be sure to remember this government waste as you head to the polls on Nov. 4, 2008) Hang on to any of the new Minnesota State Commemorative Quarters you may have or may acquire. They may be worth MUCH MORE than 25 [...]

What Happens When You Mix Mentos and Diet Coke?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:39:39 +0000

What Happens When You Mix Mentos and Diet Coke? Steve, I need your help. I was fascinated by your link “What happens when you mix Mentos & Diet Coke?”, so I went out and started experimenting. I’ve become a Mentos & Diet Coke addict. I used to surf the internet and participate in social networking sites. [...]

US State Department Travel Warnings As Of 10-30-2008

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:46:38 +0000

US State Department Travel Warnings As Of 10-30-2008 Here’s the list of US State Department Travel Warnings (as Of 10-30-2008). Why would you want to know what’s on this list? Other than as a matter of personal safety, some travel insurance policies’ Terrorism coverage depends on whether there’s a US State Department Travel Warning for your destination. Somalia [...]

Freedom From Power Lines In 10 Years?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:56:40 +0000

MIT Energy Storage Discovery Could Lead to ‘Unlimited’ Solar Power Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT, has developed a simple method to split water molecules and produce oxygen gas, a discovery that paves the way for large-scale use of solar power. Watch Daniel Nocera describe this new process for storing solar energy Technorati Tags: [...]

Does Travel Insurance Cover Breakdowns Of A Personal Vehicle?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:45:46 +0000

Does Travel Insurance Cover Breakdowns Of A Personal Vehicle? Do any of your policies have coverage for missing the departure because of the mechanical breakdown of a private automobile travelling to the airport? Thanks, Stephen Unfortunately, no. Mechanical breakdown of a private automobile isn’t ever covered by travel insurance. Therefore, if you are driving to your departure [...]

Three Dumb LLC Formation Mistakes

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:14:34 +0000

The Three Dumbest LLC Formation Mistakes by Stephen L. Nelson, CPA Mistake #1: Forgetting about Foreign LLC Registration Rules Read those tempting advertisements for Delaware or Nevada limited liability companies? The advertisements sound pretty good, but most small businesses shouldn’t use out-of-state LLCs or for that matter out-of-state corporations. Mistake #2: Electing to be Treated as a C Corporation An [...]

Can I Insure Any Prepaid Trip Cost?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:44:56 +0000

Do I have to insure the full cost of my trip? Can I just cover $1,000 even if my trip cost is higher? Rich Hi Rich, You can insure any trip cost. However, if you want certain benefits like Cancel For Any Reason or pre-existing conditions coverage, you have to insure your entire prepaid, non-refundable costs. On the [...]

5 Easy Ways To Save (or Earn) Money With Your Camera

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:14:08 +0000

5 Easy Ways To Save (or Earn) Money With Your Camera Many people already carry a digital camera with them at all times (your cell phone). Here are 5 ways to put that camera to good use and save yourself some money. 1) Protect Your Deposit Before you move into a new place, photograph every bit of damage [...]

Can I Claim Without Having a Financial Loss?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:42:20 +0000

I have Blue Cross and I bought a travel insurance plan with Primary medical coverage. I got sick on my cruise and I mistakenly submitted the claim to Blue Cross and they paid it all. Why won’t my Primary coverage travel insurance plan pay me, too? William Well William, it comes down to the fact that [...]

Get a No Strings Attached Free Credit Report

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:17:40 +0000

Get a No Strings Attached Free Credit Report I try to keep up with my own credit history. I know I am entitled to one free credit report a year from each consumer credit reporting agency. Along with everything else I have to do, I can’t remember when I should be getting my annual free credit [...]

Is it Safe to Get AIG Travel Guard Travel Insurance?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:52:27 +0000

Hi Steve, My husband and I have ordered our travel insurance from you again, This makes four years in a row. We are insured with AIG Travel Guard. We have seen AIG and its financial difficulties in the news over the past weeks. Is our coverage void? Margaret G. Hi Margaret, Thanks for writing. You are right [...]

20 Drugs the FDA Is Watching

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:30:30 +0000

A 2007 federal law requires the FDA to disclose all its investigations into reports of possibly drug-related adverse events. The first of this series of quarterly reports has been released. It includes adverse events reported between January 1 and March 31, 2008. Here’s the list of drugs and the adverse events that have been reported: [...]

Will Travel Insurance Cover My Pre-existing Condition?

Steve Dasseos, The Trip Insurance Guru — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:47:12 +0000

Will travel insurance cover me? I’m going to Ireland in October. I was treated for cancer beginning last October. The treatment ended in July, but see my doctor quite often due to side effects. I paid for my trip in March. It is too late to get travel insurance? Others have told me I can [...]