Switzerland has begun life on new Since January, 1st

In January Swisses will start to pay more: from the beginning of year the price of medical insurance, as always, has grown.


With a midnight striking of a clock the whole series of rules and additions to country laws has taken effect. Some will concern a purse of Swisses, others will grant it the new rights and obligations. So, what new in Switzerland since yesterday?

Family finances

In January Swisses will start to pay more: from the beginning of year the price of medical insurance, as always, has grown. However, inhabitants of the country know about it since November after have received letters with new tariffs from the insurance companies. Some parents, on the contrary, will be glad: the price for medical insurances for children has on the average decreased.

Independent entrepreneurs on all country will be on welfare on the child in size at least 200 francs, other positive changes in the field of issue of children's benefits, but it already, as always in Switzerland, «from canton to canton» are provided also.

Hardly actors become more secure: paying to representatives of creative professions of a grant, the Confederation begins to add 12 % from this sum of their pension cash desk. 

Consumers will be is better protected. Now they can address to the seller with claims about goods quality within two years from the moment of purchasing. Earlier this period constituted one year.

More attentively it is necessary to concern alcohol purchasing. The Swiss cable agency warns that on bottles of wine in volume of 7 decilitres (0,7 liters) the prices will be specified now for a decilitre!

But the pleasant surprise expects those who buys lottery tickets. Since January, 1st in case of a prize the tax assesses the sum from 1000 francs, instead of from 50 francs as it was earlier.

Rules of the road

Since 2013 Switzerland will be суровее concerns bad drivers. For serious excess of speed it will be possible to lose operating permits at least for 2 years, and to recidivists-infringers can prohibit to drive the car for life. More religiously there are punishments for all kinds of infringements of traffic regulations, up to car confiscation. But for 60 % of new models of cars on the Swiss roads the epoch of obligatory tests for exhaust gases has terminated.

Married name

As we already wrote, the new rules stipulating change of a surname after a marriage have come into force. Since January, 1st, 2013 of the spouse in Switzerland should choose a general surname (it can become both a surname of the husband, and the wife), or to keep everyone the premarital surname. But, to affliction of many, ladies especially, double surnames will disappear. If spouses have decided to keep the premarital surnames, the child born in marriage has received a surname of one of parents whose - they should agree about it in advance.

Legal changes

Since January, 1st justice warrants the best protection to witnesses to whom danger because of a cooperation with the investigation threatens: they can replace the person and receive new documents.

 

For pedophiles, whose victims children became more younger 12 years, prescriptive limit is excellent. Now them can pursue for the committed crimes for life.

New rules will concern marking of firearms, reminds the Swiss cable agency. Begin to struggle more seriously with a dope in professional sports. And more strict rules will start to act for women who have chosen a profession of "day mum» and look after children at home.

«Lex Weber» or restrictions on real estate building

In the spring of 2011 Swisses by a majority of votes have supported the initiative of Fund Helvetia Nostra of the defender of the nature of Frantsa of Weber on a federal referendum. She demanded to limit building in tourist zones of the habitation used not for a permanent residence, and as summer residences and apartments for holiday. By name the main author new regulations Weber », by analogy with Lex the Colour – legislative restriction of canton the Shaft on sale of habitation to foreigners has received a name« Lex. Since new year approximately in five hundred communes of Switzerland where today 20 % of habitation already there are more it is not used all year long, it will be impossible to build new chalets and apartments for rest. Basically, mentioned there were popular mountain resort zones of the Swiss Alpes.

Bank secrecy and the international relations

If small and moderate-sized firms can use some indulgence legislations in the field of accounting records Swiss Banks, on the contrary, should observe new requirements in that, as to own assets and available funds. In the future also it becomes known, whether automatic information interchange about clients on demand of other states will enter into action.

On January, 1st, 2013 the Agreement on avoidance of double taxation within the limits of the incomes tax and the tax to a condition between Russia and Switzerland has come into force. It provides information interchange in tax sphere between Switzerland and Russia. That it means also to what requirements inquiries of the party should answer, wishing to receive the information on accounts of the citizens.

Contracts about the taxation of contributions in the Swiss Banks, signed by Confederation with Great Britain and Austria have come into force. Citizens of these countries are released from an obligation to declare the contributions in the homeland, they will pay taxes to contributions in Switzerland, and banks, in turn, will translate the stipulated sum to the party which has signed the agreement. Germany has refused the similar agreement, in new year the Swiss government hopes to continue dialogue.

Switzerland Video

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How to Get an Insurance Claim Paid

Uragan-Sendi

Getting an insurance claim paid is a real pain. Rick Kahler, the dauntless president of Kahler Financial Group in Rapid City, S.D., gives some secrets about how to cope with the insurance industry. Rick, a financial advice polymath, is known in the advisor world for his complex grasp of intricate subjects and his common-sense solutions. His take:

Getting claims money from your insurer for property damage is time-consuming and annoying. But it helps if you have the right mental attitude: The insurance company is not your friend, but your adversary.



Homeowners on the East Coast are finding that out after Hurricane Sandy attacked and did her worst. Cleaning up the mess she left behind will take months and even years.

Even dealing with damage from much smaller disasters can take a long time. As an example, in July 2011 a severe storm with baseball-sized hail moved through southern Rapid City, where I live. It only took nature a few minutes to flatten gardens, beat up vehicles and damage buildings. It will probably take until the second anniversary of the storm to repair all the damage to our house.

Such a delay isn’t unusual. The most common reasons are finding a contractor and negotiating with your insurance company.

Moving quickly to report a claim after a disaster is important. In fact, you should probably call a contractor even before you call your insurance agent. Insurance companies are fast to respond to disasters and easily move adjusters in from other areas. Local, credible contractors, on the other hand, fill their schedules fast. We spent hours on the phone to get bids from beleaguered roofers, painters and carpenters.

These bids were worth our time, because they showed us that the initial repair estimates from our insurance company were low – usually by 50% to 66%. For example, our roof had cedar shake shingles. The company’s replacement estimate was for much cheaper asphalt shingles. Estimates to repair our siding and deck were also low. It took us 15 months to come to an agreement on the cost of replacing the deck. The work probably won’t be done until summer 2013.

Does this difficulty in getting a full settlement mean it’s time to switch insurance companies?  Certainly, I thought so more than once during the negotiating process. However, that isn’t necessarily the case.

Getting compensation from an insurance company is just business. And good business means not necessarily accepting the first offer. Negotiating takes time and effort, but it eventually should get you full compensation.

When you file a claim, you and your insurance company have competing interests. The company is not your advocate. You want as much money as possible from them for repairs, while they want to repair your damage for the lowest cost. There’s nothing out of place with either motivation.

Once I understood that the insurance company and I were natural adversaries, not friends, it helped me feel less victimized and more empowered. While getting the money we needed to make the repairs certainly took time and perseverance, the company readily acquiesced when we presented the facts. After all, their best interest also included keeping us as customers. We did not have to threaten a lawsuit or go to court.

Certainly, when it’s time to renew my home insurance I will ask my agent to investigate other companies. That’s just business. However, I won’t change companies just because I had to argue with this one.

Understanding your role in negotiating an insurance claim helps bring a healthy perspective to your relationship with any service provider. Unless they are a fiduciary to you (like an attorney, a doctor or a fee-only financial planner), they have no responsibility to look out for you. Someone selling you something has no duty to put your interests before theirs. Protecting your interests is your duty and yours alone.

When a natural disaster strikes, whether it’s a hailstorm or a hurricane, we are certainly victims of nature’s whims. When it’s time to clean up the mess, though, we’re not victims. We’re our own advocates, with the responsibility and ability to look out for our own best interests.

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Insurance Video: Let's look at weather eyes of insurers

at weather eyes of insurers

Insurance Video: Let's look at weather eyes of insurers

Insurance Video: Let's look at weather eyes of insurers

Insurance Video: Let's look at weather eyes of insurers

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The loss of world insurance branch from accidents in 2011 has exceeded $108 billion

The loss of world insurance branch from accidents in 2011 has exceeded $108 billion

Loss of world insurance branch from natural and the technogenic catastrophes which have fallen upon mankind from the beginning of 2011, it agree to the data of Swiss overcautious person Swiss Re has reached $108 billion that is the second-large loss of branch in the history.


As has informed Bloomberg, in 2010 the insured losses of world economy have made all $48 billion

The general losses of world economy from accidents come nearer to $350 billion in comparison with $226 billion year before.



The sum of requirements about damage compensation in connection with natural disasters this year has reached $103 billion  the considerable part of these requirements is connected with earthquake and a tsunami in Japan in 2011.

The insurance branch has incurred the greatest losses in 2005 then from for the hurricanes Katrina, Vilma and Rita insurers have been compelled to pay to clients of an order $123 billion

Act of nature in Japan has managed to insurers in $35 billion Flooding in Thailand, literally paralysed the country in this autumn, have managed to insurers in $11 billion  This act of nature has appeared the largest in the history of the country. The quantity of victims then has exceeded 700 persons.

In $12 млрд insurers have estimated a damage from earthquake in the New Zealand city of Krajsterche. Then powerful blow of elements has practically destroyed this city of the country second for the sizes. Hurricane of Iren - $4,9 billion


The numerous storm attacking southern coast USA in April and May, cost to the insurance companies of $7,3 and $6,7 billion accordingly.

The general losses of branch in connection with earthquakes have reached this year $47 billion is a record for all history.

"Unfortunately, level insurance upon natural disasters still remains low enough, even in the developed countries with high seismic danger, such as Japan, - the group economist of company Kurt Charles marks. - people lose the relatives, the society faces huge financial losses which become covered by corporations, humanitarian the organizations, the government, and, finally, tax bearers".

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