Insurance

An insurance agent called me this morning. This particular agent wanted to discuss my automobile coverage, but the next agent to call might be interested in my life insurance program, my health insurance, or fire protection for my home and furniture. The American consumer often feels constantly disturbed by insurance agents. Many agents selling many different policies call us by phone and sometimes even come to our doors. These insurance agents are always friendly, well dressed, and eager to be of help.

Yet few Americans really enjoy visiting with these eager, helpful men and women. We are not happy when they call us; we are on guard when they visit our homes. They are never really our friends; at best, they are a necessary evil.

Three reasons why we are unwilling to discuss insurance can be suggested. First of all, insurance is expensive. A young father who purchases a fairly small life insurance policy agrees to pay a sum of $200 every year for 40 years - a total of $8,000. Many college students pay $800 to $1,000 per year for car insurance. In effect, they pay as much for the insurance as they do for the car itself. Health insurance that pays for modern medical miracles often costs Americans as much as $2,000 every year. Adequate insurance is expensive; it is a major item for most families.

Insurance also reminds us that we live in an unsafe world. We are human and we must face the possibilities of illness, injury, death, and financial loss. Our rational minds recognize the many unfortunate events that can occur, but in our hearts we hope that we might be spared. Serious injury or death is not a pleasant subject to discuss or even consider. We are afraid; we would rather talk about football or the weather or what we had for lunch.

Finally, insurance is a difficult, complex subject. No one understands it completely and only a few insurance professionals really feel comfortable in a discussion of automobile, life, and major medical coverages. We feel inadequate and try to hide our ignorance by avoiding discussions of insurance.

Yet these three reasons for not discussing insurance provide three excellent reasons why we should learn more about it. Insurance is expensive. In a lifetime, many of us spend as much on insurance as we do on the purchase of a home. If we are to spend our money intelligently, we need information about the products and services available. We don't depend entirely on salespeople when we buy a car, a house, or a suit of clothes. Neither should we depend entirely on the agent when we buy insurance. We need a basic knowledge of insurance coverages if we are to be intelligent consumers.

The intelligent consumer looks problems in the face. Although accident, illness, and death are not pleasant subjects, each of us knows we face these possibilities. It is better that we plan for these situations by finding means to deal with them than to just hope that they will somehow go away.

Although insurance can be complex, its basic concepts are neither difficult nor impossible to learn. Quite the opposite. Insurance fundamentals can be understood by those willing to study them. Serious study provides knowledge. The study of insurance is an effective, proven method of dealing with the insurance ignorance faced by many American families.

美国的保险业务

一位保险公司代理人今天上午拜访了我。这位打扮得过分讲究的代理人想要讨论我的汽车保险的承保范围，那么下一位再来拜访我的保险公司代理人就有可能对我的人寿保险项目，我的健康保险，甚至对我的房产和家具火灾保险感兴趣。美国的消费者都会经常觉得不断地受到保险公司代理人的骚扰。很多代理人为了兜售不同险种的保险单都会给我们打电话，有时甚至登门造访。这些保险公司的代理人总是彬彬有礼，衣冠楚楚并急于热情为您服务。

可是几乎没有美国人会真正喜欢这些急于热情助人的男男女女前来拜访。他们打来电话，我们不高兴；他们来我们家拜访，我们都怀有戒心。他们永远也不会成为我们真正的朋友；最多，他们代表我们必须与之打交道的魔鬼或灾难。

我们之所以不愿讨论保险的三个原因可表述如下：第一，保险费太贵。有一位年轻的父亲，买了相当小的一份人寿保险单。他同意每年支付的保险费钱数是200美元，连续支付40年--总额共达8000美元！许多大学生每年支付小汽车保险费800到1000美元。实际算起来，他们支付保险费的钱数跟他们购买那辆汽车本身的钱数是一样多的。通常美国人每年都要支付2000美元的健康保险费，用这笔钱来支付现代医药界所创造出的一些奇迹。全方位的投保太费钱了。各方面都投保的费用是绝大多数家庭的主要开支项目。

第二，保险也使我们想到我们是生活在一个不安全的世界里。我们必须面对可能生病、受伤、死亡和财产损失这些灾祸。尽管我们的头脑在理性上能意识到很多灾难性的事故有可能发生，但是我们心理上都希望我们最好能幸免于难。重伤或死亡并不是一个令人愉快的讨论话题，这些我们甚至连想都下敢想。我们害怕；我们倒宁可聊一聊美式橄榄球，聊聊天气或者聊聊我们午餐所吃的东西。

最后，保险是很难弄懂很复杂的问题。除了极小数的保险业的专家在讨论起车险，寿险和重病医药险等险种的承保范围时会高谈阔论而外，没有任何人能完全懂得保险业务。我们觉得自己没有足够的保险业务知识，因而避免讲座保险问题，以便掩饰我们自己的无知。

可是，这不愿讨论保险问题的三个原因也正是我们应该更多地学些保险知识的三个充足的理由。保险费太贵。我们很多人，一辈子花的保险费跟购买房子的费用是一样多的。如果我们要把钱花得明智一些，我们就将需要获得有关购买产品或服务项目的一些信息资料。在我们买小汽车、买房子或买一套衣服时，我们不能完全相信销售人员；在我们买保险时，我们也不应该完全相信或依靠保险公司的代理人。如果我们打算要做明智的消费者，我们就需要有承保范围或者叫保险涵盖方面的知识。

明智的投保人要正视种种问题。尽管事故，疾病和死亡都不是令人愉快的话题，但是我们每个人都知道我们都有发生这些灾害的可能。针对这些可能发生的情况，我们计划一下找出对付灾害的办法，这总比我们只是凭空希望这些灾害会不知不觉地自动消失要好得多。

尽管保险可能是复杂的，但是保险的一些基本概念既不是很难懂的，也不是不可能学会的。恰恰相反，只要是愿意学习保险知识的人，都能弄明白保险的基本原则。认真地钻研就能获得保险的知识。钻研保险知识是很多美国家庭用来对付不懂保险情况的一种行之有效的切实可行的方法。