Posts Tagged ‘life cover’

Comparing Term And Whole Life Insurance

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

All life insurance policies can be categorized as “term”, “whole life”, or a combination of the two. This means there are many different variations in policies.

When you have opted for the universal life insurance, you can adjust the premium and the policy to any extend you think you need.

On the other hand, a person who wants control over the financial and investment aspects of their insurance policy should choose variable life insurance.

So what’s a term life insurance policy?

A term life policy provides insurance over a specific period of time, and expires after the coverage period ends. They come in different lengths, including 5, 10, and 20 years. After the policy expires, there is no accumulated cash value, and no benefits to be paid; death benefits are only paid if you die while the policy is active. Term insurance could be described as a policy that’s designed to expire before you do.

Although premiums on term life policies tend to be low, they increase significantly as you age. Because of this, a term life policy is usually purchased when you’re young, to cover a long term. While short term renewable policies are initially less expensive, the premiums begin to make them less reasonable after middle age.

Below is an example of premium costs on an annual renewable term insurance policy. The policy in the example has a $200,000 death benefit, and the annual premiums are by age. Remember that these are only examples, to help illustrate how rates can change with age.

$300 / year age 35

Age 50: $900/year

Age 65: $2,500/year

What’s a whole life insurance policy?

Whole life is the most common type of life insurance. The policy remains in effect until you die or reach age 100, assuming you pay the scheduled premium. Whole life insurance is also known as ‘ordinary life’ or ‘permanent’ insurance. They feature level premiums, level face amounts, guaranteed values, and a high degree of safety. Whole life insurance has a guaranteed cash value, through which a living benefit is built. Because of this, the owner can access the cash for emergencies, or use it as a supplement to retirement income if necessary.

This ability to access the cash accrued by a whole life policy makes it an important savings instrument. Whole life policies are often used for long-term financial planning. Another very positive aspect of whole life insurance is the level premiums: they don’t change, so you’ll always know how much your policy is going to cost. Level premiums provide peace of mind and make budgeting easier.

There are different risks involved for companies which provide whole life insurance policies and those which offer auto policies, for example. With an auto policy the insurance company hopes the policyholder will be a safe driver and never be in an accident. On the other hand, when an insurance company issues a whole life policy it knows it will someday have to pay the claim.

The internet has made researching and comparing different life insurance companies very easy. By doing your research online, you can ensure that you have the best policy at the best premium to meet your needs. It’s also a good idea to see how the companies you’re researching are rated with the Better Business Bureau. Also be sure to check each company’s financial stability before you sign up for a policy. If you work to get all the information you need before buying, it will be very easy to get the best possible life insurance policy online.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal. For tips on how to save on your life insurance visit our website.

Getting Life Insurance If Your Are HIV Positive

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Having a life insurance policy in place can bring peace of mind to individuals who want to ensure the financial security of their loved ones even after their death. If you have been diagnosed as HIV positive and you do not already have a life insurance policy in place it can be extremely difficult to obtain one. While many insurance companies will turn you down immediately, others will offer high premium policies that will cover only the cost of your funeral.

You may have life insurance policies already in place and you should locate them and start reviewing them to see if they include any riders. Your employer may have a life insurance policy included in your employment package or you could have one that is linked to your home mortgage. Any existing policies should be kept active and be very careful not to allow them to terminate or lapse, upon doing so you may find that you cannot get them back with your HIV status.

Social security offers death benefits to your beneficiaries. Go to your local social security office and find out what the benefits are and make sure you have updated the information for the correct beneficiaries to get it. If any changes need to be made they will assist you on how to do this.

An attorney can be helpful to explain the death benefits that you have in place and to answer questions about beneficiaries and how they are to be paid after your death.

Speak with human resources at your current employer and find out if there life insurance programs that you might qualify for as part of your employment package. Many employers will take out automatic life insurance policies for their employees that will pay out a lump sum pr make payments that are a percentage of the employees current wages. The type of group policies require no underwriting or qualifications. If your employer offers this type of benefit you will be able to obtain it and might even be able to include a rider policy with it as well.

If your employer does not offer this type of life insurance policy or any that you qualify for you might consider changing jobs. You could possibly be making less than you do now and might not be in your dream job but if the employer offers a life insurance policy in your employment package it could be worth the change.

Your HIV AIDS counselor will also be able to help with finding you programs or life insurance companies that may be able to assist you in your search for peace of mind. There are several insurance companies that are now accepting clients that are HIV positive because of the great results the AIDS medications has on their life span.

Here are guaranteed life insurance policies available through certain companies and they will insure anyone, even the terminally ill. The pay outs will be much less in most cases it will only cover the cost of a funeral and the premiums will be much higher than a standard policy.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal. For tips on how to save on your life insurance visit our website.

Assessment Of Risk With Life Insurance

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

Every one wants a life insurance, but not every gets it. Even though you have enough money to pay the premiums, you may still be denied of a life insurance. Your application for a life insurance policy undergoes a strict underwriting before it can be approved. Underwriting is the risk assessment of the candidate?s application and the amount of premiums that he or she needs to pay.

Underwriters are therefore hired by most of the insurance companies that help in underwriting the applications. The insurance companies are on a look out for the profit and hence the risk assessment. There are a total of three steps included in the process of underwriting, namely examine the application, decision to insure or not, determine the premium. Let us discuss these steps one by one.

Examination of the application is all about collecting the client information. Various details about the applicant are collected and stored for assessment. The details could include marital status, sex, type of living area, age, and current health status etc. The applicant is measured against each of these parameters.

The application examination is then followed up with decision making. The applicant is given a score for all these parameters. These parameters are called risk factors by the insurance companies. A high score on the risk factors leads to the rejection of the application, and a low score will see the applicant get an approval. Each risk factor is important and has its own meaning. However, many people believe that the insurance companies give utmost importance to the age and health of the individual. If the individual is young and healthy, the chances for approval are very high. On the other hand, an old aged individual who has a few health problems may experience a denial. The living environment of the individual is also given huge importance. If the applicant lives in an unhygienic environment, he or she is believed to suffer health problems. At the same time, an individual living in a clean and healthy environment would indicate a good health for the individual. The gender of the applicant can also make a difference at times. Women are regarded as healthier individuals compared to the men. This is because women tend to take lesser tensions and depressions. Interestingly, the same holds opposite for married people. In other words, a married man is expected to live a healthier life as compared to a married woman. All these factors play an important role while the decision making. Living habits of an individual also make a significant difference. A smoker or drinker will find it hard to get the approval.

The above discussed risk factors not only help in deciding about the approval or denial of the application, but also the premium amounts to be paid. If the application is approved, the next step if underwriting is to measure the correct premium amounts. Younger and fitter individuals are likely to pay lesser premium amounts, as compared to the older and ailing individuals.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal. For tips on how to save on your life insurance visit our website.

How Did Insurance Start

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The word insurance refers to any agreement where a person pays another person or business to indemnify the safety, but to be more precise, pay for the replacement of any such personal property if said possession is lost, destroyed, or damaged in some other way other then the neglect or willful destruction of the property by said owner. There is insurance for just about anything, insurance is generally divided into four areas; vehicle, property, health, and life insurance.

The imbursement sum usually goes to the agreed beneficiaries in the result of the policy holder?s death. The beneficiaries are usually predetermined when the insurance is purchased but can be altered by the policy holder at any time before his/hers death. The acknowledged sum is usually at least one hundred thousand dollars for your average plan. The amount can be increased but the premiums also increase. Another way to increase the sum is to have several life insurance policies for one policy holder.

The earliest known form of a true form of a contractual insurance agreement came as early as 3 or 2 millennia B.C. These simple agreements stated that a merchant, trader or transporter of goods would guarantee the safety of said cargo or shipment. If the goods were lost, the transporter of said goods would pay either the sender or receiver for the loss or both. Other insurance contracts were simply a fee paid by the carrier so that of the goods were lost then the fee would cover said loss of goods. These agreements were usually done by a verbal agreement, but they were later back up by laws etched in stone and papyrus.

As human society became more modern, many traders would hire retired soldiers, i.e. mercenaries, to help shepherd their goods from place to place. These men could in some ways be called the first security guards of human society. But it was hazardous and difficult work, but for the soldiers of fortune of that time it was some of the best work one could get.

Now in the modern age, insurance is a necessity for a normal life in every nation on Earth. Insurance now covers Life, property, wellbeing, and even accountability from lawsuits. The insurance business is now a multi-billion dollar industry. The first known insurance business was started after the Great London Fire in 1666. The fire destroyed-,200 houses. After this tragedy, Nicholas Barbon opened an office to insure buildings. In 1680, he established England’s first fire insurance company, “The Fire Office,” to insure brick and frame homes.

The first insurance company in the United States was founded in Charleston, South Carolina in 1732. The company insured against fire damage and Benjamin Franklin assisted in popularizing the concept of insurance in the country at the time. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin founded the Philadelphia Contributorship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. Franklin’s company was the first to make contributions toward fire deterrence. His company also tried to warn against certain fire hazards, but it refused to cover structures that were at considerable risk of fire, such as wooden houses or warehouses.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal. For more information on the different types of life insurance visit our website.

Finding Security For Life

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Life insurance companies have many methods which allow for the supplementation of a family if the breadwinner were to come to an early, unexpected death. We now have the option of choosing a type of life insurance policy that will work for our needs and invest into it accordingly. Unlike others who ignore the necessity of investing into the future or immediate gain, those of us who put the effort towards investments are able to have peace of mind and relax regarding the security of our family?s financial future.

And then, as we all do when we find something wonderful for our own lives, we can spread the good news of investing to our family and friends to guard against possible financial disasters.

I have already witnessed the effect of life insurance and experienced the benefit of being covered by it. Once invested in it, we have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that all our plans are going to fall nicely in place. Even in the event that money is plentiful, it’s always wise to plan ahead and think of the big picture by putting some of it towards the future. This way, we allow ourselves the comfort of knowing that the luxuries of the present will not be missing in the future. We’ve all experienced those days when everyday life obligations are too demanding for much spare time to be had.

Many formerly rich people made that mistake,but pride leads to disaster, and if you don’t compensate for the worst then the worst will surely happen. Recent economic troubles have shown us that no amount of money makes someone safe from disaster. Money is worthless without the wisdom to keep it throughout your life. No matter how good things look right now, it’s always smart to have something to fall back on if things take a turn for the worst tomorrow. With maturity, self-discipline, and an eye on the long-term, you easily get insurance that is both affordable and useful. Once that’s done, you can relax in knowing the insurance company’s got your back.

A few years back, my aunt unexpectedly lost her husband. However, because my uncle had been investing in the universal life insurance policy for a couple of years, she was getting good returns, allowing her children to complete their education with no added financial hardships.

I gladly accepted all the terms and regulations and was able to rest easily once I knew my family was taken care of into the foreseeable future. By investing in life insurance, I made the right decision for myself and for my family. The quality of life improves dramatically knowing that such an important task is done, and I couldn’t be happier about my decision.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance website. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/

What Benefits Does Life Insurance Offer?

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Life insurance provides you with two major benefits. First, it protects loved ones against the financial consequences of your death. Second, it offers living benefits.

Everyone knows that the financial consequences of death can be overwhelming. When a spouse, parent, child, sibling or grandparent dies, there is a great deal of emotional trauma to deal with by the surviving family members. However, the financial consequences can be even more destructive. If there is no life insurance in place, surviving family members are thrust into a position of extreme financial difficulty. Not only do they have to contend with the loss of future income, but there’s also the death and burial itself. They generate sudden and unexpected expenses.

Mortality statistics show that a significant number of people die, every year, before they reach their normal life expectancy. If the deceased person happens to have been a breadwinner, the consequences of their premature death can be extremely tragic, in many ways. The survivors are not only dealing with personal grief, but they must also find a way to deal with the financial consequences. There are still daily living expenses, even though one income is now missing.

Of course, the cost of a funeral can be heavy, but there are other expenses to consider, as well. An executor’s fees and expenditures involved with estate administration, for one. Outstanding debts such as car loans, mortgages, credit card balances, promissory notes, medical expenses, death taxes, and federal taxes, must still be paid.

The future security of loved ones is something else to consider. Living expenses, mortgage payments, and children to raise and educate are important considerations. It can be an overwhelming burden, and it really does not matter what financial obligations are left behind. There is only one thing that can resolve them, and that is money. If you want to ensure your family does not deal with the financial devastation a premature death can produce, you need to arrange to provide sufficient monies to cover their needs.

There could well be a time during which it may be difficult for the surviving spouse to work. Survivor’s blackout period is also a consideration. This is the time during which social security stops paying the surviving spouse, because dependent children are no longer a factor. The surviving spouse’s retirement is also something that needs to be factored into the equation. Actually, life insurance is a way of estate building, because it can generate an immediate estate at a time when it is most needed.

Living benefits are another advantage of life insurance. Some permanent policies offer a cash benefit in addition to the death settlement. Prior to the insured’s death, this cash value belongs to the policyholder, and can be used by them. Some permanent policies actually permit withdrawals from the cash benefit, and this money is yours to use as you choose. Loans can also be taken out from the insurance company, and the policy’s cash value would then be used as collateral.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Life Insurance Policies.

How Do You Get Life Cover

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Anyone who has dependants should have proper life insurance coverage Having life cover should be your top concern. How will your family survive when youre gone? It is not something any of us want to think about but it is reality. We all should have proper life cover.

The lump sum policies are a cinch to obtain. Finding the right plan options with the highest amount of coverage is the tricky part.

Before you apply for life insurance there are a few things you should know. Determine how much life cover you really need, be careful not to take out too small of an amount. Do not forget to factor the home loan and other bills. Life insurance calculators can be located online to assist with determining the amount of cover you need. It is imperative to not be under insured. You want to make sure you are not over insured as well.

You have to determine the length of time the will be in place. Under normal situations a cover should remain in effect until children have moved from the home and all debts has been paid. Some people will end a policy after they retire. The main thing is to have the policy stay in effect long enough for your purposes.

Make sure you are answering all the questions on the application for life cover correctly and honestly. You could be refused for life insurance coverage if you do not answer all the questions or are found to have been dishonest on your application.

Putting your cover in a trust is a considerate thought. go wrong with setting up your cover in a trust. The trust ensures that the loved ones are paid once you die. Policies that are not written in a trust will be considered part of your estate and may increase the inheritance tax liability. You will find the trust form included with your policy.

Do not over pay for your policy. Expect to pay more if you are considered to be a high risk. Level Term Assurance (LTA) coverage is the most common policy purchased where your cover amount remains the same for the length of the coverage.

One of the more popular policies is the Level Term Assurance (LTA) this means your policy amount will remain the same throughout the length of the coverage. If you only need cover for payment of a mortgage or other decreasing debt you could look into Decreasing Term Assurance (DTA) for a more competitive rate.

If you have any life changes happen you will need to review your cover and ensure you have adequate coverage. Your policy needs change as your life does so review your coverage if you have any life changes such as a new baby or change of jobs. We many times forget that a cover policy has to afford our life so as life changes so should the policy. Make modifications whenever it is sensible that you may need more coverage.

Even if you already have a life cover policy you can shop around for a more affordable one. Make sure if you cancel your policy that you are not losing any needed benefits. A new policy could be higher is you have had any major health problems or other life changing situations.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance provider who specialises in Life Insurance.

Different Ways To Get Life Insurance

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Life Insurance is a useful tool for securing your family financially after your untimely demise. All you need to do is to fill out the agreement form and pay the insurance premiums from time to time, the insurance company will pay your spouse, and family members the entire sum assured to secure their future in the case of your unexpected death. As a result, your loved ones will no longer need to live at the mercy of others.

Firstly, you need to find out the best insurance company and the best deals that suit your needs and requirements. For this, you need to talk to reliable friends, who have a fairly good knowledge about the insurance sector and find out their favorite insurance company. You can also browse online to compare different companies and deals they offer.

It is very important to opt for companies which have a prominent online visibility and which have been in business for a long period of time because this will ensure that your money is in safe hands.

Provided below are some commonest ways of getting a life insurance ?

It is commonly seen that people are totally clueless about which insurance company is the best in terms of stability and returns. They also have almost no idea about how much money they should invest into life insurance. Therefore, they tend to approach a licensed insurance advisor and seek his expert guidance regarding these important financial decisions. The agent listens to their case, studies their financial situation, conducts a detailed analysis, and then comes up with a sound foolproof insurance plan to meet their specific needs.

Many middle aged or older employees, who may be afflicted with a chronic disease or health disorder, find it difficult to pay the huge insurance premiums. This problem can be solved by obtaining a life insurance cover through the office. Usually, many offices offer group insurance plans for all their employees and the premium amounts vary from one age group to the other. The maximum insurance benefit that can be paid for by the office is about twice the basic salary of the individual. You can opt for the group insurance cover because the premium amounts are quite low compared to the premium that you would need to pay if you were to take a life insurance on your own.

Another alternative to get your life insurance cover is to hunt for them online. You need to check up the insurance company websites, look for the best insurance deals, ask for quotes and settle for the insurance plan of that company, which seems best for your needs. The insurance company websites are transparent enough and all the information is available online for free. If you can not pool in the time to locate all the information that you need, then you can simply register with a brokerage firm online and allow them to look for the best insurance deals for you. They will charge you some nominal fee for their brokerage services.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance provider who specialises in Life Insurance.

A Comprehensive Look At Life Insurance Cover

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

The type of life cover is the most important aspect in your decision when you are scouting the appropriate life insurance policy. It is important that you understand the various types of life cover in order to accurately determine the most appropriate type of policy for your needs and circumstances. Thus, your decision on the kind of life insurance policy will be based on the cost of the insurance, and the amount and type of insurance coverage that you require from your insurance policy.

Most of us tend to base our decision on the cost of the insurance policy. We should always remember the reasons why we are getting this life cover in the first place. The life cover is basically our way of giving our loved ones with the appropriate safety net in the event that something happens to us. We will not be able to achieve this objective if cost is the major factor in your decision. Nonetheless, it is still incumbent upon us to get an insurance policy that we can actually afford.

The term insurance provides protection cover to the policyholder for a fixed schedule. The term insurance can run for one year and up to a maximum of ten years. The protection cover of a term insurance lapses once the specified time frame is completed. Thus, the named beneficiaries can claim the death benefits of a term insurance only in the event that the policyholder dies within the specified timeframe of the insurance policy. This type of insurance policy is appropriate if cost is a major consideration.

While you are seriously considering a term insurance, it is imperative that you look into the special type of this kind of life cover where the death benefit decreases for every anniversary that passes. This being the case, the death benefit that will accrue to the beneficiary shall be at maximum when the policyholder dies within the first year of the life cover. Thereafter, the cash proceeds will slowly decrease until it reaches minimum during the last twelve months of the policy.

There are two major types of policies to choose from, the term insurance and the investment type insurance. In case of term insurance, the candidate?s family is paid only if he dies in the valid period of insurance policy. However, in case of investment type policy, the policy remains active as long as the premiums are regularly paid. The policy is also referred as whole life policy. The biggest advantage of the policy is that some share of your premium is deposited into your investment account, every single month. You therefore have your life insurance going for you as well as the investment. The investment keeps accumulating year after year. Understandably, the best time to purchase an investment type policy is at a young age. You could withdraw a good amount after a few years.

It is certainly very important for you to compare various policies, and finalize on the best one. You can gauge different policies on their merits and buy the one that suits your needs the best.

On the other hand, the policyholder will enjoy a greater degree of flexibility with the universal life insurance as he is given the option to adjust the amount of premiums to be paid by applying the cash reserve. The policyholder may also elect to increase the value of insurance cover.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Life Insurance.

Do You Need A Life Cover?

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Any family man will find it imperative to have a life insurance cover. In case you have no family, you may really not be bothered about the insurance policy. In case you belong to the former group of people, you must not think about having a life cover or not, rather, you must think about how much life cover to have. Life insurance guarantees the security for your family, even after your death. It is also important to cover yourself for the right amount. Your insurance amount should depend on your salary and how much you manage to save every month. The insurance amount would therefore differ from individual to individual. To understand how much cover is important to you, read on the article.

To make such financial arrangements for your family, you must understand the life insurance policies and their essence. You must give your life insurance policy the utmost priority, when planning your finances. You may also wish to take up the whole life insurance policy that facilitates you to withdraw your amount upon maturity. The amount lies with the company until maturity, and you could collect it from them at the time of maturity. On the other hand, if you lose your life before the maturity, the money gets immediately paid to its beneficiaries.

The basic idea behind the life insurance policy is to provide monetary support to the surviving family. Many policies also cover the burial expenses that can sometimes accumulate to more than $10000. The amount that remains is then passed on to the family.

A support of that huge lump sum amount of money can mean a lot to your family. As of now, you might have to strive a little hard to manage that extra amount of money to pay your premiums. However, the output of same means a lot to your family. The sad part is that many people have no knowledge about these lucrative life insurance policies and hence they never opt for them. Some people get to know about them quite late, and at a higher age the premiums are high too. Also, the policy at that age may not cover you for everything. It is therefore very imperative for you to act soon.

Once you have a clear picture in your mind, about the amount of cover you need; you can then look for a right policy for yourself. There are far too many companies offering a variety of schemes, and you can choose a scheme for yourself. You would need to compare the different policies and evaluate the one that suits you the most. This exercise is worth the effort. You do not need to go places physically, but simply use the internet sitting at home. There are a plenty of websites, offering information about various policies. Comparisons are already done and displayed for your understanding. Once you have satisfied yourself with enough information, you may buy a policy of your choice.

Some insurance companies also give discount on buying multiple policies for your spouse and kids. Now that can save lot of your hard earned money.

You can even pay a low premium through out your life by getting a policy at a younger age. And the policy bought at an older age can prove to be expensive. So the earlier you get a policy the better it is.

Susan Reynolds is a content coordinator for a leading South African Insurance Provider that specialises in Life Insurance Policies.