Posts Tagged ‘disability cover’

What Is Whole Life Insurance?

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

Whole life insurance covers you in case you die with compensation for your family, but it has other benefits as well. It is a plan that covers you for your whole life, although it is more expensive than other plans. Some of the money you pay each month is invested, and you can choose to access that money when you reach a certain age, or when there is an emergency.

Your family may have various expenses to bear after you are gone. By insuring your self you are saving your family members from sudden financial crises. Because of your style of living your family may have to bear more expenses than you expect. First your family has to bear the expenses of your funeral ceremony, which will easily cost your family thousands of dollars. Even then the reality is that you family members have to support each other with one less earning member, it is even difficult if your family has young children. You may perhaps want to shelter your business or contribute to charitable trusts once you die.

If you make your monthly payments on time your family can expect a large sum of money. How large this sum is depends on what you have set up in your insurance plan, although it is usually more than five times your yearly income. You can choose to bank out your money early in case of a greater need. This is possible since the insurance company has invested part of your payments. You can set your plan up so you can only access the money at a certain age or in case of an emergency. This is very handy if you need extra retirement money, tuition, or money for buying a home. In this way a whole life insurance plan can work like a loan, but it is not necessarily as cost efficient as a regular loan.

Insurance companies define your eligibility by your credit and health. If you buy insurance while you are young and have good credit, you will not have to pay as much as others. If you improve your lifestyle you can make your premiums lower. This may mean you have to quit smoking, lose weight, or improve your diet. You can improve your credit by paying off old bills and raising complaints about things on your credit record that are false.

At times, the whole life insurance may give more that what is required for your needs. There are several other kinds of life insurance policies that you search for. Some plans offers temporary cover, but they quite lower pay monthly. Although you feel your family members will require a larger amount of recompense for your death, there are other insurance plans to see. Ensure that you research well on insurance companies and agents in your locality before you pick the one. You can use Net, the phonebook, and friends? data to get details on insurance companies, which might offer lower rates than others.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

The Difference Between Life And Health Insurance

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Don?t become confused with the many terms in the insurance industry. Life and health insurance are very different from each other and cover you in very different ways. It’s very important that you find out as much as you can about different insurance plans before you purchase one.

Life insurance covers your family in case you die. The amount given to your family after you die depends on the type of plan you get. Most people want to get between 5-6 years worth of salary or more out of their life insurance plan. The plan is dependent on you making payments to the insurance company.

An insurance company before covering you tries to assess your liability to the company. It will be tough to get insured if you are older or have got some grave illness. Your insurer may look into your credit history to assess if you can pay your monthly premiums. After getting required information on your credit and life, the insurer will offer you a premium rate, which you require to pay to get coverage.

There are mainly two types of life insurance plans available. One is known as term insurance, and it will provide you coverage for fix time that is as long as you choice to make monthly payments. This type of insurance is suitable to those people who require coverage for a short period of time. Some people opt for term life insurance, while they have kids with the intention that they are covered when young, and get free of it when they are older.

Health insurance plan is quite unlike life insurance plan. It only covers your medical expenses and other bills related to heath. Many people opt for this insurance to get pay for frequent doctor visits. There are some who get this insurance to save themselves against sudden medical expenses which was not planed.

One of the most exclusive kinds of insurance is full coverage insurance, which covers all type of medical expenses that comes to you. There is a plan called 80/20 plan, in which you have to pay only 20 % of your medical expenses and rest will be covered by the company, even if the amount is large. There is another plan in which the company will provide you fix amount of money as coverage and the rest you have to add to fix your medical expenses. Getting best plan for you is completely depends on the type of requirement you have.

Several people get their life and health insured by employer. Find out if they might have any arrangement which may let you get a small part of the payments. Your heath plan rates will also be fixed in a similar fashion like the life insurance. If you take part in risky sports like sky diving or rock climbing, then it would be tough to get lower rates. To get your rates lower you can do several things like getting your credit score in line and paying off any outstanding debts. If you are a smoker then you must quite smoking to get your rates reduced. You can get it lowered to half if you remain a non-smoker for a year.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

Steps To Get A Group Life Insurance Policy

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

A group life insurance policy is a plan set up by an employer or organization with 5-10 or more members. The employer negotiates lower rates with the group policy, and the insurance company covers everyone that is involved. A group life insurance policy is a great asset to add to your company if you want more employees to stay. There are many different things you can do with a versatile plan like this.

The payment agreements can be made in quite a different ways. You may either opt for a plan where the coverage is entirely paid by your organization, or you may contribute half and take the rest half from the organization. Employees also have the choice to opt out of this group plan if they wish. But to start a group plan like this, at least 5 or 10 people are needed.

A group life insurance providing company generally provides low coverage, such as 1 to 2 times of your salaries. Workers can also add their personal life insurance plan to this policy as if they believe that it is not enough for them. Every worker has the right to change the beneficiary name in their particular policy whenever they require.

A group life insurance policy is a full of benefits for employees. As it is a group plan, the insurer does not consider the effect of any personal liabilities. The company is taken into account as a whole, and the rates are adjusted accordingly. Any of the employees cannot be denied from their coverage, so all can enjoy the advantages. If someone wants to quit then they may get their coverage renewed with the same organization within a month of quitting the job.

Getting a group life insurance policy is simple. Look around to find the best rates and settle on which insurer meets all your requirements. After you have found a suitable company, you may create a team of employees who wish to take part in the plan. You will be responsible to gather all details about employees who are interested to take part in the plan. You will have to furnish the insurance company with some details, like the nature of the business, so that the insurers may know how risky the workers of the company are. When you get new employees, you may even get them involved in the plan. All they need to do is fill up some forms

If a worker quits the company, they continue with the plan even after that, but they will have to get it changed to a private policy. The employee can get the changes done within 30 days of leaving the job and start making self- payments. The premiums may get higher but they will be covered under the same company.

The group life insurance policy is a means of making your organization more advantageous. This can be taken as a fringe benefit offered to anyone who is appointed. The staff will stay for long in the company, and this will let you save time and money on recruitment and training. There are several company group life insurance policies that come along with a disability plan, which you may also club with your insurance plan.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

Life Insurance Policy Guide

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Life insurance can be very bothersome for some people. There are so many factors that can determine the outcome of your premiums, what can you do to ensure that you get the lowest rates possible. Searching around for the best insurance company is always a big part to getting great rates, but there are other factors as well.

Firstly, you must apply for your life insurance when you are still young. If you have family members who are depend on you for a living, then you must get a life insurance. There are some people who think of this only when they become old, which means having to pay higher monthly premiums. If you delay, it is possible that you may fall sick. People with sickness find it very difficult to get a reasonable life insurance.

The next step is to quit smoking, if you do. Smokers face premiums twice as high as people who don?t smoke. You can file to lower your premiums after a year of not smoking, but it is more cost efficient to just quit right away. If you smoke occasionally you will find that you can sometimes get decent rates from an insurance company, but you really have to shop around.

As already said earlier, your insurer takes a lot of trouble to make certain that you have a sound health and fitness. Get a doctor check up to ensure that your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and weight are normal. Try to get these normal to make sure that you get lower premiums. If you are very sick then it is very less likely that you get lower premium rates.

You might also want to stop any type of dangerous activities you participate in. If you are evolved with sky diving, rock climbing, or even if you drive a motorcycle, your life insurance may not cover you. Some plans have clauses that specifically say that if you die while doing any of these activities you are automatically disqualified. You can purchase insurance for these activities, and you may even be able to get them covered on the plan you are getting, but they will come with much higher rates.

The most common road people take is to get term life insurance instead of whole life. Term life insurance only applies to the period during which you are paying. Your relatives will receive the money after you have died, that is of course unless you died doing one of the excluded activities. Whole life insurance is a little different. With these plans you pay a larger premium, but you might get to see the benefits from it if you live long enough. Part of the money you pay is invested so it becomes more than you originally gave. At a set time in your life you may be able to access these funds if you want. If you die before the plan is up your family receives the money as normal.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

Term Life Insurance Process Explained

Monday, April 5th, 2010

If you have a family you should start looking for some type of life insurance. Life insurance compensates your family for your death so that they can manage without you. There are many different types of life insurance, and each type benefits different sorts of situations you might find yourself in. Some types are more expensive than others, but they will generally have better plans or more coverage. There are other types that actually put some of the money you pay into an investment so you can enjoy the money later in life, if you live to a certain age.

Term life insurance plan is one such type of plan. It applies to a particular period of time when you have to make your monthly payments. If you fail to make your monthly payments, then you will not be covered. The rate of premium depends on the number of years you plan to keep your insurance, and is adjusted accordingly. At times the premium becomes higher after you reach a certain age.

Term life insurance is ideal for people who wish to cover their families for a short period of time. You can opt for this plan for period when your children are still young and dependent. They end the plan when the children become financially independent. Such insurance plans are quiet reasonably priced, and they let you get insurance getting fixed to pay premiums for a long period of time.

You can get the term life insurance in two different ways. You can first see if your work offers you any type of coverage. Even if, the plan offered by employers offer simply a coverage which is worth a year or two year?s salary, you may get this clubbed with your normal insurance plan.

Secondly, in order to get a suitable term life insurance, you must look for a reliable insurance broker. You must shop around enough before selecting a company and representative that?s suitable for you. They may guide you properly in getting a plan which properly covers all your needs. You must utilize all your available resources to search a good broker. You may meet some of them, before choosing one.

Life insurance companies adjust their premiums according to specific factors, regardless of what type of life insurance it is. You should try to quit smoking and become healthier if you want to get cheaper insurance. This makes you less of a liability for the company, and they are more willing to give you good prices. It is also best to get your insurance while you are young, because older people have a much harder time getting decent prices.

Search well to find the most suitable deal. You are seeking a plan which has lower monthly payments and greater coverage. While calculating your coverage requirements, you may consider six times your annual salary. The insurance company will recommend is you this standard amount of money. Besides these factors, getting a term life insurance is much easier and it offers coverage in various situations.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

Steps To Find The Right Life Insurance Company

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Looking for the perfect life insurance company is an important component of getting a plan which works for you. Life insurance plan ensures the financial security of your family after you die. The funeral costs are huge and your partner may find it very tough to bear all the costs alone after you are no more. A life insurance plan will protect your family if your die.

Almost all insurance companies offer life insurance, but you want to find the best plan and deal. The best way to start is to get a list of as many insurance companies as you can in your area. You can use this list to locate agents that may be able to help you. Pay attention to customer service care and what other people think of the agents and company. Look online to see what kind of complaints the company has against it.

The next step is to figure out how much money your family will need to compensate your death. This may play a big factor in what insurance companies you can look at. You can either manually figure out the costs, or do a general estimate. Most people want life insurance that is equal to six times their yearly salary. This money is used to pay for your funeral and to keep your family going, since you are no longer there to provide.

You must now decide on what sort of plan you want to have. There are many policies offered by different insurance companies, under dissimilar names, but they offer the same thing. Explore and select a policy that is most suited to your needs. Incase you don?t clearly comprehend the disparity in life insurance policies; you may ask your broker to clarify them to you. Incase you get a good company and god broker then they will explain every minute thing to you in details.

If you are still unsure and are looking for more advice then you can refer to the ratings. Standard and Poor, A.M. Best, and Moody’s offer the best ratings. This will help you understand the financial condition of the company. This is important as you must know whether or not they will be able to pay your compensation fund if you die.

Term life insurance is the most basic plan which you can get. In this plan you pay monthly premiums for a fix amount of time, and you will get cover till the end of the policy period. A universal policy plan allows you to transform your payments and benefits plan. The most flexible plan is known as variable life, and this plan allows you the freedom to pay premiums in which ever way you want.

The best time to start looking for life insurance is as soon as you think you need it. If you have anyone that is dependent on you, like a husband, wife, or children, it’s probably a good time. If you die unexpectedly, your family may not be able to bear the costs and go into a financial crisis. Furthermore, life insurance may be more difficult as you get older. When you get older you become more of a liability for the insurance company, so they may not want to give you coverage. It can also be difficult to get life insurance if you are sick in any way that might lead to death.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

Your Life Insurance: How Does It Work?

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

A life insurance policy is exactly what its name suggests’an insurance policy covering the loss of your life. You buy your life insurance policy from an authorized agent, paying the insurance company a set monthly, quarterly, or annual premium. In return, the insurance company agrees to pay out a contracted amount of money after you decease. The proceeds from your life insurance policies go to the beneficiaries you designate, typically in a single lump sum payment. If your do not designate beneficiaries for your policy, then the insurance company makes the lump sum payment to your estate.

There are two kinds of life insurance policies: Term insurance policies, also called protection policies. Term insurance is temporary, for a set term of years, providing your family with coverage for a specific number of years for a set premium (although premiums typically go up as you get older).

Term life does not build up cash value. You are just buying protection in the event of your death, and nothing else.

Whole life: These policies are also called permanent life insurance. The objective of whole life is to grow capital through the payment of regular or lump-sum premiums, while providing coverage in the event of death. This kind of coverage is also known as permanent life insurance. The premiums do not change, and there is a guaranteed cash value for the policy, which can be accessed whether or nor you die, for emergencies, vacations, retirement, or other expenses.

The kind of life insurance you buy generally depends on the goals you want your coverage to accomplish. Most people fin that term life suits their needs, making sure their bills are paid and their heirs receive some assistance after their deaths. Others want a reliable source of cash accumulating as they pay their premiums. Speak with a qualified agent to decide which kind of insurance is best for you.

Life insurance policies usually cover death, although they may also cover dismemberment or serious illness, and give extra benefits in the event of accidental death, depending on the policy purchases. Proof of death or injury is always required before payment, regardless of the type of coverage. Remember, to get your coverage, you will have to get a physical examination from a company-approved doctor to give the company an accurate picture of your medical history. And even after you pass your physical, the coverage does not start before premiums are paid. Once premiums are paid, the policy is activated.

A qualified life insurance provider can give you the answers to all your questions. Let them help you customize your life insurance coverage to meet the needs of your family.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

How Life Insurance Premiums Are Calculated

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Life insurance is difficult enough to understand, but understanding how company computes your premiums is even harder. Calculating your life insurance rates is not as simple and straightforward as calculating your premiums for other kinds of risk, like fire insurance. The rates you pay for life insurance coverage are based on your state of health at the time you apply for the policy, and that risk assessment is made by a qualified medical professional. If you are not in good fit, or if you indulge in risky behaviors such as smoking or street drugs, the insurance company expects to have to pay out more benefits on your policy than if you were totally healthy and did nothing to put your health at risk. That is the reason insurance companies usually require a physical exam before issuing your life insurance policy.

Once the physical is done, the company will review not only the results of the exam, but also your family medical history, your driving history, and possibly other medical reports and a credit report as well.

In addition to the medical and driving reports, your insurance provider will also have you fill out a questionnaire about your health and lifestyle. Be honest when answering the questions and providing your medical history. If you are found to have lied on your questionnaire, then it could keep your policy claim from being paid in the future. An insurance provider may also cancel your life insurance policy if they find out that you lied during the quote process.

After reviewing all these reports, the company assigns you a score that reflects your risk. That is why the premium you wind up paying may not be even close to the quote the agent gave you when you applied for coverage. If the insurer determines that you are a higher risk level than was originally assumed, your premiums will be higher than your quote.

There are ways to lower your risk. Take care of your health. Maintain a healthy weight, eat a well-balanced diet and exercise regularly. If you smoke, then quit. Be a safe and defensive driver. Don?t get speeding tickets or into accidents that can raise your insurance premiums. Make smart decisions and don?t engage in dangerous, risky behavior.

The insurance provider will also take into consideration things that you cannot control, like your age and gender, when determining your life insurance premiums. That is why it is important to improve your health and lower your health related risks. Risk assessment policies vary, depending on the life insurance provider. That is why it is a good idea to do research, ask questions and get several quotes before deciding on a life insurance policy.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

How You Can Make The Most Of Your Life Insurance

Monday, December 28th, 2009

The most important reason people buy life insurance is to make sure that their loved ones are covered from catastrophic expenses in the event of their death. Some of us also use whole life insurance to finance major life goals, such as university, marriage, or retirement. Whole life also can be used to finance unexpected needs when credit may be short. Taking a long, hard look at financial goals to determine the exact reasons you need life insurance coverage will help you make the most of your life insurance policy. Most of us want to leave our loved ones a death benefit, especially if they depend on us for their living expenses. But we also want to make sure they are covered in case of devastating illness or accidents. And if you want more income for your retirement, too, consider the amount of whole life insurance you need to make your retirement plans.

Once you decide why you need life insurance, then choose the type of policy that best meets your goals. Knowing what you want your life insurance policy to do for you enables you to get the maximum out of it, for both you and your family.

There are two major types of life insurance policies, term and whole life. Term policies are written for a fixed term of years. Term coverage is less expensive, but it does not accumulate any cash value. Term life insurance only offers you a death benefit (and, in some cases, coverage for accidents, illness, and dismemberment). This cash, of course, is very important for funeral expenses. Many people, however, use term policies to take care of death benefits and whole life as part of their larger life financial plan.

After you determine what you want your life insurance to do for you, you have to make sure you can make the payments. Every kind of life insurance requires you to pay a premium. Term policies are usually less of a budget breaker than whole life, but they do not help you accumulate wealth. Make sure the policy meets your needs, but also make sure it fits your budget. Have in mind what you can afford to pay before you commit yourself to policy specifics.

Be realistic about your life insurance needs. Be sure your death benefits can replace your actual earning power and your family’s inflation-adjusted spending needs. If you are buying whole life, take a keen look at your financial goals for retirement. And don’t forget that funerals are expensive and are getting more expensive every year. Make sure your loved ones are covered for all those costs.

Think about where you are in life and what you want to accomplish. Once you have these ideas mapped out, then you can decide on what life insurance product is right for you. Then contact a qualified insurance provider. They can help you determine what product is best for you and make sure you and your loved ones are protected, helping you get the most out of your life insurance policy in the process.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica?s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.

The History of Life Insurance.

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Insurance provides us with protection against risk, and owning insurance policies is a normal part of modern life. While insurance has been around for hundreds of years in one form or another, most of the familiar kinds of insurance we have today are actually a newcomer on the historical scene.

Insurance itself can be traced back to the ancient Chinese, around 5000 BC, as a way to protect traders. There are also stories of a more humanistic form of insurance, with neighbors helping neighbors and settlers taking care of each other during difficult periods in history. While that has no monetary value attached to it like our current insurance policies do, we consider that insurance because of the gesture of caring and providing for someone else. What we think of as life insurance didn’t come along until later.

Life insurance dates back to ancient Rome, but it wasn’t called life insurance then. The Romans had “burial clubs,” in which members paid for the funeral expenses of the deceased and helped the deceased’s survivors financially. This was part of what was considered a proper burial. The Romans believed that if a person was not buried properly, they would not rest in the afterlife. The burial clubs were necessary to cover the funeral expenses, because part of a proper burial was a large and often lavish funeral celebration.

Modern life insurance dates from the late 1600’s in England. Life insurance was originally intended, like the ancient Chinese tangs, to protect the transactions of merchants and traders. The death of a business partner, without insurance, could lead to disastrous results to the commercial enterprise. These early life insurance policies protected those who brought goods into society and those who sold them to the public. Life quickly became essential to stable commerce.

The earliest American life insurance company appeared in 1732 in Charleston, in the colony of South Carolina, although at its founding, the company only offered fire insurance. Life insurance was not sold in the Thirteen Colonies until the 1760’s, but it quickly became a big business. In the southern states of the US, life insurance policies were issued for slaves. One company in New York allegedly issued 485 policies on slaves in just two years during the’40’s. However, as the northern states became more adamant in their opposition to slavery, insurance companies were ordered to stop insuring slaves. If the records are to be believed, the sale of life insurance on the lives of slaves stopped several years before the Emancipation Proclamation of’63. Ordered to search their records to purge any policies that indirectly supported slavery, life insurance companies found no such policies even before the Civil War.

Whichever type of life insurance policy you hold today, one thing for certain is that the history of life insurance has been rich and complex. There is at least one constant, however, that has never changed. Life insurance protects our heirs from whatever life sends their way. Ask any questions to a qualified life insurance agent who can help you find the right life insurance protection for your loved ones. A qualified insurance agent will consider the specifics of your situation and help you find exactly the policy you need.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at Lifeinsurance-Southafrica.co.za South Arica’s leading Life Insurance and Life Cover portal.