Posts Tagged ‘life cover’

Types Of Life Insurance Policies

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

All life insurance policies are either term, whole, or some combination of these two types of policies. However, there are many different forms that life insurance can take, even within these types.

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.

Usually the premiums on the term insurance are not that big, but as you grow older you will have to pay more. So considering the profits a term life insurance policy is more economical when bought at a younger age along with a longer term. Even though the short term renewable policies are substantially lower when people are young, it will be highly expensive when purchased after middle age.

In a term life policy that renews annually and carries a $200,000 death benefit, the annual premiums might look like the example below. Remember, these are just examples to show the differences in cost with age:

$300 / year age 35

$900 / year age 50

Age 65: $2,500/year

What’s a whole life insurance policy?

The most common type of insurance sold in the market today is the whole life insurance policy. A whole life insurance policy is valid till you die or until you reach the age of 100. But it must be taken care that you pay all the premiums as scheduled. Whole life insurance is otherwise known as the permanent insurance. Level premiums, level face amounts, guaranteed values, and a relatively high degree of safety compared to others are the main differential characteristics of a whole life insurance policy. The guaranteed cash value through the whole life insurance builds a huge benefit for the owner. This is very beneficial for the user, because this cash can be accessed during emergencies, and for other needs as well as a alternative source of retirement income.

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.

The risk factor of whole life insurance policies is quite different from that of an auto insurance policy, by definition. With auto insurance, the insurer hopes that the policy holder will drive safely so that they never have to pay out the claim; with whole life insurance, however, the insurance company knows that they will have to pay the claim someday.

Shopping for life insurance is now quite simple to do online. You can compare companies and policies to make sure you get the best premiums for the policy that meets your needs. It’s well worth the time to get several quotes, and to see how the companies are rated with the Better Business Bureau. It’s also important to look into the financial standings of the companies you’re considering before you sign up for any type of life insurance policy. If you do your research, you will easily get the best whole life insurance policy online.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover website.

Getting Life Insurance If Your Are HIV Positive

Thursday, July 22nd, 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 should look to see if you already have any policies in place that include death benefits and also to determine if they have any rider policies. You may have a life insurance policy through your mortgage on your home or even one that was offered as part of your employment package at your job. If you do have any policies in place keep them current, it is extremely important not to allow them to end as you may not be able to get them back with the HIV status.

The social security department should be contacted to find out what your death benefits are and who the beneficiaries are for those benefits. You can find out how the payments will be made and make any changes if necessary at this time.

You can speak to an attorney to have any questions you may have answered about social security benefits, other existing policies and beneficiaries.

Your employers human resource department can be extremely helpful in assisting with finding any available programs or life insurance policies that are part of their employment package. Several employers have a group life insurance policy program that is automatically extended to their employees and will require no pre qualification or underwriting to be accepted. The policies pay out a percentage of your wages to the beneficiaries you name on the policy at the time of your death. If you are not on this policy and it is available the human resource department will assist in getting you started.

If you are employed where no policies are available for death benefits then you may choose to look for an employer who does offer the benefits and switch jobs. Even if you take a cut in pay it is worth the peace of mind that your loved ones will be taken care of. Be sure this does not affect your health insurance coverage as many policies will refuse pre existing conditions.

An HIV AIDS case worker will be able to help you find programs that you would be qualified for if you express your desire to obtain life insurance. Many insurance companies are beginning to include policies to HIV positive people since the effectiveness of the AIDS medications are far better and create a much longer life for the individuals.

You can find guaranteed life insurance policies from companies that will insure anyone. The premiums will be much higher on this type of policy and you can expect that the pay outs will be much less. Some insurance companies will only offer burial costs at an extremely high premium for terminally ill clients such as someone who is HIV positive.

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.

Life Insurance And The Underwriting

Thursday, July 8th, 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.

The first step involves the examination of the application. Here maximum details about the applicant are collected. The application includes a list of fields that the applicant needs to fill up, such as the marital status, sex, type of living area, age, and current health status and so on. All these parameters are taken deep into consideration.

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 website.

A Brief History Of Life Insurance

Saturday, June 12th, 2010

Life insurance or life assurance is an agreement between the plan owner (the insured) and, the insurer (insurance company) where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money fixed in the contract at the time of the insured?s demise. This may also comprise but also promise to include indicants such as an incurable disease. The plan owner agrees to pay a certain sum each month, three months, six months or a year which is affirmed upon by the contract. The policy can also state that the insurer will pay for memorial service and some health expenses independently from the agreed compensation sum.

Insurance has been around since civilization began. The earliest form of insurance was the old protection rackets that organized crime families still use even today. Criminals or rulers of a country would ?guarantee? that a business or home would not be damaged or destroyed by criminal activities for a weekly cut of said profits of the business. This form of blackmail and extortion quickly led to merchants and shopkeepers living in their businesses. So that when the criminals came they would be greeted by sword and spear. These actions, taken by these early businessmen, led to the old saying, ?The greatest protection comes by the sword.?

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 agreements were simply a fee paid by the transporter 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.

Contemporary life insurance began in the late 17th century England as a replacement for traders insurance. In America the first modern life insurance plans began in the late 1760s. The Presbyterian Church in New York and Philadelphia created the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers in 1759. This was fashioned under the Christian doctrine that it is the responsibility of the Church to help the poor, needy, and widowed. Later the Episcopalian priests created a comparable fund in 1769. From 1787 to’37 over a dozen life insurance companies came into being, but less then half survived that century.

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 helped popularize the concept of insurance in the nation 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 prevention. His company also tried to warn against certain fire hazards, but it refused to insure buildings 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 tips on how to save on your life insurance visit our website.

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.

Finding Security For Life

Wednesday, May 19th, 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.

Life often presents little opportunities that can make a big difference in our lives in years to come. Investing in a life insurance policy is one of those little opportunities, putting away small amounts of money, which can make a big difference, paying out large returns to those left behind. When we begin our investments, then our financial planning for life is well underway.

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 lost her husband. Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about any financial concerns because my uncle had invested in life insurance several years before. She was being compensated well by it and therefore had no trouble providing for her children in their educational pursuits. My cousins were not missing out on any opportunity in life they may have had taken from them thanks to our life insurance policy. This helped me to decide that when the right time came, I too would be taking out a life insurance policy so that my family would be safe in a life after me, no matter when that time comes. As soon as I had my affairs in order, I discussed my plans with the professionals and decided to invest in life insurance. It was explained to me the importance of paying premiums on time so that the policy will not be disturbed or interrupted.

My cousins did not miss out on any of the luxuries they had while their father was still alive. Because of my uncle?s example and my aunt?s financial comfort after he was gone, I made up my mind that when the opportunity came, I too, would invest into a life insurance policy for the sake of my family. With the aid of a good life insurance agent, we put together a plan investing into the universal life insurance policy, similar to that of my uncle?s. The agent explained that it is important for me to pay my premiums on time so the policy did not lapse or get disturbed in any way that may cause a problem in an emergency. I agreed to the rules and regulations put forth and found peace in the security of the future for my family.

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

Figuring Out How To Get The Right Life Insurance

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Risk coverage is the change of someone dying during a fixed time period. Insurance companies always use medical records and family medical history to check a person?s eligibility for life insurance. Life insurance makes a lump sum payment upon the death of the insured. Life insurance is often used as a savings or an investment, but there are certain options and costs involved.

Term life insurance is uncomplicated and a temporary protection. It is used to meet temporary demands like debts and can be extra security when needed. Life changes as does a person?s needs and obligations. Term policies can be used to meet some of these needs and obligations when they are currently active. People with few financial resources can easily take advantage of term policies because it is low priced.

If you really want to get the lowest possible costs on your insurance, you should buy it when you’re healthy. If you’re physically fit, don’t drink or smoke, and are young, then you can get great deals on your monthly payments, or premiums. Term life insurance will often let you select how long you want it to last to some extent, so you have a great deal of control over how much it costs you.

Your alternative to term life insurance is whole life insurance. Guess how long that lasts you? That’s right, your whole life (usually)! Whole life policies are a long term solution to life coverage worries, and are almost certain to be there for your loved ones when you pass on. They’re also quite useful as investments, since they can build up substantial interest over time. However, they’re not very useful unless they’ve had all those decades to acquire value, and the premiums you pay for all this are higher than the premiums of a term life policy. Be certain which of the two types of policies is best for you before deciding on one or the other.

This is otherwise an investment, since life assurance and term insurance are merged. So the premium paid goes to cover the insurance policy and also for investment. Only a long period, say more than 20 years, insurance coverage would be beneficial, both in insurance point of view and investment point of view. The return would be modest compared to that low term insurance. More over, paying premium for a long period other gives you tax saving benefit also.

Life insurance prices are based on estimates of the premiums you will pay for the term of the insurance policies with specific companies. Finding low priced life insurance is easy and quick if you can use the internet. The top companies offer quotes online for a variety of terms, coverage and rates. For example if you are a 25 year old male you can find a coverage of $500,000 for a monthly premium of only 25 dollars with one company, but your father, probably about 50 years old, would only receive coverage of $100,000 for the $25 premium. A female who wants to pay a $25 premium may get coverage of as much as $600,000 if she were 25 years old and $175,000 if she were 50 years old. This proves it is better to buy life insurance as soon as possible.

You can have consultation with an agent of insurance business and find out one suited to your needs. This in fact reduces your later risks much. Having comparison with similar life insurance companies, choose the best one.

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

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.

Whole Life Insurance And Term Life Insurance

Friday, May 7th, 2010

You may be frequently and constantly reminded often about life insurance in many ways, The newspaper advertisements, telecast over television program and radio, web advertisements are the means through which we are reminded about this. Insurance has come about almost more than one field such as life insurance, vehicle insurance, health insurance, property insurance, fire insurance, and as many more.

In life insurance line, there are two categories of policies. One is called term insurance policy and other one is called whole life coverage. Though these have many subsidiary branches, the main are the above two types.

Whole life insurance covers you for your whole life. In the event of your death, your beneficiary will receive a financial compensation set by the terms of your policy. It often comes with a fixed premium, which means that you pay a fixed amount your whole life, as opposed to paying less when you are younger and more when you are older. Whole life insurance policies could be said to blend insurance protection with some features of an investment fund.

Every body may be aware of about term life coverage policies. This is a popular policy and preferred to by many. There not only low premium policies but also lies within our choice of the term. The whole life policy gives coverage till your life but a term policy expires when its term ends. If you go for a life coverage after the expiry of the term policy, at that time, your cost would much high than that one that was available when you took a term coverage policy. Many of the public do not fully know about the different kinds and different options available in life insurance.

There’s no right or wrong decision when buying life insurance! It’s just a matter of figuring out what kind of policy best fits your needs at a particular point in time. Term life is cheaper, while whole life lasts longer, and they’re both fine choices for different people in different situations. So when you’re shopping for insurance, think hard about what your life is like and what you really need to get out of your insurance policy before you settle with a policy.

Whole life insurance can also be used as an asset. Many whole life insurance policies will allow you to borrow money against the value of your policy. This can be a valuable resource, and make whole life insurance a greater asset than term life insurance for some people. You can even decide to cancel your policy in exchange for its cash value. (This is called “cashing out” your policy.)

You can easily find quotes for both kinds of life insurance online. Usually for free. As with most things, comparing quotes from different companies is a wise idea. You will also need to choose a beneficiary who will receive your policy benefits in the event of your death. It would also be wise to hire a lawyer as well, to make sure all of the legal angles are covered.

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