Posts Tagged ‘death cover’

Understanding Whole Life Insurance

Monday, May 31st, 2010

Whole life insurance helps your family with compensation money if you die, but it also has some other plus points too. Whole life insurance provides cover for your entire life, though it is little more expensive than other insurance plans. Some part of your each premium is invested; you can either choose to take that money once you reach to certain age or in case of any emergency.

After your die, your family members may have several kinds of expenses to bear. By buying a life insurance you are shielding them from several financial breakdowns. Based on your style of living, your family may have to face more expenses than you expected. First the funeral expenses, which now costs almost a fortune. Another important fact is that now your family has one working member less. This can be tough with families having young children. You too may also wish to defend your business, or give some funds to charitable trust after death.

If you pay your premiums on time your family can anticipate huge compensation money. This compensation money is largely influenced by the amount you have fixed for your insurance plan, though it is generally greater than five times of your annual earnings. You can also withdraw your funds early if there is any emergency. This can be done only because the insurance company has invested some part of your each premium. You can also fix your plan by either withdrawing your funds after you reach to a certain age or in case of any disaster. This plan is very important if you require extra money for your home or at the time of retirement or even for tuition. In such situations this whole life insurance plan works like a loan, but it is not essentially as rate competent as standard loan.

While assessing your suitability for insurance, the insurer considers factors like your credit record and well-being. If you want to insure yourself when you are young and healthy you will get some discount on premiums as compared to others. Even by improving your style of living you can lower your rates. This may includes losing weight, leave smoking, and improving your food habits. You can meliorate your credit by clearing your old dues and maintaining correct credit record by making complaints against the wrong entries, if any.

Sometimes whole life insurance is more than what is actually necessary for your needs. There are other types of life insurance plans you can look into if it is not. Some types of plans cover you temporarily, but they have lower monthly payments. Even if you feel your family will need a large amount of compensation for your death, there are still other plans to look into. Make sure to do plenty of research on insurance companies and agents in your area before you choose one that you trust. You can use the internet, the phone book, and friends to find information on companies that might offer much lower prices than others.

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

Life And Health Insurance ? The Difference

Monday, May 17th, 2010

You don?t have to be confused with so many terms which are used in insurance industry. Life insurance and health insurance are very dissimilar with each other and provide you cover under different conditions too. It is very vital for you that you do proper research and acquire as much as information you can regarding different insurance plans available in the market before opting one.

Life insurance offers coverage to your family members in case of your death. The compensation offered to your family is according to the plan you receive. Many people opt for six years value of their annual salary or more from their plan. Your insurance plan depends on you making timely monthly payments.

Before an insurance company will cover you for life insurance, they will want to determine how much of a risk you will be. It is difficult to get life insurance once you are older, or if you have any serious health problems. They may look at your credit to determine whether you can make the monthly payments. Once they have enough information on your lifestyle and credit they will offer you a premium, which is what you are required to pay every month in exchange for your 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 is very different from life insurance. It is planned to pay your medical treatment charges either partly or fully. People take health insurance either to cover their expenses on small doctor visits or for defend if they receive huge and unpredicted medical expenses.

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.

Many types you can get life or health insurance through your work. Check to see if they have any deals for you that might allow you to have smaller payments. Your health insurance plan premiums will be determined just like your life insurance. If you are involved with any kind of risky hobbies like sky diving or rock climbing it can be hard to get covered at an affordable rate. If you want to lower your payments there are several things you can do. First try improving your credit by disputing any charges and paying off any bills you have. If you are a smoker you can have your rates reduced by half if you are able to quit 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

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Group life insurance plan is decided by a manager or company with more than five or at least 10 workers. The employer bargains for lesser rates with the group policy providers. The insurer in this case, offers coverage to all the employees involved in the plan. This insurance plan can be a big advantage to your organization, incase you want retention of workers. You can do several things with a plan like this one.

Monthly payment system can be finalized in numerous dissimilar ways. You can select for the premiums to be paid exclusively by your organization, or half from employee and half from organization. It is completely depends on workers that whether they wish to be the part of this group or not, but organization needs at least 5, normally 10 workers to start this plan.

A group life insurance company usually comes with fairly low coverage, somewhere between 1-2 times your salaries. Employees can add their own life insurance to this plan if they think it’s not going to be enough. Every employee also has the right to change the beneficiary for their particular plan whenever they want.

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.

You can easily set up a group life insurance policy. Look around to find the most suitable plan with good rates, and see which insurance company offers a better plan. After you find a good company, you can get start setting up a group plan by involving the other people in your company who are willing to take part. You may have to collect information about each of the employees who wants to take part in the policy with you. The insurer will simply ask you about your business and its nature of work. This is required to know how much risk is involved in the workplace for the employees. When you recruit new staff, they may too become a member in the plan, by filling up some simple forms.

If someone leaves the company they can still keep their life insurance, but they must make it into a private plan. The employee has thirty days to change the plan. They will have to start making monthly payments themselves and the premiums are likely to be higher, but they can continue having coverage under the same company.

Group life insurance plans are a way of making your company more desirable. It can be considered a fringe benefit for anyone who is hired. Employees will stick around longer, allowing you to invest less time and money into training. Many company group life insurance plans are accompanied by a disability plan, which can also be arranged with your insurance.

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

Getting Life Insurance Policy Advice

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Life insurance may be extremely troublesome for few people. There are so many aspects that can decide the amount of your premium. What can you do to make sure that you get the lowest rate of interest possible? Looking around the best life insurance company is an important factor in getting suitable rates; however there are other factors besides this.

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.

Secondly, you must stop smoking if you have the habit. The smokers have to pay premiums two times higher than the non smokers. You can request to reduce your premium rate after one year of quitting smoke, but it will save more money if you stop smoking now. If you are a infrequent smoker then you may get good premium rates but you will have to search a lot.

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 must also quite any kind of hazardous activities that you take part in. If you frequently do rock climbing, sky diving, or motorcycle riding, then your life insurance may not offer you any coverage. There are some plans with sections which state that if your death if caused by any of the above mentioned activities then your insurance is disqualified. You may buy insurance which covers these activities as well, but such plans usually have very high rates.

Many people opt for term life insurance in the place of whole life. The term life insurance plan is applicable only for the period of time when the payments are made. Incase of your death, your family members will receive the money provided you do not die participating in any of the excluded adventurous activities. Whole life insurance plan is slightly different. With this insurance plan, you pay a higher premium but you may be able to enjoy the benefits if you live long. A part of the fund that you pay gets invested so that you get some returns on it. This makes it more than the original money and at a particular time you may withdraw these funds. Incase you die before the completion of this period then your family members will get the money.

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

How to Get Term Life Insurance?

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

If you have dependent family members then you must get some type of life insurance. Life insurance plans provide compensation to your family after you die so that they can stay financially secure. Many types of life insurance plans are available and every type is beneficial under the different circumstances that you may fall into. There are some insurance plans which are more costly than the rest, but they usually offer a greater coverage. Some insurance lets you invest some money so that you enjoy the returns later in life if you live long enough.

Term life insurance plan is one of the different types of insurance plans available. This plan is applicable only during a particular period; this is the time when you are required to make your monthly payments. Incase you fail to make your monthly payments, you get no coverage. The premiums amounts are decided on the basis of the time period of your insurance plan, which may be 5 or 30 years. Several times, the rates become high after you reach a particular age.

Term life insurance is great for a lot of people who have families that they want to protect, especially for a short amount of time. You can opt to choose term life insurance for the time during which your children are young, and end the term when they are old enough to support themselves. These insurance plans are usually quiet affordable and give you the chance to buy insurance without having to commit to a long term plan.

There are two different ways you can get term life insurance. First, check with your employer to see what kind of coverage they might be offering. Although their plan usually only covers a year or two worth of your salary, you might be able to use that plan with another insurance plan.

The next place to get term life insurance is with a trusted insurance company and agent. You should do a lot of looking around before you choose a company and agent that?s right for you. They will be able to help you the most finding a plan that covers your needs. Use all possible resources to find agents and meet with several of them before making your choice.

The life insurance companies make certain adjustments in the plans depending on several factors, not considering which plan you are in. You must thus try and stop being a smoker and live a healthy life, if you need lower premium rates. Being healthy makes you less of a burden to the insurer and they may willingly offer you a good price. It is also recommended that you get insurance when you are young and healthy, because with age you get more illness, and old people find it tough to get good rates.

Shop around for the best deal you can find. You are looking for the plan that has the lowest payments and the largest amount of coverage. While figuring your coverage needs, try multiplying your yearly salary by six. This is the standard amount of money that an insurance company will recommend for you. Other than these facts, term life insurance is fairly easy to get and it will cover you in many different types of situations.

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

Tips For Selecting The Right Life Insurance Company

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Finding the right life insurance company is an essential part of getting a life insurance plan that is best for you. Life insurance guarantees that your family will be financially secure if you die. Funeral costs are enormous, and it will be difficult for your spouse to afford the bills all by themselves after you are gone. Life insurance will keep your family safe incase anything happens to you.

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.

Now it’s time to figure out what kind of plan that you want. Among insurance companies, some policies have different names, but they usually have the same terms. Choose a plan that works for you. If you do not understand the differences in life insurance you can ask your agent to explain them to you. If you choose a good company and agent to go through, they should be very helpful in explaining everything you need to know.

If you need help choosing a life insurance company you can look at their ratings to give you more advice. The most popular ratings are A.M. Best, Standard and Poor, and Moody’s. This will tell you what type of financial standing the company have so that you know they will be able to pay your life insurance if something happens.

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 ideal time to begin seeking life insurance is immediately you feel a need for it. If your family members are dependent on you, like your wife, husband or children, then you must get the insurance soon. If your death happens unexpectedly then your family may even not be capable bearing the financial trouble and making a living. Besides, getting a life insurance may become tougher as you grow older. As you become older, you are looked upon as a liability by the insurance company; as a result they may be unwilling to offer you any kind of cover. It may also be tough to get a life insurance incase you are ill in a way that may be cause your 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?

Sunday, January 10th, 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 types of life insurance policies: Protection policies: these are commonly called term life insurance. These policies are temporary and provide coverage for a specific number of years for a specific premium.

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.

In addition to whole life insurance, other permanent policies include universal life insurance, which offers flexibility in that the insured can change the payment schedule or coverage amount; variable universal life insurance, which allows the potential for earning market returns; and single payment whole life insurance, where the insured buys the policy with one lump sum payment.

The type of life insurance policy you need will depend on why you are purchasing the insurance and the goals you want the insurance to accomplish. Most people find that a simple term life insurance policy suits their needs, while others want to make sure their bills are paid and their heirs receive a settlement after their deaths. You can discuss your needs with a qualified life insurance provider in order to determine what policy is best for you.

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

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

Life insurance can be complicated to understand, especially when it comes to how the premiums are calculated. It?s not as simple as other insurance policy purchases. First, your life insurance cost is based on your health at the time of purchase and a risk assessment that is conducted by the insurance provider. If you are unhealthy and/or engage in risky behaviors, expect to pay higher costs for your life insurance than someone who is healthy and doesn?t put themselves at risk. That is why a physical examination is required before the provider issues a 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 driving and medical reports, your insurer will ask you to fill out a questionnaire about your lifestyle and health issues. Although it may be tempting to sway the results, be honest as you answer the questions and fill out your medical history. If you are found to have been dishonest anywhere in your application, then the company can refuse to pay benefits in the future. Any insurance company will be able to cancel your life insurance policy if they determine you lied during the application 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 life insurance company will also consider factors you cannot control, like your gender and age, in setting your premiums. That is why it is so important to do everything you can to improve your health and lower your risks. It’s a good idea to do your fact finding, 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.

The History of Life Insurance.

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

Insurance protects us against risks, and having insurance policies seems to be a normal part of life. While insurance has been around for centuries in one form or another, the versions of insurance policies we are so familiar with today are relatively young.

As early as 5000 BC, the ancient Chinese had a form of insurance to protect their traders. There are historical stories and even modern societies indicating a kind of humane “insurance,” in which neighbors or members of the same organization or church took care of each other during emergencies. While community has no monetary value, we can consider community at its best to be a form of insurance because of the gesture of caring. What we consider life insurance, however, did not come along until long after the first caring communities.

The ancient Romans had their “burial clubs,” through which members were protected against funeral costs and survivors were helped financially. The contributions of a burial club were part of what was considered a proper burial, and the Romans believed that if a person was not given a proper burial, he or she could not rest in the afterlife. And burial clubs were essential to the belief, because part of a proper funeral was a large and often lavish celebration.

Modern life insurance dates back to the late 17th century in England. Life insurance was originally designed to protect traders and merchants. The first insurance providers would meet their customers at coffeehouses and pubs to draw up insurance contracts. These were the common meeting places of that era. This form of life insurance was designed to protect those who brought goods into the community and those who sold them. It was a way to protect and insure commerce.

The first United States insurance company was founded in 1732 in Charleston, South Carolina, but the company only offered fire insurance. Life insurance policies were not offered in the United States until the 1760s, but it became a fast growing business. However, there were issues in the’00s with slave owners purchasing life insurance policies for their slaves. One New York insurance company is alleged to have sold 485 slave life insurance policies during a two-year period in the’40s alone. However, the sale of such policies stopped several years before the Emancipation Proclamation ended slavery in the United States. Some states have passed legislation requiring insurance companies to search their records to see if they sold policies on slaves. So far, there are no reports of any insurance companies finding records of such policies.

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.

Making The Most Of Your Life Insurance

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

Most of us buy life insurance to make sure that our loved ones are protected in case of our death. Others of us use whole life policies to finance life’s passages, such as college, marriage, or retirement. Whole life policies can also be used to help you handle those unexpected and expensive moments we all encounter. Defining your financial goals to determine exactly why you need life insurance will help you make the most of your life insurance policy. You need, and most of us do need, some coverage to provide a death benefit. That’s especially true if you have people dependent on your for their living expenses. You will want to make sure they are covered in case of your death, or a devastating illness, or an accident. And if you need more income for retirement, consider that, too, when you choose the type of coverage to meet your life insurance needs.

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 your life and what you still want to accomplish. After you have all those ideas mapped out, then you will be able to decide which policy is right for you. Ask questions of a licensed insurance agent. He or she can help you find the policy that is best for and make sure your loved ones are protected.

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