Anyone who has people who depend on them financially should have proper life insurance coverage Life cover should be at the top of your list of priorities. How will your family survive financially when you are gone? Just because you are here today does not promise a tomorrow. Nobody should be without life cover.
There is not much to learn about a lump sum policy. Deciding on coverage amounts and plans might be tougher.
Before you apply for life insurance there are a few things you should know. Determine how much life cover you really need, be careful not to take out too small of an amount. Do not forget to factor the home loan and other bills. Life insurance calculators can be located online to assist with determining the amount of cover you need. It is imperative to not be under insured. You want to make sure you are not over insured as well.
You have to determine the amount of time they should be in place. Usually the cover remains in effect until all financial responsibility has been paid and children have left the home. Some policy owners will terminate a policy after they retire. The important thing is to make sure the policy stay in effect long enough for your purposes.
Take careful consideration to answer all questions on the application accurately and with honesty. Being dishonest on your application or not answering all the questions asked could lead to a refusal due to non disclosure.
Putting your cover in a trust is a considerate thought. go wrong with setting up your cover in a trust. The trust ensures that the loved ones are paid once you die. Policies that are not written in a trust will be considered part of your estate and may increase the inheritance tax liability. You will find the trust form included with your policy.
Do not pay more for your policy than you can afford to. The higher the risk you are considered to be the higher your policy.
One of the more popular policies is the Level Term Assurance (LTA) this means your policy amount will remain the same throughout the length of the coverage. If you only need cover for payment of a mortgage or other decreasing debt you could look into Decreasing Term Assurance (DTA) for a more competitive rate.
If you have any life changes happen you will need to review your cover and ensure you have adequate coverage. Your policy needs change as your life does so review your coverage if you have any life changes such as a new baby or change of jobs. We many times forget that a cover policy has to afford our life so as life changes so should the policy. Make modifications whenever it is sensible that you may need more coverage.
Even if you already have a life cover policy you can shop around for a more affordable one. Make sure if you cancel your policy that you are not losing any needed benefits. A new policy could be higher is you have had any major health problems or other life changing situations.
Susan Reynolds is the content coordinator for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Life Insurance Policies.