Posts Tagged ‘Disability’
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010
Having a life insurance policy in place can bring peace of mind to individuals who want to ensure the financial security of their loved ones even after their death. If you have been diagnosed as HIV positive and you do not already have a life insurance policy in place it can be extremely difficult to obtain one. While many insurance companies will turn you down immediately, others will offer high premium policies that will cover only the cost of your funeral.
You may have life insurance policies already in place and you should locate them and start reviewing them to see if they include any riders. Your employer may have a life insurance policy included in your employment package or you could have one that is linked to your home mortgage. Any existing policies should be kept active and be very careful not to allow them to terminate or lapse, upon doing so you may find that you cannot get them back with your HIV status.
Social security offers death benefits to your beneficiaries. Go to your local social security office and find out what the benefits are and make sure you have updated the information for the correct beneficiaries to get it. If any changes need to be made they will assist you on how to do this.
An attorney can be helpful to explain the death benefits that you have in place and to answer questions about beneficiaries and how they are to be paid after your death.
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.
Your HIV AIDS counselor will also be able to help with finding you programs or life insurance companies that may be able to assist you in your search for peace of mind. There are several insurance companies that are now accepting clients that are HIV positive because of the great results the AIDS medications has on their life span.
Guaranteed insurance companies are available to anyone even if they are terminally ill. The policies will usually only cover the cost of your funeral or burial and will have much higher premiums.
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.
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 7th, 2010
Many people apply for a life insurance policy, but only few get approved for the same. If you have enough money to pay the premiums would not mean that your chances of approval are higher. Your application for a life insurance police is passed through a rigorous underwriting, before a decision can be taken on the approval or denial of the same. Underwriting means the assessment of risk for granting a policy for an individual, and the monthly or yearly premium amounts for the same.
Underwriters are therefore hired by most of the insurance companies that help in underwriting the applications. The insurance companies are on a look out for the profit and hence the risk assessment. There are a total of three steps included in the process of underwriting, namely examine the application, decision to insure or not, determine the premium. Let us discuss these steps one by one.
Examination of the application is all about collecting the client information. Various details about the applicant are collected and stored for assessment. The details could include marital status, sex, type of living area, age, and current health status etc. The applicant is measured against each of these parameters.
The application examination is then followed up with decision making. The applicant is given a score for all these parameters. These parameters are called risk factors by the insurance companies. A high score on the risk factors leads to the rejection of the application, and a low score will see the applicant get an approval. Each risk factor is important and has its own meaning. However, many people believe that the insurance companies give utmost importance to the age and health of the individual. If the individual is young and healthy, the chances for approval are very high. On the other hand, an old aged individual who has a few health problems may experience a denial. The living environment of the individual is also given huge importance. If the applicant lives in an unhygienic environment, he or she is believed to suffer health problems. At the same time, an individual living in a clean and healthy environment would indicate a good health for the individual. The gender of the applicant can also make a difference at times. Women are regarded as healthier individuals compared to the men. This is because women tend to take lesser tensions and depressions. Interestingly, the same holds opposite for married people. In other words, a married man is expected to live a healthier life as compared to a married woman. All these factors play an important role while the decision making. Living habits of an individual also make a significant difference. A smoker or drinker will find it hard to get the approval.
The above risk factors not only determine the approval or denial of the insurance policy, but also the monthly premiums. Once the application is approved, the score of the applicant on the risk factors also decides his pr her monthly premium amounts. A young and fit individual would have to pay lower monthly installments, as compared to an old and ailing individual.
Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover website.
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Saturday, June 19th, 2010
The word insurance refers to any agreement where a person pays another person or business to indemnify the safety, but to be more precise, pay for the replacement of any such personal property if said possession is lost, destroyed, or damaged in some other way other then the neglect or willful destruction of the property by said owner. There is insurance for just about anything, insurance is generally divided into four areas; vehicle, property, health, and life insurance.
Insurance has been around since society 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 earnings 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 insurance contracts were simply a fee paid by the carrier so that of the goods were lost then the fee would cover said loss of goods. These agreements were usually done by a verbal agreement, but they were later back up by laws etched in stone and papyrus.
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.
In the 21st century all insurance companies sell some form of life insurance. It is the number one form of insurance purchased globally. Much of it is sold to people after they have children in hopes that in the event of a premature or unexpected death the sum paid to the survivors will be able to use the money to bury their loved ones and support them financially.
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.
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
These days investing in life insurance makes more sense than ever, and with the new profits and advantages of today’s insurance companies, it can really be a great option. It’s especially convenient that we’re also able to customize the type of policy we want based on our individual needs, thus allowing for the best possible fit policy wise.
Insurance companies allow us to pick the kind of coverage we need and how much of it we need, and pay off premiums with discounts for being a low-risk policy holder. With just a little time and energy put into planning out our futures we can enjoy a comfortable insurance arrangement and rest up for the remainder of our lives.
With the added security of insurance to cover us when unexpected things happen, we can safely plan out our lives with a foundation of known variables and minimized risks. The insurance industry is sophisticated and has a facet to deal with almost every aspect of your life, and this lets you make better financial plans with better results even if you’re unlucky. Don’t get lulled into a sense of false security just because you have a lot of money!
Often, when our income is higher, we forget the future in the security of the present, sometimes going more into debt based on future income than saving for future threats. This lack of financial planning can have horrendous effects. However, if when our income is higher, we continue to plan ahead, investing for the future, it will allow us to retain the luxuries of the present throughout the rest of our lives. It is easy to get caught up in the everyday which flies ever faster until it is too late, so prepare now while you are still at minimum risk and the payments will be low and the return is high.
Think about what those close to you will do when you pass. If you’re married, how will your partner survive? If you have children, how will they get their educations in a climate of ever-soaring costs for college? Life insurance isn’t just to help you, it’s to help those close to you as well.
If you look for the best policy to meet your needs, buy from an honest and trustworthy company, and completely understand all the rules and clauses involved, there’s no way you will regret getting life insurance. Even if you never get thanked for it, it’s something you should do for yourself and your loved ones.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
In times like these, people tend to think about how to provide for their family even after they’re gone. But with wallets so thin, how can you even afford that extra safety net? Life insurance is affordable for most people, and has a wealth of options to fit into anyone’s lifestyle. But you need to know what you’re getting into first, and we’re here to help you figure that out.
Term life coverage is a temporary measure of protection. It will help to clear off the debts and serve as an extra security of the insured. Individual?s demand and obligations differs from person to person. At the time of its maturity, it would be helpful to meet out the immediate obligations and necessaries.
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.
You can get coverage from around 100,000 dollars up to several million dollars. To get the best policy compare quotes from several different insurance firms. The internet can offer quick quotes and other relevant information for free. Remember to look at term length, amount of coverage, and premiums as well as rates on every policy before deciding on the best one.
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.
The premium is the price for the life insurance policy. Finding out lower premium insurance company is not much harder one. Such low priced insurance can be searched over online easily. The life coverage that can be secured differs based on the age of the insurer. A person aged 20, may get high insurance coverage, say for example, he may get coverage for 500,000 dollars for 25 dollars monthly premium, whereas, a person aged 50, can get coverage for only 100,000 dollars. This is the same case in between female insurers also. So, it would be better to take up life coverage at younger age.
A life insurance agent can help you determine which policy is best suited to your financial situation. Using the internet to research life insurance policies and prices allows you to get the best policy and help secure you and your family?s financial future.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance website. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
As we begin our journey through life as adults, we must make some major decisions about how we are to conduct our lives. So many times we just struggle through the day-to-day problems without any plans and that’s a mistake. Possibly the most important aspect of our lives is financial security. Our financial stability affects every other facet of life to some degree. You would think that a good job and a nice home are enough, but ask yourself this question; what would happen to you and our family should an accident or disaster occur?
The task of financial security is not easy. We have to be extra careful in this process. We should start by cleaning up our expense schedule. Cut out unwanted expenditure and start investing. We should not let emotional turmoil get in the way. We should be realistic and should work our way to mental peace. We would not have to think about problems once the financial aspect of our life is secured.
I feel that it’s important for people to not have to struggle after their loved ones pass on, and since I and my wife don’t have any kids, one of my reasons for buying life insurance was to help her in case I passed early. So far I’ve needed to call on insurance to help me out with my wife twice. The first time was a surgical procedure, and the second was a less serious accident that nonetheless required half a month’s stay in the hospital.
If I had not gotten the health insurance plan, we would have been at our wit’s end wondering how to pay the bills. The plan I purchased covered the expenses completely; I had no out-of-pocket payments. Purchasing the Health Insurance policy was efficient and easy. I feel that I made good decisions for our future; the bills could have impacted our family’s finances dramatically.
Few years back, my sister completed her studies and said to me that once she gets a good job and gets settled, she wanted to invest in a life insurance policy. She wanted to have an independent and secure future. Later on, she got settled and took a policy. Once she got insured, she advised me to get a life insurance policy once i get settled. And when i got a job, i went to a consultant and after looking at all my details, she gave me the advise that i should get a universal life insurance policy. If you are looking for financial security, the best way is investing in a life insurance policy. Remember, financial security is everything. Better be safe than sorry.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
If you shop for a life insurance policy on the Internet, you’ll find many websites where you are able to acquire a free quote. The ease of obtaining this information makes it a breeze for you to comparison shop and truly find the best value for your life insurance policy. The only thing you’ll need to do is just find as many websites as you can to request quotes from and compare as many of these as you’d like.
To get the best price comparisons, you can look online. Many life insurance companies these days offer free online quotes so that you can compare with other companies and make the decision on what works best for you. Some other websites also allow you to run side-by-side comparisons of up to five different companies at once. This makes it even faster and easier than looking at each company?s website.
Don’t worry about entering personal information when looking for quotes on insurance sites. Because these companies are trying to earn your business, they run very secure sites and won’t sell or leak your information, the public would get wind of that very quickly, and it would be bad news for them.
Choose companies that are reputed for their good quotes and whose business is going strong- you don’t want to risk that your chosen company will shut down on you, potentially losing a lot of your money. If you choose companies well, you’ll know that you’re receiving the best quotes you can get to compare and you can feel secure in your decision when you finally make a choice.
Keep in mind the overall length of the term when comparing insurance quotes. The term length and premium determine whether or not you’re really getting the best deal. Ideally you’ll want to find the longest terms with the lowest premiums. You’ll get the best deal you can and you won’t have to renew your search too soon.
But remember, the very best rate that you’ll find is one that you know you are able to afford. If you are unable to pay the premiums, the policy is no good to you. Determine what you can budget out for life insurance premiums every month and use the number you come up with to help guide your search. Keep in mind that if in the future you are able to put more money into your life insurance that your company will allow you to upgrade your policy.
Get the best rates that you can by looking online, but remember that your search for life insurance isn’t all about price; buy life insurance is for the peace of mind that a good policy can provide.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
While none of us like to think about our mortality, if you want to ensure that those you leave behind are financially comfortable then considering buying life cover is a necessity. Certainly, looking on the internet for information and getting quote from a specialist life insurance broker is often the best way to go about taking out valuable security.
There are various forms of life cover and you have to decide first which the right choice for your circumstances is. Of the various types of life assurance, term life cover is probably the most common. In a nutshell, you choose how many years you want to be covered for and if you pass away during the policy term, you family would receive a tax free lump sum. However, the cover would not pay out if you were still alive when the cover ended.
Life insurance is not a source to pay the funeral bills as many believe. It is the amount your family would receive after your death so that this money helps them to pay bills. By taking a life insurance, you are helping your family stand financially independent in your absence.
The insurance benefit will be a great boon to your family. When there no other earning member, the coverage received would be very useful to meet out all your necessities necessary for a problem free life. It is enough to make coverage to meet out only that much what is needed. Searching through online and if need be contacting an agent is the appropriate way to find a proper insurance coverage.
Life insurance premium is decided by taking into account current physical health. In short, a person with ideal mass according to their height can get the lowest premium. It is for sure that one with a disproportionate weight to his height is to get higher premiums for his insurance. One can exercise regularly and eat nutritious and healthy food to maintain a fit and healthy body.
Unhealthy habits take a toll on your life. Smoking and drinking drastically affects your lungs. The bad news doesn?t end there; you need to cough up more amount as premiums for your life insurance. A person should have left the habit of smoking or drinking for at least 12 months to be considered to a lower premium for his life insurance. One can decide on the amount for which he is going to insure his life. Several things like an estimated cost for children?s education and the bills you need to cover with the insurance money are to be taken into consideration before going for a quote. You would get a round figure for this if you multiply your annual earnings ten fold.
As we cannot predict what could happen in the future we do have to give some thought to protecting our lives against the fact that we could die at anytime. Life cover does just this and it does not have to be expensive.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance website. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
Life insurance is one of the common forms of investments and almost all the insurance companies try attracting customers by promoting their advantages. While there are many good offers, one must look through their terms and conditions before making an investment. These days everyone wants to invest in a life insurance policy which is a very beneficial option. However, the main idea of the insurance being security, it is important to look at the terms and see if it will actually keep your family safe and secure.
Life is great and smooth when you live it alone. Since you do not have the obligation to protect anyone else?s life, you can earn and spend as and when you like. The problem arises when you decide to get married and have a family of your own. All of a sudden you have the responsibility of securing the lives of certain other people as well. You first have your spouse to think about. If your spouse is also employed somewhere, the burden is slightly eased.
However, lack of that option can put a strain on your income. Therefore, you would want to earn and save for future. However, once you want to have children, it becomes more and more burdensome on your pockets. Therefore, the most important thing is to plan your life in advance. While no one can predict demise of a person, we all know that it is inevitable. You will not want to leave your loves ones at the mercy of others in case you are no more in the world. While life can never be compensated for, some economic support can definitely make it easier to bear the pain. Financial security helps a lot in such a situation and a way to ensure is to take a life insurance.
It may be easier if she is working because then you do not have to adjust your lifestyles much, and you may continue enjoying your luxury. Further decisions are made and you may decide to expand your family further and get a child. At this juncture it becomes really important to invest in a life insurance company, to make sure that your wife and child may continue living in the same standards even in your death. It would be very bad to live your family struggling, or to have them change their lifestyle in case you pass on. Such is the importance of having a life insurance policy. We cannot pay for our loss, but we feel financially secure when we have invested in a life insurance policy.
There are many types of policies available with different types of coverage and offers. You must consider all the policies before investing into them. While you will benefit from all of them, you must see which one is the most beneficial one. Some of the most common policies that you can buy are the life term insurance policy, the mortgage insurance policy, the universal insurance policy etc.
When choosing which type of policy to invest in, you need to look at all of the varying degrees of policies; everything from term life insurance policies, universal insurance policies, mortgage insurance policies and many others, to decide which one will be the right fit for you and your family. A life insurance agent will be able to highlight the pros and cons of each separate type of policy, discuss your situation and what you hope to get out of your insurance policy, and then help you choose the best one for your family.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
Life insurance is very popular these days. Many people purchase policies, and advertisements for it are as prevalent as those for car insurance or home insurance. Yet most people don’t understand how life insurance works as well as they understand other kinds of insurance.
Basically speaking, there are two types of life insurance. Term life insurance is one. Whole life insurance is the other. Each of these types has a number of subcategories, but understanding these two basic types will provide you with a clear picture of how life insurance works in general.
Your whole life is covered in Whole insurance policy whereas the other one term insurance gives coverage for a specified period only according to the policy taken up. In these policies, after the death of the insured, the death benefit to his family beneficiaries. There are fixed premium plans in which you have to pay the same amount as your monthly or quarterly or half yearly or annual premium. These premiums will be same throughout. The whole life insurance is blended with investment funds also.
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.
At the time of taking a term insurance, its validity period is predetermined. Which is reason that such policies premiums are lower? The insurance agent?s cover-up people and attract them by showing the low premium factor. Though the whole life coverage policy seems to be expensive, it has many advantages of its own. So long the policy is kept alive by regularly paying premiums; the whole life policy gives full lifetime coverage. This policy has no expiration factor as in term life policy. And also the initial premium stands through out without any change irrespective of the period factor of the policy i.e., 20 years, 30 years or the whole life.
If you choose your life insurance well and pay into it reliably, then you can even use it to improve your own life long before you pass on. Life insurance that has acquired real cash value from your payments will turn into something you can borrow against. The extra leeway for loans can help open up new financial options in your life that weren’t possible before, and best of all, you’re in complete control of the whole thing. In fact, if you decide you don’t want your life insurance anymore, there’s nothing stopping you from simply cashing the whole thing in! So don’t hesitate about getting life insurance under the fear that you’ll have to stick with a policy forever.
The insurance industry has adapted to the internet wonderfully, incidentally. If you’re starting to think about shopping for life insurance, you should probably start with the internet. Free quotes and easy side by side comparisons of different company offers are available at the click of a button. So go ahead and dive on in, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Life Insurance provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/
Tags: death, Disability, finance, health, insurance, Life Cover, life insurance, people Posted in insurance | No Comments »
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