Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Getting A Life Insurance Policy After A Cancer Diagnosis

Many people mistakenly believe that they can not be life after cancer is diagnosed. While there are insurance companies that will deny pre-existing condition, there are others who will see you as a man of value. At the time most people use the internet, then the best place to shop for the right policy for your needs is by viewing them online. You can get a list of a number of life insurance companies and you can read and understand what each of them will close. The best way to get the highest value that will be displayed on your screen to enter the country and postal code and you'll see the most recommended for your area.

With life insurance companies that provide life insurance akan akan cancer and describe the severity depends on your pain, then the rate will be based on that. Some conditions such as skin cancer does not impact your premium at all. If you have such as prostrate and breast cancer that can be treated, in many cases you can buy a standard life insurance policy. Respected life insurance companies that will offer a policy that allows you to pay a premium based on the stage of your treatment.

When to apply for cancer insurance, it is very important to be really honest and to give specific details. Many life insurance companies will consult with your doctor to ensure that they have enough information when you refine the policy. Some of the policies that have added additional cost, depending on the type of cancer. Based on how many years you through the treatment and prognosis, then the additional charge will remain until you have completed the entire treatment process. After a period of time, the additional cost will be lost as a start recovery.

After you make your choice for the insurance policy, you must fill out the application online. Talking with the customer service representative for any additional questions. Be prepared to pay for your policy with one of the main credit or debit card or a low cost monthly payment. You still living you updated as underwriter dealing with the disease.

Health Care and Health Insurance Costs Can Be Controlled Through Lifestyle Choices

As you may know all to well, the cost of health care and health insurance premiums continue to increase in the level substantially above the general level of inflation. The reasons given for increasing the cost of many extraordinary and include: technological advancements in the medical field, increased demand for medical services and prescription drugs, the aging population, cost shifting caused by the uninsured and the replacement cost of the government, state and federal mandates, and costs associated with medical related lawsuits.

As consumers, we have little control over some of the factors contributing to the cost of health care. However, we all have control over lifestyle related health insurance claims. A simple formula is to eat balanced diet, do the right amount of daily exercise, participating in annual physicals and routine care is recommended, to limit alcohol consumption, and eliminate the use of tobacco products will reduce the cost of our personal health. In addition to reducing medical costs, other benefits such as the following formula including energy, self confidence, less stress, and increase productivity. If you are not doing so already, I encourage you to consider practical ways to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. For example, an individual health insurance companies my organization has been working with one of the options that will offset 25% of the cost of annual health club membership. Simple as taking a walk, ride a bike, or going swimming promote both a healthy body and mind. If you have a sweet tooth, consider limiting yourself to eating desert once a week. You will enjoy more and your body will thank you.

Health insurance premiums will continue to increase for the cost of health care continues to rise. The best way to reduce overall health care costs is to reduce our need for health. Healthy lifestyle choices and be careful to use the health system is the best and easiest way to get a handle on our health care expenditures. Perhaps the many benefits of a healthy lifestyle is our ability to enjoy precious time on earth with the full.

Term Life Insurance and Permanent Life Insurance

Term insurance and permanent insurance are two basic types of life insurance. Term life insurance is temporary, and only covers a certain time called the relevant term. Permanent life insurance is a type of insurance where the policy for the life insured and guaranteed payment at the end of the policy. Term life insurance build cash value on the life insurance will still get the cash value.

Now let us see the pros and cons for term life insurance and permanent life insurance.

Term insurance has two advantages. First, the initial premium is usually lower than the initial insurance premium permanent. Secondly, term insurance is better to cover needs such as loans or mortgages that will be lost in time.

There are some weaknesses in the term life insurance: Coverage might become too expensive to maintain, or at the end of the term. Also, the premiums increase with age. In addition, the insurance is paid in cash and the value is usually not offered.

Excess insurance is fixed as follows: You get the life insurance protection for as long as you have to pay a premium. Second, the cash value of the policy is and you can borrow from it. Third, you can choose to set the premium costs whether fixed or flexible depending on your needs. In addition, the insurance policy's cash value may be up for cash value. In addition, you can add conditions to the policy for the option to purchase additional insurance without having to provide evidence of insurability.

There are some weaknesses in the permanent life insurance. First, the required level of premium can make enough to buy protection difficult. Also, if not kept long enough, permanent life insurance may be more expensive than term life insurance.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Learn About Whole Life Insurance

Whole Life Insurance, Trends, and Staying Power

Whole life insurance provides customers with a life insurance policy that will help their loved ones in the future, and with an investment component that will help customers and their families right away. This mixture of delayed and instant gratification has been attractive to life insurance shoppers for decades, but today's trend in life insurance is moving away from whole life insurance packages. Once, whole life insurance policies were the standard, but today they are the exception.

As the economy changes and the American public become increasingly savvy about money management, the full service that a whole life insurance policy provides just isn't as necessary as it used to be. People who want a more hands on approach to investing are likely to find a whole life insurance policy too limiting. And, the amount of money that one of these policies requires each month can make it difficult to pursue other investment options, especially for middle and lower class families who are living on a budget. A lot of financial experts today feel the investment portions of whole life insurance policies do not offer customers the best return rate on their money. This provides an incentive for people to purchase term life insurance policies which do not include any investment components, and then invest their money elsewhere.

However, there are still some advantages to purchasing a whole life insurance policy. Although the investments that an insurance company will make on your behalf may not be the most lucrative, they will almost certainly be among the most stable. Many people prefer a lower rate of return with a lower chance of loss rather than a riskier gamble. There is plenty to be said in favor of this perspective, especially when it comes to planning for the future. In addition, people who do not have the discipline or inclination to save money on their own often find the structured saving a whole life insurance policy requires to be a boon.

If the idea of budgeting your own savings plans and spending time researching hot stock tips appeals to you, a whole life insurance policy probably won't be to your personal taste. Of course, even if you don't opt for this tried and true kind of policy, you can be certain that someone else will. Although today's trends seem to foretell the end of the whole life insurance policy, there are still enough customers interested in this kind of traditional and conservative policy that insurance companies will be likely to offer this kind of coverage for many years to come.


Life Insurance Online To Buy

These days, you can buy virtually any product or service online. Now, the life insurance industry has entered the fast lane. Potential buyers are encouraged to visit websites and apply for policies online. It takes only a few minutes to choose a policy, enter your personal details and get a quote. No longer must potential customers spend time shuffling paperwork with insurance sellers.

Purchasing insurance online is not only convenient, but simple too. More and more people, once put off by the life insurance purchase, are choosing to apply and buy policies over the Internet. Busy young families, business professionals and single men and women are buying online to save time and reduce hassle.

The first company to bring about the wave of change by setting up a do-it-yourself site was the Liberty Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of RBC Insurance. Users are able to visit the site to get life insurance quotes, and to purchase their new policies. Online applications are processed instantly and if found acceptable, a policy will be issued within fifteen minutes. This quick turnaround is possible because application information is forwarded for automated underwriting, and reviewed in a secure electronic environment. There is no passing of files, and no human interaction at play.

As soon as the applicant is issued a policy, he or she will receive a secure 'i-folder' containing file details, documents and correspondence. Policyholders can perform a wide range of functions online using this folder, including changing nominees and updating payment methods. There is no insurance office to visit, no officer to meet and no paperwork to clear.

Online sites make the entire process of purchasing life insurance simple, safe and appealing to potential buyers. Since the process is virtually instant and very transparent, the customer feels in control of the situation.

There is a limit to the amount of life insurance that can be purchased online. Generally the available range is between $50,000 to $1,500,000. Policies are available in ten, fifteen or twenty year options at competitive rates.

If you're still a little hesitant about buying life insurance online, it's important to know that purchasers have the option of returning their policies within 31 days to receive a full refund if they are not satisfied.

Life insurance is an important part of planning for the future. If you've been putting off the task because of bureaucracy and paperwork, consider purchasing your life insurance online. It's quick and easy to review insurance company information, compare quotes and get the information you need to make a smart decision.

More Than Just Life Insurances

Insurance, as we all know is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of potential financial loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a potential loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for a premium and duty of care.

When we think of taking insurance what immediately strikes our mind are the life insurances. Families often consider life insurance as necessary as a sound roof when it comes to protecting them from the harsh winds of fate, especially when children are small. Primary bread earners want assurance that even if worst things happen, the house will be paid for and the youngsters can continue to go to college. But there are many worst things which can happen within once life period like a disability that could knock the family provider out of the workplace. While industry studies show that workers are three to five times more likely to be disabled than die early, disability insurance is often neglected. What is the point of having a life insurance if you are disabled? While premature death tends to have a bigger emotional impact, disability can be equally, if not more, devastating to a family financial stability. Disability can be long term or short term and can be broken down into a number of broad sub categories.

Physical impairments affecting movement.

Lack of amputation of limbs or other body parts.

Sensory impairments, such as visual or hearing impairments

Neurological impairments.

Cognitive impairments.

Psychiatric conditions

The often heard "It won't happen to me" has become a joke as daily someone or the other living in this world is diagnosed with some kind of a disease or other.For example Diabetics is one such kind of a disease that is common among youngsters today.Shocking to hear!!! But true facts are sometimes difficult to accept.With such a situation in hand, there is a high demand not only for life insurances but also disability insurances.

Disability insurances are of two types;

Long Term Disability

Short Term Disability

Based on the type of disability, there are various different policies to suit you need and requirement.

Short-Term Disability policies

Have a waiting period of 0 to 14 days with a maximum benefit period of no longer than two years

Long-Term Disability policies

Have a waiting period of several weeks to several months with a maximum benefit period ranging from a few years to the rest of your life.

Disability policies have two different protection features that are important to understand.

1. No-cancelable means the policy cannot be canceled by the insurance company, except for nonpayment of premiums. This gives you the right to renew the policy every year without an increase in the premium or a reduction in benefits.

2. Guaranteed renewable gives you the right to renew the policy with the same benefits and not have the policy canceled by the company. However, your insurer has the right to increase your premiums as long as it does so for all other policyholders in the same rating class as you.

In addition to the traditional disability policies, there are several options you should consider when purchasing a policy:

Additional purchase options

Your insurance company gives you the right to buy additional insurance at a later time.

Coordination of benefits

The amount of benefits you receive from your insurance company is dependent on other benefits you receive because of your disability. Your policy specifies a target amount you will receive from all the policies combined, so this policy will make up the difference not paid by other policies.

Cost of living adjustment(COLA)

The COLA increases your disability benefits over time based on the increased cost of living measured by the Consumer Price Index. You will pay a higher premium if you select the COLA.

Residual or partial disability rider

This provision allows you to return to work part-time, collect part of your salary and receive a partial disability payment if you are still partially disabled.

Return of premium

This provision requires the insurance company to refund part of your premium if no claims are made for a specific period of time declared in the policy.

Waiver of premium provision

This clause means that you do not have to pay premiums on the policy after you're disabled for 90 days.

If you decide to buy a private disability insurance policy, remember that policies are legal contracts.

Read and compare the policies and understand the provisions before you sign.

In comparing policies, you might want to consider:

Is disability defined as your inability to perform your own job or any job?

Does the policy cover accidents and illness?

Are benefits paid for partial or recurring disabilities?

Are full benefits paid after loss of sight, speech, hearing or use of limbs?

Is the policy no cancelable, guaranteed renewable or conditionally renewable?

How long must the worker be disabled before premiums are waived?

Is there an option to buy additional coverage, without evidence of medical insurability, at a later date?

Does the policy offer an inflation adjustment?

There are many disability insurance companies and agents all around the world to offer their services.

Based on once necessities, he or she can choose the best disability insurance to suit their needs.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Why Health Is Life Insurance Is Important For Your Family

Whether you deny it or not, health life insurance can really help protect your family. Although there are a lot of people who do not entertain the idea of death, it is still something that cannot be avoided. Unless you have discovered the fountain of youth, death is the ultimate threat to your loved ones.

Death does not just entail the loss of a loved one. In many cases, death haunts people because of the series of events that it triggers. For example, the death of the breadwinner in the family is more than enough reason to have larger than life problems. Would you want your family to experience this kind of situation? Get a health life insurance now.

Health life insurance in focus

A health life insurance is a kind of well, insurance, that covers a lot of things. Funeral costs are usually the major coverage of most health life insurance. In some cases, a health life insurance also provides people with the benefit of not worrying about hospital bills. There are also health life insurances that will provide your loved ones with certain amount of money after your death.

Offered by the different public and private institutions, health life insurances can be compared to social securities. People who have health life insurances are required to pay a minimum amount during a period of time. Once the insurance policy matures, the bearer of the health life insurance would be entitled to several benefits agreed in the policy.

Advantages of having a health life insurance

Having a health life insurance for your family will always provide you with a number of positive benefits. To give you an idea, here are just some of the things that you would enjoy for having a health life insurance:

• You're insured!

A health life insurance would guarantee that you or your family will have the financial means to support and solve whatever life and health related problems will come along the way.

• No worrying about funeral expenses

Death may have its toll financially. As a matter of fact, funeral expenses can just aggravate the lost of the families left behind. Some sources say that funeral expenses costs an average of $10,000—an amount that not all families have. And since death is always unexpected, having a health life insurance that covers funeral expenses is like being prepared for the unknown.

• Money for those who were left behind

Some health life insurance also covers giving certain amounts of money to the beneficiaries of the insurance holder. Depending on the type of health insurance plan, the funds could be received in bulk or in scheduled releases. Having a health life insurance of this type will ensure that life would still go on for those who were left behind.


Battle Over Compensation collapsed Life Insurance Firm

During an economic downturn, everyone feels the pinch, but hundreds of life insurance customers want to be pinched so they can wake up from a financial nightmare they are experiencing.

Victims of a collapsed Equitable Life Insurance group have launched a High Court battle after the Government refused to pay compensation to those who lost their savings. Some customers lost up to half their savings.

Trouble began when the insurer closed to new business in 2000 when it was unable to pay promised annuities.

From the 1950s the firm had sold policies that guaranteed a minimum allowance rate to investors but the scheme left it unable to respect its pledge.

Last summer, Parliamentary Ombudsman Ann Abraham found that the regulatory bodies had functioned in an inactive and unworried manner and that the FSA had supplied policyholders with information that was inaccurate and misleading.

Therefore, Ms Abraham recommended the establishment of a scheme that would consider individual claims for an award and that former clients should have the right for compensation after she found the Government guilty of 'a decade of regulatory failure.'

However, this stern warning from Abraham clearly fell on deaf ears, as eight years on; the customers are still waiting for their compensation.

It was revealed that the Government has rejected some of her findings, and stated that it will only consider ex-gratia payments for those in special dire positions.

The decision by the Government has angered equitable members action group (Emag) who have stated that they have been 'forced to take legal action', so therefore has applied to the High Court for a judicial review.

Paul Braithwaite, general secretary of the lobbying body, said its legal action was aimed at forcing the Government to pursue her proposals.

"The Government's continued intransigence has forced us to take legal action. The proposed hardship scheme is totally inadequate, will take years to implement and looks like leaving 90% of victims out in the cold. Our members are frail and elderly and dying by the day," he said.

The group is therefore demanding a judicial review of the government's offer on the grounds that the Treasury has not given 'cogent reasons' for refusing to accept some of the Ombudsman's findings.

As a result, EMAG is pushing for an early hearing date, claiming that around 15 Equitable Life policyholders who could be considered for compensation die each day.

Over 100's life insurance

This compensation feud between life insured consumers and the government could serve as a warning to future insurance customers – especially as another life insurance firm has introduced its over 100's policy.

The insurance group decided to begin this policy, because the average age of an individual is increasing every year.

The cover will allow people that were born before 1999 a chance to purchase the life insurance protection they need. Existing policies would only cover people to the age of 80.


Life Insurance Sector Lays It On The Line

Experts within the life insurance industry have urged many potential customers to think again with regards to their insurance policies. They claim that there is generally no need to live without any type of life insurance policy in these uncertian times as there are so many variable types on offer.

With all the indicators pointing towards the fact that fewer and fewer consumers are looking to purchase life cover, the question is what types of cover are available?

Types

For those looking for a bit of excitement and variety, there is the option of a Variable life policy, which encourages the customer to amass a sum of money in order for it to be invested in a stock offered by the given company. The amont payable would be based on how well the investment does.

Those looking for more traditional cover could choose a whole life cover which means you pay into a policy in order for it to be attributed out to a nominated beneficiary when you pass away.

Despite the variety and comprehensive cover on offer, the industry struggles to reach all of its intended audience.

Few

Only last year Norwich Union revealed the depressing news that over 20 million adults in Britain do not own a life insurance policy or any kind of protection cover.

The leading insurance company has warned that many of the population without life insurance policies are risking financial ruin by leaving their future up to chance.

Research has shown that the main reason for not purchasing life insurance is that they either haven't thought about it or considered taking out a policy (37%).

Head of protection marketing at Norwich Union, Darren Dicks commented; "These findings are cause for concern as they suggest many people are taking an 'it won't happen to me' approach to protection. Around 52% of UK adults have no life cover at all and the remainder are either underinsured or unsure about what type of cover they hold."

"There is currently a £2.3 trillion protection gap in the UK which leaves a large proportion of the population vulnerable. Many people wait until they have a particular event in their lives, such as a house purchase or the birth of a child before they purchase life cover, but people shouldn't take the view that they need to wait," he concluded

Peace of mind

Everyone, particularly families, are being urged by leading insurance companies to protect their mortgage and their lifestyle with the appropriate insurance as the realities of the credit crunch begin to take effect.

Following news that life cover policies are on the decline, Legal & General have reacted by painting a depressing picture to the British population.

Bonnie Burns, Product Marketing Director of Protection says: "Anyone with a mortgage is likely to be worrying about how much their payments might rise if they have to remortgage this year. This is set against a backdrop of higher council tax, higher food and petrol bills and slow wage increases. The question on many people's lips could therefore be 'can I afford protection?' but the question should be 'can I afford not to have it?'"


Do Inteligent People Buy Life Insurance

I have been in the life insurance business for more than 40 years and have heard many uninformed people criticise life insurance. It has even become quite an industry to discount the merits of owning a policy.

Agents and brokers selling these products have unique types of exposure and are more qualified to give an opinion on the merits of owning a policy than the so called experts who know little or nothing about the subject. Want to know how important life insurance is? Ask an agent or better yet ask a widow with small children. I have paid many a claim to wives who had their husbands suddenly die. I have never been told by any of them that their caring husband did a terrible thing by purchasing a life insurance policy.

I have on occasion paid small claims to the mother of a young man or woman who died too young. These mothers were not expecting any financial gain from the death of their child. The fact is they didn't even want the money but it certainly helped bury the child they loved so much. It also helped clear up outstanding debt or even paid an attorney who guided the survivors through probate.

Is life insurance a bad thing? It certainly is not. It is, in fact, a great financial instrument.

In order to strengthen their arguments these pundits pick at the type of policy you buy. Let us look at them together.

Term life policies are the cheapest types to buy. If you decide to spend a certain amount of money on life insurance you will get considerable more death benefit if you buy a term policy. Here is the problem with term though; you have to die to win. Term insurance has no living benefits. Here is something else very few members of the public know. Term insurance doesn't stay in force very long. Most term policies go into a state of lapse before the end of the first year. Why?

The first time the policy owner has some sort of financial problem they stop paying the premium. The individual feels he, or she, can always get another one when they are in a better financial position. What is wrong with that?

First of all you will be older when you decide to buy your term policy again. It will therefore cost more for the same policy. Another thing is that the older you get the more likely it is that your health will deteriorate. Now you really need your life insurance policy to protect your family. You may need to pay even more to get it or you may not be able to get it at all. This would certainly put you in an uncomfortable position, wouldn't it.

Permanent life insurance tends to stay in force longer than term policies. Whether you own a Universal life policy, a variable universal life policy, a variable life policy or a whole life policy in some form you have something to look forward to during your lifetime. These policies are not going to make you rich. The fact is it takes quite a while before you get to the break even point but at least there is something in it for you if you don't die too young.

You can use your cash values plus your dividends over the years. It is always recommended that you put it back into the policy if you take a loan. You can also let your cash values and dividends stay in the policy and accumulate until you have a substantial sum. You can then use it to put into some sort of investment that would yield you a better return on your money. For the record, dividends are not guaranteed.

Permanent policies last longer. In most cases you can keep your policy to age 100. Upon your death the face amount plus the paid up additions will be paid to your loved ones. The amount will be less than would be paid if you were spending the same amount on a term policy but the cash will be there. You are more likely to have your policy in force when you die.

The experts say buy term and invest the difference. If that is what they have been doing I would like to see what their portfolios look like now. They love to talk about investing in stocks or mutual funds, I wonder what they are worth now?

If you are going to invest the difference I suggest you put it in real estate as that is the safest investment. The value of your property may decrease for a while but just be patient and it will come back stronger than it ever was.

Intelligent people do buy life insurance, some term and some permanent policies. The key, however, is discipline.


A Difficult Decision Term Life Insurance

Andy was four years old, but because of his progeria he looked around seventy-eight. It was a little like that Brad Pitt movie.

Andy's parents, Don and Jane, were a little opportunistic, some might say exploitative. Andy was diagnosed with progeria at three and by the time he was four, the condition was in full swing. The little boy only three feet tall looked around seventy-eight. He was cute as most toddlers go, but not in the traditional sense. His little wispy growth of hair was beyond gray, more a fading white, like old man snow. It was a little like that Brad Pitt movie. Wrinkles lined his face like detour lines, directing the traffic of his experience in the wrong direction. But his curse was not the rare, incurable disease, but was instead Andy's parents. They not only failed to love their son, they weren't above exploiting him for personal gain, if they could find an angle.

Don had once been a carnival barker traveling state to state. "It's too bad this wasn't forty years ago," he told Jane, "We could have sold Andy to a freak show." Andy was out of earshot reading a Bugs Bunny book up in his room when this particularly callous remark was uttered. The boy was perceptive well beyond his years and already learned to read more than cartoonish rabbit stories. Did he know the history of P.T. Barnum? It was within the realm of possibility.

Jane voiced her own cruel suggestion in a whisper, out of consideration for her son, she said. "We could go on Oprah," she said, "and maybe cash in."

Finally they learned about term life insurance policies and how some California insurance agents sold it. They picked the California insurance agent straight out of a brand new phone book, Pacific Bell ding-ring-a-ling. The next day they were at the agent's door, little Andy in tow. He was quite inured to being paraded in front of strangers. For him it was normal. He knew that his parents didn't love him. Kids can sense such things. He was a quiet child though, and extremely polite.

At first the agent was polite, not realizing the parents' intentions. "How can I help you?" he asked, naïve to this particular nuance of greed. His Thousand Oaks office brought in a motley crew of potential customers, though few of this ilk. The California insurance agent sized up the couple quickly; but the child, why was he so old? He vaguely guessed the illness he had; feeling a wave of compassion, but the name … it didn't come to mind. The little boy smiled, melting the agent's heart.