Posts Tagged ‘people’

Assessment Of Risk With Life Insurance

Wednesday, June 30th, 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 help the insurance companies in analyzing the risk involved in approving a particular application. At the end of the day, insurance companies are looking to make profits, and for this underwriting becomes an important exercise for them. Underwriting includes three steps, performed one after the other. The steps include examining the application, deciding to insure or not, determining the premium.

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

After the details are collected, the decision making phase starts. Here all the parameters are gauged one by one, and the applicant is remarked for each parameter. These parameters are also known as the risk factors. For an applicant to have his application approved, he must score low on these risk factors. Although each of the risk factors has its own weight and importance, it is common belief that most insurance companies emphasize more on the age and health of the applicant. A young age and a good health of the applicant make it easy for the insurance company to approve the application. Similarly, an old aged and ailing applicant may not get a nod fro the insurance company. Living environment is another aspect considered by the companies. A good living environment implies that the applicant would suffer lesser ailments, and hence live long. As against this, a polluted and unhygienic living environment creates doubts in the minds of the insurance company. The gender of the applicant can also play a role at times. Many companies believe that women live healthier and fitter than men, for they do not take depressions. Interestingly, married men are believed to live a healthier life than the married women, indicating that the marital status also plays a role in the approval or denial of the insurance policy application. Lastly, the living habits of the customer also determine the fate of the application. If the applicant is a smoker and/or drinker, the chances of an approval are bleak.

The above risk factors also help in determining the premium amounts for the individual. A high score would get the individual to pay higher premiums. A young and healthy individual normally pays lower premiums as compared to an old ailing individual.

Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator a leading South African Life Insurance and Life Cover portal. For more information on the different types of life insurance visit our website.

How Did Insurance Begin

Sunday, June 13th, 2010

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

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

The first known form of insurance appeared in China as early as 5000 BC. It was a way for traders and merchants to lessen their losses in the event their shipment was stolen or ruined. The first know form of Life Insurance began in ancient Rome. They were called burial clubs and they covered the cost of member?s funeral expense and help the members surviving family out fiscally.

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 now a necessity for a normal life in every nation on Earth. Insurance now covers Life, property, health, and even liability from lawsuits. The insurance commodity is now a multi-billion dollar business. 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.

Finding Security For Life

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

Life insurance companies have many methods which allow for the supplementation of a family if the breadwinner were to come to an early, unexpected death. We now have the option of choosing a type of life insurance policy that will work for our needs and invest into it accordingly. Unlike others who ignore the necessity of investing into the future or immediate gain, those of us who put the effort towards investments are able to have peace of mind and relax regarding the security of our family?s financial future.

And then, as we all do when we find something wonderful for our own lives, we can spread the good news of investing to our family and friends to guard against possible financial disasters.

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.

A few years back, my aunt unexpectedly lost her husband. However, because my uncle had been investing in the universal life insurance policy for a couple of years, she was getting good returns, allowing her children to complete their education with no added financial hardships.

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/

Financial Security Through Life Insurance.

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

There’s no way to get through life comfortably without a secure financial foundation. If something bad could happen to you, think to yourself, ‘Could I pay for that without any help?’ For most accidents and disasters that’s not the case. Even if you can pay it all off, you end up stressed and uncomfortable from the unexpected expenses. That’s why we have insurance like life insurance to help us when things don’t go our way.

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.

Naturally, I was worried! But thanks to my insurance policy, all the costs and fees associated with both these horrible events just disappeared. I was busy enough just dealing with my concern for my wife’s well being, so not having to fret over the money was an incredible advantage at the time. Don’t you think it was the right thing to do, getting coverage for both myself and my wife? I didn’t want to think of my wife in pain or hurt, but sometimes these things happen, and I was ready for it with the right insurance.

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/

Life Family Protection

Friday, May 14th, 2010

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

Term life 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.

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

Life insurance coverage can go up to the millions, but most of us aren’t quite that wealthy. More people will settle for amounts in the thousands or tens of thousands range. If you have doubts about how much coverage you should get, or how much you should be willing to pay, there’s nothing wrong with getting the advice of professionals in the insurance industry. Better yet, though, you can try comparing quotes from various companies online. This is free, easy to do, and only takes a few minutes. The important thing to keep in mind when getting online quotes is that you have to fill out your forms accurately. Bad forms means your calculated quotes will be inaccurate, and that’s your fault for giving the companies bad info to work with!

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

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

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

Life Insurance

Wednesday, May 12th, 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.

A variety of life insurance policies are on offer and you have to choose one according to your preferences and circumstances. The basic types of life insurances are whole life insurance and term life insurance. As the name suggest, whole life insurance is for your whole life, and term life insurance is for a period of your life that you choose to insure.

Many of the people are in wrong thought that the insurance coverage will help for their funeral expenses. But, it is not the real fact and effect of an insurance coverage. It provides some financial assistance and comfort to your family after your life.

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.

The amount of premium is fixed on the basis of your age, health and the coverage you require. When height and weight are within the prescribed limits, then the premium would be at lower cost. If you are protecting this aspect with proper exercises, then everything will be alright.

One who is out of unhealthy practices, such as smoking, taking drinks, get long coverage at cheaper cost. One having smoking habit has to fully give it up for at least a year or more, to become a non-smoker. To arrive at your need to get life coverage, take 10 times of your monthly income, and from that come to a conclusion about the probable coverage you need for your family. Take into consideration all your dues, loans, mortgages, education of your children etc. before coming to a conclusion.

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 provider. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/

Things To Consider When Comparing Life Insurance Quotes

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

You may be wary of buying something as important as a life insurance policy through the internet, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not using every tool available to look into the life insurance market and figure out what’s best for you. Those tools just so happen to include a computer and an internet connection as some of the most valuable ones. Did you know that many insurance companies will offer you quotes at no charge online, allowing you to easily compare which companies have the best prices?

Some sites are even highly specialized in this particular function, allowing you to snatch up quotes from many different companies, place them side by side, and compare and contrast them directly. This saves you a lot of time and effort asking for individual quotes from various companies and waiting patiently on their responses. With comparisons like this you can be sure to get the best possible market price when acquiring a life insurance policy, maximizing the benefit to those you care about in the case of your passing on.

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.

When comparing life insurance quotes, be sure to compare premiums, terms, death benefits, and clauses for each that you’ve selected to research. By comparing quotes, you’ll be able to get the best death benefits possible for the lowest possible price.

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.

Another good tip while searching for life insurance is to compare the actual companies you’re thinking of buying from. You’ll want to make sure that the company you choose is well-established and has high customer satisfaction ratings. This will help make sure that you will always have help with your life insurance when you need it, and that the company won?t simply fold after you?ve bought 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 website. For more information visit: http://life.insurance123.co.za/

categories: Insurance,Finance,Life Insurance,Life Cover,Health,Death,Disability,People

Need Of Buying A Life Insurance Policy

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

There are a multitude of companies in the insurance industry offering life insurance policies these days. Each company offers different degrees of coverage for those interested in signing up. Once you start looking at coverage for yourself or your spouse, it?s very important that all of fine print is read and understood by those the policy will cover.

To find that people are trying hard to invest a fraction of their savings in life insurance policies is very encouraging. It is extremely important to secure the future of our family?s and in so doing ensure that they benefit in any case.

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.

If there are kids in the picture, a college savings plan should be started. An investment in a life insurance policy is also a very good idea and something that people often forget to budget in. Everyone wants their spouse and children to not have to worry about money in the event that something goes wrong and they’re no longer around to provide for the family. No one likes thinking about the possibility of death, but once you have a family, that kind of tragedy needs to be considered and talked about so that everyone is prepared to face it if it ever happens. Benefits from a life insurance policy would secure your family’s home, pay bills, pay funeral costs and allow everyone to grieve appropriately with less stress from wondering where the money for all of those things is going to come from.

Death is as unfortunate as it is inevitable and so we should always be psychologically prepared and ensure that our families are not left suffering. To live in serenity and with peace of mind, it becomes important to make the relevant resolutions, as this will also help us resolve our critical conditions in life. Life insurance policies help us achieve this.

Before you invest in any type of policy, you must gather all the information regarding it. In fact, it will be better to seek professional information and opinion regarding it. Therefore, it is a good idea to take the aid and advice of a life insurance expert.

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

The Benefits of Life Insurance

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Life insurance provides you with two major benefits. First, it protects loved ones against the financial consequences of your death. Second, it offers living benefits.

Everyone knows that the financial consequences of death can be overwhelming. When a spouse, parent, child, sibling or grandparent dies, there is a great deal of emotional trauma to deal with by the surviving family members. However, the financial consequences can be even more destructive. If there is no life insurance in place, surviving family members are thrust into a position of extreme financial difficulty. Not only do they have to contend with the loss of future income, but there’s also the death and burial itself. They generate sudden and unexpected expenses.

If you look at the mortality statistics, you will see that a significant number of people die each year, long before they achieve their normal life expectancy. If the deceased is a breadwinner in a family, that premature death can have tragic consequences, on many levels. Not only are survivors trying to deal with deep personal grief and loss, but they are also facing grave financial concerns. They can no longer rely on that breadwinner’s salary to meet the daily living expenses.

Funeral costs are not the only immediate expenses that crop up. Other expenses could include such things as executor’s fees and estate administration. Outstanding debts like promissory notes, car loans, mortgages, the balance on credit cards and medical expenses must be paid. Not to mention there are death taxes, and state and federal taxes.

The future security of your loved ones is another factor in a premature death. Just basic living expenses, the mortgage, and raising and educating children are some of those concerns. Actually, it doesn’t matter what financial obligations are left behind, the only option your survivors have is to pay them, and that takes money. If you want to assure yourself that your family is not forced to deal with the financial devastation a premature death can cause, then a life insurance policy is the perfect answer.

Some survivors may have a time during which it will be difficult to work, and some may have to think about a survivor’s blackout period. This is a time where social security stops paying the surviving spouse, because dependent children are no longer a factor. These events are difficult if no monies are available. Also, some families try to plan for a surviving spouse’s retirement needs. Because of the fact that life insurance can generate an immediate estate, at a time when it is most needed, it is a means of estate building.

Life insurance also supplies living benefits, as some types of permanent policies offer a cash benefit. In addition to the death settlement, they accrue a cash value, and this cash value belongs to the policyholder. Some permanent policies also permit withdrawals from the cash benefit, and these can be used for any reason the policyholder chooses. The policyholder can also take out loans from the insurance company, by using the policy’s cash value as loan collateral.

Susan Reynolds is the webmaster for a leading South African Insurance Provider who specialises in Life Insurance Policies.

Stepping Into The World Of Life Insurance

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

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

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

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

Term life insurance covers you for a set number of years, or term, instead of your whole life. Term life insurance is generally less expensive than whole life insurance, and is generally a little more popular than whole life insurance for this reason. If you have term life insurance, then you must be careful about its expiration. If you don’t plan ahead, then you will find yourself looking for another life insurance policy at a time when life insurance will cost you more.

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.

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

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

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