Posts Tagged ‘death’

Life Insurance And The Underwriting

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

So many people apply for life insurance policies, but only a few of them get approved for the same. It is certainly not the easiest of jobs to get a life insurance policy. You may have enough money to pay the premiums, but it does not make you eligible for the policy. Your application for a life insurance will be assessed and analyzed. In other words, a thorough underwriting would be done on the application. Underwriting consists of the risk analysis to approve the application, and the decision on appropriate premium amounts to be paid by the individual.

Companies hires experts, called the underwriters to do the underwriting for them. At the end of the day, insurance companies need to earn profits that make them so choosy about accepting life insurance applications. There are three steps involved in the process of underwriting which are examine the application, decision to insure or not, determine the premium. Below is a discussion on these steps.

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.

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 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 portal.

A Smart Way To Get Life Insurance Quotes

Monday, June 28th, 2010

Anyone can use useful tips on getting life insurance quotes. That’s because the industry in itself is a very complicated one, regardless of what you want to insure. In order to go about it the best way, educating yourself in speaking to the pros is highly recommended.

If you’re new to this, talk to others around you that you know and trust who have had the experience. Not only can they give you some tips, they can also suggest a professional that has provided service for them that they were satisfied with.

Of course, that is a great tip but you should definitely continue your own research using the Internet. The Internet is full of valuable information on every subject, including this one. Thoroughly researching, you’ll find even government websites that can be very helpful in educating you and protecting you.

From this point on, you can start obtaining quotations on your own by visiting different insurance websites. You may be limited to how precise a quotation will be if you are providing limited information. However, you can continue to do your comparison shopping in this way and acquire roundabout figures.

Most of the websites for these quotations will not charge a fee. However, you may stumble across some that do. It is up to you whether you want to pay for it or skip them and find others that are free, as you most definitely will. During your comparative shopping, you will notice huge differences in rates. This may be due to the coverage being offered, the length of the contract, and various other details that have to do with the type of underwriting guidelines each has.

After getting roundabout figures, talk to professionals in the field that could answer some serious questions or queries you may have. The truth is, you will have questions because it is a tricky field for those who don’t know the terminology.

The reason for life insurance is because you want to ensure your family’s financial well-being in the event of your passing. So, you want to ensure that the money you’re spending for this product and service is well spent and will deliver on its promise. Having said that, should be careful when dealing with smaller insurance companies and even others that are well-known in the deal sounds to be too good to be true. Even though you should approach with caution, it’s safe to say that many countries governments watch over this industry and protect, to some degree, the clients.

Cheap life insurance quotes can sometimes be hard to find, but then it is the welfare of your family that’s in question so the cheapest option may not always be a good idea. Visit www.forlifeinsurancequotes.com for some detailed information about life insurance quotes

A Brief History Of Life Insurance

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The word insurance refers to any contract where a person pays another person or business to insure the safety, but to be more precise, pay for the replacement of any such personal property if said property is lost, destroyed, or damaged in some other way other then the neglect or purposeful destruction of the owner of said property. 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 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 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 agreements were simply a fee paid by the transporter 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.

As human society became more modern, many traders would hire retired soldiers, i.e. mercenaries, to help shepherd their goods from place to place. These men could in some ways be called the first security guards of human society. But it was hazardous and difficult work, but for the soldiers of fortune of that time it was some of the best work one could get.

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. For more information on the different types of life insurance visit our website.

A Few Tips On Getting Life Insurance Quotes Instantly

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Getting yourself life insurance quotes is extremely easy in the modern world with the use of the Internet and all of the features that it comes with. Insurance companies are now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and therefore getting quotes could not be simpler. In order to get these quotes, consider the following tips.

When you do look to gather quotes you will need to consider several things. One of these will be in deciding what sort of policy you want to get. There are lots of different types of life insurance policies that you can choose from, including whole life insurance, term life insurance, and many others. As such, you need to figure out what you need before you progress.

You should also be looking at the different features of these types of policies and educating yourself as to how exactly they work and to what will be perfectly you. You certainly will not want to be paying unnecessary amounts of money for a policy that does not even suit you.

Of course, you will also require some personal information when you are looking to get quotes for your life insurance policy. A great deal of information is required and if you are unable to provide this then you will not be able to get a quote all get one that is fairly inaccurate.

Not only will you need to give personal information about yourself but you will also need to provide information about the sort of policy you need. As such, you will need to say your coverage requirements, payment options, and the length of the term of the policy, along with other details.

Once you have done this in order to gather a single then you should certainly do it multiple times so that you can get many different quotes from many different companies. This will be an extremely important part of the process and will enable you to get lots of different quotes that can then be compared in order to find the best policy for your situation.

As such, you may want to simply look for these quotes online through different company websites and getting quotes directly. However, for ease of use you may also want to consider some sort of comparison site which will make both gathering quotes and comparing them a lot more simple. Finally, if you desire to do so you can also get them directly over the phone as well.

If you’re looking for genuine, impartial advice on life insurance policies and life insurance quotes, then you should pay a visit to www.forlifeinsurancequotes.com, a site dedicated to advice about life insurance.

Planning For Happiness With Life Insurance

Friday, May 28th, 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!

Many formerly rich people made that mistake,but pride leads to disaster, and if you don’t compensate for the worst then the worst will surely happen. Recent economic troubles have shown us that no amount of money makes someone safe from disaster. Money is worthless without the wisdom to keep it throughout your life. No matter how good things look right now, it’s always smart to have something to fall back on if things take a turn for the worst tomorrow. With maturity, self-discipline, and an eye on the long-term, you easily get insurance that is both affordable and useful. Once that’s done, you can relax in knowing the insurance company’s got your back.

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/

Ways To Find Low Life Insurance Quotes

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Life insurance quotes can be gathered online or off line. We all like going to the actual store and buying our goods, being able to feel and touch, and no what we are getting first hand. A lot of people feel that way with insurance as well. They like to be in front of the agent speaking with them or looking through books. Now that we have the World Wide Web this process has been made a lot more enjoyable.

The advantage of being able to sit and discuss with someone what your options are is one of the benefits of going to an actual office. If trust is effective for you, this is always best. You get to deal with an agent in person. With the World Wide Web you get to enjoy your own peaceful surroundings as you do your search best quote. Still with the benefit of having the help of an insurance agent.

When searching for insurance online. There are some websites that give you the option of inserting your information, and they will give you several quotes that will include their company as well as others. To hang in there with the competition, and also encourage you to use the web for your insurance needs. Most companies offer an additional discount for getting your quotes online.

A lot of companies offer live chat online where you can speak with a licensed insurance agent. They also offer a phone number where you can call and speak with the agent over the phone as you look through their website. The agents you speak with, whether online or over the phone will be able to give you the correct information as it pertains to your state.

Some sort of life insurance is very important for everyone. We do not want to leave our loved ones stuck with all of our burdens along with the burden of having to bury us. There are different life insurance plans, and they all have different premiums.

Knowing that you will need insurance is another good reason to take care of your health. Fees are one of the factors that they look into when deciding on what type of plan how much your premium should be and the duration of your plan. This is always important to know when looking for a quote and choosing which company you want to go with.

With all the life insurance quotes that are available out there no one has to feel like the are stuck with no choices. Your policy and plan is for the benefit of your loved ones, so when you are out shopping for the perfect plan for you. Do it with the thought of your friends, family, and pocket book in mind.

Good life insurance quotes can be hard to come across, even reliable information about life insurance policies can be, but there are places online where this information is available for free.

Practical Reasons to Have Final Expense Insurance

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Final Expense Insurance is something to consider when we start to think about the end of our natural life. Every death involves a cost and with the typical funeral cost reaching $8,000 at present, it is best to have the mechanisms in place to be able to afford this imminent event. Final Expense Insurance can be a way of making sure that the costs involved in death are not left to chance or down to relatives to pay for. You certainly wouldn’t want to have that on your conscience, would you?

Final Expense Insurance is one of the best options available in the genre of burial insurance. Whereas some types of policies only allow the funeral cost to be met, this kind of policy allows the money to be used for other things. When you die you may still have outstanding debts that need to be paid off; a final expense payout can be used to pay debts off as well as for the funeral.

When you take out a Final Expense Insurance policy, you will be asked to name a beneficiary. It can be anyone you want including your partner, children or a close friend. If you opt to name your children as beneficiaries, it is worth considering putting your policy into a trust. This is because there may be tax matters to deal with if the beneficiary is one of your children and it is a lot easier for them to sort out if the policy has been in trust.

Once you have your policy in place, it is important that you discuss the terms of the payments you wish to be made with your chosen beneficiary. Insurers will not limit what the money can be used for and if left, the beneficiary can use the money in any way they like. After the costs of the funeral and all that goes with it have been paid for, then the beneficiary is entitles to the remainder of the funds.

Perhaps you would like to consider having this kind of policy in joint names. This is an achievable option, however, it should be noted that the insurance company will only pay out once, at the time of the first death. The death of the second person is effectively overlooked. Think carefully about whether you wish to take a joint policy or two individual policies for you and your partner.

Applying for Final Expense Insurance is generally a simple and really swift procedure. Most insurers will let you fill in an application form online or provide a telephone number for you to call. It is likely that the insurer will want to conduct an interview over the telephone to finalize the details of the policy you are taking out. Often it is the case that there are no physical medical examinations required and needed details of your medical history will be brief.

Regular payments will be required for the policy but they are normally quite an insignificant amount. In order to keep the policy operational, it is essential that you meet all of the payments without fail. If you do not keep up the payments or if the insurer suspects your policy is fraudulent, then they have cause to void the policy.

If you have no decided it is time to deal with funeral cost and be prepared for paying off any other debts, you can talk to a financial advisor or browse the insurers online to purchase Final Expense Insurance.

FuneralInsuranceCost.com has the answers to all the questions that you were afraid to ask about final expense life insurance! To make sure that you won’t settle for anything less than the full story on death insurance, check out the site right away !

Why is a Burial Insurance Policy Important?

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

With the cost of funeral services on the rise everyone should consider getting a burial insurance policy. Many of us do not like thinking about all of the loved ones we will lose over the years but, how can we make this final expense less of a burden? Like the price hike in everything else in our world today, the cost of a funeral is also on the rise.

With social security and inadequate life insurance policies only covering a portion of this expense, many consumers are looking for away to make this final expense easier for left behind loved ones to deal with. They are doing this by purchasing what is called a burial insurance policy which gives the consumer the flexibility of basically pre-planning their funeral.

Not only does this policy allow consumers to pre-plan the services that they would want, it also allows them to pay for some services at today’s market price. Another benefit to obtaining one these policies is that it is allowed to be used for other debts even if unrelated to the funeral costs.

So, how does this type of insurance policy work? Setting up this type of policy is basically the same as setting up any other policy. A total coverage amount is chosen based on what the consumer can afford to pay and then the services covered are chosen. Depending on what the individual state’s laws are many funeral type services can be pre-paid for with one of these policies.

Most of these policies are able to include everything from the casket/urn right through the funeral service itself. After all of the necessary funeral expenses are paid for than the rest can be used to pay any outstanding debts. These debts can include anything from credit cards to outstanding doctor bills and is used at the discretion of the beneficiary.

The burial insurance policy can also insure that the deceased receives the funeral that they would have wanted while, leaving monies available for loved ones to take care of any other final expense without having to cut into their inheritance.

Before purchasing a burial insurance policy in your state, it is important to find out what the state laws are concerning these types of policies. It is also important to verify the license of the funeral director that your will be planning your services with. Also, make sure that your policy can transfer in case you are relocated or have to move anytime before your death.

The final expense of a funeral is a huge responsibility for anyone to take care of all on their own. But, with a little pre-planning and researcher a burial insurance policy can give consumers the ability to relieve their loved ones of this huge burden during what is all ready a stressful point in life.

FuneralInsuranceCost.com has the answers to all the questions that you were afraid to ask about final expense life insurance! To make sure that you won’t settle for anything less than the full story on death insurance, check out the site right away !

The Amount Of Life Insurance Depends On Needs

Monday, March 1st, 2010

You should always purchase some life insurance, especially if you have a family. How much is too little and how much is too much? The younger you are (young adult), the more insurance you should have. Generally, buy enough to equal your yearly income for every year till retirement. In the case of twenty-five to thirty-five, buy only about twenty-five times your yearly income. After thirty-five, the amount goes down each added year you live.

There are requirements for taking out an insurance policy. You must prove you can pay the premiums each month. When a married couple has one spouse who works and one who doesn\’t, the unemployed partner can take out as much insurance as the employed partner. They each pay equal premiums and have the same level of coverage till end of term insurance.

Term insurance is the most purchased and practical of the policies. A family breadwinner usually buys this one to protect his family (or her family). If she dies, the survivors can maintain their quality of life by paying house payments and continuing the status they enjoyed before the loss.

Term is maintained for a certain number of years (the term). Maintain coverage till your kids finish college. Term can be anywhere from a few years up to twenty. The premium remains the same for this type of policy if long-term. For shorter length of time the premium is higher.

Some companies give their workers the chance to buy a group life policy term insurance. If you can buy this you\’ll save a lot of money. This is the best bargain in any case.

There isn\’t always a death benefit paid on all policies as some people assume. Term insurance does not last until death of natural causes such as old age. It ends when the agreed upon term is over. These conditions can be different for every person and every policy.

You can borrow money against the value of your whole life policy. It\’s a good benefit to have in case of emergency. You cannot borrow the entire value, only a portion. You pay interest on the money just as you do with any other loan. When you die, the amount of the loan that has not been repaid, will be subtracted from the death benefit your survivors are entitled to. The life insurance benefit will be reduced.

Life insurance is wanted in order to make sure your family can be covered for your funeral expensive. You will find that many people do this in order to make sure their family has cash after they leave life today. You can get life insurance quotes online easy.

Should You Consider Life Insurance

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Life insurance is one of those things that few people could fail to benefit from. It offers peace of mind to the policy holder and financial support to its beneficiaries. If you need a list of reasons to get life insurance, here are a few to get you started.

It essentially works like this: in return for your monthly premiums, the insurance company agrees to pay a lump sum to your beneficiaries (the person or people you designate to receive the death benefit).Most obviously, life insurance can provide for your family in the event of your death.

It is important to remember that with this policy, no restrictions are placed up your beneficiaries as to how they utilize the money. Your beneficiaries can decide if it will be used to alleviate debt, purchase their home, or even attend college. The amount they receive will vary depending upon the type and coverage you purchase.

In some instances, the benefit may be used to pay off money you owe. Some people may choose to link their largest debts to a decreasing term insurance policy due to the magnitude of their debts. For instance, a decreasing term policy covering a home debt will charge lower premiums as the the home loan is paid off. The insurance company will pay the remaining amount to the bank should death occurs before the loan has been fully paid.

If you would like your insurance death benefit to pay more than just enough to settle outstanding deaths, whole life insurance may be a viable option. Here, premium payments are made in the course of your life. Plans are available where you to pay a level amount throughout, or pay higher premiums at the start of the policy. Depending on the plan, payments cease stop at age 60, 65 or 85 but coverage will still continue. In the event of your death, the insurance company will pay out a benefit to your chosen beneficiaries. The benefit does not depend on how long you have actually held the policy.

South Africa is only one of two countries where life insurance is available for people who have tested positive for HIV or have AIDs. The premiums are slightly more expensive and the insurance companies will need policy holders to continue with anti HIV therapy.

Be sure to deal with well known, reliable companies with a history of making the payouts they have agreed to. Most experts suggest approaching at least five companies to educate yourself about the different life insurance plans and options available.

Bear in mind that a life insurance policy may be the only protection your family has from financial hardship in the event if an unexpected death. The peace of mind coming from the knowledge that your family will be provided for more than offsets any inconvenience you may experience now.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator at lifeinsurance-southafrica.co.za. South Arica\’s leading Life Insurance portal