Entries Tagged 'Life Insurance' ↓

It’s always better to start article with good news. This sets a positive tone to the piece and keeps people reading. So, let’s start with good news. The premiums for life insurance have been dropping! Yes, you can believe your eyes. It may not feel like it, but there has never been a cheaper time to buy a life policy. How come? Well, unlike other forms of insurance, the policy only pays out in the future when the life insured ends. If you go back to 1980, men lived to an average of 70 years, women to 77 years. In the latest figures released by the Center for Communicable Diseases, men now live to an average of 75.6, with women now into the 80s at 80.8 years. As an aside, the poor quality of the US healthcare service is highlighted by the life expectancy figures. The US ranks only 38th in the world. That said, since the obligation of having to pay out on a life policy is disappearing into the future, the cost of the benefits payable can be collected over more years. This makes premiums fall.

You will have noticed that women usually live longer than men. There are a number of explanations for this, but the reality is simple. Women have always had stronger levels of immunity to almost all diseases that strike down men. They are also more careful and less likely to die in any kind of accidents or while indulging in dangerous sports. This reflects the gender roles with women acting protectively over their children and, in later years, acting as the primary caregivers to older family members and relatives. This throws up the first major decision. If a woman is going to leave dependents behind her, there will be a need to leave a more substantial lump sum behind. Women multitask and buying in professional help to do all the work is expensive. Whereas it’s estimated that men should leave an average of seven times their average pay, women with dependents should aim for a multiple of not less than ten. The plan should be to provide a substantial lump sum that can be invested and generate an income to supplement the capital for those who remain. Continue reading →

When you are buying either term or whole life, there’s a chance you will be asked to go through a medical exam. It will not be necessary for most young people who are only asking for small amounts of coverage. So, for example, a 30 year old only asking for $50,000 will usually be allowed to self-certify good health. As age and the amount to be covered increases, you will move through a simple paramedical exam to a full examination by a physician. A paramedical is licensed professional employed or hired by the insurance company. The physicians and paramedicals are independent and their only role is to make a basic assessment of your medical history and current condition. Some operate a mobile service and will come to your home or office with all the necessary equipment. Others will ask you to attend at a laboratory or clinic. The cost of all medical exams is met by the insurance company. For the record, almost all insurers insist on independent exams and refuse to accept information provided directly by your own physician. Continue reading →

The modern Western society is at war, which influences and affects virtually all domains of life and forces people to reconsider traditions, judgments and practices. This is the war of sexes. And if some domains women are left by men behind, when it comes to insuring Why insuring your life?

The major reason for insuring one’s life is taking responsibility. People tend to have more responsibility over their family, their debts, their property and other things as the life goes on. And when it ends, these responsibilities are left over without security. When you insure your life you take care of your responsibilities when you’re gone, providing the necessary support to your family or those who need it.

Term or permanent policy?

When insuring your life you are likely to encounter two distinct types of policies: term and permanent (also known as cash value). The first provide less costly coverage for a specified amount of time and can be renewed after the term expires. The second usually pay out more money upon the person’s death but are more expensive in general. There are also convertible types of policies, which let you switch from term to permanent when needed without canceling it. Cash value insurance policies cover the person throughout the whole life and are sometimes used more like investments and financial tools rather than simple insurance. Some people use them as retirement plan funding source. So choosing whether to go with term or permanent insurance, you have to decide what you really want from your policy.

Defining the amount of coverage

How much coverage to take with your policy is defined by the amount of income to be replaced when you’re gone. Life insurance in that sense is your replacement in terms of financing, so you should take your usual earnings as a starting point in defining the final amount. Think of the money amount your family would need to sustain a good life when you’re gone – this should be the approximate amount to take with your insurance policy.

For what period?

When getting term life insurance the duration of the policy usually varies between 1 to 30 years. Defining the term means thinking about your exact insurance needs you have in the first place. Want to make sure your new-born child is going to college no matter what? Make it 20 years then! There are also additional benefits provided by different types of policies, so make sure to learn more from your life insurance provider when choosing the policy.

Premiums

The price you will have to pay for life insurance (premiums) strongly depends on your age, health, marital status and several other factors. That is if you’re a smoker, have bad habits and are well in your 50′s this means that your premiums will be higher than in case of a younger individual with no bad habits. Take not that some policies will change premiums over time and some won’t. So it’s better to clear things out before you actually sign the policy, or you may find your efforts in smoking cessation and improving your lifestyle senseless as the premiums won’t change because of these actions. Continue reading →