Some insurance companies are often criticized because it’s not always clear how your premiums are used nor how the value of your policy is calculated. At a state level, insurance departments and commissioners do their best to protect your interests, but the majority of consumers are not well protected. This is less important with term insurance, but whole life and universal life policies have an investment element that slowly builds up and gives you a cash value in addition to the minimum guaranteed death benefits. It is important to get the most out of these more expensive policies.

Note that, unlike “ordinary” policies, cash-value policies do not lapse if you stop paying the premiums. Once you reach a minimum threshold, the policies remain valid and the investment element continues to accumulate value – this assumes the wider economy is doing well and the stock and bond markets provide a worthwhile return. So the best way of considering these policies is as a saving fund. If you had run a savings account in your bank, this would give you some kind of protection when you are retired. You can treat cash-value policies in the same way.

Almost everyone with a whole or universal life policy pays long enough to reach protected status. Most take out a policy during their twenties and are still paying twenty or thirty years later. What seems a high premium when you started becomes more affordable as inflation works in your favor. Now the big decision is whether to continue paying. The longer you pay, the better the benefits. But if there’s a family emergency, you can stop paying, withdraw some of the cash or take a loan, and keep the policy valid for when you die. If you hold a life policy, you should receive an annual statement telling you the minimum cash value and the guaranteed death benefit. But, with both a whole and universal policy, you can contact your insurer at any time, and get an up-to-date statement. Continue reading →

What is the big deal with the absolutely free credit report? Why is it so important that everyone look at their information on a routine basis? If you are wondering why your credit report is so urgent, you are not alone. Many people do not realize how a simple credit report can save time, money, and even an identity crisis.

You may be wondering why you would want to look at the mess that your report is sure to be in right now, but even people with completely destroyed reports need to keep an eye on their identifying information. There are three very important reasons to do this.

Money Matters: When do most people decide to finally check their credit report for the first time? When they apply for some type of loan and are denied, of course! Once they look into the reason for the denial they often find they have more debt and credit flaws than they knew about or even that there are mistakes on their report that need to be corrected.

The only way to fully protect your identity today is to have a constant eye on your credit report. If you wait until your loan application is denied, it is way too late to protect yourself.

Your Name: Credit reporting is about a lot more than getting approved for a home improvement loan or buying that fancy sports car in the future. It has a lot to do with catching identity theft before it totally ruins your name. If you monitor your credit you will catch fraudulent activity and may even be able to avoid it altogether.

Everyone is entitled to one absolutely free credit report every year, but this honestly is not enough. If you go a whole year without realizing someone else has used your credit, the damage could take you years to correct. Catch it within a week or a day of occurring and your damages will be limited, if not avoided altogether.

Peace of Mind: Think of all the little things you do on daily basis just to protect your personal information. Today, just a bank account number or lost driver’s license could mean devastation for your personal accounts and your reputation. If you have protection against any type of fraudulent access, you can completely wipe away this stress.

So, how long has it been since you checked your credit? Are you ready to live with less stress and protect your name? If so, get that free report right now. Then sign up for a service that will give you constant access so you never have to wonder what if you are protected again.