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Term life insurance: Money-saving tips (they do exist)!

September 10, 2010 at 1:23 pm

Term life insurance is the most affordable way to protect your familys future. As inexpensive as term life insurance is, there are money-saving tips that will ensure you are paying only what you need. Get the most value for your pound by checking out the following helpful tips that will save you money while still getting great protection.

life_insurance1.Get coverage early the sooner you buy life insurance the less your annual premiums:
Some people are gamblers by nature and choose to take their chances by skipping out on life insurance. Although it is unlikely you’ll die during your working years, you’re not insuring for what’s likely to happen but instead, for the worst-case scenario. That’s why term life insurance costs less the younger you are. It is also why you should buy it sooner rather than laterbecause you’ll be providing financial security without spending a lot of money for it.

For example, if we look at the cost to purchase a 250,000 Term 10 life insurance policy youll see how delaying purchasing a policy by just a few years could cost you more in annual premiums.

For male non-smokers*:
A 35 year-old may get quotes for as little as 195 per year for a 10-year total cost of 1,950.
A 40 year-old may get quotes for as little as 263 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,630.
A 45 year-old may get quotes for as little as 373 per year for a 10-year total cost of 3,730.

For female non-smokers*:
A 35 year-old may get quotes for as little as 165 per year for a 10-year total cost of 1,650.
A 40 year-old may get quotes for as little as 210 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,100.
A 45 year-old may get quotes for as little as 270 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,700.

* Lowest quote online from February 2006 for a Term 10 policy, one of the most popular life insurance products in Canada. Premiums shown are the rates if paid annually.

2.When your age isnt really your age:
Your next birthday may be 6 months away but in the eyes of most life insurers youve already hit that next magical number. When you get a life insurance quote, the rate you are given is based on the age you are closest to which, 50 per cent of the time is your age at your next birthday. Its a term called Age Nearest, and that half-year price increase could really add up. See the difference yourself.

For male non-smokers*:

A 39 year-old may get quotes for as little as 248 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,480
A 40 year-old may get quotes for as little as 263 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,630.

A savings of 150

A 44 year-old may get quotes for as little as 345 per year for a 10-year total cost of 3,450.
A 45 year-old may get quotes for as little as 373 per year for a 10-year total cost of 3,730.

A savings of 280

For a female non-smoker*:

A 39 year-old may get quotes for as little as 200 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,000
A 40 year-old may get quotes for as little as 210 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,100.

A savings of 100

A 44 year-old may get quotes for as little as 255 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,550.
A 45 year-old may get quotes for as little as 270 per year for a 10-year total cost of 2,700.

A savings of 150

* Lowest quote online in January 2006 for a Term 10 policy. Premiums shown are the rates if paid annually.

3.If youre a smoker ask about incentive programs aimed at helping you quit:
While not all life insurance companies offer incentive programs to help you quit, some do and could save you money if you are thinking about buying life insurance and quitting smoking. For example, one such company will refund you an amount equal to the difference between the premiums you already paid as a smoker and those you would have paid had you not smoked. Whats more, once you quit smoking, this same company will adjust your premiums to non-smoker rates based on the age you were when you purchased the policy, not the age you are at the time you quit!

4. Check out your paymentbilling options:
Many life insurance life insurance companies offer discounts to consumers who pay their annual premiums up front. If you have the money handy, you could save up to 10 per cent of your policys premium each year. For example:

A 35 year-old male with 250,000 in coverage can pay 195 up front per year for life insurance coverage. If paid in monthly installments, however, the annual premium jumps to about 215. Paying up front can save this person 20 per year!

A 40 year-old male with 250,000 in coverage can pay 263 up front per year for life insurance coverage. If paid in monthly installments, however, the annual premium jumps to about 288. Paying up front can save this person 25 per year!

A 45 year-old male with 250,000 in coverage can pay 373 up front per year for life insurance coverage. If paid in monthly installments, however, the annual premium jumps to about 407. Paying up front can save this person 34 per year!

Life insurance made even more affordable:
With these money-saving tips in hand, Term Life insurance is more affordable than ever. There is no better time than now to get the coverage you and your family need.


Term Life Insurance

September 3, 2010 at 1:23 pm

Term life insurance is a life insurance product that pays out a cash lump sum upon death of the insurance policyholder or at the point that the insurance policyholder is diagnosed as terminally ill. But, despite it being a low cost term life product – insurance cover can be acquired from as little as 5-10 per month – surprisingly few of us have term life insurance in place.

life_insuranceFor people with a mortgage and family to support, not having a term life insurance policy exposes them to a large financial risk. This risk becomes apparent when you consider how the mortgage and household bills would be paid if the main income producer were to die or to become terminally ill. The end result could be that loved ones who are left behind find their home is repossessed because they cannot keep up the mortgage repayments.

Some people prepare for such an eventuality by taking out a mortgage life insurance policy. This is all well and good for covering off the remainder of the mortgage loan, but where will the money come from to pay the gas & electricity bill and the council tax bill every month, let alone the money needed to cover the policyholder’s funeral expenses? It is at this point that a term life insurance policy becomes very useful indeed.

If you don’t have a term life insurance policy in place, here are some sobering reasons why you should consider taking out a term life policy now

CANCER – One in three people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Research into cancer is of course ongoing, and one day some cancers may be curable. In the meantime a term life policy offers income protection for loved ones left behind in the event of terminal cancer diagnosis and death from cancer.

HEART DISEASE – Heart and circulatory disease accounts for more than 35% of all deaths in the UK each year. The number of people dying from heart and circulatory disease is on a falling trend, but the number of people becoming morbidly obese is increasing, and so may reverse this trend in the near future. Term life policies can be configured to pay out if cause of death is heart-related.

MRSA (SUPERBUG) – The death rate from the MRSA superbug has doubled in the last 4 years. MRSA is a bacterial infection that is resistant to antibiotics. It commonly causes death in people with weak immune systems, and so easily spreads amongst the sick & old in hospital wards. Many life insurance policies pay out if the cause of death is MRSA related.

AVIAN FLU (BIRD FLU) – Recent comments by the Society of General Microbiology in the UK sparked controversy when they estimated that 2 million people in the UK could die from a highly infectious strain of mutated Avian Flu. If you are worried about Avian Flu check with the life insurance agent to see if their term life policy covers such an eventuality.


Term Insurance

August 20, 2010 at 1:23 pm

Term insurance is a level term life insurance product that pays out a lump sum when the insurance policyholder dies or becomes terminally ill. It provides peace of mind to the insurance policyholder that loved ones left behind after their death will be financially secure. Term life insurance can be configured to pay off all existing loans – including the mortgage – and leave a cash sum in the bank to support your spouse and children. If you don’t want your family to have to cope with financial pressures during their bereavement, or struggle to find the funds to pay for your funeral then term insurance is the life product to have.life insurance

Term insurance is different to mortgage insurance
It is important to realise that term insurance is a different life product to mortgage insurance. Term insurance is a long-term insurance product that can be taken out over a lifetime of 50 years. During this time the insurance premium remains the same as does the amount paid out in the event of death or terminal illness.

Mortgage insurance on the other hand mirrors the life of your outstanding mortgage loan. The insurance premiums remain the same throughout the life of the product, but unlike term insurance the amount paid out upon death or terminal illness reduces in line with the outstanding mortgage loan. So, if you were to die at the point that you owe only 2000 on your mortgage, then the mortgage life insurance product would only pay out 2000.

Terminal illness
Terminal illness cover generally comes as standard with term life insurance polices. The terminal illness clause tends to trigger pay out if the insurance policyholder is diagnosed with a terminal illness named on the term policy and is given 12 months or less to live. Pay out in these circumstances allows the policyholder themselves or someone with power of attorney for the policyholder to receive the full lump sum from the term life insurance policy. They are then free to enjoy the final months of their life with their family free from financial constraints.

When a term life insurance policy pays out for terminal illness the policy will end. Therefore the life insurance company will not be liable to pay anything further upon death of the policyholder.

Term life insurance restrictions
As with most insurance policies there are restrictions and exclusions that apply to term life insurance policies. The main restriction is on pay outs to term life insurance policyholders who become critically ill, yet are not diagnosed as terminally ill. In this case, a standard term life insurance policy will not make a payment, unless a critical illness policy has been added to the term life insurance.


Senior Term Life Insurance

July 30, 2010 at 1:23 pm

life insuranceWe all know that purchasing life insurance at an older age is more expensive than purchasing it while very young. In an attempt to provide affordable insurance to meet the life insurance needs of older insureds, some companies are now offering Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance.

Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance policy rates are less expensive than the traditional term insurance policies. As the name implies, you are guaranteed to be accepted for this life insurance. There are no health questionnaires to complete and no physical exams to take. As long as you pay the premiums, the policies cannot be cancelled. Additionally, you may lock your premium rate for the policy amount you want. Your rates will not change for as long as you keep your insurance.

Where’s the catch you may be asking. Well, the policies are written for a limited period of time. For example, Colonial Penn’s policies are for a two-year limited benefit period. They are available for people between the ages of 50 and 85 (This age range varies depending on insurance company and state regulation).

Generally, if death occurs during the first few years, a reduced benefit is paid or the company may return the premiums paid plus interest. For instance, with a Gerber Life policy, if death occurs by natural causes within the first two years (during the limited benefits time), the beneficiary will receive all of the premiums paid plus 10%. However, if death was a result of an accident, or if death due to natural causes occurs after the two years, your beneficiary will receive the full benefit amount. In the event of suicide (with certain state exclusions), the beneficiary will receive the amount of premiums paid only.

Most life insurance companies offer a Guaranteed Acceptance Life policy for seniors. There may be variations from state to state, but the basic premise is the same. They all offer an affordable insurance option for seniors.

Please see our list of recommended insurance quote providers below to get free insurance quotes from many providers. These sites also offer pages and pages of free insurance information.


Selling Your Life Insurance (Viaticals and Life Settlements)

July 23, 2010 at 1:23 pm

Selling your life insurance is an option you might consider if you’re in a difficult financial situation for which you don’t see a close end. A terminal illness or old age could cause you to think twice about paying those hefty premiums at this stage of your life. Selling your life insurance carries with it complex implications and substantial risks, so it is important that you educate yourself regarding the big picture. If you’re interested in selling your life insurance, this is a good starting point to obtain some basic information.

Basics: Vocabulary

If you’ve already done any research on selling your life insurance, chances are good that you’ve come across two main terms: viaticals and life settlements. Both refer to the selling of your life insurance to a third party. So what’s the difference? “Viatical” is typically used to refer to the transaction involving a chronically or terminally ill insured, while a “life settlement” is a transaction involving a senior (generally over the age of 65) who is not terminally ill.

Even though you now know the difference, it does not mean that your state does. These terms might be used interchangeably, or your state might use one of them to refer to both transactions. For example, your state could use “Viatical Settlement” to refer to any type of transaction regarding selling your insurance. Be aware that this kind of ambiguity may exist in relation to the vocabulary used in the sale of your life insurance.

How it Works

The owner of the life insurance policy will sell it for a percentage of the death benefit a lump sum to a third party and, in exchange, receives an often substantial lump sum payment. The third party then becomes the new owner andor beneficiary of the policy and pays all of the future premiums and eventually collects the death benefit when the insured passes away.

Those considering selling their life insurance may either directly approach a viatical company or settlement firm, or they may choose to work with a broker. The broker will act as an intermediary and present the information to several different companiesfirms in an effort to find the highest price for the sale.

The settlement firms buy the insurance on behalf of investors. In this situation, the investors become the owners and beneficiaries, and the settlement firm pays the premium until the insured dies. The firm then collects the death benefit and either pays its investors a percentage of the annual return or repackages the policy for sale to another party.

Take comfort in know that the process of selling one’s life insurance is typically very confidential. Most viatical companies and settlement firms understand the discretion necessary to make the process run smoothly and easily. However, a company may act disrespectfully and become borderline intrusive by trying to keep track of the insured’s condition. For this reason, it is important to work with a respectful, experienced organization.

Who Considers Selling

Those with serious, life-threatening illnesses are most likely to consider selling their life insurance to provide cash for various expenses, such as mounting medical bills. For those who are not terminally ill, selling the life insurance might be a good idea for a number of reasons. If the owner’s beneficiary has died or if the owner can’t afford to keep paying the premiums, it would appear that they no longer have sufficient use for the life insurance. Seniors around retirement age may also consider selling their life insurance, even if they are free of debt, in order to receive a lump sum of money with which they may do whatever they please.

Keep in mind that different companies may have different eligibility requirements to be able to sell your life insurance policy.

Advantages to Selling Your Life Insurance

It might be easy to see some of these benefits, but others are a little less obvious.

  • You’ll receive a lump sum cash payment right now. As mentioned above, this is especially useful to the terminally ill who have mounting medical bills.
  • You will receive more by selling your life insurance than you would if you simply surrendered it to the insurance company. It is possible for an insured person who is 65 or older or who is terminally ill to sell a policy with little or no cash value for a 100,000.00 or much more.
  • You won’t have to pay any more insurance premiums. If your financial situation is becoming strained with no end in sight, eliminating premiums is a way to alleviate the burden.
  • You don’t have to repay the money, like you do when you borrow against your insurance policy.
  • Even though your life insurance benefits won’t be available once you die, you can still leave money to a certain person or organization it will just come from the money that is leftover after using the funds from selling your policy. So, selling your life insurance does not
    mean that you’re definitely robbing your beneficiaries of their gift.
  • In some cases, the money you receive is tax-free.
  • There are no regulations or restrictions on how you make use of the money you receive. You may spend as much of it or as little of it as you wish, however you please.
    • Risks of Selling Your Life Insurance

      Understanding the risks associated with selling your life insurance will help you make an informed decision. Be sure to consult a financial advisor or tax attorney to make sure you understand the implications of the sale.

    • You might lose your eligibility for some public assistance benefits, especially those based on your income and assets (such as food stamps, welfare, Medicaid and some Social Security benefits).
    • There could be tax issues. Selling the policy will
      result in a tax bill if the settlement amount exceeds your cost basis.
    • With improved medical care, the ill person may live longer than expected.
    • You might face unhappy heirs. This might not be a problem for you, but it could lead to a long road of (possibly legal) complications and battles. Some settlement actually companies require the beneficiaries to also sign off on any sale, which could be good or bad, depending on whether or not you’re dealing with a cooperative beneficiary.

      • Other Options

        If you come to the conclusion that selling your life insurance policy is not for you, there are other options (though none that would provide you with such a large lump sum). An insurance agent should be able to help give you more information on some of these ideas.

      • Borrow against your insurance policy
      • Cash out the policy if it has surrender value
      • Look into accelerated benefits or living benefits
      • life insurance
      • Borrow money (from family or friends perhaps) and use the life insurance policy as collateral
        • If you believe that selling your life insurance policy is the right decision for you, make sure you deal with a dependable, experienced broker or settlement company to ensure that you get the best service and results from your transaction.

  • Second to Die Life Insurance Policies

    July 16, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    life insuranceUsually, the death benefit from a second-to-die life insurance policy is intended to go to the children , a charity or pay taxes owed after both spouses pass away.

    In the U.S. there is a marital deduction permitting you to leave an unlimited amount of assets to your surviving spouse with no taxes payable at your death. Those assets then become part of the estate of the spouse and if it includes a second to die life insurance polciy it could help pay any taxes. In Canada, there is more lenient tax treatment.

    There are also tax ramifications for small businesses, which is why business partners also purchase second-to-die policies.

    THE REASON TO BUY SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    With a second-to-die life insurance policy your beneficiaries can pay debts with the proceeds of your policy, so they won’t be forced to sell your house or liquidate assets to pay the bill.

    A second-to-die life insurance policy can help to construct a financial plan reducing the tax burden of wealthy individuals by creating trusts and using second-to-die life insurance as part of the estate-planning process.

    ADVANTAGES TO SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    1.Less expensive. Second-to-die life insurance is usually less expensive than life insurance but depends on the blend of the ages. The premium is based upon the joint life expectancy.

    2.Estate Preservation. A second-to-die policy appeals to individuals who feel strongly about preserving their estates with the life insurance paying the taxes.

    3.Easier to buy. It’s easier to qualify for a second-to-die policy than for individual life insurance. Since both insureds must die before the benefit is payable, the insurance company is less concerned that one of them might not be in good health.

    * Builds your estate. In some cases, second-to-die life insurance is marketed as a way to build an estate, not just insulate it from taxes. Much like individual life insurance, the death benefit of a second-to-die policy can ensure that certain people receive money, even if you spend every nickel.

    4.Second-to-die life insurance might make sense for people who don’t have a lot of money but want to leave an estate for their children.


    Second to DIe Life Insurance

    July 9, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Usually, the death benefit from a second-to-die life insurance policy is intended to go to the children , a charity or pay taxes owed after both spouses pass away.

    In the U.S. there is a marital deduction permitting you to leave an unlimited amount of assets to your surviving spouse with no taxes payable at your death. Those assets then become part of the estate of the spouse and if it includes a second to die life insurance policy it could help pay any taxes. In Canada, there is more lenient tax treatment.life insurance

    There are also tax ramifications for small businesses, which is why business partners also purchase second-to-die policies.

    THE REASON TO BUY SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    With a second-to-die life insurance policy your beneficiaries can pay debts with the proceeds of your policy, so they won’t be forced to sell your house or liquidate assets to pay the bill.

    A second-to-die life insurance policy can help to construct a financial plan reducing the tax burden of wealthy individuals by creating trusts and using second-to-die life insurance as part of the estate-planning process.

    ADVANTAGES TO SECOND TO DIE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES

    1.Less expensive. Second-to-die life insurance is usually less expensive than life insurance but depends on the blend of the ages. The premium is based upon the joint life expectancy.

    2.Estate Preservation. A second-to-die policy appeals to individuals who feel strongly about preserving their estates with the life insurance paying the taxes.

    3.Easier to buy. It’s easier to qualify for a second-to-die policy than for individual life insurance. Since both insures must die before the benefit is payable, the insurance company is less concerned that one of them might not be in good health.

    * Builds your estate. In some cases, second-to-die life insurance is marketed as a way to build an estate, not just insulate it from taxes. Much like individual life insurance, the death benefit of a second-to-die policy can ensure that certain people receive money, even if you spend every nickel.

    4.Second-to-die life insurance might make sense for people who don’t have a lot of money but want to leave an estate for their children.


    Online Life Insurance Protection How Much Do I Need?

    May 21, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    life insurance

    Online Life Insurance Protection How Much Do I Need?

    There are a lot of people getting quotes for life insurance online. The quotes requested are usually for standard amounts of 50,000 to 500,000. The amounts requested often indicate that most people have not taken the time to calculate the amount of life insurance that they need. This often leads to early policy terminations because a real need was not established at purchase. It is very helpful to determine actual needs and then purchase amounts accordingly.

    Basic Needs Purchase an amount of life insurance to cover the basics.

    1.Final Expenses This your basic burial expense need. Choose an amount and enter it into a calculator.

    2.Mortgage Balance Add your mortgage balance to the final expense amount.

    3.Short Term Debt Add your entire installment loan and credit card balances to your final expense and mortgage balance totals.

    Now you can purchase a basic need life insurance policy amount based on actual needs.

    Additional Income Needs The next level of a needs based plan might include a life insurance amount to replace income during an adjustment time period of your choice. You may want to leave your beneficiary a total of five years of your current income in the event of your death to allow your family the time needed to find other sources of income. You can now add this income need to the basics need amount to see if combining the two will fit into your budget.

    Educational Needs You can also purchase an amount of Life insurance for an educational fund. You can estimate future college costs based on inflation and then multiply the amount by the number of children in your household.

    These are a just a few basic needs and reasons for the purchase of life insurance. It isnt that difficult to do a mini-need analysis. You may save yourself some premium pounds because you have taken the time to determine how much life insurance that you actually need instead of purchasing a random amount.


    Online Life Insurance

    May 14, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    life insuranceAre you considering taking out life insurance? If so, its a good idea to review what life insurance companies have to offer by searching for life insurance online.

    Over the past few years the online life insurance market has become very buoyant. Most major life insurance companies are now represented online, and they have been joined by smaller life insurance companies as well as life companies who operate exclusively online. As the Internet is akin to a level playing field, small life insurance companies now have just as much chance of selling a life policy online as do larger insurance companies. This has created some intense competition between insurance companies for online customers, many life companies providing discounts and incentives to attract life customers to their policies. Consequently, you can now pick up online life insurance for as little as 5 per month.

    Online life insurancechoiceschoices!

    The great thing about shopping online for your life insurance is that everything is at your fingertips. You can receive quotes online and make your life insurance application online, as well as review the different types of policies available and even read the policy’s terms & conditions online.

    The first choice you will have to make when looking for life insurance online is what type of life insurance to buy. There are two basic types of life insurance available – term life insurance and reducing or mortgage life insurance.

    Term life insurance pays out a lump sum on the death of the policyholder. It is a long-term life insurance product that can last up to 50 years, although it does not normally extend further than the policyholder’s 91st birthday. Mortgage life insurance is a shorter-term life insurance product that mirrors the life of the policyholder’s mortgage. It is designed to pay off the outstanding mortgage debt should death occur before the mortgage is paid off.

    In terms of payout, the lump sum received on a mortgage life insurance policy reduces to zero in line with the outstanding mortgage balance. So, should the policyholder die when there is only 1000 remaining on the mortgage then the life insurance policy will pay out only 1000. Payout terms on a term life insurance policy are somewhat different, the lump sum being the same at the end of the policy as at the start of the policy, that is assuming the level of coverage required remains the same.

    Both of these life insurance polices are of course available offline. However, phoning around different insurance companies to find the best quote is a time consuming job. You also don’t have the advantage of reviewing the ins and outs of the insurance policy beforehand as you do online.

    Best places to look for online life insurance

    The best places to look for online life insurance is in fact not on the web sites of the insurance companies themselves. Instead, it is best to look at specialist life insurance information sites and portals where you’ll find a collection of life insurance companies all in one place. You’ll even be able to receive the same discounts as you would by going direct to the web sites of each individual insurance company, leaving you quids in and with more time on your hands to enjoy life.


    No Medical Life Insurance

    May 7, 2010 at 1:23 pm

    life insurance

    When applying for life insurance many life insurance companies require you to answer medical related questions and or to undergo a medical examination as part of the application process. These medical examinations are often required as proof of your health status as given on your application form. They are used by the life insurance companies to help them decide upon the insurance premium you’ll be charged for your life cover, and in some instances, as to whether you will be given life insurance at all.

    Life insurance products where intensive medical questioning and or a medical examination is required effectively penalise you for pre-existing medical conditions, pushing up the cost of life cover. Taking a medical examination may also prove stressful, especially for the elderly who are looking for life insurance coverage later on in life.

    Increasingly though, life insurance companies are offering life insurance products where no medical is required. What’s more some life companies even guarantee acceptance before you apply!

    What is no medical life insurance?
    No medical life insurance, to use a well-known phrase, does exactly what it says on the tin! It is a life insurance product where no medical examination is required. You may not even have to answer medical questions and yet still be guaranteed acceptance for life insurance. No medical life insurance is open to people of all ages, so whether you’re 20 or 65, no medical life insurance can give you the peace of mind that your loved ones will be financially secure in the event of your death during the term of the life insurance policy.

    You may be questioning the ethics of such a life insurance scheme at this point? If you are don’t worry! No medical life insurance is all above board, and is in fact offered by some of the most well-known insurance companies in the UK. Even supermarkets like Tesco for instance now have a no medical insurance policy available for the over 60s.

    The premiums on life insurance where no medical is required are competitive too. Life cover can be acquired for as little as 7 per month, with some life companies guaranteeing that the insurance premiums on no medical policies will not rise through the life of the policy. Of course, how much you pay into the life insurance policy each month will affect the final life insurance total available upon death. Generally, there are no issues involved with increasing the life insurance premiums later on of your own accord should you wish to do so.