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Buying Life Insurance? One Tip To Save You Thousands!

admin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 22:46:01 +0000

Its simple, always have your Life Insurance policy Written in Trust. This may sound technical but it is easy to understand and its so easy to organise.

Written in Trust ensures that in the event of a claim, the policy will pay directly to the beneficiaries you name on the policy when you first take it out. If you do not do this, the policy will payout to your legal estate and this inevitably means that the money stays in your solicitors hands for some time.

Yes, that implies legal delays and, of course, your solicitor takes a small cut!

Then, if the value of your taxable estate exceeds 275,000, and remember your home can easily account for the lion’s share of the 275,000 limit without much difficulty, your estate will have to pay Inheritance Tax. This represents 40% of the estates taxable value in excess of 275,000. So, if your estate has to pay Inheritance Tax and the proceeds of your life policy go to your estate, the taxman gets his hands on 40% of your life policy!

But its so easy to avoid all these problems.

Simply get your policy Written in Trust. Then the life insurance company pays out immediately, directly, and totally tax-free, to the persons you have named on your policy. All you have to do is tell the online brokerage organising your policy that you want your policy Written in Trust and they will automatically sort it out for you.

This advice remains sound even if the policy is designed to pay off your mortgage. Rather than your estate using the insurance payout to pay off your mortgage, the policy can be written in trust and paid to your partner and then he or she can use that money to pay of the mortgage. The benefit? Well if your taxable estate exceeds the IHT threshold the mortgage is effectively paid off tax-free.

The extra good news is that all the brokers weve met will arrange for your policy to be Written in Trust as a free of charge service. So its a win win situation and there arent many of those around these days!

Buying Life Insurance? One tip to save you thousands!

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:28:33 +0000

Its simple, always have your Life Insurance policy Written in Trust. This may sound technical but it is easy to understand and its so easy to organise.
Written in Trust ensures that in the event of a claim, the policy will pay directly to the beneficiaries you name on the policy when you first take it out. If you do not do this, the policy will payout to your legal estate and this inevitably means that the money stays in your solicitors hands for some time.

Yes, that implies legal delays and, of course, your solicitor takes a small cut!
Then, if the value of your taxable estate exceeds 275,000, and remember your home can easily account for the lion’s share of the 275,000 limit without much difficulty, your estate will have to pay Inheritance Tax. This represents 40% of the estates taxable value in excess of 275,000. So, if your estate has to pay Inheritance Tax and the proceeds of your life policy go to your estate, the taxman gets his hands on 40% of your life policy!
But its so easy to avoid all these problems.

Is Buying Term Life Insurance Online The Same As Buying

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:07:06 +0000

Is Buying Term Life Insurance Online The Same As Buying It From An Agent?

When you purchase term life insurance online, it is exactly the same as if you went into an office and sat down with an agent. In fact many of the online life insurance companies will give you a free quote online, but you have to speak to an agent to make the purchase. This way you are getting the benefit of shopping for term life insurance online, but still get to discuss the policy in person with an agent.

By searching online for the lowest life insurance rates, you can choose the company from whom you want to buy the policy. There are so many companies online that you do have to be careful of which one you choose. When you find low term life insurance online, you should check the life insurance ratings for the company before you commit to anything.

Just shopping for term life insurance online lets you request as many free quotes as you wish. You are not under any obligation to buy the life insurance online, but if you dont want an agent calling you about the policy, you should indicate this on the application form. This lets you shop in the comfort of your home and search for the lowest life insurance rates that fit your needs and your budget.

It may take you some time to get the term life insurance online that you need. Since there are so many life insurance companies with an online presence, you can visit all of the websites and compare the rates. You will also find several sites that do the comparison for you taking all the guesswork out of finding the lowest life insurance rates. With this type of service, you only have to enter your information once to get several responses on low rates for your term life insurance.

It doesnt matter what the weather is outside or if you dont feel like getting dressed. Searching online in the comfort of your own home takes all the stress out of getting term life insurance. Online life insurance companies are open 24 hours a day, so you dont have to make plans to look for the lowest life insurance rates during business hours.

What do you get with term life insurance online?

Determining how much Auto Insurance Coverage you Need

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:39:08 +0000

1: Other Party:

Auto Insurance Bodily Injury (BI) Liability and Property Damage (PD) coverage is Legally required in most states today. (BI & PD) Most people understand that they need BI and PD, but they have no idea how to determine how much coverage they need.

Try this simple question: What if your car was involved in an auto accident tonight where heaven forbid, someone else was injured or killed? Remember, everything you own is in the back seat of the car with you and is at risk in a lawsuit! So, what do you think their family would sue you for? $15,000? $25,000? $100,000 or even maybe a Million dollars! Where would you get the money to pay them?

Perhaps the Equity in your Home would help? How about your Savings and/or Investments? You could even have up to 25% of your wages attached to pay the award in most states! Are you prepared to sacrifice everything you own to pay an award due to this accident? If not, read on for how to choose the auto insurance coverage you need.

2: You and Your Family:

Now lets turn the above accident around. For some unfortunate reason, you or a loved one is the one who is injured or killed in an auto accident. Where would you get the money if the person who hit you did not have auto insurance or not enough auto insurance? Medical bills can be covered if you have health insurance. But health insurance doesnt cover loss of life, pain & suffering or permanent disability.

Maybe you have a life insurance policy through your employer or your own individual life policy. Is the benefit amount sufficient to cover your family if your loved one is killed? But even if you have life insurance, what pays for the misery, the pain and suffering, maybe the fact you or a loved one cant walk or use their arms again?

You might have a disability insurance policy through your work if youre lucky or had good financial advice. But disability insurance doesnt pay for loss of life, pain & suffering, permanent loss of your legs, arm or hand.

The only coverage that pays for these things is a part of an auto insurance policy known as Un/Under-insured motorist coverage. You can only buy as much coverage here as you have in Liability coverage. Your auto insurance agent should be able to help you determine the exact amount you need.

3: Your Car

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage are the third part of an auto insurance policy and are sometimes referred to as Full coverage. Basically the difference is this: If you run into the tree you are covered by Collision coverage. If the tree runs into you (hypothetically of course), then you are covered by comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive also covers broken windshields, fire, theft and vandalism. The higher deductible (risk) you take here, the lower the premium. Use the savings here to purchase higher limits in the coverages that protect your assets and your family.

The bottom line to determining proper auto insurance coverage is, of course, the money available in your household budget. An excellent place to start in determining the proper auto insurance coverage for your family is to meet with your local auto insurance agent.

Most cut-rate companies concern themselves with one thing only: Price. Tell them what coverage you have and theyll see if they can give you the same coverage for less. You become the insurance professional. If this is the only need you have then that is ok. If not, you need to seek the advice of a professional to help you determine the proper amount of coverage you need and how best to accomplish it.

Review these tips for auto insurance coverage to make sure you have enough to protect your family.

Announcing the Best Guarantee in a Long Term Care Policy

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:57:36 +0000

Announcing the Best Guarantee in a Long Term Care Policy

Are you 60 to 70 years old? If not you, maybe a family member? Then you’re about to discover something that could help prevent the total devastation of your personal estate.

Truth is, it’s likely the most important asset you could ever own. Here’s why.

For over 24 years, I have helped hundreds of individuals understand and implement money saving ideas. From birth to death I’ve witnessed families in every financial situation.

As my clients age (and me, too), I can tell you without hesitation the biggest fear of growing old is losing your ability to remain independent.

We might be living longer, this doesn’t mean we’re living any better.

Chronic disease is rampant… and it strikes with a vengeance when you least expect it.

How many people who have experienced a stroke knew it was going to happen to them?

How many anticipated that particular moment when they began to forget things?

The facts speak for themselves. Literally millions of Americans require long term care… either in nursing homes, day care centers, assisted living facilities or in their own homes.

And the cost of providing long term care is rising with no end in sight.

Think it won’t happen to you? Well, I’m sorry. Because this article doesn’t try to convince anyone about the likelihood of their needing care before they die.

It’s intended for those who understand and appreciate the importance of arming themselves with protection against the horrific expense of long term care.

In fact, this article is ideal for those who have already looked at traditional types of long term care policies and are trying to determine which type is best for them.

One of the biggest objections to buying a long term care policy is that if the benefit is never needed the premiums paid for the policy will be wasted.

This is somewhat like buying automobile insurance. You have to pay the premium in order to get your car repaired. But what if you never have an accident. Is that considered losing your premium?

Funny isn’t it? People hardly question paying for car insurance, but they frequently resist doing so for a long term care policy.

So… what if you could always get your premium back – guaranteed – if you never require any long term care?

And, what if you die before receiving long term care? Wouldn’t it be great if your loved ones could recover 100% of your premium expense?

How about this? You actually use up all of your long term care benefit. And then you die. What if your family could still get back 10 percent of your premium.

Now if you know anything about long term care policies you’re probably wondering why you haven’t heard of this type before.

One reason is because it is non-traditional and not included in the mainstream marketing of long term care policies.

Another is because it takes a large sum of money to buy the policy. $50,000 is typical and it’s a one-time single premium, which means you will never get stuck with a premium increase.

It is not uncommon for people between 60 and 70 to have large sums of money stashed away in bank CDs earning low interest. Kind of an emergency fund.

Transferring a portion of this fund into the policy makes sense because the money continues to earn interest. Besides, it usually pays more than the bank… plus, the policy interest is tax deferred.

It’s also common for people this age to have old life insurance policies with significant cash value.

Many times it’s possible to transfer the cash into the long term care policy and still retain a meaningful death benefit.

And the future long term care benefit could easily be worth over one million dollars.

This policy has a 90 day waiting period before benefits are paid. The length of the benefit can be as short as 4 years or as long as your lifetime. You can also get a 5% compound interest inflation protection rider to help keep up with the rising cost of care.

The name of this policy is MoneyGuard. It is a universal life insurance policy with a long term care rider. The issuing life insurance company is Lincoln Life, a subsidiary of Lincoln Financial Group.

By the way, this policy was initially developed by First Penn-Pacific Life many years ago. They have years of experience and an excellent reputation. Lincoln recently bought First Penn-Pacific.

Ask your life insurance agent to get you more information about this single premium policy. For the right situation it is absolutely the best guarantee in a long term care policy.

Term Insurance vs. Whole life or Permanent Insurance – A

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:58:11 +0000

Term Insurance vs. Whole life or Permanent Insurance – A Car Analogy

Should I lease a car or buy it?

Think of a term life insurance policy as leasing a car. When you lease a car you get the benefits of using the car, but when you stop paying you don’t have a car anymore. As with term insurance as long as you pay your premiums you get the benefit of the term life insurance policy, but when you stop paying, you no longer have any coverage.

Whole life or “permanent policies” are designed to build up a cash value. So similar to buying a car you have an asset that you can keep. Unlike a car, hopefully this asset will grow in value. Whole life, Universal life and Variable Universal life are all different types of permanent insurance. Permanent insurance, most of the time, is meant to keep until you die or as a saving vehicle.

The way the policy grows in value gives you the different names of insurance such as, Whole Life, Universal Life, and Variable Universal Life. That leads to the understanding of the different types of permanent policies.

“Whole Life- Is an insurance policy where premium payments are usually the same throughout the life of the policy, as is the death benefit. You usually need to pay the premiums as long as the policy is in force.

“Universal Life – Is an insurance policy where premium payments may be changed and the death benefit can also be changed by the owner. Usually if the death benefit is being raised you will have to show some evidence of insurability (medical information) or other information requested. Your policy grows at a stated interest rate which changes every so often.

“Variable Universal Life – Is an insurance policy where premium payments may be changed and the death benefit can also be changed by the owner. Usually if the death benefit is being raised you will have to show some evidence of insurability (medical information) or other information requested. Your policy grows at the rate of your investment choice you choose. Since you may invest in market instruments similar but not exactly like mutual funds. Your policy can lose value causing larger premium payments than expected.

Take a step back and think about it from the insurance company’s point of view, its easier to understand the difference. A portion of the cash value that builds in the insurance contract will pay for the “cost of insurance”.

Whole life- The insurance company is taking most of the risk. They are paying a death benefit to you no matter what happens to the cash value in the account. As long as you make your payments the insurance company has to pay your death benefit. This may be the most expensive.

Universal life – The insurance company is taking some risk. The policy grows give the current interest rate it pays. At times you are only able to earn low interest rates. You may need to make up more payments to keep your policy.

Variable Universal life – The insurance company has taken the least amount of risk. In the Variable policy the rate of return is variable, meaning you don’t know how fast your policy will grow or shrink. This type of policy is most likely used for someone who is younger and can ride out the volatility of their portfolio. Since you take on the most risk in this type of policy it usually has the smallest premiums.

Term Life Insurance Defined

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:15:25 +0000

Term life insurance is by far the simplest form of life insurance. Term life insurance is simply that, insurance for a term or specific period of time. It pays a benefit only if you die in the designated period of time. On the downside, it pays nothing if the policy expires before you die. It is often referred to as temporary life insurance.

Policies generally last for 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 years. Many policies are convertible, which means that you have option of switching to a permanent life policy. The main advantage of a term life policy is that they generally have lower premiums. They are good for covering needs that may disappear in time, such as car or mortgage loans.

They also have some distinct drawbacks. Premiums generally increase with time. This means that you will be paying considerably more in your later years, when your need for protection is generally lower. Another factor to consider is that your coverage may expire at the end of your term, leaving you with nothing to show for your investment. You are essentially back at square one.

Insurance agents often recommend that customers switch term companies every couple years, in order to take advantage of promotional pricing. One should be mindful of doing this, as you will be subject to a new contestability period. A contestability period is normally two years. If you die during this period, the insurance company will likely review the statements you made on your application. If you have made any inaccurate or incomplete statements, the insurance company will likely refuse payment.

Life insurance is no laughing matter. When you are considering purchasing life insurance, please do some research first. Spend some time considering questions, and pose them to a trusted insurance broker. Be especially wary of purchasing insurance from a door to door salesman, as they are likely trying to sell term life insurance which may or may not suit your needs. After all, it is your hard earned money that is being spent. And it is the well being of your family that will be impacted by your decision.

Term Insurance vs. Whole life or Permanent Insurance – A

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:54:08 +0000

Term Insurance vs. Whole life or Permanent Insurance – A Car Analogy

Should I lease a car or buy it?

The importance of mortgage life insurance

admin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:50:11 +0000

Lets face it mention things mortgage life insurance in fact anything personal finance related – and we all know that it is as dull as dishwater. However, without things like mortgage life cover – life could be a lot harder financially.

So, what is mortgage life insurance and what is so great about it?

In a nutshell, in the event of you or your partner dying, mortgage life insurance can mean that the difference between keeping a roof over your head or ending up having your home repossessed a frightening thought.

And while many of us find organising something like life insurance a sombre business as it makes us face our mortality, it is the fair and right thing to do for your partner and any next of kin to make sure that your finances are in order in the event of your death.

So why do you need mortgage life insurance cover? A mortgage life insurance policy runs for a fixed policy term most people take it put to run concurrent with their mortgage. Should you die before the end of the term period, the policy can help pay off outstanding balance of the mortgage on your home. This will be in the form of a cash sum.

This means that your dependants will not have the financial worry of trying to find the mortgage repayments in the event of your death. Neither will they have to worry about selling up and maybe downsizing in order to keep a roof over their heads the last things that you would want to put them through.

The good thing about mortgage life insurance is that you only pay for the cover that you need so as the amount outstanding on your mortgage decreases, you are only paying out for the level of cover you require.

Mortgage life policies are available on a single or joint life basis. If you have a joint life policy, the amount is paid out on the first claim only. You can decide how long you want the policy to run for and as we mentioned before, most people have it to run concurrent with their mortgage and in most cases you can have additional benefits such as critical illness cover for an additional premium.

With critical Illness benefit the policy pays out either on death or on the diagnosis of a specified critical illness (such as certain cancers, triple artery bypass) – whichever occurs first. Check with your chosen insurance provider as to what illnesses are covered, as they can vary from insurer to insurer.

If the policy is paid out before the end of the policy term, it ceases. And if the policy is in force at the end of the term, it will have no cash in value.

If you are looking for mortgage life insurance, then do shop around and do not automatically accept the first quotation you get. Premiums as well as terms of the policy and other benefits can vary wildly from provider to provider and you could be surprised just how cheap mortgage life insurance can be, without any compromise on cover.

Types Of Life Insurance

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 02:42:29 +0000

If you are considering purchasing life insurance, an overview of the available types should prove helpful. This article will briefly discuss the difference between whole and term life insurance, as well as some variations on whole life insurance.

The easiest way to understand the difference between whole life insurance and term life insurance is to look at what is meant by their names. When you purchase whole life insurance, you are covering your “whole” life – as long as you own the policy, it will pay a benefit when you die. What that benefit is depends on the value of the policy at the time of your death, but you own the policy even if you are no longer making payments on it. Whole life also accumulates a cash value on a tax-deferred basis. In addition, whole life can pay dividends throughout the life of the policy.

Term life insurance, on the other hand, is purchased for a certain term, or period. As long as you die within that period, term life insurance will pay an agreed upon amount to your beneficiaries. It will not pay if you cease to make payments or if you die after the term has expired. In addition, term life insurance has no cash value.

Two other aspects of whole versus term life insurance should be pointed out. The first aspect is that premiums for whole life insurance are higher to begin with, but remain steady over time. On the other hand, premiums for term life insurance are lower near the beginning of the policy, but increase over time. Another aspect is that you can borrow against the cash value of a whole life insurance policy. This is not possible with term life insurance, since it does not have a cash value. There are two variations of whole life insurance that need to be mentioned. The first is a more flexible form of whole life called universal life insurance. With universal life insurance, you can adjust (within certain limits) the premiums as well as the benefit amount over time to suit your financial situation. This is made possible by placing the premiums in a fund that accumulates based on the interest rate. As with normal whole life insurance, this type of policy has a cash value that can be borrowed against.

The second variation on whole life insurance is called variable life insurance. This type is similar to universal life insurance, except that the premiums in the fund are tied to the financial markets rather than to interest rates. While the potential for growth is greater with this type of insurance, the potential for loss is greater as well.

As you can see, there are some choices to be made when considering the purchase of a life insurance policy. Now would be a good time to use some of the other resources at this site to help you decide on the life insurance policy that is right for you and your family.

Compare car, travel and more cheap insurance quotes » Benefit

Buying Life Insurance? One Tip To Save You Thousands!

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