What does term insurance mean? Before you purchase a term life insurance policy it is very important that you understand what it is.
The word "term" means that there is a specific period of time that you are going to have coverage and when that period ends the coverage also ends. When the term has expired you will need to find a new insurance policy.
In the insurance parlance, Annuitant is defined as a person who benefits from a pension or annuity. The advantage of the annuity is that it provides a higher payment of the current value at the time of death. In case an individual dies before the policy period is over, the beneficiaries are the heirs who receive the accumulated amount of the annuity. The payments are subject to income and estate taxes.
There are some factors which affect insurance terms and rates-
Date of birth is the important factor which is used to determine the annuitant's age. If the annuitant is relatively young, the period of insurance will be long and therefore the premium will be low. Another aspect that an insurance company looks into is the sex of the annuitant. Women generally tend to live longer then men for which the insurance company has to budget in a different way.
Which insurance is good for you? There are two type of insurance, first is term life insurance and second is whole life insurance. Term life insurance protects your family from outstanding debts including mortgage. If you are interested in building cash value over a period, then whole life insurance is the better option
Please keep in mind that the longer the "term" policy is the more expensive it will be. The insurance companies know this and use this information as one part of the equation in determining your insurance rates.
We hope those people who for site where they can get good information about term life insurance quote online. To do it, you have to fill an information form online and submit it. No website selling your information to a bunch of insurance agents and thus you do not get bothered for weeks by multiple agents calling your house.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
What does term life insurance mean?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Health Insurance Plans - Life Insurers vs. Non-Life Insurers
The media is full of stories on how non-life insurers, especially the PSU behemoths, are avoiding taking new consumers in health insurance as the health insurance business is reportedly not profitable. On the other hand, we see widespread campaigns by life insurers, including LIC, advertising the benefits of their newly launched health insurance plans. These new health insurance plans advertised so widely by life insurers have brought much needed public attention to this vital insurance segment.
As a consumer, you could be forgiven for being confused. Allow us to throw some light on this and clear this confusion.
The first aspect you need to understand is that the term 'Health Insurance' is a catch-all term that covers three distinct kinds of health policies.
There is the health policy that reimburses you the actual hospitalization cost for treatment of any disease, offered only by non-life insurers. These kinds of policies are popularly called "Mediclaim" policies (Mediclaim is actually a brand name but has now become a generic term for such policies).
Then there are two other types of health insurance plans offered - by both life insurers and non-life insurers.
One can loosely be referred to as a "Hospitalization Policy," where you primarily get a daily allowance for every day spent in the hospital. Some policies also provide higher daily allowance for stay in intensive care (the ICU). Yet others have a provision for a lump sum payment if you undergo any of the surgical procedures covered in the policy.
The other type of health insurance cover offered by life insurers and non-life insurers are the critical illness covers. Given the increased stress and strain of modern life as well as unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles, most of us are becoming increasingly prone to serious illnesses, such as cancer, heart attacks, organ failure, strokes, etc. Advances in modern medicine ensure that most of us survive these illnesses. This survival, however, comes at a cost - a serious dent in our ability to earn (salary or from business). Critical illness cover steps in here and pays off a lump sum benefit - that helps in protecting your current lifestyle.
Most life insurers have long offered these covers as riders (Riders are covers for additional risks or to enhance existing risk covers). Now these critical illness covers are also being offered as stand-alone policies to cover the risks of specific kinds of critical illness such as say, cancer. These policies are recommended, at the very least, for income earners - contracting a critical illness has a huge financial impact on their future income.
A very relevant question at this point would be:
Do I require a hospitalization policy if I already have a Mediclaim policy?
The Mediclaim policy only reimburses the expenditure incurred in the actual treatment of the disease/illness at the hospital. There are several other expenses that are typically incurred, which the Mediclaim policy does not reimburse. Expenses such as travel, attendant's lodging, loss of income (for both the patient and/or the attendant), pre-hospitalization diagnostic tests, medicines, etc. can run up to as much as 30-40% of the total cost of treatment of a disease or illness. A hospitalization policy takes care of these expenses.
Life insurance companies have done a great job in bringing this topic of health insurance to the forefront of consumer consciousness and hopefully each one of you (unlike our earlier generation which mostly left it to God) will cover your health risks adequately.
We have put together a table that gives you an easy comparison of the various features in each type of policy, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of life insurers and non-life insurers offering these products.
As you will find, the policies offered by life insurers are actually in addition to, not replacing Mediclaim policies.
Remember, it is an absolute must that you and your dependents have adequate cover on your Mediclaim policy. It cannot be replaced by any other kind of policy.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Top 5 Jobs Which Require Life Insurance
Life insurance is an important aspect of everyone’s lives and is something which everyone will have to face at some point in time throughout their lives. This point may come sooner rather than later for some individuals because of the job they perform on a daily basis.
While some individuals start everyday by putting on their suits and racing to get to the coffee shop for their morning coffee, others are strapping on their work boots and preparing themselves for a day of excruciatingly hard labor. As scary as it may sound, there are many individuals who are willing to put their lives in danger every single day when they get up and go to work.
The following is a list of the top 5 jobs which are considered to be the most dangerous jobs in the world. Individuals who perform these jobs are highly recommended to have a life insurance plan incase (god forbid) anything goes wrong on any given day. These are the 5 occupations which made the list:
1.Police/Detectives - Police Officers face life threatening situations almost everyday. They are highly trained to defend themselves and are equipped with protective equipment at all times. Life insurance and disability insurance are crucial for individuals working in the field of policing.
2. Airplane Pilots - Believe it or not, airplane pilots require life insurance because they are dealing with such powerful machines which have been known to have mechanical glitches. Airplane pilots are also highly trained in their field to make sure they do their best to fly safely.
3. Construction Workers - Construction workers are somewhat unappreciated for the amount of hard work they do everyday. They not only put their lives in danger from all the machinery they are expected to operate, but they also face many factors which will affect their health in the long run. Overexposure to sun, heat and excessive lifting are just a few of these factors.
4. Farm Workers - Much like construction workers, farm workers are at high risk of injury or death due to the fact that they are constantly operating heavy machinery. There are hundreds of farm work related deaths a years and thousands of injuries for individuals working in farm fields. Life insurance and disability insurance are important for individuals in this occupation.
5. Fire Fighters - It is a known fact that fire fighters put their lives on the line everyday to save the lives of others. Knowing the potential consequences and performing the job anyways indicates that these workers deserve the highest level of respect from others. Individuals who have chosen careers in firefighting are also likely to have a life insurance policy.
Is your job dangerous? Is your life on the line everyday? Maybe not, but there are many other factors other than your occupation which may indicate you need life insurance. Life insurance is a plan which will ensure your loved ones are taken care of incase anything happens to you. Wouldn’t you like to know your family would be looked after should this type of situation occur?