A Guide To Affordable Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance provides you with a more affordable opportunity to ensure you mortgage payments in the unfortunate event of your death. Even though they are offered for a limited time-period, but you can always match them up with your mortgage payment cycles of 10 or 20-year contracts. For the budget conscious, this definitely seems to be a smarter alternative for a low cost death benefit. 

Insurance companies offer cheap term life insurance policies with different contract time periods, conversion credit during the first five years and transferable waiver of premium. 

Affordable alternatives are available through comparison-shopping at various online insurance intermediaries’ websites. Other than being a cheaper option, term life insurance is better in other aspects when compared to a mortgage life insurance. There are much personalization options available for a term life insurance policy. The proceeds from a term life insurance go directly to the beneficiaries instead of the lender, so the money can be used by your dependents as desired which could be even to pay off other debts. Term life insurance also pays a death benefit. According to NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners), the companies pay almost 90 cents to the dollar in benefits for term life insurance policies. Typically the whole life insurance will be 2 to 3 times costlier than a term life insurance. 

Term life insurance offers the cheapest alternative to provide insurance coverage for your dependents. It has allowed individuals under budget-crunch situations to buy policies with larger payout amounts due to the limited term of the coverage.  So, if you can renew your term life insurance regularly during your lifetime, you have actually found an affordable alternative to expensive whole life insurance.

A Free Term Life Insurance Quote Is Only Easy To Obtain

By searching online for life insurance, you can get a free term life insurance quote with no obligation to buy. In order to get the free term life insurance quote, you fill in the form on the appropriate page of the life insurance company website. You do have to make sure you provide honest answers to all the questions in order to get the life insurance you need. 

Once the company receives your request for a free term life insurance quote, then an agent will carefully review the application and email a quote to you based on the term of the policy and the amount of the death benefit. You should not base the quote you receive on that of a friend or another family member because every individual is different in his/her needs. Because you are shopping for low cost term life insurance, you do need to request free quotes from at least three companies.

Term life insurance is only good for the life of the term. At the end of the term, you have the option to renew the policy, but you may not get it for the same free term life insurance quote as you started with. This is because your age has certainly changed and your needs in terms of a settlement have also changed. However, you still want to get the best rates possible for low cost term life insurance. 

You do not have to be in perfect health to get a free term life insurance quote. In fact, you can get low cost life insurance without even having a medical exam. Even if you do have life-threatening diseases, you can get a free quote for term life insurance but it may not be the low cost term life insurance you are hoping for. This is because you are in a higher risk category because your chances of dying within the term are much greater. Even if the premiums are a little higher, you are still leaving something for your family and to pay for your funeral.

10 key reasons why a person needs life insurance

Insurance is designed to protect a person and the family from disasters and financial burdens. There are many kinds of insurance of which, the basic and most important is considered to be life insurance. It provides for the dependants after your death. 

Since there are certain financial commitments you need to meet throughout life and do contribute in some way to the family income, you need to provide something even in death—to secure the home, help the family meet expenses for a while, protect dependant parents, or secure the children or spouse. 

Financial obligations could include funeral expenses, unsettled medical bills, mortgages, business commitments, meeting the college expenses of the children, and so on. 

How much insurance a person needs would vary, depending on lifestyle, financial needs and sources of income, debts, and the number of dependants? An insurance adviser or agent would recommend that you take insurance that amounts to five to ten times your annual income.   It is best to sit down with an expert and go through the reasons why you should consider insurance and what kind of insurance planning would benefit you.

As an important part of your financial plan insurance provides peace of mind for any uncertainties in life. 

1. Life insurance correctly planned will on premature death provide funds to deal with monies due, mortgages, and living expenses. It offers protection to the family you leave behind and serves as a cash resource.
2. It secures your hard earned estate on death by providing tax free cash which can be utilized to pay estate and death duties and to tide over business and personal expenses.
3. Life insurance can have a savings or pension component that provides for you during retirement.
4. Some policies have riders like coverage of critical illness or term insurance for the children or spouse. There are certain rules regarding eligibility for riders which you will need to determine clearly.
5. Having a valid insurance policy is considered as financial assets which improves your credit rating when you need health insurance or a home loan or business loan.
6. In case of bankruptcy, the cash value as well as death benefits of an insurance policy is exempt from creditors.
7. Life insurance can be planned such that it will cover even your funeral expenses.
8. Term life insurance has double benefits, it protects and you can get your money back during strategic points in your life.
9. Insurance protects your business from financial loss or any liabilities in case a business partner dies.
10. It can contribute towards maintaining a family’s life style when one contributing partner suddenly dies. 

Insurance is vital to good financial planning and security but you would need to assess your personal risk and long term commitments. Insurance stands a person in good stead throughout life and can be used in case of emergencies during a life time by requesting a withdrawal or loan.

5 Quickest ways to lower your Life Insurance Premium

Worried about the spiraling life insurance premium? We have enlisted 5 quickest ways to lower your life insurance premium. Well, keep these points in mind but do tread with caution and act prudently. 

Shop around and Bargain

Shop, Compare and Bargain! Well, the oldest principle, old as dirt, but still going strong. Once decided on your coverage, don’t just sign up for the first plan that crosses your eye. Ensure that you shop around (internet is a great place to start) and get a feel of the market. This would help you to bargain hard and get the greatest coverage at the lowest possible price. 

Opt for Term Life Insurance 

The quickest way to lower your life insurance premium is to opt for Term Life Insurance policy instead of a whole-life policy. The idea is to keep insurance as what it is and not turn it into an investment product. Thus, you can get yourself insured under term life policy at the fraction of the cost of a whole-life scheme with typically the same coverage amount. However, do not forget that Term Life Insurance covers you only for a pre-defined period of time. 

Keep yourself Fit 

Be a low risk proposition for your insurance provider by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping yourself away from addictions such as smoking, drugs and alcohol. A good health record will result in considerable reduction in your life insurance premiums.

Consult an Insurance Advisor  

To reduce your life insurance premium, the easiest thing you can do is to consult a good Insurance Advisor. Since the advisor will be pro in the insurance marketplace, he/she would be able to get you to the most affordable deal in line with your coverage requirements. Essentially a good insurance advisor would compare different market rates for you and would also negotiate the best rates on your behalf. Well, internet is a great place to identify an agent. 

Start at a young age!

Insure yourself at a young age. Life insurance premium at a young age is only a fraction of what it could be when you are well into your middle-age. The premise is young and healthy people are the lowest risk segment. The low mortality risk is a great incentive for insurance companies to insure you at lower premiums.

5 Basic Facts About Health Insurance Policies In A Bad Economy

1. DOES YOUR PLAN COVER YOU ON AND OFF THE JOB?

Many health insurance plans have specific exclusions that eliminate your benefits for anything that could have been covered under Workers Compensation or similar laws. Now read that last sentence again.

COULD HAVE BEEN COVERED!?

That is correct. Most self employed people and even some small business owners do not carry Workers Comp on themselves.

There are designed insurance plans that will cover you on and off the job — 24-hours a day, if you are not required by law to have Workers Compensation coverage.

2. ARE YOU WRITING IT OFF?

Independent contractors (1099's), home based business owners, professionals and other self employed people generally are not taking advantages of the tax laws available to them.

Many people who are paying 100% of their own costs are eligible to deduct their monthly insurance payments. Just that alone can reduce your net out-of-pocket costs of a proper plan by as much as 40%. Ask your accounting professional if you are eligible and/or check out the IRS website for more information.

3. INTERNAL LIMITS

All true insurance plans use some form of internal controls to determine how much they will pay out for a particular procedure or service. There are two basic methods.

• Scheduled Benefits

Many plans, some of which are specifically marketed to self employed and independent people, have a clear schedule of what they will pay per doctor office visit, hospital stay, or even limits on what they will pay for testing per 24-hr. period. This structure is usually associated with "Indemnity Plans". If you are presented with one of these plans, be sure to see the schedule of benefits, in writing. It is important that you understand these type of limits up front because once you reach them the company will not pay anything over that amount.

• Usual and Customary

"Usual and Customary" refers to the rate of pay out for a doctor office visit, procedure or hospital stay that is based on what the majority of physicians and facilities charge for that particular service in that particular geographical or comparable area. "Usual and Customary" charges represent the highest level of coverage on most major medical plans.

4. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHOP!

If you are reading this you, are probably shopping for a health plan. Every day people shop, for everything from groceries to a new home. During the shopping process, generally, the value, price, personal needs and general marketplace gets evaluated by the buyer. With this in mind, it is very disconcerting that most people never ask what a test, procedure or even doctor visit will cost. In this ever-changing health insurance market, it will become increasingly important for these questions to be asked of our medical professionals. Asking price will help you get the most out of your plan and reduce your out-of-pocket expenses.

5. NETWORKS AND DISCOUNTS

Almost all insurance plans and benefit programs work with medical networks to access discounted rates. In broad strokes, networks consist of medical professionals and facilities who agree, by contract, to charge discounted rates for services rendered. In many cases the network is one of the defining attributes of your program. Discounts can vary from 10% to 60% or more. Medical network discounts vary, but to ensure you minimize your out-of-pocket expenses, it is imperative that you preview the network's list of physicians and facilities before committing. This is not only to ensure that your local doctors and hospitals are in the network, but also to see what your options would be if you were to need a specialist.

Ask your agent what network you are in, ask if it is local or national and then determine if it meets your own individual needs.

3 Ways Your Life Insurance Company Is Scamming You

Although it makes sense to get in touch with a life insurance company to cover your dependents in the eventuality of your untimely death, there are integrity issues surrounding the insurance companies and agents. Broadly there can be 3 ways your life insurance company is scamming you. We have enlisted them for your benefit.

Selling Coverage that you don’t need! 

The insurance companies thrive on the fact that most people don’t understand their life insurance needs. With standard products, they try to sell you coverage that you might not need, but, which are lucrative for them. The insurance agents expedite the process so that you skip the fine print and sign up for a coverage that is ill-suited to your needs. The trick is to play on your fear factor and sell you heavy insurance, even if you don’t have dependents. 

Coaxing you to pay ‘Cash’ 

We strongly suggest, do not pay your premium through cash to an agent. Further, do ensure that you get a receipt for the payment. There are numerous fraudulent entities posing as genuine insurance agencies that extract hard cash from you in lieu of insurance premium. They ask you to sign at blank spaces in a form, assuring you that it is just a formality. Once you have fallen for their trick, you are left without an insurance coverage. The worst part is that most victims only come to know of this scam, when they have met with some mishap and there is not insurance to cover them. 

Luring you with benefits! 

Insurance agencies and agents have a way of promising you unbelievable benefits out a life insurance policy. Life insurance agents might offer you plans, with a guarantee that the policy would run premium-free for a specific period. Some agents play it smart and offer you great discounts for signing you up for a new policy, while replacing an old policy. The trick is that the old coverage gets terminated and new coverage does not get initiated due to the cumbersome procedural bottlenecks. Thus, exposing you to risk without cover.