Life Insurance vs Life Assurance
by: Joseph Kenny
People spend a lot of money on complicated financial products and it is sometimes difficult to keep track of what products perform what tasks. Many people are not aware of all the financial products that are available or they only know of them vaguely. They may not know how much they cost or the potential benefits they offer. How can consumers make informed decisions on what products they would be willing to buy if they do not have this basic information? This problem can often lead to consumers buying unsuitable of overpriced products simply because they feel they should have some financial protections available but don?t have the details to make an informed choice.
One of the common questions many consumers have is regarding the difference between insurance policies and assurance policies. Put simply, insurance policies cover the costs of an event that might happen while assurance policies will pay out on the occurrence of an event that is certain to happen. Insurance policies only last for a specific period of time. If the event occurs within that time, they pay out, otherwise they are finished. Therefore, if no claim can be made within the term of the policy, they have no remaining value.
Guaranteed Payout
An assurance policy is different. Assurance policies always pay out. For example, a life assurance policy will generally pay out upon death or upon reaching the age of 65. How does this policy work? Well, they combine two elements; an insurance element, which will pay out if, the person dies early. This will then be used to pay for the funeral or support his family. But then there is another payment made every year and this is the investment portion. The insurance company invests this part of the premium on behalf of the policyholder and when they reach the age of 65, they pay this out. Life assurance policies are therefore often used both as a method of life insurance and as a method of saving for retirement.
Do You Need Money Now?
If you wish to cash in the investment portion of a life assurance policy early this is generally possible. However, there will usually be hefty penalties added to this so it is unadvisable to cash in early if you don?t have to. The distinction between insurance and assurance is also becoming more blurred as more companies offer both types of policy or add features of one type of policy to their other type to make them more attractive. The distinction is still important so that you know what to ask for and know what kinds of facilities are available for insuring your life and providing for your future.
About The Author
Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the insurance site http://www.insure121.com/ where you will find information, news and links to the leading providers of insurance in the UK. If you found this article interesting you may find more articles of the same nature in the insurance guide located on site.
|
Life Insurance Rates
Life Insurance Rates
by: Matthew Bourne
Life insurance at the present time is very affordable. Competition in the life insurance market together with the cost savings that life companies are making by operating on the Internet has depressed insurance rates, bringing them down to historic low levels. For a healthy non-smoker in their 20s, life insurance rates can in fact be as cheap as ?5 per month!
However, there are many factors that influence the final outcome of the life insurance rates for any one individual. Everything from hereditary diseases to diet will figure and, depending upon the answers that we give to the insurance company, will see our life insurance rates climb higher or drop lower than the average rates for our age.
So, just what factors will affect the insurance rates that a life company will quote for life insurance? Here is a summary of the most important elements to consider: -
Age - The younger you are the...
Life Insurance Rates
Term life insurance > Life Insurance Rates
Health Insurance Rules
Health Insurance Rules
by: Ivon T. Hughes
Many dual income couples, include their children on each group health insurance plan to maximize benfits. However, without some sort of system in place to help the health insurance companies coordinate benefits, it's possible that either you or your doctor would be reimbursed for more than 100 percent of the actual cost of your claim.
To prevent this, health insurance companies typically designate one parent's health insurance plan as the primary plan and the other as the secondary plan. (That's why the patient questionnaire at your doctor's office asks for information on primary and secondary coverage.) The primary plan is responsible for paying covered expenses up to the limits of the policy. If any unpaid costs are left over, the secondary coverage kicks in.
THE DATE OF BIRTH DETERMINES WHICH HEALTH INSURANCE PROVIDES COVERAGE
The birthday rule is often used to determine which plan is...
Health Insurance Rules
Term life insurance > Health Insurance Rules
Life Insurance - Who Needs It
Life Insurance - Who Needs It
by: Neil Mercer
Why Do You need Life Insurance Cover?
Who needs it?
Life Insurance cover provides either a lump sum or an income on the untimely death of an individual. Therefore, anyone who's death would create a financial loss to another has a need for life insurance cover. This could/should include the following: -
Parties to a Mortgage or indeed a loan (mortgage life insurance cover)
Anyone with dependents (whilst a parent may not work, surely there would be a financial loss if anything were to happen whilst there are young children to be cared for)
Key Individuals. Where a business would suffer financial loss on the death of an essential employee.
In essence any situation where monetary loss would be incurred could possibly have a need for life insurance cover.
630,000 people in the UK will die this year* *source:National Statistics, Winter 2002
Types of Cover...
Life Insurance - Who Needs It
Term life insurance > Life Insurance - Who Needs It
Short Term vs Long Term Marketing Efforts
Short Term vs Long Term Marketing Efforts
by: S. Housley
Short Term Vs Long Term Marketing
In order to create consistent sales cycles and a positive growth trend businesses usually engage in both short and long term marketing efforts.
Short-term marketing efforts tend to cause sudden sales spikes which rarely last. These sharp sales increases are usually the result of a targeted marketing campaign or time limited offer. While short-term marketing produces sales, long-term marketing efforts must be mixed in to sustain sales.
Short Term Online Marketing
Mentions
Positive product mentions in forums, newsgroups or within trade organizations can result in a traffic or sales surge. Product endorsements and newsgroup conversations are difficult for marketers to control and time, so while product mentions in forums are short-term marketing, they lack the organized exposure necessary to maintain sales momentum.
Discounts
Marketing...
Short Term vs Long Term Marketing Efforts
Term life insurance > Short Term vs Long Term Marketing Efforts
Mortgage Life Insurance & Mortgage Redemption and Cancellation Life Insurance
Mortgage Life Insurance & Mortgage Redemption and Cancellation Life Insurance
by: Donald Lusan
Mortgage life insurance is one of the most important life insurance policies a person who owns a home can buy. Since the ownership of this home is probably the largest investment for most people it is imperative that your investment be protected in the event of premature death. I want to take some time to discuss alternative plans that can be used to do this.
Mortgage Life Insurance
What really is mortgage life insurance. Mortgage life insurance pays off the balance owed to the bank or mortgage company in case of your premature death. Let us assume you have a $100,000 25 year mortgage on your house. Let us also assume that after 5 years you have a balance owed of $95,000. Incidentally that figure is not as impractical as it sounds. Your principal decreases very slowly in the early years. Back to our discussion; You now believe you should take...
Mortgage Life Insurance & Mortgage Redemption and Cancellation Life Insurance
Term life insurance > Mortgage Life Insurance & Mortgage Redemption and Cancellation Life Insurance
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
by: Sintilia Miecevole
A low credit rating or bad credit report can negatively affect virtually every aspect of your life. Whether you are consistently late on your mortgage or utility bills or you are over your limit on your credit cards, bad credit can make purchasing on credit virtually impossible, and it can limit your lifestyle in many different ways. Though over time you can recover from a bad report, there are still many aspects of your life that can suffer from poor financial management and low credit scores.
For instance, if you are planning to purchase a new or used car, it may be virtually impossible to secure a financing loan if you have a low credit report rating. Even if you can obtain a loan, you interest rate may be up to one hundred percent higher than it would if you had excellent credit. Rather than paying six or seven percent interest, you could end up with a fifteen or sixteen percent...
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
Term life insurance > How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
by: Sintilia Miecevole
A low credit rating or bad credit report can negatively affect virtually every aspect of your life. Whether you are consistently late on your mortgage or utility bills or you are over your limit on your credit cards, bad credit can make purchasing on credit virtually impossible, and it can limit your lifestyle in many different ways. Though over time you can recover from a bad report, there are still many aspects of your life that can suffer from poor financial management and low credit scores.
For instance, if you are planning to purchase a new or used car, it may be virtually impossible to secure a financing loan if you have a low credit report rating. Even if you can obtain a loan, you interest rate may be up to one hundred percent higher than it would if you had excellent credit. Rather than paying six or seven percent interest, you could end up with a fifteen or sixteen percent...
How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life
Term life insurance > How A Bad Credit Report Affects Your Life