Insurance. Duplicated Insurance Wastes Money.
Have you ever worked out how much you spend on insurance? Try totting up your premiums ? we suspect you’ll be surprised! You’ll be even more surprised to discover that there’s a probability that you’ve also duplicated some of the cover you’re paying for. Cut the duplication out and you’re certain to save money. Lots of people have insurance cover for legal expenses, loss of income, theft, even death, without even realising it. This can arise because many of us don’t fully understand what’s covered by the policies we have, especially if the policies had been arranged for us by financial advisers and brokers. In a recent survey, The Financial Services Authority (FSA) discovered that optional extras such as breakdown recovery and legal expense cover, were frequently added to car insurance without checking whether the policyholder was already covered. It’s also not uncommon to find that people with Permanent Medical Insurance have duplicated their cover via payment protection policies taken out specifically to cover their monthly payments on mortgages, loans and credit cards. The point is that if they claim on their Permanent Medical Insurance, their payout will be reduced because part of their claim is also insured through their payment protection policies ? so their payment protection insurance is really a waste of money. The Financial Ombudsman has confirmed this saying, ?People often contact us when they find themselves over-insured. They often do not realise until they make a claim that they have been paying for a policy that provides very little, if any, benefit?. There’s also ample of evidence that some of us simply don’t understand what we’re actually insured for! For example, take the case of Amanda Lariviere from West Yorkshire. Amanda, aged 42 and mother of two, is recovering from ovarian cancer and had an allergic reaction to chemotherapy which kept her off work. Out of the blue she received an unwelcome tax bill so she decided to visit her building society to find out if she could raise some cash by re-mortgaging. The adviser at the Society wisely asked her to bring with her, her life insurance policies so that they could be used to support her re-mortgage application. So imagine Amanda’s surprise and delight when the adviser explained that her policies with Norwich Union and Scottish Provident, which had been costing her ?80 per month, were not life insurance policies at all ? they were actually critical illness policies with a combined insured value of ?100,000. She was able to claim on these policies and the ?100,000 she received was sufficient to pay off most of her mortgage and her tax bill! Here’s some typical insurance policies to check out. Critical Illness Insurance Critical Illness insurance is often sold as an optional extra within a life insurance policy. In fact that’s usually the cheapest way to buy it. However, some enlightened employers already provide critical illness insurance as part of their employment package. Ask your employer if you are one of the lucky ones! Life Insurance Some employers also provide life insurance cover within their pension schemes. It’s called death-in-service benefit and typically pays out a tax-free lump sum worth 3 to 4 times the annual salary if the employee were to die whilst employed by the company. Permanent Medical Insurance and Payment Protection Insurance Permanent Medical Insurance (PMI) is also known by some people as Income Protection Insurance. PMI pays out the insured monthly sum if the policyholder is off work due to illness due to one of a wide range of specified illnesses - and some policies will even pay out during redundancy. PMI policies pay out indefinitely or at least until the policy comes to the end of its insured term. Few appreciate is that PMI actually eliminates the need for Payment Protection insurance ? the sort of insurance frequently sold alongside loans, credit cards and mortgages to maintain monthly payments if you are off sick, have an accident or are made redundant. Indeed, you can’t make a claim against more than one policy for the same event ? only one policy will agree to pay out! (All the others will reduce their payouts to the value of the money you are receiving from your other policies) Mobile Phone Insurance Normally mobile phone policies have a hefty excess ? rarely less than ?50. You could be better saving the insurance and changing to a pay-as-you-go plan. Legal Expense Insurance Insurance for legal expenses relating to disputes concerning your home will usually be included free of charge within your home and contents insurance policy. Most car insurance policies provide legal expense cover as an optional extra ? others even include it as standard. Some trade unions and professional associations sometimes include access to legal advice as part of their service to their members. Check these out before you pay for more cover! Insurance for ID Theft According to ?Which?, the consumer magazine, you are only legally responsible for the first ?50 if your identity is stolen. Is it worth insuring for a ?50 risk? Incidentally, my bank has just given me this insurance for free! Automatic cover for credit card purchases Many credit cards automatically insure your purchases for a set period of time after you’ve shopped. Barclaycard is a good example. If you used Barclaycard to buy something valued between ?50 and ?2,000, you’re insured against theft and accidental damage for the next 60 days. Michael is the expert financial editor for Scrouge Online who specialise in <a href="http://www.scrouge-online.co.uk">Life Insurance</a> and <a href="http://www.scrouge-online.co.uk/home-insurance.htm">Home Insurance </a>
Source: www.ArticlePros.com

How To Compare And Buy Term Life Insurance Online Without A Hassle
Most Consumers will agree that purchasing life insurance is about as fun as riding a donkey across the desert While we all know we need it for our family, we tend to put it at the bottom of the list of to do’s simply due to inconvenience In the current day most families are extremely busy with work and family and may find it difficult to set up a time to meet with an agent Taking into account these obstacles how can state of the art technology change the way consumers shop for and purchase life insurance? . .The Consumer Online Search Trend . . .There has been a online shopping trend emerging since the early 1990’s when insurance marketers first began offering quoting aggregators to consumers seeking insurance comparisons Since then consumer comfort level has increased using the Internet to both search and shop for auto, health and most recently life insurance Statistically fewer consumers are searching the phone directories and are directing their search towards the Internet for fast results People seem to be just as comfortable working with a local or national agency they found on the web as they were in years past with the local door to door insurance salesman Many of the top trusted insurance carriers now offer online insurance quoting as evidenced by the advertising of the domain names and 1-800 numbers in publications and on television in recent years Today these carriers offer a combination of real time quote engine, simplified issue underwriting, online applications and e-signatures in order to expedite the underwriting process and make the whole process easier for the life insurance purchaser . .Life Insurance is too Complicated To Purchase Online? . .Some forms of Life insurance such as variable life, universal life and investment type policies may require a more hands on approach, most families purchase term because it is cost effective and serves a purpose during the highest risk years when you own a home and have young children and a spouse to protect Term insurance is not complicated if you know what your looking for here are a few guidelines to consider when searching online; . .Simplified Issue Life Insurance is Fast . .If your relatively healthy no more than one or two minor health issues like arthritis and cholesterol or there are no health issues of which you are aware of you can usually qualify for the non - medical life insurance This is the path of least resistance, and does not require a physical exam, which consists of blood and urine to check for any health issues or abnormal readings You can quote and apply directly online from the agent/agencies website if you choose These policies are typically issued for standard or better rating classes by simply asking a few health questions and issuing the policy on accept /reject basis You should be aware that online term insurance purchases are limited to $500,000 for this type of application method Also verify that the policy has a guaranteed premium for the length of the term period and will not increase during the term, and that that it does have a level death benefit upon the death of the insured Lastly do not confuse accidental death insurance with straight term life insurance . .Use a Licensed Agent that uses Technology . .The other option when searching for life insurance online is to run life insurance comparisons on quote engines, however be care full to avoid the websites that say they do not sell insurance but simply send out your info for agents to compete These website companies are created only to sell your data to a multitude of agents Simply run your quote directly on the agent /agencies website, this way you will only be contacted by an agent from that organization and your personal information will be kept private By utilizing an agent/ broker you can shop for the best rate from among many of the top carriers, but more importantly an agent can help guide you to the carrier that will give you the best rate class for your health All carriers have different underwriting guidelines and a broker/ agent who has some knowledge of these carriers can help you obtain an approval if you have some health concerns Many agents today use state of the art technology platforms that connect directly to the carriers and can take you application over the phone and electronically schedule the physical exam during the application process and have the examiner bring the application for your signature at the date of the exam The carrier pays for the exam so you essentially are able to get an approval, support from an agent and be provided an offer prior to accepting the policy terms Even if you qualify for the non medical life insurance an agent can save you vital time by taking the application by phone and help you avoid carriers that will not approve you . .While many insurance companies are marketing directly to consumers remember the independent broker can typically offer you a multitude of options for your health, age and weight from a variety of the top trusted carriers insuring that you obtain the most affordable coverage to protect your family’s needs if you were unable to do so This is a technology tool that allows life insurance buyers to benefit from an agent’s knowledge of companies and products, the ability to reduce the application and approval process from months to days or minutes and also improves the overall buying experience .
Source: www.rsstnx.com