Why Life Insurance?
Though modern world has immense blessings, it is not risk free. Everybody is under risks. An unexpected incident might change your happy family life. Suppose, suddenly you die in a road accident. Did you think what would happen to your wife and children? The thing that will give protection and security is the life insurance. Moreover, it facilitates an income to let your family maintain its standard of living and cover everyday expenses. Furthermore, it is life insurance that will protect your home mortgage. After your death your family might not leave the house if your life insurance might pay off the mortgage.
What is Life Insurance?
Life Insurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, by which the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence covered by the policy and the policy owner agrees to pay a stipulated amount called a premium at regular intervals or in lump sums. The insurer also agrees to pay you on the basis of death or other event, such as terminal illness or critical illnesses.
Two basic categories of life insurance
There are two basic categories of life insurance : temporary and permanent.
Temporary life insurance, which is also known as pure assurance, provides for a specified term of years for a specified premium. The insurer is bound to pay cash benefits to the beneficiary if the policy owner dies .In addition; it only gives assurance in the event of death and nothing else. Here premium can be for one or more years. For example, annual renewable term is one type of policy where your policy is automatically renewable each year up to a specific age limit.
Another type of temporary life insurance is Mortgage insurance, which gives protection for the policy holder’s family, where mortgage will be paid if the insured dies.
Permanent life insurance is the life insurance under which the policy owner has to pay until the policy matures .It also cannot be canceled by the insurer for any reason except fraud in the application, and the cancellation must occur within a period of time defined by law.
Permanent life insurance includes whole life insurance,universal life insurance and Limited-pay insurance.
Whole Life Insurance:This policy has several advantages. The common benefits of the policy include guaranteed death benefits, guaranteed cash values, fixed and known annual premium inflexibile.Under this policy mortality and expense charges also don’t reduce the cash value shown in the policy.It covers the policyholder for his or her whole life. There is no fixed end date for the policy. When the policy holder dies, the face value of the policy, known as a death benefit, is paid to the person or persons named in the life insurance policy.
Universal life insurance: It offers many features of whole life insurance, but allows greater flexibility once the policy is in force. Like whole life insurance, universal life insurance is a permanent policy. It protects the policyholder until death—however long that may be. Also like whole life insurance, universal life insurance accrues cash value over time.
Limited-pay insurance: It is a policy, in which all the premiums are paid over a specified period after which lyhe policy owner has to pay no additional premiums to keep the policy in force. The Common limited pay periods are 10-year, 20-year, and paid-up at age 65.
So ,be wise and purchase a life insurance policy suitable to your means.
By: Greath Owen
Friday, December 5, 2008
American Life Insurance-one of the Most Trusted Company
American Life Insurance the most trusted company which has a reputation of about 87 years. This company is one of the globally recognized life insurance companies and it has a number of branches all over the world which has a vast customer line following. American Life Insurance gives various tax benefits to all its insurance policy holders and it also takes care of all your life insurance related policies like retirement insurance policy, wealth management policy, medical insurance, health insurance etc.
Life insurance basic terms as you know is an important factor in every person's life and when it comes to life insurance age is not the main criteria when it comes to get your life insured. American Life Insurance also known as AIG insurance company and majority of Americans has insured themselves with this life insurance company. The market value of this company is high and you can find the companies ratings in the financial books due to their vast financial transactions with other financial institutes.
There are two major life insurance policies that this AIG Insurance Company deals with i.e. the Term Life Insurance and Whole Life Insurance. In case of Term Life Insurance the policy taken is for a short period of time and Whole Life Insurance is where you get yourself insured for your whole life.
AIG insurance company is one such life insurance company that charters to the needs of the common person. One of the benefits of getting insured in this life insurance company is that you reap a rich harvest of life insurance benefits on all your life insurance policies which no other life insurance company provides you as this company provides you with the benefits when you are still alive.
This life insurance company in order to increase its relationship with their vast flowing customer's have started life insurance online services which has made it easy and convenient for them to get themselves and their family members insured staying within the very comforts of their own house. AIG Insurance is one of the most sought of companies and it is a tough competitor to other life insurance companies.
Buying Life Insurance After Being Diagnosed With Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates doctors will diagnose over 1.4 million new cases of cancer in the U.S. in 2007, with more than 559,650 cancer-related deaths. If you are among the majority of cancer patients and survive for at least five years following your diagnosis, you may face another fight: buying life insurance.
Buying life insurance for cancer patients is challenging, but not necessarily impossible. Your chances for securing a policy depend greatly on the type, stage and grade of the cancer, and even on the treatment plan. There is a relationship between the rate you'll receive and the curability of your cancer. Certain types of skin cancer, for example, are considered very low risk by life insurance companies and a skin cancer history may not even impact premiums.
Applicants with common and treatable forms of breast and prostate cancer may be able to get a "standard" rating under ideal circumstances. But patients with a history of leukemia or colon cancer may fall into a "substandard" or "high substandard" rating at best, or receive declines. Anyone with cancer that has metastasized likely won't be able to obtain a policy.
Dr. Charles Levy, senior vice president and chief medical director of AIG American General Domestic Life Insurance Cos., says, "We're better and better able to differentiate the risks of individual cancers." Life insurers like AIG American General have sophisticated tables to determine premiums, where they can factor in cancer types and treatments. The end result is better premiums because applicants aren't lumped together as an "average."
Most insurers will not offer a policy to someone who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. Depending on your type of cancer, the life insurer may also want to add a surcharge, also called a temporary flat extra. For example, AIG American General sometimes charges temporary flat extras for two to five years, depending on the applicant's cancer and treatment. The good news is that although these extra premiums can be expensive, they will automatically disappear after a set period of time.
Cancer insurance risk specialists
While a dedicated life insurance agent will search cancer insurance companies to find insurers that will sell you a life insurance policy, in some cases you may be better off seeking out a broker who specializes in finding life insurance for people who have a history of cancer.
These brokers will know the specific questions underwriters will want answered when considering your application. Many brokers have developed relationships with several insurers, so they know which companies offer the best-priced life insurance policies for cancer survivors. Some brokers have experts who specialize in gathering your medical records and organizing them.
By directing your application to life insurers that will view your application most favorably, these brokers will help you find the most accurate price quotes and the lowest premiums for life insurance. Always check the financial strength of the insurer before you buy any policy and be sure that the agent or broker you choose is licensed in your state.
Life insurance strategies for cancer survivors
If you are a healthy cancer survivor, life insurance is even more feasible. There are things you can do to ensure you're getting the best premium offers possible for your situation.
1. Gather all possible medical records before you apply, from the first pathology report to medical records to treatment records. That ensures medical underwriters have the most complete picture of you, your health, and your cancer history. Having all those records before you apply for cancer insurance will reduce delays in your application process, because your life insurer is going to request them and will wait for them. The information you provide can garner you better premiums in the end: The less life insurer underwriters knows about you, the more likely they are to have to assume you are the highest risk and offer you high premiums accordingly. According to Levy, "If it's fuzzy, we're more likely to err on the side of conservatism."
2. Make sure you have complied with your doctor's treatment plans. For example, says Levy, if your doctor asked to see you back in one year and you haven't been back in four years, get to your doctor for your check-up before you apply for life insurance. Your life insurer is not going to offer you a policy without before seeing the results of that check-up. Similarly, if you've had breast cancer and you're due for a mammogram in December and you apply for cancer insurance in October, your life insurer will likely wait for the results of your next mammogram.
3. Get prices from several companies. Policy costs can vary a great deal among companies.
4. See if you can get group life insurance through a professional, fraternal, membership, or political organization to which you belong.
5. Consider a "graded" policy (one with limited benefits) if you cannot get full death benefits. In the first few years of a graded policy, the company pays only the premiums and part of the face value if the insured person dies of a condition, such as cancer, that existed before the policy took effect. If the insured person dies after the specified grading-in period, the company will pay the full face amount of the policy.
If your cancer has been successfully treated, and you are otherwise in good health, you can likely obtain a cancer life insurance policy. If you can show that you are healthy and your treatments have gone well, several insurers may compete for your business.
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Buying life insurance for cancer patients is challenging, but not necessarily impossible. Your chances for securing a policy depend greatly on the type, stage and grade of the cancer, and even on the treatment plan. There is a relationship between the rate you'll receive and the curability of your cancer. Certain types of skin cancer, for example, are considered very low risk by life insurance companies and a skin cancer history may not even impact premiums.
Applicants with common and treatable forms of breast and prostate cancer may be able to get a "standard" rating under ideal circumstances. But patients with a history of leukemia or colon cancer may fall into a "substandard" or "high substandard" rating at best, or receive declines. Anyone with cancer that has metastasized likely won't be able to obtain a policy.
Dr. Charles Levy, senior vice president and chief medical director of AIG American General Domestic Life Insurance Cos., says, "We're better and better able to differentiate the risks of individual cancers." Life insurers like AIG American General have sophisticated tables to determine premiums, where they can factor in cancer types and treatments. The end result is better premiums because applicants aren't lumped together as an "average."
Most insurers will not offer a policy to someone who is still undergoing treatment for cancer. Depending on your type of cancer, the life insurer may also want to add a surcharge, also called a temporary flat extra. For example, AIG American General sometimes charges temporary flat extras for two to five years, depending on the applicant's cancer and treatment. The good news is that although these extra premiums can be expensive, they will automatically disappear after a set period of time.
Cancer insurance risk specialists
While a dedicated life insurance agent will search cancer insurance companies to find insurers that will sell you a life insurance policy, in some cases you may be better off seeking out a broker who specializes in finding life insurance for people who have a history of cancer.
These brokers will know the specific questions underwriters will want answered when considering your application. Many brokers have developed relationships with several insurers, so they know which companies offer the best-priced life insurance policies for cancer survivors. Some brokers have experts who specialize in gathering your medical records and organizing them.
By directing your application to life insurers that will view your application most favorably, these brokers will help you find the most accurate price quotes and the lowest premiums for life insurance. Always check the financial strength of the insurer before you buy any policy and be sure that the agent or broker you choose is licensed in your state.
Life insurance strategies for cancer survivors
If you are a healthy cancer survivor, life insurance is even more feasible. There are things you can do to ensure you're getting the best premium offers possible for your situation.
1. Gather all possible medical records before you apply, from the first pathology report to medical records to treatment records. That ensures medical underwriters have the most complete picture of you, your health, and your cancer history. Having all those records before you apply for cancer insurance will reduce delays in your application process, because your life insurer is going to request them and will wait for them. The information you provide can garner you better premiums in the end: The less life insurer underwriters knows about you, the more likely they are to have to assume you are the highest risk and offer you high premiums accordingly. According to Levy, "If it's fuzzy, we're more likely to err on the side of conservatism."
2. Make sure you have complied with your doctor's treatment plans. For example, says Levy, if your doctor asked to see you back in one year and you haven't been back in four years, get to your doctor for your check-up before you apply for life insurance. Your life insurer is not going to offer you a policy without before seeing the results of that check-up. Similarly, if you've had breast cancer and you're due for a mammogram in December and you apply for cancer insurance in October, your life insurer will likely wait for the results of your next mammogram.
3. Get prices from several companies. Policy costs can vary a great deal among companies.
4. See if you can get group life insurance through a professional, fraternal, membership, or political organization to which you belong.
5. Consider a "graded" policy (one with limited benefits) if you cannot get full death benefits. In the first few years of a graded policy, the company pays only the premiums and part of the face value if the insured person dies of a condition, such as cancer, that existed before the policy took effect. If the insured person dies after the specified grading-in period, the company will pay the full face amount of the policy.
If your cancer has been successfully treated, and you are otherwise in good health, you can likely obtain a cancer life insurance policy. If you can show that you are healthy and your treatments have gone well, several insurers may compete for your business.
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