6 Reasons to Buy Whole Life Insurance or Term Life Insurance

March 13th, 2010

quality term or whole life insurance coverage is important, especially if there are people in your life whose financial stability depends on your income. Many financial experts even consider life insurance to be the foundation of sound financial planning. Find out six reasons why you should purchase whole life insurance or term life insurance to protect your family and loved ones.

1. Income for Dependents

If people in your life depend on your income for financial support, having a whole life insurance or term life insurance policy in place will protect them in the event of your death. Life insurance can replace your income for your dependents so they aren’t left bearing the financial burden of an income lost through death. This applies most often to parents with young children, but is also applicable to couples if the death of one partner would leave the survivor financially stricken. If your parents, adult children, or siblings are your dependents, life insurance can also provide replacement income to benefit them. And, if your surviving spouse or domestic partner’s government or employer-sponsored benefits will see a reduction after your death, having life insurance to replace your income can definitely be useful.

2. Coverage for Final Expenses

Funeral and burial costs can be expensive, but your life insurance can cover the costs. Carefully planned life insurance will also provide funds to cover mortgages and other expenses. Debts and medical expenses not covered by health insurance can also be covered by your life insurance. Life insurance offers protection to the dependents you leave behind, since it can sometimes be utilized as a cash resource.

3. Create Inheritance

Life insurance can allow you to create an inheritance for your immediate relatives or heirs. Even if you don’t have any other significant assets to pass onto your surviving family or loved ones, you can create an inheritance by naming your heirs as beneficiaries in your life insurance policy.

4. Pay Estate Taxes

Rather than leaving your surviving family to take a smaller inheritance or do away with some assets, have a quality life insurance policy in place so the benefits can pay estate taxes. Some life insurance plans provide tax free cash that can be used to pay estate taxes and death duties.

5. Create Source of Savings

Your life insurance can become a sort of savings plan since some types of insurance can create a cash value that is available for withdrawal upon the owner’s request. Another benefit of this “forced” savings plan is that the interest credited is tax deferred, and if the money is paid as a death claim, the interest can be tax exempt (www.iii.org).

6. Make Charitable Contribution

By naming a charity as a beneficiary of your life insurance, you can make a larger contribution than if you donated the cash equivalent of your policy’s premiums. Donating a term life insurance policy allows you to deduct the cost of the premiums from your taxes. And, if you donate a whole life policy, you can deduct the cash value of the policy and the cost of the whole life insurance premiums. In both cases, after you die, the charity you select gets the insurance policy proceeds.

Plan ahead and ensure that you have a quality life insurance plan in place to protect your family.

Options in Selecting the Right Life Insurance

March 12th, 2010

The city supplies applicable companies numerous types of life insurance policies for employees receiving an income, not limited to accidental death or dismemberment coverage, basic life insurance, and commuter and motorist life insurance. These programs are entirely funded by the City of Mesa, Arizona. Supplemental life insurance is also offered at a premium cost that the employee is responsible for funding.

Basic Life Insurance

Basic life insurance is provided by standard life insurance to full-time employees at no cost. The benefit is equivalent to the employee’s yearly salary rounded up to the next $1,000. When hired, the employee is asked to designate a beneficiary for the policy. It is highly recommended to verify the beneficiary every few years, particularly if a major life event occurs, such as marriage, divorce, or the birth or death of family members.

Accidental Death or Dismemberment

Similar to the basic life insurance policy, this kind of coverage is granted through standard life insurance to full-time employees. It is entirely funded by the city. The benefit is also equivalent to the employee’s yearly salary rounded up to the next $1,000. The beneficiary for this policy is the same individual that that is designated for the Basic Life Insurance described above.

Commuter Life Insurance

Provided through CIGNA Life Insurance, this type of policy provides a $200,000 death benefit to a beneficiary if the holder of the policy is killed as a result of an accident that happens during the commute to or from work using the normal route. This kind of policy does not cover travel by aircraft, however. If an employee travels by air on a regular basis for work, they may want to look into specialized life insurance that covers travel by air. The beneficiary for this policy is the same individual that is designated for the Basic Life Insurance described above.

Supplemental Life Insurance

Supplemental, also knows as voluntary, Life Insurance offers the opportunity to enroll in added life insurance coverage for the policy holder, their spouse, and/or any dependent children. Coverage for the policy holder and their spouse is available in $10,000 increments up to the total sum of the amount of life insurance that the City supplies in addition to what the employee obtains for supplemental life, but cannot exceed a total of $300,000. As an example, if an employee makes $30,000 annually, the City will provide a $30,000 policy at zero cost to the employee. If the employee chooses to then purchase $100,000 in supplemental or voluntary life insurance, the employee’s spouse can procure up to $130,000 ($30,000 granted by the City in addition to the $100,000 supplemental/voluntary purchased by the employee). Premiums for this type of coverage are the policy holder’s responsibility and will be withheld by payroll. The City does not monetarily contribute to this coverage.

To add or increase coverage and for more company life insurance basics the employee will need to complete an application form, which can be found at http://www.mesachip.org (click on “Benefit Forms”). If the employee does not wish to make any changes at this time, they do not need to re-enroll.

If previous enrollment in Supplemental Life Insurance has not already been completed, or if an employee wishes to increase coverage for them self or their spouse, they are forewarned that their application will be subject to underwriting and authorization by the carrier administering the plan.

This coverage may be transferable should the employee terminate employment with and/or retire from the City of Mesa. However, the coverage must be active at the time employment ends. If the employee does not meet the eligibility requirements to transfer coverage, the employee may choose to convert their policy instead. Please refer to the Life Insurance Certificate of Coverage.

Low Cost Car Insurance With High Risk Coverage

March 11th, 2010

Although each car is different from the other there is one aspect which is common to all – the need for car insurance. Irrespective of its make, model and price, every car owner needs to get their car insured to protect it from the various perils that it is exposed to in its day-to-day usage. However, it is important to look at the different benefits and risk coverage offered by the insurance company before getting the car insured. Usually, the insurance provider that offers a whole lot of benefits at low premium rates is deemed to be the best.

In Australia, there are some car insurance companies that provide flexible, convenient and affordable car insurance. These car insurers offer multiple insurance benefits and cover the automobile against damage/loss of the car, damage caused to other vehicles or damage caused to other people or their property by the use of the insured car. The best part is that you get all these benefits at a very low cost premium! The premium amount of the car is variable, and depends upon some factors such as:

- The make, model and price of the automobile

- The driving history and age of the people driving the car

- Any optional factory extra accessories that are fitted in the car

- The policy holder’s residential address

- The finance arrangement of the car

Depending upon these factors, the car’s premium value is calculated.

Most of us never realise the importance of a car insurance policy until we have to make an insurance claim. This can also be when we realise that we have been literally taken for a ride! Since most of us overlook all that is written between the fine lines of the car insurance policy papers, we are never able to fully comprehend the risks we are covered against. The best way to avoid this is to go for comprehensive online car insurance. This would ensure that you get a low cost car insurance policy that covers your automobile against most of the risks and hazards.

Some Australian car insurance companies offer low cost car insurance and also facilitate an easy claim process. They provide low cost car insurance with high risk coverage against accidental and malicious damage, fire or theft for the insured car and physical injury of the car owner. Apart from this, the online car insurance offered by them also covers collision, physical and property damage for third parties. This ensures that your car is covered against all the possible problems that you can face.