Friday, January 16, 2009

Life Cover

By Tom Martens

Life Insurance has proven to be quite necessary and living without it has proven to be a big gamble for most people. Most people have debts and families who rely on them and would struggle financially were they not there to provide for them. You can ease your mind and avoid these worries with the right life Insurance. But before you begin looking, take a moment to know more about the different types of life insurance policies so that you can make an informed decision when the right time comes to purchase a policy

In South Africa, there are three main types of life insurance.

The most cost effective option available to consumers is term life insurance. Term life insurance provides coverage for a particular period of time. The most widely used version of term coverage is decreasing term insurance. This insurance can be linked to debt such as property loans. Premiums increase as the debt increases. When a term life plan is not linked to any particular debt, the money granted from it can be used to pay for anything. Premiums increase after every term, although the coverage can be renewed.

If you want to secure financial security for your family in the event of your death, then whole life insurance may be a good choice. Whole life insurance is synonymous with permanent insurance which covers you for as long as you pay the premiums. While these types never need to be renewed, one benefit is the premiums remain the same, no matter what age you are. While whole life insurance policies usually cost more then an equal amount of term insurance, due to an average premium cost. Some policies will even include a savings option that you can borrow against if the need arises

Amongst the life insurances that do not renew and neither do their premiums adjust is Universal life insurance. Universal life insurance is unique in that unlike whole life policies, this kind of insurance offers other financial services, for example savings and investment policies. You can return the policy and claim your accrued savings. The policy holders can however incorporate another person into their policy, take care of their investments or use their funds to cater for premium payments. All this uniqueness makes universal life insurance the most exorbitant cover choice.

South Africa is one among the two countries in the world which is offering an insurance package to the AIDS patients. The equated payments for this type of insurances will be more than the normal payments and the insurer also wants the insured to undergo some antiretroviral treatment.

To select the right insurance that suits you and your family, you must consider three important questions prior to purchasing a policy.

Premium payments! What are they? and what if i miss one?

How much is the death benefit for this life cover? Will that be enough benefit my family?

What is covered by this policy and does it benefit me? What isn't covered by this policy?

Life insurance is an important decision and can be the only thing standing between your family and financial disaster if you die unexpectedly. Your goal is to find the cover that will allow your family to maintain its lifestyle without your financial assistance. Taking this step now will provide peace of mind for you and your family later.

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