6 Important Life Insurance Terms You Should Know

What if you died today? Are your loved ones prepared to settle the financial concerns you left behind?

Will your children still be able to go to school? Will they be eating the same food you are enjoying with them today?

Sad and creepy as it may sound but if you answered NO to those questions then it’s time for you to consider getting a life insurance NOW.

As we mentioned before, there are mainly two kinds of insurance policies: Term Life and Whole Life.

Our friends Pepot and Dora explains below the differences between these two policies. This comic strip is taken from my comic book The Adventures of Pepot Kuripot and Dora Gastadora (shameless plugging).

PepotDoraInsurance
Score a copy of my comic book The Adventures of Pepot Kuripot and Dora Gastadora at National Bookstore and Powerbooks!

Gets na?

But apart from knowing the differences between Term Life and Whole Life insurance policies, it is also important that you learn the more unfamiliar insurance terms before shopping for the best one.

Here are the six basic terms about insurance that you should know if you are searching for your first policy.

1) Death Benefit

This is the amount of money that the insurance company will pay to your dependents when you die.

Remember that the more financial needs and expenses you have, the higher amount of death benefit you should have.

Insist with the financial advisor or the insurance agent to conduct a comprehensive financial needs evaluation (which I suppose they should really do) before going through the different insurance products that he or she will offer.

2) Premium 

This is the amount that you will pay on a periodic basis for you to be able to be covered with insurance.

The payments can be arranged on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. The amount of the premium is based on the risk assessment results of the underwriting process.

3) Underwriting  

The underwriting process will help you determine which type of life insurance policy or product suits your financial needs and goals.

The decision will be based on the potential risks associated with your age, medical history, among other factors.

That’s why you should expect to be asked whether you are a smoker/drinker or not.

4) Beneficiary 

This is the person or an entity who will receive the death benefit or the proceeds of the insurance policy in case of your death.

You can actually name your spouse, your children, siblings, and other relatives as recipients of the benefits.

If you don’t have any relatives left, you can even name anyone or any institution as your beneficiary.

5) Cash Value

There are certain types of insurance policies that allows the insured to withdraw or borrow money from.

These days, some life insurance products are considered investments as well because of this feature.

However, remember that access to cash values through borrowing or partial surrenders will reduce your policy’s cash value and death benefit.

6) Riders

These are the different types of benefits that you can add to your main insurance policy. If you avail any of these riders, your premium will increase.

One example of a rider is “critical illness benefit”. This type of rider will pay you a lump sum amount if in case you are diagnosed with any of the critical illnesses specified in the insurance policy.

Examples of these illnesses include cancer, stroke, kidney diseases, heart attach, and others. This health insurance rider will provide you money to use to treat your illness.

Ready to buy your first life insurance policy?

Know more about protecting yourself and your assets by subscribing to RockToRiches|BurnGutierrez.Com.

Rock your way to abundance!

#moneyliferocknroll

 

The Most Expensive Insurance Claims of all Time (Infographic)

Did you know that the global financial crisis of2008 cost insurance companies almost $22 trillion USD? Or that the 9/11 attacks led to insurance pay-outs totalling $40 billion USD?

This infographic explores some of the largest pay-outs the world has ever seen, and looks at a wide range of areas like motor and even pet insurance!
Largest-Insurance-Payouts-Infographic

Follow my posts on managing your finances while working abroad by subscribing to BurnGutierrez.Com.

Rock your way to abundance!

#moneyliferocknroll

 

How Do You Measure A Year in the Life?

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes
How do you measure, a year in the life?
How about love?
How about love?
How about love?
Measure in love

Seasons of love (love)

“Seasons Of Love” by Rent cast from the album Rent: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Composed by Jonathan Larson

I just love listening to this song. Aside from my just plain liking sentimental tunes, this song points out a universal truth – we can measure our lives by different metrics. But, the most important measure still seems to be how we have touched lives and how we have shown love to the people who matter most to us.

Our love for them and our desire to show this, drives us in everything we do. This is the reason why I actually got my first insurance policy. I work hard and it’s important to me that my loved ones will be cared for, regardless whether I’m still here or gone.

August, being my most active month of the year as an entrepreneur and traveler, has pushed my life insurance needs to the forefront.

Problem is, I don’t have the time to meet with financial advisors or insurance agents nor do I want the hassle of discussing and reading all those quotations. Neither do I have the time to go to an insurance office (especially with all the rain during this season!).

Tadah! Thank you #Google! A search in the net showed me #AXAion! The search showed that it’s the Philippine’s first online insurance store where buying a life, health, savings and/or education plan seems to be as easy as 1-2-3!

AXAiON-Visit-Apply-Pay-336x280

I decided to try it out. I started with a Visit to: www.axaion.com.ph. There, I found a selection of plans: Savings, Academic, Life and Health eXentials. Finding out how much money I had to put in and grow in these plans was so easy.

Answering the online application form and keying in payment information in the PesoPay (payment gateway) page was a piece of cake. I can’t believe that the whole transaction was paperless from start to finish! There was absolutely no need to print, scan, email or visit a branch! But I did get a quick call from a customer service representative at AXA Philippines. The rep courteously verified my application and some of the things I mentioned in my application

AXA iON is the answer to all of us busy bees who want to get financial products but can’t seem to find the time to get a quotation, apply and pay for this basic financial essential! Easy, convenient, safe and accessible to all!

I think I will get my health and savings plan online again ☺

by Carissa Patag
Editor, Rock To Riches

carissapatag

Carissa is a Philippine licensed stock broker, mutual fund agent, real estate agent, Bonds and Fixed rate Instrument Trader and Insurance Agent. As a financial professional, Carissa held the following positions: Associate Director and Head of Retail Sales and Marketing, Vice president, Fund Manager and Certified Securities Representative.

Carissa ‘s advocacy in financial literacy includes being an Advisor and Contributor in Angat Pilipinas Coalition for Financial Literacy and being a speaker in Corporate and Academe settings.

Carissa has business interests in Retail, Pharmaceutical and Trading Industries and currently sits on the board of various corporations.