Posts Tagged ‘lifesearch’

It Has to Be Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance

We are experiencing extraordinary changes in financial security. After years of job security, job losses are now becoming the norm in virtually all sectors and it’s becoming more and more essential that homeowners protect themselves against loss of income.

MPPI, ASU,PPI and IPI – all these forms of insurance are bandied around, but the only product out of all of them that will directly give protection should redundancy arise, is Mortgage Payment Protection Insurance, or MPPI.

Both MPPI and its partner PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) are forms of ASU (Accident, Sickness and Unemployment Insurance). PPI will cover loans and credit card payments in the case of sickness, accident or unemployment, subject to terms of the individual agreement, but not mortgage repayments.

MPPI is frequently sold by mortgage providers in conjunction with a mortgage. It is designed to match mortgage payments in the event of ill health or the loss of your job. However, financial advisers warn that it comes with some serious restrictions. It only pays for 12 to 24 months of redundancy and there are a number of exclusions.

As Matt Morris, policy adviser at protection specialist Lifesearch, says: “We’d only recommend MPPI for redundancy if you’re really worried about it as the exclusions can be so high.”

Yet another product, Income Protection Insurance (IP), on the other hand, offers a far more comprehensive type of cover than MPPI, but only covers against illness. As an example of differing cover, the two main reasons for claiming under an IP contract are back pain and stress – but neither of these would be covered under the majority of MPPI policies.

It could be a far simpler alternative to arrange an emergency fund which could cover redundancy and just take out an IP plan. Some cash back up would be needed in any case as with most of these products, there is a waiting time of at least a month before pay out begins.

People shouldn’t be pushed into taking out an MPPI product unless it’s what they really need. The help of an adviser should be sought and MPPI should be compared with other products before making a decision.

Another factor is price. MPPI can be more pricey than IP where the policyholder is in good health and relatively young. The reason for this is that with IP there is a lowering of rates for younger people, provided they are in good health, whereas MPPI doesn’t tend to take this into account, due to the shorter time in which it pays out.

As a comparison, with MPPI a typical cost for

Life Insurance Needn’t Break the Bank

You may be surprised, but according to independent broker Lifesearch, we are paying the lowest prices ever in real terms for life insurance as its costs have fallen by nearly 30 per cent in the last ten years.

You may be able to save even more on premiums if you switch your policy to another insurer.

But it may not be so easy for everyone. If you are in the Armed Forces, which is a high-risk job, or if you are overweight, you will probably have to pay more for your premiums.

A 40-year old man looking for 100,000 pounds of life cover over 25 years was quoted a monthly premium of just over 11 pounds by More Than. Everything was to stay the same for the entire term of the policy.

But Lifesearch points out that if this same man was obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30, his premiums could be 50 per cent more.

Matt Morris of Lifesearch explains, “The old loading for obesity meant premiums jumped by up to 20 per cent. That is more like 50 per cent today and can in some cases be more. People are being loaded earlier and loaded higher.”

He adds, “No single insurer will be cheapest for everyone. Those who have a high BMI or complicated medical problems should shop around for the best cover.”

Stan Mayden, 49, from Malpas in Cheshire, and just a shade over the recommended BMI level, had to do just that. His bank Lloyds TSB quoted a monthly premium of 29 pounds for 90,000 pounds of decreasing term insurance. This is where the longer the policy goes on the less the payout may be.

He and his wife Judy, 44, who works as a co-ordinator for a firm that provides carers, asked Lifesearch to help them find a better deal. And it did – Legal & General would charge 17.57 pounds a month for the same cover.

Stan was delighted. “Lifesearch looked across the entire marketplace and found an insurer that didn’t see me as an increased risk,” he said.

“I purchased cover at standard terms, which means I will be able to shave thousands of pounds off the cost of cover over the life of the policy.”

NFU Mutual specialises in providing cover for farmers and businessmen in rural areas say that only ten per cent of people who live in the country consider life cover as essential to protect their families and 44 per cent do not see it as a priority.

Other statistics for country dwellers found that ten per cent value the feeling of community and another ten per cent live there to be nearer to their families.

Juliet Ward from NFU Mutual finds the figures about life insurance a bit alarming. “Perhaps those in the countryside think that living in a rural community means closer links to their wider family and friends, who could take care of their children if the worst should happen.”
But she stresses that this could be a risky strategy as difficulties can arise if there is no life cover when one parent dies.

“Life cover doesn’t have to break the bank and it’s not worth taking short cuts when protecting your family,” she says.

NFU Mutual quotes 9.27 pounds a month for a ten year life policy providing 100,000 pounds of cover for a non-smoking, 40-year old woman. A non-smoking man of the same age would pay slightly more at 10.91 pounds a month.The Life Insurance Professor provides great deals on Life Insurance for its clients in the uk. Please visit our site for helpful information to aid you in making the right decision, first time. Brokers Online offers cutting edge articles and information about Life Insurance, mortgages and other great financial products.

Life Insurance Is Cheaper Than Ever

Lifesearch, an independent insurance broker, say in the last 10 years Life insurance has become cheaper to buy by 30 per cent; as cheap as it has ever been. And, if you already have a plan in place you may be able to lessen your premium by switching to another insurer.

However, if you have any health issues, such as being over-weight or you have a risky job, perhaps in the Armed Forces, you might not be eligible for a cheaper premium and have to pay more for your cover. A quote from More Than for 40 year-old male, for 25 years to the value of 100,000 pounds, at slightly over 11 pounds per month and this, and the cover, will remain the same throughout the term of the policy.

If a 40 year-old man were to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30, he would be classed as obese and his premium could be more than 50 per cent higher, according to Lifesearch.

Matt Morris from Lifesearch says, ‘The old loading for obesity meant premiums jumped by up to 20 per cent. That is more like 50 per cent today and can in some cases be more. People are being loaded earlier and loaded higher.’ He continued, ‘No single insurer will be cheapest for everyone. Those who have a high BMI or complicated medical problems should shop around for the best cover.’

Wesley Boden from Warrington, Cheshire, did just that having approached Lloyds TSB, his own bank, for a quote for a Decreasing Term insurance for 90,000 pounds. They quoted him 29 pounds per month which included a loading because of Wesley’s BMI being just higher than the approved level.

Wesley went to Lifesearch for some advice. They shopped around for him and came up with exactly the same cover for 17.57 pounds per month. He said, ‘Lifesearch looked across the entire marketplace and found an insurer that didn’t see me as an increased risk. I purchased cover at standard terms, which means I will be able to shave thousands of pounds off the cost of cover over the life of the policy.’

The NFU Mutual says that only a meager 10 per cent of rural residents consider Life insurance as high-priority for safe-guarding their families. The NFU specialises in insurance for rural enterprises and farmers and in a recent survey they revealed that 10 per cent of country dwellers live there for the community spirit and 10 per cent say they live there to be near to family.

Juliet Ward from NFU says, ‘The fact that only a small proportion of rural dwellers view life insurance as a priority is concerning. Perhaps those in the countryside think that living in a rural community means closer links to their wider family and friends, who could take care of their children if the worst should happen. Life cover doesn’t have to break the bank and it’s not worth taking short cuts when protecting your family,’ she goes on to say. With life insurance premiums at an all time low it would be foolish not to consider protecting your family.

A 40 year-old female, non-smoker would pay around 9.27 pounds per month for 100,000 pounds worth of cover on a ten year policy, and a male, same age, non-smoker would pay 10.91 pounds for the same cover, based on quotes from the NFU.Get great deals on Life insurance from The Life Insurance Specialists. Please visit our site for helpful articles on Life Insurance. Visit Brokers Online to benefit from its extensive article library covering most areas of uk finance.They also offer Life Insurance Quotes, Mortgage Quotes and much much more all online.

Doctor has Bad News; Insurer Even Worse

Hearing that you have cancer is devastating news. At some stage in our lives, one in three of us will suffer from the disease. It is not surprising that BUPA found that of all diseases, cancer gives Britons the greatest concern.

At this difficult time you would expect an immediate pay out by your health insurance company, enabling you to concentrate on getting better. Sadly you could receive a big shock. Many cancer patients make a full recovery thanks to advances in medical science. Nowadays some cases are not even looked upon as serious, so it is alarming to learn that many health and life insurance policies only pay out when your condition is terminal or life threatening.

Peter Chadborn, an independent financial adviser, warns that people should not presume that they will receive a pay out just because they have been diagnosed with a serious condition. He advises people not to focus on the cost alone when taking out insurance, but to read the small print in a private medical or critical illness policy to ensure that the company will pay you when you need it most.

On the diagnosis of a specific condition, critical illness cover will pay out a lump sum. Whereas you will receive improved quality and speed of treatment with private health/medical insurance. For example, suitable licensed drugs maybe available, which are not dispensed on the NHS. Matt Morris of independent advice firm LifeSearch says about 16 per cent of claims fail on protection policies and at least half of those are rejected because they dont match the criteria for a serious illness.

An example of a claim, which may fail is a slow growing, localised cancer, like a non-aggressive skin cancer, because it does not threaten your life. It is often thought that applications for a pay out fail because a pre-existing condition has not been mentioned, but actually more people dont receive a pay out because their condition is not severe enough. Mr Morris adds that policies should pay out for severe illnesses and diseases. However some cancers sound worse than they are and in these cases you probably wont receive any money from traditional policies.

At one time insurance companies had an all or nothing approach, but they are now starting to offer policies with a full or partial payout. An example is PruProtect, an alternative critical illness policy from the Prudential, which relates the size of the pay out to the severity of the illness and how much hardship it will cause. This policy does not become void once a claim is made but subsequent pay outs may be reduced significantly. This feature is particularly important when the patient is diagnosed with a stage-one or stage-two cancer, which may become even more serious.

Recently the insurance industry addressed the vexed issue of customer non-disclosure. The Association of British Insurers has brokered a new agreement, which will enable claims effected by non-disclosure to receive a partial or full pay out, which has not been the case in the past.The Life-Insurance-Specialists provide great deals on Cheap Life insurance for its clients in the uk. Please visit our site for helpful information to aid you in making the right decision, first time. Brokers Online offers cutting edge articles and information about Life insurance, life assurance, mortgages and other great financial products.

Life Insurance Needn’t Break The Bank

You may be surprised, but according to independent broker Lifesearch, we are paying the lowest prices ever in real terms for life insurance as its costs have fallen by nearly 30 per cent in the last ten years.

You may be able to save even more on premiums if you switch your policy to another insurer. But it may not be so easy for everyone. If you are in the Armed Forces, which is a high-risk job, or if you are overweight, you will probably have to pay more for your premiums.

A 40-year old man looking for 100,000 pounds of life cover over 25 years was quoted a monthly premium of just over 11 pounds by More Than. Everything was to stay the same for the entire term of the policy. But Lifesearch points out that if this same man was obese with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30, his premiums could be 50 per cent more.

Matt Morris of Lifesearch explains, “The old loading for obesity meant premiums jumped by up to 20 per cent. That is more like 50 per cent today and can in some cases be more. People are being loaded earlier and loaded higher.”

He adds, “No single insurer will be cheapest for everyone. Those who have a high BMI or complicated medical problems should shop around for the best cover.”

Stan Mayden, 49, from Malpas in Cheshire, and just a shade over the recommended BMI level, had to do just that. His bank Lloyds TSB quoted a monthly premium of 29 pounds for 90,000 pounds of decreasing term insurance. This is where the longer the policy goes on the less the payout may be.

He and his wife Judy, 44, who works as a co-ordinator for a firm that provides carers, asked Lifesearch to help them find a better deal. And it did – Legal and General would charge 17.57 pounds a month for the same cover.

Stan was delighted. “Lifesearch looked across the entire marketplace and found an insurer that didn’t see me as an increased risk,” he said. “I purchased cover at standard terms, which means I will be able to shave thousands of pounds off the cost of cover over the life of the policy.”

NFU Mutual specialises in providing cover for farmers and businessmen in rural areas say that only ten per cent of people who live in the country consider life cover as essential to protect their families and 44 per cent do not see it as a priority.

Other statistics for country dwellers found that ten per cent value the feeling of community and another ten per cent live there to be nearer to their families.

Juliet Ward from NFU Mutual finds the figures about life insurance a bit alarming. “Perhaps those in the countryside think that living in a rural community means closer links to their wider family and friends, who could take care of their children if the worst should happen.” But she stresses that this could be a risky strategy as difficulties can arise if there is no life cover when one parent dies.

“Life cover doesn’t have to break the bank and it’s not worth taking short cuts when protecting your family,” she says.

NFU Mutual quotes 9.27 pounds a month for a ten year life policy providing 100,000 pounds of cover for a non-smoking, 40-year old woman. A non-smoking man of the same age would pay slightly more at 10.91 pounds a month.The Life Insurance Professor provides great deals on Life Insurance for its clients in the uk. Please visit our site for helpful information to aid you in making the right decision, first time. Brokers Online offers cutting edge articles and information about Life Insurance, mortgages and other great financial products.