Archive for May, 2006
My mother was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago and worked up until last December.
She had a $150,000 term life insurance plan through her old employer also. We just found a letter that we received around 4/18 saying that her benefits from work were going to be canceled on 4/18, this included her life insurance plan. They said the insurance company (Met Life) would contact us with details on how to transfer the policy or we could call a number. We were too busy caring for her at the time to deal with this.
We finally received the transfer papers from Met-Life today 5/20, a week and a half after she passed away on 5/8.
They tell us it is too late to transfer her plan and we cannot collect the the life insurance money. Is there any requirement for the insurance company to contact us in a hasty manner? Is there any way to transfer the policy now? I just saddens me to think that she died 3 weeks too late for us to receive the life insurance plan she paid for.
Merlin Imaino
Genworth is in financial trouble.
Their bonds have been downgraded to Baa1 (still investment grade, but I would expect better from an insurance company)
Stocks in the tank.
Losing ludicrous amounts of money.
Their insurance ratings are still decent, but those rating companies give just about everyone an A or higher, so I don’t trust ‘em.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122641820309017419.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Kanesha Gulotta
How Smoking Affects Term Life Insurance Rates
Something important to understand about term life insurance rates is that they’re easily affected by multiple lifestyle habits that affect your health. One of the major things that life insurance companies look for is the health of the individual. Depending on your health, and the things you do that affect your body, your term life insurance rates may go up or down. Life insurance companies focus on health for good reason. They want their customers living long, prosperous lives. This benefits both parties. For the insured, the longer that you stay insured, the longer you can be protected by your policy. For the insurer, the longer the insured pays for insurance, the more money the company accumulates. With that being said, it becomes more obvious as to why health plays a part in term life insurance rates.
But how exactly does smoking affect term life insurance rates? It’s common knowledge that smoking is bad for your health. The affect that smoking has on the individuals who smoke is impossible to ignore. There are many illnesses, many resulting in death, that are linked to smoking. The life expectancy of smokers is shorter than those who do not smoke. When life insurance companies identify that an applicant is a smoker, it automatically raises red flags. The person is considered to have a shorter life span, and is expected to possibly have health issues later in life. Because of this, term life insurance rates for that specific individual, are likely to be higher. For more information regarding term life insurance visit http://stevenallen.blogspot.com/2008/05/whats-in-policy-name.html.
How Can They Tell If I Smoke?
There are multiple ways that life insurance companies can tell if someone is a smoker. First, there is a questionnaire that is given to every individual looking into term life insurance rates. Some of these questions include smoking. Many see this and think that it would be easy to lie to the company, saying that you do not smoke. That is untrue, however. One of the other steps in the process of getting life insurance is to have a medical exam. The company is looking for specific things through this exam. Because there are chemicals left behind in your body by smoking (such as nicotine), the company can easily tell if you are a smoker. This is why it is important to understand that you should never lie on the questionnaire, under any circumstances. All of your life insurance (and policies) can be revoked if they find out you lied.
How Can I Lower my Term Life Insurance Rates?
While it is easier said than done, managing to quit smoking can lower your rates. If you are already locked into a life insurance policy, you are allowed to update your medical exam at any time. If you have quit smoking, updating this exam can be a way to show that you’ve quit. While quitting smoking can be difficult, managing to do so can help you out in lowering your term life insurance rates. Learn more about term life insurance by checking out http://www.bloggeracrosstheuniverse.com/2008/05/life-insurance.html.
By: Sharon Taylor
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