TRAVEL PROTECTION PLAN

It Provides financial reimbursement and coverage when the unexpected happens before or during a trip. This provides travelers with peace of mind that if anything goes wrong before or during a planned trip, they will not lose the investment they have made on travel plans.Most such protection covers unforeseen weather events while travelers are on vacation. If a hurricane comes while vacationing at the beach, a good travel insurance protection plan will refund the money spent on the vacation in full or at least the portion of the vacation that was not completed.

There are a small number of companies who offer travel insurance protection to safeguard against a growing concern in the United States and worldwide - identity theft. If a traveler's wallet or purse is stolen and they have coverage that guards against identity theft, they would simply call the insurance company's toll free number and report the incident. Identity theft coverage will guide the traveler through specific steps for reporting identity theft to the proper authorities and steps for repairing the damage often done by identity theft. This includes damage to the travelers credit report. An identity theft travel insurance protection plan is often in effect for a certain term after the trip has ended.

Identity theft coverage can last for up to six months after completion of the trip and will most likely include monetary reimbursement up to a certain dollar amount. This differs among companies who offer identity theft as part of their travel insurance protection plan. Other types of this specific policy includes coverage for air flight accidents, baggage delays, coverage for family members, emergency assistance, injury or illness, terrorist acts, and rental car damage, among others. There are often limitations and certain conditions that apply, so make sure to read the fine print when investigating trip policies.

Wealth Creation Plan

Wealth Creation Plans give the customer the dual benefit of protection along with the potentially higher returns of market-linked instruments. The most important benefit of ULIPs is the flexibility they give the customer in choosing the premium amount and also choosing the underlying fund in which this money is to be invested. Wealth creation plans also offer the customer more liquidity options as compared to traditional plans. As such, ULIPs are ideal for customers who want the protection of a life cover to be allied to the returns of market linked instrument - giving them an unmatched combination of benefits.

ULIPs give the customer chances of earning returns by market linked instruments. In the ULIPs a certain part of the premium is deducted as the charges. The remaining premium is invested in a fund which is turn will invest in the stock markets and bonds. The value of the investment alerts the customers of the underlying funds as per the choice of the customer.The pension specified traditional plans are available for the customers with retirement plans or solutions.

The Wealth Creation Plans give the customer the benefit of protection along with the higher returns of market linked instruments. The most significant benefit of the ULIPs are the flexibility provided to the customer to choose the premium amount and also choosing the fund in which the money is to be invested.

EDUCATION INSURANCE PLANS

Why childs plan?

As a parent, you would not like to compromise your child's bright career, regardless of the rising cost of education. All you need is a saving’s plan that is designed to provide money at key educational milestones and take care of your loved ones future even if you are not around. Education insurance offers you unique features which ensure that this objective is achieved and it helps in strengthening your child’s dreams.

What are education solutions?

Education solutions ensures comprehensive financial planning for your child’s education/ developmental needs. In this you pay premium regularly or in a single lumpsum and during the  key educational milestones of your child you can withdraw the money partially. It offers financial protection to your child’s future in the unfortunate event of your death.

The life Insurance can be classified into these categories also

Education Insurance Plans

Wealth Creation Plans

Protection Plans

Life Insurance Plans

Life insurance products assure your family will receive financial support, even in your absence. Put simply, when you buy insurance you provide your family with a sum of money, should something happen to you. It thus permanently protects your family from financial crises.

 In addition to serving as a protective cover, when you buy insurance you create a flexible money-saving scheme, which empowers you to accumulate wealth to buy a new car, get your children educational solutions, and even retire comfortably.

 Today, there is no shortage of investment options for a person to choose from. Given the plethora of choices, it becomes imperative to make the right choice when investing your hard-earned money, and online insurance is an ideal choice in today’s technology driven world. Buying Life insurance online is a way to make a unique investment that helps you to meet your dual needs - saving for life's important goals, and protecting your assets.

 From an investor's point of view, an investment can play two roles - asset appreciation or asset protection. While most financial instruments have the underlying benefit of asset appreciation, buying life insurance online gets you the unique reassurance of asset protection, along with a strong element of asset appreciation.

 When you buy life insurance online the core benefit is that the financial interests of one’s family remain protected from circumstances such as loss of income due to critical illness or death of the policyholder. Simultaneously, buying life insurance online gives a strong inbuilt wealth creation proposition. The customer therefore benefits on two counts and online insurance products occupy a unique space in the landscape of investment options available to a customer.

International Travel Insurance to Help Plan for the Unexpected

Planning a great trip starts with planning for the unexpected and the best way to cover the unexpected is by purchasing additional insurance when you travel. The first step in doing this is to gather up all the current insurance you have such as home, auto, health, life, personal property, dental, and umbrella policies. Next, check to see what travel health insurance and/or international travel insurance coverages you has on these policies. Some homeowner’s insurance policies and renter's policies will cover your personal property and liability (such as you accidentally hitting someone with your golf club) anywhere in the world, so if you already have these coverage’s there is no point in paying again for them.

What happens if no one ever reports death

If the insured dies and the insurance company does not learn of the death, the policy lapses. Insurance companies will take steps to find out why a policyholder stopped making payments. When an insurance company stops getting payments, it sends letters to the insured informing him the policy may lapse as a result of unpaid premiums. If the letters go unanswered, the company might initiate a search to find the insured. If that comes up empty, the company will then lapse the policy.

If a beneficiary to a policy never steps forward, it unfortunately means the insured paid money to a policy throughout his life and his beneficiaries never see a penny. This is why it's a good idea to make sure beneficiaries are aware of any life insurance policies you have.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life coverage

Whole life insurance provides for a level premium, and a cash value table included in the policy guaranteed by the company. The primary advantages of whole life are guaranteed death benefits, guaranteed cash values, fixed and known annual premiums, and mortality and expense charges will not reduce the cash value shown in the policy. The primary disadvantages of whole life are premium inflexibility, and the internal rate of return in the policy may not be competitive with other savings alternatives. Also, the cash values are generally kept by the insurance company at the time of death, the death benefit only to the beneficiaries. Riders are available that can allow one to increase the death benefit by paying additional premium. The death benefit can also be increased through the use of policy dividends. Dividends cannot be guaranteed and may be higher or lower than historical rates over time. Premiums are much higher than term insurance in the short term, but cumulative premiums are roughly equal if policies are kept in force until average life expectancy.

Cash value can be accessed at any time through policy "loans" and are received "income-tax free". Since these loans decrease the death benefit if not paid back, payback is optional. Cash values support the death benefit so only the death benefit is paid out.

Dividends can be utilized in many ways. First, if Paid up additions is elected, dividend cash values will purchase additional death benefit which will increase the death benefit of the policy to the named beneficiary. Another alternative is to opt in for 'reduced premiums' on some policies. This reduces the owed premiums by the unguaranteed dividends amount. A third option allows the owner to take the dividends as they are paid out. (Although some policies provide other/different/less options than these - it depends on the company for some cases)

GENERAL POLICY FOR LIFE INSURANCE

ISSUING POLICY

Riders are modifications to the insurance policy added at the same time the policy is issued. These riders change the basic policy to provide some feature desired by the policy owner. A common rider is accidental death, which used to be commonly referred to as "double indemnity", which pays twice the amount of the policy face value if death results from accidental causes, as if both a full coverage policy and an accidental death policy were in effect on the insured. Another common rider is premium waiver, which waives future premiums if the insured becomes disabled.

Joint life insurance is either a term or permanent policy insuring two or more lives with the proceeds payable on the first death or second death.

Survivorship life: is a whole life policy insuring two lives with the proceeds payable on the second (later) death.

Single premium whole life: is a policy with only one premium which is payable at the time the policy is issued.

Modified whole life: is a whole life policy that charges smaller premiums for a specified period of time after which the premiums increase for the remainder of the policy.

Group life insurance: is term insurance covering a group of people, usually employees of a company or members of a union or association. Individual proof of insurability is not normally a consideration in the underwriting. Rather, the underwriter considers the size and turnover of the group, and the financial strength of the group. Contract provisions will attempt to exclude the possibility of adverse selection. Group life insurance often has a provision that a member exiting the group has the right to buy individual insurance coverage.

Senior and preneed products: Insurance companies have in recent years developed products to offer to niche markets, most notably targeting the senior market to address needs of an aging population. Many companies offer policies tailored to the needs of senior applicants. These are often low to moderate face value whole life insurance policies, to allow a senior citizen purchasing insurance at an older issue age an opportunity to buy affordable insurance. This may also be marketed as final expense insurance, and an agent or company may suggest (but not require) that the policy proceeds could be used for end-of-life expenses.

Preneed (or prepaid) insurance policies: are whole life policies that, although available at any age, are usually offered to older applicants as well. This type of insurance is designed specifically to cover funeral expenses when the insured person dies. In many cases, the applicant signs a prefunded funeral arrangement with a funeral home at the time the policy is applied for. The death proceeds are then guaranteed to be directed first to the funeral services provider for payment of services rendered. Most contracts dictate that any excess proceeds will go either to the insured's estate or a designated beneficiary.

Life Insurance For Accidental Death

Life Insurance For Accidental Death

Accidental death is a limited life insurance that is designed to cover the insured when they pass away due to an accident. Accidents include anything from an injury, but do not typically cover any deaths resulting from health problems or suicide. Because they only cover accidents, these policies are much less expensive than other life insurances.

It is also very commonly offered as "accidental death and dismemberment insurance", also known as an AD&D policy. In an AD&D policy, benefits are available not only for accidental death, but also for loss of limbs or bodily functions such as sight and hearing, etc.

Accidental death and AD&D policies very rarely pay a benefit; either the cause of death is not covered, or the coverage is not maintained after the accident until death occurs. To be aware of what coverage they have, an insured should always review their policy for what it covers and what it excludes. Often, it does not cover an insured who puts themselves at risk in activities such as: parachuting, flying an airplane, professional sports, or involvement in a war (military or not). Also, some insurers will exclude death and injury caused by proximate causes due to (but not limited to) racing on wheels and mountaineering.

Accidental death benefits can also be added to a standard life insurance policy as a rider. If this rider is purchased, the policy will generally pay double the face amount if the insured dies due to an accident. This used to be commonly referred to as a double indemnity coverage. In some cases, some companies may even offer a triple indemnity cover

Taxation of life insurance in the United States

Premiums paid by the policy owner are normally not deductible for federal and state income tax purposes.

Proceeds paid by the insurer upon death of the insured are not included in gross income for federal and state income tax purposes; however, if the proceeds are included in the "estate" of the deceased, it is likely they will be subject to federal and state estate and inheritance tax

Cash value increases within the policy are not subject to income taxes unless certain events occur. For this reason, insurance policies can be a legal and legitimate tax shelter wherein savings can increase without taxation until the owner withdraws the money from the policy. On flexible-premium policies, large deposits of premium could cause the contract to be considered a "Modified Endowment Contract" by the Internal Revenue Service(IRS), which negates many of the tax advantages associated with life insurance. The insurance company, in most cases, will inform the policy owner of this danger before applying their premium.

The tax ramifications of life insurance are complex. The policy owner would be well advised to carefully consider them. As always, the United States Congress or the state legislatures can change the tax laws at any time.

Taxation of life assurance in the United Kingdom

Premiums are not usually allowable against income tax or corporation tax, however qualifying policies issued prior to 14 March 1984 do still attract LAPR (life assurance premier relief) at 15% (with the net premium being collected from the policyholder).

Non-investment life policies do not normally attract either income tax or capital gains tax on claim. If the policy has as investment element such as an endowment policy, whole of life policy or an investment bond then the tax treatment is determined by the qualifying status of the policy.

Qualifying status is determined at the outset of the policy if the contract meets certain criteria. Essentially, long term contracts (10 years plus) tend to be qualifying policies and the proceeds are free from income tax and capital gains tax. Single premium contracts and those run for a short term are subject to income tax depending upon your marginal rate in the year you make a gain. All (UK) insurers pay a special rate of corporation tax on the profits from their life book; this is deemed as meeting the lower rate (20% in 2005–06) liability for policyholders. Therefore a policyholder who is a higher rate taxpayer (40% in 2005-06), or becomes one through the transaction, must pay tax on the gain at the difference between the higher and the lower rate. This gain is reduced by applying a calculation called top-slicing based on the number of years the policy has been held. Although this is complicated, the taxation of life assurance based investment contracts may be beneficial compared to alternative equity-based collective investment schemes (unit trusts, investment trusts and OEICs). One feature which especially favors investment bonds is the '5% cumulative allowance' – the ability to draw 5% of the original investment amount each policy year without being subject to any taxation on the amount withdrawn. If not used in one year, the 5% allowance can roll over into future years, subject to a maximum tax deferred withdrawal of 100% of the premiums payable. The withdrawal is deemed by the HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs) to be a payment of capital and therefore the tax liability is deferred until maturity or surrender of the policy. This is an especially useful tax planning tool for higher rate taxpayers who expect to become basic rate taxpayers at some predictable point in the future (e.g. retirement), as at this point the deferred tax liability will not result in tax being due.

The proceeds of a life policy will be included in the estate for death duty (in the UK, inheritance tax (IHT)) purposes, except that policies written in trust may fall outside the estate. Trust law and taxation of trusts can be complicated, so any individual intending to use trusts for tax planning would usually seek professional advice from an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) and/or a solicitor.

 

Term or permanent life insurance?

How do you know if you have the right coverage? Here's a quick look at all of the options: term, whole, variable and universal.

Few people who have bought insurance -- or even -- have escaped the debate over term versus permanent insurance.

And the wrong kind of life insurance can do more damage to your financial plans than just about any other financial product today. So, the first and most important decision you must make when buying life insurance is: term, permanent or a combination of both? Let's look at each.

Term life policies offer death benefits only, so if you die, you win (so to speak). If you live past the length of the policy, you (or, more specifically, your family members) get no money back

Permanent life policies offer death benefits and a "savings account" (also called "cash value") so that if you live, you get back at least some of, and often much more than, the amount you spent on your premium. You get this money back either by cashing in the policy or by borrowing against it.

Permanent life insurance is more expensive

As you might expect, permanent life insurance premiums are more expensive than term premiums because some of the money is put into a savings program. The longer the policy has been in force, the higher the cash value, because more money has been paid in and the cash value has earned interest, dividends or both.

The debate is all about that cash value. If you buy a policy today, your first annual premium is likely to be much higher for a permanent life policy than for term.

However, the premiums for permanent life stay the same over the years, while the premiums for term life increase. That extra premium paid in the early years of the permanent policy gets invested and grows, minus the amount your agent takes as a sales commission. The gain is tax-deferred if the policy is cashed in during your life. (If you die, the proceeds are usually tax-free to your beneficiary.)

The saying you always hear is, "Buy term and invest the difference." The fact is, it depends on how long you keep your policy. If you keep the permanent life policy long enough (and the market ever fully rebounds), that's the best deal. But "long enough" varies, depending on your age, health, insurance company, the types of policies chosen, interest and dividend rates, and more. The reality is that there is not a simple answer, because life insurance is not a simple product.

Guidelines to live by when buying

Even with all of these variables, there are some guidelines you can follow. The key is how long you plan to keep the policy. If the answer is less than 10 years, term is clearly the solution.

If it is more than 20 years, permanent life is probably the way to go. The big gray area is in between. Here is where you need an expert to run the term vs. permanent analysis for you. Of course, this assumes you keep the policy in force. Most people drop their policies within the first 10 years, but if you do your homework now, that shouldn't be the case for you.

Life insurance may be divided into two basic classes – temporary and permanent or following subclasses – term, universal, whole life and endowment life insurance.

Term Insurance

Term assurance provides life insurance coverage for a specified term of years in exchange for a specified premium. The policy does not accumulate cash value. Term is generally considered "pure" insurance, where the premium buys protection in the event of death and nothing else.

There are three key factors to be considered in term insurance:

1.    Face amount (protection or death benefit),

2.    Premium to be paid (cost to the insured), and

3.    Length of coverage (term).

Various insurance companies sell term insurance with many different combinations of these three parameters. The face amount can remain constant or decline. The term can be for one or more years. The premium can remain level or increase. Common types of term insurance include Level, Annual Renewable and Mortgage insurance."

Level Term policy has the premium fixed for a period of time longer than a year. These terms are commonly 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and even 35 years. Level term is often used for long term planning and asset management because premiums remain consistent year to year and can be budgeted long term. At the end of the term, some policies contain a renewal or conversion option. Guaranteed Renewal, the insurance company guarantees it will issue a policy of equal or lesser amount without regard to the insurability of the insured and with a premium set for the insured's age at that time. Some companies however do not guarantee renewal, and require proof of insurability to mitigate their risk and decline renewing higher risk clients (for instance those that may be terminal). Renewal that requires proof of insurability often includes a conversion options that allows the insured to convert the term program to a permanent one that the insurance company makes available. This can force clients into a more expensive permanent program because of anti selection if they need to continue coverage. Renewal and conversion options can be very important when selecting a program.

Annual renewable term is a one year policy but the insurance company guarantees it will issue a policy of equal or lesser amount without regard to the insurability of the insured and with a premium set for the insured's age at that time.

Another common type of term insurance is mortgage insurance, which is usually a level premium, declining face value policy. The face amount is intended to equal the amount of the mortgage on the policy owner’s residence so the mortgage will be paid if the insured dies.Life insurance may be divided into two basic classes – temporary and permanent or following subclasses – term, universal, whole life and endowment life insurance.

Term Insurance

Term assurance provides life insurance coverage for a specified term of years in exchange for a specified premium. The policy does not accumulate cash value. Term is generally considered "pure" insurance, where the premium buys protection in the event of death and nothing else.

There are three key factors to be considered in term insurance:

1.    Face amount (protection or death benefit),

2.    Premium to be paid (cost to the insured), and

3.    Length of coverage (term).

Various insurance companies sell term insurance with many different combinations of these three parameters. The face amount can remain constant or decline. The term can be for one or more years. The premium can remain level or increase. Common types of term insurance include Level, Annual Renewable and Mortgage insurance."

Level Term policy has the premium fixed for a period of time longer than a year. These terms are commonly 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and even 35 years. Level term is often used for long term planning and asset management because premiums remain consistent year to year and can be budgeted long term. At the end of the term, some policies contain a renewal or conversion option. Guaranteed Renewal, the insurance company guarantees it will issue a policy of equal or lesser amount without regard to the insurability of the insured and with a premium set for the insured's age at that time. Some companies however do not guarantee renewal, and require proof of insurability to mitigate their risk and decline renewing higher risk clients (for instance those that may be terminal). Renewal that requires proof of insurability often includes a conversion options that allows the insured to convert the term program to a permanent one that the insurance company makes available. This can force clients into a more expensive permanent program because of anti selection if they need to continue coverage. Renewal and conversion options can be very important when selecting a program.

Annual renewable term is a one year policy but the insurance company guarantees it will issue a policy of equal or lesser amount without regard to the insurability of the insured and with a premium set for the insured's age at that time.

Another common type of term insurance is mortgage insurance, which is usually a level premium, declining face value policy. The face amount is intended to equal the amount of the mortgage on the policy owner’s residence so the mortgage will be paid if the insured dies.

A policy holder insures his life for a specified term. If he dies before that specified term is up (with the exception of suicide see below), his estate or named beneficiary receives a payout. If he does not die before the term is up, he receives nothing. However, in some European countries (notably Serbia), insurance policy is such that the policy holder receives the amount he has insured himself to, or the amount he has paid to the insurance company in the past years. Suicide used to be excluded from ALL insurance policies, however, after a number of court judgments against the industry, payouts do occur on death by suicide (presumably except for in the unlikely case that it can be shown that the suicide was just to benefit from the policy). Generally, if an insured person commits suicide within the first two policy years, the insurer will return the premiums paid. However, a death benefit will usually be paid if the suicide occurs after the two year period.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance is life insurance that remains in force (in-line) until the policy matures (pays out), unless the owner fails to pay the premium when due (the policy expires OR policies lapse). The policy cannot be canceled by the insurer for any reason except fraud in the application, and that cancellation must occur within a period of time defined by law (usually two years). Permanent insurance builds a cash value that reduces the amount at risk to the insurance company and thus the insurance expense over time. This means that a policy with a million dollar face value can be relatively expensive to a 70 year old. The owner can access the money in the cash value by withdrawing money, borrowing the cash value, or surrendering the policy and receiving the surrender value.

A policy holder insures his life for a specified term. If he dies before that specified term is up (with the exception of suicide see below), his estate or named beneficiary receives a payout. If he does not die before the term is up, he receives nothing. However, in some European countries (notably Serbia), insurance policy is such that the policy holder receives the amount he has insured himself to, or the amount he has paid to the insurance company in the past years. Suicide used to be excluded from ALL insurance policies, however, after a number of court judgments against the industry, payouts do occur on death by suicide (presumably except for in the unlikely case that it can be shown that the suicide was just to benefit from the policy). Generally, if an insured person commits suicide within the first two policy years, the insurer will return the premiums paid. However, a death benefit will usually be paid if the suicide occurs after the two year period.

Permanent Life Insurance

Permanent life insurance is life insurance that remains in force (in-line) until the policy matures (pays out), unless the owner fails to pay the premium when due (the policy expires OR policies lapse). The policy cannot be canceled by the insurer for any reason except fraud in the application, and that cancellation must occur within a period of time defined by law (usually two years). Permanent insurance builds a cash value that reduces the amount at risk to the insurance company and thus the insurance expense over time. This means that a policy with a million dollar face value can be relatively expensive to a 70 year old. The owner can access the money in the cash value by withdrawing money, borrowing the cash value, or surrendering the policy and receiving the surrender value.

Life insurance is a contract between the policy holder and the insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money (a "premium") upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger payment. In return, the policy holder agrees to pay a stipulated amount (at regular intervals or in lump sums). In some countries, death expenses such as funerals are included in the premium; however, in the United States the predominant form simply specifies a lump sum to be paid on the insured's demise.

The value for the policy owner is the 'peace of mind' in knowing that the death of the insured person will not result in financial hardship.

Life policies are legal contracts and the terms of the contract describe the limitations of the insured events. Specific exclusions are often written into the contract to limit the liability of the insurer; common examples are claims relating to suicide, fraud, war, riot and civil commotion.

Life-based contracts tend to fall into two major categories:

§  Protection policies – designed to provide a benefit in the event of specified event, typically a lump sum payment. A common form of this design is term insurance.

§  Investment policies – where the main objective is to facilitate the growth of capital by regular or single premiums. Common forms (in the US) are whole life, universe life and variable life policies.