There are a large number of agents out there that have issues with using lead generation companies and investing their hard-earned marketing dollars in buying leads. Those same cautious individuals end up watching the competition soar like an eagle when it comes to selling Medicare supplements.
“Why is the competition doing better than you are? They are buying exclusive Medicare supplement leads from benepath.net,” explains Clelland Green, RHU, CEO, benepath.net. “The fact is the Medicare supplement market is ripe for harvesting because the buyers in that demographic need what you are selling. It doesn’t get any easier than that.”
Selling insurance, no matter what kind, is not a walk in the park. Agents should always work their leads, even Medicare leads, with enthusiasm, drive, integrity and determination. The greying of America means there are millions of potential customers to approach with a much sought after health product, one that they need to be as healthy as possible.
The nation’s population is not the only thing aging. So is the Medicare program itself. Some predict it is going to run out of money by 2017. Others suggest it is likely to remain operating, but at a 20 percent less capacity. “That aside, and most such predictions like this need to be taken with a grain of salt,” adds Green. “Medicare supplements help fill the gaps left in health insurance coverage in the ‘original’ Medicare.”
Also referred to as Medigap, Medicare supplements give seniors a better, more complete plan to see them through their medical issues. This point, perfect for educating potential senior customers, may be used in discussion with Medicare supplement leads. Working this type of lead is not just about selling. It is also about education, assisting the client to choose what is the best coverage for their situation and about making someone’s life better.
“With all those points working in your favor, your business can and will grow by leaps and bounds. When you market what people want and need and do a good job of it, they convert. Don’t eschew buying from a lead generation company until you have actually tried it,” Green suggests. “The results will surprise you.”
Medicare supplement leads are a bit like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. “Believe in the process and product and reap the rewards,” says Green.
The post Medicare Supplement Leads Are Gold first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>The senior care industry is booming. To be successful in this niche, it is crucial to choose a reliable lead generation company. Some offer older leads which are neither useful nor lucrative. choosi Others send leads that have already been worked, but still call them exclusive. “In a way, they are “exclusive:” your lead generation company is excluding you from profit in the scheme,” Green reported. “There are no benefits in working an exhausted lead or spending good money on it.”
So, how does an agent find a good partner? Choose a lead generation company with a good reputation who promises to stand behind its product. Its system should screens leads, pre-qualify them and provide them to you with complete information.
“Pay attention to the amount of help they offer you. Do they help you sell and market? If so, the company may make an excellent partner. If a company is willing to commit extra time to assisting you, you can can help each other succeed,” added Green.
The post Pick a Medicare Lead Provider to Be a Partner first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Exclusive Medicare supplement leads are worth every penny you spend on them. They are a critical part of your business as well, since America is aging, and you have a growing, captive market. However, you do not want to waste time trying to find your own leads or deal with a fly-by-night lead generation company who might skirt some legal and ethical issues. Gone are the days of trying to beat out every other agent within a 50 mile radius to sell Medicare supplements —- unless you like doing business that way.
Before you invest in exclusive Medicare supplement leads, there are some questions you need to ask the company you are planning on dealing with. Were the leads checked against the “No Not Call” list? Do they come in the territories you want? Do they come as set appointments? Are they pre-screened and qualified, so you know you are not wasting your time? Those are just some of the things you might want to ask; you can custom order exclusive Medicare care supplement needs, based on what you want. Won’t it be nice to talk to leads that need and want your products and are qualified to buy them?
With exclusive Medicare supplement leads, you do not share with any other agent. You have genuine exclusivity to serve your potential customer to the best of your ability. Leads that come pre-screened and pre-qualified increase not only your productivity, but enhance your financial bottom line. No more wasting time on dead end calls. Just sit down, open your email, check your leads, pick up the phone and call your prospective customers to discuss what they would like and answer questions. It doesn’t get any better than that.
To begin with, you might want to do just one geographic territory, so you don’t feel overwhelmed, but remember, you have the choice to take as many leads as you want, or keep it to a small handful a day so you have time to work them all. In short, you get to arrange times and appointments and contacts according to times that best suit you. It’s a smart way to do business and one that will expand your agency’s financial bottom line.
The post When marketing to seniors use only exclusive Medicare supplement leads first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Some insurance marketing companies lay claim to being insurance search engine optimization (SEO) gurus, but are they really? Usually not. There are very few SEO companies that can claim they have over 25 years of insurance experience. However, when you find such a company, this is the answer to your insurance marketing prayers.
One of the first things you should be told by an “expert” insurance SEO company is that your website needs to be created with conversion in mind and needs to be user friendly. That merely means is it easy to navigate, is the information on it easy to access, is it relevant information for users and are you easy to contact? While many think that insurance SEO in just about keyword placement, this is a myth. Insurance website optimization is not just about keywords, it is about optimizing the experience the user has when they visit your site.
At one time, websites thrived on inbound links. Then, Google said they were going to block paid links, link exchanges, website directories and any links about anything that had nothing to do with your insurance website. In other words, relevancy has become the watchword of the day. If it’s not relevant, and a quality link, it does not do you any good in your marketing and ranking attempts. Relevant, quality links are real links and thus valuable for your website.
This isn’t to say you can’t still get links from some website directories, because you can, they just need to be respected and well, relevant. For instance, Yahoo Directory or Joeaunt.com. Using insurance directories or resource guides helps to drive quality traffic to your site, because their content is relevant to your insurance website. The most important point here is that content driven links are highly valued. News releases, articles and blogs published within niche communities offer high quality links with long-term benefits.
One important thing to keep in mind is that your content, and any other activity, needs to be synced with LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, and Google +. Today, social media is the driving force behind insurance website marketing. The more active your insurance agency, the better it looks to followers and the search engines.
If you want to be rock stars, find an insurance SEO company with experience in the insurance industry. Your insurance website and all other optimization techniques will be highly relevant, because they have the experience to market insurance websites.
Ready to Quote is an insurance marketing company, ReadytoQuote.com. ReadytoQuote.com specializes in marketing insurance websites online. Learn more at ReadytoQuote.com.
The post How Insurance Search Engine Optimization Affects a Website first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>If your website is not functioning as well as you think it should be, perhaps it is time to take a hard look at what needs to be done to make it more successful. You want to convert those browsers to buyers. The only way to do that is to ensure that you have the right things going on with your site. In other words, you need the right insurance search engine optimization (SEO) – search engine optimization that works for you and brings you business.
Working with SEO is sort of like building that better mousetrap. Everyone needs this kind of service and yet some still think they can do things on their own. Unfortunately, those without the experience to do SEO the right way will find their website buried deeply on page six or worse of Google’s website rankings. Not the best thing for your business.
You want and need people to know who you are, know about your business and find it on the Internet. You want them to interact with you, buy from you and talk to you and ask questions. The more interactive you are with your customers, the more they will remember you, which will mean business later on. You cannot accomplish this if your website does not rank well. Few people will go beyond page one of Google’s rankings to find what they want. Therefore, you want to be on page one. It is that simple, but complex at the same time.
The mostly simple part is that you need to expand what you offer on your website to include the latest and most interactive widgets and gadgets used in the 21st century to connect with the billions of people online. You need the social media, the blogs, the Twitter account and other things like an instant insurance quote function. People demand more online today than they ever have before. If you do not give it to them, they will go someplace else.
People want insurance information fast and they want it yesterday, so if you have the ability to offer them quotes yesterday, you have just given them something they really wanted and they will remember that when they choose to buy. You need to find a search engine optimization company that will be your partner in the success of your business; one with insurance marketing experience of their own. They know your business, because they do it every day.
Ready to Quote is an insurance marketing company, specializing in marketing insurance websites online. Learn more at ReadytoQuote.com.
The post Smart Insurance Marketing Brings Customers first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>There are many reasons one would choose to give this way. A gift of a paid-up policy can provide tremendous benefits to the institution, be it a church, university or other not-for-profit.
Typical donors have outgrown the need for insurance protection, have paid the policy for several years, want to ensure the completion of a significant gift and use this gift of life insurance as part of a comprehensive financial plan.
“Before you consider donating your life insurance, be sure to confirm the donation is even possible,” said Mark Lublin of Life Insurance 2.0. “First, you should ensure that the organization is a bona fide nonprofit—that it’s a 501(c)(3) organization. Ask for certification.”
Then ask someone at the organization if they will accept the life insurance as a gift. Some charities find insurance policies are more trouble than they’re worth. So double-check.
It is possible to receive a tax deduction from the gift, but the receiving non-profit has to be both the owner and the beneficiary of the life insurance policy. The Internal Revenue Service will not allow you to subtract the cash value of your policy from your taxes if you name the charity as the beneficiary but not the owner.
Third, decide whether you want to donate a term or whole life policy. Term life insurance policies do not cost as much, but they are also less enticing to charities because when the term expires on them, they are essentially useless. Whole life policies cost more, but they have a cash value that builds up the longer that premiums are being paid on them.
“There are plenty of advantages of naming a charity as the owner, beneficiary, and premium payer of a life insurance policy,” Lublin said.
It is important to mention that for a tax deduction you may not ultimately be able to claim the entire market value of a life insurance policy given to a non-profit. In fact, it is only meant to be understood as a starting point.
Lesley Reuben writes for Life Insurance 2.0. To learn more or to compare
life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life
insurance quote, visit http://www.lifeinsurance20.com
According to recent survey by Life Insurance Market Research Association, an insurance industry think-tank and research group, 30 percent of U.S. households don’t have coverage, compared with 22 percent just six years ago. Even more alarming is that among the households that don’t have coverage, 11 million are families with children under the age of 18.
“Despite today’s economic challenges, it is important that families think about the fact that forgoing life insurance can be a dangerous decision,” said Mark Lublin of Life Insurance 2.0. “Life insurance can bring much-needed peace of mind.”
Many surveyed by LIMRA said they felt that the life insurance coverage offered through their employer is enough to meet their needs. Yet in the past year, someone became unemployed in 15 percent of all U.S. households.
There are several reasons for the upswing in the number of people living without life insurance. However, LIMRA found that the drop in life insurance ownership is not because families feel safe. Among households with children under 18, four in 10 say they would have immediate trouble meeting everyday living expenses if the primary breadwinner died today.
Obviously, the economy and stricter household budgets have contributed to their risky decisions to forgo life insurance. These consumers may not be aware that life insurance products are cheaper than ever.
The cost of term life policies, which provide coverage for a specific period, have dropped because people are living longer and insurers are using technology to lower their administrative costs.
A new poll of 30 leading life insurance companies conducted by Life Quotes, Inc., has found that life insurance rates remain at all-time lows.
“With life insurance rates at such favorable levels, now is actually a great time to purchase a policy,” Lublin said.
Lesley Reuben writes for Life Insurance 2.0. To learn more or to compare
life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life
insurance quote, visit http://www.lifeinsurance20.com
Social Security turned 75 on August 14. While some celebrated its successes, the dominant narrative was instead that Social Security is in trouble. Politicians and pundits took note of Social Security’s anniversary amid renewed warnings about the dire challenges the program is facing.
In the political realm, discussion of Social Security has degraded more to the level of insult slinging and demagoguery than actual policy discussion. Democrats are accusing Republicans of trying to dismantle the nation’s most popular social insurance program (which they are) and Republicans are accusing Democrats of scare mongering about Republicans’ plans (which they are).
However, as is increasingly and unfortunately the case, the additional attention currently being paid to Social Security is not contributing to a better understanding of the program.
Debates about the health of Social Security are not new. Since President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935, the program has never met a 75-year test for solubility. [1] Yet, 75 years later, Social Security is still paying all promised benefits to retirees and individuals with disabilities.
President George W. Bush made Social Security “reform” a key goal early in his presidency. However, even with non-stop media coverage and in some cases flat out fear-mongering, the idea of privatizing some or all of the nation’s Social Security program simply did not appeal to the majority of Americans. The inability to pass any changes to Social Security after making “reform” key to his agenda was one of President Bush’s larger legislative failures.
The debate over what, if any, changes should be made to the Social Security system was quieted during the later years of the Bush presidency, but has resurfaced with vigor as President Barack Obama approaches the midway point of his first term. The resurgence of the debate can be attributed to several factors. Republicans, pandering to an increasingly extreme base in the coming 2010 mid-term elections, are using public confusion about the program to foment an atmosphere of fear and panic over looming budget deficits. Ideology also plays a roll. Conservatives do not like Social Security. It is a popular, effective government program that runs counter to the dogma that government can do no good. Finally, some politicians and economists are engaged in a good faith effort to make sure seniors who rely on Social Security and workers who have been promised Social Security will continue to receive benefits into the foreseeable future.
One key group investigating the future of Social Security is President Obama’s deficit commission. In February, the president created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and tasked the commission with developing solutions to help maintain the nation’s long-term fiscal solubility. Social Security leads the commission’s agenda, and members are mandated to produce a series of recommendations by Dec. 1, 2010. [2]
From its inception, the commission has received criticism from the left for its conservative makeup, being comprised of Republicans and moderate- to conservative-leaning Democrats. In a recent Washington Post article, Ezra Klein scored the six Republicans and six Democrats on the commission using DW-NOMINATE rankings. He found that the Senate Democrats on the committee are more conservative than the average Senate Democrat and that the Senate Republicans on the commission are also more conservative than most of their Senate Republican colleagues. The result, in his view, being a committee evenly split in terms of partisan affiliation but right leaning in terms of ideology. [3]
Klein’s analysis of the commission follows a wave of criticism directed at its co-chair, former Republican Senator Alan Simpson. Simpson, proving himself out of touch with working Americans, described Social Security as a “a milk cow with 310 million tits.” In addition to showing a striking lack of tact (the quote coming from a letter written to the head of the National Older Women’s League), Simpson’s rant proves he either does not care about or does not understand the actual workings of the Social Security insurance program. Social Security, funded separately from rest of the federal budget, quite simply pays benefits to those who have paid in. In order to qualify to draw Social Security, an individual must work and contribute to the program for 10 years. Social Security is not means tested; benefits are paid progressively as a percentage of former earnings and contributions.
The mean Social Security benefit is around $14,000 a year, providing 40 percent of retirement income for the average American. [4] According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Social Security lifts 20 million Americans out of poverty. [5] And, according to a recent national survey commissioned by the AARP, 85 percent of adults oppose cutting Social Security and half of non-retired adults support paying higher payroll taxes to ensure the systems stays solvent. Younger Americans, while skeptical about the program’s future, are particularly supportive of the program. 90 percent of respondents aged 18 to 29 said they believe Social Security is important. [6]
However, while Social Security is popular, many Americans, particularly young Americans, are skeptical about its future. Much of this can be attributed to the misunderstandings and mistruths that are continuously perpetrated by some in Congress and in the media. Here are the truths behind some of the more common Social Security myths.
1. Social Security adds to the deficit.
Social Security, by law, cannot add to the deficit. It is a separate program, paid into through FICA contributions, with benefits paid only from the revenue it raises. If the trust fund were to be exhausted and current contributions were not adequate to pay benefits, Social Security could not borrow from the general budget. Federal law prohibits Social Security from borrowing.
2. Social Security is broke, and there is no “Trust Fund.”
Conventional wisdom among Social Security skeptics is that the program is out of money now and that there is no Social Security Trust Fund. This is fueled largely by the fact that Social Security did begin to pay more in benefits than it received in taxes earlier than was projected due to the depth of the 2008 recession. Regardless of this fact, The Social Security Trust Fund currently runs a $2.5 trillion surplus. The Economic Policy Institute estimates the surplus will peak at $4.2 trillion in 2024 [7]
Trust Fund intact, with no changes to the program, Social Security is projected to be able to pay 100 percent of benefits until the year 2037. After 2037, Social Security will still be able to pay 75 percent of benefits. [8] A program projected to meet costs almost 4 decades into the future with no adjustments is not a system in crisis. Other government programs would be hard pressed to meet such a standard.
3. The Trust Fund has been raided and is just full of IOUs.
Those who decry the vacuous trust fund, eliciting imagery of a big room with lonely piles of IOUs, are in reality making claims against the creditworthiness of the United States government. True, the Social Security Trust Fund is not sitting around in a lock box as Al Gore eloquently stated. The funds are invested in Treasury Bonds, “full faith and credit” notes that the government issues to many of its creditors. Since the federal government has never missed a payment on its debt, and is not expected to anytime soon, to claim the Trust Fund is full of useless IOUs is disingenuous.
4. The retirement age must be raised because people are living longer
The retirement age argument is tricky because two things are the case: more baby-boomers are soon to retire, and people, on average, are living longer. The argument seems logical on its face, but the reality is very different.
The crux of the issue surrounding the retirement age is that the rise in life expectancy since 1935 is largely due to lower infant mortality rates and is unevenly spread among income levels. Since 1972, life expectancy has increased by 6.5 years for top earners, but by less than two years for workers in the bottom half of the earnings bracket. [9] Because of this disparity, the less affluent, those who most need social security, will see the greatest benefit cut. It is not as difficult to imagine staying in a well-paying office job for a couple more years as it is to continue working lower-paying labor-intensive jobs until age 70.
In addition, the retirement age is already set to increase gradually, due to a 1983 law, until it reaches 67 for people born after 1959.
5. Benefit cuts are needed
To the extent that there will be shortfalls in the Social Security budget in the future, they are minor in relation to other budget expenditures, and can be corrected without cutting benefits. In 1983, when Social Security actually did run out of funds, a “deal” was made with workers to put Social Security back in the black. Payroll taxes were raised, significantly, on middle and lower income workers. The tax increase was highly regressive, but, coupled with a raise in the retirement age, was responsible for building the large surplus Social Security enjoys today.
The increase in taxes on lower income individuals also allowed Reagan to cut taxes on those earning higher incomes. At the time, implicit in the deal was the idea that lower income workers would overpay their taxes for 30 years, at which point higher income individuals would pitch in to relieve some of the burden and cover any funding shortfalls. After a period of overpayment of payroll taxes, the tables would turn, and middle and lower income individuals would begin to underpay payroll taxes with the difference being covered by a raise in income taxes on higher earners. [10]
Thirty years later, the second part of that deal has been conveniently forgotten. Without cutting benefits, and in the spirit of Alan Greenspan’s 1983 recommendations, creating new sources of revenue could increase funds. The cap on Social Security taxed-income, currently $106,800, could be raised or eliminated. Other taxes, like a proposed financial transactions tax, could be implemented. The 75-year projected Social Security deficit is roughly equal to the cost of extending President Bush’s tax cuts on those earning over $250,000 a year for the same period. [11]
The logic, as Paul Krugman stated, is that benefits have to be cut to avoid cuts in benefits. That logic does not add up. [12]
6. Social Security faces the same issues as Medicare and Medicaid.
Social Security often gets lumped in with Medicare and Medicaid as a problem “entitlement” program. It is true, Medicaid and Medicare do face funding problems, but much of this is due to the ballooning costs of health care. Social Security does not face the same problems as Medicare and Medicaid as payouts are not affected by rising health care costs.
Even with these realities, many watching the Social Security debate expect the deficit commission to offer a package of several cuts, including an increase in the retirement age. It is anticipated these cuts will be coupled with some sort of an increase in payroll taxes for wealthier Americans.
Current and future retirees would be well served if politicians would stop confusing the distinction between cuts in Social Security and cuts in the national debt. Mounting deficits are a legitimate concern, but can in no way be attributed to Social Security. Americans, both those receiving Social Security benefits, and those planning to receive benefits in the future, acknowledge the significance of the Social Security. A program that is so important to so many Americans deserves an honest debate.
SOURCES
1. http://www.epi.org/publications/entry/webfeatures_viewpoints_ss_myth/
2. http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/
3. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/08/the_republicans_on_the_deficit.html
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-miller/its-time-to-bolster-socia_b_696327.html
5. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=3260
6. http://www.aarp.org/work/social-security/info-08-2010/social_security_75th.html
7. http://www.epi.org/analysis_and_opinion/entry/fact_check_has_social_security_begun_tapping_its_trust_funds/
8. http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TR/2010/index.html
9. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2010/07/more_on_raising_the_retirement.html
10. http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/08/deal
12. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/16/opinion/16krugman.html?_r=1&hp
The post Social Security and the Deficit Commission: Myths and Realities first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>As tragedies can occur without notice, life insurance should be secured so that loved ones will not have to face financial ruin as well as an emotional loss. Dealing with the death of a loved one can be emotionally taxing and families should be able to mourn the loss of loved ones without having to worry about paying the bills.
Life insurance is one of the most effective tools for dealing with lost income, as it can deliver a designated amount of money, which is usually free from income-tax, to a family at the time they need it the most. Life insurance is particularly important for those who have children that will need to be provided for. A person’s death can dramatically change the ability of the surviving spouse to pay for rent, save for children’s college funds, and to maintain the family’s standard of living. In addition, a surviving spouse or partner may need to work less in order to take care of the children or may need to secure child care, and this can be costly. Families who consider these issues and obtain a life insurance policy will be prepared to deal with the death of a provider. While it might be tough to assess how a tragedy might change the lives of an individual’s loved ones, it would be even tougher for those loved ones to face financial hardship on top of their loss.
Even those who think they are in perfect health and too young to think about the need for life insurance, it is never too early for those who act as providers for other people. Family members who rely on a provider’s salary for food, clothing and shelter will still need these things even in the event of something tragic.
Although securing life insurance can seem like a scary prospect because it highlights one’s mortality, it should also provide a sense of comfort. Individuals can rest assured that if something unfortunate were to occur, their families would be protected and provided for. Deciding on the right life insurance policy for one’s circumstances can be tricky, and individuals should give careful thought to how they can best protect their dependents.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post LifeInsurance 2.0 Encourages You to Do It for Them first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>There are a great number of health aspects that can affect your ability to qualify for term life insurance, and these same aspects can have a profound effect on your rates. If you do not have a clear understanding of how these aspects of health can affect your life insurance premium, you may have a hard time figuring out why your rates may be higher than comparable policies for healthier people. It is important to understand how alcohol, smoking and weight can all affect term insurance and how they affect premium rates.
Alcohol consumption can have an effect on your insurance premiums. While many people may think it is impossible for an insurance company to judge their alcohol consumption, they have several ways to assess an individual’s relationship with alcohol other than by reviewing the health questionnaire. As many companies require a physical, they will use the information gathered during the process to assess your alcohol consumption. Another way that insurance companies look for unhealthy levels of alcohol consumption is through the individual’s driving record. If you have any alcohol related incidents on your record, most life insurance companies will see you as an elevated risk and will most likely adjust your premium for a policy as needed to reflect that liability.
Smoking habits can also have a great effect on your insurance premiums. To accurately assess your smoking habits, the insurance company will likely require a questionnaire as well as a physical exam. The medical evaluation will be the easiest way for companies to uncover your smoking habits, as smoking leaves behind numerous chemicals in your body. During the physical, companies look specifically for these chemicals and will use this information to determine how much of a risk you are.
Being overweight or underweight may cause you to see some form of increase in your life insurance premiums. Term life insurance premiums are affected by weight because of the health-related ramifications. If you are underweight or overweight, then you are potentially putting yourself into a health risk situation. The amount of deaths caused by obesity is rising and life insurance companies do not want to take risks on those who are obese. Maintaining a healthy weight can help keep your rates down, but straying too far away from that healthy size can cost you a lot.
By controlling these lifestyle habits that pose a risk to insurance companies, you can help control the amount you will pay for life insurance. You should consult an expert life insurance broker who can offer you advice on how to get the lowest premiums.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post Control Your Life and Your Insurance first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Individuals take out life insurance policies because they want to ensure that their families are protected even after their death. While most life insurance is secured with this good intention, sometimes the coverage in a single life insurance policy is not sufficient to meet all the needs of a family, especially when there are a large number of dependents and the financial commitments are high.
Fortunately, there are a number of options available to families that will increase their life insurance amounts. One of the most popular ways to get such insurance is through an employer. Most employers who offer their employees a benefits package will provide a basic amount of life insurance to all of their employees. This coverage is almost always guarantee issue that does not require any medical information. The employer may decide on a flat amount for all employees and may offer an amount that is equal to one times the employee’s yearly salary. While most employer-provided group life insurance does not cover more than one year’s salary, some policies may allow you to multiply that coverage at your own cost. You could, for example, choose to purchase additional life insurance that is three or four times your yearly salary. By obtaining the supplemental group life insurance your employer offers, you can provide extra financial security to your family.
The great benefit of securing supplemental coverage through a group life insurance policy is that you are likely to pay a lot less in premiums for the policy than you would if you purchased an additional individual life insurance policy or increased your coverage on an existing one. The premiums are substantially lower because the life insurance company is writing a single policy for a large group of people.
It is important to remember that group life insurance is not meant to provide for your family on its own. It is meant to supplement life insurance policies you already have. A group plan is simply a great way to supplement any individual policies you may have separate from your employer. If your employer gives you the opportunity to increase your group life insurance amount, you’ll want to carefully consider the cost as well as what coverage you already have before making a final choice.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post Bridging the Gap with Group Coverage first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>If you’re like many single men and women, part of a group that represents nearly 40 percent of America’s population, you may feel that you have little need for life insurance. After all, if you have no spouse to protect in the event of your premature death, you are not likely to have many financial obligations. While this may be true for some, many singles need and would greatly benefit from securing life insurance policies.
Just because you are single, does not mean that you are alone and do not have people who depend on you. Your death would likely have a profound financial effect on your family members and having life insurance can help reduce this impact. If you are a young adult, you may have accumulated student loans that will need to be paid off after your death. In these days, many education loans are taken out in the names of other family members, and parents are generally the co-signers. Under law, a co-signer would be fully obligated to pay 100 percent of a debt if the other signer is unable to do so. Obtaining a life insurance policy can help protect your family members from having to shoulder this financial burden on their own, in the event of your premature death.
When you pass away, there will be final expenses that must be taken care of. Sometimes these expenses can cost thousands of dollars. These obligations could fall on your parents and other loved ones and cause them undue stress. Securing a life insurance policy now can take this pressure off of your loved ones.
If you are a single parent, you should also make sure that you secure life insurance. As the sole breadwinner in your household, you are responsible for the support and care of your children. If something happened to you, other family members may step in to help, but this may place a significant financial burden on them. As a single parent, you already know the cost of maintaining your children’s standard of living, and when you die your income will die with you. A life insurance policy can ensure that your children will be provided for in your absence.
An expert life insurance broker can discuss your options with you and help you choose a policy that will provide an adequate amount of coverage.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post Life Insurance for Singles first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>In today’s troubled economy, high-risk investment strategies have threatened the financial stability of some life insurance companies and thus the safety of policy benefits. As a result, many policyholders may be concerned with the company’s ability to pay out benefits. This nervousness may be enough to get them to choose another life insurance provider that can provide more stability and better coverage.
Another important reason that people lose confidence in their existing insurer is because their needs may change, and they may not feel that their existing insurer will be able to provide them with affordable options for increased coverage. Just be advised that any change in your personal circumstances since you first acquired life insurance may require a different strategy than the one originally pursued and getting increased coverage at an affordable price is not guaranteed.
When considering policy replacement, you may also wish to explore the possibility of amending or converting your current policy to a newer product within the same insurance company you have now without any loss of rights or accumulated cash value. If, however, you have already made the choice to switch to another life insurance company, be sure to check out the insurer’s industry rating, as determined by an independent rating service, before committing your funds to the company.
If you are considering replacing or changing your existing life insurance policy, you first should carefully assess your needs and determine what is in your own best interest for the long-term. You should also consider the interests of those you are protecting and factor this into your decision.
Deciding how much insurance you need, how long you will need it for, and which policy will provide the best coverage is crucial to your financial security and your loved ones’ future. If you’ve lost confidence in your existing life insurance policy insurer, it might be a good idea to shop around and carefully consider all of your options. An expert life insurance broker can help you find a new policy that will fit your needs.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post Lost Confidence in Existing Insurer first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>Purchasing a life insurance policy is not something one should do quickly without considering all of the options. Those who are interested in purchasing policies need to take time and review their needs as well as the needs of their family members. Oftentimes, many people prefer not to think about life insurance at all, as it forces them to consider an unpleasant subject. They only do so when they have had a recent brush with death. Waiting to buy life insurance until a critical moment can be costly for families, and individuals should consider buying a life insurance policy as soon as possible. Doing so will help secure their families continued survival and prosperity.
Life insurance policies should not be static documents; instead, these documents should change as the needs of one’s life changes. As such, life insurance policies should be reviewed at least once a year, so that they will accurately reflect the policyholder’s needs. In order to properly assess their needs, individuals should consider the following questions when reviewing their policies:
Should life insurance be purchased to pay for funeral expenses or should funeral expenses be paid from accumulated cash? Funeral expenses can often run in the thousands and not all families may be able to pay these sums out-of-pocket. A life insurance policy could help families cover these expenses and alleviate the financial burdens associated with one’s passing.
Should a policy be taken out to cover estate taxes? Although the estate tax has been repealed for 2010, this is likely to change in 2011 if Congress takes no further action. As such, the estate tax in 2011 could be costly for some families, and they may require a life insurance policy to help cover their estate taxes.
Should insurance be purchased to leave a lump sum for family members? If so, how much should be left? While some beneficiaries may be able to handle large sums of money, others may find doing so difficult and may need to have the life insurance distributed as income. If the policyholder chooses to provide income, should this income be for the beneficiary’s lifetime or should it be for a set number of years?
Having insufficient life insurance can have devastating effects on a family. Asking these questions when reviewing one’s life insurance policy or when purchasing a new one will help individuals decide what kind and how much coverage is right for them.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
The post LifeInsurance 2.0 Encourages Annual Review of Life Insurance Policies first appeared on SEONewsWire.net.]]>When you are young, single and on your own, you may not even consider purchasing life insurance. This is because life insurance is generally designed to provide income and security to those who are financially tied to the insured, such as children or a spouse. However, there are several reasons why you might consider a life insurance policy while young and single. For one, life insurance premiums are likely to be low when you are young and in good health. Also, you may have dependent parents you wish to provide for and obtaining a life insurance policy when you are young will offer them security.
After you get married, you will want to plan for your family’s continued security. It’s a good idea to secure life insurance at this point because you are now financially tied to someone else, and your death may have significant impact on his or her security. You and your spouse will need to decide what the right amount of coverage is and whether or not you wish to purchase whole life insurance or term life insurance.
Once you start a family, you will need to consider purchasing additional coverage that takes into account all of the expenses associated with raising a child. Raising a child can be expensive, and you should consider things such as the cost of college tuition when deciding on how much coverage to add to your policy. You may even wish to consider purchasing a small life insurance policy for the new addition to your family. This can give you extra piece of mind in case of a tragic event.
After your kids grow up and move out of the house, you may have different life insurance needs. You will no longer have to worry about providing for their college education and may wish to pursue a policy that has less coverage. You will, however, still need to retain life insurance to provide for your spouse and may even choose to keep the policy you had, so that you can use the benefits in your estate plan.
Once you reach retirement age, your life insurance needs are likely to change once more. You may just need to secure enough coverage to ensure that your spouse will be financially stable and to cover any remaining debts you might have. A larger amount might be necessary if you plan to leave this money to your adult children, or if you want to use it to help with your estate taxes.
As you go through the different phases of your life, your life insurance needs are likely to change. An expert life insurance broker can help you decide what kind of coverage is right for you right now.
To learn more or to compare life insurance quotes, compare term life insurance, or get an instant life insurance quote or term life insurance quote visit Lifeinsurance2o.com.
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