Life And Health Choices

Do you use self-checkout? After being hesitant at first, I only use the self-checkout lane at retailers. No waiting in line , easy to use scanner, you bag your items with care, and ability to pay and move on to the next task.  The "Do-It-Yourself" person enjoys being in control of the process and being able to complete a task themselves. It's an empowerment of the individual. It's a trend in retail and there's no turning back. It's also a trend in the life insurance industry.  Research and the gathering of information about life insurance products and obtaining quotes online has been increasing for some time. Not only are more people doing research online about life insurance products, it's how people apply for life insurance. There still is a human element. Just as retailers keep store personnel in the self-checkout area, shopping and applying for life insurance also retains the human element. Glitches happen with a machine. Questions may go un...

You Can Ace This! You've completed and submitted an application for life insurance coverage. And now you wait........ Ads for life insurance quote a very low premium for a hefty amount of coverage. The fine print tells the truth...those are "super-preferred" rates, the least risky health class for the insurance company. The reality is only a very small percentage of people qualify as super-preferred. Insurers also classify applicants as preferred, standard or regular, or substandard. The insurer may even "table rate" an applicant meaning even higher premiums for the same coverage. If you have applied for a larger amount of coverage, $500,000 or a $1,000,000 or more. If you have a medical issue or a medical history which you have disclosed in the application, you may be required to complete a medical exam. What is a paramedical exam? Applications can pass through an insurer's underwriting, the process of vetting an application to approve or decline...

Congratulations! You've just completed and submitted your application for term life insurance . And now you wait to hear if you have been approved for coverage. Just as with anything in our lives, acceptance makes us feel we are part of something, having more value. Rejection hurts. While you are waiting, you begin to wonder if anything could go wrong: Did the agent get all the information and submit to the insurer in good order? Delays and more waiting will result from an application missing information. Did you forget something that might have an impact on the insurer's decision? Results of that medical exam you had to take could show something you weren't aware of. Waiting is the hardest part. Let's go back to before you've had to do this worrying... and waiting. You've just started your search for coverage and you are comparing term life quotes . The premium has to be within your budget. Ads online and commercials on television are pitching this th...

Get Your Money Back If You Never Use it. Mike is a 35 year-old who just bought his second home. He's married, has a great wife and 3 children, ages 9 , 7, and 2. That new home is going to provide them much satisfaction and great memories in the future. Right now, Mike sees it as a 30-year, $300,000 responsibility he wants to protect as well as the wife and kids. The group insurance Mike has through his employer is not enough to cover his entire mortgage and he's looking for additional insurance on his own. He's heard about Return of Premium insurance and is considering this option. Mike is building his 401k at work and is following other retirement strategies. Does this Return of Premium work into his retirement picture? Insurance companies began offering return-of- premium   riders  on their term policies in the early 1990s as a solution to the "live-and-lose" dilemma presented by traditional term policies. As the name implies, this rider will allow a  p...

I'd Walk A Mile For A..... Do you remember that tag line from an ad campaign from long ago? It was for an unhealthy product that I'm not going into. This is about walking a mile for something much more important. I live close to a walking/jogging/bicycling trail  and  spend  some time there almost everyday. It has become part of my daily routine, a must do that is included in each day's ritual. To tell the truth, I feel odd on a day that I don't walk. What are the benefits? Some are obvious and some you may not have thought of. Physical Benefits of Walking: “Walking improves fitness,  cardiac health , alleviates depression and fatigue, improves mood, creates less stress  on joints and reduces pain, can prevent  weight gain , reduce risk for cancer and chronic disease, improve endurance, circulation, and  posture , and the list goes on…” When comparing the results of the most recent National Runners’ Health Study with the National Walkers’ H...