Online Financial Tips

Archive for December, 2011

Few surprises are as unpleasant as the exorbitant price of burial costs and miscellaneous other final expenses. Although many individuals have life insurance of some type, many of these policies are outdated and may not in fact provide enough coverage. Small face amount insurances that may have been adequate several years ago are probably not going to fully cover the cost of today’s expenses.

A consumer must understand what is included in burial costs and final expenses in order to correctly determine the appropriate amount of protection necessary.

Funeral home expenses are derived from a variety of different services and some may be optional, but most are fairly standard. Transfer costs from the morgue to the funeral home are typically $200-300 and after this first step the really expensive items can begin. Caskets widely vary in cost with most ranging from $2,000-5,000. Preparation of the body is often expensive, but also depends on the options selected. Typical professional charges will normally add up to $1,000 or more and this typically doesn’t include the actual funeral service.

Burial costs are another major expense and are something that many people simply leave out of their planning. Although a cemetery plot is normally pre-purchased at a cost of $1,000-2,000, there are also fees for the opening and closing of the grave. Special ceremonies are an additional cost and so are headstones and their engravings. Burial costs normally conservatively add up to about $3,000-5,000.

When everything is added together, most funeral home and burial expenses total up to a staggering $6,000 to $15,000. Not many consumers are prepared to spend this much, especially if the death was sudden or unexpected.

Many individuals believe that Social Security pays a death benefit to help cover funeral costs, but the fact of the matter is that the amount is $255 and will only be paid if there is a surviving spouse. Other organizations, such as the Veterans Administration, will pay a little bit more at approximately $450. It is blatantly obvious that these small numbers will not even make a dent in the total costs, so it is imperative that an individual take the necessary steps as soon as possible.

Life insurance programs become more expensive and have more limitations as the client grows older, so procrastination can be costly. The good news is that there are many different options and programs available and most are surprisingly affordable.

Today, internet banking has become a popular method to manage one’s money and finances. When using internet banking accounts, more consumers now feel empowered to take control of their money. Internet banking, or banking by way of the Internet, offers numerous advantages for banks and consumers.

The following is a list of the advantages of internet banking:

Easy to Set-Up: It is easy and fast to set up an internet bank account. All that users have to do to create an online bank account is complete a short form and then set the security features such as a password and username. Finally, they just print and sign a form and send it in to the bank.

Fewer Costs: There are fewer costs associated with internet banking because online banks do not have the overhead like traditional banks. Because there are fewer costs, internet banks pass the savings on to consumers such as reduced service charges and increased interest rates for savings accounts. They can even offer reduced lending rates for their loans.

Easy and Convenient online Bank Comparison: It is easy to research many internet banks online allowing you to compare such features as interest rates, available credit cards and their interest rates, FDIC bank rating, and terms and interest rates of their loans. You can then pick the best internet bank that meets your needs.

Easy Bank Account Monitoring: You can track your internet banking and money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can track such things as deposits, clearing of checks, and your account balance. It allows you to keep your account from going into the negative.

Maintain Accurate Financial Records: You can keep track of your financial records by using software programs such as Microsoft Money or Quicken. This will allow you to budget more efficiently and track your spending.

Bank Account Security: Along with bank internet security features, you have the ability to monitor you account any time which helps to detect any fraudulent activity. You will know immediately if someone has written a check or withdrew money from your account. You will then immediately be able to start resolving the problem before there is too much damage to your finances.

Convenient Banking Online: Traditional banking has always been slow. With online banking, you will no longer have to stand in long lines to obtain financial information about your account. As well, there is less paperwork and applying for loans is faster, easier, and more convenient. You can even transfer funds from one account to another in almost an instant and you can carry out such investment tasks as bond exchanges, stock trades and other investment activities.

Today, the internet has made many daily tasks much easier and more convenient. The economic and convenience advantages have now made internet banking a popular choice for millions of consumers. Internet banking gives consumers more control over their internet banking and money. No matter your location, or the time of day, with internet banking, your money is only a few clicks away.

Success in selling Final Expense Insurance comes from having a complete Insurance Selling System in place. Many times Agents may have parts of the system in place but most of the time they fall far short which then is a spiral to failure. There are several key factors which drive that success and missing anyone will create certain failure, even for the most ambitious Insurance Agent.

You can’t sell to air so without Final Expense Leads one has virtually no probability for success. Quality leads, without a doubt, are the life blood of a successful agent. final expense leads come in many different forms and price points. The industry average for “A” leads is anywhere from $25-$35 per lead and these leads can often be as old as 2 months depending on who you are receiving them from. The less sought after but should not be over looked “B” leads are far less expensive but are far more than 2 months old and have usually been contacted or “worked” before you lay your hands on them.

Most Agents usually have less than 10-20 “A” lead in there possession at any one time. Having access to such few leads stops an agent from being successful selling Final Expense. To be successful an agent needs to spend almost, if not more than, $1,000 per week on leads to have enough fresh leads to work. Unfortunately most agents aren’t willing to spend that much on their business because of the risk of not making sales. So at this point the agent is setting themselves up for failure.

Insurance selling training or a mentorship program and on going training is crucial to an agent selling final expense insurance. Being able to shorten the learning curve and making each presentation count is important to the success of the agent. Without this the few leads an agent has gets wasted on inferior sales presentations and the inability to close sales. This one piece of the puzzle is lacking in the insurance industry. Agents aren’t properly trained and are out of the business before they start.

An Agent needs to have access to a mentor and regular training to be able to hone skills and make each lead count. Very few organizations have quality ongoing training for their agents. Most agents are given a contract and fed to the wolves and left to defend for themselves. A sure sign there final expense business will be short lived. Good on going training is one thing the best insurance selling systems have in place.

Final Expense Telesales has a complete Insurance Selling System in place for those looking to sell final expense over the phone. Not only do agents have access to 1,000′s of quality final expense leads, these leads are delivered to them real time as they arrive through a contact management system. Everything is paperless. All you need is a phone and an internet connection.

What Is Mortgage Life Insurance?

If you have a mortgage and are a home owner, you have most likely heard the pitch for mortgage life insurance. It typically comes in an envelope from your lender and might include a letter from your lender suggesting that you buy a policy.

It is important to realize though, that the insurance itself is sold by insurance companies. Even though it is called “mortgage insurance,” it is in reality decreasing term life insurance that will pay off your mortgage if you pass away.

How Are Premium Payments Planned?

Mortgage life insurance is a decreasing term policy. The policy starts with a death benefit that is equivalent to your existing mortgage balance. The death benefit reduces at the same pace as your mortgage balance. The premium payments never vary but may cease before the loan payment. Your lender may agree to include the premium payments to your monthly mortgage expense.

Is Mortgage Life Insurance Identical to Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?

No-mortgage life insurance is commonly befuddled with Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), but they have little to do with one another. You purchase mortgage life insurance willingly to shelter your family from having to pay the mortgage.

Mortgage lenders require you to buy PMI to shield them (the lenders) from the probability that you will default on the mortgage.

Insurance Tip: Request for insurance agents to estimate their best price for a decreasing term policy in the same amount, period, and interest rate before buying from a sales pitch sent by your mortgage company.

What Is Credit Life Insurance And Credit Disability Insurance?

When financing some kinds of big items – automobile, furniture, audio equipment – there is a good possibility you will be presented with credit life and credit disability insurance. Credit life guarantees to pay your balance if you die. Credit disability will pay your payments if you become disabled and not capable of working.

Credit life is a decreasing term policy. The insurance premiums are typically added into the loan contract. This type of insurance is constantly voluntary and it can be rather costly. Your lender cannot require you to purchase credit life or credit disability insurance.

Although they may have some comparable elements, credit life and credit disability insurance are not the same thing as mortgage life insurance.
What Is A Life Insurance Rider?

A “rider” is something that is supplementary to the basic policy. Riders can be used to either add benefits to the policy or limit benefits previously in the policy. Common riders are as follows:

Accidental death: Double indemnity is an additional name for this rider. It means that the benefits paid by your policy will be two times the face sum of the policy if you die in an calamity.

Approximately twenty percent of policyholders perish in accidents.

The price for an accidental death rider is usually reasonably priced.

Some critics bring up the point that how the policyholder dies has nothing to do with how much money your survivors will need.

Waiver of premium: This rider allows you to cease paying premiums whenever you happen to become disabled and unable to continue working.

It is crucial to comprehend how the rider defines “disabled.” For example, the meaning could be very restrictive and require you to be so extremely disabled that you cannot do any sort of work whatsoever.

A disability policy can also defend you from monetary hardship due to a disability. Depending on the kind of policy you acquire, it could supply capital to pay for all of your living expenditures, not solely your life insurance premium.

Mortgage protection: This rider fundamentally attaches a mortgage life policy to your chief policy.

Other insured: You can insert life benefits for your spouse or children. They may have varying coverage amounts and be subject to medical underwriting, however.

Guaranteed insurability: This rider would characteristically be added to a whole life or universal life insurance policy.

It gives you the right to procure a new policy or amplify the maximum on your existing policy without having to pass another medical assessment.

The rider will most likely indicate how much you can add and at what time you can do it.

The guarantee may not persist after you reach your mid to late forties.

Accelerated death benefit: This permits you use some portion of your death benefit when you have an incurable sickness. Some policies will insert this rider without causing your premium to enlarge.

Insurance Tip: If your agent automatically includes riders when calculating your premium, request the agent to value each rider independently. You can then choose whether you think the additional benefit any rider provides is worth the added rate.

Small business loans are available from a variety of sources. There are banks, savings and loans and lending companies in the private sector that make loans to small businesses. There are also some public entities that are involved in financing for small businesses. One such source is the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA is an independent federal agency that assists small businesses in various areas. One area of assistance is financial and as such it is a source of loan funds for small businesses. There are three different SBA loan programs geared toward different kinds of small businesses. Each functions in a different way but each provides a means of financial assistance for small businesses.

The first program is the SBA’s Business Loan program. SBA has various partners is the community known as Lenders, Community Development Organizations, and Microlending Organizations. The SBA defines the parameters for the loan program and guarantees the loans which are actually made by their community partners, the various lending institutions. The guarantee means that the federal government will repay all or part of the loan in the event of a default by the small business borrower. The small business owner should contact the SBA to learn the terms of this and other programs.

A second program involves the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC). These are public-private businesses that represent an investment partnership between the public and private sector. These business entities can borrow funds for venture capital financing through the federal government at low interest rates. The purpose of these investment companies is profit and to share in the success of the small businesses that they invest in and help grow.

The third component of the SBA’s small business financing program is called the Surety Bond Guarantee Program (SBG). This program provides financing by guaranteeing bonds for small contractors to bid on projects that they normally wouldn’t be able to bid on. The surety is the SBA’s guarantee to cover a portion of the loss if there is a breach of the contract.

These SBA programs help small businesses obtain funds that they might not otherwise obtain without the guarantee by the federal government. The government is assisting them by organizing lending sources and by assuming part or all of the risk of borrower fault. They are, in effect, shifting the risk of default from the lending institution to the federal government. These programs help small businesses grow and give them business opportunities they would not otherwise have had without the guarantee of the federal government.

Small business owners should contact the SBA to see what programs and funds are available. Funding is based on appropriations and may change from year to year.

Auto insurance protects you from being financially responsible for an accident, but you’re required to pay monthly premiums to keep the insurance. By law you must have car insurance if you want to drive on the road and without it you can be fined, lose your license, go to jail and also be sued depending on the seriousness of the accident you caused. Even if you’re pulled over without car insurance you can be fined though which means you must have and maintain auto insurance.

There are lots of companies that offer auto insurance and you’ll need to research which is the best option for your specific needs. Auto insurance has many different types of policies and coverage so you need to make sure when you buy your car insurance that the policy makes sense for you. One thing you want to make sure of is that the monthly premium will fit into your budget and also that you’re getting the right amount of coverage for your vehicle. Don’t get to much coverage but also don’t get too little coverage, there is a very fine line between the two and you’ll need to determine which is suitable for your vehicles.

Typically if you get into a car accident and you’re at fault then you need to put the claim through your insurance. This will mean that your insurance company will pay the damages to the vehicles and also any medical expenses that anyone faces, if any. Without car insurance it makes you liable for the damages and medical bills and this is where it gets very serious. You can be sent to jail for injuring someone in an accident without any insurance and you will most definitely be sued by the family. This will often result in you losing everything you own.

Car insurance isn’t a joking matter and is one of the most important insurance policies you need. It’s also one of the insurance policies that are mandatory to have while driving. Having car insurance is also necessary to have in case somebody hits your vehicle. If someone hits your vehicle and you don’t have insurance then they won’t be liable for paying any damages to you.

As you can tell having car insurance benefits you in a lot of ways and also gives you a feeling of safeness while out on the road. It’s always better to drive focused and not sub-cautiously have to be thinking about the fact you’re driving without insurance. Car insurance can be bought for very affordable monthly premiums and offer great coverage, you just need to do a bit research beforehand so that you can find the best deal. There is highly competitive competition in this industry and there are many companies fighting for your business. Decide on a budget savvy auto insurance policy and I guarantee you’ll be saved a lot of hassles and unnecessary fines. You’ll also be ensured that you won’t be financially accountable for any damages to people or vehicles as your insurance will cover you.