Finance and Business

It is estimated that over 1.4 million of patients are diagnosed with different types of cancer in the US each year, resulting in 560,000 deaths. But in case you manage to survive this risky condition without reclusion you will still have another big problem on your hands – insuring your life.

Insuring own life can be quite troublesome for cancer patients, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s impossible. The likelihood of getting a good policy depends on a set of factors such as type of cancer, stage it was treated at and even the treatment plan itself. And there’s a direct relation between the rates you will have to pay and how it is likely for your cancer to be cured. For example, most insurance companies don’t regard skin cancer as a serious illness and having a history of it may even not influence your premiums at all. Read the rest of this entry »

The world of insurance is full of traps for the unwary. When you set off to buy your first policy, whether it’s for your vehicle, home, health or life, never assume you know anything. Always do some basic research to find out exactly what different types of cover are on offer, what they cost and whether they represent good value for money. Yes, it’s a real pain to go back to school but, if you walk blindly into a “standard” policy without reading it first, the odds are you will regret it later when it comes to making a claim. Unfortunately, insurance companies are for-profit and that means they want your money and the smallest possible risk of having to give you any of it back again. Protect yourself by getting the best value-for-money coverage you can.

As an example, let’s think about gap insurance. When most people are buying a new vehicle, they need finance. The cheapest deal is a bank overdraft, but they are hard to find these days. This forces you into a commercial loan. Read any loan agreement and there’s always a clause requiring you to buy comprehensive and collision coverage. Obviously, your shiny new vehicle is collateral for the loan. If you default, the lender will repossess and sell it to pay off a part of your debt. Should you damage it, the lender wants it repaired so it still has some resale value. Everything is alright unless you total the vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »