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We’ve all heard the line about how important it is to have life insurance, to make sure your loved ones are looked after and that the future is planned for.

But what does it really mean to have life insurance? Is it just an extra cost going towards an intangible thing that you’ll never really need?

Earlier this year, ANZ Wealth and Ipsos Australia conducted a study into the impact of a parent’s death on their children and partner. Other than the devastating emotional impact, the study found that the financial impact on many families was just as distressing, with 47% of parents without life insurance rating their financial position after a partner’s death as ‘Struggling’.

When compared to families with life insurance, 56% of parents covered by insurance rated their financial position after a partner’s death as ‘Adequate’. This highlights the crucial role of life insurance on the home life, financial stability and mental wellbeing of children and their families after a parent’s death, the study broke down the very real costs of not planning for your future.

For example, a third (33%) of parents without insurance had to move house due to financial pressure, while half (50%) of the children whose parents didn’t have insurance felt that they were not financially supported as well as they could have been. This is compared with 36% of children covered by insurance who agreed with that same statement.

 

“My mother had to have boarders to help make ends meet”

 

These heartbreaking words came from an interviewee who took part in the study, and whose family was not covered by life insurance after one parent died.

Many families were forced to make drastic lifestyle changes to try and achieve financial stability, with 1 in 10 parents taking a second job and 1 in 3 children over the age of 14 taking on a job within 2 years of their parents’ death just to help with household finances.

The financial strain is a heavy burden to bear. Homes lives were heavily impacted, with almost half (49%) of children taking on more responsibilities caring for siblings, and 67% taking on more household chores and tasks.

Furthermore, more than half (53%) of children whose parents weren’t insured reported a decrease in family outings and a third (33%) reported a decrease in overall time spent together as a family.

Death has an understandably damaging impact on children, but with the added financial pressure then faced by the whole family, the effect is hugely intensified.

Many children had to move house and change schools, disrupting their education and social life. 41% of children saw a worsening in academic performance and 46% lost contact with some friends, while a little more than half (51%) of parents would have liked to be able to provide their child with better educational opportunities.

One interviewee sadly reported “a devastating emotional effect” and “an enormous workload upon me for many years” after losing their mother at a young age. In a number of cases, the social and emotional impact on children further developed into a mental health condition or drug/alcohol abuse as they went through adolescence.

 

How life insurance can help

While there isn’t much you can do to prevent or prepare for the emotional heartache and inevitable flow-on effects that children experience when they lose a parent, life insurance has proven to be incredibly helpful in dealing with the sudden financial pressure placed upon the whole family.

It protects against the impact of the unexpected, and makes it easier to maintain your lifestyle if something were to happen. Having a plan for the future can help pay for your children’s school fees, your mortgage and daily living expenses, and as a result, ease the financial stress, allow you to stay in your family home, and reduce the likelihood of disruption and upheaval in your children’s lives.

If they can stay in the same school, surrounded by their friends and a familiar lifestyle, they will have the best chance possible of getting a good education. Having enough life insurance may also allow parents to spend more time with their children, raise them in their family home and give them the support they need to deal with the loss in a constructive, healthy way.

It plays a valuable and very important role in helping both children and parents after a death in the family. In fact, according to the study, 75% of families without a life insurance policy agree that in hindsight, having cover would have helped.

 

Over 40% of families had no warning prior to the death

In a lot of cases, death comes unexpectedly. 64% of families had less than a week’s notice of their partner or parent dying, which meant having to deal with a huge amount of sudden emotional stress and suffering.

The last thing anyone would think about in such a situation is finances, which is exactly why it’s so important to think about them beforehand. If there’s anything that can be learnt from this study, it’s just how crucial life insurance is to help a family pick up the pieces after the death of a parent.

Planning for your long-term financial future is something every family needs to do, and that includes preparing for the possibility of losing a parent and the contribution they make to the family. While life insurance won’t be able to ease the pain and grief of losing a loved one, it can make stabilising your home life a little easier by making sure you’ll have the funds to protect your family’s future.

Death is a natural part of life, and it needs to be discussed – so have the conversation.

 

This blog was written according to research in ‘Impact of death and disability on Australian families’ from the 2015 edition of New Perspectives magazine, as reported by Covered Magazine

It is very important for business owners to maintain a steady cash flow, especially in the early years of its inception. Any downtime a business experiences can have a negative effect on its future success, which is why it is imperative to seek advice and compare Income Protection Insurance options for you and your business. But what exactly does Income Protection Insurance provide, and why is it important?

 

Financial Security

A steady income is vital for the smooth operation of any business; without a steady and dependable flow of income, you may struggle to cover your fixed costs and maintain ongoing operations.

A situation where a business owner is unable to work due to long term illness or suffering a serious injury, can regrettably cause a business to suffer. Not only will the business owner be unfit to continue running the business during this time, but it is also likely they may need to withdraw from the business’ account to pay for their personal and living expenses.

Having a comprehensive Income Protection Insurance policy in place can prevent the business suffering.

Financial security and being able to maintain your current lifestyle and business operations are some of the main reasons why it should be a priority to compare Income Protection Insurance with Cover Australia.

It is helpful to know that an ongoing benefit can be received from the chosen insurance provider to cover bills and house expenses, which in turn keeps money in the pocket of a business owner. This money is also able to assist a business in remaining up and running.

 

Medical Bills

When health becomes an issue, the business is not the only thing that suffers – personal finances will also be negatively affected.

Depending on the treatment received, medical bills can amount to thousands of dollars, and most people don’t have enough savings to pay for such an expensive bill. Thankfully, Income Protection Insurance payments can also be used to settle medical bills, so as soon as any health conditions are taken care of, the cost of care will be one less issue to deal with.

Some comprehensive Income Protection policies also have ancillary benefits which provide payments to assist with rehabilitation expenses to help you recover and get back to work as soon as possible. It is always important to compare Income Protection insurance policies and the extra benefits they offer as some are far superior to others.

 

Lack of Benefits

While being the owner of a business certainly has its positives, there are also benefits employees hold that business owners don’t have the luxury of partaking in.

Some of these benefits include the company providing paid sick leave, or employees receiving payments for extended leave periods due to illness. Also, many people may be unaware that self employed business owners are not covered by worker’s compensation, even if they sustain the injury during business activities.

Therefore obtaining Income Protection insurance is essential so that if you do happen to suffer a serious injury at work you will still have an ongoing income stream following your selected waiting period.

Being a business owner can be tough in circumstances where you are sick or injured because you only have yourself to depend on when running into financial trouble. This is why it is so important to compare Income Protection Insurance to ensure you have that an alternative means of income should you need it.

 

Business Expenses Cover

If you are self employed or in a partnership and running a small business, then you may be eligible to apply for Business Expense insurance.

If a business owner chooses to purchase business expenses cover, they are aiming to cover the fixed operating costs of the business. Proceeds from making a claim can be used to cover rent, debt repayments, employee salaries and any other fixed expenses whilst you are unable to run your business for a period of time.

That means that when the immense benefits of income protection and business expenses cover are combined together, the ability to maintain a steady income to support both your family and your business will be enhanced when you need it. Income Insurance is the best way to cover all areas and maintain a steady flow of income.

 

Tax Deductable Premiums

There are many benefits for business owners who take the time to compare Income Protection Insurance and purchase the appropriate policy to suit their needs. One of the biggest of these benefits is related to tax.

Insurance premiums paid towards income protection policies are also usually tax deductable. Having the security of Income Protection Insurance in place combined with the ability to lower tax liabilities are big positives to having an income insurance policy.

 

Compare Income Protection Insurance with Cover Australia

Cover Australia has the expertise to help you find the Income Protection Insurance policy and the Business Expense Insurance policy that you and your business deserve. Don’t go it alone to compare Income Protection Insurance policies when our reputable insurance advisers are on hand to help you out.

Our advisers are extremely knowledgeable and ready to assist you 7 days a week. Take the time to visit our Cover Australia website to compare Income Protection Insurance online, and together we can find the best policy for you.

When we think about the best insurance options to protect our family’s financial future, the first policies that usually come to mind are income protection insurance or life Insurance. Life insurance comparison is vital for sound, financial planning but it’s not the only coverage you should consider when organizing your financial future. There is another vital insurance plan that should be seriously considered – Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Insurance.

TPD Insurance is an insurance policy that is not often considered but it really can be a key piece of insurance to protect your financial future. In this post, we will share some of the top reasons why TPD insurance should be part of your life insurance comparison plan. Before we get into that, you may like to know exactly what TPD Insurance is.

 

What is TPD Insurance

Total and Permanent Disability Insurance, also known as TPD insurance, is a type of insurance that protects a person who suffers from a disability that renders them unable to return to the workforce. TPD insurance ensures you will be financially protected should you become permanently disabled and require extensive rehabilitation.

It is a very regrettable circumstance that none of us hope to find ourselves in, but you can have peace of mind knowing a TPD insurance policy is there to financially protect you and your family if and you may need it.

It sure is great to know that there is an insurance policy out there to cover permanent disability and there are lots of benefits TPD Insurance can provide you and your family with.

 

Lump Sum Payment

An important difference between TPD Insurance and Income Protection Insurance is that TPD insurance policies offer you a lump sum payment when you are deemed no longer able to ever work again due to a serious injury or illness. With income protection insurance you will receive monthly payments instead that will cease when your policy passes its benefit period or when you return to work.

A benefit period is a predetermined period of time that is agreed at the outset of the plan. So payments will have a specified end date where your payments will cease. With a lump sum payment, you will have the full amount of money up front to do with what you wish over a long period of time.

 

Financial Support

The lump sum you receive should you make a claim on your TPD Insurance policy can be used to cover a number of expenses. This policy will provide funds for clearing debts, medical costs and annual income streams to ensure you and your family are able to maintain the same quality of life.

 

Long Term Coverage

TPD insurance is designed to cover you if you are unable to return to work due to a permanent disability or illness. Income protection insurance, on the other hand, only provides you with a portion of your income if you are unable to work, temporarily, due to either a disablement or illness.

Therefore, with TPD Insurance, it is expected that the lump sum paid to you will provide more comprehensive coverage with enough money to be able to help you out for the long term.

 

Combine Policies

When you come to us for income protection and life insurance comparisons online, it is worthwhile considering comparing TPD insurance policies too so that you have comprehensive coverage. Furthermore, your TPD insurance can be linked to your life insurance and this is the most cost effective structure of arranging your insurances.

We also offer TPD plans as a standalone policy if you do not wish to purchase any additional insurance. At Cover Australia, we can help to tailor the best coverage for you and your family to suit your needs.

 

Own or Any Occupation

When comparing TPD insurance policies it is essential to consider the definition of the cover and which definition best suits you and your occupation. If you are working, you are eligible to take out cover under one of two definitions, “own occupation” or “any occupation”. If you are not working, you can still take out TPD insurance however your cover will come under a home duties or activities of daily living definition.

Own occupation will cover you if you are unable to ever work again in the occupation you were in immediately prior to the disability. Any occupation on the other hand will cover you if your disability means you will be unable to perform any occupation for which you are suited by training, education or experience.

The policy you choose will depend on your budget, occupation and lifestyle. Our team are happy to recommend the best policy for you and guide you through the selection process.

 

Let us help you Choose a TPD Insurance Plan

Selecting the right TPD coverage can be very complicated, we can simplify this process for you.

Everyone needs to consider their financial future and set real financial goals. Don’t just rush in to buying life insurance. Get the adviers at Cover Australia to give you an in-depth life insurance comparison. Trust your financial future with a reputable company such as Cover Australia and receive your tailored insurance solution today.

When you are researching insurance plans, be sure to educate yourself on the various differences between TPD insurance and Income Protection Insurance by speaking to one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Calling a respected insurance adviser such as the representatives at Cover Australia is imperative. Our advisers can help you decide what type of life insurance policies and rates are right for you. You also may want to consider life insurance for your entire family, not just yourself.

Extra expenses following a death or serious illness can put additional pressures on a mourning family.

Many other comparison companies offer TPD insurance plans, but few can bring the expertise to the table like Cover Australia. Trust us to take care of the life insurance comparison process to protect your family’s financial future.

Everyone has a basic idea of what life insurance and income insurance are all about. These are vital insurance options many people obtain, however trauma insurance is another option that many people are unaware of that must also be considered.

So what is trauma insurance?

Trauma Insurance will provide you with a lump sum payment if you are diagnosed with one of a number of traumatic medical conditions such as cancer, heart attack or stroke. In this blog post we will seek to answer this question in more detail and provide you with all the information you need to see the value in having trauma insurance for you and your family. Then, simply make an enquiry with Cover Australia for your no obligation trauma insurance quote and allow us to arrange a policy for you to protect you and your family.

 

Why Do I Need Trauma Insurance?

Being in good health is a valuable commodity that should be cherished. It is one of the best gifts that life has to offer. Being healthy ensures that you are able to look after yourself, go to work and earn an income and lead the lifestyle you enjoy. You can take care of the most routine of activities, without needing any support or assistance from someone else.

So what is trauma insurance and why do you need it if you are a perfectly healthy person? Unfortunately, as you age, your health also starts deteriorating and your immunity level drops. You can also become more susceptible to catching illnesses of various kinds. Occasionally, even seemingly healthy people could develop critical illnesses that have a significant impact on their lives. All of a sudden you may have unexpected medical costs, rehabilitation costs and you may be unable to work as regularly or efficiently as you usually do. This is why there is clearly a need for trauma insurance.

Below is a list of some of the common critical illnesses and traumatic conditions covered under trauma insurance policies.

• Heart attack
• Coronary artery bypass surgery
• Stroke
• Multiple sclerosis
• Paralysis
• Parksinson’s disease
• Cancer
• Loss of sight, speech or hearing
• Sever rheumatoid arthritis
• Occupationally acquired HIV, Hepatits B or Hepatits C
• Loss of independent existence

Worst of all, any of the critical illnesses above could even have life-threatening repercussions. Any illness creates a situation of doubt and uncertainty on the most commonplace of things in life. This could include details like how soon you would be able to resume work or how you would be able to pay for the treatment. A critical illness only aggravates the situation further.

This is why obtaining a trauma insurance quote and taking out a policy to protect yourself is very beneficial for you, especially if you should unfortunately suffer a serious illness.

 

How the Numbers stack Up for Trauma Insurance

How does trauma insurance stack up against other insurance options?

In 2013, an industry survey was conducted to get a gauge for the levels of consumer awareness that exist regarding the differing insurance products in the market place. The results found that:

• About 60 percent of their clients owned a life insurance policy
• Around 10 percent of their clients had a life disability insurance cover
• Only seven percent of their clients had a trauma insurance policy

The survey highlighted the fact that many Australians did purchase life insurance.

This might sound like good news, however the survey did not investigate the amount of cover purchased by the people surveyed. Nor did it check whether the cover the clients purchased was adequate or not. In addition, some of these people also safeguarded their incomes by purchasing income protection insurance.

The low rates of purchase of TPD insurance and trauma insurance policies in Australia remains to be a matter of concern. The survey shows that 93 percent of Australians would probably have no recourse if they suffered from a critical illness.

It also highlighted that around 90 percent of people would struggle to keep themselves afloat financially, if they were to suffer from any total and permanent disability.

 

How Does Trauma Insurance Cover Work?

Trauma Insurance is not often the first form of Insurance you turn to, but that is no reason to underestimate its importance in a time of need.

When you buy a term life insurance policy, you receive the benefits when you die or when doctors diagnose you with a terminal illness. People in Australia buy income protection insurance to offset the financial difficulties of the time when they cannot earn their salaries, because of an illness or an injury.

Disability insurance pays a lump sum benefit if you suffer from a disability that renders you unfit to work for the rest of your life. Similarly, if you want to gain immunity from the risks of a critical illness or an injury, you would purchase trauma insurance.

This cover pays a lump sum benefit if you suffer from one of the trauma conditions, as defined by the insurance company. Insurance companies came to realise that certain trauma conditions had a high survival rate of up to 80 percent. However, their treatment processes lasted for a lifetime, increasing the everyday financial expenses of the individual.

Therefore, this cover was developed to provide relief to people suffering from various conditions of trauma.

The best part about trauma insurance cover is that it gives you financial freedom when you experience a major medical crisis. In addition, it pays the benefit during the lifetime of the insured individual, so you can use the proceeds to best meet your needs at the time.

The payment you receive can be used for financing your medical treatment expenses, funding additional care if required or compensating for a loss in income experienced by you or your spouse during your recovery period. Receiving this payment can also help meet your everyday living expenses, paying bills and meeting loan repayments. There are many great reasons to seek out a trauma insurance quote today with Cover Australia.

 

What are the Exclusions Stipulated by Trauma Insurance

Each insurance company covers a different range of trauma conditions. Typically, many insurers would cover conditions like blindness, deafness, dementia, coma, Alzheimer ’s disease, lung disease and heart attacks for example. Some life insurance companies could cover as many as 30 trauma conditions. Others might only cover 10 – 15. Therefore, you would need to study the policy document carefully. Alternatively, you could consider taking the assistance of your life insurance adviser. At Cover Australia we are able to identify the most comprehensive trauma insurance cover that is affordable for you.

However, trauma insurance also specifies various exclusions. Some of these state that the insurer would not pay any benefits if the insured event:

• Occurs directly or indirectly as an intentional self-inflicted act or attempted suicide
• Arises from a medical condition or event, which the insurer has specifically excluded from the policy
• Is not life threatening or benignant or temporary in nature

In addition, a 90-day qualifying period also applies to trauma insurance. Therefore, you would not receive any benefits if certain conditions occur within 90 days of:

• Your policy start date
• Your policy’s latest reinstatement date
• The date on which you applied for an increase in cover

These conditions could include events like angioplasty, leukaemia, stroke, heart attacks, cancer etc.

 

Compare Policies and Receive a Trauma Insurance Quote from Cover Australia Today

At Cover Australia, we specialise in providing you with the best insurance cover options available and we hope that you will consider the benefits that trauma insurance can provide.

From income protection insurance comparisons and quotes to cheap life insurance, Cover Australia is a provider of insurance solutions. Several insurance advisors only help you to compare life insurance products whereas we give you access to a wide range of insurance products and quotes.

With us, you get much more. We have the relevant expertise and knowledge to give you specialist advice you can count on. In addition, we tailor insurance products so that they suit your needs and objectives too.

Please don’t hesitate to call us at 1300 366 817. Alternatively, visit our website to receive your trauma insurance quote. Get the security to face the future with confidence and assurance thanks to Cover Australia.

Every day we see stories of people who have triumphed over adversities, and it is always heart-warming to see these people overcome difficult hurdles in their lives.

It is easy to sympathise with their stories, but at the back of your mind you wonder if that could ever happen to you – if you were faced with the same adversities, could you overcome those obstacles and hurdles and also achieve a positive outcome? Would you have the support in place to help you back up on your feet and provide you with assistance to jump over those hurdles easily?

From a financial perspective, many Australians purchase life and disability insurance to provide them with the financial support they need to help overcome hurdles when an adversity strikes.

In this article we will share with you the benefits of having insurance to support you in times of need and specifically how disability insurance is a great choice to consider.

 

Insurance Options

life insurance, which helps you to insure your life in case any incident occurs. In Australia income insurance is another popular insurance solution to provide you with assistance. Income protection entitles people to a replacement salary in case they cannot work because of an injury or an illness. Similarly, a trauma insurance policy entitles the insured to a lump sum payment, in case the insured suffers a critical illness like cancer, stroke, heart attack, etc.

People usually purchase the first two as a matter of choice. In some cases, they purchase trauma insurance depending on the likelihood of contracting a critical illness. However, not many show the same foresight when it comes to purchasing Total and Permanent Disability Insurance (TPD). TPD insurance is a valuable option to consider when planning to protect yourself and your family from any potential circumstances that could result in personal injury.

 

Entitlements when Purchasing Disability Insurance

Purchasing TPD insurance will provide you with peace of mind knowing that you have cover for the risk of living life with a permanent disability. When you are covered by a TPD insurance policy, life insurance companies would pay you a lump sum benefit if you suffer a disability because of an illness or an accident and medical experts declare that you would not be able to ever return to work.

Living life with a disability is bad enough. However, the realisation that you would not be able to earn your livelihood thereafter, exacerbates the situation further. In situations like this, any financial help becomes a godsend. With the money that you obtain from your insurer, you could:

• Pay off any debts or loans, alieving your financial stress
• Pay for home care expenses, should you require additional medical care once you leave the hospital
• Pay for making alterations to your house, vehicle etc.
• Use this money as your source of income at a time when you’re unable to earn your livelihood

 

TPD Insurance Options and Information

When you purchase TPD insurance, you have the option to purchase TPD cover as an additional feature of your existing term life insurance policy. Alternatively, you could procure it as a standalone policy too. However, opting for the former has a disadvantage. If you file a claim on your TPD (which is a part of your life insurance policy), then you lose your death cover benefits too. In addition, you can only file a TPD claim once.

When you file a claim under your disability insurance policy, the insurer determines your benefit payable based on the severity of your disability and the cover you applied for. Usually insurance companies pay no benefits for partial or temporary disabilities.

Most TPD insurers provide disability insurance under two definitions. These include:

• Any Occupation: This defines your inability to perform any kind of job that you are suited to by previously education, training or experience.
• Own Occupation: This defines your inability to perform the job for which you were educated, trained and gained experience from.

It is also possible to have “any occupation” TPD cover under your superannuation fund.  However this needs to be carefully structured so it is important to discuss this in detail with your Cover Australia adviser.

 

Things to Consider Before Determining whether You Need TPD Insurance

Do you have a sufficient level of savings to cover any medical expenses if you become ill or injured? Are you currently paying for any outstanding debts?

If your savings are low and you have considerable debts outstanding, it would be wise to consider purchasing TPD Insurance. This insurance can help you and your family out significantly in times of need.

All of these options and considerations can be discussed in full with one of our Cover Australia advisors. We are here to help ensure you receive the very best cover to suit your needs and assist you in triumphing over adversity if faced with a disability.

 

Cover Australia – The Leading Provider of Insurance Solutions in Australia

If you want to buy total and permanent disability insurance, life insurance or compare income protection insurance quotes, you can depend on the experts. For over 30 years, Cover Australia has been a leading provider of insurance products and solutions in Australia.

Our insurance advisers offer guidance on all matters of insurance. These could range from income protection insurance to steps for purchasing life insurance online.

Give us a call us today at 1300 366 817 and obtain peace of mind along with an insurance solution that meets your requirements perfectly.

While safeguarding our finances is very necessary, it is also important to have safeguards and support in place for our lives. The best way to achieve that is to purchase life insurance. In Australia, life insurance still does not cover as many people as it should. In addition, many people with life insurance do not have sufficient levels of life cover.

Purchasing life insurance for the first time can be complex, which is why our advisors at Cover Australia are here to give you a helping hand and advise you on the life insurance options that are available and best suit you.

 

Term Life Insurance  – An Easy Way for Purchasing Cheap Life Insurance

One form of life insurance that is worth considering to assist you in times of need is term life insurance.

A Term Life Policy will pay a lump sum benefit in the event the life insured passes away while the policy is in force. Alternatively, it will pay a benefit if the life insured becomes terminally ill and is diagnosed with less than 12 months to live.

To determine the coverage you need to purchase this policy, you would need to assess your current expenses and debts, as well as future ones. Depending on your circumstances, you might need to give a medical test too.

Purchasing term life policies is essential for people with dependant family members. This is especially so if the policyholder happens to be the main breadwinner for the family. If the policyholder were to pass away, the family would unfortunately lose its main source of income. This would result in more than just an emotional loss. It could also result in financial hardships and uncertainty for the family.

Because there are so many considerations to take into account, you would need to consult your insurance adviser to assist you in obtaining the right amount of cover for your situation. 

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Is Life Insurance needed when there are no dependants?

If you have no dependents or financial obligations in your life, you might have no need for life insurance. You might feel that securing income protection insurance is more suitable because it would ensure that you have the funds for managing your living expenses if you become ill or injured, and are as a result, unable to work.

Many people in Australia buy income protection insurance to assist them if they are unable to work because of an illness or an accident, though there are other important factors to take into account before dismissing your need for life insurance options.

The most important factor to note is that life insurance can help ensure that your debts and funeral expenses are covered, even if you don’t have any dependants. You can trust that any loose ends will be tied up when you have adequate life insurance in place.

 

The Types of Premiums Available in Life Insurance Policies

Once you are ready to buy life insurance, your insurer might ask you what kind of premiums you would prefer to pay. Usually, life insurance companies in Australia offer two kinds of premiums. These are:

Level Premiums

Level premiums remain fixed for the same sum insured, regardless of your age. When you fill an application form for life insurance, the insurance company calculates your premium rates at the time of the application. The insurer would then lock in this rate for the lifetime of your policy (unless there is an across the board rate change, something that doesn’t happen very often).

Therefore, say you purchased a life insurance policy of $500,000 at 25 years of age, your premium would remain the same for that $500,000 even when you are age 50. Level premiums tend to become more affordable the older you get and can offer significant cumulative savings over time.

Stepped Premiums

Stepped premiums, on the other hand, keep rising as you age. This is because the likelihood of you reporting a claim increases with your age – especially as your health would start deteriorating as you age. These premiums are more affordable when you purchase the policy, therefore this is the preferred option for people who have a limited disposable income. 

What Factors Affect the Premium You Pay for Life Insurance?

It is vital to take all factors into account that will affect the premium you will pay for life insurance. The premium structure you decide to choose would determine the premium you need to pay. However, there are other factors, which have a significant bearing on your premiums as well. These include:

• Your Gender: Data shows that men have a higher risk of suffering from adverse medical conditions later in life. Hence, they pay higher premiums than women do.
• Your Age: The older you become, the greater your premium would be.
• Your Health: If you suffer from some pre-existing medical conditions, your premium rates would be higher.
• Your Lifestyle: If you smoke or consume alcohol regularly or have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than the average person, your premium rates would be higher.
• Your Occupation: If you work in high-risk environments, you might need to pay heavily loaded premiums or face difficulties in obtaining insurance.
• Your Hobbies: If you enjoy dangerous hobbies like bungee jumping, you would need to pay a higher premium.

When you are ready to take life insurance seriously and consider purchasing a policy, speak to one of our advisers at Cover Australia to discuss your options. We would be more than happy to help you!

 

Cover Australia – Your Partners for Life Insurance Solutions

At Cover Australia, we have over 30 years of experience in providing clients with various insurance solutions. From product and premium comparisons to customising insurance solutions to meet your requirements, we do it all. We also offer sound professional advice.

Therefore, whether you need to compare life insurance quotes or purchase a trauma insurance policy, we have the expertise you could rely on. Call us at 1300 366 817 to obtain peace of mind for yourself, in addition to security for your loved ones.

If you look at the terms and conditions of a trauma insurance policy, you would find that:

• Only an Australian citizen or a permanent resident can purchase it
• The individual (or proposer and policyholder) must be from 17 to 59 years old and,
• The individual (or proposer and policyholder) must be residing in Australia at the time of application

Thus, if you meet these criteria, have you purchased your trauma insurance cover yet? If not, you could be tempting fate. Lack of trauma cover could have grave repercussions for your family as well as for you.

 

The Odds You Face when it Comes to Suffering from a Disability or a Critical Illness

According to the Australian Network on Disability, one out of every five Australians suffers from some disability. That amounts to about four million people. This means that nearly 3.6 million people have no disability insurance policy. Critical illnesses comprise a variety of conditions. Therefore, the prevalence of these conditions and the number of people having trauma insurance make their numbers even worse. According to the Heart Foundation of Australia:

• Cardiovascular diseases kill one Australian every 12 minutes
• Cardiovascular diseases affect one out of every six Australians (about 3.7 million people) and two out of every three families
• Cardiovascular diseases prevent around 1.4 million Australians from leading normal lives because of an illness-induced disability
• Coronary heart diseases affect about 1.4 million Australians

Similarly, the Cancer Council of Australia states that:

• An estimated 128,000 new cases of cancer will emerge in Australia in 2014
• One out of every two Australian men and one out of three Australian women would have cancer by the age of 85 years
• More than 60 percent of people diagnosed with cancer will survive for five years after the initial diagnosis
• Cancer costs more than $3.8 billion in direct health system costs and cancer research comprises 22 percent of all health research expenditure in Australia

Clearly, critical illnesses do not just lead to a loss of life. Before the eventuality occurs, they also bleed their victims dry of financial earnings by affecting the victim’s ability to earn a livelihood. Treatment costs and lifestyle changes add on to the expenses, thereby creating a vicious cycle from which hardly anyone can emerge successfully.

 

How Trauma Insurance Could Help You in these Adverse Circumstances

With a trauma insurance cover, your insurer would pay you a lump sum amount if you suffer from a critical illness. However, your insurance company must cover the critical illness that you have. Several insurance companies cover a range of 20 – 30 medical conditions. These include Alzheimer’s Disease, deafness, dementia, coma, Parkinson’s Disease etc. You could use this lump sum payment to cover your treatment and lifestyle change expenses. You could also use it to meet your daily living expenses.

Like with all life insurance policies, the policy sum insured increases each renewal with indexation. With indexation, the insurers would increment the sum insured based on the highest percentage increase in the consumer price index. However, policyholders can decline indexation to keep sum insured the same as at inception and to keep premium cost down.

In some cases, life insurance companies also offer trauma cover and life cover buyback options. The buyback options enable the policyholder to reinstate the benefits once the insurer pays the claim.

Thus, trauma insurance does not only cover a wide range of conditions. It also covers any debts and liabilities of the insured. This is even in cases where the insured needs to take some time away from work – because of the illness.

 

Cover Australia – The Insurance Specialists in Australia

To compare life insurance, TPD insurance, Trauma insurance or compare income protectionin Australia, Cover Australia is the best. Our expertise does not remain confined to comparing products and premiums. We also specialise in offering free professional advice, along with outstanding service at all times. With over 27 years in the domain, we have a great insight into the life insurance industry. That’s why any advice you take from us will factor in your requirements and circumstances.

While expertise and aspects like income insurance comparison are our forte, our Platinum Partner program gives us a unique competitive edge over all our competitors. Under this program, you gain access to high quality products and services that exceed industry standards, from some of the leading life insurance companies in Australia. No one else can provide you with this benefit other than Cover Australia. Therefore, secure yourself from all risks. Speak to your friendly insurance adviser at 1300 366 817 today.

We all tend to take our bodies for granted, and often put too much faith in the ability of our bodies to progress us through life; however, we also know that illness or injury is always a possibility.

Even if we take the time to eat well, exercise and look after our bodies, unfortunately we never know if things will take a turn for the worse.  Serious illness or injury could strike at any time which is why having appropriate Insurance cover is needed to ensure we are financially secure in times of need. We all consider insurance options such as health insurance, life insurance and income protection insurance, but have you ever considered Total and Permanent Disability Insurance?

A comprehensive TPD Insurance policy is the best option available to protect you and your family against the financial stresses of becoming totally and permanently disabled and unable to work and earn an income. As financial advisers, we can explain what TPD insurance is, how it will benefit you and offer recommendations on the level of cover and type of policy that best suits you.

 

Australians Statistics on Disabilities

Unfortunately the reality is that suffering from a serious illness or injury is life changing and permanent incapacity and the inability to work causes financial stress on you and your family’s lifestyle. You may be surprised how common it is for such a situation to occur.

The Australian Network on Disability (AND) focuses on helping people with disabilities back into the mainstream of life as suppliers, customers and employees. They have some valuable statistics that are very telling about disability in Australia:

• About one in every five Australians suffers from some type of disability (this equates to over four million people)
• Nearly half of those who suffer a disability are of working age, from 15 to 64 years
• Australia ranks 21st out of 29 OECD countries for people who suffer with disabilities and still participate in the labour force
• 39.8 percent of disabled people are employed while 79.4 percent of people without any disability are employed in Australia
• About two-thirds of people with disabilities earn less than $320 per week, compared to one-third of the general population

It is clear to see that the prevalence of disability in our country is relatively high, which is why having support and safeguards in place is so vital. There is no better way to do this than to purchase TPD insurance which is specifically designed to protect individuals should they suffer illness or injury resulting in permanent disability.

 

Total and Permanent Disability Insurance – Why You Need It

Most people would jump to the conclusion that when they buy life insurance, they give themselves sufficient levels of protection. They feel that their life cover would be more than enough for dealing with any eventuality. This might be the case in the event of their death however it does not take into account all the add-on expenses for treatment, ongoing care, lifestyle changes and rehabilitation brought on by a disability.

A total and permanent disability insurance policy pays a lump sum amount if the policyholder becomes disabled to the extent where doctors deem the disability as both total and permanent. Such disabilities generally mean that the individual would never be able to work again. However, the definitions of this cover could vary between the different insurance companies. Therefore, to gain a complete understanding of what your policy covers and excludes you would need to read the terms and conditions of each policy or go through this with your adviser.

Individuals with a disability not only need to meet their daily living expenses. They also need to face the fact that they would not be able to return to work again. The expenses involved when inflicted with a disability can also be fine. For example, a disabled person would also need to pay:

• Hospital Expenses
• Medical Expenses
• Additional care expenses
• Rehabilitation Expenses
• Expenses incurred because of specialist treatment or medication
• Expenses incurred because lifestyle changes e.g. modifications to the home and vehicle etc.

Meeting daily living expenses is difficult enough but if you suffer a disability, it becomes even more difficult. TPD Insurance helps people who have become disabled meet these expenses. It also helps the family of the incapacitated individual continue to maintain their current lifestyle. Given that disabilities affect one out of every five Australians, this cover could be invaluable for you and your family.

 

Determine the Cover You Need for TPD Insurance

Many may find it difficult to work out how much cover you and your family would need if you became totally and permanently disabled. But this is not something to stress about as your financial adviser specialises in assessing your individual financial circumstances and objectives and determining the right amount of cover for you. We can determine the appropriate amount of cover for you by allowing for:

• All your current financial commitments including living expenses, bills and debts
• Your future obligations
• Cost of additional care due to disability
• Meeting emergency expenses

Once we have discussed these details with you, we can explain to you how we calculated our recommended level of cover. Alternatively, if you feel there is a specific amount of cover you require, we can go straight to comparing TPD insurance policies and finding the one that best suits your needs.

It should also be noted that TPD insurance is different from Income Protection insurance. Unlike income protection insurance which provides an ongoing monthly benefit in the event of a short-term or a long-term disability, TPD cover provides a single lump sum benefit in the event of a total and permanent disability. The good thing about having both TPD insurance and Income Protection insurance is that claiming on one policy has no effect on claiming on the other. So in the event of total and permanent disability, you can claim both the lump sum benefit from your TPD insurance policy as well as the ongoing monthly benefits from your Income Protection insurance policy.

 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is not TPD Insurance!

As the government rolls out the NDIS, awareness of disability insurance has become more common amongst Australians. Whilst this is a positive initiative from the government, it is very important not to confuse the NDIS with the TPD Insurance that can be arranged through your financial adviser.  

The NDIS does not pay a lump sum benefit in the event that you are unlikely to work in any occupation again and it does not provide regular income payments that assist in maintaining your current lifestyle. The NDIS provides “packages” to disabled people aiming to assist with personal care, domestic assistance, any home modifications, aids, etc.

TPD Insurance will provide you with a full lump sum benefit in the event of total and permanent disability. Your financial adviser can hold a critical role here in determining the amount of cover required to meet your objectives and maintain your current lifestyle. Alternatively, you can nominate the amount of insurance you think is necessary for you and your adviser can compare TPD Insurance policies to see which product best suits your needs. In the event of total and permanent disability the lump sum you receive can be used at your discretion to meet your lifestyle needs. There are no limitations on how you use your benefits as applied to the NDIS.

 

Cover Australia – Your Experts in Life Insurance!

If you are looking for a comparison from several companies for total and permanent disability insurance, turn to Cover Australia, one of the leading life insurance experts in Australia.

For over 30 years, we have been advising and serving all Australians about life insurance products and solutions. We offer you the best advice and service. We also focus on providing you with the cover you need – Whether it is trauma insurance, TPD insurance or Income Protection insurance. Call us on 1300 366 817 for an insurance solution tailored to your requirements.

Have you ever considered what life would be like if your source of income was cut off? Perhaps you were injured or you fell extremely ill and were unable to work – do you have cover in place to protect you and your family’s finances if the worst were to happen?

This is why there is a great need for Australians to compare income protection insurance and take out a policy that will provide you the best cover when you are unable to earn an income due to injury or illness.

If you have never considered income protection Insurance before, you may be pleasantly surprised by the benefits that can be provided by having this cover.

However, before diving into the deep-end of purchasing income protection insurance, there are many important factors that need to be considered to ensure you are purchasing the right policy for you and your needs.

 

Why Income Protection Insurance is so important

Many Australian’s may come to the realisation that they do not have enough protective measures in place should they no longer be able to work, which is why income protection insurance is becoming increasingly sought after in our country.

Unlike other forms of insurance that can provide a lump sum payment, this particular form of cover is specifically designed to meet the costs of your day to day living expenses.

Income Protection is designed to replace up to 75% of your income in the event of you not being able to work due to illness or injury after a pre-defined period time, known as the waiting period.

It is not hard to see how this type of insurance can make a difference to your life if your income stream was cut off for a period of time.

 

Income Protection Insurance Considerations

When you begin to compare income protection insurance policies available in the market, you will soon find that choosing the right policy is not a simple task. Every insurer creates their own income protection product and as such, they all have varying definitions and conditions.

It is important to consult with an adviser who is able to take your personal situation into account and appropriately recommend a product and insurer that is right for you.

The complex nature of income protection means that there are many ‘non-core’ benefits that exist within each product. You will find that once you have spoken with an adviser, you will be made aware of extra features and benefits you never realized were included.

It is also important to take factors such as the waiting period, benefit period and benefit type into account and your adviser can provide recommendations on these based on your individual financial circumstances.

 

The Waiting Period

One of the most important things to consider when establishing an income protection policy is the waiting period.

The waiting period is defined as the amount of time you must be unable to work prior to going on claim and thus prior to receiving monthly benefits. As you can imagine – the shorter the waiting period, the more expensive the premium will be.

The waiting period can vary from as little as 14 days to as much as 2 years. There a many things to consider when selecting the appropriate waiting period such as any sick leave you may receive from your employer and how long any savings or assets you have could provide an income to cover your cost of living. Therefore, it is important to discuss your options with an adviser.

 

The Benefit Period

Another core component of an income protection policy is the benefit period. A benefit period refers to how long you will be eligible to receive your monthly benefit should you go on claim. Benefit periods range from as short as 1 year to expiring at age 70 at selected insurers.

The benefit period is also a key determinant of the premium – the shorter it is, the cheaper the premium gets.

 

The Benefit Type

Another aspect of income protection insurance that is crucially important is whether you choose an agreed value or indemnity benefit type.

With an agreed value policy, you prove your income at the time of application and as long as you have earned enough in the 12 months prior to this, your monthly benefit is guaranteed.

An indemnity policy means that you will have to prove that you have earned enough in the three years prior to the illness or injury leading to your disability in order to satisfy the monthly benefit you have. If for any reason your earnings drop after you have taken out an indemnity policy, you won’t be able to claim your full benefit.

An adviser can assist you in weighing up the pros and cons of each benefit type and help you assess how they would apply to your individual circumstances. If you are on a tighter budget, indemnity policies are a less expensive alternative to an agreed value policy.

However as previously mentioned, this is because at claim time you may not be entitled to receive the full benefit you are insured for if your income has decreased. If you are an employee with a steady income, this may not be of great concern to you. However if you are self-employed and your income is subject to fluctuations in the profits of your business, it may be wiser to lock in the certainty of an agreed value policy.

Your adviser can discuss this in more detail with you and compare the finer details between different insurers.

Once the waiting period, benefit period, and benefit type has been considered, you will be one step closer to having the security of income protection insurance in place.

 

Find the Best Income Protection Insurance

When it comes to comparing income protection insurance, it is important that you take some time to speak to an adviser who has the expert knowledge and experience in this area.

One of our insurance advisers from Cover Australia can help you choose the policy that most closely matches your unique needs as well as your budget.

Income protection insurance is a must have for many working Australian’s because it can provide peace of mind should you be unable to work. The income that you receive is invaluable at a time where your expenses will have increased significantly.

When comparing income protection , our advisers at Cover Australia have the expertise to provide you with the right cover to suit your needs. Call us at 1300 366 817 and we can ensure that you have the income protection insurance that you have been looking for.

Are you underinsured? There are so many insurance options available, it can be hard knowing what insurance options you need – alternatively, you may deliberately decide to avoid certain types of insurance for various reasons.

Too many people in Australia are underinsured and there are many reasons for this: some of the major excuses for avoiding life insurance or income protection insurance is that it is too expensive, insurance companies don’t pay out, you feel you do not need the insurance, or it is too difficult to find and purchase the cover you need.

However, there are even more reasons why more Australians need to seek life insurance and income protection insurance to safeguard their financial well-being.

 

Why you Need Life Insurance and Income Protection Insurance

One of the major reasons for not purchasing insurance cover is that many people feel they do not need the insurance. You may be surprised by how these insurance options could benefit you.

Some people may avoid purchasing income protection insurance because they expect to receive compensation from their Worker’s Compensation policy; however, the Worker’s Compensation policy only covers accidents or illnesses that arise as a direct consequence of your employment.

If you have an accident or if you fall ill outside of work, worker’s compensation will not cover you, which is where income protection insurance comes in. An income protection policy provides a replacement income if the policyholder is unable to work because of an illness or an injury, and is provided in the form of a lump sum payment.

When it comes to life insurance, the avoidance usually occurs because people do not often think of the financial needs of their loved ones after their death, especially if they are young.

However, the reality is that Illnesses, chronic conditions and injury can occur for anyone and it could potentially lead to an untimely death. This is why it is appropriate to purchase life insurance at any age.

A life insurance policy will pay a death benefit if the policyholder dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness and has less than 12 months to live. We believe that the aim of life insurance is to provide the deceased’s family and loved ones with sufficient money to repay their debts, continue to maintain their standard of living and achieve any further financial objectives they require.

 

Insurance Claims

Some people can be critical of insurance companies when it comes to paying out insurance claims, however this negative view is often unfounded.

Commonwealth bank is one of the life insurance and income protection providers that we compare using our comparison service. Based on their analysis of data shared by several life insurance companies in Australia, they found that in 2010, an average payout of $14.3 million was paid to 245 Australians for each business day by these life insurance companies.

This data serves to debunk the myth that insurance companies seldom pay their policyholders the benefits mentioned on the policy. Any legitimate claims that abide by the terms and conditions of the policy purchased are likely to be paid out. If you divide the $14.3 million benefits paid to 245 people, it amounts to approximately $60,000 per person per working day. This is a very significant amount of money.

 

Financial Benefits

Many people may avoid certain insurance policies due to the cost, although the benefits provided often outweigh the cost involved in making an insurance policy purchase.

Every year, thousands of people suffer an injury, contract an illness or die unexpectedly. If this were to happen to you today, how would your family cope with the emotional upheaval as well as the financial uncertainty? For example, how would they pay for:

• The monthly mortgage or rent
• Living expenses
• The cost of education for your children
• Any other liabilities like loans, credit cards etc

This is what you need to ask yourself before deciding to turn down the option of insurance cover. When you undertake life insurance and income protection comparison, you can have security knowing you are one step closer to having financial security for your family when it is needed most.

 

Cover Australia Makes Insurance Easy to Understand

The last reason many people steer away from insurance is because it is too hard to pick and choose the most appropriate amounts and types cover for their needs. This is where the experts at Cover Australia come into the picture.

For the past 27 years, Cover Australia has been a leading provider of insurance solutions to many Australians. We provide advice and guidance that addresses your concerns completely. We also provide superlative levels of service. Additionally, we have the requisite experience to individually tailor life insurance products to your needs and budget.

These traits make us one of the most professional and knowledgeable risk advice firms in Australia. We will compare life insurance products for you and offer the best solution to fit your needs

Avoid putting off buying life insurance. Invest in your life today. Call us on 1300 366 817 for more information. Have peace of mind knowing that Cover Australia will be at hand to tide over any financial difficulties your family might face.