“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”
– Abraham Lincoln
LIFE INSURANCE
Life Insurance is crucial for people and families to have in place. It provides for your loved ones when it is needed most. Whether you are a parent planning for your children’s future well-being or preparing for your retirement, life insurance can help you.
Life Insurance comes in Two Types:
Temporary Life Insurance (Term Life Insurance):
Term Life insurance is typically used for short term or temporary needs; for example, to provide financial protection while raising a young family. Term Insurance provides financial stability in the event of your death so that those who depend on you will have the financial means to:
- Cover debts such as mortgages, car loans, business and personal loans
- Improved option to Mortgage Insurance
- Replace the income you provided for your family
- Provide for your children’s education expenses (for example, future school funding)
- Funding for your spouse’s retirement plan
Term life insurance comes typically comes in 10, 20 or 30 year terms. Premiums are guaranteed for that term and they will renew at a higher rate for the next period.
Permanent Life Insurance (Universal Life and Whole Life):
Permanent life insurance provides coverage for your entire life, not just for a specific timeframe. Your premiums, in most cases, will remain the same during the time you are covered. With Permanent Insurance, you will have lifelong life insurance coverage with no need for future medical reassessment, unless you choose to increase your life insurance coverage or change your policy. There are two types of permanent life insurance: Whole Life and Universal Life. Both types of policies offer life insurance coverage until death with the added benefit of investment cash values that carry tax benefits which can be used through the policy owners’ life. Permanent life insurance offers many benefits as part of your financial plan, including:
- Estate planning
- Leaving a legacy to your partner, family and loved ones
- Tax benefits, and cash values
- Retirement savings, including the Insured Retirement Program
Life insurance, both term and permanent, can be personally owned or corporately owned. Corporate owned life insurance is used for the needs of a buy/sell agreements, key person insurance and the Insured Retirement Program.
MORTGAGE INSURANCE
(Not the same as banks!!)
- You are insured under an individual life insurance policy
- You own your mortgage insurance policy (not the lender)
- You choose the beneficiary and you decide how the money is used (not the lender)
- Your coverage is portable. No need to re-qualify if you change lenders
- The insurance protection never decreases unless you request a reduction
- If you reduce your coverage, your payments will reduce as well
- The insurance protection is guaranteed renewable to age 85.
CRITICAL ILLNESS INSURANCE
Serious illnesses, such as cancer or heart attack, can create a financial burden for your family and/or business, drastically affecting your personal life and overall lifestyle. Critical illness insurance is intended to ease the financial pressures by paying a tax-free lump sum if you become seriously ill or totally disabled. Typically, you must survive at least one month after becoming critically ill, before the policy will pay out.
Basic Covered Illness:
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Coronary Bypass Surgery
- Breast Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Other life-threatening cancer
Features and Major Benefits
- Return of premium at death– if you die during the covered period without claiming any critical illness benefit, your premium paid will be returned to your beneficiary or estate.
- Return of premium at policy maturity – when the policy period expires and you have not claimed any critical illness benefit, your premium will be returned to you. It pays to be in good health.
- Extra income – if you are diagnosed with one of the defined critical illnesses, you might lose your ability to work temporarily or permanently. The benefits from the critical illness insurance can be used to pay your medical bills or replace your lost income.
- Have the best health care available – with the financial freedom, you can choose the best health care available to you. For example, you can hire a home nurse or purchase necessary equipment or devices which will help you to recover faster.
- Having the best doctor available whom specializes in the type of critical illness that you have.
LONG TERM CARE
Long Term Care Insurance is money received to aid in your care, if you are unable to do so anymore, if a spouse is unable to do so anymore, if a parent is unable to do so anymore. Long Term Care is a range of services and supports one may need to meet their personal care needs. Most long-term care is not medical care, but rather assistance with the basic personal tasks of everyday life, including care that family members may provide.
These services help people live as independently and safely as possible when they can no longer perform everyday activities on their own. But if you really think about it, these are far more than just plain services. This is the ability to give someone back their independence. This is providing someone the comfort and safety of living a normal life.
GROUP BENEFITS INSURANCE
It’s widely understood by businesses large and small the importance of their employees and with that said, ensuring employee satisfaction. In today’s competitive marketplace, combined with a shrinking workforce, recruiting qualified employees has become an increasingly challenging and costly. Offering the right benefits plan has become an excellent retention tool. A well structured and coordinated health benefits plan can mean better outcomes for employees and a simplified administration plan for the employer. In other words, everyone wins!
Group insurance benefits represent a substantial financial obligation to the employer while playing an important role, alongside government-sponsored benefit programs, in providing for the well-being of employees and their families.
The basic components of a group plan include the following:
Life coverage and dependents life coverage – Where the amount of coverage can be a fixed sum for all employees. Furthermore, multiples of the employees’ earning (e.g. 2X, 3X, etc.) chosen by the employer.
Extended Health Care – also referred to as drug plan including semi-private hospital care, prescription drugs and Vision Care
Dental Plan – It includes basic annual checkup, exam and regular dental services. Enhanced components such as Major dental surgery and optional orthodontic coverage.
Group Disability Benefits – Short & Long Term Disability
DISABILITY INSURANCE
SECURE YOUR INCOME IN THE EVENT OF ACCIDENT OR ILLNESS
If you are unable to work following an accident or illness, there can be dire financial consequences for your family or your business. Secure your income in the event of disability – allowing your family or partners to maintain financial stability.
Disability insurance is designed to replace roughly 50% of your gross income on a tax-free basis should a sickness or illness prevent you from working. Unlike Critical Insurance which will pay you a one-time lump sum benefit, disability insurance policy will pay you a monthly benefit just like a regular pay cheque you get from your employer. The benefit payment can be taxable or non-taxable, based on the amount of benefit required and whether it is an individual plan or group plan provided by your employer.
The major features of a disability insurance policy are very crucial in choosing the right plan that suits your needs. Whether you are employed or self-employed will also play an important role when designing your disability plan.
Benefits at a glance:
- Financial security in the event of disability due to illness and, as an option, after an accident
- Maintain a standard of living – for you and your family
- You specify your own premium according to your needs and abilities