A GUIDE TO PERSONAL LIFE INSURANCE

Making life simpler with the right product for every goal

Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policyholder and an insurer. The policyholder pays the policy premium and the insurer promises to pay a sum of money to a beneficiary designated by the policyholder if the insured event (usually death) occurs. Depending on the

The financial needs of your family are protected should you lose income due to critical illness or death.

The main types of Life insurance policies are:

– Protection policies – these are designed to pay a benefit if the event that is insured against happens contract, events    such     as     terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger payment.

–  Investment policies – the main goal of these policies is to grow the capital put in by policyholders.

Think of insurance as “a way of avoiding hardship” and not “convenience” or “getting rich quick”. No matter how diligent you are in building your financial empire, failing to purchase adequate insurance can quickly put you in a financial hole.

Who is a life insurance agent? A life insurance agent is a person who represents a life insurance company. An agent is trained to assess your needs as a customer, to guide you on suitable insurance solutions and to act as the link between you and the Insurance company

Why do I   need   life   insurance? Life insurance provides financial support to your dependents should untimely death occur and it also acts as a long-term investment. Using life insurance, you can meet goals such as educating your children, financing their marriage, building your dream home or planning a stress-free retirement, depending on your stage in life and your appetite for risk.

Endowment Life Insurance Policies offer guaranteed benefits when they mature through options such as Money Back, Guaranteed Cash Values and Guaranteed Maturity Values.

How do I buy a life insurance policy?

• First, evaluate your needs and the needs of your family
• Research on the different types of life insurance policies available in the market
• Talk to an insurance agent or visit the insurance company of your choice and find out about the policies they offer and their terms and conditions for each.
• Gather all your personal financial information and estimate the amount of money your family will need at different stages in time e.g., school fees, funds for buying assets, making mortgage payments, etc.
• Choose and buy a life insurance policy directly from the insurance company or through an insurance agent by following these steps:
  • Complete a proposal form
  • Pay the first premium
  • Provide the documents requested by the company, such as identification card, PIN number, etc.
  • Get a medical examination if necessary. There are many policies which do not require medical reports.
  • The insurance company will review the proposal form and documents you give them and issue you with a policy document

What are the common types of Life insurance?

• Term Assurance: This policy offers you protection for a limited period. It is the cheapest and simplest type of life insurance since it provides life cover only with no investment benefits.  The insurance company will pay the full sum assured if the policyholder dies within the period they are insured. If the policyholder survives and the policy matures, no benefits are paid out.
• Endowment: An endowment policy combines both protection and investments. The insurance company will pay the full sum assured if the policyholder dies within the period they are insured. If the policy holder survives and policy matures, the insurance company pays out maturity benefits including all the bonuses earned during the course of the policy.
• Whole Life: A whole life policy protects the insured for their entire lives and premiums are paid throughout one’s life, as a single premium or until a given age e.g., 60 years of age.
• Unit Linked / Investment insurance policies: In a unit linked policy, a part of the premium is used to buy life insurance protection and the rest is used to buy units in an investment fund managed by the insurance company. The price of the units is based on the net value of the fund at the time of buying. The return on the policy depends on how the investment fund performs.
• Last expense: This policy is meant to cater for the funeral expenses of the policyholder or their loved ones. The benefits are paid within forty-eight (48) hours of notifying the insurance company.

Which policy should I buy?

There are different types of life insurance policies. Choose the policy that best suits you and your future needs. You should understand:

• The period for which you are covered
• The terms and conditions of the policy
• The premium you need to pay

Contact your insurance agent or the insurance company for more information and guidance

What is a Life Insurance Policy Document and what does it contain?

A Life Insurance Policy Document is a formal contract given by the insurance company to the policyholder. It is the legal evidence of the insurance agreement and it states the exact terms on which the life insurance cover has been provided.

• The Policy Document contains details of the contract such as the:
  • Type of policy
  • Name and address of the insured person and the insurance company
  • Event which would cause the insurance company to pay the benefit if it happens
  • Duration of cover
  • Amount of premium and how often it is to be paid
  • Sum assured and other benefits
• It is very important to read your policy document and to contact the insurance company if anything is not clear.
• Contact the company if you have not received your policy document after a reasonable period of time, such as one month.

What do I do if I need to make changes to my life insurance policy?

Sometimes due to changes in your circumstances, it may be necessary to make changes to your policy document. It is advisable to make your request to the insurance company in writing. You will be advised on the steps to take to make the changes.

How do I make a claim and how long does it take?

• The insurance company should be notified immediately the event happens in writing or online. The person making the claim should fill the necessary forms and they will be advised on the documents required to process a death or disability claim.
• In the case of maturity benefits, the insurance company will normally contact you to pick your benefits on or before the maturity date. If you have not been contacted, then it is important to contact the insurance company.
• Enquire from your company how long it takes to settle a fully documented claim.
• Many insurance companies settle the claims within 7 – 10 days of submitting the required documents.

Who is a beneficiary and why is it important to choose one?

A beneficiary is the person who receives the benefits if the policyholder dies. Choosing a beneficiary ensures that, should you die, your benefits go to the right person. If you choose beneficiaries who are below the age of 18 years, also choose a responsible guardian.

What factors are considered in calculating premiums for life insurance?

Age, Occupation, health status. Sometimes gender and lifestyles (e.g., smoker vs non-smoker) also influence premiums.

What happens if I die before my policy matures?

Death benefits are paid to the beneficiaries you chose. Some policies have provisions (riders) that come into play to keep the policy in force until it matures. This is common in education policies where some benefits are paid when the policyholder dies and the rider benefits maintain the policy to maturity, enabling the children to complete their education according the original plan of the policyholder.

Should I cancel my policy?

• Buying a life insurance policy is a long-term commitment. If you cancel your policy, you will not receive the total amount of premiums that you have paid to date. This is because the surrender value (the value of your policy when you terminate it) is usually less than what you have paid due to the administrative costs included by the company.
• If someone asks you to cancel your policy then buy another one, first talk to your current life insurance company you stand to lose when replace a policy because:
  • You will most likely have to pay a higher premium since you are now older
  • The cash value of your new policy will build up slowly as it must pay for the initial administrative cost of the life insurance policy a second time.
  • Many times, your current life insurance company can make the changes you want at lower costs to you.

What happens if I am unable to keep paying the premiums?

The policy may lapse and you may not be entitled to any benefits unless the policy had attained   a surrender value. A policy usually attains a surrender value after 2 to 3 years of paying premium continuously. After that period, the policy can be kept in force through options that prevent you from losing some of the benefits of the policy e.g., the remaining premiums can be deducted from the value of the policy, or you can be considered to have fully paid premiums for a policy of a lower value

Can I revive a policy that has lapsed?

When your life insurance policy has lapsed, you can revive or reinstate it to full force within a certain period of time, and under certain conditions e.g., you may have to declare your health status when reinstating the policy.

What is the tax advantage of buying a life insurance policy?

A person who has a life insurance policy receives a tax relief of 15% of the premium subject up to a maximum of Ksh. 5,000 per month or Ksh. 60,000 per year. Tax rates are reviewed from time to time. You can confirm the tax relief at any given time from the Income Tax Act.

What are the important provisions in a life insurance policy document?

Premium

This is the money you pay to the insurance company to buy the life cover. The cover starts when you pay the first premium.

With profits policy

This policy allows you to share in the profits of the insurance company, usually paid as dividends or bonus. For this privilege, the premium charged is usually higher than for a policy without profit.

Bonus

This is the extra money paid together with the final benefits or for with profit policies. Bonuses are declared periodically e.g., every year. Once the bonus is declared, it becomes guaranteed, in addition to the final benefits.

Cash Surrender Value

When your life insurance policy has been in force for a certain period (normally 2 -3 years) it gets a cash value known as a surrender value. This is the amount of cash the life insurance company will pay you if you cancel your policy. You should strive to maintain your policy until maturity so that you can get the full benefits.

Policy Loan

You can apply for a policy loan when your policy has acquired a cash value. Interest is charged on the policy loan. Should you die or the policy matures, any unpaid portion of the loan is deducted from the benefits to be paid

Grace Period

It is the duration that is provided to the insured to pay his premium before his policy lapse. In any mode you decide to pay your premiums, there is a due date set. If you do not pay your premiums even after the due date, then you are notified by the company.

Reduced Paid up policy

You can stop paying premiums after your policy has acquired a cash value. The policy will remain in force but the sum assured is reduced, according to the proportion of premiums paid compared to what should have been paid.

Automatic Premium Loan

If you do not pay premium within the grace period, provided your policy has a sufficient cash value, the insurance company will automatically advance to you the premium amount ((i.e., pay on your behalf) to keep the policy in force for a stated period of time. Interest will be charge on the outstanding amount loaned to you. An automatic premium loan reduces your surrender value.

Grace period for review of policy document

You can cancel your life insurance policy by returning the policy document to the insurance company within 30 days after you receive it, if you feel that it does not reflect the cover you agreed upon when buying the policy. The premium that you have paid will be refunded, after deducting any medical fees incurred.

Credit: https://www.ira.go.ke/index.php/consumer-education

For More Infor on how to sign up for an insurance policy

Contact Gallin Wekesa (Financial Advisor-Britam)

0712 870447,

gallywexa@gmail.com/gwwekesa@britam.com