life insurance vs. pre-need

s ) 1 , r ' 1 i r r l r , r u i , n . N c r o n c i s a s p c c i u l i s r i n e v e r l ' t l r i n g . A s k f a rr l t c a r l cn t ' s c la i rn ex l r c r i ence , anc l c l i o r ) se one * ,ho has a gooc lbac l< ! rou r rc l i n you r pn r t i c r_ r la r l c in , l o f i r o l i cy .' I ' r r r ; r r \ ' . I nsu rance po l i c ies a rc s l i l ) posed ro be kcp t con f i c le n r ja l .l j a i t L l r e I r o s p e c t i v e l r g e r l r L ' y a s k i . g z r l . r u t h e r < , t h c r c l i e n t s . I Is l re < l i v r r l ges , te ta i l s , , i on ' t se t / t e r .n s r r r r r t A g rod agen t sho ' l c l f i gh t fb r you . I f you r l r r r i ' r o i rI r i t r l r i n yo . r . Po l i cy , o r i f 1 'o l r have a r r1 , qucs t i c )ns o r concenrs( l i ke t rans f -e r r i ng one po l i c i , i n to an r r r l t e r ) , s l t e shou ld a r l ea .s rt r ) , ro f i ' c l o r r r i f i t ' s p .ss ib le i re f c r r r : r c l l i ng yo r , r , " l t can , r ber lot ' tc . "

" l ) r ' r . - i r l ) l ) l i ( , r r i r r . . s o m e i i r s u r i L n c e c o r r r p a r r i e s a s k { o r t o n s o frec lu i re rn r :n rs bc fo rc re l ces i r r l ; c la in rs . you r agc r r r - s l - ro r r l c l he l ; r

l 'orr manage rhesc rcclu i remerr ts f t 'a in t / te r /ar / , so yol l won' t h i r i rroac lb loc l< when you neec l ro f i l e a c l i r . j n r . " l r . c rne rnber rha r r v l re r ry<tu dt t rcccive r) tor)ey l rc. r rn insurarrcc i t 's r rs l r ; r l lv [ rcc i i .use a c l isasrcr .l t as s t ruc l< : son )conc ' s i n the l i c i . s l r i t i r [ , o1 . i , 1y111 . j e rvc l r y r vas s ro l cn .ilaci Lrilr lztnt ttttrl,zJt,\t/rrf,rltt ka pa ng prols/ertta lalti/ kt/ang rts,

f t ,z f tc / r . r 1,rn,q i r tsur^ncc i l10)" s^ys l ramute , ' f l r is

is especia l ly r rue i fyo l r ' r c i i r s t r i r rg ) ' ou r compat r l , . " l a l r vays reco rnmenc l ap l l ra i sa l sf r r rn t l r c s r i l r r so i n case o f c la i rn r ve c lon ' t have to comt> i l ercce ip t s . I t ' s f as re r rha r u 'ay , " shc : r c l c l s .n \ \ , ' , r ' , l i r r1 i ' f ' l l r c P , l r c_ i , . " I nsu rancc i s a con t rac t : ) , (_ )u a re L ruy i r r r li t pront ise, ' s ; r l '5 p ' ,n-rur .e" , Bir t n lany pe oplc bu1,n pol icy."r , i t Iopr

conrp lc re l y r - rnde rs rand ing r l re i r r i gh rs , o r rhe i i n i i r s o f rhc i rc la in rs . A goo t lager r s i r . r r l c l L rc rb le ro f i r l l y e rxp la in the bene f i t san ( l \ vhe re in the ( .o r l r rac r r l rey a re l oca rec i . S l re s l i ou l c l a l so i : reab le t r ; po in t ou r rhe f i ne p r in r : t hc c l i sc lu r . i n rc rs anc l addendr . rn - r . s

t h a t c a n h c l p , o r p r e v c n t , y o l r f r o r n g c t t i r l g t h e m o n c y ) , o ut l roL r l ; h r \ v i r s ) ' ( ) r r r s .

I ; o r cxanr l r l e , o 'e l i f e i n . su rancc con tpany o f l e rs a cheaperrva ive r o f p re rn r r rmr ( \YP) -esscnr ia l l y , a c laus r : wherc in , i n r i r ccve t l t o f a r r acc i r l e r t t , you no lo t r ce r l rave to [ ) i r ) , y ( )L l r i nsu rancct l r r c s . l l t r r r r i r c l r r c l o s c r L e x a n r i r r a t i o n r . , f ' t l r e c o r r t r a c t , t h e c h e a l r c ri . s r ra rc e po l i cy o { t [e rs th i s c i r vea r : t o ava i l o f rh i s r i g l r t , yo r rr tccr l to bc lata l ly l rnable to rvor l<. So i f 1,o11

' .c a srrrgcorr , ancl your

gc t a r r l r r i r i s , yc - ru can ' r i r va . i l oFwP bec -ause you can s r i l l t eac i r .L ) n t h e o t l i c r h a n c l , a m o r e c x 1 > r : n s i v c i n s u r a n c c w l ) r v i l l . .au t t . rma t i c ; r i l y ta t l rn ro p lacc i f yoL r t . nn ' r c lo t l i e r vo r l< t l ra r you ' r r : \

t r a i n e c l f o r - - c v c n i f y o u c a r ] g e r a l t e r r r a t i v e j o b s .

Yor r r agcnr sh ' r " r l c l be ab lc r . a ie : r t yo r o . rhese s rn r r l i dc ra i l s .. r \ sk l r c r t u ,q i vc case to ca .se sce r ia r ios , i o yuu I r r vc a ( ( )nc l ' e te

ic lca of rv l ter t and horv rhe t renef i rs conrc into p lay-before yon

s rgn on the do r red l i nc . Nor o r r i y r v i l i yo r r be ass r r rec l rha t a l l

yo i r r ncec ls r v i l l be rne r , b l l r you ' l l a l so chec l< ho rv i n fo r rnec l , anc l

c x l . c r i c n c c c l , t l r i s i r l l c n t i . s .

C h o o s e a g o o d c o m p a n y

Pcop le a l r vays con f u .se a p re -nee( l co rn l rany u , i t i r an i ' su ra rcc

conr l )any . I i i r sc o f a l l , i ; r e -neec l compan ics a re 1 ;ove rncc l by SECc l r ( . , o11 ro r r r r i on lan ' s , r v i r i l e i nsu ra r r r - c c on r l ran ics ; l re ! l ove rncc lby t l r c In . su rance co rnn r i ss ion ( l c ) a r rc l rhe I ' su rancc Coc le . Fo r

t l r i s r cason , i nsu rancc conrpar r ies a rc n ro rc sec r l re . I f a i r r c - r ree r lc r ) r r l r i r ny becornes L l : rn l c rup i , i ' l oscs - -b r ing ing a r r ab r r - r1 r r c r rdt c ) y o u r - 1 , o i i c y . [ J r r l r f a n i n s r r f : ; ; r { , c c o n r l ) a n y s i n k s , t h e l n s u r a r r r . cC o r r , ' , i s s i o r - r r a k e s o v r r . Y o l r r , r i l l g c t p a i c l .

I)o yor-r neccl to f lnd rhe largest cornpany? i f your properryor coverage is bclorv l0M, yor-r just need ro f ind a srable compallythat doe s s.ruice { 'srable " mezrns r irar the con'rpany's l ic luicl assersarc 100 r i rnes larger t i ran your coverage ) (Ask your ageni abourt i r i s . ) \ ' r r r r .shou ld a lso l r in . l i r . coml )ar1) , w i rh a per r r lanenr o f f i ce

l o c a r i o n . S r , , m c c o r , l > a ' i e s l r . v e s . t e l l i r e o f f i c c s w h i c l r m o v e

arouur l 1 l f t s11- -bs rvary o f th is .

And I i ke any o rhe r company tha r se l l s se rv i ces , check rhct l i r a l i t l ' o f t he i r c l r s romer ca re . Be fc r re you s ign up fo r a po l i cy ,t 1 1 ' c a l l i n g t h e r ' u p r o i n q u i r e a b o u t r h a r p o l i c y . D i c l r h e y p u ryou c)n l io l t l For a long r i rnel were you rranslerred l iom onerep lesenra r i vc o r dep ; r r t rne n r to anorher? D id they knor . v the i r

1> r . , J ' c t s anc { se rv j ces? \7c rc they po l i t e , f r i e r rd , i y , a .d pa r ie n r?l f uc, t , .shop arounci and f t inc i anorher conrpanl , .

' I 'hey ' re noc l ikely

to bc any rno re he lP fu l r v l ren yo t r have c ;ues r ions abour the c la in - ri f a r thc i ro in t o f . sa - [es r l rey a re a l ready r - rnhe lp fu l .

So rnc insu rance c .mpan ies havc exce l l en t se rv i ces . " ' f he re

arc sonrc cornpanies rhar of fer 24-hour, round-the-c locl< customersc rv i cc , c )ne r ime n ry ca r b roke c lown in c l - r i na to rvn . I j us r l e f ri t a . c l ca l l ed n ry i nsu re rs . Jus t one hour a f re r I go t home, rny ca rrvas t<rrvecl to nry garagc.

' f hat 's se rv icc," says Panrute.

HHO ve rsus l i f e i nsu rance" ln genera l , you car ' r compare an I - lMo rv i rh l i fe insurancebcciiusc they give different be nefits for cliflrerenr purposes. FIMOcovers healrh and hospital izadon l i fe insulance prorecrs yolrrcarn ing capac i t l ' (by pur t ing u l ) an emergency f r_rnd) in case ot

. l ianc l icap ordcar i r , " says Pamute. She sa1,s i r 's idea i ro ger both,or to look tor l i fe insurance rhat a lso has a hospi ta i izat ion c lause.In any case, rhese are t irc clr.resriorrs to ask bcfore you choose anI IN IO :n wlr irr i .s irs bu.sr/ l lcfole yoLr ger a HMC), a^sl< yo'-rr agc.r i f i t isci inic-be.sed or hospital-basccl. While one is not intr insical ly beruert lran t ire orlrr:r , picl< one r lrat besr sr-r i ts your neccls. I- ior exarnple,

(tatt t tr t ted otr pagc 105 )

l 0 ques t i ons t o as l< be fo re you g i ve he r you t ^ t r us tL Are you a broker or an agentl (An agent represents a company,a bro l<er rept 'esents the c l ient . The lnsurance Comrniss ionrequirements for a brol<er are a lot str icter, so youi-e nroresure o f her capabi l i t ies and exper ier rce. )2 . How long have you been wi th the companyl3. How long have you been an agent/broker?4.What is your c la im exper ier rce l5 .Who are your o ther c l ients l ( l f she g ives personal in format ion,don ' t get her . She 's v io la t ing customer pr ivacy. Her answersshould be genera l , nrore o f cases that i l lus t race how a po l icyworl<s.)6 . ls the insurance companf pre-need or l i fe insurancel7.What is the f inancial state of the company? (Ask for a f inancials ta tement . )B. l low long has rhe company been in ex is tencef Who are icsaff i l iates i9 ,Where are rhe company of f ices l Horv long l ras the compan/been in that off ic 'e?10. l iow man/ o ther c l ients do you serv icef