Diabetic? Some not so good news

So what is new? who would want to be ill anyway?

The not so good news to the agent (as far as life insurance is concerned) is that the probability of the home office rejecting your application for a new policy is very high – even with loading (extra charges imposed for sub standard applications). This translates into no income but personally for me, its more sad to the client’s ears because there is not a possible way for me to solve their medical bills with a sufficient amount of coverage. And it is so ironic when these are the same people who would be willing to pay double, triple or even quadruple of the normal premium rate for a decent peace of mind.

This year alone, I have met more than a dozen people who had all the money to purchase but were unfortunately unable to do so due to their current medical condition, mainly being diabetic. What’s a diabetic?

According to wikipedia, diabetes is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). Read more here.

From experience, it is so so so hard to kill the temptation for that 1 scoop of ice cream or the ’seductive’ chocolate cake at the dessert table. But what might be harmful to your body now, might cause terminal illness at a later point in your life.

8 Years Savings Plan

In this particular time of economic uncertainty, there will always be parties making profit. It is currently a buyers market and ca$h is King.

So, some people ask me, what can they do for a short to mid term savings alternative compared to keeping in the FD or for those who have their ASB account FULL to the brim  (i.e. less than 10 years). Based on some recent appointments, the concept that I put forward has been widely accepted though not all.

Its quite a nice alternative, especially if you have babies in the house.

Please email me for further details.

drnaz926@gmail.com

Sign Up before its too late

I was on the PLUS highway this morning when an old friend who I had lunch with recently called up to ask this question :

“My son has quite a high fever & I might need to admit him to a private hospital because we spent the whole morning yesterday at a government hospital just to wait for his blood test. Waiting in line was so bad that my husband practically lost his temper & shouted at the hospital staff for being so slow! I don’t think we can afford to wait another 6 hours just to see a pediatrician. I need to ask you, is it possible IF I sign up for a medical plan this morning & admit my son later in the evening today?”

Even though I really wanted to help my friend, what could I possibly do? I told her that I would need at least a week to ensure that the plan is properly in place before she could ever think of using the benefits. Some types of illness have an even longer waiting period up to 4 months.

So, if you might end up in the same situation, please take some time off and properly address the matter before its too late. After all, its only RM 1.69 per day for kids &
RM 0.92 per day for adults.

Think about it!

Latest UPDATE from Pn M’s Blog

Finally, an UPDATE from Pn M ! Please read on & get COVERED !
Saturday, December 29, 2007

A Turn of Events

It’s been a while since I last updated my blog. Many things have manifested in my life. I resigned from my job at the end of October. In the beginning, I thought I would like to have my own time, doing things that I love and getting focused on Youth Development and Women Development.

A week before I finally left my position as Assistant Vice President, Human Resource Development, a night occurred when someone encouraged me to take up a different position. It’s becoming a District Manager and building my own business in financial services. This is like a 360 degrees turn in my career, venturing an unknown territory. I am jumping into a career in managing a sales team focusing on acquiring sales figures every single day. I have always spoken in my training sessions that I don’t do sales; I only sell inspiration, for free. Now I am doing sales? I am taking a challenge of doing something totally different in my life.

As I started off, after getting my contract on November 28, 2007, life has been pretty colorful. It’s true that I get to do things on my own terms, I have freedom of time, I get to walk in the park every single morning without any need to clock in the office at 8.30 a.m. but life is definitely a different ballgame altogether. I admit that it is truly challenging yet at the same time filled with excitement.

Many showed up to extend their support to me. Throughout my first one month, the two who claimed to be the wings that are going to help me fly high are Azim and Darwish. These two fine young men who showed up in my life are smart, intelligent and very creative. They have been my strong pillars as I go through each challenge along the way.

On December 27, 2007 I asked Darwish to take on a medical protection plan. This has been going on quite a while and after a series of discussion in this area, I made him finally signed up late evening as we plan to submit cases on December 28, 2007.

I woke up on December 28 at 5.00 a.m. as usual, had my prayers and by 6.15 a.m. left for the daily ritual to the park for my morning walk. I had been very diligent ever since I quit my job as I have a dedicated walking buddy, Marcia. By the time I got back, it was 7.30 a.m. and I left for an appointment at 8.00 a.m.

As I started driving, I notice a message on my phone. It was from Azim sent at 6.15 a.m. asking me to call him ASAP. I made that call and my heart sank when he told me that Darwish had an accident and when he sent that message, they were at the hospital and the doctor was stitching up his wounds. I was on my way for an appointment at Renaissance Hotel and told him that I would rush to see Darwish as soon as I finish some work in the office after the appointment.

When Darwish showed up in my life, I felt that he was sent to me for a purpose. He has been very kind to me, he is a fast learner and he is very open to learning. We had dinner together with Azim the night before and they made me laugh most of the time as they related their fishing experience and other past humorous events in their life. We had fun and suddenly he is now wounded…it was so very sad.

As soon as I finished my instructions to my secretary, I left the office to see Darwish. He was in another friend’s apartment. It saddens me to see this frail looking young man lying in bed sleeping with all the wounds on his head. As I walked in the apartment, I noticed the shirt which I gave him was hung with blood stains on it. Izmir showed me the picture of a badly smashed RX 7 that he drove. Azim and Izmir gave me an account of what happened. Darwish was unconscious when a cab driver took him to the hospital. I thank God that an angel was sent to save his life. Anyone who saw the condition of the car would never believe that the driver would survive the crash. That thought alone was truly heart wrenching for me.

It gives me the creeps and I felt goose bumps all over me as I recall the vision that I had of him. When I looked into his eyes asking him to get a medical protection the day before, I felt so strongly about it because I had a vision of him lying in a hospital bed. Exactly a year ago, I had the same vision for Iznor and the next day he was admitted and put up for surgery. I know how strange this feels but I did not ask to have these peculiar images. It just came as a flash and I had no control over it.

After talking to Azim and Izmir, I slowly woke Darwish up to make sure that he is fine. As he opened his eyes, I asked him whether he knows who I am. He slowly said, “Puan” and nodded his head. So, he was fine. The next thing he said was,”PA (Personal Accident Plan) is important.” Then he said his ECP (Excel Care Plus i.e. Medical Protection Plan) is one day late. Isn’t it sad? Sometimes we thought things won’t happen to us. That we don’t need to protect ourselves from an accident or any medical condition…but do we know for sure? That it will happen to others and we are spared the pain?

Darwish then started talking and suddenly he was his old self again, teasing and joking with us. I felt better seeing him this way. As I left him and his friends I was grateful to God that he is very much alive, that he is surrounded with caring friends like Izmir, Azim and Mahathir.

To Darwish:

“May God give you the strength to endure this and may you have a speedy recovery. I may not be able to fly high with one broken wing…..”

Source : http://www.majestic-life.blogspot.com/

Have you repaid your study loan?

It might be your brother, sister, cousins, neighbors or even your spouse! Well, the only logical thing to do is pay up. If you can’t pay the recommended amount i.e. RM 200 a month, there is always room for negotiation.

The main point, just make sure you pay. As the article below states, I do know some close friends and even neighbors who are now working in the government but have yet to repay their study loans. The equation is very simple, if the borrowers do not pay up, how are new loans going to be available?

Lets just say all you can afford is RM 90 per month, so be it. At least that comes to RM 1,080 per year x 41,000 people is a whopping RM 44 million, enough to fund more than 1,000 undergrads at local universities.

Planning for your child’s education is very important and doing it early is the best way to go, but that is all another story all together…

The Star Online : Sunday November 25, 2007

Stern action to be taken against study loan defaulters

By TAN SIN CHOW

PENANG: Stern action will be taken against study loan defaulters, including stopping them from going overseas.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Ong Tee Keat said this was in line with the amendments to the PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) Act recently.

He said the loan defaulters would have their passports confiscated until they paid up their loans.

They could also be subjected to compulsory monthly salary deductions by the Inland Revenue Board, he said.

“Previously the Act was not sufficient to act against such defaulters.

“But with the amendments, we are confident of recovering the unpaid loans,” he told reporters after launching the Pemimpin Bersama Rakyat programme in Air Itam on Sunday.

Ong said there were some 41,000 loan defaulters currently working in government agencies or government-linked companies.

“Action will be taken against them,” he said.

Did you know?

So, thats where all the money is going! Look at all those zeros! That comes to almost half a billion RM every month!

Well, maybe its easy for me to say as I don’t smoke. And I do know some close friends/relatives who have tried to quit many many times.There are those who succeed but more who succumb to the lust of nicotine. Besides, it really doesn’t make much difference on the premiums when applying for life insurance unless u happen to smoke more that 20 sticks per day. As the saying goes, “where there is a will, there is a way”

What’s more, its a good source of revenue for the nation.

The Star Online : Thursday November 22, 2007

More than 3.1 million spend RM15,000,000 on smokes every day

MORE than 3.1million smokers nationwide are spending a whopping RM15mil daily on cigarettes, reported China Press.

Health Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Lee Kah Choon said the figure showed a worrying trend, adding that smokers should quit the habit and spend the money on something beneficial instead.

According to a report by the ministry’s Disease Control Unit, there was an upward trend in the number of young smokers.

Lee said there was one female smoker in every 33 who lighted up nationwide. Currently, the number of female smokers in the country stands at 274,000.

He said 1.1 million smokers were aged between 25 and 34 while 318,000 were between 55 and 64, adding that many smokers were parents. “If parents cannot lead by example, their children might follow their footsteps and pick up the habit,” he said.

The ministry had stepped up anti-smoking campaigns, as smoking was a public health problem.

Without such campaigns, the number of smokers was expected to soar to 3.8 million by 2015. It will reach the four million mark by 2020.

EPF for tuition fees

Is this due to the lack of planning by parents OR are education costs today higher than ever before OR is there a shortage of places for a student to receive quality education. When I say quality, it means that the college or university that the kids go to have qualified lecturers, not just any tom, dick or harry who just finished his diploma or degree and resorted to lecturing as a last choice.
The Star Online : Wednesday November 21, 2007

15,000 withdrew EPF savings for education

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 15,000 members applied to withdraw their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings to finance their own or their children’s education.

This amounted to RM87.1mil in the third quarter period between July and September this year, an increase of 51.5% from the RM57.5mil withdrawn in the previous quarter.

This increase is attributed to a surge in new intake into institutions of higher learning, as well as EPF’s effort in expanding its education withdrawal to include diploma programmes.

“The education withdrawal aims to give members the opportunity to better themselves and earn a better income so that they are able to save more for their retirement years,” said EPF chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Zainol.

Withdrawals by members turning 50 and 55 fell slightly in the quarter.

However, housing withdrawals grew by 16.5% to RM1,960.2mil, over the previous quarter’s figure of RM1,682.3mil. – Bernama

Protecting Your Assets With Umbrella Insurance

At some point, you have probably heard of umbrella insurance, but have no idea what it is. Well, first off, it does not cover the umbrella you protect yourself from the rain. It is a figure of speech. An umbrella policy is designed to shield you from almost everything that your home and auto insurance does not, as well as fill in gaps in coverage when the limits of your regular policy are exhausted.

Every day, there are personal lawsuits filed against ordinary citizens, with the reasons ranging from the frivolous to the justified. When and if this happens to you, you need to be prepared. More often than not, people are sued and have no extra protection to block the plaintiff from going after their personal assets in the lawsuit. To protect yourself from such a quandary, you need to have umbrella insurance.

An umbrella is often referred to as excess liability. This excess liability coverage kicks in when the underlying limits on your home or auto policy have been exhausted, or if you are sued personally for something that neither your home nor your auto insurance covers. Depending on the company, you can purchase anywhere from 1 to 5 million dollars worth of excess coverage, sometimes as high as 10 million.

The amount of coverage you select really depends on how much you are worth. If you have 5 million dollars worth of personal assets, you should get a 5 million dollar umbrella. It is not uncommon for someone to buy a 5 or 10 million dollar umbrella policy even if that number far exceeds their net worth, because the coverage is so cheap to buy.

Most insurance companies will not offer you the coverage unless you have both your home and auto already insured with them. Also, the insurer will require that you maintain a certain level of liability on the home and auto policies in order to qualify for the excess policy. Usually, you must maintain at least $250,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $500,000 per accident, and $100,000 for property damage for your autos, and $500,000 of liability for your home.

The coverage is cheap. It is possible to obtain 1 million dollars worth of excess liability for as little as $120 dollars. The more cars and homes you have, the higher the price for the insurance, but the cost is still low. In addition to your home and cars, liability associated with any other conveyances you may have, such as boats, motorcycles, and other recreational vehicles, may also qualify for coverage under the umbrella, depending on the insurance company.

You are probably wondering when the umbrella would actually come into play. Here is an example: If you are involved in an auto accident where you crashed into a pedestrian who was walking on the sidewalk, resulting in medical expenses for that person that costed more than what your auto policy covered, the umbrella would be used. Or, if that pedestrian then decides to sue you for negligence and seeks punitive damages, your umbrella can be utilized to cover your legal expenses and to pay any judgements levied against you.

It is also important to understand that the excess liability covers you for all sorts of things that have nothing to do with your cars or homes. Things such as personal injury protection are covered. This includes false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, defamation, invasion of privacy, wrongful entry, or eviction.

Also, some umbrella policies provide coverage for you if you are sued in connection with any charitable boards or organizations of which you are a member. You may have to contact your insurance company and pay an extra premium for this type of coverage.

I hope this has helped illuminate to you the importance of having umbrella insurance. Without it, your personal assets are totally vulnerable in any lawsuit or legal action. Talk to your agent about it and ask how much it costs. Even though multi-million dollar lawsuits are not common, they can happen. So, an umbrella is probably worth it.

Jim Pretin is the owner of http://www.forms4free.com, a service that helps programmers make an HTML form

Source : http://www.generasi-m.com/finance/finance-insurance/protecting-your-assets-with-umbrella-insurance.php

Buying Term Life Insurance

If you are the breadwinner for your family or you provide a significant portion of your family’s income that they can’t live without it is important that you purchase life insurance. This ensures that your family will be financially taken care of in the event something unfortunate happens to you. While you can purchase whole life coverage that lasts until you die, many individuals and families are better off purchasing term life insurance.

Term life insurance provides coverage to individuals in the event something tragic happens. However, this coverage only lasts you for a specific time period as opposed to providing insurance for your entire life.

For example, you can purchase a term life policy that lasts until your children are out of the house or until you reach retirement. This is perfect for individuals and families who need coverage while working or raising children but don’t see it as necessary after the age of 65.

The fact that you can set the time period of your term is one reason many people choose to use it over whole life insurance. Individuals and families don’t necessarily need life insurance after children are out of the house or they have reached retirement. A term life policy allows them to set up their coverage to cut off at a specific age or point.

Of course the shorter term you have the less it costs. This is a major reason why people opt to purchase term life insurance over the coverage that protects for an entire life. Twenty-years of term life may cover raising your children, while individuals with whole life may have it for more than 60 years. It is less expensive to purchase insurance for twenty years than it is for 60, thus many opt for term insurance in order to save money.

Another benefit of buying a term life plan is the opportunity to invest. The lower premiums demanded by a term policy allow individuals and families the opportunity to put additional funds into investments. Many times these investments provide more money than what life insurance, both term and whole, pay out when someone dies. However this doesn’t mean you can afford to only invest your money and not use it to purchase good coverage. It takes many years for investments to build up and be profitable, whereas something could happen to you or your loved ones tomorrow.

One of the best ways to protect you and your family from the financial burdens that can result due to the death of a family member is by purchasing life insurance. While there are different types, term life often proves most beneficial for individuals and families. It not only provides you with security when you need it most, but it is often the most affordable option for families on a budget. While no one ever wants to plan for the unexpected death of a loved one, doing so can ensure a financial burden doesn’t remain after their gone.

Ryan is an expert with life insurance! Please visit OnlineShoppingProductReviews
for more information.

Source : http://www.generasi-m.com/finance/finance-insurance/buying-term-life-insurance.php#more-35

Why Does My Health Insurance Cost So Much?

Health insurance costs have nearly doubled in the last decade. In some cases, employer health insurance costs have more than doubled. The increase in health care cost has caused a “trickle-down” economic policy for consumer’s share of the health care burden.

As costs have risen for employers, employers can handle price increases in three ways:

-absorb the price increase
-make benefit changes to offset the price increase
-pass along cost increases to employees

As the last decade has progressed, many employers have faced double digit increases each year. In the late 1990’s, after a period of relative calm in the health insurance market, prices began to rise dramatically and employers were faced with the aforementioned choices to handle ongoing pricing pressure.

So what does this all mean for consumers? Well consumers have been asked to pay more for the price of the health insurance in the form of more money being taken out of their paycheck. Compounding more contribution towards the cost, employers have introduced high deductible health plans that have shifted more of the insurance liability to the consumer. We call this a double whammy. Consumers pay more for insurance while paying more towards their deductible and out of pocket liability.

Consumers are facing increased pressure to pay for more medical procedures straight out their pocket instead of the health insurer paying for some or all of the cost of many procedures. As consumers of one of the best health care systems in the world, the cost of health care does not come without consequences.

These consequences equate to more cost to consumers and employers. We have access to new medical procedures, new and improved technology for treatment of diseases, a wide array of pharmaceutical products, the building of new hospitals and free-standing surgery centers, lawsuits without boundaries, legislative mandates on what insurers must cover, uninsured patients and the list could continue on.

When a health insurer packages all the great options together, the costs are bound to rise dramatically over time. So next time you look at your paycheck and wonder why the part you pay is so much, think about the components of health insurance detailed above. You can still scream if you want, but remember you have access to one of the best medical care markets in the world.

Health insurance is still not something that the government pays for outside of Tricare, Medicare, Medicaid and the children’s plans that exist today and are available to those in these categories. The cost for these services is on the rise also. There is no free lunch. Taxes are largely resonsible for the funding of these government programs and any future mandates on employer health insurance will most certainly equate to either higher taxes for consumers and employers.

Scott is a partner in ESP Benefit Design, an employee benefits insurance firm based in Westerville, Ohio. (614-882-8535) Scott has an MBA from Franklin University. Scott has worked with over 6,000 customers. Email Scott at scott@espbd.com

Visit http://americanhealthadvocate.com and check out articles such as

appeal a health claim

Source : http://www.generasi-m.com/finance/finance-insurance/why-does-my-health-insurance-cost-so-much.php#more-22