Posted by Admin | November 28, 2011

What you need to Know about Variable Universal Life Insurance

Variable universal life insurance is a sub category of permanent life insurance. Since this is also a permanent life insurance, policyholders’ beneficiaries are entitled to death benefits in case of unfortunate event or in other words the policy holder dies. A portion of your premium goes to the death benefit and the some portions of it go to the cash value. As time goes by, the cash value builds up enabling you to have funds that you can borrow from in the future or adding more value to your death benefit.

Now, the difference with variable universal life insurance is that the cash value can be invested in money market, stock market and bonds. As the money market, continue to increase, your cash value increases as well. This is probably the most substantial benefit of variable universal life cover as it allows you to invest your money in a series of account that you can specify to boost the value of your money in the long run. So unlike fixed type life insurance, with variable universal life insurance you can invest your money and potentially profit from it big time. The best thing about this is that insurance companies can give you the payout before death.

Drawbacks of Variable Universal Life Insurance

There are two drawbacks of variable life insurance. First, the premium is relatively higher than any other types of life insurances. T Read more…

Posted by Mikayla Stevenson | November 24, 2011

Taxman targets holiday home owners

Own a property abroad? Then get your tax affairs in order.

A team of HM Revenue and Customs inspectors is targeting overseas holiday home owners to see if they are correctly declaring rental income or gains from holiday homes abroad. Using sophisticated ‘data mining’ technology, a new 200-strong unit has been set up to identify those in the 50% tax bracket who earn more than £150,000 a year – and own property overseas.

The team will be scrutinising third-party information (advertisements placed on holiday letting websites?) and comparing this against what has been declared on the owner’s tax returns. Any discrepancies in declared income and where on paper owners appear to have insufficient means to have purchased the property, will be investigated.

Should overseas property owners be worried?

It seems that this new unit will focus on the highest earners (paying the top 50% tax rate) but could be rolled out to target all holiday homes abroad.

Letting a holiday home is high maintenance and many owners struggle to make a profit, many make a loss, so what’s left to tax? Those who let their foreign property and declare income received have nothing to fear, but be prepared to provide evidence if you have received no income from the property. Check your

Read more…

Posted by Victoria Milson | November 22, 2011

Navigating Life as the Sandwich Generation

Two months before my wedding, my soon-to-be husband got a call from an emergency room near his mother. She’d come in with bad flu symptoms, and they wanted us to pick her up and take her home so she wouldn’t have to drive herself. When we arrived, it was immediately clear to us that she was completely mentally altered and a simple flu couldn’t be the explanation. After much insistence and fuss-raising, we got her evaluated by a neurologist. She had one of the worst cases of viral encephalitis the doctor had ever seen.

By the time our wedding arrived, she was in rehab recovering. The brain injury caused by her encephalitis, sadly, escalated her next big health crisis: Alzheimer’s. During the next 10 years, my husband slowly began taking over most of her care and managing her finances until we had to finally put her into a facility that could care for her escalating needs.

During those times, one thing that helped us immensely was rather unexpected. It turned out that many years earlier—right after her husband passed away—my mother-in-law purchased a very, very good long-term care insurance policy. This enabled her to have a home-care aid for several years, and helped in placing her in a better quality home when it came time. It was a tremendous boon to our family.

This was never clearer than this past January when it was my turn; I got a call from my mother’s doctor saying she was in for an appointment and clearly had some sort of very severe pneumonia. My mother was

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Posted by Gabriella Hopkins | November 20, 2011

Engagement ‘on the cards’ for Britney Spears


One celebrity who may soon be looking into wedding insurance is Britney Spears, following reports Jason Trawick is planning to propose.

In an interview with Radar Online, a source claimed the 39-year-old has been browsing high-end designer jewellery stores for the perfect ring.

The insider stated: “He has been everywhere from Tiffany to Harry Winston looking for a ring.”

However, it was suggested Trawick is intending to select a “classy” band, with a diamond “under four carats”.

“Dont expect anything too massive or obnoxious,” the source added.

Spears, who is no stranger to marriage, may be keen to accept the proposal as a family friend recently told the news source the couple talk about getting hitched “all the time”.

The Womaniser singer first tied the knot in 2004 in a Las Vegas wedding chapel where she exchanged vows with her childhood friend Jason Alexander.

She later went on to have the union annulled and then wed her backing dancer Kevin Federline.
 

Posted by Gabriella Hopkins | November 19, 2011

Why is SR22 insurance more expensive if I already had full coverage?

What is driving up the cost of your insurance is the violation that resulted in the requirement to file SR22 insurance. Usually a state will require that you file SR22 insurance if you’ve:
• Had a DUI
• Been driving without insurance
• Are a habitual offender
• Reinstating your license after a suspension

All of the above are classed as high-risk behaviors or are the result of you being a high-risk driver. Therefore, the insurance company increases your premium to reflect that fact.

Posted by Victoria Milson | November 19, 2011

Life Insurance Myth #2: My Work Covers Me; I Don’t Need Additional Life Insurance

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As the second in our series of posts on life insurance myths, this is another of the most common misconceptions consumers have when it comes to term life insurance coverage. Many people think that their family and/or loved ones will be provided for in the event of their untimely death, as they have life insurance coverage through their employer.

While people may claim that they do not need life insurance because they are covered at work, most will also admit that they have never actually reviewed their term life insurance coverage and do not know whether it will meet their family’s financial obligations and needs should they die.  This is particularly alarming when considering the debt that the average American carries.  Between credit cards, school loans and mortgages, many Americans carry thousands of dollars in debt; debt which is left behind for family members to repay in the event of an untimely death.

So how do you determine if your term life insurance coverage is enough?

Life insurance is intended to help with a number of things: covering funeral expenses, paying  remaining debt and providing daily living expenses for surviving dependents, just to name a few. In order to det

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Posted by Admin | November 16, 2011

Business insurance

Towergate Insurance are the specialist insurance provider who still believe in the personal touch. With 4,000 staff across 100 UK only “knowledge centres”, you will have access to real product and market knowledge. The staff are dedicated to the customer and are determined to get the best deal at the best prices for claimants, and they have the experience to do so.

Specialist insurance ranges from boat to business, and since Towergate have expert insurance advisers who share your hobbies, they know what you will be expecting and will even be able to give you advice on things you hadn’t even considered. Have a look at www.towergateinsurance.co.uk for a list of tips on how to save a few pounds; you might even pick up a bargain!

The website is very easy to navigate, and with the links to up-to-date insurance news, you can be sure that you are getting the best deal and the most up to date prices available. You can also find out more about the company before you decide to take the plunge and insure with them, everything from history and beginnings to the work that Towergate do for various charities close to their hearts.

Whether you are looking for insurance for your most prized possessions, or searching for a company that will offer the best policies for your business, Towergate Insurance has something that will suit. Read more…

Posted by Mikayla Stevenson | November 14, 2011

World First Wander. The world of graffiti and Street Art

Greetings travelling friends! It’s been a busy week here at World First. The phone have been ringing off the hook and we’ve all be in our corners organising this year’s secret Santa and reading The World First Travel Insurance Review

As many of our regular readers will know I am a keen photographer. I am also a fan of graffiti, although these days lots of people prefer to call it street art. Perhaps it makes it seem more upmarket!

When I lived in London I could often be found in the Leake Street tunnels photographing the graffiti there. You had to be quick because the pieces changed daily.

Cape Town in South Africa was another prime location for street art. In some parts of the city I had to make a few  hit and run ‘Kodak attacks’. It wasn’t sensible to be there for long. Fortunately, my then wife was from Cape Town and every time I heard her say something about a part of town being dangerous I knew there were photos to be taken. It went like this: see art, stop car, out of car, shoot, in car, gone !

Street art has come a long way – in fact some of it is now big business so I thought I would have a look at some recent blog posts from around the globe. Most are travel based so if you are heading off and want to get the lowdown on the local street art then read on..

I am going to start off close to home with one of my favourite photographers, The UK is home to some of the best street art and and Vivecas photographs of Phlegm prove it. Check out

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