To say the least, people are apprehensive about insurance policies. We have become too familiar with the health care horror stories. Movies like Denzel Washington’s John Q help drive home the message that most of the insurance companies today rarely ever grant insurance claims. That they bank their profit on the sheer volume of claims negated by the deceptively liberal qualification of claims as they brandish on us when
they lure us into putting our money into them.
Not all insurance firms however are profiteering sharks. Some do business with relatively clean slate. Well at least they don’t say one thing and do nothing, with a lot of intricately legal technical excuses. The question then is how not to fall into the deceptive web of these oftentimes big name pre-need corporations.
What follows are common sense tips to avoid getting trapped into the professional webspinning of these heartless corporations.
Check track record
The wonder of the internet is that it gives you the ability to check the background of a public entity without having to hire a private investigator. Unless you have a legal case that requires you to dig deeper, most of the time a hefty scan on online reviews posted on consumer sites, blogs and forums would give you a good idea on what kind of company you are dealing with. Be careful though because competitors can be creatively vicious. Or disgruntled clients. Scan with discernment.
Study the terms
Even if the company somehow checks out and has an apparent good reputation, your next focus should be the terms of your would-be contract. Scoundrels are good at using colorless words and hiding behind otherwise harmless lines. So check the official and legal terms of your contract wisely and carefully.
Some contracts are quite straight and direct. Still study it carefully. Make sure that what it is saying, even if entirely honest, is indeed amenable to you and your economic realities.
Check your own fiscal health
While insurance in most cases insures your health, the first health you must consult is your fiscal health. Depending on the policy you purchase and its corresponding scheme of payment, they can in the course of your contribution period, be quite heavy on pocket. So make you have room. If your insurance company attempts to pressure you into paying with schemes complicated delinquency terms, consider it a red flag.
Fix your own terms
The insurance, and certainly not the insurance company, doesn’t have to dictate everything. Before you sign anything, move your assets into shape so that whatever happens, with or without your claim, your fiscal health remains sound and healthy. Upon mastering the terms of your insurance, set out so that the insurance company shall have no excuse for not granting you your claim when the moment comes. See a lawyer
if you have to.
The best insurance there can be a sound and stable financial standing. Nothing beats that. Insurance policies cannot substitute that. However, when you have trouble managing your finances and forced saving would be practical to your lifestyle, insurance may indeed be viable. But purchase it as a service, not as magical wand that you expect to spellbind your future into order.
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