Personal Insurance
A Simple and Fast Way to Purchase Insurance
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all life insurance solution. That’s why we offer a range of ways to meet your needs. Whether you are starting out and want to provide for your family or you want to ensure your legacy is secure, CCB has the right choices for you.
Why Choose CCB for Your Insurance Needs?
Service
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all life insurance solution, but we know you may also want to use the web and not spend time on the phone talking to an advisor. That’s why we present you with great online options, available 24/7, with the option to complete the process 100% online. You can also always talk to one of our licensed advisors.
Range of Products
We offer you a wide range of insurance products to meet your needs as your life progresses. Whether you are starting out and want to provide for your family or you want to ensure your legacy is secure, we have the right choices for you.
Online Services
We know life can be complicated. Purchasing insurance shouldn’t be. That is why we offer a range of ways to quote and even buy online all without the need to talk to an advisor.
Advisors Available
In addition to our great online resources you can contact one of our advisors at (844) 880-6070 or email us at [email protected].
Fully Underwritten Life Insurance
Life insurance is an important component of a sound financial plan. Buying insurance involves asking a variety of personal lifestyle and financial questions. As well as our online resources you may want to work in person with an advisor. When you decide on what you want, there are many solid insurance companies to choose from. You may want to check out their financial strength by checking their ratings online. The three main ratings agencies are AM Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s.
Summary
- Term insurance is basic, inexpensive coverage with premiums that increase over time and have no cash value.
- Consider a term policy that is renewable and convertible to whole life should your needs change.
- Whole life provides level coverage with level premiums. A portion of those premiums goes into tax-deferred savings.
- Check rates on whole life policies and compare them to other investment opportunities.
- Variable life offers control over your investments.
- Premiums on variable policies are fixed, but face value and the value of your investments can fluctuate.
- Universal life offers more investment options, but is highly sensitive to interest rate changes. Universal variable life is highly flexible, but offers no guarantees beyond the original face value.
- Insurance needs are based on income replacement and personal preferences.
Buying Life Insurance: What Kind and How Much?
- Think about which members of your household should be covered by life insurance. (It’s typically a good idea to insure anyone who earns income.)
- Use a Financial Needs Calculator to determine an adequate amount of insurance coverage for your needs
- Review the various types of life insurance policies available (see below), the most common being Term and Universal Life. Decide which type of policy will meet your financial goals.
Buying Life Insurance
Conventional wisdom says that life insurance is sold, not purchased. In other words, some people are reluctant to discuss the importance of owning life insurance, and others are simply unaware of the need to have life insurance. Although many large companies provide life insurance as part of their benefits package, this coverage may be insufficient.
Who needs life insurance? If there are individuals who depend on you for financial support, or if you work at home providing your family with such services as child care, cooking, and cleaning, you need life insurance. Older couples also may need life insurance to protect a surviving spouse against the possibility of the couple’s retirement savings being depleted by unexpected medical expenses. And individuals with substantial assets may need life insurance to help reduce the effects of estate taxes or to transfer wealth to future generations.
Types of Insurance
Term insurance is the most basic, and generally least expensive, form of life insurance for people under age 50. A term policy is written for a specific period of time, typically 1 to 10 years, and may be renewable at the end of each term. Also, the premiums increase at the end of each term and can become prohibitively expensive for older individuals. A level term policy locks in the annual premium for periods of up to 30 years.
Non-Medical Term insurance is the same thing as normal term insurance, but the application process and underwriting time are much different. Non-medical insurance only requires a short application and the underwriting decision is usually made within minutes. This avoids the hassle of a large application, medical exams, urine samples and weeks of waiting for a decision.
Declining Balance Term insurance, a variation on this theme, is often used as mortgage insurance since it can be written to match the amortization of your mortgage principal. While the premium stays constant over the term, the face value steadily declines. Once the mortgage is paid off, the insurance is no longer needed and the policy expires. Unlike many other policies, term insurance has no cash value. In this sense, it is “pure” insurance without any investment options. Benefits are paid only if you die during the policy’s term. After the term ends, your coverage expires unless you choose to renew the policy. When buying term insurance, you might look for a policy that is renewable up to age 70 and convertible to permanent insurance without a medical exam.
Whole Life combines permanent protection with a savings component. As long as you continue to pay the premiums, you are able to lock in coverage at a level premium rate. Part of that premium accrues as cash value. As the policy gains value, you may be able to borrow up to 90% of your policy’s cash value tax-free.
Universal Life is similar to whole life with the added benefit of potentially higher earnings on the savings component. Universal life policies are also highly flexible in regard to premiums and face value. Premiums can be increased, decreased or deferred, and cash values can be withdrawn. You may also have the option to change face values. Universal life policies typically offer a guaranteed return on cash value, usually at least 4%. You’ll receive an annual statement that details cash value, total protection, earnings, and fees. Drawbacks to this type of insurance include higher fees and interest rate sensitivity. Universal policies include up-front fees as well as ongoing administrative fees totaling as high as 5% to 7% of your premiums. You may also find your premiums increasing when interest rates decline.
Variable Life generally offers fixed premiums and control over your policy’s cash value. Your cash value is invested in your choice of stock, bond, or money market funding options. Cash values and death benefits can rise and fall based on the performance of your investment choices. Although death benefits usually have a floor, there is no guarantee on cash values. Fees for these policies may be higher than for universal life, and investment options can be volatile. On the plus side, capital gains and other investment earnings accrue tax deferred as long as the funds remain invested in the insurance contract.
Universal Variable Life insurance is the most aggressive type of policy. Like variable life, you control your investment in mutual funds. However, there are no guarantees on universal variable policies beyond the original face value death benefit. These policies are probably best suited to affluent buyers who can afford the risks involved.
Key Terms and Definitions
- Face Value — The original death benefit amount.
- Convertibility — Option to convert from one type of policy (term) to another (whole life), usually without a physical examination.
- Cash Value — The savings portion of a policy that can be borrowed against or cashed in.
- Premiums — Monthly, quarterly, or yearly payments required to maintain coverage.
- Beneficiary — The individual(s) or entity (e.g., trust) that is designated as benefit recipient.
- Paid Up — A policy requiring no further premium payments due to prepayment or earnings.
How Much Insurance Do I Need?
A popular approach to buying insurance is based on income replacement. In this approach, a formula of between five and ten times your annual salary is often used to calculate how much coverage you need. Another approach is to purchase insurance based on your individual needs and preferences. The first step is to determine your unique income replacement needs.
Currently, a large portion of your income goes to taxes (insurance benefits are generally income tax free) and to support your own lifestyle. Start off by determining your net earnings after taxes. Then add up all your personal expenses such as food, clothing, magazine subscriptions, club memberships, transportation expenses, etc. The remainder represents annual income that your insurance will need to replace. You’ll want a death benefit amount which, when invested, will provide income annually to cover this amount. Then, you should add to that the amounts needed to fund one-time expenses such as college tuition for your children or paying down mortgage or debt.
Income replacement for nonworking spouses is an important and often overlooked insurance need. Coverage should provide for your costs for day care, housekeeping, or nursing care. Add to this any net earnings from part-time employment.
Finally, estimate your own “final expenses” such as estate taxes, uninsured medical costs, and funeral costs.
Other Types of Life Insurance
Survivorship life insurance (also referred to as last-to-die or second-to-die) is a unique type of contract that insures the lives of two people. It pays a death benefit upon the death of the second insured. Therefore, it is typically less expensive than two individual policies. Survivorship life is often used for estate planning, where it may be possible to potentially leverage today’s dollars — via insurance premiums — into a potentially significant death benefit that can be used to fund estate taxes, create wealth for future generations, or benefit a charity. These policies may be available if one insured is medically “uninsurable.”
First-to-die life insurance insures the life of at least two people and pays a benefit upon the death of the first insured. This policy is useful for covering a mortgage or other large debt obligation where there is more than one debtor. In addition, it can be an ideal tool for funding a buy-sell agreement within a closely held business.
What are fully underwritten products?
With fully underwritten life insurance the available coverage amounts are higher compared to instant issue life insurance, plus the underwriting process can handle specific lifestyle situations, such as health issues, international travel or high face amounts that instant issue insurance cannot accommodate. You can purchase face amounts, which is how much would be paid in the event of your death, ranging from $50,000 all the way up to $10 million and coverage terms that range from 10 to 30 years. Fully underwritten life insurance requires a more thorough process to qualify than an instant issue product and may include some form of a medical exam.
Who am I dealing with?
We only offer products with well established, highly rated insurance companies.
How long is the application process?
We will work with you to make the process as quick and as painless as possible. The time it takes to issue a policy will depend on the type of policy you have requested and the degree to which you have medical or other issues that need to be discussed with the insurance company. The process can typically take 30 to 60 days.
What does the underwriting process consider?
The criteria that are analyzed by a life insurance underwriter can include the following:
- Applicant’s current age
- Applicant’s gender
- Height and weight of the applicant
- Health history (in addition to family health history of the applicant’s parents and siblings)
- The purpose of the insurance policy (estate planning, business, or individual life insurance)
- Applicant’s marital status
- Applicant’s children, if any
- The amount of life insurance already in force by the applicant, as well as any additional life insurance that the applicant intends to purchase
- Applicant’s occupation
- Applicant’s income as income can help determine the suitability of the amount of life insurance
- Applicant’s smoking habits or tobacco use
- Use of alcohol by the applicant
- Hobbies that the applicant engages in. Some hobbies are considered hazardous, such as rock climbing or hang gliding and are considered high risk.
- Amount of foreign travel that the applicant engages in as some types of foreign travel are considered risky
All of the above factors are considered to be elements of risk. Each is analyzed and factored in by the life insurance underwriters prior to an approval or rejection decision being made. Therefore, prior to applying for life insurance coverage, it is important to understand how underwriting works, as well as how different factors could affect the possibility of being accepted or rejected for coverage. Those applicants who have been rejected due to risk factors can still apply for high risk life insurance.
What kind of medical exam will I have to take?
The short answer is that it depends on your age and the type of coverage you are applying for. For lower face amounts it may well be the case that you will not have an actual exam. In other situations you may be required to have either a paramedical or full medical exam.
What is a Paramedical Exam?
A trained technician will complete the paramedical exam. The paramedic asks medical history questions and measures height, weight, blood pressure and pulse. Depending upon your age and the amount of insurance being applied for, the paramedic may also perform an oral fluid test or a blood and urine test and possibly an electrocardiogram as well. In most cases a paramedic will call you to find a convenient time to schedule the exam and come out to your house to perform it. You also have the option of going to a clinic for the exam. The exam takes approximately 30 minutes.
What is a Full Medical Exam?
A physician will complete the full medical exam. The exam consists of the same elements of the paramedical exam, plus listening to the heart, and a review of other bodily systems. Some companies specify that the physician must be a board certified internist or heart specialist rather than a general practitioner.
In addition to the exam, any of the following studies could be included with the exam: oral fluid test; blood test; urinalysis; EKG tracing; and Attending Physician’s Statement. If any of these exams or tests becomes required and they are not completed, the company will not accept your application for life insurance.
What do the underwriting tests show?
The insurance company wants to check for any unknown conditions that could adversely impact an individual’s normal life expectancy and could increase the company’s risk. The urinalysis screens for a number of things including diabetes, the presence of medication and nicotine and cocaine, as well as general kidney function. The blood profile can reveal the functioning of organs of the body and specific testing for things such as diabetes, liver impairments and kidney impairments as well as HIV testing. An oral fluid test can indicate the presence of HIV antibodies, as well as cocaine and nicotine.
What other information does an insurance company gather?
In addition, the company may want to review your medical records or obtain a phone interview with you. Medical records can be obtained for a few reasons, with one being a way to check how your personal physician is treating you or has treated you for a medical condition.
At times a phone interview is conducted to verify the information on the application and to obtain a few additional details to clarify this information.
Most life insurers are members of a non‐profit organization called MIB Inc. This organization maintains a database of applications submitted to companies in the industry. Once an application and signed authorization is received, insurers will check with MIB to see if there is a record of any other insurance applications you may have submitted in the past. The MIB provides a report to the insurance company and such reports are kept highly confidential. This report acts as a fraud deterrent for people who may not want to reveal prior insurance activity.
How are the results used?
The information gathered on the application and from the other requirements is used to classify the risk a person presents. Based on the level of risk, the proposed insured is approved, declined or assigned a rating level. Each company has its own rating and based on this your proposed premium is determined.
What if an exam reveals an unknown medical problem?
Remember most people that undergo medical exams qualify for insurance without any concerns. In the unlikely event a problem is discovered, we may postpone the application until the findings are evaluated by your personal physician.
What is the decision that will be made?
One of four things will happen:
- Your coverage will be approved at the same rate for which you applied.
- Your coverage will be approved at a cheaper rate than that for which you applied.
- Additional premium will be required for the amount of insurance for which you applied.
- Coverage will be denied.
In the event that coverage is denied or you are quoted a higher premium we will work with you to review alternatives.
What if I disagree with the decision?
If you disagree with the decision, you may put your concerns in writing and send them to the insurance company. We would work with you to find coverage that takes account of any issues that may exist. It may mean furnishing additional information from your physician. Also, a rating or declination is not always permanent. Quitting smoking, losing weight, lowering your cholesterol, among other things, can all help change your risk classification over time.
Why do I have to provide my email address?
As much of the process is internet based this application process requires that you enter your email address so that we can email you a link to e-sign your application.
Do I have to sign my application?
For most insurance company applications we use an electronic signature approach. This speeds up the whole process and allows us to complete the process in minutes, rather than days. This e-signature is 100% valid under Federal E-sign Law.
What if I withhold pertinent information?
If it sounds tempting to shortcut this process by withholding information or outright lying, don’t do it. Policies that were sold based on applications that contained misleading information can be voided at claim time. False information on insurance applications is fraud.
Insurers will likely report your medical exam results (reported as numbered codes) to MIB (formerly called the Medical Information Bureau), which maintains a database of those who have applied for life, health, disability and other insurance in the last seven years. If you’ve given different answers to medical questions in the past, it will raise a red flag with MIB. The goal of the MIB database is to reduce fraud.
Online Disability Income Insurance
- Coverage for income replacement in the event of disability
- No hassle of medical exams
- Can be purchased online
- Ages 18-60, covers up to age 65
- Face amounts up to the higher of your income or $100,000
- Covers boy manual and non-manual jobs
What is Disability Income Insurance?
Think of disability income insurance as insurance for your paycheck. It allows you to protect your most valuable asset—your income—in the event you become too sick or hurt to work.
If you suddenly lost your ability to work and earn a living due to a sickness or injury, how would it impact your life?
The Chances of it Happening are Greater Than You Think
The Most Common Causes of Disability
Protecting Your Income Isn’t Out of Reach
Disability Income Insurance allows you to protect your income in the event you become too sick or hurt to work. And it can be more affordable than you think.
Think of Disability Insurance as Insurance for Your Paycheck
1LIMRA, U.S. Consumers Today, The Middle Market, 2014 Note: ages 25-64
2U.S. Social Security Administration, Fact Sheet February 7, 2013
3Commissioner’s Disability Insurance Tables A and C assuming equal weights by gender and occupation class
4Council for Disability Awareness, Long-Term Disability Claims Review, 2013
In approved states, DInamic Foundation (forms 4501NC, 4502GR and 4503NCBOE) and DInamic Fundamental® (form 4504LS) are issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. In New York, DInamic Foundation (forms 5501-NC, 5502-GR and 5503-NCBOE) and DInamic Fundamental® (form 5504-LS) are issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York. Policy and riders may vary and may not be available in all states.
This information is provided by Ameritas®, which is a marketing name for subsidiaries of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, including, but not limited to, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., located at 5900 O Street, Lincoln, NE 68510, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York, located at 1350 Broadway, Suite 2201, New York, New York 10018 and Ameritas Investment Corp, member FINRA/SIPC. Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York is licensed in New York. Each company is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. For more information about Ameritas®, visit ameritas.com.
Ameritas® and the bison design are registered service marks of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Fulfilling life® and DInamic Fundamental® are registered service marks of affiliate Ameritas Holding Company.
© 2015 Ameritas Mutual Holding Company
Disability Income Insurance
Ameritas DInamic Fundamental®
DInamic Fundamental from Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. allows you to protect your most valuable asset – your income – in the event you become too sick or hurt to work. The product is simple, priced to fit within your budget and offers a streamlined underwriting process.
Why should you consider DInamic Fundamental* for your income protection needs?
- Just over one in four of today’s 20-year olds will become disabled before they retire.1
- It is estimated that there are over 36 million disabled Americans–12% of the total population. More than 50% of those disabled Americans are in their working years, ages 18-64.2
- Medical conditions contributed to 62%3 of all personal bankruptcies filed in the U.S. in 2007 – an estimate of over 500,000.4 A 49.6% increase over results from a similar study in 2001.
- 65% of working Americans say they could not cover normal living expenses even for a year if their employment income was lost; 38% could not pay their bills for more than three months.5
How does DInamic Fundamental help protect your ability to earn an income?
It’s Simple
- You can purchase a benefit amount up to one times your annual earnings, not to exceed $100,000
- Pays a single lump sum benefit for total disability that is expected to last at least one year, provided you survive the disability for at least 30 days
- No additional benefit riders
- Coverage period is to age 65
- Policy terminates once claim payment is made
It’s Affordable
- Pricing compares well with other common bill payments (cable, internet, etc.)
- Level premium structure, meaning you pay the same amount every month
- Premium is based on percentage of manual duties performed in your occupation
It’s Attainable
- Simplified underwriting process
- No blood or urine tests or paramedical exams
- No Attending Physicians Statements (APS) or Personal History Interviews (PHI) required
- No income documentation
- Short and simple application
- No extra premium charge for substandard risks
- Limited exclusions, for certain medical conditions, may be used when needed
With DInamic Fundamental, we’ve made it easier and more affordable than ever to own individual Disability Income (DI) protection. For more information about Disability Income insurance or any other products for personal, family or business needs, contact your insurance representative.
* May not be available in all states. State variations may apply. Please refer to actual policy for details.
Sources:
- U.S. Social Security Administration, Fact Sheet February 7, 2013
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2011
- The American Journal of Medicine, June 4, 2009 Medical Bankruptcy in the United States, 2007: Results of a National Study; David U. Himmelstein, MD, Deborah Thorne, PhD, Elizabeth Warren, JD, Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH
- U.S. Courts, Bankruptcy Statistics, 12-Month Period Ending December 2007
- Council for Disability Awareness, Disability Divide
In approved states, DInamic Fundamental® (form 4504LS) is issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. In New York, DInamic Fundamental® (form 5504-LS) is issued by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York. Policy and riders may vary and may not be available in all states.
This information is provided by Ameritas®, which is a marketing name for subsidiaries of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company, including, but not limited to, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp., located at 5900 O Street, Lincoln, NE 68510, Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York, located at 1350 Broadway, Suite 2201, New York, New York 10018 and Ameritas Investment Corp, member FINRA/SIPC. Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. of New York is licensed in New York. Each company is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. For more information about Ameritas®, visit ameritas.com.
Ameritas® and the bison design are registered service marks of Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. Fulfilling life® and DInamic Fundamental® are registered service marks of affiliate Ameritas Holding Company.
© 2014 Ameritas Mutual Holding Company
Have Questions?
Insurance products are sold through Covr Financial Technologies Inc (“Covr”). Covr sells insurance as an agent or broker by contractual agreements with its insurance carrier providers. COVR is licensed in the following states: Delaware (3000067942), Idaho (607086), California (0L77229). All other state license numbers are available on our State License Disclosure Page.