Life Insurance Search

Almost three-quarters (72 per cent) of Britons go to work when they feel so ill they could genuinely take a day off, it has been reported, in news that may well be of interest to life insurance customers.

Research by financial services provider Axa indicates that during the last six months, two-thirds (66 per cent) of people have gone to work when they would have been well within their rights to remain at home.

More than a quarter (29 per cent) of respondents said they went into work when feeling sick so they did not let their colleagues down, while 24 per cent attributed it to having too much work to do.

"This survey shows most employees continue to turn up for work when they're feeling under the weather. And, if they do have to take time off, they can be trusted to come back as soon as they feel well enough to work again," comments Dudley Lusted of Axa.

People concerned about how their family would pay off a mortgage if they were to become seriously ill could be tempted to invest in decreasing term life insurance.

News that the government believes it has identified nine types of heavy drinker could well have an impact on the life insurance sector.

Research carried out by the Department of Health with focus groups suggested that such drinkers often fall into one of several categories, the BBC notes.

These included drinking as a form of self-medication as a result of depression, as a form of de-stressing from a busy day and as a result of societal pressures.

Commenting on the work, Alcohol Concern chief executive described it as "very useful".

"In order to get people to examine their drinking, they need to become aware of why they are doing it and what motivates them," he told the news provider.

People concerns about how their loved ones would pay their mortgage should the worst happen could well find that they can put their mind at rest by investing in decreasing term life insurance.

The need for adequate life insurance has been emphasised by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (Life).

Dedicated to raising awareness and educating consumers about life insurance, the non-profit organisation makes its comments to commemorate the fifth annual life insurance month in the USA.

John Dressner, senior vice-president at Life, states: "Every year, the campaign expands in different ways and hopefully becomes a bigger deal within the industry.

"I've seen too many families suffer financially because they have family members that haven't lived to a ripe-old age."

He said the overall message of the campaign is to be prepared for the unexpected, citing statistics which indicated 68 million people do not have any life insurance in place.

People concerned about how their family could pay their mortgage should they become very ill could consider decreasing term life insurance, which makes sure loved ones receive a lump sum if the worst happens.

Scientists have discovered a protein which reduced the amount of damage caused by a heart attack, in news which could be of interest to people shopping around for life insurance.

The BBC notes during a heart attack, a clot blocks the flow of blood to the heart, with a lack of oxygen and build up of toxins causing tissue to die.

Staff from Stanford University Medical Centre found that higher levels of the enzyme ALDH2 in rats resulted in a 60 per cent reduction in the amount of dead heart tissue.

"We've found a totally new pathway for reducing the damage caused by free-radicals, such as the damage that happens during a heart attack," the researcher commented.

The study was published in the journal Science.

People who are concerned about how their family would pay off their mortgage should a serious illness affect them could consider taking out decreasing term life insurance, which ensures loved ones receive a lump sum should the worst happen.

Heart disease death rates are rising again, despite enhancements in health care, in news which may be of interest to those considering investing in life insurance.

According to scientists speaking at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Dublin, the way the condition develops has changed so much since it was discovered that 19th-century doctors would not recognise it.

Cardiologist Dr Bernard Predergast, from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, comments: "We are seeing new patterns of the disease and its complications.

"Despite all our improvements in health care, the death rate has been virtually unchanged for the last 20 years and now seems to be rising again."

He concludes that greater awareness of the dangers of the disease among doctors and patients is needed.

People concerned about how their family would pay their mortgage should they become seriously ill may wish to consider decreasing term life insurance which ensures loved ones are paid a lump sum if the worst happens.

Scientists have identified three genes which they state are key to the development of a variety of childhood brain cancer, in news which may be of interest to those shopping around for life insurance.

A team from the University of Nottingham hope their findings could help scientists develop more effective treatments for ependymoma, which the BBC notes is diagnosed in 35 children in the UK on an annual basis.

The results of the study are published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Professor Richard Grundy, lead researcher, commented: "Understanding the biological causes of cancer is vitally important as it will help us to develop drugs that target abnormal genes in cancer cells but not in healthy cells."

Kate Law, from Cancer Research UK, tells the news provider that "relatively little" is known about the causes of childhood cancer, making this study important.

Decreasing term life insurance could be of interest to those who are concerned about how their family could pay their mortgage should they become seriously ill as it would ensure loved ones were paid a lump sum should the worst happen.

While there are many ways to find the best deal on life insurance, the cheapest policy may not always be the best one, it has been asserted.

Jonathan French, a spokesperson for the ABI, explains people can search using the internet and visiting different firms' websites, whether they be brokers, financial advisors or comparison sites.

"The downside potentially of comparison sites is that while they will usually identify the cheapest options, the cheapest is not always the best for any given individual," Mr French continues.

As such, he suggests seeking advice in order to ensure that a consumer gets the most appropriate deal for their circumstances.

People may find that decreasing term life insurance is the best policy for them, where a lump sum is payable in the event of death.

The sum decreases by a fixed amount during the insured period and reaches zero by the end of it, meaning it is usually used for mortgages or loans where the owed amount decreases year-on-year.

Mr French's comments follow news from healthcare company Bupa that it has made a number of changes to its life insurance rates.

People shopping around for life insurance may be interested to hear that genetic details of two cancers have been revealed.

It is hoped that the research, which is to be published on the journal Nature, will help in the fight against both brain cancer and pancreatic cancer.

The study uncovered dozens of overactive, missing and broken genes that can trigger the growth of potentially fatal tumours in the pancreas and the brain.

It also provided answers as to why the cancers are often hard to treat with conventional drugs.

Approximately 7,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year, while about 2,000 men and 1,500 find out they have a brain tumour.

Decreasing term life insurance may be of interest to people who are concerned about how their family would pay the mortgage were they to get seriously ill.

A decreasing term life insurance plan will ensure loved ones are paid a lump sum should the worst happen.

A number of changes have been made to Bupa's life insurance rates, the healthcare company has announced.

People taking out decreasing term cover may well find that they qualify for reduced premiums.

A non-smoking male who will turn 35 on his next birthday taking out decreasing term life insurance for £250,000 over 25 years will find premiums have reduced by 16.9 per cent and so, instead of £16.73 a month, he will pay £13.90.

Meanwhile, a non-smoking female due to turn 40 on her next birthday signing up to the same decreasing term plan will find the premium has reduced from £19.98 to £15.48, a drop of 22.5 per cent.

Commenting on the move, Steve Casey, product and marketing manager at Bupa, said: "The changes to our rates mean there has never been a better time to consider Bupa Individual Protection."

Decreasing term life insurance plans are specifically designed to protect a repayment mortgage.

People who are keen to ensure their family is protected should the worst happen may want to consider life insurance, Barclays has claimed.

The bank is currently offering customers a 15 per cent discount on their premiums as well as £15 worth of Marks and Spencer vouchers.

In addition to this, anyone who obtains a quote for cover, including decreasing term life insurance, will automatically be entered in to a competition to win £2,000 a month for a year or a one-off payment of £24,000.

According to the bank, whose life insurance is provided by Norwich Union, customers can get a quote in under two minutes on their website and fill out a full application in about 15 minutes.

Decreasing term cover is available up to a maximum level of £500,000 with premiums starting at £5.

Gary Duggan from Barclays said: "We've … made it really easy to get you and your family covered by offering a competitive and reliable product that is simple to understand and easy to buy."

Decreasing term life insurance is designed specifically to protect a repayment mortgage.

A group of UK scientists has been awarded £2.8 million to work on a drug that could ease the suffering of hundreds of thousands of heart disease patients who cannot take beta-blockers.

Some 2.6 million people in the UK suffer from heart disease and most have their symptoms managed by beta-blocker drugs which stop adrenaline from forcing the heart to work too hard, Science Daily reports.

However, beta-blockers make the symptoms of respiratory conditions like asthma worse.

Now researchers at the University of Nottingham will use money from the Wellcome Trust to work on producing a beta-blocker that treats heart problems without exacerbating respiratory problems.

Ted Bianco from the Wellcome Trust said: "We know that beta-blockers save lives in patients with heart disease, so making them safe for those unlucky enough to have a respiratory disorder as well is a clinical imperative."

People who are concerned how their family would manage to pay the mortgage should the worst happen may want to consider taking out a life insurance policy such as decreasing term life insurance.