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Life insurance is a mystery to many people. Knowing when to get a policy and how much cover you may need often stump those looking to help protect their family’s financial future. There seem to be no shortage of insurance companies to choose from, so how can anyone know that they’re getting the best deal?

For many people, the cost of life insurance is important. Research presented by the Financial Services Council in June 2019 found that 28% of New Zealanders felt life insurance policies were too expensive. With household budgets already stretched thin, this comes as little surprise.

Though the cost of life insurance may be important, it’s only one factor to consider. The policy with the lowest premiums may not be the right fit for your needs. For many Kiwis, finding flexible cover that’s backed by a trusted and caring life insurer may be just as important as price.

Other factors when choosing life insurance

There are many factors that may come into play when you choose a life insurance policy. After price, the company selling the policy could be the most important.Going with a trusted insurance company may play just as a big a part in your decision making as finding the right price point.

When comparing life insurers, you may want to look at these four factors:

1.Who issues the policy?

Life insurance in NZ can be sold directly by the insurer themselves or through a distribution partner. This information is often found on the company’s website and in the policy wording. You could also learn this through news items or press releases (such as this one, announcing that Momentum Life had received their life insurance licence).

This information may matter, as it could affect the amount of money your family can claim in the future. Insurers often limit how much cover you can have with them, even if you bought the policy from two different brands. If you have more than one life insurance policy that’s backed by the same insurer, the benefit paid under one of those policies may be reduced.

2. What’s the insurer’s Financial Strength Rating?

Choosing a life insurance company may feel like an exercise in trust. You’re paying money now and trusting that the business will be there in the future. How can customers know the company they pick will be there when they need them?

A Financial Strength Rating is an indicator of how healthy an insurance company is, including how well placed they are to pay future claims. This rating is provided by independent financial reviewers and can help give customers more confidence when taking out a life insurance policy. In New Zealand, this information must be placed on the company’s website by law and in the policy wording.

3. Independent awards or quality marks

Life insurance companies typically aren’t shy about singing their own praises. However, this could help you decide who to go with. Awards can give customers important information about a life insurance company.

Industry awards may be a good indicator of how well an insurance company is performing, as well as how innovative or forward-thinking their business is. Insurers may also receive awards from independent companies recognising their strong customer service or community involvement. NZ insurers can also receive quality badges, such as the WriteMark, that demonstrate their commitment to customer care.

4. Customer reviews

Word of mouth can be great for all types of businesses, and life insurance is no exception. Reading customer reviews could help you get a better sense of the service you might expect after taking out a life insurance policy.

Customer reviews can vary depending on where you find them. A Google review could be left by anyone (even someone who’s never held a policy with the company), while reviews on Feefo only come from real, verified customers. You may also want to take some negative feedback with a grain of salt. Customers are much more likely to voice a complaint than sing a company’s praises. However, if the feedback for an insurer is overwhelmingly positive or negative, then this could be a good signal of how well they treat their customers.

Finding the right life insurance policy can be tricky, but knowing what to look for could help you make this decision. The above tips could help you narrow down your options and find cover that works for you and your family.

Do you know what your finances will look like five years from now? Life is full of ups and downs, and financial uncertainty can be both personal and universal. It’s hard to know where you’re going to be down the line, no matter how carefully you’ve planned.

Causes of personal financial uncertainty include:

• Losing your job
• A decrease in income such as a pay cut or losing a client as a freelancer
• Injury or medical emergency, including medical bills and loss of income
• The need to care for aging parents

But even if your own prospects are positive and nothing unfortunate happens, the global economy can take a turn and leave you in the lurch as well. Some common causes of recessions include:

• Popping of an asset bubble, when overvalued values suddenly correct, leaving owners drowning in debt
• Rising interest rates that make banks less likely to finance debt
• Political causes, such as trade wars or regional tensions leading to reduced jobs and economic activity

Invest for Uncertainty

You can invest to plan for uncertainty. One of the chief benefits of investing in gold is that it gives you a tool you can use in downturns both personal and global. Whether you’re suffering personal financial troubles or the market as a whole is turning against investors, gold is a great way to ride through tough times.

How Gold Performs as an Asset Class

The last two recessions have both began with the bursting of an asset class. In 2000, it was the dot.com burst that caused $1.7 trillion to disappear from publicly traded internet companies like Cisco, AOL, and Yahoo. In 2008, it was the collapse of the real estate market – a fairly normal real estate bubble burst that spiralled into a global debt crisis.

Both times, gold prices improved dramatically. You can expect gold to perform well when other asset bubbles burst, especially if bullion is coming off a period of low prices or deflated prices. Investors have a chance to add precious metals at a low price and profit from the double-helix effect of riding through tough economic times.

Looking ahead to the near future, after a decade-long expansion, the stock market is due for a correction. Investing in gold now can help you get through the uncertainty unscathed.

Asset Liquidity

Gold is a liquid asset – meaning that it can be quickly converted to cash with little to no loss in value. Keep in mind that this is mostly true of gold bullion: 1 oz. coins and bars, as well as other forms with bullion-grade purity. Jewelry is not a sure investment bet.

But if you have the metal in bullion form, you can pretty much always find a market for it and sell quickly at no loss to value. When you run into personal financial trouble and you need to cash in an asset, you need to recoup the value. There’s no controlling when personal financial issues can come up; if you need to sell shares, but the company has just released poor quarterly earnings, you’re out of luck.

Investing in gold is a smart move for anyone who wants flexibility and security. Invest carefully today for a more comfortable tomorrow.

What do you mean by p2p lending?

Peer to peer lending is basically a method which connects lender and borrower. The process begins when an investor is interested in lending loans and they search for their match with borrowers who want the same amount. Thus people invest in p2p lending.

P2P lending has become so common and popular because it reduces many barriers for both lenders and borrowers. While small business units or borrowers can easily find their loan through it; on the other side it is also very convenient for the lenders to find their borrowers.

Before understanding any tip to invest in the secondary market you must be very clear what secondary market is all about?

Start your journey, now is the best time to take your first step towards a profit guaranteed marketing strategy. In today’s market, there are uncountable registered platforms for peer to peer lending system; In Crowd Reviewed they share all that you’d like to know about the P2P platform. Like In 2017, laws have been passed for p2p lending. In 2018, 12 platforms have been documented for legal p2p lending. It is calculated that the world P2P lending trade is valued $3.5 billion-global in 2013 and at $64 billion in 2015 is expected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2050.

This is clear proof that the faster you start investing in P2P lending is more the profitable it will be.

What is Secondary market?

It is basically a modern marketplace where already issued loans, debuts or any other insurance can be bought or sold by the marketing company. The marketing company buys or sells insurance not from the issuing company. Insurance is firstly issued by companies in the primary market then it comes to the secondary market for sale. Some precise examples of the secondary market are the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) and NASDAQ.

Some details of secondary marketing

If any seller is in need of money for any emergency then he can easily sell his insurance to the buyers since there is a lot of demand in the market.

The prices of the market are automatically arranged and re- adjusted due to the high number of transactions each day. The transaction expense is also very less owing to large market.

Saving money takes a lot of effort for some people, but with secondary marketing, anyone can easily save his/her money safely.

Since the secondary market has become a high source of finance so there is a high regulation in the secondary market by the government. It assures that your money is completely safe there.

Importance of secondary market

It is a good indicator of a country’s economy. Any change in the stock market is reflected in the economy.
It gives a very smooth working experience to companies who can easily buy and sell insurance from the market.
It gives a chance for investors to set up their business of investing securities and getting returns.

One of the most profitable businesses in the secondary market is through P2P transactions, also known as peer to peer investment.

The UK is known for ages for its strong economy. One of the most common investment methods in the UK is P2P lending. The best P2P lending platforms are in the UK. From 2008 – 2009 there was an imbalance in the UK’s economy. The imbalance was recovered by p2p lending only. It has a huge potential in maintaining a country’s economy. Due to the best rates and its ability to sustain, P2P lending has become a huge success.

Why should you invest in peer to peer lending?

P2P lending providers charge very little for finding a borrower which is matching with the lender. But instead, the profit that is earned is much more compared to the charges applied. No other bank or other marketing methods can give you such a profitable deal. This characteristic makes peer to peer lending the best marketing strategy for small businesses. P2P lenders give you a chance to give the role of your bank to yourself. You can simply land and borrow money through this system according to your own rates.

The main benefit of peer to peer lending transactions is that in any other kind of transaction of lending loans, the banks play the main role. In P2P, the role of bank is eliminated. As a result, the profit is much higher for both parties.

Build up your business slowly

When you first start investing start it in a decent and smart way. The right procedure is that you must start with small investments with a large number of borrowers. Divide your total investment into small amounts and lend each amount to different borrowers. So that if by chance there is some surprising irregularity in paying loans you won’t get panicked since the amount is relatively small. Check out the profile of the borrowers minutely before lending money, because you must be aware of the profile of the person you are lending the money.

Start investing and stick to it

It’s really not clever to keep your money ideal since your ideal money will not generate any profit. So instead of that invest your money for a profitable business. P2P lending is a safe way of lending securities where you can easily get your money return whenever you require them. Investment in peer to peer lending is more profitable when kept for a long time. The plans which are invested for a period of 24 or 36 months are the most profitable plans in P2P lending.

Recycle your investments

Peer to peer lending is a type of investment where the investor starts earning from the next month onwards after investing. But to play smart you must reinvest your earnings to spread your business further. Instead of enjoying your little profits plan beyond and earn great profits.

These are the three mantras to earn great profits in peer to peer lending.

A rental property can provide you with a steady stream of income each month and allow you to invest in something that might later go up in value, too. While buying a rental property is an appealing way to invest, you should be aware of the potential costs and the work required once you have a tenant in place. With that in mind, consider your costs, potential income, and the amount of work you’re willing to put into property management before you take the plunge and invest.

Will You Make Any Money?

When you purchase a rental property, you have some built-in costs—the mortgage, taxes, property management costs, and more. When these are accounted for, can you charge a reasonable rent and still make money?

This point matters most to those who need a functional, operational rental and monthly income to cover the cost of the investment. If you are buying a property simply to enjoy an increase in value over time, you may not be as concerned about monthly income.

If you need money to pay the bills, though, then you should determine what the proposed rental will cost you annually (with a cushion). You will then need to charge tenants to break even, or better yet, earn a profit.

A look at your local real estate market should give you a good idea of what the home or property you are considering rents for. If it is already a rented property, then the owner should be able to provide you with concrete details about income and costs.

How Will You Buy the Property?

If you are buying a single property home for investment purposes, a conventional mortgage can be used, but if you are investing in a multi-family property, you’ll need a commercial loan. Commercial loans work differently than regular mortgages, so you’ll need to understand how they work and know what to expect from the process.

You should determine what amount you’ll need to put down and how much the home will cost you each month—you’ll need these figures to determine if the rental ROI will be where you need it to be, too. If the mortgage and property costs are going to have too much of an impact on your budget, it may be better to wait until you save up some additional funds to serve as a cushion, just in case a tenant fails to pay or an extensive repair is needed.

Do You Want to Be a Property Manager?

Investing in property is just the start; to generate cash, your rental will need to have some tenants. You need to decide if the everyday tasks associated with owning a rental unit are right for you. It’s okay if they are not—you can hire a dedicated property manager—but you should be aware that any rental property that has tenants will need an investment of time and money. Here are two basic options:

DIY: When you take this approach, you handle the work of finding and retaining tenants yourself; you are also responsible for repairs, maintenance, and other issues. When a toilet overflows in the middle of the night, when the tenant in 2A can’t get along with 2B, or when a rental home is unexpectedly vacated, you’ll be the one to take the phone call and clean up the mess.

Hire a Manager: A business or individual can manage the property for you and field those late-night phone calls. They can also help find qualified tenants, fix what goes wrong, and serve as an intermediary between you and your tenants. Property managers do cost money, but they free up your time and allow you to focus on your own life and investments.

You’ll need to determine which management approach works best for you before you invest in a rental property.

Learning more about the potential risks and considerations of buying a rental property can help you make the best possible investment and ensure you get the ROI you need from your purchase.

Author Bio 

Patrick Freeze is the President of Bay Management Group, which manages about 4,000 units in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The company is overseeing more than $700 million worth of real estate as of October 1st, 2018.

Founded in 1984 through a joint venture between Hero Cycles and the Honda company of Japan, Hero Honda (now known as Hero MotoCorp) is today the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world with a market share of more than 46% in the two-wheeler bike category. It is also listed at the 108th rank in the Forbes List of the 200 World’s Most Respected Companies. It is also ranked as the 7th most trusted brand in India and has received various awards in the two-wheeler category.

Despite the quality of their bikes and the experience offered by Hero Honda, it is not exempt from bike insurance. Bike insurance is mandatory for any two-wheeler on the road and not having one is a punishable offence. Most importantly, a bike insurance can protect you from a range of liabilities such as accidents, theft or even natural disasters that might lead to loss and/or damage to your two-wheeler. While till some while ago, getting a new bike insurance or renewing an already existing insurance policy involved a tremendous amount of paperwork and documentation, you can now get your two wheeler insurance online with a few easy steps. Below, we will see how to get insurance for your hero bike online.

How to get your Hero Bike Insurance Online

Getting a Hero Bike insurance online, today is not a big matter at all. You can get the best bike insurance policy for your Hero bike with the minimum amount of paperwork through various online portals. The insurance also makes you eligible for road-side assistance, provides engine protection coverage, coverage for personal accidents and against third-party liability. In any case, there are a few factors that determine the premium for your bike insurance policy such as:

1. The age of the two-wheeler.
2. Already existing add-on insurance covers.
3. The cubic capacity (cc) of a vehicle.
4. The depreciated value of a vehicle.
5. The discounts that have been availed.
6. The model of the Hero two-wheeler.
7. Already existing insurance policy

To buy a Hero Bike insurance online, you need to follow the steps below:

1. Submit details of Bike: You will firstly need to submit the details of your bike including the make and model number with details such as the cubic capacity etc.

2. Comparing the Premium: You can choose the premium for your bike from a variety of plans that are available and compare these prices with the add-on coverage.

3. Payment of Premium: After you have chosen the right insurer for you and submitted the bike details, you need to pay the reflected premium. You will also need to check the applicable GST and can pay by net-banking services, credit card, debit card or any of the e-wallets.

4. Policy: After completing the above steps, you will be given an online payment receipt to your registered email address and will receive confirmation of your approved policy.

Now, you can also get a multi-year bike insurance policy for your Hero bike up to a period of 3 years. This is especially helpful for many who are unable to renew their insurance annually.