by Jodie | Jan 27, 2011 | Debt Management, Finances, Insurance & Protection
With the incidence of cancer increasing year on year and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases preventing many families from living a full life because of disability, it’s more important now than ever before to consider crisis cover for yourself and your family.
Many Australian families struggle both emotionally and financially, when someone in their family is diagnosed with a life threatening or debilitating health condition. By considering crisis cover, you can assist in easing the financial burden should you be unfortunate enough to suffer a traumatic event. Consider the following:
Cancer
In Australia, cancer has been the leading cause of death in Australia over the past six years, with more than 39,000 people estimated to die from it each year. 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women, will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85. Amongst the most common cancers in Australia are cancer of the digestive organs, breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer.
Prostate Cancer
• Almost 3,000 men die each year of prostate cancer and around 18,700 new cases are diagnosed every year.
• Each day about 32 men learn news that they have prostate cancer – tragically one man every three hours will lose his battle against this insidious disease.
Breast Cancer
• More than 2,640 women will die from the disease in a single year – making it the leading cause of cancer-related death in females.
• One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85.
Skin Cancer
• Over 380,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer each year – that’s over 1,000 people every day.
• Over 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
• Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Skin cancers account for around 80% of all new cancers diagnosed each year in Australia. Each year Australians are four times more likely to develop a common skin cancer than any other form of cancer.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
• CVD is the term used for heart, stroke and blood vessel diseases.
• CVD kills 1 Australian every 10 minutes and prevents 1.4 million people from living a full life because of disability caused by the disease.
• CVD is one of Australia’s largest health problems. Despite improvements over the last few decades, the health and economic burden of CVD exceeds that of any other disease.
Ensure that the Plan you choose includes:
- Angioplasty
- Cancer (General)
- Cancer (Male Organs)
- Coronary By-Pass Surgery
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Aorta Surgery
- Aplastic Anaemia
- Benign brain tumour
- Blindness
- Cardiomyopathy
- Kidney Failure
- Chronic Lung Disease
- Loss of Independent Existence
- Loss of Speech
- Motor Neurone Disease
Please contact the Advisers at Wealth Planning Partners to discuss a strategy suitable for your family.
Sources:
1. www.aihw.gov.au
2. www.heartfoundation.org.au
3. www.cancer.org.au
4. www.prostate.org.au
5. www.nbcf.org.au
6. www.sunsmart.com.au
7. www.heartfoundation.org.au
by Jodie | Jan 27, 2011 | Business, Finances, General, Investments
Many were surprised the Australian share market had a quiet 2010, finishing the year just below where it started, especially when considering the local economy came through the crisis of 2008–09 better than most.
- Check out how the various sharemarkets around the world did in 2010.
- Read up on an Australian Economic Health Report
- Find out what’s in store for 2011 and where interest rates are headed
To read the February 2011 Snapshot click here: The Lull After the Storm
![How will the floods affect all Qlders going forward?]()
by Jodie | Jan 25, 2011 | Finances, General
It’s already been over two weeks since we all turned on the TV to witness the almost unbelievable scenes of fellow Queenslanders being swept from their homes by what was described by many as an “inland tsunami”. Given everything that has transpired since that day – it does seem like an incredibly long couple of weeks… The TV viewing was addictive and none of us could quite believe what we were seeing! Familiar landmarks and suburbs completely submerged!
Whilst we all feel compassion for those that were directly affected, many of us are already looking toward the future and considering how the recent floods will directly affect our own lives. There is much talk in the media and the political arena about the cost to rebuild, insurance implications, lost productivity, cost of fresh produce, etc, etc.
Rebekah Gould of Smartline Mortgage Providers has provided me with the Propell National Valuers short report containing their perspective on many of the issues that will affect the Queensland property market in particular and the local economy generally.
In summary they predict:
- Fresh produce is likely to rise considerably in cost for the next year.
- An increase in tradesman’s rates and material costs as demand spikes.
- Rents to increase by 10% in suburbs near flood affected areas.
- Employees may be forced to find work elsewhere due to permanent or temporary business closures.
- Businesses providing goods and services critical to the rebuilding effort will be the real winners.
- Market values in flood affected areas will reduce in the short term.
- Past experience however, tells us that property values tend to recover within 6-12 months.
- Lenders may review their loan-to-value ratios for properties in flood plains.
I have attached a copy of the full report if you wish to read further. Fore-warned is fore-armed as they say!
Queensland Floods – Download PDF
by Jodie | Jan 21, 2011 | Finances, General, Insurance & Protection
Price is not always everything…some things are more important!
With the amount of natural disasters that happen in QLD each year, the 2011 floods would be one of the most destructive QLD has even seen. It has had a devastating effect on Queensland families and businesses from a financial, emotional and physical perspective. Sadly, a massive percentage of these affected families and businesses were not properly insured and will never get financial compensation they so desperately need for their loss. And what makes it worse is the knowledge that this situation could possibly have been avoided if they had appropriate insurance.
This can also be the case with various forms of life insurance. Have you ever rejected one recommendation due to price and gone with the cheaper option only to find at claim time, you didn’t get the cover you thought you had? Often – “cheap” can be the option with weaker definitions and the least ability to claim in comparison to other, more expensive products in the market. Now is the time to review your insurances and make sure you have sufficient life or disability insurances so you can financially survive all situations!
Did you know that some companies now also have the ability to protect your children as an addition to your own cover? As an example… Suncorp owned Asteron offers $10,000 premium free Child Cover with various policies. Anyone with children above the age of 2 should consider the benefits of this option.
Please call the Advisers at Wealth Planning Partners for an obligation free assessment of your existing situation. We can review your levels of cover, ensure that they best meet your needs and offer feedback on your situation. We’re not tied to a single company and can easily ‘shop the cover around’ for a combination of the best definition and competitive pricing.
Amanda: 07 5593 6895
Trevor: 07 5525 3233
by Jodie | Jan 18, 2011 | Debt Management, General, Insurance & Protection
Throw your family a financial lifeline!
They say there’s only two sure things in life – Death & Taxes. So we know it’s a given! It’s a fact of life that we won’t always be around. And like most people, you’ve probably thought about how your family will cope emotionally if you’re not there.
But what about the finances? Australian research indicates 60% of families with dependents will run out of money within a year if the breadwinner dies*. Australians unfortunately have incredibly low levels of cover in place to protect their loved ones. Many feel that their ‘super will cover it’ and it’s often not the case.
Life Cover
With Life Insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that you have cover for terminal illness and death. This means you and your family can better focus on themselves instead of the finances. Cover often can be arranged via a superannuation fund, and this means no ‘out of pocket’ expense for the family. Although not appropriate in all cases, this may be worth consideration in your situation. Covering all debts plus the funeral is a great place to start… but add in the missing income you’d have provided, healthcare and education expenses and the family needs can start to add up!
There are other types of cover to consider too, like income protection, total & permanent disablement, or even trauma. All are designed to help you out financially if you can’t work due to illness or injury.
Wealth Planning Partners can help you find the right insurance solution for you and your family, so you can be financially prepared for the unexpected. If you would like further information or would like to arrange an appointment with a risk specialist please call Amanda on 07 5593 6895 or Trevor on 07 5525 3233.
*IFSA Research – A Nation Exposed. Conducted for IFSA by Rice Walker Actuaries and TNS Australia, 2005.
With the incidence of cancer increasing year on year and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases preventing many families from living a full life because of disability, it’s more important now than ever before to consider crisis cover for yourself and your family.