New figures show more than $12.5 million has been paid out in life insurance claims for Christchurch earthquake victims.

The head of the Investment Savings and Insurance Association, Peter Neilson says 63 claims for life insurance for earthquake victims were received.

A life insurance company offers a policy on the basis of a proposal form. The form is the most basic requirement for the functioning of the life insurance contract between you and the life insurance company. It needs to be completed by the proposer, who may seek the assistance of a life insurance advisor to fill it up.

As American families are struggling just to pay their bills, it’s not surprising that many are putting off life insurance. Individual life insurance hit a 50-year low last year, according to LIMRA, an industry-sponsored group.But during tough economic times people should not sit back and think they’re immortal, says Gordon Bernhardt, a fee-only financial planner in McLean, Va.

The cost of life insurance and healthcare may go up with Budget 2011 bringing services offered by hospitals and life insurance companies under the service tax regime.

THE most basic purpose of having a life insurance policy is to provide some assistance for loved ones when you die. Wealthier people sometimes use life insurance for estate planning, while most people expect the policies on which they have paid premiums for decades to help their heirs get by — or at the least cover funeral expenses.

Buying life insurance is a no-brainer when you start a family, but what if the baby is already on the way? Should you apply now or wait until the little bundle of joy arrives?

Site aims to demystify life insurance and improve outreach to greatly underserved U.S. Hispanic market.The ING Life Companies have unveiled a new, interactive online tool that aims to make it easier for Spanish-speaking Americans to learn about life insurance.

So, you want to sell your life insurance policy. What now?

For starters, know that it can feel ghoulish. Those who buy your policy on the secondary market are looking for sellers who are over age 65 and have limited life expectancies. The reason is that when you die, the buyer gets the death benefit of the policy.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani congratulated the people and the Chairperson of BISP on the launch of “life insurance scheme” in collaboration with State Life Insurance Corporation, for the registered beneficiaries.

Life insurance is an important monetary investment, and you don’t want to buy an unsuitable policy or discover that you’ve purchased too much or too little. But if the fear of making a bad life insurance decision is stalling your effort, know that failing to buy life insurance at all can be one of the most costly mistakes you can make for your family.