I have seen ads on the TV and the insurance is cheaper plus I do not have to fill out a long form. Why shouldn’t I buy my insurance that way?

There are cheap no application life and income protection policies advertised on the television. These products are designed for the quick fix market; for people who buy on impulse or who do not want advice or assistance as they know it all or do not care. These policies are offered as a commodity. The companies will honour the contract but it is up to you to read and understand the details of the policy plus decide on the level of cover and the type of cover. Advising you on the type of policy, level of cover that best meets you needs and budget, ensuring you understand exactly what you are covered for, the risks and disadvantages of a policy is what we take pride in doing. This does take time and some effort on your part but the rule “if it is too good to be true it probably is” can apply to insurance cover.

Will the insurance company pay my claim?

Yes: if you make a claim on your policy the insurance company will pay your claim as long as you meet the terms and conditions of the policy as set in the Product Disclosure Statement given to you at the time you took out the policy. We will assist you to complete the claims form and gather the documentation from your treating medical team to support your claim. We keep in contact with the insurance company so we are aware of any further questions or problems which help keep the process moving as quickly as possible.

Will it cost me more to buy my insurance through Aussieinsure?

No. There is no difference in the premium (cost of the insurance) between buying from us or direct from the insurance company.

Do you charge any extra fees?

Usually we do not charge any additions fees over the commission we receive from the product provider.

What do you mean you usually do not charge any extra fees?

Under certain circumstances, and these are assessed on a case-by-case bases, we charge an addition fee. When this is the case any fee will be disclosed to you before the work is carried out and we will not proceed until we have your written permission.

What is the advantage to me to use Aussieinsure?

Aussieinsure is a specialist Financial Planning Service with over 20 years experience in the financial planning industry. We specialised in personal and business risk insurance over 7 years ago; this means we specialize in dealing with your risk insurance needs only. We have a detailed understanding of how the insurance companies work and what needs to be done to assist the application for a policy, or making a claim flow as quickly as possible.

We work with you to ensure you have the type and level of cover you need and can afford for the long term.

Do you sell insurance from only one company?

No: we work with a number of companies and we will recommend a company we believe bests meets your requirements. Most company’s offer the same types of insurance e.g. life, income protection, but their policies often contain different benefits, terms and conditions plus have a different underwriting focus. We will recommend the company we feels best meets your needs and is most likely to accept your application.

I have a pre existing medical condition can I still get insurance?

All insurance applications have to go through underwriting. This is where the insurance company looks at your application and requests additional information from your treating doctors/allied health care professionals e.g. chiropractor. After gathering all this information the company assesses it and decides whether or not to accept your application. Depending upon the medical condition an insurance company may decide to 1. Accept the application 2. Accept the application but with a loading (charge a high fee e.g. increase the premium by 25%, 50% etc up to 200%) or an exclusion (they will not cover a certain part of the body e.g. your right knee) 3. Decline the application

Some information about Aussieinsure?

Aussieinsure has operated for nearly 20 years. During this time there have been a couple of name changes but 5 years ago we found a name that suites us. Initially we where a general financial planning service but quickly realised we could not be an expert in all the areas of financial planning. Our company owner Malcolm has a passion for life insurance and he has gathered a team around him who have the same passion.

What about my superannuation?

We handle simple superannuation. This means if you have one or several superannuation funds we can help you look after them. This may sound strange when we said we only handle insurance but some insurances can be paid for from money in your superannuation which means you can take out cover that you would not be able to afford to pay for from you income. There are limitations on the type of insurance you can pay for this way.

If you have a self managed super fund or more complex superannuation needs we will refer you to other financial planners who specialise in this field.

I have money I want to invest can you help me?

We do not handle any investment or tax effective advice but we can refer you to other financial planners who do. Like we said earlier we do not believe one person can specialise in all aspects of financial planning. We believe it is better to specialise in an area you have a passion for. Like the medical profession it is better to utilise the services of different specialists than rely on the advice of a generalist only.

I have been turned down for insurance before does this mean I cannot get cover ever again?

If you have previously been declined cover you may still be able to get cover now. The answer will depend upon 1. What type of cover you want 2. How much cover you want 3. The reason you where declined cover 4. How long ago where you declined cover 5. Whether the reason you where declined cover still applies.

I smoke, does this affect me getting insurance?

Yes. If you smoke your insurance premiums are more expensive (they are loaded). But if you give up after a year you are able to submit a request to remove this loading.

What if I do not tell the insurance company something e.g I smoke, have a medical condition?

No matter what type of cover you apply for one of your duties of care is to fully disclose to the insurance company any information they request.

Do I have to tell the insurance company my date of birth?

If you decide not to answer a question on an application form this may affect the decision the insurance company makes on whether to accept or decline your application.

I hate filling out forms!

This is where we can assist you. A large part of what we do is assisting you to make this process as easy as possible. We do a lot of work before you apply for cover identifying the company and policy we feel best suits you. One of our skilled staff will sit with you and complete the application forms; this person will then lodge the form with the company and follow it up.

I already have insurance should I talk to my original adviser when I want to make a change?

We recommend you talk to a qualified financial planner before making any changes to you existing cover.

If you feel we offer a better service or you are unhappy with your existing adviser we can talk with you and review your existing cover. If you are happy with our service we are able to take over care of an existing policy, and offer you our policy care and annual review services.

What is estate planning?

Estate planning looks at your entire estate, superannuation, insurances, property and any other assets. It means planning what you want to do with them in the event you are incapacitated or die. Estate planning can be very simple through to extremely complex as distributing your assets, protecting them through trusts, minimising tax, avoiding a horrible relative, protecting a vulnerable relative can involve many different professionals. Estate planning is important as if done correctly it can ensure things are done how you want putting it off does not make the need for it go away.

I do not have any debts and I have no dependants why do I need life insurance?

A very important part of what we do is identifying and meeting your needs. Our aim is not to sell you a policy for the sake of a sale, it is to identify a need and help you meet that need. For people who have no need of life insurance they may benefit from the security other types of cover e.g. income protection or trauma cover. Both of these policies assist you to maintain your life style and meet your financial needs if you are unable to work due to significant illness or trauma.

I want insurance but I have no money?

This is a problem we frequently face. There are some types of insurance you can obtain inside of superannuation. This means the premiums are paid from money in your superannuation fund. To take a policy out this way is not a decision to be made lightly or viewed as a quick fix. Taking insurance inside of superannuation needs to be discussed with a qualified financial planner to ensure you fully understands the pros and cons of this.

My work superannuation has insurance in it.

If you give us authority we are able to research this cover for you and then sit down with you and see if it has what you expected and wanted. We often find this type of scheme (a group scheme) offers only very basic cover and often the amount you are cover for is less than you want or need.

My partner is does not work outside of our home can she get cover?

Yes there are a variety of policies that provide cover for people who work primarily in the home (home duties).

I do not like telling my personnel information to companies.

Unfortunately if you want insurance you have to disclose personnel information. All the companies we work with have professional and fully disclosed privacy policies. We do not and will not disclose any information we hold on you to any other party unless we have your written permission and have discussed this with you. We even require you to sign authorizations for us to disclose information to your partner. All disclosures are voluntary and if you do not wish to sign them it is your decision.