Cfle Africa

Insurance & Theft Identity; Protecting Your Wealth and Money

It takes a great deal of effort to make money and accumulate wealth. It is very essential to put the right structures in place to protect your accumulated wealth and money while you consistently and continually grow it.

Protecting your money means being cautious about how you save and spend it. This include purchasing insurance, accumulating savings in case of emergency, avoiding scams and identity thefts, and being aware of your credit record and credit score.

INSURANCE

Purchasing insurance is a crucial way to avoid being blindsided by an unforeseen expense. Insurance is something you purchase from an insurance company in a form of insurance plan. It allows you to make monthly payments to an insurance company which agrees to cover all or portion of the costs of whatever item the plan is intended to insure after you have meet your deductible.

The deductible is the set amount that you must pay before your insurance will cover costs. For example, if your car insurance deductible is GHS 2000 and you get an accident, you must pay the GHS 2000 before you can use your insurance to help cover all or portion of the cost of repairs. The entire deductible does not have to be paid at once.

If your deductible is GHS 2000 and you have to make an eligible car repair of GHS 1000, you will have to pay GHS 1000 of your GHS 2000 deductible, and will only need tospend additional GHS 1000 on repairs before you meet your deductible.

Car insurance, health insurance, and renters insurance are common forms of insurance. Renters insurance is available for individuals who are renting apartment or housing. This insurance plan covers the cost of replacing your personal property in case of theft or a damaging event such as fire.

Insurance is important because it is very likely to save you money in the long run.

Let’s look at health insurance.

Let’s say you pay GHS 20 per month for health insurance. This amount seems like a lot, but the cost of out-of-pocket health care itself is much expensive. Many people cannot afford those costs without insurance. If you end up in the hospital for any reason, you can quickly find yourself with a bill for thousands of cedi’s.

If you have insurance, the company will usually cover enough of this bill to save you a lot of money, even after you factor in what you pay for health insurance each month. While insurance can be helpful for some situations, I still insist it is a good idea to save some money for emergencies. Even with insurance, you may still find yourself with large medical expenses and will need money to cover the deductible.

Other emergencies may arise that you do not have insurance to cover. For example, in the case of a disaster brought on by the weather (flood) or a fire, you may need a place to live or to replace many of your possessions. A theft may also result in a need to replace important items. While these occurrences are not common, it is important to have a plan in case something unexpected arises.

Quick tip: See an insurance professional. You can equally get in touch for some recommendations 😉

THEFT IDENTITY

Another important way to own your money by protecting it involves avoiding scams and identity theft. With the advent of
electronic payments, criminals have found new ways to scam unsuspecting consumers. You need to be careful about any websites or companies with which you share your financial information. If you are not careful, someone could take your bank information and start spending your hard–earned money.

It is also possible for someone to steal your information and apply for credit cards, loans, or utilities in your name. This is an example of identity theft.

Online banking and electronic payment services offer great convenience to consumers, but the advances have opened up new avenues for criminals as well. This is why it is important to be careful and only provide your financial information to companies or organizations that you
trust.

Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to share with others… see below our thought provoking quote for today🙌

Peter Kwadwo Asare Nyarko is a Financial Literacy Advocate and Educator, Finance and Business Coach, Author.

Book Peter for Corporate Training, Public Speaking, Personal and Group Financial Planning and Coaching, Business Planning and Development, Consulting Services.

Email: peternyarko403@gmail.com pkan@cfleafrica.org pkanconsulting@gmail.com

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Peter Asare Nyarko

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Welcome to your Some Questions to Ponder

1. 
. PAPERWORK In an emergency, could someone in your family quickly find your important papers— birth certificate, bank account records, health care directive, insurance policies, credit card records, will, etc.?

2. 
NET WORTH Do you know your current net worth and how you hold title to your various assets?

3. 
CASH FLOW MANAGEMENT Do you have enough cash available (in bank accounts or easily cashed securities) to cover yourself and your family for at least six months of no work?

4. 
BUDGET Do you and your family have a useful, written monthly budget?

5. 
EXPENSES Do you think you’ll be able to pay ‘all your bills’ on time every month for the next 12 months without a paycheck?

6. 
EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS Do you understand and, if appropriate, utilize all your employment benefits to your advantage?

7. 
GOALS Do you know what’s really important to you; and have you written your personal and financial goals for yourself and your family?

8. 
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE/RETIREMENT Do you know when you expect to be able to retire / become financially independent?

9. 
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE/RETIREMENT Do you know how much income & assets you will need to enjoy your retirement years; to live a quality life, including any special gifts or bequests to family, friends and nonprofits?

10. 
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE/RETIREMENT Have you calculated the amount of money required to reach your financial goals?

11. 
MAJOR EXPENDITURES - Have you thought about and made a list of major expenditures you can expect over the next five years and where the money will come from to pay for them?

12. 
INVESTMENTS - Do you think your current investment plan(s) will meet your retirement needs?

13. 
TAX DEFERRAL Do you think you are making the best use of tax-deferred investment plans for retirement?

14. 
TAXES Do you know the income tax rates on your last earned dollar?

15. 
INSURANCE / RISK MANAGEMENT Do you think you have the right amount of insurance— life, health, disability, long-term-care, auto, home/renter’s, fire/flood/earthquake, liability, etc.—not too little, but not too much?

16. 
ESTATE & GIFT PLANS Do you and your family have current wills?

17. 
POWER OF ATTORNEY Do you and your family have a current Power of Attorney?

18. 
ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE Do you and your family have a current Advance Health Care Directive?

19. 
CHARITABLE GIVING Are your favorite causes or nonprofits included within your estate & gift plans for a bequest, planned gift, or as a primary or alternate beneficiary for life insurance or retirement plans?

20. 
TRUSTS Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of using trusts?

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