HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance and HIV Mortgage Blog

Our Sponsors … Unusual Risks have made national headlines in the FT Adviser this last week with their HIV Life Assurance Survey 2011.

Chris Morgan, their Marketing Manager who is known for campaigning on behalf of the Gay and HIV communties over Life Assurance and Mortgage issues has been quoted extensively in the article.

http://www.ftadviser.com/2011/11/15/insurance/life-assurance/hiv-insurance-needs-still-unmet-kYf0hlMZiNXdPPIQbaNE8H/article.html

Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance advisers to the HIV community can be contacted by phone 0845 474 3075 by email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or by web http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Our sponsors latest Press Release …

Unusual Risks, the medical financial advisers are today announcing the results of their HIV Life Assurance survey 2011. After contacting all of the major Life Assurance providers in the UK, they can now report that 50%* of insurers are now offering some form of HIV Life Assurance.

 Even though half of the major insurance companies surveyed have now entered the market Unusual Risks believe that the needs of HIV Positive people are not being met. Of the six insurance providers that stated they do offer HIV Life Assurance only three are actually offering pre-sale’s quotations.

This means that many people living with HIV are still being asked to complete applications, submit to medicals and blood tests before any indication of cost is offered. This is much the same situation as 12 months ago and Unusual Risks still believe this to be non-competitive and unfair on applicants.

Speaking about their survey, Chris Morgan, Marketing Manager of Unusual Risks Said,

 ‘We recently surveyed the top twelve life assurance companies and were pleased to see that *50% are now offering Life Assurance to HIV Positive people. This is an improvement on last year where only 33% were saying they were offering the product’.

‘It’s fair to say that some of these companies are more proactive than others in attracting this type of business with service standards and treatment of applicants varying by a massive margin. Some companies are taking 26 weeks to process an application, where others are taking only 8 weeks’.

‘The main reason for this difference is that some applicants are being sent for unnecessary medicals and blood tests which increase’s the processing time significantly. We are constantly encouraging these insurance companies to improve their treatment of HIV positive people.’

During their survey Unusual Risks discovered that Zurich, Prudential, Scottish Provident, Bright Grey, Liverpool Victoria and Aviva are now offering HIV Life Assurance. Some of these providers are more established in the market than others.

They discovered that Prudential took an average of 26 weeks to complete a HIV Life Assurance application, where other HIV Life Assurance providers are taking around 8 weeks. On average it takes around 5 weeks to complete an application for someone who is not HIV Positive.

The main reason for this delay is that people with HIV are being sent for unnecessary blood tests by some insurers to confirm results that have already been sent by their consultants. We believe this practice to be time consuming, unnecessary and in some cases discriminatory.

*Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services surveyed the top twelve insurance providers during August 2011. They asked ‘Do you accept Life Assurance Applications from HIV positive people? With six out of twelve responding ‘Yes’ to the question.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance please contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or by email at mailto:enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk and on the web http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Unusual Risks the HIV Mortgage & Insurance Advisers are soon to bring you the HIV Life Assurance Survey 2011 …

Stay tuned for information about all the HIV Life Insurance providers and their service standards.

Our Sponsors: Unusual Risks are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk  or their website can be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

It has recently been brought to our attention that some of our HIV Positive clients are coming under ‘severe’ pressure to take out Life Insurance through their bank, instead of their financial adviser. This has especially been apparant when people are renewing business banking facilities.

In one recent case our client was being offered multiple Insurance products they were not eligable for due to their health status. We were able to arrange specialist HIV Life Asssurance for them without any need for high pressure sales tactics.

If you find yourself being bullied by your bank into taking expensive, or multiple insurance products then call and ask for help. We’re not only here to save you money, but to ensure that you recieve the best Independent Financial Advice.

For more inormation on HIV Life Insurance / HIV Life Assurance  follow this link:  http://www.positive-finance.info/?p=102

Our Sponsors: Unusual Risks are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk  or their website can be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

HIV Insurance is taken out by people living with HIV to protect both themselves and their possessions. Types of HIV Insurance taken out by the HIV community  in the past include Travel Insurance, Unemployment Cover, Level Term Assurance and Decreasing Term Assurance.

The UK  Insurance Industry has not been very friendly towards HIV Positive people in the past. Up until 2009  HIV Positive people were excluded by the Life Assurance Industry all together.  If you are HIV Positive and find yourself in doubt when taking out Insurance products, then seek advice.

Our Sponsors …. Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk may be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

Compass, the gay financial advisers are today re-launching Positive Finance the HIV finance magazine as an online blog. The new online publication will once again be edited by Chris Morgan and will focus on improving the financial landscape for HIV people. 

Positive Finance was originally introduced in 2001, as a response to the discrimination faced by the HIV community from the financial services industry. They have now decided to celebrate its anniversary by evolving it into a new format with new focus.

Chris Morgan, Marketing Manager of Compass and Editor of Positive Finance Said,

 ‘Positive Finance was the UK’s first HIV finance magazine of its type and has enjoyed considerable success campaigning over the years. We are very proud of our track record of representing the HIV community within the financial services industry’.

 ‘We are particularly proud of our work with the Association of British Insurers, which led to the creation of the HIV ‘Sexual Behaviour’ question on all life assurance applications, which means that all risk groups are now treated equally. 

Chris Continued …

‘Even though the Association of British Insurers Guidelines were changed in 2005, encouraging insurance companies to insure HIV Positive people, it took until 2009 for relevant products to appear in the market place’.

‘Positive Finance was part of the expert working group that led to the introduction of Life Assurance for HIV Positive people. We are currently campaigning for cheaper and fairer premiums for HIV Positive people taking out Life Assurance’.

 The new re-launched Positive Finance is keen to hear from anyone who feels they have been treated unfairly by the financial services industry due to their sexuality, health status, marital status, employment status or credit history.

Over the coming months we will feature all of the latest news, feature and case studies. We would invite everyone to become part of our new exciting online project. You can find the new website at http://www.positivefinance.info/ and the blog at http://www.positive-finance.info/

Compass, the gay financial advisers are today re-launching Positive Finance the HIV finance magazine as an online blog. The new online publication will once again be edited by Chris Morgan and will focus on improving the financial landscape for HIV people. 

Positive Finance was originally introduced in 2001, as a response to the discrimination faced by the HIV community from the financial services industry. They have now decided to celebrate its anniversary by evolving it into a new format with new focus.

Chris Morgan, Marketing Manager of Compass and Editor of Positive Finance Said,

 ‘Positive Finance was the UK’s first HIV finance magazine of its type and has enjoyed considerable success campaigning over the years. We are very proud of our track record of representing the HIV community within the financial services industry’.

 ‘We are particularly proud of our work with the Association of British Insurers, which led to the creation of the HIV ‘Sexual Behaviour’ question on all life assurance applications, which means that all risk groups are now treated equally. 

Chris Continued …

‘Even though the Association of British Insurers Guidelines were changed in 2005, encouraging insurance companies to insure HIV Positive people, it took until 2009 for relevant products to appear in the market place’.

‘Positive Finance was part of the expert working group that led to the introduction of Life Assurance for HIV Positive people. We are currently campaigning for cheaper and fairer premiums for HIV Positive people taking out Life Assurance’.

 The new re-launched Positive Finance is keen to hear from anyone who feels they have been treated unfairly by the financial services industry due to their sexuality, health status, marital status, employment status or credit history.

Over the coming months we will feature all of the latest news, feature and case studies. We would invite everyone to become part of our new exciting online project. You can find the new website at http://www.positivefinance.info/ and the blog at http://www.positive-finance.info/

Compass Mortgage and Insurance Services are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the Gay Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email enquiries@compassindependent.co.uk

Unusual Risks our sponsors are offering the ‘Little Book of Protection’ free to anyone who subscribes to their websites, or newsletters.

They now have a number of websites dedicated to looking after the Mortgage & Insurance needs of the HIV community, including their company website http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ and their Mortgage and Insurance News Blog http://www.unusual-risks.co.uk/

They also are main sponsors to HIV Finance magazine http://www.positivefinance.info/  and the Positive Finance news blog http://www.positive-finance.info/

The free protection guide covers subjects such as Income Protection, Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover and is published by Liverpool Victoria and can be requested by emailing Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or by phoning 0845 474 3075.

READ ABOUT HIV LIFE ASSURANCE IN BASELINE WITH NEW COLUMNIST CHRIS MORGAN

‘Seven years ago in the HIV community press I publically issued a challenge to the Life Insurance Industry to insure HIV Positive people’.

‘It wasn’t so much as a challenge at the time, more of a dare’

Chris Morgan has been a leading activist around HIV Insurance issues for over a decade and is the person responsible for the creation of the ‘HIV Sexual Behaviour’ Question on all Life Assurance applications asked today.

He co-wrote the Association of British Insurers HIV & Insurance guidelines which oversee the way that HIV positive people are treated by the Insurance Industry.  He also consulted on the creation and launch of HIV Life Assurance products in the United Kingdom.

He has been at the forefront of gay and HIV financial advice for over a decade looking after clients of our sponsors Compass, the gay financial advisers http://www.compassindependent.co.uk/ and Unusual Risks http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ the HIV financial advisers.  

You can read Chris’s regular column in every baseline issue or by visiting the baseline webiste. http://www.baseline-hiv.co.uk/ or subscribe to the column by emailing editor@positivefinance.info He can be reached by email chris@unusualrisks.co.uk or by phone 0845 474 3075

HIV Life Insurance (also known as HIV Life Assurance) is taken out by people living with HIV to protect themselves in the event of death. Most HIV Life Insurance  policies taken out are either Level Term Assurance or Decreasing Term Assurance plans.

Traditionally the UK Life Insurance Industry has not been very friendly towards HIV Positive people in the past. HIV people were excluded from taking Life Insurance  right up until 2009 in the United Kingdom.

If you are HIV Positive and yourself in doubt when taking out Life Insurance3, then seek advice.

Our Sponsors … Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk

Their website may be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

HIV Mortgages are taken out by people living with HIV to help them purchase property. Types of mortgages taken out by HIV Positive people in the past include CapitalRepayment and Interest Only Mortgages.

Traditionally the UK Mortgage Industry has not been very friendly towards HIV Positive people in the past. HIV people were excluded from taking Mortgage related Life Assurance products right up until 2009 in the United Kingdom.

If you are HIV Positive and yourself in doubt when taking out HIV Mortgages or HIV Life Assurance, then seek advice.

Our Sponsors …Unusual Risks Mortgage and Insurance Services are Mortgage and Insurance Advisers to the HIV Community and may be reached by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk

Their website may be found at  http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/