Income Protection
The cornerstone of financial planning is income protection cover. This form of health insurance is designed to pay you an income in the event of you being unable to work due to sickness, injury or accident. The main benefit is that your standard of living can be maintained in the event of a claim. Any benefits are paid tax-free and continue until you return to work, retire or die, whichever is the earlier. The maximum you are allowed to insure is approximately 65% of your gross salary (net profit for self employed).
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You may well have already set up income protection cover so if you want to know if you've got it set up correctly the following tips might help.
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At any one time there are over 50 income protection plans available in the marketplace offered by many insurance companies and banks. The market is also very dynamic, with some plans competitive for dentists and vice versa. This seems to change constantly. Seemingly innocent changes to the small print can make a contract uncompetitive for dentists.
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There are three specific areas that should be included in your cover:
Own Occupation
All insurance companies base claims on how ill you have to be prior to any benefit being paid. 'Own' occupation definition of disability means that you will receive your claim based on your inability to perform your duties as a dentist. Many plans carry a 'suited' by training, education or experience definition. Here the benefits would be paid only if you were unable to perform an alternative role, such as research or working for a pharmaceutical company. 'Any' occupation plans should be avoided at all costs. As the wording suggests, you will have to be very ill/injured not to be able to do any job whatsoever.
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In our opinion own occupation will provide you with the most comprehensive cover.
Guaranteed Rates
You will usually pay for your cover on a monthly basis. There are two methods in which this premium can be paid, either on guaranteed rates or reviewable rates.
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Reviewable means that you pay a set amount for your cover for the first five years. Thereafter the insurance company can increase (or theoretically also decrease) your premium based on their overall claims experience. This is derived from the number of claims they have paid out and the prediction for future claims. Reviews normally take place every five years, however they can be annual. Reviewable rates effectively put the insurance company in charge of future premiums-an 'open cheque book' approach.
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Guaranteed means that you pay a set amount for your cover over the duration of the plan (usually to age 60). This rate can never change regardless of how many claims you have or the company has in general. Based on these facts, you may wish to consider guaranteed premiums.
Exclusions
Whilst it is vital to find an income protection company that has a consistent history of paying claims on time, it is perhaps more important to check when they will not pay. These are known as exclusions. Some of the worst plans on the market include as many as 15 exclusions. Common ones include excessive alcohol, pregnancy (normal-complicated pregnancies may be covered) and dangerous activities such as mountaineering or scuba diving. Note: the latter will depend upon frequency and heights/depths involved
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Contact us to find out which exclusions apply to your plan(s).
Other Criteria
You should also include the following with your cover:
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Worldwide cover - so you don't have to return to the UK to claim
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HIV cover - this should typically be covered if infected at work
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Inflation protected - to make sure your standard of living is protected from inflation
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Plan to run to your retirement age - for obvious reasons!
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Deferred period - ideally this should be Day 1 cover so if you have 1 day off you still get paid!
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Whilst the above may be appropriate for many dentists it should be considered on an individual basis. In general one plan cannot cover all the above considerations so typically to ensure you have comprehensive cover you'll need at least two income protection plans.
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If you'd like some more information please call us on 0845 345 5060 or email us.
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For pure protection insurance, we offer products from a range of insurers.