Should I Disclose My HIV Status To My Bank or Building Society? …

By Chris | Published: March 24, 2014

In the second of a new series of mini articles our lead financial adviser, Chris Morgan shares some of the themes that have been emerging since the introduction of HIV Life Insurance and HIV Life Assurance products in the UK …

Should I disclose my HIV status to my Bank or Building Society?

Many banks and building societies have a policy of offering insurance products with every mortgage they arrange. This means that if you are HIV Positive you may be faced with answering difficult questions about your health history and HIV status at some point during the mortgage process.

In the majority of cases you are not obliged to take Life Assurance through your bank or the financial adviser they may have introduced you to. The majority of banks do not offer Insurance products to HIV Positive people, so if you need HIV Life Assurance you should seek independent advice.

Unusual Risks are specialists at looking after the HIV and Hep C communities and will be able to help you find Life Assurance or Mortgages without answering the personal questions from your bank. We are able to help you find Life Assurance to protect your mortgage, children or family.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance and HIV Mortgages or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance and Hepatitis C Mortgages you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

 

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New Life Insurance and Life Assurance Service For British Expatriates …

By Chris | Published: March 12, 2014

Unusual Risks have recently launched a new Insurance service that is designed to offer Life Assurance, Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover to British Expatriates who are living abroad  …

The new service is to be offered alongside their existing services that include HIV Life Assurance, HIV Mortgages, Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Mortgages and Cryonics Life Insurance …

Here’s their recent press release titled “Expatriate Life Assurance Survey 2014”…

Unusual Risks, the UK Life Insurance advisers, are today announcing the results of their first ever Expatriate Insurance Survey. After conducting their survey into the availability of Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover to British Expatriates, they can now confirm that only 25%* of UK insurance companies offer Life Insurance products to British Citizens living abroad.

The survey asked UK Life Assurance companies to indicate if they offered insurance products to British Citizens who spend more than six months abroad per year. Only 25% of Life Assurers were prepared to accept insurance applications from people living abroad, with 75% responding that they would not offer cover, or would require the applicant to be in the UK more than six months per year.

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

‘We decided to research issues around Expatriate Life Insurance after several of our existing clients asked us to help them find Insurance Cover that covered them whilst living abroad. Understandably they were concerned that their existing cover may not protect them and wanted us to find them Life Insurance products with UK based insurance Companies.

‘The purpose of the Expatriate Life Insurance survey is to highlight the treatment of British Expatriates by UK Life Assurance Companies. We were genuinely shocked by the attitude of some Insurance companies who seem genuinely reluctant or indifferent on providing insurance services to British Citizens living abroad’.

Unusual Risks have helped many UK Expatriates find Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover in varying circumstances over the last few years. Some examples of where Unusual Risks have been able to help are where people have or are moving abroad, along with others who are either travelling or working outside of the UK.

Chris Morgan and Unusual Risks have been helping the British Expatriate community for the last four years to arrange all types of Life Insurance and Critical Illness Cover policies for their needs. They are experienced at finding suitable insurance companies and completing all of the correct insurance paperwork for British Expatriates that are living abroad.

If you require more information on Expatriate Life Insurance or Expatriate Critical Illness Cover please contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services by phone 0845 474 3075, or by email at enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or at www.unusualrisks.co.uk/Product.html

You can find a free information Fact Sheet and our latest Press Release about Expatriate Life Insurance and Expatriate Life Assurance at www.expatriatelifeassurance.co.uk 

 

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How Much Can I Borrow ? … HIV Mortgage Advice

By Chris | Published: February 17, 2014

Unusual Risks are the UK’s leading experts at finding Mortgages for people living with HIV or Hepatitis C.

We  offer services that are specifically designed for people with HIV or Hepatitis C, that avoid the personal health questions that are sometimes associated alongside taking Mortgages and Insurances. Our experience of looking after people with HIV dates back some 15 years in regards to offering Mortgage Advice to people with HIV or Hepatitis C.

The most popular question that people ask us when taking out a new Mortgage is simply

… How Much Can I Borrow?

There have been so many changes to the way that Mortgages are agreed recently it has created a lot of confusion. It was not so long ago that people could “self-certify” their income and a Mortgage lender would take their word for the amount that they earned in income, without seeing any hard evidence.

This has now completely changed so here’s some advice for people who are now looking to take out a Mortgage.

1) You will now be required to prove your income before a lender agrees a Mortgage. It is advisable to have your last three months payslips handy if you are an employee and your last two year’s accounts / tax returns to hand if you are self -employed before speaking to a Mortgage Adviser.

2) Lenders also require you to have a cash deposit to place against the property as security. Most lenders will require at least 5% of the purchase price, but some require up to 10% , or even 15% of the purchase price before agreeing a Mortgage. Mortgage lenders offer better interest rates for those placing bigger deposits as security.

3) Mortgage lenders have completely changed the way that they calculate the amount that they will lend to you. In the past they offered set multipliers of your income. Now, they look very closely at your past credit record and contractual outgoings  like existing loans and credit cards before making their final calculations.

4) Lenders will even look at your regular bills like gas, electricity, water, phone bill before calculating the amount of Mortgage they will offer you. This new detailed process has created a lot of confusion and sometimes frustration for people trying to take out a new Mortgage.

Unusual Risks are constantly in discussions with Mortgage lenders about their changing criteria and are experts at maximising the amounts that clients can borrow from lenders. We offer completely “Independent” Mortgage Advice in return for “Set Fees”, which means you don’t have all of the worry about finding the right lender for your needs.

If you are having trouble finding the right Mortgage then why not give us a call?

If you require more information on HIV Mortgages, HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance, or Hepatitis C Mortgages, Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ 

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23% of HIV Positive People Now Have Life Assurance …

By Chris | Published: February 10, 2014

Unusual Risks, the medical financial advisers are today announcing the results of their latest HIV Life Assurance research. After conducting the most extensive survey ever into the financial needs of the HIV community, they can now confirm that 23% of HIV Positive people now have some form of Life Assurance policy.

This figure compares favourably with research that was conducted during 2011 showing that 82% of HIV People had no Life Assurance whatsoever. Also within this more detailed survey Unusual Risks has established that 42% of those insured had taken their policy before the introduction of HIV life Assurance in 2009 and 58% had taken their policy after this date.

In their latest survey Unusual Risks have looked into the financial needs of the HIV community in greater detail, with a focus not only on the headline figure of people holding insurance, but also looking at when they took out their insurance policy. This was to highlight to people that are newly diagnosed they should always check if they are still covered on their existing policies before cancelling any taken before May 2009.

Chris Morgan and Unusual Risks have been helping people living with HIV to find the best Mortgage and Life Assurance for their needs for the last fifteen years. In the next few months they will be releasing further detailed research into the reasons that HIV+ people take insurance and the other types of insurance HIV+ people are likely to be interested in if they were to become available in the market place.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance, HIV Mortgages or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance, Hepatitis C Mortgages you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ 

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Where Can I Find HIV Life Assurance or HIV Life Insurance? …

By Chris | Published: January 27, 2014

In the first of a new series of mini articles our lead financial adviser, Chris Morgan shares some of the themes that have been emerging since the introduction of HIV Life Insurance and HIV Life Assurance products in the UK …

Where Can I Find HIV Life Assurance or HIV Life Insurance?

When I started campaigning on HIV issues more than 15 years ago, it was my dream that people living with HIV would be able to access Life Assurance and Mortgage products in the same way as any other community and that they would not feel excluded or discriminated against.

Things have changed so much recently that we’ve been getting many enquiries for Life Insurance and Life Assurance from people who are being offered Insurance by their own bank. People are coming to us after being offered Life Insurance or Life Assurance by there bank and being asked questions about their health status.

Times have changed dramatically in a relatively short space of time on these issues, which has meant that people living with HIV are now facing new challenges when interacting with their bank. We are receiving calls every single week from people not wishing to answer questions from their bank.

If you are asked about your HIV status by your bank when taking a Mortgage or Insurance and you are not comfortable with sharing this information then you should seek independent financial advice. Unusual Risks are specialists at finding Life Assurance and Mortgages for people living with HIV.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance and HIV Mortgages or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance and Hepatitis C Mortgages you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/

 

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HIV Positive & Hepatitis C Mortgage Services …

By Chris | Published: January 6, 2014

Although Unusual Risks are best known for their groundbreaking work around HIV Life Insurance and HIV Life Assurance, they also happen to be the leading provider of Mortgage Advice to both the HIV and Hepatitis C Communities. They have been offering mortgage advice to HIV Positive people for over 14 years and have specifically designed their service to help people living with either HIV or Hepatitis to buy a home.

The fact that the Unusual Risks Mortgage Service has existed for so long means that literally hundreds of HIV Positive people have not had to worry about disclosing their health status to their bank or building society when arranging a mortgage. Those who have not been able to obtain Life Insurance / Life Assurance due to their health have been able to arrange a mortgage without the need for compulsory insurance cover.

Unusual Risks have agencies with all of the major mortgage lenders and offer “Independent” Mortgage advice on a “Set Fee” basis, which means you can be assured that the advice you receive is impartial from the agenda of the major banks and building societies. Why not speak to the Unusual Risks team today to find out how our “Set Fee” Mortgage Service works for people living with either HIV or Hepatitis C.

If you require more information on HIV Mortgages, HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance or Hepatitis C Mortgages, Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ 

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Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services … HIV and Hepatitis C Finance

By Chris | Published: December 9, 2013

Unusual Risks would like to wish all of our clients, friends, partners and associates a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year …

We would like to take the opportunity thank you all your support throughout 2013 and  to say that we aim to continue to grow within the HIV and Hepatitis C Communities in 2014.

We are already preparing excellent new services, products and research for the coming year, so watch this space for regular news and updates on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance, HIV Mortgages, Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance and Hepatitis C Mortgages.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ 

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HIV Life Assurance and HIV Life Insurance …

By Chris | Published: November 25, 2013

Unusual Risks regularly appear in the leading HIV and Hepatitis C magazine Baseline … 

They feature “Real life Case Examples” of people who have taken out Life Insurance or Mortgages recently and offer advice for those looking for the right Life Assurance or Mortgage.

The most recent Autumn 2013 (Issue 17) is available in clinics clinics across the UK right now. Chris Morgan’s resident column in this latest issue (Page32)  looks at “Which HIV Life Assurance is right for you or your family?”

Here’s an extract from this latest column …

“When HIV Life Assurance was launched in 2009 the majority of insurance companies limited the maximum amount of insurance to £250,000. Over these last two years barriers have gradually fallen with companies now willing to offer higher amounts of insurance cover”.

“There are quite a number of options for people looking to take out HIV Life Assurance with seven providers all offering slightly different things. The price of cover does vary considerably between insurance companies, so it’s advisable to ask an adviser to compare them all for you”.

The latest Issue 17 Baseline Magazine can be found on the Homepage of Baselines website by clicking here  http://www.baseline-hiv.co.uk/ and back issues of the magazine can be found be clicking here http://www.baseline-hiv.co.uk/back-issues/

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at http://www.unusualrisks.co.uk/ 

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Unusual Risks Receive Thanks From Charity NAM / AIDSMAP …

By Chris | Published: October 18, 2013

The charity NAM / Aidsmap have recently featured Unusual Risks on their blog and website, giving thanks for our support and the donations we have made over the last year.

Unusual Risks make a donation to NAM / AIDSMAP when we arrange HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance and HIV Mortgage on behalf of our clients.

Here’s an extract from the article that appeared on their website …

As part of their business, they have a Charity Donation Scheme, and for every HIV-related insurance product they sell they make a donation to NAM, or an HIV charity of their customer’s choice. For NAM the benefits of having like-minded businesses support our work are obvious:

Chris Morgan, Practice Manager, Unusual Risks Says:

“As I was building the Unusual Risks business, I knew I wanted to establish sustainable links with a small number of charities who were closely aligned to our aim of creating a business that helped marginalised groups access insurance products. As well as NAM, we also support the Hepatitis C Trust, reflecting the different communities we provide services for”.

To read the full article Click Here …

http://www.aidsmap.com/Thank-you-iUnusual-Risksi/page/2780961/

If you reuire more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk  or on the web at www.unusualrisks.co.uk

 

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HIV Life Assurance & HIV Life Insurance – Survey 2013

By Chris | Published: October 9, 2013

Unusual Risks, the medical financial advisers are today announcing the results of their HIV Life Assurance Survey 2013. After contacting all of the major Life Assurance providers in the UK, they can now report that 70% of insurers servicing Independent brokers are now offering some form of HIV Life Assurance.

This is the third year that Unusual Risks have surveyed the availability of HIV Life Assurance, with the earliest survey result in 2011 indicating only 50% of insurance providers were offering any form of HIV Life Assurance. Over the last two years there have been great improvements to the availability of Insurance products to the HIV+ community.

During the 2013 survey Unusual Risks decided to revisit our research around service standards and application times for HIV Life Assurance applications. We discovered that the majority of providers had in fact improved their service times, with the most of HIV Life Assurance applications now being processed at between 4 and 12 weeks.

If you require more information on HIV Life Assurance, HIV Life Insurance or Hepatitis C Life Assurance, Hepatitis C Life Insurance you can contact Unusual Risks Mortgage & Insurance Services on 0845 474 3075, or email at Enquiries@unusualrisks.co.uk or on the web at www.unusualrisks.co.uk

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