Compare Life Cover Online

Many people are under the assumption that life cover is taken out to pay just for funeral costs. While of course your life insurance could come in handy to pay for the funeral it is also taken out for many more reasons. Taking out a policy requires you to give thought to many factors; these include how much cover you would need, whether or not you have a family including children to consider and how much support your family would need.
The first hurdle you will have to cross when looking to take out your insurance is the amount you need to insure your life for. While this might seem like a daunting task there is a simple formula you can bear in mind. You are able to take your annual salary you have coming in and use this as a guide from which to work. As a rough guide you need to at least multiply your salary by 10 times. Depending on the circumstances you might even have to consider multiplying this by as much as 25 times, this will depend of what you plan the insurance to be used for by your family.
Once you have worked out how much life cover you need to take out then you need to turn your attention to the type of protection you want? There are many different types so you will have to give this a great deal of thought before rushing in to buy. Of course to some extent the type will be determined by what you want to leave to your family.
The most basic form of life insurance you can choose is term life assurance. When taking this type of policy you will pay a premium which is based on certain factors. Some of which include your age, whether you are a smoker and drinker and your occupation. Smokers and drinkers will have to pay out more for life insurance than those without the habit. Someone who is fit and healthy will also pay less for the insurance than someone who suffers a pre-existing condition. Once the premium has been determined then it would be paid for over a certain period of time, while you are paying the premium you are covered for the sum you insured against. However if you are still alive when the policy ends then the policy would also end and no payment would be made.
When taking out term life assurance you could be asked if you wish to take out a policy to protect you in the event that you should suffer from a terminal or critical illness. If you choose to do so then you would have to pay an extra premium for this.
If you want to ensure that you would receive a payment in any case, whether you outlived the policy or not then you could consider taking out whole of life assurance. This type of insurance is dearer than the term life assurance but your family would be guaranteed a lump sum payment when you expired.
Any form of life cover needs looking into very carefully before taking out the policy. All policies come with terms and conditions which have to be met and these will include certain exclusions. You have to read the small print that comes with the cover if you are to know what is and is not included in the policy.

Compare Life Assurance Using The Internet

Life assurance is a policy that is provided by an insurance company and will pay out to your family either a lump sum or a series of smaller sums in the event of your death. Some offer a guaranteed payout whilst some will expire after a given time. Some have a set payout, whilst others offer more flexibility. The best way to cut the cost of your insurance is to compare life assurance and make sure that you do not settle for the first quote you are offered, but that you look around thoroughly first in order to get the best deal that is available for you. By simply accepting the cheapest quote you find you could be compromising on the level of cover you are receiving.
A Term life assurance policy offers you with basic cover over a set number of years. This type of policy requires that you make a regular payment and will pay a lump sum. If the policy does expire and the policyholder is still alive then there will not be any payment. Premiums will vary depending on various factors such as age, health and occupation.
Critical illness cover can cover debilitating conditions such as heart attack or stroke, cancer and the cover will then pay out a lump amount upon diagnosis of illness but will not contribute in anyway towards treatment. Always make sure that you are fully aware of the exact which conditions the policy covers so that you do not get a nasty shock.
Level Term assurance will help your family as it will pay a lump sum in the event of the holder's death during the term of the policy. The payout amount is assured and will remain unchanged throughout. No payout will be given should you outlive the term of your policy.
Decreasing Term assurance means that the amount that will be paid steadily decreases during the term of the policy. This type of policy is very often used to cover mortgages.
Whole-of-life assurance guarantees a lump sum should the policyholder die, whenever this is. As a payout is in effect guaranteed, this type of policy is more expensive than a basic term would be.
An Endowment life assurance policy is fundamentally life assurance attached to a savings scheme. They will pay out any accumulated returns at the end of the term, or before should the holder die during the term.
Family income benefit provides your family with a series of regular payments instead of all in one go. This type of policy is used to replace a lost salary.
The cost of policies that are offered by a life assurance company can vary considerably, and will depend on the type of policy, the length of the term, the flexibility that the policy has and how many people will be covered by the policy, and so make sure you compare life assurance policies thoroughly. An insurance company will use a mortality table to decide upon the cost of a policy for a particular individual, using criteria such as age, gender, occupation and smoker/non-smoker status as these are important factors. A loading will then be added which relates to your medical history and current lifestyle. Reports from your GP or in some cases a medical examination are often requested.

AT&T Wireless Phones - How to Choose a Cell Phone

Today's cell phones can play music, take pictures and videos, send text and picture messaging, stream videos and a lot more. With so many different wireless phones available how do you know which one is right for you. It depends on what you're looking for.
There are practical matters you have to look at when you compare different cell phones. These are the size, weight, battery life, screen size and resolution
Another factor is that you want to be able to personalize your phone. You want to change the ringtone, answer tone, wallpaper and more. You can find thousands of ringtones and graphics at the MEdia Mall.
You should know what kind of entertainment want from your cell phone. You might want to download music or stream music. AT&T Mobile Music can help you to enjoy music different ways. You might want to watch your favorite video clips on your cell phone. You can also get breaking news, local weather, sport highlights delivered to you phone. If you want to take pictures, shoot video clips, consider a cell phone with a built in camera. There are also many games you can download to your cell phone.
Communication could be important for you, like text, picture and video massaging or instant messaging. With some phones you can stream live videos to other wireless phones. You might want to send and receive email. With push to talk you can make walkie-talkie-like calls.
You might want to consider productivity tools to organize your data. PDAs are excellent if you want to stay organized and connected to the office. Smartphones are similar to PDAs without the full QWERTY keyboard. Enterprise-level email works with your company's servers so you can stay connected to the office without being in the office. PDAs can also run various software applications.

Cell Phones for Music - AT&T

When shopping for a new cell phone, you may be interested in a model that has a MP3 player and the best music features included. If you wish to deal with AT&T as your cell phone service provider, there are several cellular phones available through this company that offers the best music features that are available.
The Sony Ericsson W580i Walkman is one cellular phone that AT&T offers. This model has Streaming Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Technology that allows you to have Streaming AT&T Music with any media add-on monthly plan. It also has a built-in MP3/ACC player and an FM radio with 8 preset stations, although this feature requires a stereo headset that the device can use as antennae. This model has Track ID, which can record the music to enable you to identify it by the artist. It also has Shake Control that allows you to change songs just by shaking your cell phone. A megabass speakerphone helps you to get the fullest enjoyment out of your favorite music. This model has expandable memory capabilities and a 2.5 mm headset jack.
The LG Shine model is another cell phone with music capabilities that is offered from AT&T. This phone has a built-in music player that plays MP3, WMA, and AAC as well as a customizable equalizer and visualization. The AT&T music folder has the ability to listen to the music on the music player as well as streaming radio. This model also has Bluetooth Wireless Technology that supports a headset system and is also Music ID, MobiTv, and XM radio capable. This model has a MicroSD Memory Port although the memory card is sold separately.
Alltel also offers the LG TRAX cell phone. This model has a built-in music player with an external touch pad that plays MP3, WMA, AAC, and AAC+. It also has a customizable equalizer and visualization. With this phone you will have access to AT&T Music which gives you access to music and communities and MusicID, AT&T's music recognition service. You also have access to MobiTV and XM Radio Mobile that gives you streaming live TV and digital radio. Billboard Mobile is also available that keeps you up on the latest music news and offers various ringtones. This cell phone allows you to create and manage playlists as well as sync music from your PC with the aid of Bluetooth Wireless Technology. Bluetooth also offers stereo support for headsets. This model also has a MicroSD memory port built in.
The Samsung Blackjack II i617 is another model that is offered by AT&T. This cell phone has MP3 player that can also play WMV playlists and display album art. It also has Streaming Bluetooth Wireless Technology that supports Cellular Video (CV), AT&T Music Entertainment, AT&T Video, and XM Satellite Radio. This model has Stereo Bluetooth Support for headsets and other devices.
These are just a few of the many cellular phones that AT&T offers that have music capabilities. To find the right phone for you, you can visit your local AT&T office or check online at the various AT&T Web sites.

 

AT&T GoPhone Review - Plans, Phones, Prepaid, Pros and Cons

Company Overview:
AT&T is one of the most successful and biggest communications company in the world with $120 billion in revenues and employing more than 300 thousand worldwide. In the field of telecommunications, it serves 72.9 subscribers and the number is growing fast with its innovation in wireless service. AT&T is also the sole network carrier for the revolutionary iPhone 3G as well as the basic iPhone in the United States.
Prepaid Plans
AT&T Prepaid offers the GoPhone® Prepaid plans which the company is proud to say will liberate subscribers from hidden charges.
This prepaid plan comes in two ways - Pay As You Go Plan and the Pick Your Plan.
Pros and Cons
AT&T is a well established company in the field of communication and it is a great advantage for customers to get any service from this type of company. They also have a feature for unused minutes which will be discussed later.
However, compared to other prepaid plans with other companies, AT& T prepaid rates are higher. Customers who are more concerned with the bill than company reputation may not opt for AT&T prepaid.
Features

Minutes
The Pay As You Go plan of AT & T GoPhone costs 25 cents per minute. They offer 10 cents per minute for its minute bundles from the monthly plans, Pay As You Go subscribers can enjoy this feature by paying a daily access fee of $1 per day.

Data
To access the internet through any AT&T Prepaid phone, the company partnered with Media Net. For Pay As You Go Plan subscribers, the charge would be one cent for every KB used or they can use 1MB for $4.99 and 5MB for $9.99. Same goes for those under the AT&T prepaid Pick Your Plan for 1MB and 5 M but subscribers under this plan can use data up to 10MB for only $14.99.
Messages and Pictures
Text messages for AT&T prepaid subscribers for both GoPhone plans cost 15 cents for incoming and outgoing messages. For picture messages, it will cost 25 cents per sent or received. There are also some messages plans offered with these plans each month; $4.99 for 200 messages, $9.99 for 100 messages and $ 19.99 for unlimited text messages. For international text messages, it will cost 25 cents and 20 cents per messages sent and received respectively. Multimedia messages require phone compatibility and cost 25 cents per message.
International
For its international calling, AT&T prepaid has its AT&T WorldConnect® for Pick Your Plan. Their plan is more beneficial for those who often make international calls; they have a discounted rate of $3.99 per month though other rates like standard airtime will be added to your account. For those who call internationally occasionally, subscribers can just pay per minute used with international and standard airtime rates applied.
Calling Features
AT&T prepaid calling features include basic calling features like call waiting, 3 way calling, caller ID, call forwarding and voicemail. On top of that it has the VoiceDial for Pick Your Plan subscribers which costs $4.99 per month. This calling feature is actually a hand-free calling system where users just have to dial *8 or *08 then say the recipient's name as registered in the phonebook.
Long distance
There are no extra charges applied to long distance calls made within the AT&T coverage.
911
Yes
Payment Options
For the Pay As You Go, subscribers can reload their balances with prepaid card for $15, $25, $50, $75 and $100. Subscribers for both AT&T prepaid plans can as well add more minutes to their account by calling 611 from a wireless phone or by calling an 800 number for landline phones or logging online using their credit, debit cards or a check.
Roaming charge
There are no roaming charges within the national service area. Roaming in Mexico will cost 99 cents per minute for airtime; 50 cents for text messages sent while 20 cents for text messages received; less than one cent per KB data used, $1.30 for picture messages sent and 25 cents for picture messages received.
Activation fee
AT&T Prepaid plans don't collect activation fees from subscribers.
Minute expiration rules
For the $15 card, minutes will expire within 30 days; for $25, $50 and $ 75, minutes are good for 3 months while the $100 card can last up to one year. AT&T Prepaid also has their Rollover® Balance(TM) which allows unused minutes for a particular month to be carried over to the next month.

 

Do CECT Phones Work With AT&T Sim Cards?

Often times, I get emails asking about the "CECT AT&T phone."  I usually have to explain that no such phone exists, but that any of CECT phones will work with a network that uses a GSM sim card.  I'll explain this below in the following article.
GSM Sim Cards Vs CDMA Technology: What Is The Difference?: In the world of cell phones, there are two competing technologies - Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access  (CDMA).  Different carriers use different technologies. For example, verizon, sprint, and metro PCS use CDMA.  AT&T and T Mobile use GSM.  Some people believe that CDMA's technology makes for faster Internet connections, but now that GSM carriers have "3G" versions, I believe that this is no longer the case.  Some rural areas will not have coverage with both technologies, but most people can chose between the two.
As I said earlier, all of the CECT phones use GSM sim cards.  Most have two slots which allows you to use two sims from one carrier or a different card with two different carriers.  Both of these will work just fine.
AT&T Options With CECT Phones:  Often, people will ask me "do I need a contract with AT&T to use the SciPhone, i9, or other clone?" The answer to this question is no. But, if you do have a plan and you are happy with it, all you need to do is take your sim out of your old phone and place it in the new one.  All of your contacts, info, calendars, etc. should be saved.
If you don't currently have a contract, that's quite OK too.  AT&T has a GSM pre paid option called GoPhone and it includes both talk, text, MMS, and data.  There are a few options with this.  Typically, you pay per minute and by KB of data, but their are bundles or monthly specials that will save you a lot of money.
If you don't want to go prepaid but don't want a contract either, a hybrid between the two is the "pick your plan" option which is more of a pay as you go plan.  There is no contract or credit check here, but you will pay the same amount each month, unless you chose another option.  For example, you can get 300 minutes for $39.99, but mobile to mobile minutes don't count for the 300 minutes, so you're actually getting more talk time than that.  And, you can still get the bundles that are available for GoPhone if you're a heavy texter or Internet user.
You really need to take a look at how much you will use each of the features (talk, text, Internet) to determine what will work out and be the cheapest for you.  But, whether you go with a contract, prepaid, or pay as you go, AT&T most definitely works with this phone.  You can either use your old sim, buy one directly from the retailer, get one on line, or, if you can't wait, buy a cheap GoPhone and use that sim. But, this will be more expensive than just getting the card itself. And remember to activate the card first before you try to use it. Many people write me and say the phone doesn't work, but that's because they're trying to use an unactivated card.

Current Free AT&T Phones - Samsung Impression, Samsung Solstice, and More

Pretty much the only reason you should sign up for a contract or "postpaid" plan is if you get a really cool cell phone for free. There are so many competing prepaid plans out there that make getting yourself into a contract almost a ridiculous idea.
That being said, if you need to have a high-end phone, your home is most likely still in the contract wireless world. Let's put it this way--you can't get a prepaid iPhone. At least, not yet you can't. Prepaid providers are slowly getting on the ball and adding higher end models to their rosters, but we are still a ways away from having very good choice of cell phones from prepaid providers.
The Samsung Finesse r810c on Straight Talk Wireless and previously MetroPCS is a bright spot. T-Mobile also released a prepaid BlackBerry plan right before the 2009 holiday season, but the plan may not quite make sense yet for most people. As the years go by and prepaid plans by companies like Straight Talk and Boost Mobile become even more ingrained and truly viable for the average cell phone user, we will see more high-end models of phones available on "pay as you go" platforms.
For now, you can get some very good phones for free from wireless companies and phone makers. AT&T has some good options available for free or very affordable prices. One such phone you can get for free with an AT&T plan is the Samsung Impression. Another phone is the Samsung Solstice.
Getting a free or cheap cell phone every two years is what seems to keep a lot of people tied to a contract plan. You can still get a good deal on postpaid wireless plans, but prepaid is going to continue to eat away at the contract market's share of the marketplace. More companies are going to hedge and release their own competitive bargain prepaid phone plans.
AT&T's Samsung Impression 3G phone has a 3.2 AMOLED touchscreen that features beautiful crisp colors, while sustaining long battery life. The touchscreen has haptic response, which is the tiny vibration felt when pushing a virtual button. It's a cool feature that adds to the usability of the phone. Impression is a slider phone with a full pull out QWERTY screen-always a good thing to have in tandem with a touchscreen because virtual keyboards are notoriously hard to use and inefficient, although they are getting better.
The free Samsung Impression also comes with a 3-megapixel camera for snapping photos on the go. For those who need more memory, this handset has a MicroSD slot for bigger memory cards of up to 16 GB. AT&T's Impression is a feature-rich phone with a lot of capability. This phone retails at $149.99, which AT&T is offering the phone for free with a new service plan.
Another phone AT&T is offering for free with a new contract plan is the Samsung Solstice. Solstice has a 3-inch QVGA display screen complete with widgets for social networking. It has a 2 megapixel camera and is a good overall phone for the person who likes to stay socially connected.
There are a few other phones like the Samsung Jack, Samsung Mythic, and Samsung Magnet that are all free from AT&T with new plans. If you are considering an AT&T plan, it may be worthwhile to look at these phones.