Two Norwich Union with profit funds are set to pay their policyholders an average of GBP1,000 each should they accept the offer.
Around a million customers hold these particular Norwich Union funds, with 700,000 of them set to receive between GBP400 and GBP1,000 and a further 220,000 looking at a minimum of GBP1,000 up to GBP3,500. The policies in question are the CGNU Life and CULAC with profit fund. The payout will be instead of any future claim on the surplus value of the funds so the options should the considered carefully.
The general opinion is that the offer is a very fair one and is likely to be accepted by most customers, especially in the current economic climate. Payouts are expected to begin in the middle of 2009 since there are a number of administrative procedures to carry out prior to Norwich Union allocating the funds.
The Prudential, the second largest life insurance provider in the UK, has seen the Peoples Bank of China take a one percent stake in the company, worth GBP130 million.
The move puts the Chinese bank into the top 25 of institutional investors in the Prudential, though there is no feeling that the holding is leading up to a takeover bid. The Chinese bank invests in many different businesses and a one percent holding is not uncommon. Speculation came because of the Prudential developing the Asian market though the management at the insurer welcomes the investment.
Such is the activity of the Prudential in Asia that their growth for the first half of the year was 14 percent, a remarkable step forwards.
Life Assurance plans are something that everyone should have, as long as they are the most suitable for the customer. The CIS Life Insurance division is offering some handy tips to help customers make sure their loved ones are looked after.
CIS Insurance are, for example, offering customer alerts to advise of premium increases as well as identifying the best life assurance policies for those with children. A key aspect of this type of cover is the provision of income replacement, where a sum is paid on a quarterly basis to the remaining family.
A word of warning is also issued regarding Whole of Life policies, from the CIS or any other insurance company, since they are tied in to the performance of the stock market. This means that the amount payable could actually be less than that paid in.