Month: April 2020

Do you remember that dog you had, that your parents told you went to live with Aunt Jane? Chances are, she really didn’t. But not a lot of people feel comfortable explaining death to a child.

How do you go about the process?

For starters, experts suggest being honest, accurate and brief. Be careful about using euphemisms like “passed away” or “went to sleep” to describe death, and this may create confusion for younger children who may end up then being afraid of going to sleep for fear of them too passing away.

Tell them what happened, then see what comes from them, such as their feelings and ideas about how to handle the death.

Children may not grieve in the same way that adults do. Your child may not show signed of being sad, or can go from feeling sad and then go back to playing like nothing ever happened. Do not underestimate the importance of involving your children in the grieving process by asking them directly what they’d like to do. Children need a process of saying goodbye just as much as you do.

Money is expected to get a little tight for almost everyone, what with the pandemic and all. If you’re looking for ways in which you can boost your savings account, why not try these 3 easy tips below?

Aim to reduce regular expenses. You can’t eliminate your utilities bills, such as water and electricity, but making small changes can aid to reduce it. Be mindful and switch off lights when you are not using them, make sure your close the taps properly and regularly inspect your pipes and hose for leakage. No matter how small, every little saving adds up and will help build up your account in the long run.

Set a budget. Having a budget in place can help you see where your money is going and give you an idea of how much you could save. A good way to do it is to write down yours or combined net incomes, and from that subtract your fixed bills like  rent, utility bills etc… The amount that is left is what you have left to spend on other needs each month, like groceries. Once you have worked out a budget, keep track of what you spend your money on in order to give you a realistic picture of where you’re spending your money, and where you can cut back.

Buy only the essentials and sell what you do not need: It’s easy to get sucked into spending on more than you need; randomly adding things to your grocery cart when you’re out shopping, or spoiling yourself with some new clothes. But do you really need them? When going shopping, make a list of only the essentials and stick to it, you’ll be surprised at how much you can save! Similarly, if you have things that you don’t need at home, consider selling them and placing the money in your savings account.

The reality is you will only start saving money when you develop healthy money habits. By implementing these 3 steps, you are setting up the foundation for a better savings account.

With everyone basically in home isolation and a lot of parents working from home, it’s bound to happen that kids are getting a free pass to use the internet without any supervision.

The truth is, no matter how many privacy settings you select and regardless of  how many security software you install, there’s really no substitute for parental monitoring. How can you work and keep an eye on your kid’s internet usage at the same time?

For starters, you can start by having a frank discussion with your kids what they’re using the internet for.  Some good questions to ask are;

• What are some of your favourite websites to use or visit?
• What do you do online for fun?
• Have you ever felt uncomfortable or uneasy by someone that contacted you?
• What are you doing to be careful and protect yourself when you’re online?

It is important to let your children know that they can always come to you if they have any questions or concerns. In order to protect your kids online as well as your own  financial security, especially if you share devices, parents should keep an eye out on their kids’ online activities, no matter how old they are. Just so that there are no ‘breach of privacy’ let your kids know up front that you will be occasionally monitoring their activities to ensure there have been no security breaches or inappropriate use.

As the news informs us in the rise in number of deaths overseas related to corona virus, we’re sure this raises a few questions in regards to your life insurance policy. We are here to assure you that if you have an active life insurance policy and continue paying premiums, your beneficiaries will receive a payout if you die from COVID-19 or related complications.

When might my policy not pay out? 

Your policy may not pay out if;

• You lied on your application. Life insurance applications are legally binding documents. If you were  dishonest in your application, we have the right to delay the payout to your beneficiaries while we investigate, or deny it altogether.
• Your policy lapsed. If your policy lapsed and you died before getting it reinstated, your beneficiaries won’t receive any money.

That being said Sacos will automatically renew policies that become due for renewal from 8 April to 8 May 2020. We would like to encourage you during this time to communicate with us electronically (see below) and make use of any of the following available options to pay your renewal premiums to ensure that you remain covered during the trying times that we are faced with:

1. Payment through Internet/ Mobile Banking
2. Payment at your bank
3. Mobile Payment (MCB Juice)

Please visit the Sacos website www.sacos.sc for more details on how to make payments through the above options.

If, for good reason, you are unable to make payment electronically, Sacos will hold you covered until 8 May 2020 and urge you to contact us as soon as lockdown is lifted to make payment for the annual renewal of your policy. If Sacos does not hear from you by 15 May 2020, your policy will automatically lapse and be cancelled in accordance with your contract of insurance.

Can I apply for life insurance during the coronavirus pandemic?

Yes. While the coronavirus is an evolving pandemic, it shouldn’t affect your ability to apply for life insurance.

Since the Department of Health has issued a ‘lockdown’, unless you are part of what is considered as part of an essential service you really have no reason to be on the road. In this regards, Sacos Insurance Group needs to comply with the lockdown rules and as such only Motor accidents occurring as follows will be considered valid claims:

• Accidents occurring in the course of one’s duty for an essential service and in possession of a work access permit valid at the time of the accident as confirmed by the Police;
• Accidents by someone driving to and from an essential service provider to and from his/her place of residence as confirmed by the Police.

We have requested the Police to verify recently expired Sacos insurance disk with us so that we can confirm compulsory Motor cover telephonically to allow you passage.