LifeGuideŽ is produced for installation under Windows 95/98/ME, Windows
NT/2000 series and Windows XP.
LifeGuideŽ is fully Network Compatible for installation under various
network configurations (Network installation licensing is required for
network installations.).
The LifeGuideŽ Professional software is produced independently of all
insurance sales and marketing organizations, without any direct or
indirect affiliations with any insurance marketing organization.
The primary focus is to benefit the insurance buying consumer in the
most objective, complete and professional manner. As a
consequence, LifeGuideŽ subscribers enjoy the widest and continuously
increasing service and competitive edge and advantage.
Picture of the opening screen of the LifeGuide Professional Software
Scope and Range of Products Researched and Compared in
LifeGuideŽ
The LifeGuideŽ Professional Software covers the entire range of life
insurance products. No other independently produced life insurance
research, comparison and information software in Canada provides the
number of products, the number of companies and the level of
comprehensive research and comparison facilities, features and tools
that are provided to professionals on the LifeGuide software. The range
of products on LifeGuide includes:
The "Products' Selection" pop-up window of the LifeGuide Professional
Software. This pop up window provides the user with the product options
from among the largest number and widest scope of Term, T100, Whole
Life, Universal Life, Critical Illness, Guaranteed Issue and Special
Issue products. It is as easy and point and click.
-Term Life Insurance: All available forms of
"term" life insurance, including YRT, T5, T10, T15, T20, T25, T30, T65
and T75, etc. Term insurance is researched, compared and quoted for
single lives, on a joint (first and last to die basis) as well as for
multiple persons using LifeGuide's unique Multi-LifeŽ cost optimization
functions. Additional functions for research and comparison of term
insurance include fine tuning and filtering of term products with
respect to renewability and convertibility, fine tuning of research to
account for the various category-classes, including consideration of
the various forms of past or present tobacco use (and time since last
use), detailed qualification requirements, detailed underwriting
evidence requirements, detailed plan descriptions, insurance company
profiles, marketing information resources listings and instant access
to sample policy wordings, etc. LifeGuide provides subscribers with the
most comprehensive and most advanced term research and comparison
tools.
The "fine tuning" 'filtering' pop-up window of the LifeGuide
Professional Software for Term products' research and comparisons.
Since renewability and convertibility may be important qualitative
aspects of Term products, LifeGuide provides the user with the facility
to filter the compared products on the basis of renewability and
convertibility. LifeGuide is the only independent multiple company life
insurance software with this important feature.
-T100: All available forms of "T100" including
Guaranteed T100, Adjustable T100 and Unique T100. T100 is researched,
compared and quoted for single lives, on a joint (first and last to die
basis) as well as for multiple persons using LifeGuide's unique
Multi-LifeŽ cost optimization functions. Additional functions for
research and comparison of T100 insurance include fine tuning and
filtering of T100 products to account for the various category-classes,
including consideration of the various forms of past or present tobacco
use (and time since last use), detailed qualification requirements,
detailed underwriting evidence requirements, detailed plan
descriptions, insurance company profiles, marketing information
resources listings and instant access to sample policy wordings, etc.
LifeGuide provides subscribers with the most comprehensive and most
advanced T100 research and comparison tools.
-Whole Life: All available forms of Whole
Life, including Guaranteed Whole Life, Adjustable Whole Life, Unique
Whole Life and "limited premium payment period" Whole Life. Whole Life
is researched, compared and quoted for single lives, on a joint (first
and last to die basis) as well as for multiple persons using
LifeGuide's unique Multi-LifeŽ cost optimization functions. Additional
functions for research and comparison of Whole Life insurance include
fine tuning and filtering of Whole Life products to account for the
various category-classes, including consideration of the various forms
of past or present tobacco use (and time since last use), detailed
qualification requirements, detailed underwriting evidence
requirements, detailed plan descriptions, insurance company profiles,
marketing information resources listings and instant access to sample
policy wordings, etc. LifeGuide also shows Cash Surrender Values and
Paid Up Values for Whole Life on a year by year basis. This provides
for enhanced accuracy and credibility of of comparisons for any given
points in time. LifeGuide provides subscribers with the most
comprehensive and most advanced Whole Life research and comparison
tools.
LifeGuide provides the user with detailed, attractive and easy to use
'ledger style' displays and print outs of values for any product being
compared. The above picture is a shows the CCVA functions 'ledger
style' display of values for a 20-pay Whole Life policy.
"A picture speaks a thousand words" (or a thousand entries on a
spread-sheet). The dynamic graphics illustrations functions of the
LifeGuide Professional Software provide the user with the easy to use
facilities to display and investigate any product in the comparison in
a pictorial and dynamic graphic format. By clicking at any point on the
LifeGuide dynamic graphic display, the values for that point are
instantly displayed in the 'read out' lines below, accurately for any
given year and for each aspect. LifeGuide is the only independent
multiple company life insurance software with these advanced, valuable
and easy to use facilities. Of course, you may print out the graph with
a single mouse click.
-Universal Life: All available forms of
Universal Life, including Level Death Benefit and Increasing Death
Benefit products and including all forms of COI. LifeGuide provides
detailed research comparisons for Universal Life solving for various
scenarios, including level payments for life, user-chosen "limited
premium payment period", for "target" premiums for user-stipulated
values and/or coverage at any given point in time, etc. Using LifeGuide
to research the Universal Life market easily saves countless hours (and
perhaps even days) of work and allows the subscriber to "zero in" on
the best product(s) for the client's needs. The user can then proceed
to produce the illustration for the consumer with the identified
insurer's marketing materials. This is one of the many aspects that
provide LifeGuide subscribers with a very wide and substantial
advantage over their competitors. LifeGuide is the ONLY independently
produced multiple company life insurance software with the power and
sophistication needed for comprehensive instant research of Universal
Life products. Universal Life Life is researched, compared and quoted
for single lives, on a joint (first and last to die basis) as well as
for multiple persons using LifeGuide's unique Multi-LifeŽ cost
optimization functions. Additional functions for research and
comparison of Universal Life insurance include fine tuning and
filtering of Universal Life products to account for the various
category-classes, including consideration of the various forms of past
or present tobacco use (and time since last use), detailed
qualification requirements, detailed underwriting evidence
requirements, detailed plan descriptions, insurance company profiles,
marketing information resources listings and instant access to sample
policy wordings, etc. LifeGuide also shows Fund Values and Cash
Surrender Values for Universal Life on a year by year basis. This
provides for enhanced accuracy and credibility of of comparisons for
any given points in time. As noted, LifeGuide is the only independent
multiple company life insurance software with the capability to
comprehensively research and compare Universal Life products.
Picture of one of the pop-up 'options windows' in LifeGuide. This
'options window' appears when Universal Life products are to be
researched and compared and is designed for the user to indicate the
basis and parameters on which the UL research and comparison is to be
made. The user may set the assumed projected annual UL fund growth, the
planned premium payment period, the goals parameters to be solved for,
etc. Comprehensive comparisons and evaluations of UL - including
accounting for "fund" and "cash" values - requires complex computations
and programming logic. LifeGuide is the only independently produced
multiple company life insurance research software with the power and
sophistication that is required for such the research and comparison of
Universal Life products.
-Critical Illness: Needless to say, Critical
Illness (CI) coverage is of fundamental importance and bridges the gap
between life insurance and DI. Naturally, therefore, LifeGuide provides
subscribers with advanced and comprehensive facilities to research and
compare the large and growing number of CI products on the Canadian
market. LifeGuide covers the entire range of CI products, including the
"renewable term" and "level duration premium" products, including
products that offer ROP ("Return of Premium"). Since CI products vary
with respect to the covered CI events and since premium cost is closely
related to the extent of coverage provided, LifeGuide provides the
needed facilities to zero in on the products that provide coverage for
the CI events that the client would like to have covered. Additional
functions for research and comparison of CI products include the fine
tuning of the research for the various underwriting category-classes,
including consideration of the various forms of past or present tobacco
use (and time since last use), detailed qualification requirements,
detailed underwriting evidence requirements, detailed plan
descriptions, insurance company profiles, marketing information
resources listings and instant access to sample policy wordings, etc.
LifeGuide is the only independent multiple company life insurance
software with all these facilities for professional comparison and
research of CI products.
The Critical Illness Coverage comparison and research "Sufficiency
Filter" pop-up menu window of the LifeGuide Professional Software. This
menu window provides the user with the facility to indicate the
critical illness events that would need to be covered by each of the
products included in the comparison. The user selects the critical
events that need to be covered by clicking on the listing to place a
check mark next to the name of the critical events.
-Long Term Care insurance (LTCi): LifeGuide is the first - and only - independently produced multiple company professional software in Canada to include research and comparison of LTCi products. LTCi coverage is becoming increasingly important as the leading edge of the "baby boom" generation is approaching the senior stage of life, a stage of life where the potential for the need to fund long term care is a reality. Independent multiple-carrier, multiple-plan LTCi coverage research and comparison in LifeGuide is provided the leading edge LTCiScout(tm) software module that is included with LifeGuide. The software examines various aspects of LTCi offerings, including "Elimination Period", "Maximum Benefit Period", "Maximum Benefit Payout", Coverage environment(s), including "Home Care", "Facility Care", etc., "ROP", "Inflation Protection", "Premium" amounts, mode and duration, "Paid up" options, etc. LifeGuide's MontAge(tm) functions are utilized for effective and easy to use 'side by side' comparative examinations. Of course, LifeGuide's LTCiScout module also includes detailed narrative plan descriptions, qualification guidelines, issue evidence requirements and sample policy contracts for the various products being compared. Hundreds of LTCi offerings' permutations are included on LifeGuide's LTCiScout(tm) module, making this the most comprehensive independent resource for research and comparison of LTCi products available in Canada.
-Special and "Niche" products: LifeGuide
includes a growing number of special and "Niche" products. This
includes "Guaranteed" and "Simplified" issue life insurance and CI
products. For these products, as for the others noted earlier,
LifeGuide provides detailed plan descriptions, insurance company
profiles, marketing information resources listings and instant access
to sample policy wordings, etc.
Comparison Options
LifeGuide provides the user with the most advanced facilities to
compare the entire range of life insurance, CI and LTCi products,
including:
a. Initial and renewal premiums for term insurance, as well as detailed
year by year death benefit and values detail for "permanent" products,
including CSV and RPU for Whole Life products and Fund Values and Cash
Values for Universal Life products.
b. All four premium payment modes, including "Annual", "Semi-Annual",
"Quarterly" and "Monthly"
c. "Opportunity Saver": Where otherwise the "face amount" and/or the
calculated premium would fall below insurance company stipulated
minimums, the Opportunity Saver functions automatically compute the
increased the face amount that would be required to meet insurance
company stipulated "minimum premium" and/or "minimum face amount"
requirements. Particularly for younger and healthy persons, the
Opportunity Saver functions reveal substantial potential cost savings
that can be achieved. "More for less" is sometimes possible, especially
with term insurance. Instead of taking the old short cut and branding
products "below minimum premium" or "below minimum face amount", the
Opportunity Saver functions are designed to identify and take advantage
of cost savings opportunities that can be achieved by increasing the
face amount.
d. Multi-SelectŽ: These functions provide the user with the ability to
compare, survey and quote products from multiple categories in a single
run. When combined with the unique Across the BoardŽ functions of
LifeGuide, these functions are very useful and powerful for producing
time value comparisons and evaluations among products from various
product groupings.
e. Across the BoardŽ: Taking advantage of the year by year premiums and
values information that is available on LifeGuide, these functions
provide the user with the ability to compare all products in a survey
against each other for the best cost and value at any given point in
time. To minimize the hazards of "Vanishing Coverage", these functions
also identify the final expiry years of term products as well as
potential premature expiries of Universal Life products. (Note:
Across-the-BoardŽ is a Registered Trademark of Equisoft
Inc. The Across-the-BoardŽ modules are available only on LifeGuideŽ and
on our US life insurance comparison software, CompeteUS(tm). No other
use of our Registered Trademark, Across-the-BoardŽ, is authorized by us
on any other life insurance comparison program)
g. Provincial Coding: Since not all companies are licensed in all
provinces and since not all products are necessarily offered in every
province, LifeGuide provides the user with the important facility to
identify the province in which the prospective insurance transaction is
to be commenced. This avoids accidental quoting of products that may
simply not be available in the respective province. Furthermore, the
provincial coding functions also automatically take into account the
differing Provincial Premium Tax rates and apply these to the premium
computations where applicable to produce, compare and display accurate
premium figures.
h. Comparisons for single lives and for groups of lives: In addition to
comparisons, surveys and quotations for individual lives, LifeGuide
also provides the user with the most advanced functions, including all
the above, for groups of lives. For two or more lives, LifeGuide is the
first independent multiple-company comparison software to innovate
quotations and comparisons for multiple persons on a Joint-Life basis
(for joint, first-to-die as well as joint last-to-die with premiums
payable to the first death and joint last-to-die with premiums payable
to the last death). LifeGuide, of course, continues to provide the most
powerful and most comprehensive surveys, comparisons and quotations for
Joint-Life and for all products that offer this option, including term,
T100, Whole Life and Universal Life. LifeGuide is also the first
independent multiple company software to correctly and accurately
implement the facilities to survey, compare and quote products that are
offered with combined billing discounts. LifeGuide accurately computes
and attributes the combined billing discounts. Furthermore, LifeGuide
is the only independent multiple company software with the facilities
to automatically differentiate between the "individual policies
combined billing discounts" and the combined billing discounts that are
offered in single contract "base:rider" arrangements. This
differentiation is very important due to the potential contractual
flexibility limitations that may be present in "base:rider" combined
billing discount arrangements.
LifeGuideŽ is the ONLY independent multiple company software with the
very powerful Multi-LifeŽ functions. While the combined billing
discounts are based on the pre-brokerage "single company
representation" model and usually involve the policy factor, the
significance of the discount in combined billing discounts arrangements
diminishes with older individuals, higher face amounts and underwriting
qualification differences between the individuals. Furthermore,
combined billing discounts are not necessarily offered on all products
and product combinations, even within the same company. The LifeGuide
Multi-LifeŽ functions take into account both the combined billing
discount opportunities and the cross-company / cross-product
opportunities. The powerful and effective Multi-LifeŽ functions
frequently reveal significant cost savings and value enhancing
opportunities that would otherwise be missed.
Picture of the Multi-LifeŽ functions display window of the LifeGuide
Professional Software. In this example, insurance is researched for a
husband and wife taking advantage of the Multi-LifeŽ functions' power
to compare on the basis of placing both with the "same" company or
placing each with a different company. Placing both insureds with the
same company could have the advantage of any offered combined billing
discounts while placing each with a different company may produce even
greater total cost savings. Both options need to be examined to
investigate and identify the optimum opportunities for cost savings.
The LifeGuide Multi-LifeŽ functions perform this research and
investigation instantly. In the pictured example, over $1,000 of annual
cost savings - achieved by insuring each of the spouses with a
different company - are identified. Without the LifeGuide Multi-LifeŽ
functions, these substantial savings could easily be missed.
LifeGuide is the ONLY independent multiple company software with the
powerful Multi-Scope(tm) functions. These functions provide the user
with the ability to survey, quote and compare insurance costs,
INCLUDING AVAILABLE DISCOUNTS for groups of lives numbering up to 12
lives in a single pass.
Financial Tools
The LifeGuide Professional Software provides a suite of easy to use
financial tools. These include:
-PV of a series of future payments
-PV of a single future payment
-FV accumulation of a series of periodic deposits at a given ROI
-FV of a single deposit at a given ROI
-Commuted Value
-Commuted Period
-Commuted Rate
-Cash flow and ROI analysis (involving both periodic deposits and
withdrawals at different or the same frequencies)
-Mortgage and/or loan analysis, including effective and powerful
studies of custom (user stipulated) static and/or variable payments
and/or mixture thereof (and with user-stipulated compounding and
payment frequencies, terms and amortization periods). Detailed displays
and print outs of schedules, etc. This software alone is valued at $250
and is included free of charge for the benefit of LifeGuide subscribers
and their clients
Screen view of one of the tabs "Return on Investment" of the LifeGuide
Multi-Calc(tm) financial tool functions. Different tools are invoked by
a single mouse click on any of the tabs.
Analysis Tools
-Detailed and comprehensive step-by-step "wizard" guided Life Insurance
Needs Analysis (a very effective and beneficial planning and service
tool)
Picture of step 8 of 23 of LifeGuide's "wizard" guided Life Insurance
Needs Analysis. This step, to take inventory of existing individually
owned life insurance, provides an explanation in plain language as do
the other steps of LifeGuide's professional needs analysis modules.
-"Ledger Style" Life Insurance Needs Analysis with the same detail and
accuracy as the "wizard" guided format but on a "ledger" format (under
both the step-by-step "wizard" guided format or the "ledger" style
format, income streams are analyzed for increasing ("indexed") income
(eg to account for anticipated inflation), fixed income, fixed period
of income, indefinite period of income (capital preserved to provide
for indefinite income period). The capital at commencement of can be
set to deplete over a given period of time or to be preserved or to
actually increase with or without increased income cash flow.
-Detailed and comprehensive retirement income needs analysis and
analysis of investment(s) required to achieve the retirement income
goals. The Retirement Income Needs Analysis is provided in both the
"wizard" guided step by step format as well as in the "ledger" format.
Income streams are analyzed for increasing ("indexed") income (eg to
account for anticipated inflation), fixed income, fixed period of
income, indefinite period of income (capital preserved to provide for
indefinite income period). The capital at commencement of retirement
can be set to deplete over a given period of time or to be preserved or
to actually increase with or without increased income cash flow.
Picture of the "ledger style" format, this one for the Retirement
Income Needs Analysis. This scrollable window is neatly organized to
detailed and comprehensive needs analysis and provides access to
various detailed cash-flow ledgers for optional scenarios.
-Detailed and comprehensive disability income needs analysis in choice
of formats similar to those for life insurance and retirement needs.
Additional Resource Tools:
-The Insurers Roster: The most comprehensive and detailed roster of
nearly 400 insurers that are operating or have operated in the past in
Canada. The Roster includes a host of valuable information to trace the
insurer who may be handling a product of a "retired" insurer, including
contact information. The Roster also includes contact information,
financials and brief details with respect to currently operating
insurers. LifeGuide is the only independently produced multiple company
software in Canada that provides this important resource tool.
Picture of the "Insurers' Roster" functions window of the LifeGuide
Professional software. Companies are listed in alphabetic order, with
detailed information on each easily accessible with a single mouse
click or through the keyboard. Nearly 400 companies that are operating
or have operated in Canada in the past are listed and detailed to
provide added benefit to LifeGuide subscribers and their clients.
-Click and view instant retrieval of information over the internet,
including links to insurer web sites, to insurer information circulars,
to LifeGuide Lines, etc.
-Financial Library, including resource data on various aspects of life
insurance and financial planning -EZ setup and use links to individual
company and other third party software, directly from within LifeGuide
... and more
LifeGuide Screen and Print "Output"
LifeGuide screens are designed for ease of use and to minimize the
number of screen flips/changes. Detailed information on any product in
a LifeGuide comparison survey is instantly displayed within the survey
screen on a single mouse click. The user can also continue on and zoom
in on any aspect of the product, including quantitative and qualitative
details, dynamic graphic illustrations, etc. - usually with only a
single mouse click.
LifeGuide Print output is attractive and professional. The user is not
limited to a narrow range of print output options but can custom
produce the print output to provide extensive research and specific
product(s) detail, including both quantitative and qualitative
information and including graphic illustrations.
Print output can be instantly directed by the user to any physical or
virtual printer (including "printing" to a file and saving of that
file). LifeGuide also features its own specially custom written module
to produce print output in PDF format with or without instant e-mailing
of the output. Although Adobe's PDF writer is an excellent and strongly
recommended product, production of professional output in PDF format
with LifeGuide does not require the user to purchase a PDF writer
separately.
Software Upgrades and Data Updates
While already providing subscribers with a wide and significant service
and competitive advantage, the LifeGuide Professional Software is
enhanced on an ongoing basis to continue to widen the service and
competitive advantage of subscribers.
Software upgrades and data updates are released on a monthly basis, an
on occasion on an interim (during the month) basis as well. Since we
work independently but cooperatively with the various insurers, we
normally receive insurance product change, introduction, underwriting
requirements, qualification requirements and like information ahead of
introduction to the field. This allows us to include such changes,
introductions and the like simultaneously with the insurance companies
themselves and enhances the accuracy and currency of the LifeGuide
Professional Software. This cooperation by the insurance companies is
very much appreciated and benefits the thousands of LifeGuide
subscribers as well as the insurers and the general public.
Software upgrades and data updates are distributed by CD as well as by
fully automated, secure and reliable downloads from the LifeGuide
update servers. The upgrades and updates via the Internet are
hassle-free and fully automated, utilizing special routines innovated
for the LifeGuide Professional Software and built into the software
itself.
Information Resources:
Product information, including rates, methods of computation, u/w
requirements, descriptions, qualification criteria, etc. are sourced
directly from the head offices of the insurance companies. This
provides the highest possible degree of accuracy and reliability.
Furthermore, since the information is received directly "from the
source" and in a timely manner, the need for "mid-month" updates is
limited. We thank all the insurance companies for their ongoing support
and cooperation.
Important Note:
The above is only a very brief review of a small fraction of the
benefits and advantages provided by the LifeGuide Professional
Software. LifeGuide provides many features and benefits that are not
mentioned here, each adding to and compounding the wide and notable
service and competitive professional advantage enjoyed by LifeGuide
subscribers.