Viking Magazine - January 2020 - 10

Finance
1
Make healthy food choices
and move your body. " Identify
a healthy weight goal, and if you're
not already there, look for diet and
exercise changes you can make to
help you achieve this goal, " says Gill.
The American Heart Association
recommends eating a variety of
nutritious items from all food groups
and getting at least 150 minutes of
moderate physical activity every week.
2
8 New Year's Resolutions
That Could Impact Your
Life Insurance Policy
Kick 2020 off on the right foot with lifestyle changes that can
positively affect both your health and your premiums. BY TAYLOR HUGO
hen it comes to New Year's resolutions, you know goals like losing
weight or exercising regularly can make a positive impact on your
physical and mental health, but these changes could also have another,
less obvious beneficiary: your life insurance policy.
" We know that both hereditary factors and lifestyle can impact
mortality, so making positive lifestyle choices can potentially result in
lower life insurance premiums, " says Diane Gill, Sons of Norway's
underwriting and claims director. " Taking steps to eat healthier, get
regular exercise and reduce stress have proven to have a significant impact
on our overall health. When underwriting a client for a life insurance
product, we take into account not only the existing health history but
also any ongoing efforts the applicant is making to improve and maintain
good health. "
W
Ready to get started? Here, Gill offers eight resolution ideas that will
not only help you feel your best but will also have an impact on your
life insurance.
10 VIKING JANUARY 2020
sonsofnorway.com
3
Quit smoking. With more than
7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke,
causing health problems like heart
disease, stroke and lung cancer, smoking
is the most preventable cause of death
in the United States. The habit can also
prevent you from getting the best life
insurance premium possible. Enlist the
help of your doctor to make a smoking
cessation plan and surround yourself
with a support system of friends and
family to keep you accountable.
Pick up a new hobby. Even
recreational activities can have an impact
on life insurance, so if you spend your
weekends jumping out of planes, you
might want to consider trading in your
parachute for a tamer hobby like cycling.
" We look at everything from scuba
diving to skydiving, and depending upon
the risk factors associated with that
hobby, it could be no additional cost for
your insurance, it could be a significant
additional cost for your insurance or it
could be that your insurance would not
be issued at all, " says Gill. If you don't
want to give up the adrenaline rush, Gill
notes that obtaining proper certification
for riskier hobbies-like scuba diving,
for example-may help reduce life
insurance premiums or keep you from
getting denied.
http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - January 2020

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