Scary subject

[Sabeine]

Anders is traveling to Eygpt for a diving trip at the end of Feb. He will be in southern Eygpt in Sinai by the Red Sea for 10 days.
What I am worried about is traveler's insurance/life insurance. I certainly don't want anything to happen to him, however if something should I would like to be okay in the monetary sense. I don't mean this to sound callous or cold, I am just worried. Our new apartment he got from his work. He has the first hand contract on this apt, I am not on this contract and cannot be because it is through his work. He has a stipulation on this place that after 2 years this place is his/ours outright. That will be another 1.5 years. If something happens to him before, I am basically out on the street after about 2 months. That scares the hell out of me. The uncertainty and insecurity is not something I like.
Since he is going to Eygpt I asked for him to look into insurance of some kind. I realize that generally Eygyt is not a typical hotspot for terrorist actions, however many thought the same thing about Bali. Things happen, one can never be certain of much. I am not trying to be greedy, I am trying to look out for myself, just in case.
Does anyone know of traveller's insurance that would pay a settlement (we are not married) if something were to happen to him? I am willingly pay all the premiums seeing how I would be the benefactor. If not traveller's insurance, then I guess life insurance.
I certainly hope that my post is not taken as being greedy or morbid. Things happen that people don't plan for good and bad, I just don't want to be caught on the bad end. For me, it is better to plan for the "what if's".

Thanks.

[Carolyn]

Get life insurance, you don't have to be married to be the beneficiary. And it's not greedy or morbid to think about something like that.

Even if Egypt itself is not dangerous, diving can be.

[Sabeine]

Thanks Carolyn!

Do you happen, or perhaps your Anders knows of a life insurance company here in Sweden? We already called Folksam and didn't get much of an answer, so now we are looking around. Anders looked into a few others but they didn't seem to know much about if he traveled outside the country. It seems that most covered accidents and such while here in Sweden. They refered him to traveller's insurance but I don't think that it is the same at all. It should be life insurance, right?

[Carolyn]

Okay, I talked to my Anders. He said that once upon a time, life insurance was common and lots of people got it, but now it's more complicated. Your Anders would need to go down to their office and have a physical and then there's usually a time period before you can collect on a death, like a year or so. PLUS if he does what are considered high-risk hobbies or occupations (sky-diving, scuba diving, tiger hunting, etc.), the premiums are going to reflect the added hazard.

He says you need the traveler's insurance, of course, which would cover injury, etc., and then can check into death while on a journey, but life insurance, as we know it here, well, you have to go through the above hoops.

Actually, while we were talking, I found out he's worth more to me alive and disabled than dead anyway ;D I only get 25,000 SEK on his death, since I'm his wife, but if I get mad and cripple him, we'll be much better off. I told him for 25,000, I wouldn't risk it, since he's got at least that much in him in house-cleaning, laundry and dishes.

Oh and by the way, if George W. has his way, your Anders might not be able to travel in that area by the end of February anyway, since there will be a major armed conflict going on.

[Carrie]

I have no idea about the life insurance thing, but just wanted to say that I don't think you are being morbid or greedy at all. I often think about what will happen if something happens to Mike. I would be royally screwed since we aren't married yet. I am on his bank account, but I'm not sure if that would do any good if he died since the inheretance laws are so different here. His family is nice and everything, but would they be willing to give me his money if something happened? I don't think so. They'd probably be willing to give me enough to get me back to the States and that's about it. I think his family already thinks I'm using him for his money since I don't work.

Anyway, I didn't really mean to go off on that tangent. Just wanted to let you know that it's something that everyone *should* think about b/c it's important. Of course no one wants their SO to be hurt (I hope no one does, anyway), but it's just smart to plan for the future.

Carrie

[Natooke]

Sabeine

I certainly understand your feelings, as my husband travels a fair amount in all 4 corners of the world with his work. I also don't think your post was either morbid or greedy ... it is just plain fact, one needs to look after one's life because of what if ... ? and to know you 2 are not alone in this thinking.

Here are some of insurances we have.

SAF-LO (FOR A)

SAF stands for (Svenska Arbetsgivare Föreningen-Swedish Employer Association) LO stands for (Lands Organisationen- Swedish Unions) A certain amount ( in agreement) is paid into a pension until the age of 65 … If upon death (before 65) the benefactor (me) … has a benefit paid every month for the next 5 years … this includes “registrated” Sambos/partners.

Union/traveler's insurance … This helps cover costs to bring back the “love one” and burial costs.

Life Insurance … We have a private Life Insurance through LIVA/Nordea… and before I met Peter … I owned a policy and changed it with my husband as the benefactor.

Our Home Insurance is covered by Folksam and when we bought the house in 92, I was put down as 50% of ownership (more to due with taxes)


I hope this helps Sabeine insurance is mindbogeling(sp) at times, but it does give me a peace of mind that what if ... should ever happen I would be sole owner/ benefactor of the estate, and that I have the power to decide our fate (our kids best interests) ... that (to laws) here in Sweden a long lost living relative could not come a claim their part.

Another thing a very good friend of mine (expat) did was her & sambo went to their lawyer to make a "will" out ... if something should happen she would be sole owner of the house & estate. I guess one can't cross their T's enough

Good Luck & keep us posted!

[LadyDuff]

I do totally agree with what you all have said on this!! My husband does not have an insurance of this kind here in Sweden, but in Canada. I know that no one wants anything bad to happen to the one we love, but in fact, it is something that could happen and that one needs to be ready for! thanks Natooke for the post, that was very good to know about!!

[Sabeine]

Thank for all the responses!

Anders looked into the situation more today. He does have life insurance through his work. It isn't a lot, but the comforting news is that he can raise the ammount if we pay extra. It is very reassuring to know. They are sending us papers to look over. If we decide it is what we want, then we sign them and mail them back. A physical was surprisingly not needed. I think we will pay into this policy until this apt is outright ours. Then after that I could have peace of mind to not be thrown out on the street. And his already existing insurance policy from work would suffice. At least with this additional insurance policy if something were to happen, I could have some money to get a place here, or move back to the States. I would have options.

I also asked around because of something Carrie wrote. Carrie, you actually would get your boyfriends things. Since you are sambo you are considered his next of kin. You do not have to be married for this, and his family could not get his money/stuff/apt or house (if he owns it). You would. If however, he has children then they would get his things/money/apt etc. This is (my understanding) how inheritance laws work here. So in reality you are probably better off with the inheritance laws here, than in the U.S.

My worry is that since we rent our place neither of us are on the contract. He got this place through his work and it won't be ours outright for another 1.5 years. That's why a life insurance policy would afford me some options in the event of him passing away, if it should come to that. I would still get his assets with or without a life insurance policy or marriage, that is what I have been told is the law here.

If anyone has heard differently, please post it. This concerns probably all of us on this site.

[Carolyn]

I guess we need to look into this further then, since Anders said if he died I got everything automatically as his wife and the kids didn't. I was under a different impressoin, but he said no, the kids didn't get anything. So he's wrong then and I guess we need to get a will or something.

Nothing that I begrudge the kids anything, because I love them dearly, and we have nothing to leave but lots of books, but ...

[Sabeine]

I could be wrong Carolyn. I asked a friend that had studied law for a short time, I figured she might know. Of course there might be stipulations. Such as if a parent really didn't want their kids to inherit.

It might be good to look into. Maybe Natooke here knows, since I believe it was her that had said that she and her family had a will made. Or was it Debbie?

In my situation, I don't think a will is neccesary since neither of us has children, or do two cats who act like children count? ;D

[Carolyn]

Or maybe Dawn, our resident librarian, could do some legal research?

By the way, Dawn, what happened with the job interview??? It seems to take forever in Sweden between the interviews and when you get notified.

[Natooke]

Carolyn said:

I guess we need to look into this further then, since Anders said if he died I got everything automatically as his wife and the kids didn't. I was under a different impressoin, but he said no, the kids didn't get anything. So he's wrong then and I guess we need to get a will or something.

Nothing that I begrudge the kids anything, because I love them dearly, and we have nothing to leave but lots of books, but ...

As I understand this law ... NO Carolyn the 2 of you wouldn't need to make a will ... you would be the one to have the estate ... then with your passing his children receive the estate.

It might be good to look into. Maybe Natooke here knows, since I believe it was her that had said that she and her family had a will made. Or was it Debbie?

Sabeine wrote:
What I had wrote was a good friend of mine (expat) and Sambo made a will due to the fact that if he passes she will be looked after ... due to there are grown children involved .. sorry I should of made this point a little more clearly ... my bad

Yes I think it's very important to discuss these types of things

[Pam]

While we're on the subject, it's important for US to look into things too. My mother had absolutely nothing in any order of any kind....except for five CARTONS of cigarettes neatly stacked on her desk.
I urge everyone to write things down. Getting a paper notarized is a good idea but just putting things in writing makes a difference. Putting it in an envelope, mailing it to yourself and leaving it sealed could make it legally binding. Do you have jewelry? Family heirlooms? A quilt your grandmother made? Who do you want to have it? Would your Swedish partner have any idea? Do you want to be kept on life support for any certain length of time? Do you want to be cremated? Buried in America? Make your wishes known and put them in writing. If you feel shy or morbid discussing it with your S/O at least put it on a piece of paper in a sealed envelope and tell him where it is in case something happens to you. And ask him/her to do the same.
If you have never been on that side of the situation let me tell you this.....you do not want to put anyone you care about through that hell. The loss of a loved one is hard enough to deal with, without legalities slapping you in the face before you can even have a funeral.

[Carolyn]

I guess being older than most of you, my husband and I already discussed the burying part (he wants to be buried, not cremated, I don't care since it's just the left-overs).

He wants the diaries he's kept since he was 14 given to his children, no problem with that.

The only thing we really need to consider now is his interest in the house his ex-wife is living in, since he's still on the mortgage there, even tho she pays it.

[Sabeine]

I have been in the situation similar to yours Pam.

This past March while we were visiting family, my mom nearly died. I think I told you about this, we found her unconscious on the bathroom floor, with blood in her mouth. It was the worst moment ever.

Lucikly, she did live, and her affairs are/were in order. I know what she wants and I also have power of attorney. I agree with you Pam, it is very important to know these wishes about any close loved one. A lot of people think they know but when time comes, they realize they don't. Put things in writing as you said, it is the best way to go, no confusion later on.