Takaful Ikhlas Initiatives

Takaful Ikhlas Sdn Bhd has projected a 20 per cent to 30 per cent increase in customers driven by bankatakaful product following its agreement with banks that are interested in collaborating in bankatakaful.

To date, its customers stood at 1.7 million and the company is in discussion with two banks in a bid to create bankatakaful products.

Takaful Ikhlas was expected to finalise discussions with the banks in the current financial year ending March 31, 2014, said its president and chief executive officer Ab Latiff Abu Bakar at the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between the company and Kolej Dar Al-Hikmah here today.

The MoU represents a cooperation between the two parties in an effort to increase knowledge related to finance and Islamic knowledge.

"Most of the learning programmes currently available in the market are diploma courses related to conventional insurance and we at Takaful Ikhlas feel compelled to pioneer this innovation with a strategic education partner, a Diploma Takaful programme that truly fits the specific needs of the takaful industry in Malaysia," he said.

He also said through the MoU, Kolej Dar Al-Hikmah would produce Diploma on part-time basis accompanied with confirmation from Takaful Ikhlas to employees and agency force who enrolled in the three-year learning course at the college.

Pre-FSA Policy - Not Affected

Policy owners who have named themselves as the trustee to their life policies prior to the enforcement of the Financial Services Act 2013 (FSA) on June 30, 2013 can now heave a sigh of relief as the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) has revealed they can continue to do so. Under the previous Insurance Act 1996, policy owners were allowed to be appointed as trustees of their own policies.

"For all these policies, the policy owners can continue to act as trustees of their own policies even under the FSA," LIAM president Vincent Kwo said in a statement on Friday.

However, he pointed out that for new policies issued or new nominations submitted from June 30, 2013 onwards, policy owners cannot appoint themselves as trustees under the FSA.

"They can appoint any one whom they trust as trustees. This includes their family members, friends or even a trust company," he said. Kwo noted that if a policy owner has not appointed a trustee for policies issued under the FSA, the spouse and/or children (who have reached the legal age of 18 years) are presumed trustees under the policies.

"If there are no presumed trustees under the policy (if the spouse has passed away and the children are under the age of 18), the insurance company will pay the policy moneys to Amanah Raya Bhd as the country's public trustee," he added.

Kwo stressed that the role of the trustee – be it an individual appointed by the policy owner, or a trust company or a public trustee – is to protect the interest of the nominees.

"All nominations made under the previous Insurance Act 1996 and the FSA will remain valid and the payment of policy monies will be made according to the nominations.

"Policy owners should have the assurance that the policy moneys will not be frozen upon his or her death. We advise policy owners to contact their life insurance companies for further clarification on this matter," he added.

Credit Insurance

Finance managers call it “credit life” and it’s essentially a decreasing term life insurance policy that can be added to a car finance contract that, in actuality, benefits the lender.

The word “decreasing” in this case means that the payout amount will cover the loan balance at any given point in the loan term. As the loan amount is reduced through payments, the coverage decreases to match the balance owed.

The word “term” means the policy covers a fixed period is non-renewable and builds no cash value (you can’t borrow against it). Unlike the auto insurance policies in some states, the cost of credit life insurance is not affected by the insured’s FICO scores while, in some states, age limitations are placed on which borrowers can and cannot take out a policy.

Purchasing credit life insurance
Borrowers must make a decision about credit life insurance before the loan documents are signed. The monthly cost is based on the initial loan balance with the cost added to the amount financed and raising the monthly car payment.

The pros and cons
While we feel that only the borrowers themselves can decide if they need credit life insurance, here are some pros and cons to consider:

Pros:
1. Peace of mind – if a borrower should die before the loan is paid off, the insurance coverage will pay the remaining balance and their estate won’t be responsible for any balance due. In fact the title to the vehicle will be transferred free and clear to the borrower’s estate.

2. Convenience – since the cost of the insurance is included in the car payment, there is no additional premium that needs to be paid.

3. Guaranteed – borrowers not insurable through regular channels can protect their families from additional debt if they were to die.

Cons:
1. Cost – credit life insurance is usually more expensive to buy than a comparable decreasing term life policy. The reason for this is that there’s a greater risk with credit life insurance because it’s a guaranteed issue product – eligibility is based solely on the policy holder’s status as a borrower. There are no medical exams or health questions involved. Borrowers are also paying the same premium for less protection each month.

2. Interest expense – because the cost of insurance is added to the loan, interest is also being charged on the cost of the policy.

3. Single borrowers - if there is no co-signer and the borrower is single, even if the borrower were to pass away their family could not be held responsible for the loan balance.

Incontestable Period In Life

The life insurance contestability period is a short window in which insurance companies can investigate and deny claims. The period is normally one year as soon as a policy goes into effect.

If you die within the contestability period, the life insurance company can investigate whether you gave accurate information on your life insurance application. The company can deny paying the death benefit if you lied -- even if the cause of death has nothing to do with misrepresentation on your application.

Laws prevent life insurance companies from refusing to pay benefits just because customers made mistakes on their applications. Life insurers then included clauses in their policies saying they could not contest claims except during the contestable period. Insurers have to go after these cases when there's fraud or more people would try [to cheat], and prices would increase for everyone.

You put your loved ones at risk if you lie on your life insurance application.
Don't lie or withhold information to get lower rates, betting you'll live through the contestability period.

The insurance company still has to honor the contract if you die during the contestability period. Life insurance companies can investigate the claim during the contestability period to make sure the underwriting decision was based on accurate information. But it still has to pay the death benefit if everything is in order. The insurer has to pay up even if you die an hour after the life insurance policy goes into effect.

The life insurance company could pay the claim even if you got some facts wrong.
If an investigation finds you misrepresented facts on your application, the insurer has a couple of options. It can figure out how much premium you should have been paying based on the new facts and reduce the death benefit by that amount. That would likely happen if you simply made a mistake, such as saying you were a recreational skier when your hobby actually met the definition of extreme skiing. Or perhaps you miscalculated how long ago you quit smoking. Or the insurance company can deny the claim. The decision will depend on the size of the claim and how blatant the misrepresentation was.

You could still get in trouble if you commit fraud and live beyond the contestability period.
Don't think you're free and clear if you live more than two years after the policy goes into effect. Insurance companies can still take action if fraud comes to light.

The contestability period is a separate issue from the suicide clause.
Almost all life insurance policies have a suicide clause. It often gets confused with the contestability period, but the two are separate issues.Under the suicide clause, the life insurance company will not pay the death benefit and will return premiums if the insured commits suicide within the first two years of the policy. After two years, the policy will pay out even if the cause of death is suicide.

Your family might wait longer for the money if you die during the contestability period.
Life insurance companies don't investigate every claim during the contestability period. An insurer probably won't look into a claim when the insured dies in a car accident, for instance. But an company likely will investigate a claim if the insured dies of a health-related cause - such as a "non-smoker" who dies from lung cancer. The payment of the death benefit will be delayed if there's an investigation. But if there was no wrongdoing, the insurer will owe the beneficiary interest on the death benefit once payment is made.

A new contestability period begins in some cases.
If your policy lapses because you didn't pay the premium, another two-year contestability period begins if you get the policy reinstated. You'll also face a new contestability period if you transfer the cash value of a permanent life insurance policy into a new policy. Policy owners make transfers like this to get a better return on investment.

Why You Need A Life Insurance

Single and young people don't need life insurance.
Truth: Your key question should be: Are there financial obligations I need to meet if I'm gone?
Even if you have no dependents, you'll likely have funeral expenses and might leave behind other debts you'd like to see paid off. You also might have family members who lent you money or to whom you would like to provide financial support. You may not die but suffer total and permanent disability that need more money. A life insurance policy could cover these costs. Moreover, buying while you're young can help you lock in lower rates and guarantee coverage if you develop health problems later in

Only people with kids need life insurance.
Truth: : Chances are your spouse depends on your income, regardless of whether you have children. Could he or she manage to pay the mortgage and all other household bills and debts alone? Would he or she need time and resources to go back to school or train for a new career? A life insurance policy could help your partner maintain his or her standard of living and take the steps necessary to move forward.

If your employer provides coverage, there's no need for more.
Truth: Many corporations provide their employees with free life insurance worth one or two times their annual salary. Similarly, the military's Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) offers $400,000 of inexpensive coverage. These are nice benefits, but if you leave your company or the military without a separate policy in place, it may be difficult, costly or even too late to buy one when you need it most.

Myth 4: Life insurance is too expensive.
Truth: It probably costs less than you think. For example, a healthy 30-year-old male can get $500,000 of 20-year term life insurance coverage for less than $25 per month.

Insurance policies are all the same.
Truth: There are a variety of different types of coverage, and even policies that have similar names may differ substantially in what they offer. So before you buy based on price alone, it pays to read the fine print.

There's no reason to insure a stay-at-home spouse.
Truth: Your stay-at-home spouse may not earn an income, but think of all he or she does to keep the household running: child care, meal preparation, transportation, housekeeping and more. With that spouse gone, life suddenly gets a lot more challenging -- and expensive. Life insurance can defray the cost of hiring help or changing jobs or work habits to accommodate a new lifestyle in your partner's absence.

Buy it once and you won't have to think about it again.
Truth: Life insurance isn't a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Every significant life event -- marriage, a new baby, divorce, buying a house, retiring -- should prompt you to double-check your coverage. Even if you've had no big changes, it's also smart to review the policy every few years to ensure that you're keeping pace with inflation and still getting the best value for your premium dollars.

Investment-Linked Outsold Ordinary Life

Investment-Linked policies sold in Malaysia outpaced traditional life policies in the first-half of 2013 (1H13) garnering 52.4% of new business premiums compared to 47.6% for more capital intensive traditional life policies, according to the latest statistics by the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM).

LIAM’s president Vincent Kwo Shih Kang opined the reason being the low interest rate environment is pushing consumers who are willing to take on more risks in order to get higher returns, and investment linked policies with its savings and protection elements present the freedom for consumers to choose their investment mix.

“With the recent new highs achieved in the local stock market, those policyholders opting for a higher equity component in their portfolio have achieved a decent return,” said Kwo.

The investment-linked new business recorded a growth of 4.8% for 1H while the traditional life business contracted 15.5% during the same period.

Investment-linked policies continued to outshine traditional policies in terms of growth with 49.5% of new business share in 2012, up from 45.6% in 2011.

Nonetheless, for new business premiums, the life insurance industry recorded a 5.9% decline on a weighted premium basis (commonly adopted method for measuring new business volume by adding 10% of single premium business to 100% of regular premium business) during the 1H13 to RM1.85 billion from RM1.97 billion recorded a year before.

“The overall new business performance of the industry experienced some adjustments due to portfolio restructuring that was undertaken by some of the industry players,” said Kwo.

The statement added that the total claims payout for the industry eased slightly to RM2.9 billion for 1H13 as compared to RM3.1 billion in the corresponding period last year.

A total of RM6.7 billion worth of life insurance claims were paid in 2012, a 19% increase over RM5.6 billion paid in 2011.

Kwo pointed out the penetration rate is at 41.22 % presenting a growth opportunity for the industry especially in line with the Economic Transformation Programme targeting 75% of the population to be insured by the year 2020.

Total sum insured for 2012 was RM1.02 trillion, an 8% increase over RM946 billion in 2011 while the average sum insured was RM34,700, and increase of 6.7% from RM32,533 in 2011, said LIAM in an earlier report.

The average sum insured of RM34,700 per capita against an ideal average sum insured per person should be around RM310,000 also presents growth opportunities for the industry.

Commenting on the 2H13, Kwo believes that the industry will bounce back and should be able to deliver a positive growth of 2%-5% for the whole of 2013.

It is customary for insurance companies to register a high new business premium figure for the final quarter of the year as agents would be selling more policies in that quarter in order to meet their quotas.

Employees Hate You

You reward the wrong things.
What gets rewarded gets done. It is such a familiar axiom of management that it is nearly cliché. It is, however, completely true. Where you focus your attention focuses your employees' attention. What you notice, note and reward will get done more frequently. Identify and focus on the results that matter. And don't be like the executive above who confused activity with accomplishment.

You don't listen.
Even if your employees told you about a qualm of theirs, you might not really hear them. It is too easy to be distracted and pre-occupied. Becoming a better listener is actually quite easy. When an employee is in your workspace to talk, turn off your email alerts, close your door and let your monitor go into sleep mode. Give your undivided attention to the person in front of you. They will feel you value them, and you'll likely increase the quality and speed of the interaction.

You don't notice what your employees are doing.
Brittney was a financial manager at a client firm. She was bubbly and outgoing. She also had the ability to draw attention to her "contributions," though many weren't that significant. Employees hated her self-aggrandizement. But they also disliked that management noted Brittney's efforts because they were easily observed. Leaders didn't pay attention to the good and often better work others were doing. Great work is often done backstage, out of the spotlight. The glitter of self-promotion doesn't blind great entrepreneurs. They seek out those people doing good work and make it a point to notice. Pay attention to people who do good work and let them know. And don't get suckered by people who are better at promoting themselves than producing results.
 Your attitude sucks.
Bill is an entrepreneur who constantly complains about how terrible his employees are at delivering customer service. He berates and belittles even their best efforts. And yet he's puzzled why those same employees treat customers poorly. The irony escapes him. Attitudes are contagious. Mirror neurons pick up on and are affected by the moods of those around us. Leaders are especially powerful in influencing the mood of those on their team. Don't expect others to be more upbeat than you or treat customers better than you treat them. There are a few entrepreneurs who might have dodged this bullet, but not enough to be statistically significant. Your attitude is contagious, so pay attention to how you act at work each day.

You can't keep your mouth shut.
A young entrepreneur we will call Bob loved to share insider information about others. At one after-work beer session, he shared something HR told him confidentially about a co-worker who was not at the gathering. It was less than flattering and was instantly off-putting to those in the group. The employee, a valued and productive member of the team, learned of the betrayal of confidence and was outraged. She left the company soon after

Effective Leadership

"All managers are leaders." Truth: some managers can lead and others don't or cannot. Management is a subset of leadership, not its equivalent. Managers are good at setting up, monitoring and maintaining systems and processes. They hire people. But if they can't bring out better performance in people and take the organization beyond where it is, they aren't leading. Leadership always involves change, improvement and growth.

"Some are born leaders." Truth: even someone with a predisposition to lead must learn the skills of leadership. A young person who is 6'6" might have the predisposition to play basketball, but he or she still needs to learn the skills before they can play successfully.
Leadership might be more latent in some than others -- and you can't always tell -- so focus on what is developing someone's behaviours, not their biological background.

"Leaders always have the right answers." Truth: leaders ask the right questions and know where to find the best answers. If your people always come to you for answers, you're stunting their ability to think. And if everyone in your company keeps asking the same questions, I assure you, you're not that innovative. Without questioning and curiosity, leaders simply manage by using familiar answers long after the marketplace has started asking different questions. It isn't about knowing the answers as much as it is about knowing who to ask and where to look.

"You need a title to lead." Truth: to lead you only need to know when it is appropriate to do so and how to do it. When I stay at a hotel, the majority of people I encounter -- from the front desk to housekeeping to foodservice -- have no formal title or power over people, yet they are responsible for creating my experience there -- good or bad. Good staff willing to take the lead are as important (and probably more) than the official leaders at the top. Leadership is about making things better, and the best organizations teach everyone to take responsibility for leading.

"Leaders are focused." Truth: Leaders create a shared focus. If your team isn't focused, it doesn't matter how focused you are on doing what matters. A manager is usually focused, but a leader creates shared focus and doesn't waste resources by allowing team members to do work that doesn't matter.
Being focused is about self-responsibility and discipline. Creating shared focus is about engaging others in the leadership agenda and making it specific to their jobs.

"Leadership is about ambition." Truth: leadership is about the greater good. There's nothing wrong with ambition, but it primarily serves the ambitious. If what you're doing serves only you, you almost certainly aren't leading. When others are served better as well -- customers, colleagues, vendors, the community -- that is the sign of effective leadership.

"Anyone can lead." Truth: Nobody can lead if they lack the desire to do so. You can't make people lead any more than you can make a horse drink once you've led it to water. Desire is the sine qua non of effective leadership. And you, Mr. or Ms. Leader, cannot become better without the same desire. I've observed that nobody improves by accident. Getting better is about getting past the common thinking, lies and misconceptions and digging for wisdom. Once you know the truth, it can set you free and make you a better leader.

Medical Cost Up 10% Each Year

Medical costs are expected to increase by 10 per cent each year due to the lack of public realisation on the importance of having a healthy lifestyle, resulting in rising cases of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya said increasing cases of NCDs each year resulted in rising treatment costs borne by the government, besides providing the best medical services to the people.

"The number of Malaysians who are obese as announced by the Health Minister (Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam) recently, shows an increasingly serious obesity problem. Obesity will contribute to more health problems for an individual.

"This will result in more people being admitted to the hospitals for treatment each year. I have visited several hospitals where I saw congestion...need to add beds and so on. We are working at tackling the issue," he said after launching the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Tobacco-Free Campus project, here, Tuesday.

Also present were USM deputy vice-chancellor (Student Affairs and Development) Prof Dr Adnan Hussein, Malaysia Health Promotion Board (MySihat) chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Nasir Mohd Ashraf and National Poisons Centre director Assoc Prof Dr Razak Lajis.

Dr Hilmi said increasing public confidence in the medical treatment at government hospitals and clinics also contributed to rising medical costs, including administration, management and development, for the government.

He therefore urged the government to focus more attention to the Health Ministry by giving it an additional allocation in the 2014 Budget, to ensure that it continued to provide the best medical services to the people, including building new hospitals and clinics.

Meanwhile, Dr Hilmi welcomed USM's efforts at kicking the smoking habit among the university's staff and students which could help reduce cases of NCDs.

He hoped that other higher learning institutions would emulate USM by organising programmes to create greater public awareness on the dangers of smoking.

Private Retirement Schemes

What is PRS?
Basically, the PRS is a defined contribution pension scheme which allows people (or their employers) to voluntarily contribute into an investment vehicle for the purposes of building up their retirement income.

In a Malaysian retirement framework, it is to be complemented with (and not a substitute for) the mandatory contributions made by both employees and employers to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) scheme.

Having a voluntary scheme in addition to the EPF also allows private company employees and self-employed persons to voluntarily contribute towards their retirement in a systematic way.

What are the Similarities Between the PRS and the EPF?

• Retirement purpose: Both the EPF and PRS schemes are for building up a person’s retirement assets and income.

• Tax Benefit: Tax relief is given for contributions to both schemes (up to RM6,000 a year for EPF; RM3,000 per year for PRS).

Note: The PRS is a separate entity from the EPF, which is Malaysia’s mandatory PRS and should not be treated as an alternative.

PRS Providers
PRS Providers are fund management firms which are approved by the PRS administrators to manage the investment vehicles that contributions get paid into.

The eight PRS Providers approved (as of April 5, 2012) are:
• AmInvestment Management Sdn Bhd
• American International Assurance Bhd
• CIMB -Principal Asset Management Bhd
• Hwang Investment Management Bhd
• ING Funds Bhd
• Manulife Unit Trust Bhd
• Public Mutual Bhd
• RHB Investment Management Sdn Bhd

The PRS was “soft” launched in July 2012, which means that PRS Providers were not yet ready to accept funds, and all the relevant parties would spend the next few months educating potential members and the public on the various aspects of the PRS.

Contributions
Unlike the EPF, PRS contributions are not mandatory, and they can be made by either an individual or an employer. There is no statutory minimum amount (although individual PRS Providers may specify a minimum amount as per their own internal investment policy) and no statutory time interval for contributions.

EPF - Raising Retirement Fund

Malaysia's largest pension fund has decided to raise the minimum savings for its contributors to ensure they have more money in their twilight years, but this indirectly cuts investments into the country's vibrant unit trust industry.

The new rules by the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) to cut investments in unit trusts comes at a time when rising costs have shown contributors' savings are not enough to cover retirement after turning 55, five years below Putrajaya's new retirement age of 60.

“The EPF will revise upwards the basic savings quantum of its members to RM196,800 by the age of 55 effective January 2014, to ensure enough savings to finance members' retirement needs,” EPF general manager, Nik Affendi Jaafar told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend.

He revealed that under the old scheme, which was launched in 2008, members' targeted savings of RM120,000 at the age of 55 was not sufficient for them to maintain their lifestyle during retirement.
But the new amount will be equal to RM820 a month for 20 years from age 55 to 75.

The new rates are said to be benchmarked against the minimum pension for public sector employees, which is currently at RM820 a month, so that the monthly retirement income does not fall below the poverty level.

Following the revision, members need to have more in their Account 1 to be eligible for the EPF Members Investment Scheme, under which savings are invested in unit trusts. Currently members can use 20% of their balance in Account 1 to invest in approved unit trust schemes.

To illustrate the change, if a member is 40 years or older and has basic savings of RM80,000 in Account 1 at present (2013), his excess will be RM36,000 (derived from RM80,000 - RM44,000). He can then use only RM7,200 (20% of RM36,000) to invest in any approved unit trust. To further protect EPF contributors, withdrawals for unit trust investments are only permitted once every 3 months.

With the new EPF rules in 2014, at RM80,000, the excess will only be RM11,000 (RM80,000 - RM69,000). One can then only use RM2,200 (20% of RM11,000) to invest in any approved unit trust.

An official from the Federation of Investment Managers (FIMM) who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that the unit trust industry would be severely affected by the new ruling.

The RM326 billion unit trust industry comprises some 50,000 consultants who earn commissions ranging from 1% to 3% from unit trust investments.

The new ruling would also result in many EPF members, who were previously eligible to invest in unit trusts, no longer being qualified.

One of the leading Unit Trust Management Companies, Public Mutual (a subsidiary of Public Bank), derived one-third of its non-interest income from its unit trust operation. In 2012, less than 10% of its net profit was from its unit trust business

Getting Into Your Boss's Hair

Are you trying your best at work but still not getting the best results? Perhaps it is time to think about how your boss and colleagues see you and what they think about your work ethic. Managers are often stressed because they have to manage their subordinates and office dynamics on top of having to deal with a high workload. If you feel like talking to your boss can be somewhat similar to walking on top of a landmine, maybe it is time to evaluate if you are doing it right.

Even if you do not mean it, saying the wrong thing or approaching your boss the wrong way could put you in your boss' bad books. Here are some ways employees drive their bosses mad, without even having to try.

Cursing in the office
Even if you might not be directing your foul language at anyone in particular, cussing still creates a hostile environment for some people. Swearing in the office will make you seem unprofessional.

Lacking confidence in every thing you do
Not having confidence often means the rest of your team needs to pick up the things you do not dare do. This is frustrating for the boss, who could be frustrated from trying to motivate you to put in more effort at work.

Asking for direction on every task
If you are the sort who is unwilling to examine your tasks and come up with a strategy on your own, your boss might get increasingly annoyed and wonder what he/she has hired you for.

Always looking lethargic
Attitude is very important. If you look lethargic a lot of the time, your boss could get annoyed even if you are getting work done.

Giving your boss last-minute work to check through
If there is something your boss needs to look through and you have had plenty of time to do it, do not pass a whole chunk of material for checking at the last minute. This adds to your boss' workload and needless to say, stress levels too.

Venting your emotions at work
Keep work professional - Venting your emotions at work shows that you are unable to handle yourself, and also gives your boss more reason to dread dealing with you at work.

Goofing around too much
It is okay to be the joker who lightens the mood in office, but be careful not to try too hard. Your relaxed attitude speaks volumes about your lack of professionalism, and keeps you away from earning that promotion.

Being absent-minded
Carelessness could cost you, especially if they result in big losses for your boss. Absent-mindedness can cause you to look like your mind is not at work, even if you have a very good excuse for it. Always take notes, and remind yourself in every way possible.

Treating the office like a love playground
Being a serial colleague dater does not make you look good. While your charm might work on your lovers, it could create awkwardness among your colleagues. It also shows that your mind is not set on work.

Taking sick leave all the time
If you have a valid reason to be away, it is only right for bosses to allow you to take time off. However, if you blatantly take sick leave for hangovers and mood swings, your boss will find you out eventually.

Dressing inappropriately for work
Especially so if you have an important meeting to attend.
Dressing up is nice but remember that less is not more when you are at work. If you want to keep the respect of your bosses and colleagues, keep your dressing professional and smart.

Being a drama queen
Bosses hate it when employees exaggerate the effects of everything. If you sob out loud just because things are not going your way, it could be time you keep your emotions in check

Revealing work-related information online
Whether it is blogging or just updating your Facebook status, talking about the bad things at work on social media platforms is a big no-no for many employers.

Gossiping
Gossiping can turn malicious and creates a hostile environment for others. Bosses also hate it when one employee fuels the fire of jealousy among colleagues.

Investing In Life Insurance

Here are five events that commonly increase a person's need for insurance. Know someone who has experienced one (or more) of these lately? Chances are he or she needs some life insurance.

1. Tying the knot.
When you get married, you share each other’s financial obligations. Would a surviving spouse have enough money to cover your funeral costs and debts?

2. Starting a family.
If something happens to you, where will the money come from to provide the upbringing you would like your child to have? How would they pay for college?

3. Buying a home.
Could a surviving spouse manage mortgage payments, utilities and maintenance costs without your help?

4. Starting a business.
Life insurance is a key to allowing a business to survive the death of an owner.

5. Supporting aging parents.
Many members of the “sandwich generation” are now supporting their parents as well as their children. Life insurance can ensure your parents would continue to be cared for in your absence.