First for Women – About the Company
First for women is technically known as “1st for Women” and is a South African insurance company devoted solely to the insurance needs of women. Research shows that women are a lower insurance risk as they behave differently. For example, research has shown that women are involved in fewer car accidents. Also, many more women are taking out their own insurance policies, independently. Because of these factors, L. Vermaak, T.J. Creamer and J.W. Wilken founded First for Women or “1st for Women Insurance” in 2002. The company offers women lower insurance premiums because they are a lower risk, and also offers packages designed to support women's specific needs. The company is a member of the Telesure Group (as are Auto and General, Budget Insurance and Unity Insurance, for example). On their website it is said that a percentage of premiums paid are given to the First for Women Insurance Trust which supports women's needs in South Africa.
Where is First for Women Located?
First for Women is located in the same development as many other Telesure Group companies. You can find them at Auto and General Park, 1 Telesure Lane, Riverglen, Dainfern, 2191.
What Services Do First for Women Provide?
First for Women offer a range of insurance products all designed specifically for women. This includes car insurance, home contents and building insurance, personal and business insurance and life insurance. We'll be looking at their life insurance options in more detail.
First for Women Life Insurance Options
First for Women life insurance is very simple. Their basic policy is called “Pure Life Cover”. You may add additional plans to this basic policy if you choose to. The Pure Life Cover policy includes the following:
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Coverage up to R200,000, which is paid in a lump sum in the event of death;
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Immediate coverage for accidental death;
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Whole life coverage, meaning there's no maximum age at which coverage stops;
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A terminal illness clause – a terminal illness diagnosis with less than twelve months to live means immediate pay out of your policy while you are still living;
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Fixed premiums for the first two years;
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Up to ten beneficiaries;
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Suicide coverage after the first two years.
The following are additional types of coverage that you can add:
“First for Women Elevated”
This is the more advanced life insurance option. In addition to the basic Pure Life Cover advantages, you also get:
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Immediate coverage for accidental and natural death (not just accidental);
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Coverage of R200,000 upwards, elsewhere the site quotes their maximum coverage as R10,000 000. Please always use this number format: RX,000
First for Women Disablement
You also have the option of adding coverage to protect you from disablement (disability) with either the Occupation-based Disablement plan or the Event-based Disablement plan. Both options have immediate coverage and include the ability to increase your coverage if your circumstances change. Both are also stand alone products, so if they are paid out they will not affect your other life insurance policies.
Occupation-based Disablement will pay out the coverage amount immediately if you become permanently disabled and cannot do your job or a job in a similar field. Event-based Disablement pays out if you are disabled in an accident only, and will pay a percentage of your coverage depending on how you are disabled.
First for Women Dread Disease
First for Women also offer the option of adding a Dread Disease package to protect you in case of serious health problemsThis policy includes:
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Pays a percentage of your cover amount if you are diagnosed with a serious disease such as cancer, or if you need to undergo a serious heart operation or organ transplant;
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An option to increase your coverage if your circumstances change;
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Stand alone product – so if your cover is paid out it will not affect your other life insurance policies.
First for Women Expo-Sure
Finally, you have the option of adding Expo-Sure to help and protect you and your family in case of HIV exposure. This option has the following benefits:
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24 hour a day, 365 day a year access to a care centre offering HIV/AIDS information, counselling and advice;
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Two blood tests in the event of sexual assault, trauma or potential exposure to the HIV or AIDS virus;
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Antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV infection;
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Access to the Morning After pill to prevent unwanted pregnancy;
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Medication to treat other sexually transmitted diseases;
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A pay out of R3 000 to be used to pay for counselling of the patient or family members after sexual assault;
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Lifelong access to an advice and counselling phone line.
How are the Customer Reviews for First for Women?
On the customer review site “hellopeter” First for Women received 1136 positive comments out of 1614 total comments in the last twelve months. That means 70% of consumers praised the company – this is a very good ratio compared to many other companies that we have reviewed. The vast majority of these compliments were directed towards First for Women's customer service. In the event of a customer complaining on hellopeter, a First for Women customer service representative responded to the complaint within a short period of time. Most of the insurance companies tend to have a double digit complaint ratio, so First for Women seems to have a great reputation in comparison to the competition.
How User Friendly is the First for Women Website?
We found the First for Women website very user friendly. Information is clearly separated out into categories with a nice sidebar so that
you can easily choose the kinds of products you're interested in. The site gives the important information in easy to understand language, avoiding insurance jargon (professional terms) that the average user may not understand. Our only comment about the website is a very small one: the handy sidebar that makes accessing information easy does not appear on the home page. Instead, you need to click on “products and benefits” before you can find what you're looking for. As mentioned, this is something small, but it would be easier if we could jump straight to the kind of insurance we want from the home page. Overall though, the First for Women site was simple and easy to use and we give it a thumbs up.
Conclusion Time for First for Women Insurance
First for Women, or “1st for Women”, provides simple, easy to understand life insurance policy options. Their website is easy to use and it's simple to find the information that you're looking for. Additionally, their customer reviews on hellopeter were very good, with a 70% positive rating which is something very comforting as a potential client. On the downside, we were unable to find certain types of policies that are usually offered by other life insurance companies such as funeral coverage.
Overall First for Women seems like a good company to get your life insurance from, but as always, we still recommend comparing their policies with other companies and getting quotes before deciding in order to be sure that their price is right. You can get up to 2 Free life insurance quotes by filling in the form on the top right.
* Disclaimer: We do not represent any of the companies, products and/or services reviewed, published or advertised on this website. Nor are we financial, health or insurance professionals or services provider. If you request a quote or purchase a product/service, it will not necessarily be given by the company reviewed on any specific page. Any decisions you make based on the information presented is at your own discretion and we advise that before doing so, you consult with the relevant professional.
Main subject: First for Women Insurance
