Consume un Reonts Disability Insurance Another rider deserving consideration is the so-called option to purchase. As its name implies, it gives you the right (but not the obligation to buy more insurance In the future, usually in specified Amounts at specified intervals, regardles of changes in your health. The price is usually based on your age at the time of each additional purchase. Cost-of-living riders may also have ap peal for some buyers. These adjust your benefits according to some measure of Indation, often the Consumer Price Indez. There is usually a limit to the adjustments, both per year (such as 5 percent & year) and in total (such as a 100 percent maximum increase in coverage). Benefits may be adjusted automatically each year eir from the time the policy is purchased or from the time you are disabled The Ratings indicate a few policies that have some type of cost-of-living increase built into the basic policy. Recommendations CU's Ratings are a basic framework for your own comparison-shopping but are not a substitute for it, for several reasons Premium rates will vary, depending on your age and the underwriting (risk) class to which you're assigned. CU's data were gathered several months ago, and some rates may have changed since then. Most Importantly, new policies, some of them Innovative and attractive, continue to come onto the market. Of the 37 policies CU examined, our clear preference goes to the Cuardian NCTS-A. Its provisions uniformly met CU's criteria for top ranking, and while i was more expensive than many policies, Its good features outweighed the cost dif feranons, by our me People for whom cost is most impor tant should consider the fifth-ranked Connecticut Mutual NC-, which did well on CU's quality measures and was in estimated cont whom cost is not an object t to give serious consideration to Mutual DP 188, or one Mutual policies not this project. The DP 185 rated the Guardian NCTS-A in definition of disability, the other Massachusetts Mutual policies incorporate as standard features many of the riders we consider The Consumere Union Foundation funded the rearch and writing of this report. For information about the founde tion, write Conme Union Founde tion, Bon RC, 258 Washington St, Mount Vernon, N.Y. 108sa MARCH 1943 DMA ETHICS & CONSUMER AFFAIRS PROGRAMS DIRECT MARKETING ASSOCIATION, INC. 11 WEST 42ND STREET NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10017 212/768-7277 ΤΗ dma CONSUMER TIPS: MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE WHO SPONSORS THE MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE? The Mail Order Action Line (MOAL) is a free consumer service sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). DMA is the largest and oldest national trade organization serving the direct marketing industry. Members of DMA market goods and services directly to consumers using such media as direct mail and catalogs, telemarketing, magazine and newspaper ads, and broadcast advertising. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE MAIL ORDER ACTION LINE? Even in the best of companies complaints can occur. MOAL acts as an intermediary between consumers and direct marketing companies to resolve complaints on a timely basis. WILL MOAL REFER COMPLAINTS TO COMPANIES THAT ARE NOT DMA MEMBERS? Yes. All reputable direct marketers are interested in resolving consumer complaints promptly. For this reason, MOAL will refer a complaint to any company, regardless of whether it is a DMA member. HOW DO CONSUMERS REGISTER COMPLAINTS WITH MOAL? Consumers may register complaints with MOAL by writing to: Mail Order Action Line Direct Marketing Association New York, NY 10017-4646 WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED TO REGISTER A COMPLAINT? Consumers requesting assistance through MOAL should include the complete name and address of the company involved in the complaint, photocopies of any cancelled checks, order forms, and other relevant documents, and a letter summarizing the facts of the complaint. MOAL will refer the letter to the company on the consumer's behalf and ask that the company resolve the matter. The majority of MOAL complaints are resolved successfully within a 30-day period. WILL MOAL MEDIATE OTHER TYPES OF COMPLAINTS? Yes. If a purchase was made through a direct response method, such as telemarketing or print and broadcast media advertising, MOAL will intercede on the consumer's behalf. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COMPANY DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE REFERRAL? The MOAL staff makes every effort possible to reach a satisfactory resolution for the consumer. When MOAL refers a complaint to a direct marketer, the consumer receives a card with instructions to notify MOAL if the complaint has not been resolved within 30 days. Upon such notification, MOAL will refer the complaint to the company a second time. In some cases, consumer complaints are referred to the Vice President of Ethics and Consumer Affairs for appropriate action. RELEASE DATE: MAY 1990 (dma CONSUMER TIPS: MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE WHO SPONSORS THE MAIL PREFERENCE SERVICE? The Mail Preference Service (MPS) is a free consumer service sponsored by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). DMA is the oldest and largest national trade organization serving the direct marketing industry. Members of DMA market goods and services directly to consumers using such media as direct mail and catalogs, telemarketing, magazine and newspaper ads and broadcast advertising. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF MPS? Most people enjoy receiving information in the mail about subjects that interest them or products and services they may need or want. Some consumers, however, would like to receive less advertising mail. MPS is designed to assist those consumers in decreasing the amount of national commercial mail they receive at home. HOW DO CONSUMERS REGISTER WITH MPS? Consumers may register their names, including spelling variations, with the name removal file by writing to: Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association P.O. Box 3861 New York, NY 10163-3861 WHAT HAPPENS AFTER CONSUMERS REQUEST NAME REMOVAL? Consumers' names and addresses are registered on a "delete file" which is made available to business subscribers four times a year, January, April, July and October. Names are maintained on the file for five years. Registrants typically notice a decrease in their mail volume approximately three months after their names are registered with the service. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE MPS REGISTRANT MOVES TO A NEW ADDRESS? Consumers should write again to DMA to register the new address and ask that the old one be deleted. |