JM
John M

1 reviews | Active since Feb 2015

04 Apr 2020, 23:18

MOMENTUM IS LYING AND *****ING FROM THE PUBLIC - STAY AWAY FROM THEM FOR LIFE INSURANCE !!!

whole-life policy Insured values for this policy as at 31 March 2020 : Life cover = R492,634.00 Disability cover = R492,634.00 With a monthly premium of R795.06

On 04 March 2020 I received an email from Momentum informing me that my insurance premium will increase from R795.06 to R1,036.06 (30.31% INCREASE) on 01 APRIL 2020 - WITHOUT any adjustment to the insured values as at 31 March 2020.

The cover will ONLY CHANGE after 10 (TEN) years worth of R241.00 EXTRA per month (amounting to a total of R28,920.00 for those 10 years). The cover will then change to : Life cover = R507,413.00 Disability cover = R507,413.00 an increase of ONLY R14,779.00. In other words, I will FIRST have to pay R28,920.00 for the change of R14,799.00 extra cover to become effective. Should I die or become disable on 30 March 2030, the cover will default back to the figures as at 31 MARCH 2020. This means Momentum are planning to ***** R28,920.00 EXTRA from me for the next 10 years.

WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WILL FORK OUT R28,920.00 TO GET BACK A LOUSY R14,779.00 ?????????????????????????

After I called their centre and spoke to Onica Motsepe and told her that I AM NOT HAPPY WITH THIS INCREASE AND DO NOT WISH THEM TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, I received the following email date 11 March 2020 :

>>>Dear Mr Magerstein We refer to your query regarding the review on the above mentioned policy. Please note the above mentioned policy is a whole-life policy with a guarantee term. As per the terms and conditions of the policy, the guarantee term is the term for which Momentum guarantees the premium payable for the whole-life policy, that is, the required premium for the cover on the policy does not change during this guarantee term. At the end of the guarantee period, Momentum has the option to increase the required premium if necessary. When the policy was reviewed on 1 March 2020, it was necessary to increase the premium as the premium that you were paying was no longer sufficient to maintain the risk cover on the policy in the future. The options given to you are calculated based on the following factors: age, gender, amount of cover, size of premium, existing premium and cover growth patterns (and whether voluntary or compulsory), how long the policy has been in force, and other economical factors. Please also note that you have the option to reduce the premium, or cancel the growth on the policy (this will affect the cover on the policy), alternatively you have the option to cancel the policy. We trust you find the above is in order. <<<

After struggling for MANY days and NUMEROUS unreturned calls trying to get hold of the writer, Onica Motsepe, on 18 MARCH 2020 I rep**** to their email informing them that I DO NOT CONCENT NOR AGREE TO THE INCREASE AND THAT I FORBID THEM TO DEDUCT THE NEW PREMIUM FROM MY ACCOUNT. I have requested Onica Motsepe NUMEROUS times to respond to my email of 18 MARCH 2020, which was NEVER DONE !!!

Only on 30 MARCH 2020 (AFTER DEDUCTING THE INCREASED PREMIUM FROM MY ACCOUNT - WITHOUT MY CONCENT) I received the following email :

>>>Dear Mr Magerstein

Thank you for your e-mail of 18 March 2020.

We acknowledge the contents of your e-mail. Please note that we were not advising you to cancel the policy, we were giving the options that are available on this policy. We have referred to your query to our Business Analyst department to see if there is any other option that can be given as the policy can not stay the same as it was before 1 March 2020.

We will provide feedback within 2 to 3 working days. <<<

THEIR OPTIONS : Please also note that you have the option to reduce the premium, or cancel the growth on the policy (this will affect the cover on the policy), alternatively you have the option to cancel the policy... <<<

OBVIOUSLY having already paid 10 (TEN) YEARS on this policy and being OVER 60, I will NOT be able to easily obtain any other cover - I opted to CANCEL THE GROWTH OF THE POLICY, this means that the premium CANNOT be increased, however they have DISREGARDED my INSTRUCTIONS and just went ahead and debited my account. THIS IS THEFT !!!!

IF YOU NO LONGER CAN GUARANTEE MY INSURED VALUES, GIVE ME BACK ALL MY PREMIUMS WHICH I HAVE PAID OVER THE PAST AT LEAST 10 YEARS - I WILL DO MUCH BETTER BY JUST PUTTING THE PREMIUMS IN A BANK EVEN WITHOUT A CENT OF INTEREST.

I DEMAND MY MONEY BACK AND THAT YOU RESET THIS MATTER IMMEDIATELY !!!

I AM ALSO APPROACHING THE OMBUDSMAN AS I AM OF THE OPINION THAT YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO ACT IN THIS WAY WITHOUT MY CONCENT !!!

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Replies (7)
Momentum (SA)
Momentum (SA)'s reply06 Apr 2020, 08:23
Official
We take note of your comments and are really sorry that these changes have upset you, we will send you a response in due course.

Kind regards
Michele Coetsee
Momentum (SA)
Momentum (SA)'s reply06 Apr 2020, 12:12
Official
Dear Mr Magerstein
 
I refer to your Hello peter complaint and would like to submit the following:
 
All types of cover, and in this case life cover, are paid on a monthly basis and for purpose of this explanation will be referred to as the risk premium. This risk premium is not necessarily the same as the premium the client pays which in this explanation will be referred to as the payable premium. 
 
The risk premium, in the simplest form, is calculated as a factor of the sum at risk. The sum at risk is the amount the insurer will need to pay in the event of a successful claim. The factor is calculated on the client’s age and other relevant risk indicating factors. As the client becomes older, the probability of a claim increases and therefor the factor increases. 
 
We calculate the payable premium required to ensure that the contractual premium pattern remains unchanged throughout the guaranteed term of the contract. This is achieved by establishing what the risk premium will be every month, as well as what the investment account will be every month. 
 
For a priced for life contract the payable premium is calculated to ensure that if the expected growth rate of the underlying investment portfolio is achieved, the client’s premium pattern should remain unchanged for the client’s entire life. 
 
The pricing of a whole life contract requires long-term assumptions regarding unknown future factors. For the contract in question, the main factors are future investment returns and future risk costs in respect of death benefit. At the time this product was sold, considerable flexibility was offered in terms of the combination of premium, cover and guarantee term. Higher cover levels combined with lower initial premiums generally had shorter guarantee terms but much longer guarantee terms were equally possible if a less aggressive combination of cover level and premium was selected.
 
The guaranteed term of your policy ended on 1 March 2015. 
 
During the guarantee period Momentum guaranteed that we would not increase the contractual premium on the policy or reduce the benefits as long as the contractual premiums were paid. At the end of the guaranteed period Momentum reserves the right to either increase the premium to an amount needed to cover the cost of risk in order to maintain the current sum insured at the time, or reduce the sum insured to retain the current premium payable. The policy terms and conditions provides for the
revision of the policy premiums and benefits at the end of a guaranteed term. (see page 8 on contract)
 
When the guaranteed term ended on 1 March 2015, Momentum determined that it was not necessary at that stage to review the contractual premium.
 
Decision to review the premium on 1 March 2020
The cost of risk cover increases as the life insured becomes older. When determining a premium for a Whole Life policy, the premium received at the start of the policy is higher than the cost of risk, and gradually the cost of risk increases each year and later on exceeds the premium. There is therefore initially an “excess” premium that is kept in a policy reserve (also called a Fund value). The assets of this reserve are put into an investment portfolio where it receives growth according to the returns of that portfolio, and builds up over time. Once the cost of risk exceeds the premium payable, then the reserve is used to fund the shortfall. We therefore have to calculate what the value of that reserve might be in the future in order to set the correct level of premium. To do this we have to make an assumption of what the future portfolio returns would be. This assumption is based on the long-term projections of economic growth as this is generally what most influences portfolio returns. Different assumptions of future portfolio growth will therefore produce different premiums.
 
At the end of the guarantee term the contract will be renewed and if the premium is found to be insufficient to pay for the cover, the policyholder has the option to reduce the cover or increase the contractual premium (in line with the policy terms and condition stipulated in the policy contract). This renewal or extension of the guaranteed term is then again priced for the next specific guaranteed term. We do not apply a set increase across all contracts; each contract is individually reviewed based on the policy’s own merits to establish if a premium increase is required. As part of the review, we also reviewed the future risk rates, and we were able to reduce these, thereby limiting the effect of any possible premium increase. This was done across all contracts.
 
When we review the contract, we calculate the premium required to cover the current sum assured for life. In this calculation we take the current fund value of the policy into account. The cost of risk (risk premium) will vary according to the level of cover to be provided and the investment value of the policy, therefore clients with a higher fund value to cover ratio will typically require a smaller premium increase.
 
Momentum is not reviewing the premiums on these contracts purely because the guaranteed period has expired. We are reviewing these contracts because the economic conditions changed significantly from the assumptions that were used at inception of the contracts.
 
Unfortunately the monthly premium received under this policy is no longer sufficient to sustain the Death benefit and disability benefit sum insured, and Momentum has no choice but to apply a premium review as provided for in the policy terms and conditions.
 
The matter was referred to our product house by Onica and they have added an extra option for you to choose from.
 
Attached your original review letter, copy of the policy contract and option D.
 
Kind regards
Michele Coetsee
JM
John M's update06 Apr 2020, 22:09
Reviewer Update
YOU BACKDATE YOUR CORRESPONDENCE TO JUSTIFY YOUR THEFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I NEVER RECIEVED ANY CORRESPONDENCE FROM YOU IN NOVEMBER 2019 ---- STOP LYING !!!!!!!!!!!

SINCE MARCH 2003 YOU HAVE TAKEN MONEY FROM ME AND NOT PAID OUT A SINGLE CENT --- THAT IS ALREADY 18 (EIGHTEEN) FULL YEARS YOU HAVE JUST BEEN ON THE RECEIVING END NOW YOU CLAIM JUST MORE AND MORE AND MORE ---- *** ???

I WROTE YOU AN EMAIL EXPLAINING EXACTLY WHAT OPTION I CHOSE - STOP PUTTING OTHER **** IN MY FACE !!!!!! THE LATEST CORRESPONDENCE ALL OF A SUDDEN COMPLETELY OVERWRITES YOUR PREVIOUS CORRESPONDENCE. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FIXED PREMIUMS OF R1,036.06 UNTIL 31 MARCH 2030 ??? THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN ALSO JUST DISAPPEARED !!!!

THE DISABILITY COVER ALSO WAS JUST COMPLETELY DELETED, BUT YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO INCREASE THE PREMIUMS AT SUCH A RIDICULOUS AND UNAFFORDABLE RATE.

YOU ARE SO DAMN QUICK AT THROWING THE CONTRACT, STATING PREMIUMS TO INCREASE BY 10% PER ANNUM AND BENEFITS TO INCREASE BY 3% PER ANNUM, IN MY FACE BUT YOU CAN JUST CHOP AND CHANGE AS YOU PLEASE ???

LIKE YOU STATED, THAT IS A SIGNED CONTRACT AND IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO FORCE ME TO KEEP TO IT, THEN I WISH TO REMIND YOU, YOU ALSO HAVE TO STICK TO IT !!!!!!!

ACCORDING TO YOU LAST CORRESPONDENCE :
| From Date | Life Cover | Disability | Monthly | Annual
| 2020/03/01 | R507,413.00 | R507,413.00 | R 1,036.06 | R 12,432.72
| 2021/03/01 | R522,635.00 | R522,635.00 | R 1,574.60 | R 18,895.20
| 2022/03/01 | R538,314.00 | R 0.00 | R 1,732.06 | R 20,784.72
| 2023/03/01 | R554,463.00 | R 0.00 | R 1,905.26 | R 22,863.12
| 2024/03/01 | R571,097.00 | R 0.00 | R 2,095.79 | R 25,149.48
| 2025/03/01 | R588,230.00 | R 0.00 | R 2,305.37 | R 27,664.44
| 2026/03/01 | R605,877.00 | R 0.00 | R 2,535.90 | R 30,430.80
| 2027/03/01 | R624,053.00 | R 0.00 | R 2,789.49 | R 33,473.88
| 2028/03/01 | R642,775.00 | R 0.00 | R 3,068.44 | R 36,821.28
| 2029/03/01 | R662,058.00 | R 0.00 | R 3,375.29 | R 40,503.48
| TOTAL PAYABLE | R21,382.20 | R256,586.40

ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT, THIS IS WHAT THE ACTUAL FIGURES MUST BE :
| From Date | Life Cover | Disability | Monthly | Annual
| 2020/03/01 | R507,424.23 | R507,424.23 | R 874.56 | R 10,494.72
| 2021/03/01 | R522,646.96 | R522,646.96 | R 962.02 | R 11,544.24
| 2022/03/01 | R538,326.37 | R538,326.37 | R 1,058.22 | R 12,698.64
| 2023/03/01 | R554,476.16 | R554,476.16 | R 1,164.04 | R 13,968.48
| 2024/03/01 | R571,110.44 | R571,110.44 | R 1,280.44 | R 15,365.28
| 2025/03/01 | R588,243.75 | R588,243.75 | R 1,408.48 | R 16,901.76
| 2026/03/01 | R605,891.06 | R605,891.06 | R 1,549.33 | R 18,591.96
| 2027/03/01 | R624,067.79 | R624,067.79 | R 1,704.26 | R 20,451.12
| 2028/03/01 | R642,789.82 | R642,789.82 | R 1,874.69 | R 22,496.28
| 2029/03/01 | R662,073.51 | R662,073.51 | R 2,062.16 | R 24,745.92
| TOTAL PAYABLE | R13,063.64 | R156,763.68

DIFFERENCES IN ANNUAL PREMIUMS (YOUR FIGURES less CONTRACTUAL PREMIUMS) :
| From Date | Your figures | Per Contract| Difference
| 2020/03/01 | R 12,432.72 | R 10,494.72 | R 1,938.00
| 2021/03/01 | R 18,895.20 | R 11,544.24 | R 7,350.96
| 2022/03/01 | R 20,784.72 | R 12,698.64 | R 8,086.08
| 2023/03/01 | R 22,863.12 | R 13,968.48 | R 8,894.64
| 2024/03/01 | R 25,149.48 | R 15,365.28 | R 9,784.20
| 2025/03/01 | R 27,664.44 | R 16,901.76 | R10,762.68
| 2026/03/01 | R 30,430.80 | R 18,591.96 | R11,838.84
| 2027/03/01 | R 33,473.88 | R 20,451.12 | R13,022.76
| 2028/03/01 | R 36,821.28 | R 22,496.28 | R14,325.00
| 2029/03/01 | R 40,503.48 | R 24,745.92 | R15,757.56
| TOTALS | R256,586.40 | R156,763.68 | R99,822.72

IN OTHER WORDS YOU INTEND *****ING YET ANOTHER ALMOST R100,000.00 FROM ME OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS --- WITH ZERO DISABILITY COVER. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU CANCEL THE DISABILITY COMPLETELY BUT STILL INCREASE THE PREMIUMS BY AS MUCH AS 30.31% TO 63.68% PER YEAR ----- ARE YOU CRAZY TO THINK THAT ANYBODY WILL TAKE OUT SUCH **** POLICIES ???

YOU ARE ALREADY GETTING THE BENEFIT OF 7% EVERY SINGLE MONTH TO GAURANTEE THE FUNDS. OVER THE PAST 18 YEARS YOU HAVE ALREADY POCKETED ALMOST A R100,000.00 WITHOUT PAYING OUT A CENT --- WHAT JUSTIFIES YOU NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN TO INCREASE THE POLICY BY 30.31% ???

I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR 30.31% INCREASE WHICH STARTED FROM 2019/03/01.
THIS MUST BE :
Life Cover = R507,424.23 (R492,644.88 X 3%) NOT R507,413.00
Disability Cover = R507,424.23 (R492,644.88 X 3%) NOT R507,413.00
The monthly premium must be R874.56 (R795.05 X 10%) NOT R1,036.06 (R795.05 X 30.31%)
I DEMAND THE DIFFERENCE OF R323.00 (R1,036.06 - R874.56)=R161.50 X 2 : DEDUCTED FOR MARCH 2020 AND APRIL 2020) REFUNDED IMMEDIATELY !!!! I ALSO EXPECT REIMBUR*****T FOR VALUABLE TIME WAISTED AND THE AGGRAVATION YOU HAVE CAUSED ME.

I REQUESTED YOU TO CANCEL THE GROWTH AND DISABILITY COMPLETELY - THERE IS NO LAW TO FORCE ME MAKING THOSE HUMANGOUS PREMIUMS !!!! IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOP AND CHANGE A LEGAL CONTRACT TO BENEFIT YOU, I ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE COVER AND PREMIUMS TO SUIT MY NEEDS AND AFFORABILITY.

I HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR MY WIFE AND LOVED ONES WHEN I DIE, AT THIS RATE, THEY WILL WISH FOR ME TO DIE NOW BEFORE I GO COMPLETELY BANKRUPT !!!!!!!!!!!!

I ADVICE YOU TO GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER AND GET BACK TO ME WITH AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION NOT LATER THAN TOMORROW (05 MARCH 2020) AT 16:00 OR I WILL TAKE MY CASE TO THE OMBUDSMAN.
JM
John M's update20 Apr 2020, 15:48
Reviewer Update
TWO WEEKS LATER AND STILL NO REPLY / FEEDBACK TO MY WRITING OF 06 APRIL 2020. YOU HAVE HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME TO GET BACK TO ME. YOUR IGNORANCE IS UNACCEPTABLE !!!

I DEMAND A REPLY WITH AN ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION NOT LATER THAN TOMORROW, 21 APRIL 2020 AT 16:00 OR I WILL BE LODGING MY COMPLAINT WITH THE OMBUDSMAN.
JM
John M's update22 Apr 2020, 16:01
Reviewer Update
Thanks for your rambling reply.

I have requested you to supply me with the PROPER options I have in order to try and resolve this matter, however, to date, I have NOT received such !

I now AGAIN request you to let me have those OPTIONS in a PROPER readible format and with a LOGIC explanation to each option, the ACTUAL cover and premiums.

I have been in contact with the Ombudsman and this was requested from them too.

Can I now have what I have requested PLEASE !!!!
Momentum (SA)
Momentum (SA)'s reply23 Apr 2020, 08:17
Official
I will forward you the options with attachments to your e-mail address before the end of business today.

Kind regards
Michele Coetsee
JM
John M's update23 Apr 2020, 15:17
Reviewer Update
Received it, thanks Michele.