Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Kidnap Insurance

For many of us in the Kith & Kin Circle, this matter strikes close to home. I receive a newsletter from Bessemer Trust from time to time, and the most recent one has an article on Kidnap insurance. Among other things, it lists the "Top 10 Countries per Number of Kidnaps in 2009" as follows:

1. Venezuela
2. Nigeria
3. Mexico
4. Pakistan
5. India
6. Afghanistan
7. Honduras
8. Brazil
9. Philippines
10. Somalia

Some of these you would expect to see in the top 10, but Honduras, Brazil, India? And then one would want to know the particular risks for each country and where inside the country are they concentrated.

Nevertheless, it is certainly sobering for someone who has a globetrotting family.

The article gives a list of "the most common types of victims." That list includes "aid workers [and] religious staff."

The article also discusses Ransom Insurance Coverage. It gives a couple of examples, here is one:

A policy recently issued to a husband and wife traveling on missionary work to Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe with a $5 million limit had a cost of $5,400.

The article ends with this statement:

As unsettling as it is, by addressing this very real risk through kidnap and ransom coverage, it puts you in a position to protect not only your family's financial interests, but your family itself.

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