Life Insurance Guide
Life insurance provides financial protection against the risk of death and the consequences to those left behind. By paying a relatively small premium you are paying to ensure that if the worst happens an insurance company will step in and provide financial redress. In calculating the life insurance premium that you need to pay to provide financial protection a life insurance company will use an actuarial approach as well as claims experience to determine the likelihood of the risk event happening and cost this risk accordingly. The higher the risk the higher the insurance premium you will have to pay.
Different Types of Life Insurance
There are different types of life insurance cover available - see list provided below.
Type of life Insurance |
Life Insurance Features |
Critical Illness Insurance |
Provides financial peace of mind that in the event of diagnosis of a specified critical illness condition a lump sum will be paid out to the policyholder. Critical illness insurance can often be taken out in a combined policy with life insurance which can save costs. |
Family Income Benefit Insurance |
Provides an income for a specified term in the event of the death of the life assured. This type of cover is low cost and is useful if their are dependents to look after. |
Key Person Insurance |
Key person insurance provides financial cover to businesses in the event that a member of staff dies unexpectedly or is unable to work to due to serious illness or disability. The loss os such an individual can have significant financial consequences on a business. Cover would also normally cover the key persons income and benefits which the business would still be liable to cover. |
Life Insurance |
Provides a financial payout (sum assured) to a designated beneficiary in the event of the death of the life assured. The premium paid is determined by factors such as gender, age when the policy is taken out, health and lifestyle factors and the term of the policy. Policies can be on a single or joint life basis and cover can come in different forms e.g. family income benefit will pay a income to designated beneficiaries for a set term on death of the life assured, while a term assurance plan will pay a capital sum (known as the sum assured and specified at outset) on death of the life assured (s). |
Mortgage Insurance |
Mortgage insurance can take two forms. Mortgage life insurance provides financial protection in the event of death of the mortgage holder (s) ensuring that any mortgage liability on a property is met. Mortgage payment protection insurance provides protection to mortgage repayments in the event that the mortgage holder in unable to work due to sickness, injury or unemployment. Cover will last normally for no more than 12 months. |
Payment Protection Insurance |
Provides protection in the event of sickness accident or unemployment or death to the policyholder and is normally taken out in conjunction with a credit agreement when obtaining a loan or credit card. PPI as it is often called normally covers debt repayments for a period of 12 months after which time the onus falls back on the policyholder to cover the repayments. In recent times this type of cover has been criticised with banks being ordered to repay missold PPI back to customers. |
Terminal Illness Insurance |
This type of cover is often combined with life insurance policies and provides financial protection in the event of diagnosis of a terminal illness where you are not expected to live beyond a set period e.g. 12 months. |
Travel Insurance |
Travel insurance provides financial protection and travel insurance cover can range from basic cover to comprehensive. Travel insurance will often provide accidental death cover when you are travelling. |
Guide to buying life insurance
As with many things in life the more time you put into something the more you will get out and with buying life insurance spending some time understanding what to look out for can save you both time and money in the long run and should ensure that you end up with the right cover. Things to consider:
- Check what existing life insurance you have - Depending on the life cover required you may find that you have life insurance taken out by your employer as part of your benefits package; Some types of life insurance are often sold as an add on to other types of financial service such as banking services. Once you have done this check what you are covered for and what you are not. People don't often know what exclusions apply until a claim is made.
- Using a Comparison website - Online comparison websites provide a useful and easy way of getting insurance quotes. However for life insurance in our view it makes sense to talk to a specialist life insurance broker to ensure you get he right cover. This is more crucial if you have pre existing medical conditions or you want to place cover in trust. You should also note that some insurance companies do not appear on comparison websites e.g. Aviva Life Insurance
- Using a Life Insurance broker - If you are not sure what cover you need or want somebody to help you through the process there are many life insurance brokers who will be happy to help. A good life insurance broker will not help you in buying insurance but also provide support in the event that you need to make a claim. We use Torquil Clark life insurance brokers who are part of the Skipton Group to help people find the best life insurance deals. If you intend to use a broker you should check their FSA registration on the FSA website.
- Providing correct information - In assessing the insurance risk an insurance company will rely on the information that you give as being accurate. Information provided will determine whether insurance is provided and the cost of premiums. It is therefore important that any information you provide is correct e.g. for life insurance factors such as whether you smoke or participate in dangerous sports can have a material impact on the premium you are required to pay. Non disclosure of such information at the time of application can result in a non payout in the event of a claim. If you are using an insurance broker this is where valuable advice can be provided.
- Cheapest is not always best - With life insurance you generally get what you pay for so before you sign up e.g. reviewable life insurance policies where the premium is subject to a review after say 5 years will be cheaper than guaranteed life insurance policies where the premium will not change through the term.
- Changing your mind - You have the right to change your mind within a set period normally 14 days from purchase of the life insurance policy and have your premium returned.