Independent consumer guide to life insurance

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guide to life insurance

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The Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority was established in May 2003 to regulate financial services firms in Ireland. Our mission is to help consumers make informed financial decisions in a safe and fair market, and to foster sound dynamic financial institutions in Ireland, thereby contributing to financial stability. We do this by monitoring the solvency of financial institutions, by imposing codes of conduct on firms in their dealings with consumers and by offering independent information about financial products to consumers in plain English.

We operate a consumer help-line on lo-call 1890 77 77 77 and a consumer website at www.itsyourmoney.ie

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visit our website

or drop in to our Information Centre

College Green, Dublin 2

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If you need to find out more,

contact our consumer help-line on lo-call

We have produced this publication using guidance on plain English techniques from the National Adult Literacy Agency.

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This is a general guide to the most common life insurance products. Nothing in this booklet is intended to be, or should be construed as:

1 An invitation, offer or inducement to you or any other person to enter into an insurance contract, OR

2 Advice on the merits of, or a recommendation

in relation to, any particular product or product

provider.

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What is life insurance?

A life insurance policy is designed to pay out an amount of money to your dependants if you die while the policy is in force.

Purpose of this guide

This guide describes how life insurance works and helps you to decide whether or not you need life cover to protect you and your family. It gives general information only, and you should always check your own policy for details of your cover.

The guide is divided into three sections.

Section 1: Do you need life cover?

Section 2: What types of life policies are available?

Sections 3: How to shop around for cover so that you get the best value and most suitable product for your needs.

What is not included in this guide?

This guide does not cover serious illness or permanent health (disability) insurance. These insurances are described in separate information leaflets.

Our other independent consumer publications also include guides on general insurance products such as home and motor insurance, mortgages, savings and investments and personal loans.

You can get copies of our information leaflets and guides by calling our consumer help-line on lo-call 1890 77 77 77, visiting our Information Centre, or by downloading the relevant guides from our website,

www.itsyourmoney.ie

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Top things you should know about life insurance

No matter how much you earn, its important to make sure your dependants have enough money to live on if you die. A life insurance policy is one of the common ways to do this. It pays out a lump sum on your death.

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What are the benefits?

You can buy a life policy that covers you for a set number of years. It pays out a lump sum if you die before the end of the term. Or, you can buy one that covers you throughout your life. It pays out no matter when you die.

A mortgage protection policy pays off your mortgage if you die, but does not provide any cash sum for your dependants.

See: Policy types, page 8.

Should I buy mortgage protection insurance from my lender?

If you are getting a home loan, you will usually need mortgage protection insurance. You can buy a policy through your lender, but you will usually get better value and more flexibility by shopping around and getting your own policy.

See: Mortgage protection insurance, page 10.

How much will it cost me?

The cost of life cover depends mostly on the amount of benefit you want, and on the term of the policy. The other things that affect the premium are:

■ your age;

■ gender;

■ whether you smoke; and

■ your state of health and lifestyle.

See: What factors affect the price of my policy, page 18.

Shop around

Shopping around for life insurance is easy. You can get quotations either directly from life insurance companies or through a broker. You can do this in person, in writing, by telephone or by searching the internet for the best deals. The more channels you try, the better your chances of getting the best rate and the most suitable policy.

See: How to shop around for cover, page 16.

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It is difficult to think about the effect your death would have on those you care about, 5

but it is important to plan for their needs and to look at the financial impact your death may have on those closest to you.

The personal loss that death brings can never be compensated for, but it is possible to protect against the financial hardship that death may cause. A life insurance policy can offer this protection by paying out a lump sum to your dependants that would help them at a difficult time.

Do I need life cover?

If you have a dependent family, a life insurance policy is one of the most common ways to provide money for them if you die. And, if you have any loans or debts – particularly a mortgage on the family home - you should ensure that you have life cover in place to pay them off if you die.

But you may not need life cover or may need less cover if:

■ there is no family member or close friend who depends on your income;

■ you have ‘death-in-service’ benefit through your job or pension plan – this kind of plan pays out a lump sum if you die during your working life;

■ your dependants would be entitled to certain social welfare benefits after your death;

■ you have investments or property that could provide an income or be sold for cash;

or

■ you are older and your family is grown up, or if your partner is earning an income – in general the older you are the less life cover you need.

How much life cover do I need?

This depends on your circumstances. Generally, if you have a young family, you will need to provide a larger lump sum than if your children are older. That is because the benefit has to last longer.

You will need to consider buying enough insurance to:

■ cover your family’s income needs, for as long as they need the income;

■ pay off your mortgage and any other loans; and

■ cover costs that might arise when your children are older, for example school or college fees.

Section 1: Do you need life cover?

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6 How long do I need life cover for?

If you have a young family or plan to have more children, you may wish to put cover in place until your youngest child has left school (or completed college). This could mean a term of 20 to 25 years. If your children are older, five or ten years of cover may be enough. Some policies (whole-of-life) give you cover for your lifetime, so you do not have to decide on a specific term.

Do I need mortgage protection cover?

If you are under 50 years of age when you take out your main home mortgage, your lender must make sure you have a life policy to clear the loan if you die. The main reason for this is to make sure your family home would not have to be sold to pay off the mortgage. You do not need this cover if you are over 50 or if your mortgage is on an investment property, but it can be beneficial.

Who should be insured?

If you are in a permanent relationship and have dependent children, it is important to consider the consequences if either you or your partner died. For example, if one of you is involved in looking after the home and children there could be extra

childminding or housekeeping costs if you died. Therefore, you may want to consider a joint or dual policy. This covers two people on the same policy, and could pay out a lump sum benefit if either of you die (joint life cover) or if both of you die (dual life cover) within the term of the policy.

Who gets the life policy benefit?

If you arrange a policy on your own life, the policy benefit is paid directly into your estate on proof of your death.

If a policy is taken out on your life by your spouse or partner, the policy benefit would be paid directly to them without going through your estate.

If you have a joint life policy, the benefit is usually paid to the surviving policyholder.

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Can I get tax relief on premiums? 7

Your life insurance premiums generally do not qualify for tax relief. However, if you are self-employed or working in a job where no pension is provided, you can take out a special type of term-life insurance policy (a Section 785 policy) where the premiums are allowable for tax relief, within certain limits.

Will my life policy benefit be taxed?

A life policy is paid out as a tax-free lump sum, so no tax is deducted before payment.

However, individuals who inherit from your estate, depending on their relationship to you, may have to pay tax depending on the value of your estate and Revenue Commissioners rules at the time of your death.

A specific type of life insurance, called a Section 60 policy, is designed to provide a tax-free lump sum to cover inheritance tax liabilities that may arise on your death.

You may need to talk to your financial advisor if you need detailed information about the taxation treatment of these life policies.

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Section 2: What types of life policies are available?

Policy types

There are a number of different types of life insurance policies. The most common types available are:

■ Term life cover;

■ Mortgage protection insurance; and

■ Whole-of-life insurance.

We now look at each of these in more detail.

Term life cover

This is the simplest and one of the cheapest forms of life insurance. Before you start the policy, you must decide:

■ the amount of cover you want paid out on your death (the sum assured); and

■ the period of time you want cover for (the term).

If you die before the end of your chosen term, the sum assured is paid out to your dependants. If you don’t die during the term, no benefit is paid out and the policy ends. The premium and the sum assured is fixed for the term, (except for index- linked policies which are explained on page 10).

This table gives you an idea of the cost of life cover for a couple with a joint life policy over 20 years (a policy that pays out the benefit if either of them dies during that 20 years).

Monthly premium for 20-year joint life cover

Cover for Cover for Cover for

Company ¤100,000 ¤150,000 ¤200,000

Insurer A ¤12.00 ¤16.15 ¤19.70

Insurer B ¤12.50 ¤16.17 ¤20.72

Insurer C ¤15.00 ¤18.31 ¤22.52

The calculation assumes 20 year term life cover for a man aged 30 and woman aged 28 next birthday; both are non-smokers and in normal health (details correct as at September 2004).

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What cover is included in my life policy? 9

Policies differ but the standard premium usually covers your death and terminal illness.

Terminal illness means that the policy would pay out a proportion (usually around 80%) of the benefit if you were diagnosed with a terminal illness while the policy was still in force. Terminal illness usually means you have less than 12 months to live. The remaining (say 20%) of the benefit would then be paid to your dependants on proof of death.

An advantage of this is that the advance payment could help pay for medical costs and give you enough money to plan ahead.

What is not covered in my life policy?

Generally, no claim will be paid out:

■ where your death is caused by suicide within the first year or two of the policy; or

■ where your death is caused by a medical condition that you had when you first applied for cover, but did not disclose.

What other benefits may be available with life cover?

Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to add some or all of the following benefits. You will usually have to pay a higher premium for each of these, and for any other extra benefits offered by your insurer.

Serious illness: If you add serious illness cover, you could claim on your life policy if you were diagnosed as suffering from a serious illness covered by the policy. The illnesses covered usually include cancer, heart attack, stroke and many others.

Serious illness insurance does not usually cover you for common conditions such as diabetes or certain treatable cancers. Also, if you develop an illness that is listed on the policy it does not guarantee you will be covered. Your condition must match your policy’s exact definition of the illness.

The amount of extra premium you pay for serious illness insurance cover depends on the amount of cover, as well as your age, gender, and state of health.

For more information about serious illness insurance consult our separate information leaflet.

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10 Conversion option: If you have a term life policy, this option lets you convert your policy into a new life policy at the end of the term (usually once you are under 60 or 65), without the need to prove your state of health at that time. This means you are guaranteed to be able to get life cover when you are older, in return for a higher premium now.

Indexation (inflation option): Indexation (also called index-linking) means the amount of benefit (your cover) increases each year, usually by 3% to 5%. Otherwise, inflation would reduce its value.

As you might expect, your premium would go up each year to pay for indexation. You should check the rate of increase in your premium and the rate of increase in your benefit. For example, some insurers increase your premium by 7% each year to pay for a 5% per year increase in your benefit. Sometimes your policy is index-linked and your premium increases automatically. If it is, you will have to write to the insurance company to tell them if you do not want this option.

Mortgage protection insurance

Mortgage protection insurance pays a lump sum directly to your lender to clear your mortgage if you die. It runs for the same length of time as your mortgage. It is designed to pay off your mortgage if you die, not to provide a cash sum to your dependants. So you will usually need separate life cover if you have a dependant family.

Generally, your mortgage protection cover reduces from year to year as the amount you owe on your mortgage goes down. This is called reducing term cover. It is the most common and the cheapest form of life cover.

There may be other benefits available that are not listed here.

Always read the policy conditions and ask how much extra you will have to pay.

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A more expensive type of mortgage protection policy, called a level-term policy, keeps the same amount of life cover throughout the mortgage term. It is usually used for an interest-only or endowment mortgage, where the capital balance owing stays the same until the end of the mortgage term. You can also use a level-term policy with a traditional decreasing mortgage. That means you will have more life cover than is needed to clear your mortgage at any point in time, so the extra benefit is passed on to your dependants if you die during the mortgage term.

250

200

150

100

50

0

1 4 7 10 13 16 20 years

Mortgage balance

Mortgage outstanding ¤’000s

Term of mortage

250

200

150

100

50

0

1 4 7 10 13 16 20 years

Mortgage balance

Mortgage outstanding ¤’000s

Term of mortgage

The amount of life cover goes down in line with the balance on your mortgage.

The amount of life cover stays level throughout the term.

It is suited to an interest-only mortgage.

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Monthly premium for Monthly premium for mortgage protection with mortgage protection only accelerated serious illness

Cover for Cover for Cover for Cover for Cover for Cover for

Company ¤100,000 ¤150,000 ¤200,000 ¤100,000 ¤150,000 ¤200,000

Insurer A ¤11.21 ¤15.71 ¤14.13 ¤31.34 ¤45.74 ¤60.14 Insurer B ¤12.50 ¤12.50 ¤15.32 ¤36.46 ¤53.56 ¤70.67 Insurer C ¤12.01 ¤16.75 ¤20.54 ¤36.14 ¤52.95 ¤66.39 Do I need mortgage protection if I already have a life policy?

You may be able to use an existing life policy for mortgage protection. To do this, you would have to request your insurance company to pay the life policy benefit to your lender in the event of your death during the term. This should only be done after careful consideration. If the full proceeds of your life policy is used to pay off your mortgage on death, there will be no cash sum available for your dependants.

If your mortgage is in joint names, your mortgage protection policy will also need to be in joint names. This means that your mortgage is paid off if either one of you dies before the end of the term.

Can I add serious illness cover to my mortgage protection policy?

Yes, many policies now give you this option. Your premium will be considerably higher if you choose to do so. Adding serious illness cover usually means your mortgage will be paid off either if you die or if you are diagnosed with a serious illness, whichever happens first.

This is called mortgage protection with accelerated serious illness. The table below gives you an indication of how much extra you would pay to add serious illness to your mortgage protection policy.

This calculation assumes reducing term life cover for a man aged 30 and a woman aged 28 next birthday, both non-smokers in normal health (details correct as at September 2004).

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What happens to my policy if I change my mortgage? 13

Your mortgage protection premium is fixed and does not increase during the term, unless you change your mortgage.

If you borrow extra on your mortgage or extend the mortgage term, you will usually have to get a new mortgage protection policy. Your new premium will usually be higher if you want more cover over a longer term and are at an older age.

If you pay off your mortgage earlier than planned, you could:

1. cancel your mortgage protection cover and pay no further premiums; or 2. keep the policy and pay premiums until the original end date.

With option 2, your policy would no longer be used to clear the mortgage. So, any remaining benefit would be paid to your dependants if you died before the policy ends. This could be a useful source of extra life cover.

You will not have this option if you take out your mortgage protection policy through your lender – your lender will automatically close off the policy when your mortgage is cleared.

Do I have to buy mortgage protection insurance from my mortgage lender?

Most mortgage lenders offer to arrange mortgage protection cover for you when you apply for a mortgage. They act as an agent of a life insurance company and get commission from the insurer for introducing your policy under their group scheme.

You pay your premiums as part of your mortgage repayment, but you will usually pay more than you would through a broker or directly from an insurer.

You may also be more restricted with a lender’s group policy than if you held your own separate policy.

Suppose you want to switch your mortgage at some stage. Your existing lender (who owns the mortgage protection policy) will cancel the policy if you transfer your mortgage. So you would have to apply for this insurance again. As you are older, it will cost you more. And, if you are not in good health you would have to pay an even higher premium or you may not be able to get the cover at all.

If you have a separate mortgage protection policy you can automatically transfer it to a new lender. The premium and level of cover would be the same as before as long as the amount borrowed on your mortgage does not increase.

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14 Remember that you do not have to take the mortgage protection policy

recommended by your lender. You cannot be refused a mortgage for refusing to accept insurance cover.

Your lender must accept any suitable policy that notes the lender’s ‘interest’ – this means that if you die, the payment goes directly to the lender. The lender takes the amount needed to pay back the loan, and, if there is any left over, passes it on to your estate.

Whole-of-life insurance

A small number of insurers offer life policies that insure you for your whole life, or for as long as you want to keep paying premiums. These are less popular than term life policies, as the premium is higher, and can increase at regular intervals.

There are various types of whole-of-life policy, but the most common is a unit-linked whole-of-life. Part of your premium is invested in a fund. This fund is expected to grow at a certain rate so that its value is high enough to pay for your life cover throughout your life.

The fund value is not guaranteed, so your premium may increase regularly in order to keep your sum assured or policy benefit at the agreed level.

Can I build up savings in my whole-of-life policy?

Even though a whole-of-life policy states that you can sometimes build up a cash sum and withdraw it after a set number of years, in practise this only happens if the fund performs much better than expected. You may find the policy has little or no cash value at any time.

It is essential to treat a whole-of-life plan as a life insurance policy, and not as a savings plan.

Can I get a whole-of-life policy where the premium is fixed?

A small number of policies are available where your premium is fixed and your benefit is guaranteed.

You will generally pay a much higher premium throughout the period of cover for a guaranteed whole-of-life policy than for one that is not guaranteed.

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Types of life policy – a summary

Term policies

Term life policy

Pays out a cash sum if you die within a set number of years (the term)

The payment usually goes to your dependants

You decide the amount of money and the term

Premium does not increase

Mortgage protection policy

Cheapest form of life cover

A type of term life policy that pays off your mortgage if you die within a set number of years

Pays the money to your lender, and does not pay a cash sum for your dependants

The amount and term are the same as your mortgage

Premium does not increase

Whole-of-life policies

Pays out a cash sum if you die at any time

The payment usually goes to your dependants

You decide the amount of money to be paid out

More expensive than term life

Premium is not fixed, it can increase

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16 Life insurance is a long-term product. This is different to home or motor insurance where your policy automatically ends each year. It is even more important, therefore, to consider your needs carefully and to shop around for cover that meets your needs and gives you long-term value for money.

Choosing a policy to meet your needs Before choosing a policy:

■ check what life cover you already have through your job or pension scheme;

■ decide the type and amount of cover you want;

■ get premium estimates (quotations) – you can do this over the telephone or online by using one of the premium calculators on insurers’ and brokers’ websites;

■ ask what the premium would be if you held the policy for a few different terms, say 10, 15 and 20 years.

When comparing quotations between companies, make sure you are comparing like with like, as in the following example.

This calculation assumes life cover for a man aged 45 next birthday, and who is a smoker in normal health, paying monthly premiums (details correct as at September 2004).

Section 3: How to shop around for cover

Life policy – Term: 25 years. Premiums compared between three companies for ¤100,000 and ¤200,000 life cover

Monthly Premium Total Paid Monthly Premium Total Paid for ¤100,000 (premium x 12 for ¤200,000 (premium x 12 Company cover months x 25 years) cover months x 25 years)

Insurer A ¤55.17 ¤16,551 ¤107.80 ¤32,340

Insurer B ¤59.52 ¤17,856 ¤110.80 ¤33,240

Insurer C ¤66.66 ¤19,998 ¤124.52 ¤37,356

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Using a broker or financial advisor 17

If you prefer to get help in making your decision, contact an authorised life insurance broker or financial advisor. Some brokers advise on the products of a limited range of life companies, others advise on all products offered in the market.

You can expect your broker or advisor to:

■ help you assess your needs and existing cover;

■ compare premiums from different insurers;

■ give you comparisons using different amounts of cover and terms; and

■ recommend a policy based on your needs.

Some brokers offer discounts for buying life insurance online. So, it may be worthwhile using the internet to search for the best discounts.

You are under no obligation to buy a product after getting quotations either directly from insurers or from a broker. It’s worth taking some time to think through the options yourself before you make your decision. You are also entitled (subject to some exceptions) to cancel your cover within 15 days of the issue of the policy, and to get a refund of any premium already paid.

What information will I have to give when I apply?

You will have to complete an application form, called a ‘proposal’. This asks for information about your medical history and your ‘lifestyle’ – your job, drinking and smoking habits, the name of your doctor, and other details. The insurance company may consult your doctor to seek a report about your health.

Will I need to have a medical?

Insurers will not usually need you to have a medical examination unless you have a history of ill health, want to take out a lot of cover or are at an older age when applying.

What happens after I apply?

Most people who apply for life cover are accepted at normal policy rates.

Sometimes a higher premium will be charged on medical grounds, if the insurer feels there is a higher risk of you having a claim. Occasionally an application may be postponed awaiting the outcome of a medical procedure, or declined altogether if the risk of a potential claim is considered too great.

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18 What factors affect the price of my policy?

For most life policies, insurance companies decide the amount of your premium by:

■ estimating a premium based on the amount and term of your cover;

■ applying the relevant rate for the type of policy you want – for example term life, mortgage protection or whole-of-life; and

■ using information from your application to weigh up any risk factors and to see if this premium is enough to insure you as a ‘normal’ risk.

Risk factors

You may have to pay a higher premium than normal (sometimes called a ‘loading’) if your application for cover indicates one or more ‘risk factors’ that could increase the risk of your death during the policy term.

The main risk factors that will affect your premium are listed below:

Age

Premiums are higher the older you are when taking out a policy, as the risk of death increases with age.

Gender

Premiums for life cover are cheaper for women than men, as life expectancy is longer for women.

Smoker

Premiums for smokers are much higher than non-smokers (sometimes double the cost) due to earlier death amongst smokers.

Current and past state of health

If you have a medical condition or have a family history of certain illnesses or early death, you may pay a higher premium.

Occupation and lifestyle

Your premium may be increased if your work or lifestyle interests are likely to put you at greater risk of early or sudden death.

Cover choices

Policy Rates

Risk

Factors PREMIUM

+ + =

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What happens if I stop paying premiums?

If you stop paying your premium your policy will automatically lapse, usually after 30 days for term policies. When a policy lapses you are no longer covered. Some companies will let you revive the policy if it has lapsed only for a short period and if you are prepared to pay up all the premiums that you missed.

However, if your policy has lapsed for longer than a few months you may not be able to revive it. The insurer may insist that you apply again. As you are now older, your premium will be higher than before, and you will usually have to provide fresh evidence of your state of health.

Can I cancel an existing policy if I want to?

Yes. With most life policies you can cancel cover by simply writing to your insurance company. If you intend to take on a new life policy, wait until this is in place before cancelling an old one.

■ What is the premium for different amounts of cover, and over different terms (lengths of time)?

The premiums on identical policies from different companies can vary significantly.

■ Is terminal illness benefit included?

■ Does the policy automatically include serious illness cover? Am I paying for cover I may not need?

■ Could the premiums be increased? How often, and by how much?

■ What happens if I miss a payment or stop paying premiums? For how long am I covered?

Questions to ask about life policies

It is important to include all relevant information about your medical history and your lifestyle when completing an application form for life insurance. Before paying a claim, most insurers will do a check on what your medical health was before you took out the policy. If you have not included all relevant information you knew about on your application form, your policy could be invalid and you run the risk of a claim being rejected.

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20 Do

■ Do find out if you have any death-in- service benefits through your job.

■ Do decide what, if any, extra cover you need, and get information on the type of policies that meet your needs.

■ Do shop around. Costs (premiums) can vary widely for the same level of cover.

■ Do consider giving up smoking. After one year, or some cases two, many insurers will give you non-smoker rates. This could cut your premium by half, even though you are a bit older.

■ Do ask your broker or bank for information about any fees you may be charged and any commissions paid to them by the insurance company. You are entitled to get this information if you ask for it.

■ Do complete your proposal form fully and truthfully. If you have a claim, any false information will probably come to light and may mean no benefit is paid out as your policy is not valid.

■ Do remember that (with some exceptions) you have a ‘cooling off’

period during which you can cancel a policy.

■ Do keep your premiums up to date, otherwise your policy may lapse and you would not be covered if you had a claim.

■ Do review your life insurance regularly, particularly when your circumstances change.

■ Do keep a list of your policies and let someone know where they are.

Don’t

■ Don’t cash in an existing policy in order to take out a new one unless you have a good reason. The cost of any new cover may be higher than the policy you already have because you are older.

■ Don’t buy insurance that you don’t need or already have.

■ Don’t combine life cover and savings.

They are best provided for separately.

Dos and don’ts when buying life cover

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Accelerated serious illness: This applies to 21 combined life and serious illness policies. It means that in the event of a claim for serious illness (before death), some or all of the life cover is paid out. The amount of benefit paid for the serious illness is deducted from the life policy sum assured.

Any remaining life cover could then be paid out if you die within the policy term.

Additional serious illness: This applies to combined life and serious illness policies. It means that in the event of a claim for serious illness, the life policy sum assured is not affected. The policy may pay out both the serious illness sum assured (if a serious illness claim is made during the policy term and before death) and the life sum assured (if you die during the policy term).

Commission: The payment made to an

intermediary (broker or financial advisor) for selling a policy. There is often an initial commission and an ongoing annual commission. Details of the percentage commission payments are given in the policy documents. Some advisors work for a set fee and return the commission to the customer.

Death in service: This is death that occurs before an employee retires and is still working with a particular employer. Death-in-service benefit is a life insurance benefit that is set up by the employer and it pays a certain benefit to the employee’s surviving family if death occurs during the employee’s working life.

Dual life policy: This is a policy that provides life cover for two people, and continues in force after the first person dies. It will also pay a benefit for the second life insured if they die before the end of the policy term.

Inheritance tax: This is a tax that may need to be paid by surviving children or relatives or beneficiaries if the value of all assets at the time of your death is more than a certain amount.

The amount depends on Revenue Commissioners rules at the time of death.

Insurance/assurance: Insurance describes a policy that will only pay out if a certain event takes place, for instance, an accident or illness.

Assurance describes a policy that will certainly pay out a benefit at some stage.

Joint life policy: This type of policy provides life cover for two people, and automatically ends when one of the parties dies within the policy term. A joint life policy can be set up to pay out a benefit either on the first death, or on the second death.

Second-death policies are commonly used in inheritance tax planning. You can sometimes choose a different sum assured for each life.

The amount paid under a claim would be the amount of cover specified for each person.

Lapse: A policy is said to ‘lapse’ if it comes to an end because the policyholder has not paid the necessary premium. Many life policies lapse 30 days after the date the last missed premium was due.

Life of another: This is a life policy set up by you that allows you to claim a benefit on the death of another person. This could apply in the case of a key employee whose death would involve costs that you would have to meet.

Premium: The payment made for an insurance policy is called the premium. It can be a once-off lump sum or premium payments can be made monthly or yearly.

Single life policy: A policy that provides life cover for one person.

Serious illness insurance: This policy pays a benefit if you suffer one of the illnesses specifically covered by the policy.

Term policy: A policy that pays out a fixed benefit if death occurs during a fixed term of years.

Terminal illness: Insurance companies usually classify terminal illness as an incurable illness that is likely to cause death within 12 months.

Whole-of-life policy: This type of policy pays out a fixed benefit on death whenever it occurs so long as the policy is still in force. The premium on these policies is usually reviewed at intervals to ensure there will be enough to pay for your benefit.

Financial terms explained

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