Life Insurance Comparison

Usually until the thing you are covering ends. A mortgage term, or the point at which children would no longer be dependent, are the two most common answers. Cover that ends too early is the mistake to avoid.

Frequently yes. Insurers price conditions rather than automatically refusing them, and some specialise in them. What causes problems is not mentioning something, rather than the condition itself.

On a guaranteed premium they are. A reviewable premium can be changed by the insurer at set points, which usually looks cheaper at the start. It is worth knowing which you are being quoted.

Broadly yes, subject to what was disclosed and any exclusions written in at the outset. Some policies restrict certain causes in the opening period, so it is worth reading that part rather than assuming.

Review the cover. A move, a new mortgage, a child or a change of job all shift what the policy needs to do, and cover arranged years ago is frequently the wrong size by the time it is needed.

It is a useful start and rarely the whole answer. Employer cover is usually a multiple of salary and it ends when the job does, so it is worth knowing what it is before deciding what else you need.

On term cover, nothing is paid and the policy simply ends. That is what makes it less expensive than whole of life cover, which has no end date and therefore pays out eventually.

Term cover runs for a set number of years and pays nothing if you outlive it. Whole of life has no end date and pays out whenever death occurs, which is why it costs more for the same amount of cover.

It depends on the job it is doing. Decreasing cover is usually taken alongside a repayment mortgage because the debt falls over time. Level cover suits a family who would need the same amount whenever it happened.

Non-disclosure is the single commonest reason a life claim is not paid. Answer every question fully, including anything you were told was minor, because a claim is checked against the application.

No. Critical illness pays out on diagnosis of a listed condition while you are alive; life cover pays out on death. They are often sold together but they are separate benefits with separate terms.

Not usually. Most applications are settled on the answers given, sometimes with a report from your doctor. A medical examination tends to be asked for on larger amounts of cover or where something in the answers needs checking.

A great deal, and it is asked about specifically. Insurers define it broadly enough to include vaping and nicotine replacement, and it is verifiable, so answering it accurately matters more than most questions on the form.

Yes. A joint policy usually pays out once, on the first death, which suits a couple covering a mortgage. Two single policies cost more but pay out twice, which suits a family differently.

It is an arrangement that sets out who receives the money and often lets it be paid without waiting for the estate to be settled. What it means in your circumstances is a question for a broker or adviser rather than a web page.