Ensuring your loved ones are cared for when you die is a concern, but life insurance can ease the financial worry. Here’s how life cover can financially protect your family and how to choose the best policy for peace of mind.
We can refer you to our partner QuoteLeader.ie to get quotes for your life cover, they offer:
What life insurance covers and how it works.
Life insurance pays a lump sum to your partner or family in the event of your death, but it does not cover serious illness or disability.
You’ll pay a monthly or annual premium and, if you die, your partner or family will benefit from financial support. The amount of money they receive will depend on the sum insured.
You can decide how much you want as a payout for your loved ones, and whether you want cover for a fixed term or your whole lifetime.
Life insurance is cheaper when you’re younger because premiums are calculated on the basis of risk, so the sooner you get cover the better.
For example, if you’re 50 and a smoker, your premiums will be higher than if you were a 25-year-old non-smoker.
Some life insurers may cover seniors, although typically the age limit is around 75 years and it gets more expensive, the older you get.
Find out about the two main types of life insurance, to see which is best for you.
The type of term insurance you choose will affect the cost of your monthly premiums over the term.
Life insurers often offer other types of financial protection that may be more suitable for your circumstances.
You can add on extra benefits to your policy to suit you, but this will affect the price alongside other factors.
A standard life insurance policy will only guarantee payment if you pass away, however, some life insurers may offer optional benefits to your policy, including:
Policy exclusions and restrictions can be buried away in the small print so check the terms and conditions carefully.
The cost of your life insurance depends on:
However, premiums can be as low as €10 per month for a non-smoker in their 20’s or over €100 per month for a 50-year-old taking out 30 year life term insurance for €100,000.
Indexation is an option that you can choose to increase your life cover in line with inflation.
This means that the cost of your policy will go up each year along with your benefit, but this will increase at a lower rate.
For example, a 2% increase in your premiums will result in a 1% increase in your benefit.
Tips for how to choose the right cover for you.
The best life insurance policy is one that’s tailored to your family’s needs and protects their financial wellbeing at an affordable price to you.
It’s useful to shop around and get quotes to find out what you can afford and what you need to cover before making a final commitment.
To make sure you get the lowest price, it’s a good idea to use the same details for each life insurance quote and give genuine personal information.
It can be difficult to decide what type of life cover best suits your needs. You may only want your life insured for mortgage protection purposes or need specified illness cover only. Make sure you choose the right plan for your circumstances.
The following factors can help you decide which life insurance plan works best for you and they’ll be taken into account when you get a quote.
It’s important when you’re obtaining life insurance quotes, to provide accurate personal information. Any misrepresentation on your application puts the life cover benefit at risk.
A joint life policy pays out upon the death of the first insured person, at which point the policy benefit ends.
If you have a dual policy (two single policies as a couple), even after the first death, the surviving partner will still be covered and benefits will be paid.
A joint policy is usually the cheapest option, but a dual policy offers extra cover.
There are many insurance providers in Ireland offering life insurance and other financial protection policies. Compare life insurance plans by checking out these top life insurers.
If you want peace of mind that your family will be financially supported when you die, life insurance cover should be considered.
Life insurance or other financial protection policies are worth it if you have:
Yes, you can. It is worth reviewing your policy periodically because life circumstances change. If you need to change it, you can either:
However, bear in mind that as you get older, premiums will rise. Your existing cover may work out cheaper than any new policy
The lender is legally required to ensure you have mortgage protection insurance before offering a mortgage. However, there are some exceptions:
The lender may take into account individual circumstances, such as prohibitively high premiums.
It depends on how old you are when you take out the insurance. You should also consider the ages of people in your family and the years you have left to repay your mortgage.
If you decide you no longer need life cover or cannot afford to pay the premiums - you can cancel your policy but you won’t get your money back. Whole of life cover sometimes offers a ‘surrender value’ but it’s usually worth a lot less than what you paid in.
Life Insurance providers are financially regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland Providers will need to display a registered address on their website.
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