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What is life insurance?

Life insurance is a way of providing for your loved ones financially in case you were to suddenly die. A life insurance policy can be taken for a predetermined period and if you were to die during that period, then your partner or your children will get the amount for which your life is insured and this is a lump sum that is tax free. This means your loved ones are provided for in some way financially and you feel a sense of satisfaction that in case you were to suddenly die, you would have left them with some kind of financial protection.

Life insurance is a must if you have people who depend on the income you bring home. The amount that is paid to the family in case you die will tide them over for a while so they can then plan on how to cope financially. Even if your partner were to think of going to work, it helps to have some time to organise things, to find a job, to look for ways to take care of the children and their needs and to think rationally and come to terms with the tragedy. Sudden death, especially of the breadwinner in the family, can be a terrible shock emotionally to the family. They do not need to be stressed at this time with financial problems too. This is why life insurance is a good thing to have when the family is dependent on you.

There are many kinds of life insurance policies and we can help you choose the one that you feel is right for you. You can buy one for five years or you can buy one for forty years. Most people will buy one to cover the time till their children can stand on their own feet but some will want to know that their partner is provided for if they were to die so they will take a policy which has a longer term.

The age at which you first get a life insurance policy determines the amount you pay. Your age, your health, your habits and your gender will be taken into account when calculating the cost of the policy. You could use our online calculator to approximately calculate the cost. You have the choice of having a single policy or you could have a joint policy which is more expensive but it means protecting each other in case one dies. Both partners are then covered with the surviving one getting the whole amount. However, after the death of the surviving partner, there will be no money that is paid out. To get around this, many couples take individual policies so that when the surviving one dies, someone in the family gets the insurance amount. Whatever your situation, in case you have dependents, life insurance should be very much on your radar, especially if you are the only or the main earning member in the family.

Let us help you further. If you get a quote from us a trained and independent adviser will contact you and help you make the right decision for you. And it's all completely free!

Types of life insurance

  • Single life insurance

    Life insurance to cover the life of one person. But what else is there to know?

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  • Joint life insurance

    A joint life insurance policy to cover two people (cohabiting, in a relationship etc).

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  • Level term life insurance

    A life insurance policy that pays out the same throughout the policy term.

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  • Decreasing term life insurance

    This cover decreases throughout the life of the policy, usually in line with a mortgage.

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  • Critical illness cover

    You don't just have to get cover for your life - consider what would happen if you were to become seriously ill.

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  • Life insurance with critical illness cover

    A combined insurance policy that pays out upon death or if you become very ill.

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  • Mortgage protection cover

    Not to be confused with mortgage PPI, this life insurance would help to pay a mortgage off.

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  • Mortgage protection cover with critical illness cover

    Similar to mortgage protection life insurance but also pays out if you develop a critical illness.

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  • Family income benefit cover

    Instead of a lump sum this would pay a fixed monthly amount to your family if you pass away.

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  • Convertible term life insurance

    A flexible type of life insurance; you can switch it to a different life insurance variation later in the term.

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  • Guaranteed life insurance

    No medical required and this type of policy is available to anyone and everyone, regardless of circumstances.

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  • Reviewable life insurance

    Every few years this policy can be "reviewed" to see if the level of cover that you have chosen is still appropriate.

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How to choose

You can select the length of your ideal life insurance quote and also the maximum value of the policy. Use the sliders and then continue to get a free quote.

Length of life insurance

For how many years do you think your family will need to rely on you financially and in how many years will they be able to be financially independent? Some people like to choose a policy that takes them to when the children turn 21, for example.

 
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MIN 5 YEARS

MAX 50+ YEARS

You have selected 20 year

 

Maximum value of life insurance

There really isn't a definitive answer for this question but try to factor in the value of your mortgage that needs paying off, a few years of your salary and the values of any debts that will need paying.

 
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MIN £5000

MAX £500,000

You have selected ?10000

 
 

Compare affordable quotes from UK life insurance providers such as:

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