What should you consider when setting up life insurance?

When setting up a life insurance plan there are several points to consider. We’ll look at three of the most important to get right.

The first thing to consider is the amount of life insurance you want (the lump sum that you choose to insure). With most life insurance plans you can choose any amount you like – so the actual sum of life insurance you get is totally over to you. Most people either use an online life insurance calculator, or discuss their situation with a life insurance adviser – both can be good options for deciding the correct amount of cover for you. Either way, common considerations are debt (for example using life insurance to take care of a mortgage), providing for family members (for example a replacement income), and proving for education costs for children. Once you’ve considered each of these areas, you will have a pretty clear idea of the amount of life insurance cover that is right for you.

The next point to consider is the type of life insurance plan you’d like. One consideration will be the type of premium to choose. When you start a life insurance plan you can usually choose “stepped” or “level” premiums (the stepped premium increases with age, while the level premium does not). The level premium will cost more at first, but in the long term will save you money. So deciding the kind of premium you’d like is important, as this could save you a lot over time. You’ll also need to choose if you’d like to add extra cover to your life insurance – for example it’s very common to have part or all of your life insurance pay out if you suffer a major health issue (like cancer, stroke, etc).

Finally, you need to choose the right insurer. With life insurance you are making a long term commitment – and so you need to select a financially stable insurer that is well priced and offers you as much flexibility as possible. While life insurance plans are similar, insurers can vary a lot – so selecting the right one for you is important.