A quick guide to life insurance

The two-minute guide to life insurance

You want to find out about life insurance, but who has hours to spare scrolling through boring insurance websites? We’ve got you covered. Our simple guide to life insurance tells you everything you need to know in two minutes flat.

Contents

• What is life insurance?
• Who needs life insurance?
• How much life insurance do I need?
• We all die, so am I guaranteed to receive a claim payout?
• How much does life insurance cost?
• What are the best life insurance companies in the UK?

What is life insurance?

Put simply, life insurance pays if you die. It’s designed to provide a financial safety net to your family when you’re no longer around. Your family can use the money however they like, but often it helps to pay off the mortgage and cover rent, household bills and living costs.

Who needs life insurance? 

If you’ve got a family you want to protect when you’re no longer around, then have a think about life insurance. Here’s a few key questions to ask yourself:

• What would happen if my family lost my income?
• What changes, if any, would they need to make financially?
• Do we have savings or other assets that could support the family if I wasn’t around?

Not everyone needs life insurance, so it’s worth having a chat with one of our expert advisers. Let’s talk through your personal circumstances and work out what you need.

How much life insurance do I need?

Have a think about your outgoings, how much of your salary do you spend on regular living costs each month?

It’s not always easy to work out the best or the right cover amount. So request a call back from a LifeSearch adviser - they’re great with big questions and small details and they’ll help you work out how much insurance you need based on who you are and what’s going on. 

We all die, so am I guaranteed to receive a claim payout?

You can choose for your policy to protect you for your whole life, in which case your family will receive a claim payout whenever you die. However, most people choose to protect their lives for a set number of years.

For example, if your mortgage lasts 25 years, you might want your life insurance policy to also protect you for 25 years. That way, if you die in those 25 years you know your mortgage will be paid off and your family will be protected. If you die after the 25 years, after your policy ends, you won’t receive a claim payout - that’s why this type of policy is often cheaper. 

How much does life insurance cost?

The cost of your life insurance will depend on many things, including:

• Your age
• Your health
• Whether you smoke
• How long the policy lasts, and; 
• How much cover you want

Many people who buy life insurance find it very affordable. At LifeSearch, we search the market to find the best value insurance based on you and what’s going on at home.

What are the best life insurance companies in the UK?

There are a huge number of life insurance companies in the UK, and all offer slightly different products. Let us do the heavy lifting and find the best one for you.