Life Assurance

Who needs life assurance? It could be argued that everyone should have life cover as something could happen such as an illness or accident which would prevent you from getting insurance in the future. This could mean that you were unable to protect either a loan, mortgage or more importantly your defendants.

The state does provide some widow benefits - however these could disqualify the remaining spouse from any support in paying the mortgage, which tends to be the bulk of most individuals monthly payments.

1. Term assurance:

	Level Term - the plan's potential payout remains the some for its whole term.
	Renewable Term - Allows plan holders to extend their cover for a further term with no health check.
	Convertible Term - allows holders to swap their term cover for a whole of life or endowment plan with no health checks.
	Decreasing Term - Gradually reduces the cover remaining to match a shrinking liability, such as the amount still left to pay on a mortgage loan.
	Family Income Benefit - Pays the surviving family a regular income instead of a lump sum.

2. Whole of Life Insurance - the majority of whole of life policies are unit linked which means that the premiums are invested into a fund and the cost of the protection is deducted from the fund as it grows. When the plan is taken out there is a choice of "Maximum" or "Standard" basis.

	"Maximum" basis gives a very high level of cover for the monthly premium. Whilst this level of cover will be guaranteed for 10 years it is very unlikely that there will have to be a premium increase after each regular review. These can be at either 10 or 5 yearly intervals.
	"Minimum" basis gives a lower level of cover for the premium, but it is more likely that this level of cover and premium will stay the same throughout the policy holders life.

3. Critical Illness - Critical illness plans are built around a core list of the most common serious conditions anyone may suffer. These are: