Monday, February 18, 2008

Cheapest UK Life Insurance

Most companies will claim that they’re the one with the cheapest UK life insurance rates. While this claim may or may not be true, one thing is certain. Selling life insurance is extremely competitive. Thousands of companies and independent sales agents are working hard to attract your attention.

When there is so much competition, it usually means that smart buyers benefit most. How can you take advantage of this competition and ensure you get the cheapest UK life insurance rates?

Know what you want

When you’re looking for the cheapest UK life insurance rates, know exactly what you want. That way, you won’t fall for an insurance agent’s sales pitches that aim to get you to purchase expensive add-ons that usually end up being more coverage than you need.

One of the interesting aspects of life insurance is that it is an emotional purchase. You’re buying protection for a time in the future when you’re not able to protect those you love and care about most. No one likes to think about his or her mortality but that’s just what purchasing life insurance forces you to do.

If you’re healthy and you’ve already got investment vehicles in place, then generally all you’ll need is a no-frills term policy. This is generally the cheapest type of UK life insurance cover. The face value you select is paid out to your beneficiary upon your death as a one-time, lump sum payment.

The money from your life insurance policy can then be used by the beneficiary as he or she determines is best. It can be invested in an interest-bearing account, or used to payoff a mortgage, or to cover the costs of higher education, or to cover end-of-life expenses, or even to go on holiday.

Know how much you need

To ensure you get the cheapest UK life insurance, it’s also important to know how much you need. This is considered the policy’s face value or coverage. It’s generally calculated as your current salary multiplied by some number of years.

For example, many people want a term life policy that will provide for their children until they reach adulthood. Factor in cost of living increases and add a bit for unexpected expenses and you should arrive at a figure that is sufficient. If you periodically review your needs and adjust your coverage as necessary, you can feel confident that you’re doing what you can to protect those you care about most.

In you don’t know what type of coverage you need or how much coverage makes sense you’ll in effect be allowing the insurance company or agent to make those decisions for you. They may not end up being the best decisions, and you probably won’t be buying the cheapest UK life insurance.

If you’re okay with that, then by all means, take what you’re offered. Otherwise realize that with so much competition and so many advances in the medical field, purchasing the cheapest UK life insurance is certainly within your grasp.

Finding The Cheapest Life Insurance

When the need for life insurance enters our lives, it is normally in response of two situations: either we have taken out a loan or mortgage, or we have reflected upon our own mortality. Either situation can lead us seeking the cheapest insurance possible. A specialist website, which gives full access to the marketplace, can help you find the best deal when searching for the cheapest life insurance.

It is wise to remember that when taking out a mortgage or loan, you are no longer required to take the policy out with the company specified by the lender. We now have the right to choose from which provider we purchase our policy. Although having this freedom to choose gives us the right to make our own decisions when buying the cover, it also gives us the task of sourcing the market for the best deal. That is when using an independent specialist website is of great advantage. You only have to enter your details the once and it enables you to access the results in a matter of minutes. One can effortlessly compare the cheapest quotes allowing an instant review of the policy contents, safe in the knowledge that the information is impartial, as the website has no affiliation to one particular insurer. This saves you both time and money and gives you peace of mind when making your final decision.

The cheapest life insurance is 'term life insurance', which is the most basic form of life cover. It provides you with cover for a fixed period of your choice (known as the 'term') and pays a one-off lump sum should you die during that term. Premiums are normally paid monthly although some policies allow annual payments. It is important to be aware that you are only covered for as long as you pay the monthly premiums. If you stop paying the premiums, the policy stops. In addition, as there is no investment element with this form of insurance, there is no maturity value payable at the end of the term.

When searching for life insurance we normally look for the lowest premiums available. Factors governing the size of the premiums are the sum to be insured, the period of insurance cover, your age, your sex and whether you smoke or not, (normally someone who has not smoked for at least twelve months is classed as a non smoker). Your occupation also determines the level of premiums, for example, someone who works as a bank clerk has a less risky lifestyle than someone working in the pyrotechnical industry does. Some insurance companies will place qualifications on the life cover, so it is important to review the policy details carefully before making a decision. The insurer may request the completion of a medical form, the contents of which may lead to you having a full medical examination, before they agree to provide life cover. All these aspects can be compared easily using this specialist website allowing you to choose the cheapest life insurance available.