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10-second summary: Royal London offers one of the strongest all-round mortgage protection policies in Ireland, with dual life pricing, strong support benefits like Helping Hand, and flexible options. But like all insurers, it’s not always the best choice depending on your health and how you apply.
If you’ve been comparing mortgage protection options, Royal London will come up a lot.
And for good reason.
They’re one of the most feature-rich insurers in the Irish market.
But like everything with life insurance, what looks good on paper doesn’t always translate into the best outcome for your situation.
Royal London Ireland is part of the Royal London Group, the largest mutual life insurer in the UK.
They’ve been operating in Ireland for over 190 years and have built a strong reputation for claims, service, and long-term stability.
Because they’re a mutual company, they don’t have shareholders, which means their focus is more on long-term customer outcomes than short-term profits.
They’re not always the cheapest, but they’re often one of the strongest all-round options.
Royal London allows you to take out dual life cover for the same price as joint life.
That means the policy can pay out twice, once on each life, instead of ending after the first claim.
This is one of their biggest selling points and can be excellent value depending on your situation.
Their Helping Hand service gives you access to a dedicated nurse who can support you and your family through serious illness, injury, or bereavement.
This includes things like emotional support, help navigating treatment, and access to additional services like counselling or physio.
It’s available from day one, not just when you claim.
For some people, this is genuinely valuable.
For others, it’s something they’ll never use.
You can convert your policy later without providing new medical evidence.
This can be useful if your needs change over time, for example moving from mortgage protection to a different type of life cover.
Just keep in mind your new premium will be based on your age at that time.
If you increase your mortgage, get married, or have children, you can increase your cover without further medical questions.
This is standard across insurers, but still an important feature.
Royal London has one of the stronger serious illness offerings in the market.
But again, be careful where you put it.
If you attach it to mortgage protection, the payout goes to the bank, not you.
Royal London often includes one month’s free cover at the start of the policy.
Your cover begins straight away, but your first payment isn’t taken until after the first month.
It’s a small thing, but useful if you’re managing costs around drawdown.
Royal London can be quick, but they’re generally not as fast as Zurich for instant decisions.
That said, speed only matters if you’re applying to the right insurer in the first place.
Getting a fast decision from the wrong insurer is how people end up stuck with poor terms.
From a broker point of view, Royal London are hard to beat.
We place a lot of business with them, and that’s not by accident.
They’re consistent, fair in how they assess cases, and strong when it comes to claims.
That consistency matters more than people realise.
Because when you’re applying for cover, you’re not just buying a product, you’re relying on how an insurer actually behaves when it matters.
That said, they won’t be the best fit for every case.
Underwriting still varies between insurers, which means the right choice depends on your situation, not just the provider.
If you’re comparing Royal London to Zurich or Aviva, the differences usually come down to price versus features and support.
Royal London tends to be stronger on features and support, but Zurich does have a free Waiver of Premium (important if your premiums will be on the high side)
You’ll see many sites listing features such as dual life, Helping Hand, and awards.
What they don’t tell you is how likely you are to actually get standard terms.
Or whether another insurer would assess your medical history more favourably.
That’s where things become more important than just comparing features.
It could be.
But the real question is this:
Is Royal London the best insurer for your situation, or just the one with the most features?
Because once you apply, that underwriting decision follows you. If you are accepted on special terms, other insurers will ask about it.
In practice, we regularly see people apply based on features or brand, only to find out another insurer would have offered a lower price.
If you’re comparing providers, it’s worth looking at how Royal London stacks up against insurers like Zurich, New Ireland, Irish Life and Aviva.
If you want to get this right first time:
Fill in the questionnaire here and I’ll check all five insurers before you apply so you don’t get stuck with the wrong decision.
Or if you prefer, book a quick call here.
Written by Nick McGowan, QFA RPA APA
Nick is a qualified financial advisor and founder of Lion.ie, a multi-agency Irish life insurance and income protection brokerage based in Tullamore.
He’s been helping people secure fair, transparent cover for over 15 years and was named Protection Broker of the Year 2022.
If you’d like straight answers without the sales pitch, learn more about Nick here.
As Ireland's leading life insurance broker, we specialise in comparing the rates and policies from the top five Irish life insurance providers and offering the very best value quotes to suit the individual needs of our clients. Our expertise lies in finding a suitable insurance plan for those with specific needs, be it a particular illness, occupation or claim history, we've got you covered in every sense!
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