👉 Get an instant quote
👉 Complete our short financial questionnaire
👉 Book a quick callback
“How do I protect my loved ones if I die?”
It’s the kind of question that keeps you staring at the ceiling at 2am. Nobody wants to picture it — dying unexpectedly and leaving your family behind — but burying your head in the sand isn’t a plan. Life insurance is.
I’m Nick, a broker who’s been sorting this stuff for two decades. I’ll keep the jargon out of it and give you the useful bits in plain English. You’ll get the “need-to-knows”, a quick way to get covered, and a few insider tips so you don’t overpay or buy the wrong thing.
If anyone relies on your income, life insurance creates a tax-free lump sum for them if you die during the policy term. It’s not glamorous, but neither is a bank letter when the bills keep coming after your family has lost the breadwinner.
Think of it as buying your family time: time to keep the roof over their heads, finish school, and figure things out without panic. In short, you’re paying an insurer to replace the income of the deceased.
Side note: we all hope to be around long enough to hear the next Oasis reunion tour, but planning properly means your family aren’t relying on wishful thinking.
Insures you for a fixed number of years (say 20–30). If you die during that term, your family gets the lump sum. It’s usually the best value for young families.
Pays out whenever you die — guaranteed — so it costs more. Good if you want a legacy no matter what, or to cover funeral costs.
Decreasing cover that clears the mortgage balance if you die during the mortgage term. It’s mandatory for home loans, but the bank’s own policy often isn’t the best value. Read our mortgage protection guide.
If illness or injury stops you working, this pays you a monthly income (up to 75% of salary) until you’re back on your feet — or to the end of your claim term. It’s the most useful policy you can buy while alive. More on Income Protection.
Pays a lump sum on diagnosis of an illness listed in your policy (e.g. many cancers, heart attack, stroke). Not as broad as Income Protection, but a useful bolt-on or standalone if budget is tighter. Serious Illness explained.
There’s no one-size-fits-all, tell me about your setup and I’ll recommend an amount you won’t regret — or overpay. 👉 Get a tailored recommendation
Less than most people think.
Premiums depend on age, smoker status, amount/length of cover, health, and extras like convertibility.
👉 See your prices across the five insurers
The bank typically offers one insurer. We compare all five (Aviva, Irish Life, New Ireland, Royal London, Zurich), and match you with the one that suits your health history and budget. If you’ve any medical niggles, picking the right underwriter first can save you a lot of grief (and cash).
Short version: don’t let the lender’s convenience cost you for the next 20–30 years.
Ready to see your best options?
👉 Get instant quotes  | Prefer advice first? Tell me about you
No. Life insurance protects your family with a lump sum. Mortgage protection clears the mortgage for the bank. Many households need both.
You can, but they’re tied to one insurer. We price and place your policy across all five, and we’ll find the most sympathetic underwriter first time around.
Term is best value for family protection while kids are dependent. Whole of Life is for guaranteed payout (e.g. legacy or funeral cover). You can combine them.
Be honest on the form. We’ll present your case to the right underwriter, often with a short medical questionnaire instead of a full medical. Start here: medical/advice questionnaire.
If you’d like a number that fits your household, I’ll calculate it and recommend an insurer.
Thanks for getting this far!
Nick
Ready to sort your cover? Take the next step:
👉 Get instant quotes
👉 Complete our financial advice questionnaire
👉 Book a quick callback with Nick
Ultimately, no one wants to have to pay for Life Insurance (trust me, as a dad of young kids, I get it!), but if you have a family or dependents, it’s one of the best things you can do for them.
I believe in plain English and in avoiding the makey-uppy terms insurers and banks use to bamboozle you. After all: if you can’t understand what they’re saying, how are you meant to get the best deal?
Want to know a secret?
The insurers payout on 97 percent of death claims – so now you know that your family’s future will almost certainly be secured.
What else?
We’re an online broker so we can arrange everything, including the signing of your documents over t’internet.
We specialise in getting cover for people with health issues or quirky medical condition.
We give you unbiased advice on a choice of policies from Aviva, Irish Life, New Ireland, Zurich Life and Royal London. That’s all five of the main Irish insurance companies.
. Remember if you go through your bank or directly to an insurer, you don’t get any choice of provider. They just sell you what they have.
Look, it all boils down to this: I think it’s wrong that Life Insurance companies and banks make it so bloody difficult to get cover, especially if you’re in the chunk of the population who has a health issue.
It’s just not fair.
I founded lion.ie because I’m on a mission to make life insurance possible for everyone.
I’ll lay it all for you in plain English and I’ll give you professional advice so you can get the right deal for you. I can’t wait to speak with you and to make life insurance a little less drab and a little more fun.
Nick McGowan
lion.ie | making life insurance easier
