How much should you spend on life insurance?

Like it or not,  life insurance is a smart play for your family.

If you walk out in front of a bus, you're gone, and so is your income that they depend on for their future financial stability.

But, you might wonder how much you should spend on life insurance?

Are we talking about having to sacrifice nice days out with the fam, or just your regular morning caffeine hit?

These are totally valid questions. It seems like any hard numbers are, well, hard to come by no matter how much googling you do.

If you think you need life insurance for a mortgage, you're mistaken.

All you need is mortgage protection (no matter what the bank tells you)

It'll save you a few quid...

I'm not one for taking sides or having favourites, but it's hard to ignore Royal London's serious illness cover when making a recommendation.

Serious illness cover has never been my favourite insurance.

It's hit-and-miss; with limited illnesses covered, you can't always be sure that it's a backup plan that will have your back.

But here comes Royal London Ireland storming the stage with some sassy, serious illness specifications.

And some of their improved Specified Serious Illness Cover are unique in Ireland.

So, let's dig a little deeper and plough through all the jargon and whatnot to make sense of what Royal London Ireland offers.

Don't even think about lying on your life insurance.

If you do, it will forever eat away at your conscience, and when you die, your family are screwed.

What if you're single and don't have kids?

Life insurance is life insurance, right?

Well, no.

It would make far more sense for insurers to create one singular type of life insurance to avoid confusion and complication.

But if we know anything, it’s that insurance companies love complexity.

So let’s try and decipher what’s going on.

A little birdie told me that you’re holding back on life insurance because you’re worried about discussing some health issues you have.

That’s awful, but I understand.

First, any insurance broker worth their salt shouldn’t make you feel uncomfortable about personal health issues, but I’m sure this won’t quell the fear.

So how about if I told you one of our rather clever insurers now offers an app that means your broker has ZERO access to your medical information.

That’s right.

With Appy, a new medical underwriting app, insurance advisors have less involvement in your medical history.

Next in the firing line is New Ireland’s mortgage protection insurance.

I do love a good review article and you are going to love this one.

OK, love is probably a bit of a strong word choice.

Nobody loves insurance but look if you're getting a mortgage, you need mortgage protection so let's suck it up and get through this.

Aside from the odd ‘best teacher’ mug and ‘we'll miss you’ card you might get your hands on as the summer holidays creep in, teaching is a pretty thankless job.

But know this, I see you.

Not only do you educate my semi-feral children (more homework please, especially for the 11-year-old) but you also help them to navigate the difficulties of social interactions.

For those of you who work with our teens, well, good lord I don’t know how you do it.

The mood swings, and the Kevin and Perry style ‘why’s' have me pulling my hair out.

So, battling the constant nonsensical moaning from a class of 30+ Kevins must be soul-sucking at times.

And stressful.

But what if it becomes so stressful that you need an extended break on medical grounds?

The most common forms of arthritis we advise on are Osteoarthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, Reactive Arthritis. Ankylosing spondyloarthritis, Juvenile Arthritis, Palindromic rheumatism, Axial spondyloarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

When underwriting applications, the insurers are most concerned with symptoms, medication and planned surgeries.

Here's our guide to getting covert at the best price with the least amount of hassle.

What is a Mortgage Exemption or Exception?

You know those sneaky little loopholes that make getting a mortgage that little bit easier.

Well, there are a couple of exemptions that may help you get your foot on the property ladder but what are they and how do you even convince a mortgage lender to give you one?