The Lion Life Insurance Blog

Imagine you were diagnosed with a serious illness? How much would you value a free second opinion from one of the world's leading doctors?

If you have a policy with Aviva, you have access to just that.

While financial planning sounds like something only the rich do, there’s a lot to be said for it.

And I know it all sounds desperately dull.

Still, proper financial planning = being able to spend your money without freaking out about whether you can afford to.

We have a handy calculator here to help you plan.

Today is the day we're training to meet Mike Tyson in the ring.

If you ever did meet Tyson in the ring, there's a good chance you're not coming out alive.

So for this particular conversation Tyson is death, I'm your trainer and we're here to ready you for the day Tyson comes a callin'.

Hopefully, it never happens.

So we have the chats, talk about income replacement, see how much cover you need to take care of your family. We calculate a figure, discuss the different insurers, settle on a premium. You're happy, I'm happy. We put €1m cover in place, shake hands and hope for the best.

Two years later...

It may have come as a huge shock to be declined or postponed.

In this article, I discuss the reasons why this has happened.

And what you can do about it.

Many people don't even think about shopping for life insurance until they actually have children, but it's a good idea to plan for the future by buying life insurance coverage when you're pregnant or even before you become pregnant.

Sooner rather than later.

Forget about all the other stuff, the buggy, the car seats, the multitude of What to Expect When You're Expecting books. Whether you buy them today or in three months time, the price won't change.

However, with life insurance, the cost of your policy can go from the normal price to multiple times that amount if you develop any complications.

So, you've lived in your parents' box room for 18 months, scrimped and saved, and finally have the deposit in your bank.

You've found a gaff you want to buy, been mortgage approved, and just went sale agreed.

Exciting times ahead!

But before you start planning trips to IKEA, there's an important reality check we need to discuss:

What happens if you get sick and can't work?

Yeah, I know; sorry to put a downer on things, but the next few sentences are the most important ones you will read today.

When you're buying a house, there's an awful lot of high-falutin bullshit to wade through.

Plenty of terms that the average Joe just don't know.

So to help you survive the onslaught, we've created a Mortgage Bullshit Buster, or MBB if you will.

Without further ado.

It depends on the relationship between the dead person and the person getting the moolah.

If you're married, there is no tax liability.

Let's look at the case of JR and Sue-Ellen.

Sue Ellen had a life insurance policy in her name for a cool €10 million.

Paying for insurance is a PITA.

Car insurance, house insurance, gadget insurance, pet insurance, life insurance, health insurance, the list is endless.

It's all a massive waste of money...until you make a claim and then it's the most important few quid you've ever spent.

I took a look at my own life cover recently to see if I could save a few bob so I thought it would be helpful to outline my thought process around changing it up into bite-size pieces.

You think you're healthy when you begin the life insurance application form...then you reach the family history question:

Have any of your parents, brothers or sisters ever had one or more of the following medical conditions at the ages specified:

Hmmm...