Life Insurance FAQs

In general no. However, fees may be payable for complex cases/reviewing current life insurance cover or to reflect value, specialist skills or urgency. We will let you in advance should this arise.

You’ll get honest, unbiased advice on ALL the different life insurance products available in the market. We’ll recommend the right type of protection policy for you based on your individual needs.

Yes, they’re absolutely worth it – and I’m not just saying that because I’m a broker.

Life Insurance pays out a lump sum to your family if you die. Your family can use this money to pay for your funeral, to clear debts, and to keep living life as before. With Life Insurance, you’ll know that your family is protected if the worst were to happen to you.

Basically, a Life Insurance policy is magical: it conjures up new money at the exact time your family needs it. It’s the most important gift you can buy for them. Ultimately, Life Insurance is worth it because your family is priceless.

Whether it’s your parent, child or elderly relative, if someone depends on your income, then you need Life Insurance. And look, I know a lot of people think that the insurers don’t pay out, but the truth is that they pay out on death claims 97 percent of the time.

97 percent. Why would you bet against that?

Life Insurance might have lots of complicated jargon, but the process is pretty straight forward. You choose an amount of cover (the sum insured) that you want to leave behind to your family if you were to die, and then you pay a monthly premium to the insurer.

If you die during your policy, the insurer pays out that sum to your family, either in monthly instalments or in one big lump.

Working out the amount of cover you might need is that hardest part, but I can help you lower your monthly premium if you simply email me on nick@lion.ie or give me a call on

This question doesn’t really have a definitive answer. When you’re buying Life Insurance, you don’t necessarily want the cheapest deal you can get. Instead, you want the deal that makes the most sense for you.

A bunch of factors will affect the price too: your medical history, your age, if you’re getting insurance with a partner, how much cover you want – all the good stuff that the underwriters (the dudes in the dungeon who do the maths) will work it out and give you a price.

It can be particularly tricky if you have an illness or a complicated medical history. To cut it short: we work with all six insurers in Ireland and match our clients (people like you) with the insurer who makes the most sense for them.

The quickest way to get an idea of price is to get a quick Life Insurance quote.

Like the question about the best price: it depends on your situation and prices vary among each Irish insurance provider.

Same caveat applies: how much cover do you want? Do you have a medical issue? Are you looking for extras like access to a second medical opinion should you fall ill, counselling services or a medical helpline? Do you want to bundle other insurance, like Serious Illness Cover?

Again, the best way to get the ball rolling is to get a free quote or to give me a bell and I can get to work in getting you the best policy for your situation.

You have two options here: the pay-out can be in one single amount (so your family will receive a tax-free lump sum in one go) or it can be staggered over time.

People often choose to phase payments over time so it’s like a replacement income, and it’s usually paid monthly.

This one is easy: Life Insurance pays out once the death certificate is available.

Remember: 97 percent of all death claims are paid out, so it’s very rare that the insurer won’t follow through and not pay out on your policy.

However, the insurer won’t pay out if:

– You stopped paying your premium.

– You cancelled your policy.

– If you didn’t tell them about certain things that might have made your policy more expensive, for example that you smoke, that you have dangerous hobbies, or that you have a health condition.

– If you lied on the form, about medical issues or otherwise.

Again: it really does vary.

Some people just pick a number out of thin air – usually €250k over 25 years for some reason. Or they buy the same cover as their sister/friend/colleague has. Crackers.

This stuff is important, it’s going to protect the ones you love the most. Take some time to get it right or take no time and ask me to do it. 🙂

There’s a handy calculator at the end of this page, so have a nose here too.

You can buy Life Insurance through your broker, at the bank or direct from the insurer but only brokers offer discounts and independent advice from more than one insurer.

Banks are also tied to only one insurer, so your chances of getting a good deal are far better with a broker.

As soon as the insurer issues your life insurance policy, you are covered. There is no waiting period.

There is one exception and that is for suicide. A life insurance policy will not pay out on death by suicide in the first 12 months.

But again there is an exception here.

Some life insurers will payout in the first 12 months if the life insurance policy was assigned to a bank to cover a loan.

Sadly, we had a payout for such an unfortunate event last year. Fair play to Irish Life, they paid out without any fuss.

I remember arranging the policy for that client. Not in a million years did I expect to be arranging his death claim due to suicide.

You never know what lies ahead.

Life Insurance is paid out tax-free. However, it’s more complicated if anyone is going to inherit the money. Depending on their relationship to the person who died, they may have to pay inheritance tax.

That said, there are ways and means around that too, including Section 72 insurance which is a type of Life Insurance policy that can be used to settle an inheritance tax bill.

Yes, but only if you buy a special type of Life Insurance called Pension Term Assurance.

It’ll go to whoever you chose in your will. You should always put your Life Insurance in trust (which sounds like something only the Trumps and Zuckerbergs of this world would do!), it is a legal document that sets aside the proceeds from a claim for a specified person – so your spouse, legal partner or kids.

If you didn’t leave a will or put it in trust, the money goes to your estate.

There are two main types of Life Insurance policies:

– Whole of Life

– Term

Whole of Life insurance covers your whole life and is generally more expensive. The insurers will have to pay out, presuming you keep paying your premium.

Term Life is cheaper and covers a specific term – so for example, 30 years. If you’re buying Term Life, make sure you buy a conversion option which lets you extend your cover in the future without answering medical questions.

See: this kind of advice is why you should stick with a broker!

Hell yeah! The insurers make Life Insurance hard. But we make Life Insurance easier, so we put together a Life Insurance glossary in plain English so you’ll know what all the weird jargon means.

Nope, that’s enough about Life Insurance for now. Have a read of our blog or our product pages if you have more questions. If you can’t find the answer, call me on and I’ll be glad to help.

If you’re buying a house in Ireland, you’re legally required to get Mortgage Protection. It’s that simple.

Mortgage Protection pays off your mortgage to your bank if you pass away. That’s obviously a huge financial burden lifted for your family, so it is actually super useful.

Now, remember: you don’t actually need Life Insurance if you’re buying a house, just Mortgage Protection, despite what your bank might tell you.

This is the monthly amount you pay for your cover. The price will depend on several things, such as the amount of your cover.

As with other types of insurance, the cost of Mortgage Protection will vary depending on factors such as the size of the mortgage, how many years it’s for, your age, whether you smoke and your health.

The best way to find out how much Mortgage Protection might cost is to get a Mortgage Protection quote.

Life many things in life, it depends.

Each insurer has its own unique selling points. Zurich, for example, will pay your premiums if you can’t work for over 13 weeks while Aviva and Royal London offer Dual Life Mortgage Protection (basically, a double pay-out).

The best policy depends on what you want – but keep in mind that it’s not about the cheapest policy but the best value for what you’re getting.

You can buy Mortgage Protection from your bank, a broker, or direct from the insurer but here’s the thing: the banks only work with one insurer (and many of them work with the *same* insurer) so your best bet is to go with a broker who works with all six insurers.

You can read more about getting the best deal on Mortgage Protection here.

Again, it really depends.

Each major Irish insurer has its own selling points. Zurich, for example, will pay your premiums if you can’t work for over 13 weeks while Aviva and Royal London offer Dual Life Mortgage Protection (basically, a double pay-out).

The best policy depends on what you want – but keep in mind that it’s not about the cheapest policy but the best value for what you’re getting.

You can switch your Mortgage Protection provider at any time. Most Mortgage Protection policies are assigned to banks to cover your mortgage, so just make sure that your new policy is in place before the old one is cancelled.

If you bought with a broker you can. However, if you bought a block policy from your bank, you can’t.

+1 to buying with your broker. The difference in price here could end up costing you a fortune so don’t take the first policy your bank offers under the presumption it’s the best deal you can get.

It likely isn’t.

This is a big one and it’s another reason why I warn against getting Mortgage Protection with your bank. If you bundle SIC and MP with your bank and make a claim, the bank is entitled to any pay-out.

Bananas, I know.

It depends. Now, for the vast majority of people, health issues shouldn’t affect your chances of getting Mortgage Protection (well you might pay a bit more), but in some cases the severity of the illness could lead to you being declined or deferred.

However, don’t worry as you’ve come to the right . We’re the mutt’s nut when it comes to getting cover have a quirky medical history. Get in touch and we’ll help you as best we can to get Mortgage Protection.

Nope, that’s enough about Mortgage Protection for now. Have a read of our blog or our product pages if you have more questions. If you can’t find the answer, call me on and I’ll be glad to help.

Income Protection insurance pays you up to 75 percent of your income if you can’t work due to any illness or injury (excluding pre-existing conditions). Think of it as a replacement income if you can’t work.

It pays out until you return to your job or you retire, whichever is sooner. Handy!

You can buy it from a broker, bank, or direct from the insurer. The one thing to keep in mind is that the banks only work with one insurer so your best bet is to go with a broker who can give you impartial advice on the different policies offered by all of the Irish insurers.

You can make a claim once you’ve been out of work for longer than the deferred period.

This is the waiting period until your replacement income kicks in. The longer the deferred period, the cheaper your premium will be.

You can choose a deferred period of 4, 8, 13, 26, or 52 weeks – and yes, you choose it yourself. Before choosing, think about how long your family could realistically survive without your income and let that be your guide.

4 or 8 weeks is probably grand for most people, but after that it’d start to get a bit hairy.

Income Protection pays out once your claim has been accepted by the insurer, so it usually happens fairly fast.

It depends! The insurer will take certain factors into consideration, for example the amount of income you want to insure, the deferred period you’ve chosen, your age, your health, if you smoke, and most importantly the perceived riskiness of your occupation. An accountant will pay a lot less than an acrobat. (see below).

You can get a rough idea by calculating how much you need for Income Protection now.

Yes, but you can claim the tax back.

The pay-out is taxed in the same way as income but you get full tax relief on your premiums. So a higher rate taxpayer paying €100 per month is really only paying €60 per month after tax relief.

Tax yeah…zzzzzzzzzzz.

All you need to know is income protection costs less than you think.

Of course it is.

Your income is your most valuable asset. It’s how you pay for things like your mortgage, your expenses…and everything else. You’d be screwed without it. So for the sake of a few euro a week, why wouldn’t you even consider it?

Put it like this: if you had a money machine in the kitchen that spat out a couple of thousand every month, you’d keep it safe. You’d definitely insure it if you could.

Here’s the thing: you are that money machine.

Insurers classify you according to the risk of injury in your job. For example an accountant is a class 1 (lowest risk) whereas a plumber is a class 4 (highest risk). The higher the risk, the higher your premium.

You were expecting another “it depends” weren’t you?

This time, hand on heart I’m saying, Aviva. They’ve won the Best Income Protection Product Award for the last seven years in a row; they pay more claims and they have been doing it the longest. Plus around 90 percent of their claimants would recommend them so they’re obviously doing something right.

And…it’s who my policy is with.

You can get a quote for Income Protection by clicking here.

Nope, that’s enough about Income Protection for now. Have a read of our blog or our product pages if you have more questions. If you can’t find the answer, call me on and I’ll be glad to help.

Serious Illness Insurance Cover pays you a tax-free lump sum if you get one of the illnesses covered in your policy. The illness also has to match the definition outlined in your policy, so you should take the time to learn what you’re covered for before you sign up.

It is. It’s also sometimes called Specified Illness Cover too, because the insurers like to make you pull your hair out.

Serious Illness covers very serious illnesses like cancer and stroke. Recovery from an illness like that can take months if not years, and you’ll be hit really hard financially too because you’re likely to be out of work and not earning for a long period. Serious Illness Cover gives you a financial buffer so you can focus on getting better.

It varies from insurer to insurer, but most of them cover diseases like (some) cancers, heart disease, stroke, and MS. Most claims are for cancer, heart attack, and stroke.

Click here to see the full list of diseases covered (PDF).

If you don’t have Income Protection, you should consider buying Serious Illness Cover – unless you have a couple of years of income stashed away in a nest egg or under the mattress in your room.

Accelerated SIC is an add-on you can buy with Mortgage Protection or Life Insurance. If you make a claim, it reduces the overall cover on your MP or LI policy.

For example:

You buy a Life Insurance policy of €500,000.
You buy Accelerated Specified Illness Cover of €100,000.
You’re diagnosed with cancer as specified in your policy.
You receive €100,000 from your specified illness claim.
Your life cover is reduced by €100,000 leaving you with life cover of €400,000.

If you buy Additional SIC separately, it doesn’t reduce the overall cover on your other policies. So, if you buy €500,000 Life Insurance and €100,000 SIC and make a claim, you’ll still have the full €500,000 LI.

For us, it’s Zurich; especially now since they updated their definitions. We can safely say they offer the best Serious Illness Cover in Ireland.

The insurer pays out once it has received supporting evidence from your certified healthcare or medical professional/doctor.

Don’t choose the insurer that covers the most illnesses. Instead, have a read of the definitions of the illnesses, because that’s where you could potentially be tripped up.

Here, we compare the best serious illness cover options in Ireland.

It’s a bit of a head-wreck and there’s a lot of reading involved, but it comes down to how the individual insurers define/specify each illness in the policy.

For example, if you were to look at Royal London’s definition for ‘Heart Surgery’, you’ll see the following:

2. Aorta Graft Surgery – for disease

Policy definition:

“The undergoing of surgery for disease to the aorta with excision and surgical replacement of a portion of the diseased aorta with a graft. The term aorta includes the thoracic and abdominal aorta but not its branches. The undergoing of surgery for traumatic injury to the aorta needing excision and surgical replacement of a portion of the aorta with a graft is also covered.”

For the above definition, the following is not covered:

– Any other surgical procedure, for example the insertion of stents or endovascular repair.

You might think that you’d be covered if you had heart surgery where a stent was inserted – but you’re not, as per the exclusion above.

Like I said: have a good read of the definitions and weigh it up so you can pick the policy that makes the most sense for you.

It’ll depend on the provider you choose, the amount of cover you want, and factors such as your age, if you smoke, and your general health. If you’re in bad health, it’ll be more expensive or you may get less cover than you wanted.

A little goes a long way with Serious Illness Cover, so we recommend a maximum of 2 years’ salary – though a lot of people get by with around €30,000.

You can calculate how much you’ll need and get your free Serious Illness quote by clicking here.

Nope, that’s enough about Serious Illness Cover for now. Have a read of our blog or our product pages if you have more questions. If you can’t find the answer, call me on and I’ll be glad to help.