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Age is the single biggest factor that affects your life insurance premium.
You can’t make yourself younger.
You can give up smoking, get fit, and eat your greens—but your age is what it is. And it’s the one thing insurers never overlook.
Although you can’t change your date of birth—but you can cheat the system a little by backdating your policy.
It’s a trick most people don’t know about, but it can save you hundreds—or even thousands—over the lifetime of your policy.
So let’s break it all down: what age does to your quote, how backdating works, and how age affects medicals, term limits, and the infamous “whole-of-life vs term” debate.
Let’s not sugar-coat it: every birthday makes your cover more expensive.
Here’s what happens to your premium when you add another candle to the cake.
So yeah… age ain’t just a number when it comes to life insurance. The older you get before you apply, the more you pay. You can’t rewind the clock—but you can rewind your application.
Backdating means we tell the insurer: “Hey, pretend we started this policy before Brian’s birthday, yeah?”
If Brian turned 50 on June 18 and we start the policy from June 1, we lock in his 49-year-old rate—even if we’re applying on June 26.
He’ll have to pay the June premium, but that’s a one-off. In return, he gets to be 49 again. Financially, at least.
So if your birthday was in the last few months and you’ve been putting this off, now’s the time to act.
Let’s go back to Brian.
He pays for June once. He saves over €2,000. That’s a weekend in Paris. Or four tyres. Or 900 Freddos (depending on inflation).
Oh yes.
Insurers love a milestone birthday. Not for cake—just for extra medical hoops.
And if the screening turns up something awkward, it could bump up your premium—or even knock you back completely.
Bottom line: if you’re approaching 40, 45, 50, 55… apply before the big day.
If you’ve left it late, you still have options. But if you’re reading this at 74 and 11 months, don’t wait to hit the “Apply” button.
You can indeed do the same with income protection and mortgage protection.
If your birthday is coming up, don’t hang about. You can still be “younger” on paper and save a load of money.
Even if your birthday has just passed, we might still be able to backdate it and bring down the cost.
Want me to check what’s possible based on your age, health, and goals?
No pressure, just good advice.
Fill out this questionnaire or book a call and I’ll sort it.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
Originally published in 2016. Updated for 2025 with current prices.
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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