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Editor’s note: First published 2016 | Refreshed October 2025 with updated insurer examples, back-dating rules & Irish pricing data.
10-second summary: Each birthday pushes your premium up. Apply before your next one – or back-date your policy – to lock in a younger rate and save hundreds over the term.
Tick tock.
Do you hear that?
That’s the sound of your life getting shorter, second by second.
Okay, so that’s a bit dramatic – but it’s true.
To answer the heralded question in the blog title: now is the best time to get Life Insurance. Anything could happen between now and whenever it is that you actually get it sorted.
You could be hit by a bus or a lorry or a flying piece of concrete from a three-storey building.
Stranger things have happened.
Moral of the story: you need to get Life Insurance asap.
Here’s why:
Age is the single biggest factor affecting your life insurance premium.
You can quit smoking or start juicing kale, but you can’t rewind the date you appeared on this great spinning ball of earth – and insurers never forget it.
Still, there’s a little-known trick: back-dating your policy (we’ll discuss this later 👇)
Do it right and you could save a weekend in Paris’ worth of cash.
Let’s break down what age does to your quote, how back-dating works, and how birthdays trigger extra medical hoops.
Every candle costs you. Premiums creep up each year because the older you are, the closer you are to a potential claim – and insurers price for that risk.
So yeah – age isn’t just a number. But you can rewind the clock.
Back-dating tells the insurer, “Pretend this started before my birthday.”
If Brian turned 50 on June 18 and we start the policy from June 1, he locks in his 49-year-old rate.
He pays for June, then enjoys lower pricing for decades.
They do — but it’s not just about age.
Insurers look at two main factors:
If you’re younger and only need a modest amount of cover, you’ll usually just complete the health questions on the application form. But if you’re applying for a larger sum — or you’re a bit older — the insurer may request a nurse medical, GP report, or both.
Think of it like this:
So if your birthday’s creeping up — 40, 45, 50, 55 — apply before the big day to avoid extra hoops (and possibly higher premiums).
Left it late? You still have options—but if you’re 74 years and 11 months old, stop reading and call us now.
You can usually back-date income protection and mortgage protection too – handy if your birthday falls mid-application.
If your birthday’s coming up, don’t hang about – you can still be “younger” on paper and save a few quid.
Even if it’s just passed, we might be able back-date and cut the cost.
Next step: Complete my quick questionnaire or book a chat to see what’s possible.
Thanks for reading,
Nick
Originally published 2016 | Refreshed 2025 for current rules and 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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