How Does Life Insurance Work In Australia?

How does life insurance work in Australia? Life insurance is a type of financial plan that gives your beneficiaries a lump sum payment if you die. Its purpose is to protect your family’s finances by helping them pay for funeral costs, debts, and living costs.

What Does Life Insurance Mean?

If you want to know what life insurance means, you should know that a life insurance policy is a contract between a person and an insurance company. In exchange for monthly payments, the insurance company protects the policyholder financially in the event of death (known as premiums).

According to the life insurance definition, the insurer (insurance company) pays a sum assured to the policyholder or the named nominees if the policyholder dies before their time. This is in exchange for the premium payments that the policyholder makes.

Based on the agreement, if the policyholder dies or if the policy ends, the insurance company will pay a lump sum to the person or his family after a certain amount of time. There are different life insurance policies to meet the needs and wants of each person who buys a policy.

Before you buy life insurance, it’s important to know what it is, what it covers, and how does life insurance work in Australia. Learn more about what life insurance means for you by reading on.

How Does Life Insurance Work In Australia?

A life insurance policy’s two most important parts are the death benefit and the premium. Permanent or whole life insurance policies also have a cash value part, which is not a part of term life insurance.

The payout for a person’s death

The death benefit or face value is the amount the insurance company promises to pay to the beneficiaries named in the policy when the insured dies. The insured person could be a parent, and their children could be the people who get the money. The insured will choose the death benefit amount based on what they think the beneficiaries will need in the future. Based on the proposed insured’s age, health, and any dangerous activities they participate in, the insurance company will decide if there is an insurable interest and if the proposed insured is eligible for coverage.

Premium

Premiums are the money the person with the insurance pays for. If the policyholder pays the required premiums, the insurer must pay the death benefit when the insured dies. The premiums are partly based on how likely the insurer will have to pay the death benefit based on how long the insured is expected to live. The insured’s age, gender, medical history, job hazards, and high-risk hobbies all affect how long they are likely to live.

Part of the premium also goes toward running the insurance company. Higher premiums are paid for policies with larger death benefits, for people at a higher risk, and for permanent policies that build cash value.

Value in cash

Permanent life insurance has a cash value that can be used in two ways. It is a savings account that the policyholder can use while the insured person is still alive. The money builds up tax-free. Depending on what the money will be used for, some policies may limit how it can be taken out. For instance, the policyholder might borrow against the policy’s cash value and have to pay interest on the loan principal. The cash value can also be used to pay premiums or buy more insurance for the policyholder. The cash value is a living benefit that stays with the insurance company after the insured person dies. The death benefit will be less if the cash value has been borrowed.

How Important Is Life Insurance in Australia for Financial Security?

Life insurance can help pay off your debts and cover your living expenses if you die. You might only need life insurance if you have a partner or someone who relies on your money. But if you get sick or hurt, you might want to get trauma insurance, income protection insurance, or total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance.

But most of the time, it’s smart to plan. Here are some reasons you might consider life insurance as soon as possible.

1. You’re going to start a family (Or Planning To)

Starting a family is a big step in life, and one of the many changes that could happen is that your finances could get more complicated. Since the income of both partners is important to many families, the death of one partner can make it hard to pay the bills.

Without the same income, your family might have trouble paying everyday costs. After all, the mortgage or rent has to be paid on time every month. Not to mention that having children costs money, which is on top of all the other costs.

Your family can be protected if you die by getting life insurance. Because your life insurance could help your loved ones pay for costs they can’t avoid.

If you have kids or want to have kids, a policy could help ensure their future is taken care of if something happens to you.

2. You can get better prices

People 20 or 30 years older than them are more likely to have health problems, less likely to be fit, and have a higher death rate.

This means that life insurance premiums tend to be cheaper for younger people.

3. You want to prepare for the worst things that could happen.

It’s common for younger people to focus on their lives in the present, and thinking too far ahead may seem pointless since life changes so quickly. And that’s one of the best things about being in your 20s.

But time doesn’t stay the same.

Younger people don’t often think about the chances of dying or getting sick. But focusing on these things quickly could be the right choice.

There’s a thin line between being ready for the worst and letting worry get the best of you. Getting life insurance is right on that line. It could be seen as a way to be in charge of your death as much as possible. At the same time, it means you won’t have to worry about it anymore.

When you’re younger, it’s easier to make decisions about these things because of how you feel about them. As you get older, your life insurance might seem like a better way to spend your money since it will always be a possible safety net.

4. Difficult times could cause less stress

In one day, a lot can happen. Death, illness, and major injuries can happen out of the blue and cause a lot of stress. And no one needs more financial problems on top of the emotional problems that come with these situations.

A fatal illness is hard on the person who has it and their family. Even worse can be having to pay a lot for medical care while suddenly having less money. Anyone can lose everything in these situations.

This is also a time when the right kind of Life Insurance can help a lot. Your cover can help keep your finances stable in a situation like this, and it could help keep your family from falling into financial ruin.

A family member’s death can make you feel sad and helpless. When the funeral costs start to add up with other living costs, these feelings worsen. And if they suddenly have less money to pay for these costs, grief can turn into hopelessness.

Life insurance could be very important in this situation, and your policy could help pay for funeral costs and give your family financial security. Even though no amount of money can make up for a personal loss, it may help your loved ones pay their respects without having to worry about money.

Lastly, if you get hurt and can’t work for a while, the right Life Insurance products (in this case, income protection cover) can help you out. You can get money to make up for some of the money you lost and help you and your family get by until you’re back on your feet.

5. Having enough money

Life is hard to plan for and can be full of unknowns, and it is hard to lower the chances of something bad happening, like death. In this case, the family has trouble making ends meet because they don’t have a steady income.

Getting the best life insurance policy as soon as you can is like having a safety net in case something bad happens. According to the definition of life insurance, the insurance company must pay the nominee or beneficiary the amount of money set before. So, even when the policyholder isn’t around, his family is still safe.

6. Long-Term Savings

If you want to invest long-term, think about what life insurance means. These insurance plans help you save money in a planned way and build a fund that you can use for many things, like building a new home, paying for your child to go to a good school, or paying for your child’s wedding.

Also, if you look up the definition of life insurance, you’ll find that some policies offer monthly payments in annuities, which is a great way to plan for and reach your retirement goals.

Types of life insurance in Australia

There are many kinds of life insurance in Australia, such as term life insurance, whole life insurance, and accidental death insurance.

Term Life Insurance

Term life insurance covers the policyholder for a certain amount of time, or “term.” If the policyholder dies during this time, the insurance company pays a death benefit to the person or people named as the beneficiary on the policy. If the policyholder doesn’t die during the term, the policy will end, and no benefits will be paid out. Term life insurance is usually the most affordable option and is often used to cover specific financial obligations like a mortgage or a child’s education.

Whole Life Insurance

Whole life insurance, which is also called permanent life insurance, covers the policyholder for the rest of their life as long as they pay their premiums. This kind of policy has a savings feature called “cash value” that builds up over time and can be used while the policyholder is still alive. Whole life insurance is often used for estate planning and is usually more expensive than term life insurance.

Income Protection Insurance

Income protection insurance is a type of policy that gives the policyholder a replacement income if they are sick or hurt and can’t work. This kind of insurance can help pay for things like mortgage, rent, and bills if the policyholder is sick or hurt and can’t work.

Total and permanent disablement (TPD) insurance:

If you get a serious illness or injury that leaves you totally and permanently disabled, TPD insurance will pay you a lump sum. For a claim to be paid, you must be unable to work again and unlikely ever to work again. It is often included in a life insurance plan.

Trauma insurance:

Trauma insurance is meant to cover you if you get a serious illness or health problem. Trauma insurance gives you a lump sum payment if you have a certain type of trauma, like a heart attack, cancer, or stroke. This kind of insurance is also sometimes called “critical illness insurance.”

Personal accident insurance: 

Sometimes called “accidental injury insurance,” personal accident insurance gives you a lump sum payment if you get hurt in an accident. It covers injuries like dislocations, broken bones, severe burns, and loss of sight or limbs. Depending on the type of injury, different benefits are paid out. It’s not the same as income protection insurance because it only covers accidents and not illnesses.

Funeral insurance: 

When you die, funeral insurance gives your loved ones or beneficiaries a lump sum payment. This benefit can be used to pay for your funeral and any other bills that need to be paid immediately. It’s usually very easy to get funeral insurance. You don’t have to take any medical tests; if you’re under 70, you’re guaranteed to be accepted. But if you can afford it, life insurance is usually a better choice.

People should carefully consider how much life insurance they need and read over the terms and conditions of any policy they are considering. Asking for help from a financial advisor can also help a person figure out the right type and amount of coverage for their unique situation.

Eligibility for life insurance in Australia?

Applying for life insurance might sound scary, but the questions on the application are easy to understand and are meant to find out how healthy you are overall. Some of these questions will be:

• How tall and heavy you are
• Your birth date
• Your health record
• The medical history of your family
• Do any plans for dangerous things
• Medications on the market
• Use of drugs and alcohol
• Information about money (income, net worth, place of employment)

You might also be asked to get a medical exam to learn more about your health. During the exam, a paramedical worker will talk to you about your health history and your family’s health history. They may also take a sample of your blood and urine and check your heart rate and blood pressure. Depending on how old you are, how healthy you are, and what kind of policy you want, you might have to undergo more medical tests.

One of the most important things about life insurance is the money it pays out to your beneficiaries, so make sure you are ready to name a beneficiary (or more than one) and give their dates of birth and Social Security numbers. You will also have to figure out how much coverage you need.

Costs of life insurance premiums in Australia

Now that you know a life insurance policy, you need to know some of the most important words about life insurance plans. What is life insurance premium is another important thing you need to know.

The amount you pay to the insurance company is called the premium in the life insurance definition. In exchange, the life insurance company will protect your family financially if you die unexpectedly during the policy term.

Life insurance premiums in Australia are usually based on things like the policyholder’s age, health, and way of life. When figuring out the premium for a policy, an insurer may also look at the type and amount of coverage being asked for.

In Australia, you can pay your life insurance premiums monthly, quarterly, or once a year. Policyholders may be able to change the amount of their premiums as their lives change, such as if their income changes or if they have more or fewer dependents.

When choosing a life insurance policy, people need to think carefully about their budget and choose a premium payment plan that works with their finances. Policyholders should also be aware that if they don’t pay their premiums, their policy could be cancelled or might not pay out if they die.

People in Australia who are thinking about buying a life insurance policy should carefully read over the terms and conditions of the policy and, if necessary, talk to a financial advisor. This can help them make a well-informed choice and choose a policy that fits their needs and budget.

How are rates determined?

A regular premium pays for the cost of life insurance. The information you give on your insurance application is usually used to determine your life insurance premium. It also depends on your age, gender, overall health, and the type of coverage you choose. In the end, it comes down to how much of a financial risk it will be to cover you.

When you pay premiums for term life insurance, your coverage will last for a certain amount of time, called the term of that policy. Most policies end when the term is over, and you no longer have to pay premiums. Different insurers have different lengths of terms; some don’t end until you’re 99 years old.

What factors affect the cost of your insurance?

• Age: Usually, your premiums will go up as you get older because you are more likely to die or get sick. The younger you are, the less likely it is that you will get a serious illness or die.
• Gender: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says that all other things being equal, women tend to live longer than men in Australia. So, life insurance premiums for men might be higher.
• Health: This includes how you feel now and how you have been in the past. Most of the time, your premiums will be higher if you’re not in good health because you’re more likely to file a claim in the future.
• Family medical history: If your family has a lot of hereditary diseases, like certain types of cancer and heart attacks, your insurance premium is likely to go up to cover the risk that you could get one of these diseases.
• Status as a smoker: People who smoke tend to pay a higher premium than those who don’t because they are more likely to get a serious illness. Most of the time, this means smoking e-cigarettes.
• BMI: The body mass index is a standard way for insurers to figure out how healthy you are in general. Most people think that a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is a healthy weight range.
• Job: When you apply for income protection or TPD, the insurance company might ask about the level of risk in your job. An electrician may pay more for insurance than an accountant who spends most of the day sitting at a desk.
• Sports and hobbies: If you do dangerous things like skydiving or mixed martial arts, your insurance rates might be higher because you are more likely to die or get hurt.
• Type of Coverage: The premium you pay will also depend on the type of life insurance you choose. For example, accidental death-only coverage is usually less expensive than full life insurance because it doesn’t cover death from natural causes.
• The amount covered: Most of the time, the more coverage you buy, the more you’ll pay in premiums.
• The best kind: Whether you choose a stepped or level premium structure will also affect how much your premium costs. Stepped life insurance is often cheaper at first, but the cost increases yearly as you age. Level premiums are usually more expensive initially, but they usually stay the same as you age.

How often do you pay a premium for insurance?

Most premiums can be paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually, depending on what works best for you and what the insurer offers. But it has to be paid according to the terms of your insurance contract. If you pay your premiums once a year instead of every month, you can get a 5% to 8% discount. This is because paying once a year usually means lower administrative costs than paying monthly.

You could pay your premiums through direct debit from your bank account, credit card, or your super fund if you bought the insurance through your superannuation.

After you buy a policy, the insurer will give you a product disclosure statement (PDS) and a policy schedule. The policy schedule tells you when your first premium is due, what kind of premium you chose, and if there are any extra fees because of the information you gave on your application.

Can premiums for life insurance go up?

Yes, indexation makes it so that the cost of your premiums usually goes up over the life of your policy. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) or a formula based on the CPI will usually be used to index your premium, whether it is stepped or level. But if you want to avoid your coverage going up with the cost of living, you can contact your insurer and ask them to take away the inflation protection.

Some other reasons why your premium might go up are:

• Changes in the economy can cause the base rate of a life insurance policy to go up, which protects the insurer against claims coming up out of the blue.
• If you choose a policy with stepped premiums, your premiums will increase yearly as you age.
• If there are more claims than expected, your premium might go up so the insurance company can cover their costs.
• Legacy products are old policies that were bought between the 1980s and 1990s. These policies are getting increasingly expensive because they need to be maintained.

How To Handle The Cost Of Your Life Insurance Premiums?

• You can keep your premiums down in many ways, such as by shopping around and comparing prices side by side online. Fill out the quote form above to get started.
• Check your coverage or have a broker do it for you. Check to see if you have too much insurance.
• If you pay your premiums once a year, you could save between 5% and 8%.
• Combine different types of personal insurance, such as life and TPD, into one policy.
• Take away the nice-to-have benefits you don’t need, like the housing benefit.
• Look where you are in life now and decide if your insurance is still right for you.
• Reduce the amount of coverage you have if, for example, your children are grown and can support themselves.
• If you don’t need your sum insured to keep up with inflation, remove CPI increases.

Things To Think About When Buying Life Insurance In Australia

Getting life insurance is an important way to manage financial risks. Here are the most important things to consider before buying life insurance.

1. How much insurance do you need?

How much life insurance you need depends on a number of things, such as your financial situation, where you are in life, and whether or not you have people who depend on you financially.

If you have a lot of debt and/or people who depend on you financially, like young children, you’ll need more life insurance than someone who doesn’t.

2. What kind of insurance do you need

There are different kinds of life insurance coverage, such as death cover, total and permanent disability cover, income protection cover (which protects you if you can’t work because of an illness or injury), and trauma cover (that helps cover the costs of your rehabilitation if you suffer a major trauma such as a heart attack or stroke).

3. How much the cover costs

Once you know how much and what kind of life insurance you need, it’s important to get quotes from different companies to compare prices. The cost of insurance coverage includes the premiums and any other fees you might have to pay.

There are two main types of insurance premiums: level and stepped. Level premiums are usually more expensive at first than stepped premiums, but they don’t go up as you age (other than adjustments for inflation).

Stepped premiums go up as you age, so they cost more as your policy goes on. It’s important to think about how much insurance policies with stepped premiums will cost in the long run.

Aside from your age, other things that could affect the price of your life insurance premiums are your gender, whether you smoke, whether you do dangerous things (like have a dangerous job), and your medical history.

4. The rules of the policy

Before buying a policy, it’s also important to carefully examine the terms and conditions. Before you buy a product from an insurance company, they have to give you their product disclosure statement (PDS). The PDS must list all of the policy’s terms and conditions, such as the events or illnesses that are covered, any exclusions that will affect the payment of policy benefits, and any fees that the insurer may charge for providing coverage.

5. If you need a medical exam or need to give your medical history

Before deciding whether or not to cover you, some insurers will want you to take a medical exam or tell them about your health history. They may not cover you at all or put restrictions on your policy based on your health history.

If an insurance company doesn’t ask for a medical exam or your medical history, their coverage may be more expensive or exclude pre-existing conditions.

6. Payment Option

It would be best if you tried to work with an insurance company that lets you set up automatic payments.

If you make payments by hand, there is always a chance that you could miss one. If you don’t pay your premiums on time, your policy could be cancelled, especially if you don’t fix the problem quickly. Most insurance companies give you a grace period if you miss a payment. But remember that this is a contract; if you pay your premiums, the contract could continue.

With automatic payment, you are less likely to lose your policy because you forgot to pay your premium.

7. The things that your policy doesn’t cover

Exclusions are things your Life Insurance policy doesn’t cover or situations where your claim won’t be paid. For example, most life insurance policies have an exclusion that says the life insurance sum insured won’t be paid if the life insured commits suicide within thirteen months of getting the policy.

Before you agree to the terms of a new policy, you should always check to see what it doesn’t cover.

It’s important to know that you have a duty, to tell the truth, if an insurer asks for any information, like your medical history, to evaluate your application for a life insurance policy. This means that you have to tell the insurer anything you know or should know that could affect their decision about whether or not to insure you or the terms and conditions they may want to put on the coverage they may agree to give you. If you don’t do this, it could affect how much the life insurance policy could pay out if you make a claim in the future.

It’s best to get financial advice to ensure you have the right coverage for your needs, no matter where you are.

Who Should Buy Life Insurance?

Life insurance gives money to the policyholder’s surviving dependents or other beneficiaries after the policyholder dies. Here are some examples of people who might need life insurance:

• Parents who have young kids: If a parent dies, the loss of their income or skills as a caregiver could make it hard to pay the bills. Life insurance can make sure that the kids have the money they need until they are old enough to take care of themselves.
• Parents with adult children with special needs: Life insurance can ensure that the needs of children who will never be able to take care of themselves on their own will be met after their parents die. The death benefit can be used to pay into a special needs trust for the benefit of an adult child, and this trust will be managed by a fiduciary.
• Adults who share a property: If the death of one adult would leave the other unable to pay for loan payments, upkeep, and taxes on the property, life insurance may be a good idea. This is true whether or not the adults are married. One example is a couple that is getting married and getting a joint mortgage to buy their first home.
• Seniors who want to give money to their grown children who take care of them: Many adults give up time at work to help an aging parent who needs care. This help could also come in the form of direct financial aid. When a parent dies, life insurance can help pay for the costs of the adult child.
• Young adults whose parents took out private student loans for them or cosigned for a loan: Young adults without dependents rarely need life insurance, but if a parent is responsible for a child’s debt after their death, the child may want to carry enough life insurance to pay off that debt.
• Young adults or children who want to lock in a low rate: Your insurance costs will be less if you are younger and healthier. A grown-up in their 20s who plans to have children in the future might buy a policy even though they don’t have any yet.
• Spouses who stay at home: Stay-at-home spouses should have life insurance because their work in the home adds up to a lot of money. Salary.com says that the economic value of a stay-at-home parent in 2018 was the same as a salary of $162,581 per year.
• Rich families who know they will have to pay estate taxes and life insurance can pay taxes and keep the estate’s value at its full amount.
• Families who can’t pay for a funeral or burial: A small life insurance policy can give you money to pay tribute to someone who has died.
• Companies that have key employees; Suppose the death of a key employee, like the CEO, would cause a company a lot of financial trouble. In that case, the company may have an insurable interest that lets it buy a life insurance policy on that employee.
• Seniors who are married: Pensioners don’t have to choose between a pension payout with a spousal benefit and one without. Instead, they can take their full pension and use some of the money to buy life insurance for their spouse. This plan is called the “maximization of pensions.”
• Those who already had health problems: Cancer, diabetes, and smoking, are all examples. However, some insurance companies may refuse to cover such people or charge them very high rates if they do.

Conclusion – How Does Life Insurance Work In Australia?

Most life insurance policies in Australia are sold by insurance brokers, financial advisors, or the insurance companies themselves. When you buy a policy, you’ll need to think about things like your age, health, and way of life to figure out how much coverage you need. Review the terms and conditions of any policy you are thinking about getting, and if you have any questions, talk to a financial advisor or insurance broker.

Life insurance is a type of financial plan that gives your beneficiaries a lump sum payment if you die. Australia offers different kinds of life insurance, such as term life insurance, whole life insurance, and accidental death insurance. Before you buy life insurance, you should carefully think about what you need and what the terms and conditions of the policy are.

FAQ – HOW DOES LIFE INSURANCE WORK IN AUSTRALIA

How do claims for life insurance work?

Life insurance claims aren’t made by the policyholder, like most other insurance claims. When you buy a policy, you name a beneficiary, which is usually someone you care about. They will have to fill out the claim form, and they will need to do the following to make a claim:

Get a copy of the certificate of death.

Tell the insurance company by giving them your policy details, date of death, and cause of death.

At this point, your insurance company will likely send your beneficiaries a form to fill out and send back. Most likely, they will need to give the insurance company a copy of the death certificate and any other paperwork that the insurance company has asked for. They will also be asked for the bank account number to which they want the money to be sent.

How does the money from life insurance work?

With a stand-alone life insurance policy, the money will be sent to the people you choose as beneficiaries in one large lump sum, which will be put in their bank account(s). If your beneficiaries die before you do and you don’t change your policy (which you can do by calling your insurance company), the money will go to your estate.

Things can be a little different if you have a life insurance policy in your super. In this case, you need to make a binding nomination, which is a written notice to the trustee of your super fund. If not, your super fund will decide who gets the lump sum payment.

How does it work to stop a life insurance policy?

You can stop paying for your life insurance at any time. Many insurance companies also have a “cooling-off” period, during which you can change your mind without losing money. But it’s important to know that if it’s after that time, your insurance company doesn’t have to give you back any of the premiums you’ve already paid.

Also, if you drop your insurance and then sign up again later, your premiums will probably be higher, and there may be some restrictions. This is because you will be older than you were when you first got your policy, and you may have had health problems since then.

But if you’ve done some shopping around and found that you could pay less for the same amount of coverage, switch. Most of the time, you can cancel your policy by calling or emailing your insurance company.

In Australia, what kinds of life insurance are there?

In Australia, there are six main types of life insurance:

• Insurance for life
• Insurance to protect your income.
• Insurance for total and permanent disability (TPD)
• Trauma Insurance
• Personal accident insurance
• Funeral insurance

I already have life insurance, so why should I think about other kinds?

There are many ways that your life can change without warning, so insurance products are made to cover a wide range of situations and needs.

For instance, if you were in a car accident and became totally and permanently disabled, your life insurance policy would not pay out a death benefit. But you might have a lot of medical bills, rehab costs, and costs for making changes to your home, and you might no longer be able to work. You would have the money you need if you had both TPD insurance and term life insurance.

Also, if you were hurt or sick and had to take some time off work, would you be able to keep paying your mortgage and taking care of your family? If you don’t have income protection insurance, you and your family could get into financial trouble.

What is it that life insurance pays for?

A payment from life insurance can be used to:

• Replace your lost income
• Pay off your home loan and other debts.
• Help your family pay their bills.
• Pay for your funeral expenses.
• Make sure that your loved ones can keep living the way they do now if you die unexpectedly.

Most insurance companies won’t pay if your claim is because:

• Suicide or a self-inflicted injury that was done on purpose within the first 13 months of coverage
• Death because of something you did that was wrong or illegal
• Your participation in something dangerous, like an extreme sport

Is it important to have life insurance?

If you know what life insurance means, you know that a life insurance plan may not seem necessary, but it is a smart choice in these uncertain times. It protects your family financially if you die too soon. Not only that, but the definition of life insurance also includes other benefits, such as not having to pay taxes on the premiums.

How old do you have to be to get life insurance?

Anyone can buy most insurance plans over the age of 18. However, the maximum age limit can vary depending on the policy terms and conditions and the insurance company.

Who would get the sum assured if the nominee died before the policyholder?

If the nominee dies before the policyholder, the policyholder should file a request to change the nominee. For all types of insurance, it is the policyholder’s responsibility to ensure that their nominee’s information is correct.

But if the policyholder’s insurance allows for more than one nominee and one of them dies too soon, the payout goes to the other active nominee. Note that this depends on the insurance plan’s rules and the insurance company’s internal policies.

How old should I be before I buy life insurance?

Financial experts always say that you should buy life insurance as soon as possible in your life. This is because you can keep your life insurance premiums low if you buy a plan when you are young, like in your early 20s. But before you buy, you should also consider other things like your current income, the number of people who depend on you, etc. So, the right age for a person to get life insurance can vary from person to person.

What does life insurance cover when it comes to critical illness?

Usually, critical illness coverage is an add-on that you can choose to get, but some life insurance companies in India offer it as the default benefit. If you choose this rider, you will be covered if you get a serious illness like cancer, heart disease, liver or kidney disease, etc. If you choose the critical illness rider, your premium may go up, but the possible payout could help you pay for your medical bills if you get a critical illness.