Buying Life Insurance: From Start To Finish

When it comes to buying Life Insurance, everyone’s needs are different. Do you have a mortgage? Young children? Outstanding debt? Poor health? All these things affect the level of cover you need. Despite differences in our personal circumstances, one thing is for sure; we all want an affordable policy that will pay out the right amount, at the right time. 

But what exactly is involved in getting Life Insurance? Well, it’s not as complicated as you might think - and we’re here to walk you through the entire process from start to finish. 

How to choose the right policy

When choosing a Life Insurance policy, you should consider:

• what it is you want to get out of your Life Insurance i.e. what is a suitable benefit amount?
• how long you want the cover to last.
• how much you can afford to contribute each month.

We aim to provide uncomplicated, flexible Life Insurance products. Not only are our products easy to understand, our purchasing process is straightforward. And you can even compare our products and get a quote before making a decision.

What kind of policies are available?

We want you to find the right cover to suit your needs. But first, you need to understand what each policy type can do for you. 

Let’s look at some common outcomes for our different policies.

Smart Guaranteed Life Insurance

If you want to contribute towards funeral costs or taking care of some outstanding expenses, our Guaranteed Life Insurance policy with a smaller benefit amount can help with that.

Smart Family Life Insurance: Age-Based

If you want to leave a significant lump sum to provide future financial protection after you die, then you could check out our Age Based Family Life Insurance policy and opt for a larger benefit amount. 

Smart Family Life Insurance: Level

Our Level Family Life policy can protect your family for a set period of time. It gives you the option of choosing a term during which you’re covered. You might want protection until you’ve paid your mortgage off, or until your kids have moved out for instance. What’s important is that we can offer a Life Insurance solution that works for you.

What optional cover is available?

There is no optional cover available with our guaranteed policy. 

However, with our Family Life Insurance, you can choose from additional covers: 

• Children’s Cover
• Critical Illness Cover

How to purchase your chosen policy

If you’re happy with your decision and you would like to take the next step towards financial security, you’re just three short steps away from purchasing a policy:

1. You can start by visiting our website to request a free call back by filling out a short online form with your name and phone number. Or you can choose to get a quick online quote for Guaranteed Life Insurance or request a quote for Family Life Insurance. 

Once you’ve filled in your details, a member of our team will contact you with more information. Alternatively, you can get started straight away by calling us on . 

2. We’ll have a chat with you and make sure you fully understand the policies and the payment processes. We can help you to determine what policy type is best for you. In the case that you are taking out a Family Life policy, we will ask you some questions about your health, medical history, lifestyle and occupation. 

3. Finally, once accepted, you will receive a schedule stating the amount you will pay in premiums along with your benefit amount and some other useful information. 

And that’s it! You’re immediately covered under our Family Life Insurance and you'll be covered from your policy start date for accidental death and death by any cause after just 24 months with our Guaranteed Life Insurance. You can rest easy knowing your loved ones are protected no matter what. 

How are monthly payments made?

Each month, we will deduct your monthly premium from your nominated bank account by direct debit. You can choose the date on which the premiums are paid. Failure to keep up with your premiums means you will no longer be covered. If you have two outstanding payments, your cover will end and you won’t get anything back. 

Will my premiums increase?

If you choose an Age Based policy, then your benefit amount  will increase yearly by 5% for the first 10-year period as you get older. You will always receive notice regarding the cost of upcoming premiums. This is not the case for Guaranteed Life and Family Life Level policies where the premiums are fixed and never change. 

How to makes changes to your policy

As the years go by, we hit different milestones; moving to a new house, welcoming a new child into the family, getting married or a change in your job situation. We understand that circumstances change all the time and major life events can affect how much cover we need. That’s why it’s simple and free to make changes to your Family Life policy. All you have to do is give us a call and we can work out the details. 

Will I get anything back if I cancel my policy?

You have 30 days from the receipt of your policy documents, during which time you can contact us and cancel your policy. You can still cancel your policy after 30 days, but you will not get anything back.

How can my family make a claim?

If the time comes when you or your family need to make a claim, the process is simple. We make it easy for you or your loved ones to make a claim. All it takes is a quick phone call on 0800 458 6901. We’re available to chat any time between 9am-7pm on weekdays.

Or you can contact us with the below information:

• E-mail us at claims@smartinsurance.co.uk 
• Write to us at: Smart Insurance, PO Box 6063, Windsor, SL4 9GL 

We will send out a claim form to be completed, signed and returned to us.