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Cancelling your life insurance

3 simple steps to cancel your life insurance policy.

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By

William Eve

Updated

Fact checked

Three steps to cancelling your life insurance

  1. Decide if you want to switch to a new policy or cancel outright
  2. Inform your life insurer in writing (and get confirmation)
  3. Follow extra steps from your insurer

If I cancel, will I get a refund?

A refund will depend on whether or not you've passed an insurers cooling off period. If the policy is cancelled:

  • Within the cooling-off period. You're entitled to get a refund on the premiums you have paid to date (provided that you have not made a claim).
  • Outside of the cooling off period. Premiums are generally not refundable, as life insurance does not have a savings or investment component.

Five things to consider when cancelling

  • Refunds within the cooling off period. You can cancel your cover within the specified cooling-off period and the premiums you have paid will be fully refundable.
  • Refunds after the cooling period. Premiums will not be refunded after the cooling period or if a claim has been made during the cooling-off period.
  • Cancelling at anytime. You can cancel your policy cover at any time, however, the premiums you have paid to date will not be refundable.
  • Refunds for policies in advance. If you pay your premiums in advance on a yearly basis, the coming year may be refundable minus any cancellation fees and stamp duties that are applicable.
  • Request in writing. You will be required to provide your request to cancel your policy in writing.

Why do people cancel life insurance?

Many people do cancel their policies intentionally or due to non-payments. Some of the key reasons people cancel their policies include:

  • They can no longer afford premiums that increase with age
  • They find a competitor policy that offers a better rate
  • Insurers redesign the definitions and exclusions which increases the price
  • Advisers re-packaging a life insurance plan to increase commission.

Should I cancel?

No one should ever feel like they are being weighed down by premium payments for insurance they do not need. Before cancelling, however, consider the following:

  • You may need life insurance in the future. Remember that your needs and circumstances change over time. In later years it may be more difficult to get a new life insurance policy. Your age and current health conditions are two important factors that determine the level of premiums you pay. The older you are the higher your premiums will be, with an increased chance of paying additional loading for new medical conditions. The cost of life insurance increases dramatically after the age of 45. By age 60 your premiums will be about six times higher than when you were 40
  • How much have you paid premiums already? Cancelling life insurance won't result in a premium refund. This could mean loosing thousands of dollars you have already invested into a policy.
  • Would your dependents be financially secure without you? Consider how your family would support themselves if you were to suddenly pass away. Are your savings enough to cover mortgage repayments, daily living costs, education, health insurance, funeral costs and everything else?

What should I do instead of cancelling?

  • Look at restructuring or switching. If financial strain is your main reason for closing a life insurance policy, consider reducing, restructuring or even switching policies instead. This can give you a more affordable policy without surrendering all cover and losing any benefits or discounts you may have accrued.

Switch and save with these direct life insurers to choose from

Name Product Maximum Cover Maximum Entry Age Terminal Illness Benefit Claims Acceptance Rate Average Claim Time Sum Insured
NobleOak Life Insurance
Finder Award
NobleOak Life Insurance
$25,000,000
74
$25,000,000
96.90%
1.1 months
$24,483 million
Our verdict: Finder Life Insurance Award winner for the last 5 years in a row. Good value for money, simple application process and a high claims acceptance rate.

⭐ Current offer: Get one month free for a limited time - apply by 21 December 2023. Offer T&Cs on insurer website apply.
Get Quote
View details
TAL Accelerated Protection Life Insurance
Finder AwardBonus
TAL Accelerated Protection Life Insurance
No set limit
73
Not stated
Data not available
1 months
$249,285 million
Our verdict: One of Australia's leading life insurers. Automatically includes child critical illness cover. Plus, it comes with a level premium option (e.g. costs remain similar as you get older).

⭐ Current offer: Get up to 15% off your TAL Life, Trauma or TPD insurance policy for life - if you have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 19 and 28 at the time of your application. Offer T&Cs on insurer website apply.
Get Quote
View details
Medibank Life Insurance
Medibank Life Insurance
$2,500,000
70
$2,500,000
Data not available
Data not available
Data not available
Our verdict: Medibank offers a higher payout limit ($2.5 million) than 15 other providers. Get a 10% discount if you're already a Medibank Health Insurance member.
Get Quote
View details
ahm Life Insurance
ahm Life Insurance
$1,500,000
55
$1,500,000
Data not available
Data not available
Data not available
Our verdict: ahm offers a simple application process. You can be approved online or over the phone. There are no medical or blood tests required.
Get Quote
View details
HCF Life Protect Insurance
HCF Life Protect Insurance
$1,500,000
65
$1,500,000
Data not available
Data not available
Data not available
Our verdict: Similar cover to other insurers ($1.5 million). A good discount for HCF members of 10% and an easy initial quote process.

⭐ Current offer: Eligible HCF Members receive 10% premium discount and HCF Thank You rewards.
View details
RAC Life Insurance
Bonus
RAC Life Insurance
$25,000,000
74
$25,000,000
96.90%
1.1 months
$24,483 million
Our verdict: RAC’s maximum death cover limit of $25 million is one of the highest limits you’ll find, including $5 million in TPD insurance. You can get an online quote, but you’ll need to call RAC to get trauma cover. Benefit from added peace of mind with fully underwritten insurance.

Get Quote
View details
Real Family Life Cover
Bonus
Real Family Life Cover
$1,000,000
64
$1,000,000
88.90%
2.4 months
$53,238 million
Our verdict: The application is simple; it can be done with 1 phone call and there are no medical exams. But households with larger debts may need more than a $1 million payout.

⭐ Current offer: Get back 10% of the premiums you’ve paid after 1 year.
Get Quote
View details
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How to pay less by restructuring or switching your life insurance policy

As previously mentioned, you can reduce or restructure your life insurance policy if it no longer meets your needs. This method allows you to lower the premium rates you pay instead of cancelling your life insurance policy outright and leaving yourself unprotected.

Focus on the following factors when reviewing your policy.

  • Sum insured. Reducing the amount of cover can help you save big, but before doing so consider having a full medical examination. If something potentially serious comes up then reducing the sum insured might be risky. Changing insurers would also be difficult as they might require further medical testing and may raise premiums even higher in response.
  • Life cover policy, with trauma and/or TPD. If your existing life cover plan has trauma and/or TPD cover, look into dropping those altogether to reduce costs. Instead, consider income protection insurance to cover your earning capabilities in the event of an illness or injury, or simply rely on workers compensation and business insurance to cover you where it can.
  • Additional features and benefits. You may want to assess if the features and benefits on your current policy really match your needs. You may be able to trim back on expensive extras to save money. Consider keeping the additional features that can provide you with the most benefit and cutting the rest
  • Indexation rate. Most life insurance premiums will be indexed for inflation at a minimum rate of 5% a year, but you can request a lower indexation rate from your insurer. This can lower premiums, but means your coverage will not be keeping up with inflation and may be worth less if you make a claim.
  • Waiting period. If you have income protection cover, consider a longer waiting period. Extending your waiting period from 30 days to 90 days can reduce your premiums by half, but in this case means the injury or illness has to leave you unable to work for ninety days instead of just thirty before you can receive any benefits. This is a good option if you have other benefits from your employer such as annual leave, long service leave or sick leave to fall back on.
  • Benefit period. Decreasing your maximum benefit period can also lower premiums significantly. This is the maximum amount of time a policy will pay out in the event of disablement or loss of income.

Another alternative: Switch to a cheaper life insurance through superannuation rollover

Another way to save money without losing protection altogether, is to consider life insurance cover inside your superannuation fund. Life insurance policies through superannuation are more affordable as they are purchased in bulk by your superannuation funds and offered to you at a reduced rate. You may already have cover automatically included with your superannuation through your employer’s nominated fund.

However, bear in mind that these are usually more basic policies with limited cover and some conditions. These include:

  • Only basic cover with limited features and benefits
  • Lower limits and a reduced level of cover
  • More complicated tax treatments
  • Complex claims process

What is superannuation rollover?

Superannuation rollover allows you to transfer the funds in your existing superannuation account to a new account held by an insurance provider, which can then be used to pay for your life insurance premiums and keep them affordable. Linking your life insurance and superannuation funds is one of the best ways to change your policy without losing the money invested in it. However, be aware that you cannot get you the most comprehensive or flexible policies.

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