Whole of Life Policies

A whole of life policy is another policy which does exactly as it says. It covers you for the whole of your life. When the inevitable happens, providing the policy is still in force, it will pay out a death benefit. Although they can provide a surrender value, they should not be used for investment purposes due to the deductions made for the death benefit.

Endowment Policies

These policies are investment plans with life insurance attached. They are often linked with mortgages and will pay out any returns at the end of the policy term or a lump sum when the policyholder dies.

They are long-term investment plans, typically lasting between 10 and 25 years. They can be used as a tax efficient savings plan to build a lump sum of money for any purpose or they can be used to repay an interest-only mortgage, which is often a requirement of the mortgage provider.

Investment Linked Insurance

With term assurance policies, lower premiums make them an affordable way of helping to protect your family in the event of your death, within the policy term, but there is no guarantee of a payout. Some life insurance policies however, can be effectively used as an investment.

Whole life or endowment policies will provide the beneficiaries with a payout after a fixed period or a death. These payments can be a fixed amount, or in some cases linked to an insurance company's investment performance in the form of with profits policies or unit linked policies.

Convertible Term Assurance

Like Renewable Term Assurance, this type of term assurance contains an option at the end of the term. This time it is to convert it into an endowment or whole of life policy without the need for a medical. The option must be exercised before the plan ends. The level of protection cannot be increased upon conversion and, although your health is not taken into consideration at the time of conversion, the terms offered will be based on your age.

Renewable Term Assurance

This type of Term Assurance gives you the option, at the end of the original term, to extend the policy for a further term, without the need for Medical Underwriting. The new premium will be based upon your age at the time you take up the option. This type of cover is initially relatively inexpensive, but the premium will be higher than for ordinary term assurance and could rise substantially at the time of renewal.

Increasing Term Assurance

This type of cover protects you for a given term for an increasing level of benefit. The amount of life cover chosen at the outset rises annually by a predetermined factor, normally Retail Price Index (RPI). This is known as "indexation". The premium will also increase. By selecting indexation you are protecting the purchasing power of your selected benefit. This may be suitable for family protection although this would depend on individual circumstances and you should seek further advice.

Level Term Assurance

This type of cover protects you for a given term for a fixed benefit. The amount of life cover chosen at the outset will be paid whether a claim on death is made in the first year of the term or the last year. Quite often a payment would be made on the diagnosis of a terminal illness before the last 18 months of the plan, where you had 12 months or less to live. This type of protection may be suitable for family protection and Interest Only Mortgage debt, where the level of debt on the mortgage does not decrease as the years progress, however, this would depend on individual circumstances and you should seek further advice.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Most professionals carry professional indemnity cover. If you sell professional advice, your knowledge or skills, you may wish to consider taking out professional indemnity insurance.

If, for example, you made a mistake or are found to have been negligent in one or all of the services that you provide for clients, they may bring a claim for compensation against you. Professional Indemnity Insurance protects you against compensation actions by a client. Without this insurance, the financial security of your business could be threatened.

Employers' Liability Insurance

Most employers are required by the law to insure against liability for injury or disease to their employees arising out of their employment.

Employers are responsible for the health and safety of their employees while they are at work. If your employees are injured at work, or they become ill as a result of their work while in your employment, they may claim compensation from you if they believe you are responsible.

The Employers' Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 ensures that you have at least a minimum level of insurance cover against any such claims. Employers' liability insurance will enable you to meet the cost of compensation for your employees' injuries or illness whether they are caused on or off site. Injuries and illness relating to motor accidents that occur while your employees are working for you may be covered separately by your motor insurance.