How do I compare policies?

You’re likely to keep your life insurance policy for a while 👨🏾‍👵🏽, so you should definitely shop around before you take out a policy.

It’s sometimes difficult to compare policies because they can be complicated 😕. But here are some differences to look out for when you’re shopping for the best deal:

1. Compare the monthly premiums
it’s an obvious place to start, but the monthly premiums 💵 for a policy are just one thing to compare across insurers. If your Sanlam Indie quote is more expensive than your current policy, there might be a few reasons.

2. Look at the premium patterns over time
Sanlam Indie policies will automatically increase in premium every year. Another insurer might offer you premiums which are low now, but which increase at a higher rate as time goes by 📈. Your best bet is to compare premium patterns that increase at roughly similar rates. Sanlam Indie’s premium pattern is unique, but it’s closest to an “Age-Rated pattern” from other insurers.

3. Consider the rating factors
We use a LOT of information to determine premiums – more than the average insurer out there – so our clients get the right premium for their individual situation 👌🏿. But where one client might get a cheaper deal with us, another might get a more expensive quote because we’re factoring in something the other insurer hasn’t. For example, motorbike drivers 🏍 and non-married lives pay more for Death benefits with us than with some of our competitors.

4. Compare the benefits for each policy

Death benefits 👻 are usually pretty similar across insurers, but with other benefits, there are a few things that might cause premiums to vary. It can get a bit complicated, but here are some things that might affect your premiums:

Income protection

• How long is the waiting period? If a disability protection product only pays out after a month, it’ll be cheaper than a product that pays after, say, a week – simply because the insurer won’t have to make payouts as often. Sanlam Indie’s waiting period is 21 days 🗓.
• Does the payout increase with inflation? A benefit where the payout grows with inflation 📈 costs more than one where the payment stays the same. Sanlam Indie’s income protection products automatically increase annually to keep up with inflation.
• When does the product expire? Another insurer may offer cheaper premiums because they stop paying claims from as early as age 55 or 60. The older you are 👨🏾‍👵🏽 when an insurer will pay out, the higher the premium, but also, the more comprehensive the cover. Indie pays until age 70, which is a much more generous benefit, albeit with a slightly higher starting premium. Check out Sanlam Indie’s income protection benefit.

Lump sum Disability

• Are only certain injuries covered? Some disability benefits only cover very specific injuries, like losing the use of both your legs 🦵🏾or completely losing your eyesight 👁. With these type of benefits, you might not be able to do your job, but still wouldn’t qualify for the disability benefit because your injury wasn’t severe enough 🤕. For example, a surgeon who lost a finger wouldn’t qualify for a payout under these sorts of policies.
• Am I only covered if I can’t do my job? With Sanlam Indie, you’re covered if you can’t perform your job, no matter how “serious” the injury is. But we also cover certain predefined injuries, even if you could theoretically still do your job. For example, an accountant who lost both their legs would be covered with us ♿️.

Critical Illness

• Is the cover tiered? It’s common for insurers to pay out a percentage (less than 100%) of the overall cover based on the stage of cancer. What’s less common, however, is an insurer that pays out more than 100% of the cover. That’s actually something we do; for aggressive cancers, we pay out 150% of the cover amount!

5. Check whether there are any loyalty benefits, wellness programmes, or other extras

We also give you Wealth Bonus, a free investment account that comes with every policy 🎉. So if you get Sanlam Indie early enough, you can expect a hefty portion of your premiums back when you turn 70.

Curious to see what your cover would be with Sanlam Indie? Get a free quote in under 10 minutes with our spam-free, no-commitments, no-money-down online process here.

Related articles

• Why is my cover so expensive?
• What is underwriting?
• Why can I only get accidental cover?
• Why is there a waiting period?
• What is rerating?

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