Tips to save on funeral insurance
You can save a lot of money in administration costs by combining your policies using one insurer.
More often, consumers who are in financial predicaments are quick to turn to their bank statements to review the viability of grudge purchases like insurance, as a quick solution to free up cash to cover debt obligations.
“Although we encourage consumers to regularly review their policies, they should be careful not to make rash decisions under pressure, that would potentially place them in a far worse financial position when disaster strikes,” said Lee Bromfield, CEO of FNB Life.
“A more practical approach is to assess whether the premium you are paying matches your insurance needs and value promised by the provider.”
Bromfield shared a few tips of how consumers can save on their funeral insurance premiums.
Don’t cancel your policy – this is a common mistake that ends up costing consumers more in the long run.
Cancelling your funeral policy when times are tough could leave you and your loved ones financially stranded in the unfortunate event of death, forcing you to take on further debt commitments.
Combine policies – having more than one funeral policy with multiple insurers makes the premiums more expensive.
You can save a lot of money in administration costs by combining your policies using one insurer.
Before switching over to your preferred insurer, check their policy waiting period for natural and unnatural death to ensure that you aren’t left without cover for the first three to six months.
Shop around – if you don’t shop around and scrutinise the cover and benefits offered by your insurer, you could be paying a higher premium unnecessarily.
Paying your policies on time – insurers usually collect premiums on a set date at the end of the month, if there is no money in your account; your insurers may collect double the following month.
Not only are you at risk of lapsing your policy if there are no funds in your account for two consecutive months, but you may also incur additional charges from your bank if debit orders are not honoured.
Furthermore, you will be required to complete a six-month waiting period for natural death when taking out a new policy, while still paying your premiums in full.
It is also critical to inform beneficiaries about the policy or your insurer when beneficiary contact details change as this may result in benefits being unclaimed, if your insurer is unable to track down your loved ones when you pass away.
“If your beneficiaries are not aware of the cover and you have not updated their details on the policy, you are wasting your premiums,” concluded Bromfield.
Also read: What happens when you pass away without a will?
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