Register For Our Mailing List

Register to receive our free weekly newsletter including editorials.

Home / 214

The risks of dropping personal insurance

People often take out personal insurance early in their working career, but if it is done without adequate advice and knowledge, a significant proportion will then drop their coverage later in life at the very time they are most likely to need it.

When paying off debt, funding lifestyle needs and saving for retirement are competing with the cost of holding personal insurance, the former are often treated as a priority, particularly as the cost of some personal insurance premiums rises substantially in later years.

Many only realise in hindsight that different personal insurance planning decisions made earlier in life would have made a significant financial difference.

Long-term understanding of premiums

In the early years of a working life, understanding how best to fund personal insurance can significantly affect the ability to retain cover while still being able to save for a quality retirement, or meet other expenses.

The two most common premium-funding options are level premiums and stepped premiums.

With a level premium, the cost of the cover remains the same of over the lifetime of the policy except for CPI increases in cover.

With a stepped premium, the cost of cover starts lower than level premium, however the rates increase each year based on the insured person's age plus CPI increases in cover.

Under either funding option, the insurer can also increase the rate charged over and above the annual rate change.

While a level premium seems more expensive than a stepped premium when first starting out, a long-term view shows a significant difference over the life of a policy.

For instance, as the table below shows, the year-on-year increase in a stepped premium policy in the early years is not as steep as in later years.

Average year-on-year increases for stepped insurance premiums, nil indexation

(TPD = Total and Permanent Disability, IP = Income Protection)

In addition, the percentage increases will have more of an impact at an older age when the premiums are higher. For example, a 5% increase on a $100 per month premium is $5, which is more palatable than a 15% increase on $600 per month, or $90. What’s more, with a 15% year-on-year increase, the premiums will double every five years.

The total stepped premiums for a 40-year-old male taking out $1,000,000 Life and TPD cover (with nil CPI increases) until age 65 will cost $266,249 while level premiums will cost only $74,461.

The following chart illustrates graphically the difference in cost between stepped and level premiums over the lifetime of the policy. After age 52, the age when people are most likely to need cover, the cost of the stepped premium rises dramatically.

As a general rule, for a 40-year-old with Life and TPD cover for $1,000,000, not indexed to inflation, it will take eight years for stepped premiums to catch up to level premiums, and another five years on top of that to reach the break-even cumulative point.

For example, a specific insurer provides this table although the general principles apply.

If all cover is held to age 65, the savings on a level premium can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Minimising the burden of insurance policies

Steps can be taken to ensure insurances are retained that might otherwise become such a financial burden that the cover is reduced or given up entirely when most needed. They include:

  • Life cover and TPD – in early years with a young family, ongoing income and mortgage debt is higher than it is as children get older and debt is paid down.
    Solution: place a portion of cover on stepped premiums and maintain for 15–20 years, with the remainder on a level premium ensuring this cover remains affordable in later years.
  • Income protection – generally the cover will be required across an entire working life.
    Solution: maintain a level premium until policy expiry at either age 65 or 70.
  • Trauma cover - in the early years of greater family financial commitments, cover may need to be higher than in later years.
    Solution: place a portion of the cover on stepped premiums to manage cash flow with some cover on level premiums for the longer term.

Risks with level premiums

Level premiums offer long-term financial benefits but other factors must be considered:

  • Product may become obsolete: the insured person is locked in with a single insurer and product series and could be left in an old or closed product. Medical definitions and premium rates for the policy may not be up to date with the current market.
  • Rates are not guaranteed: Insurers always reserve the right to increase base premium rates at any time (this is applicable under both stepped and level options).
  • Inflation cover can change the original premium rate: If inflation-proof cover is chosen with CPI increases in cover each year, some insurers will charge the original level premium rate when the policy commenced but a new level premium rate for each age range for the increased portion of cover.

Nevertheless, forward planning of insurances and a sensible approach of using a blend of stepped and level premiums could have good financial outcomes.

When obtaining advice it is important to be furnished with the complete illustration of the stepped and levels options of the insurer to enable an understanding of the long-term overall cost.

Insurance discussions with adult working children

As people grow older and their children make their own way in life, they do not give much thought to the impact as a parent if the child became disabled due to sickness or accident. What often happens is the parent steps in to support the child. The financial burden could be huge and impact significantly on retirement savings.

Increasingly, we are seeing parents step in and fund the personal insurances for their adult children, at least in the early years. If a 25-year-old is earning $50,000 a year, the income could be insured for as little as $40 per month. In the event of a disability, if the benefit period was to age 65, they could receive $2,800,000 with claims indexation of 3%. This is a small price to pay to ensure retirement assets are protected, and the child can take over the premium payments at a later stage.

 

Roy Agranat is a specialist risk adviser with Fairbridge Financial Services. This article is general information and does not consider the circumstances of any individual, and the rates quoted are indicative only and may not apply for all people.

 


 

Leave a Comment:

banner

Most viewed in recent weeks

Australian house prices close in on world record

Sydney is set to become the world’s most expensive city for housing over the next 12 months, a new report shows. Our other major cities aren’t far behind unless there are major changes to improve housing affordability.

The case for the $3 million super tax

The Government's proposed tax has copped a lot of flack though I think it's a reasonable approach to improve the long-term sustainability of superannuation and the retirement income system. Here’s why.

Tariffs are a smokescreen to Trump's real endgame

Behind market volatility and tariff threats lies a deeper strategy. Trump’s real goal isn’t trade reform but managing America's massive debts, preserving bond market confidence, and preparing for potential QE.

The super tax and the defined benefits scandal

Australia's superannuation inequities date back to poor decisions made by Parliament two decades ago. If super for the wealthy needs resetting, so too does the defined benefits schemes for our public servants.

Meg on SMSFs: Withdrawing assets ahead of the $3m super tax

The super tax has caused an almighty scuffle, but for SMSFs impacted by the proposed tax, a big question remains: what should they do now? Here are ideas for those wanting to withdraw money from their SMSF.

Getting rich vs staying rich

Strategies to get rich versus stay rich are markedly different. Here is a look at the five main ways to get rich, including through work, business, investing and luck, as well as those that preserve wealth.

Latest Updates

SMSF strategies

Meg on SMSFs: Withdrawing assets ahead of the $3m super tax

The super tax has caused an almighty scuffle, but for SMSFs impacted by the proposed tax, a big question remains: what should they do now? Here are ideas for those wanting to withdraw money from their SMSF.

Superannuation

The huge cost of super tax concessions

The current net annual cost of superannuation tax subsidies is around $40 billion, growing to more than $110 billion by 2060. These subsidies have always been bad policy, representing a waste of taxpayers' money.

Planning

How to avoid inheritance fights

Inspired by the papal conclave, this explores how families can avoid post-death drama through honest conversations, better planning, and trial runs - so there are no surprises when it really matters.

Superannuation

Super contribution splitting

Super contribution splitting allows couples to divide before-tax contributions to super between spouses, maximizing savings. It’s not for everyone, but in the right circumstances, it can be a smart strategy worth exploring.

Economy

Trump vs Powell: Who will blink first?

The US economy faces an unprecedented clash in leadership styles, but the President and Fed Chair could both take a lesson from the other. Not least because the fiscal and monetary authorities need to work together.

Gold

Credit cuts, rising risks, and the case for gold

Shares trade at steep valuations despite higher risks of a recession. Amid doubts that a 60/40 portfolio can still provide enough protection through times of market stress, gold's record shines bright.

Investment strategies

Buffett acolyte warns passive investors of mediocre future returns

While Chris Bloomstan doesn't have the track record of his hero, it's impressive nonetheless. And he's recently warned that today has uncanny resemblances to the 1990s tech bubble and US returns are likely to be disappointing.

Sponsors

Alliances

© 2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer
The data, research and opinions provided here are for information purposes; are not an offer to buy or sell a security; and are not warranted to be correct, complete or accurate. Morningstar, its affiliates, and third-party content providers are not responsible for any investment decisions, damages or losses resulting from, or related to, the data and analyses or their use. To the extent any content is general advice, it has been prepared for clients of Morningstar Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN: 95 090 665 544, AFSL: 240892), without reference to your financial objectives, situation or needs. For more information refer to our Financial Services Guide. You should consider the advice in light of these matters and if applicable, the relevant Product Disclosure Statement before making any decision to invest. Past performance does not necessarily indicate a financial product’s future performance. To obtain advice tailored to your situation, contact a professional financial adviser. Articles are current as at date of publication.
This website contains information and opinions provided by third parties. Inclusion of this information does not necessarily represent Morningstar’s positions, strategies or opinions and should not be considered an endorsement by Morningstar.