I am going to take out Income Protection Insurance but wasn’t sure what is best: reviewable or guaranteed premiums? What is the difference between the two types?
When buying Income Protection for yourself, you’ll choose between reviewable and guaranteed premiums. Independent Protection Expert, Ben Brooks, explains what these mean and which type to choose. Just press play! 👇
When taking out an Income Protection policy you have two options for premiums. You can take out either Reviewable or Guaranteed. It’s important to understand the difference between the two as your premiums will vary depending on which you choose.
Although reviewable premiums tend to be cheaper initially, overtime they can become more and more expensive. As mentioned above, this is because insurers can increase this type of premium at their discretion.
So, although the premiums might be affordable to begin with, in the future they may not be. Some insurers specifically increase premiums with age and therefore offer very low premiums at the start of a policy. Then over time they increase significantly, sometimes by over three times the initial premium.
Guaranteed premiums however, although more expensive to begin with, remain fixed. Particularly with long terms policies over, 20 or 30 years, they can actually work out cheaper. You know that regardless of the insurer or external factors you will always pay the same. This is especially the case for younger workers who can gain very low fixed premiums.
Which type of premium is best for you will depend on your specific situation. Before taking out a policy it is usually best to speak to an adviser.
Some policies will also give you the option to link your monthly benefit to changes in inflation. This helps to ensure that the value of your benefit amount doesn’t reduce over time.
It’s important to note however, with this option your premiums will also increase each year, even if you have guaranteed premiums. This is to compensate for the fact that your benefit is rising with inflation each year.
When looking to take out Income Protection we’d always advise speaking with an expert. This is to ensure you get the best cover for your specific needs and budget.
At Drewberry, we know all the insurers products inside out. We have access to the whole of market and offer a fee free service for our advice. We are on hand to help, so if you do want to chat just give us a call on 02084327333 or alternatively you can email us on help@drewberry.co.uk.