PEARL LIFE INSURANCE  Review

History

Pearl Assurance was originally founded in 1857 & over the next 100 years, the Pearl Insurance evolved to become a popular provider of Uk life insurance & financial services provision with their direct sales agents. The Pearl head office is based in Peterborough.

In 1990, The Pearl was taken over by Australian financial giant AMP, then reportedly the largest takeover of a British financial institution by an overseas organisation. In 2003, Amp Pearl, Amp NPI and Amp London Life were de-merged from AMP to become part of a new UK company called HHG.

In 2004, the HHG board accepted an offer for Pearl, NPI & London Life. In 2005, the 3 companies became part of the newly formed Pearl Group Limited. In 2008 Pearl Group Ltd acquired Resolution which included administration of old plans from various well known insurers such as Britannic Assurance & Royal Sun Alliance.

Pearl Group were owned by Sun Capital & TDR. At the end of 2008, Royal London acquired a range of businesses from Pearl that included Scottish Provident.

In 2012 Pearl Insurance was renamed Phoenix Life Assurance. Phoenix Pearl's primary focus was to no longer seek new business but look after assets in its closed life funds on behalf of its million's of policyholders. 

  Looking in 2021 to compare old Pearl Life Insurance Group products 

PEARL ASSURANCE - OLD PRODUCT REVIEW 2020

Although no longer available for new UK protection business in 2021, you maybe able to amend or adjust your existing Pearl life insurance policy by contacting either Phoenix Life,  Financial Adviser or Independant Broker.

PEARL MORTGAGE PROTECTION

Designed to cover a repayment mortgage on death as it decreases during the plan term.

PEARL WHOLE OF LIFE INSURANCE COVER 

A policy that will always payout whenever death may occur. Premiums maybe reviewable.

PEARL LIFE INSURANCE 

Offering family protection if the policy holder dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness during the term.

PEARL CRITICAL ILLNESS COVER 

Helps ease financial worries if you or your children are diagnosed with a critical illness as specified by Pearl Insurance.

PEARL INCOME PROTECTION - PHI 

Providing security by way of an income if you are off sick or have an accident or disability.

PEARL BUSINESS PROTECTION 

Offering company protection for a key person, loan & share protection or an employee dies, is diagnosed with a critical or terminal illness during the term.

PEARL OVER 50'S LIFECOVER 

A no medical evidence insurance policy to always payout whenever death may occur perhaps for funeral costs - but only after an initial period. 

PEARL ENDOWMENT POLICY

Offering protection if the policy holder dies or is diagnosed with a critical or terminal illness during the mortgage plan term; Designed to also provide a lump sum at the plan end to be used usually toward repayment of an endowment interest mortgage loan.

Compare old Pearl Life Insurance against Uk Insurers

PEARL LIFE INSURANCE - Frequently Asked Broker Questions

Can you make changes to your Pearl life insurance policy ?

In terms of changing your life insurance policy, often you can request some of the following via Phoenix Life.

• reduce or perhaps extend the period of cover
• decrease or increase the amount of lifecover
• remove indexation option or any specific paid for policy features
• change the collection date of your usual premiums
• remove a life assured from a joint policy
• joint life policy separation, allowing a joint policy to be split into 2 new single policies if a couple divorce, split up or say change a joint mortgage into a sole name. 

The changes could be subject to medical underwriting based on your circumstances at the time & may well affect your premiums.

What if my health or lifestyle changes after I have taken the Pearl policy out ?

Life Insurance cover is based on full disclosure at the time you took the policy out ie; being 100% as honest & accurate as possible. So any health or lifestyle changes since usually does not void your existing policy, as it wasn't relevant at that time of initial application. Please check your original T&C's 

How do I make a Death Claim ?

Check firstly if premiums are still being paid or alternatively is the policy perhaps "paid up" meaning no further premiums were needed. 

Then contact the Insurers claims line to inform them. They will provide you with their claim form for completion. You will need to send in a number of documents, most importantly being the death certificate proving the cause of death.

Insurers ( as well as other Providers ) will need the original death certificate, so ideally ask for several certified copies. Enclose your policy document, if you can find it and then send by recorded delivery or registered post to Insurers. 

Once received, the Insurers usually cross check all information before processing and settling a valid claim ie; was the medical & lifestyle information correct at the time of original application

If everything is hopefully in order, the Insurer may pay out a claim & usually in a matter of days or weeks.

Death Claims, Life Insurance Trusts & Life of Another

Who the life insurance maybe actually then paid out to can be more complicated & many people wrongly assume it is a simple process.

If it is a joint life 1'st death policy or if it single life policy owned by another person " life of another"  then it will just be paid to the survivor. 

However, if it is a single life policy it can be more complex. Check if the policy was setup & written into a trust. If so the Insurer will pay the life insurance via the trustees named to the nominated beneficiaries directly. Sometimes there are a named beneficiary & others times a list of potential beneficiaries. The life insurance paid out doesn’t have to be included in the legal documents sent for probate and potentially it won’t be liable for inheritance tax either.

Should I put my Pearl Life Insurance policy into Trust ?

If the life insurance wasn’t written into trust, it will be paid to the executors of the deceased’s estate. They will handle the administration, known as probate in N Ireland, England, Wales and confirmation in Scotland. If not, the benefits will fall into your estate if you died prematurely. If you have not made a will this can then cause further complications with the life insurance monies.

Until probate is fully granted, no monies can be paid out to those named in the will. On average, this can take upto 6 months. By not placing the plan into trust may also swell up the total estate values, leading to potentially Inheritance Tax IHT issues

So placing a policy in trust can help to ensure that the policy proceeds go to the correct beneficiaries you decide to nominate at that stage & help avoid possible probate delays & IHT costs. Ask the Insurers if they provide any standard trust form wordings & seek legal advice if unsure.

If I started smoking after taking out Pearl Life Insurance - Do I need to now tell Phoenix Life ?

If you had legitimately stopped smoking for over 12 months at that time of original application, you may wish to advise the Insurers you have started smoking again - but this should not affect the original policy terms which should still stand - you were being honest. Also maybe suggest letting your GP know if this is the case. 

Review on: Pearl Insurance ~ for more information visit www.phoenixlife.co.uk *

FOR PROTECTION PRODUCTS WE USUALLY OFFER FROM A RANGE OF PROVIDERS
For products with an investment element we will introduce you to an authorised adviser

( * Note: You are now leaving the regulated site of Uk Life Insurance Quotes. Neither ourselves, nor Sesame Ltd, is responsible for the accuracy of the information contained within the linked site.)

Pearl Insurance  Company Review 2020

Pearl Insurance

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