STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE

Founded in 1825 Standard Life Assurance was incorporated as a mutual society in 1925. In 2005 they decided to demutualise & float on the London Stock Exchange. 

Standard Life had a multi-channel capability operating in all sectors of the market - Investment, Pensions, Insurance & Protection via either brokers or their own direct salesforce.

They withdrew their Uk protection product range in 2007 to concentrate mainly on investments & pensions. Standard Life initally had a partnership with Aegon Scottish Equitable to sell their lifecover products via web but now use LV= Life Insurance instead.

This long established business in 2018 was bought by Phoenix Life who now adminster their existing plans.

Although no longer available for their own brand protection business in 2020, you maybe able to amend or adjust your existing old Standard Life Insurance protection policy by contacting either their Edinburgh Head Office or an Independant Broker.

STANDARD LIFE ASSURANCE - OLD PRODUCT REVIEW 2020

STANDARD LIFE - WHOLE LIFE COVER 

A whole of life policy that will always payout whenever death may occur. Premiums maybe reviewable in the future.

STANDARD LIFE - MORTGAGE PROTECTION

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

STANDARD LIFE - LIFE INSURANCE 

Offering family protection if the policy holder dies or is diagnosed with a terminal illness during the term. Plan can be guaranteed or reviewable premiums.

STANDARD LIFE - CRITICAL ILLNESS  

Helps ease financial worries if you are diagnosed with a critical illness as specified by Standard Life. 

STANDARD LIFE - MEDICAL INSURANCE 

Providing private medical cover for you & your family.

STANDARD LIFE - INCOME PROTECTION 

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

STANDARD LIFE - 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.

OVER 50'S LIFECOVER 

A no medical evidence policy that always payout whenever death may occur but only after an initial period.

STANDARD LIFE ENDOWMENT POLICY - Life or Critical Illness Cover

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

Compare old Standard Life Insurance against other Insurers

STANDARD LIFE INSURANCE - Frequently Asked Broker Questions

Can you make changes to your Standard 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. Contact Phoenix Life re T&C's.

What if my health or lifestyle changes after I have taken the 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, Standard 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.

So should I put my Standard 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.

How do Life Insurance Companies proove you are a smoker or non-smoker ?

How do Insurance Companies know if you smoke ? On your doctors notes you declared yourself a smoker or non-smoker. So on the life insurance application, there is no point in lying when you apply, as your policy may not payout & you could waste the premiums and leave your family devastated.

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

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. 

Article on: Standard Life Assurance ~ for more visit www.standardlife.co.uk *

( * 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.)

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

Standard Life - Insurance Company Review 2020

Standard Life Insurance Quote

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