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Insurance advice, aligned to your life.
Your personal risk insurance depends on your situation, what you’ve already got in place, and what you want to protect. Here are the most common personal insurances and what each aims to protect.
Before we get into it.
Most people who come to us don’t always know what they need. That’s normal, it’s where we help. What’s on this page is an overview of the main types of cover we work with, so you can get a feel for what they are before we talk.
Some of it will feel immediately relevant. Some might not apply to your situation at all. The right combination depends on what your life looks like right now, and we work that out together.
If you’d rather just have a conversation, that works too.
Life Cover
If you died, or in some cases got diagnosed with a terminal illness, would the people who depend on you be okay financially?
Life insurance can pay a lump sum to your family or beneficiaries if you die – or in some cases, are diagnosed with a terminal illness. It’s designed to help pay down debts (loans and mortgages), replace lost income, and buy your family time and options without the financial pressure landing on top of everything else.
For many people with a mortgage and dependents, life insurance becomes a core foundation of their personal protection. The amount you need depends on what you owe, what your family would need to maintain their life, and what else you’ve got in place.
Who usually considers life cover
Anyone with a mortgage or loan, dependents, or both. If someone relies on your income and you’re not here, life cover is what helps bridge the gap, to help minimise the impact on their lifestyle.
Trauma Cover
Some things change your life overnight. A cancer diagnosis. A heart attack. A stroke. Trauma cover can pay a lump sum when you’re diagnosed with one of a defined list of serious conditions – giving you money in your hands at the point when you need it most.
It’s not income replacement or life insurance. It’s a one-off payment that can give you options: many people pay down some debt, cover treatment costs not covered by health insurance, make adjustments to their lifestyle, take time off without worrying about the bills, or just have breathing room while you figure out what comes next.
Almost one in three New Zealanders will be diagnosed with cancer at some point. Trauma cover means money isn’t the thing you’re also dealing with, and you can focus on readjustment and recovery.
Who usually considers trauma cover
Many people in their 30s and 40s building a life and a career. If a serious diagnosis would derail your health, finances or life, trauma cover is what helps create the buffer.
Income Protection
If you couldn’t work tomorrow, how long could your household keep going?
Income protection typically pays a regular monthly benefit if illness or injury stops you from working. It’s not a one-off payment; it pays out for as long as you’re unable to work, up to the agreed benefit period.
ACC helps cover accidents. Income protection helps cover everything else – cancer, heart conditions, mental health, back injuries, the long list of things that can take someone out of work for months or years. Most people don’t think about this until something happens to someone they know.
For many, their income is the thing that makes everything else possible. If it stops, the mortgage doesn’t. Income protection is how you help protect a health issue from becoming a financial crisis.
Who usually considers income protection
Anyone whose household depends on their income – which is most people with a mortgage, a family, or both. Particularly relevant if you’re self-employed or your employer sick leave wouldn’t stretch far.
Health Cover
Private health insurance helps provide faster access to the care you need, when you need it most – a specialist, a procedure, a second opinion and more, depending on your agreed benefit. So when something comes up, you’re focused on getting better, not waiting in line.
Health insurance can get you into treatment faster, and provide you more healthcare options, helping cover the healthcare costs so you can focus on recovery.
It’s not just about the big stuff either. A lot of plans can cover day-to-day health costs: GP visits, prescription costs, and dental and optical depending on the level of cover you choose. We’ll work out what makes sense for where you’re at and what your needs are.
Who usually considers health cover
Anyone who wants more choice around when and where you’re treated when they need specialist care. Cancer care and major surgical benefits are things that many people tend to prioritise and ask the most questions about. Parents of young children find it useful too – kids have a habit of needing things looked at.
Total & Permanent Disability Cover (TPD)
If an illness or injury left you permanently unable to work, TPD insurance can pay a lump sum. The lump sum can help pay down the mortgage, fund home modifications, cover ongoing care costs, or simply give your family financial security without having to make impossible decisions in an already difficult time.
It’s less commonly talked about than life or income cover, but for most people with significant financial commitments, it fills an important gap.
Who usually considers TPD cover
While many people are more likely to claim income protection than TPD, it is often considered by anyone with a mortgage or dependents where a permanent disability would otherwise create long-term financial hardship. Often set up alongside life and income protection as part of a complete picture.
Access to Trusted Advisers
Personal risk insurance is our focus, helping people with their life, income, health and trauma insurance needs. But it’s rarely the only financial decision people are thinking about. Many of the people we work with also have mortgages, home and contents insurance, and investment needs to consider.
That’s why we’ve partnered with a small group of specialist advisers we know and trust – so if you need help beyond personal insurance, we can point you in the right direction.
If you need advice on your mortgage, or your home and contents insurance, we can connect you with selected specialist advisers. It means one less thing to sort out on your own, and one less adviser to vet from scratch. I’ve already done that part.
Get in touch to find out how this works, or refer to our disclosure statement here.
How it all fits together.
Most people may not need or want every type of cover – and even if they do, the chosen benefits, structures and level of cover will vary. The right combination depends on you and the life you’re building. This often considers your age, income, mortgage, family situation, risk appetite, personal preferences, what you’ve already got in place and what you’re trying to protect.
That’s what the first conversation is for. We go through your situation properly, work out where the gaps are, and I come back with a recommendation that’s built around you.
Ready to take a look at your cover?
Book a no-obligation chat. Come with your questions and let’s see where you and your family’s protection is at.