Life insurance guides
Short, practical explainers that sit alongside the calculators. Twenty-one guides in total, including eighteen new guides added in November 2026.
How Much Life Insurance Do You Really Need?
Learn three ways to size life insurance: income multiples, the DIME method and a full needs analysis, with examples and mistakes to avoid.
8 min readTerm Life vs Whole Life Insurance: Which Wins?
Compare term and whole life insurance on cost, flexibility, cash value and who each suits, with a clear decision checklist.
8 min read7 Life Insurance Mistakes That Leave Families Short
Seven common life insurance mistakes, from guessing the amount to outdated beneficiaries, and how to avoid each one.
7 min readLife Insurance After Marriage: A Complete Guide for Couples
Life insurance after marriage makes sense when two lives become financially linked through a shared home, joint debts, or one income supporting both partners.
5 min readLife Insurance and Debt: Protecting Your Family First
Life insurance and debt are closely linked, because debts do not always disappear when a borrower dies.
5 min readLife Insurance and Taxes: What Every Family Should Know
Life insurance taxes depend on where you live, what kind of policy you hold, and how money leaves the policy.
5 min readLife Insurance Annual Review Checklist for Every Family
A life insurance annual review checklist helps you catch small gaps before they become real problems for your family.
5 min readLife Insurance Beneficiaries Guide: Choose Them Wisely
A beneficiary is the person, people, or trust you name to receive your life insurance payout when you die.
5 min readLife Insurance Claims Process: A Step-by-Step Guide
The life insurance claims process starts when a beneficiary tells the insurer that the policyholder has died and asks for the claim forms.
5 min readLife Insurance for Homeowners: Mortgage Protection Guide
Life insurance for homeowners with mortgage protection means the family can keep its home if a borrower dies before the loan is paid off.
5 min readLife Insurance for New Parents: How Much Cover You Need
Life insurance for new parents usually means buying enough term cover to replace the working parent's income until a child can support themselves.
5 min readLife Insurance Over 50: Cover That Still Makes Sense
Life insurance over 50 is about protecting what remains, not replacing decades of income: a mortgage that is not yet paid off, a partner who would lose a pension or income, funeral costs, or a legacy for children.
5 min readLife Insurance for Self-Employed Workers: A Smart Guide
Life insurance for self-employed workers fills gaps that employees rarely face: no employer policy, no group cover, and income that depends entirely on one person.
5 min readLife Insurance for Single Parents: Cover That Protects Kids
Life insurance for single parents is essential because one adult usually provides both the household income and the daily care a child depends on.
5 min readLife Insurance for Stay-at-Home Parents: Why It Matters
Life insurance for stay-at-home parents protects the unpaid work that keeps a household running: childcare, cooking, cleaning, transport, and homework help.
5 min readLife Insurance in Your 20s: Why Starting Early Pays Off Big
Life insurance in your 20s is usually cheap, simple to buy, and easy to postpone, which is exactly why so many people put it off.
5 min readLife Insurance Medical Exam: What Happens and How to Prepare
A life insurance medical exam is a short health check, usually done at your home or workplace, that helps the insurer price your policy fairly.
5 min readLife Insurance Riders Explained: Add-Ons Worth Paying For
Life insurance riders are optional add-ons that change what a policy does, such as paying out early during a serious illness or pausing premiums if you become disabled.
5 min readLife Insurance for Smokers: Tobacco Rates Explained Clearly
Life insurance for smokers costs far more than the same cover for non-smokers, often two to three times as much, because tobacco use raises the risk of heart disease, cancer and other fatal conditions.
5 min readLife Insurance vs Investing: Which Should Come First?
Life insurance vs investing is not a contest with one winner.
5 min readTerm Life Ladder Strategy: Layer Cover That Fits Your Life
A term life ladder strategy splits your cover into several policies with different lengths, so each layer ends when the need it protects ends.
5 min read