Manage your insurance

Most of us are on the front foot when it comes to insuring our homes, cars and other assets and that’s great, but it’s also important to think about protecting your most valuable asset—yourself, and of course your ability to earn an income.

You can get this safety net directly from an insurer, or you can rely on the insurance you can get through your super account (or both).

Insurance within super has been designed to help fill the gap between the level of cover it takes to make sure that you and your loved ones are taken care of if the unthinkable happened (through injury or death), and the financial burden of having little to no cover at all.

Why care about insurance?

In fact, according to the Australian Government’s MoneySmart website, more than 70% of Australians that have life insurance hold it through super¹, so there’s ample reason to care about it. Here are some points to consider.

• What if your circumstances changed tomorrow and you became seriously sick, injured and were unable to work—perhaps ever again? Insurance in super can make sure you have enough finances to see you through.
• If you weren’t able to earn an income because of injury or illness, or in the unfortunate event of your death, having insurance through super could mean your family or dependants aren’t left with a financial burden. It’s peace of mind.
• It’s not all about death. The types of cover generally available through your super extend beyond Death cover to Total and Permanent Disablement (TPD) cover and Income Protection cover.
• You benefit from the power of group insurance, where we negotiate competitive prices on behalf of all our members. Plus, insurance fees can effectively be paid from your pre-tax income, and some employers will even pay these insurance fees on your behalf.
• You may be eligible for automatic cover via your super, but otherwise we can help you through the application process or to get additional cover.
• If the insurance fees are paid from your super account, they can erode your retirement savings.

Manage your insurance

The key to managing your insurance is to make sure it can provide the level of cover you and your dependants need, if the unfortunate should happen.

An important part of this is to consider scheduling a review of your insurance every few years, and especially after any significant life event, including

• getting married or divorced
• buying a home
• getting a promotion or changing jobs
• having children
• making changes to your health habits or lifestyle
• children becoming financially independent

There are also some important rules around insurance  that mean your insurance cover can get turned ‘on’ or ‘off’ in certain circumstances.

Additionally, you can make use of our extensive advice offer  to get personal phone-based advice, at no cost, or personal financial advice to work out the best insurance arrangement for your unique situation.

You can check your current level of cover and access some of the key forms you may need with your online member account or via the App, at any time.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Our achievements

Don’t just take our word for it. See our awards and recognition.

For further information about the methodology used by Chant West, see www.chantwest.com.au