In this guide
Nobody likes to think about their death, but it’s important to consider what would happen to your family and financial dependents if you pass away.
Having good insurance cover in place can make a big difference to their future lifestyle if the worst happens. Otherwise, your family may struggle to pay off your debts or to continue enjoying their current standard of living.
An easy way to organise this protection is by holding life insurance (or death cover) through your super, as most funds offer insurance as part of the suite of benefits they provide to their members. To make things even easier, your regular premiums are paid directly from your super account balance.
So what are the basics you need to know about life insurance inside super?
What is life insurance (or death cover)?
Life (or term life) insurance is usually referred to as death cover by super funds.
The primary aim of death cover is to provide financial assistance to your dependents when you pass away, although some policies also pay out if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness.
With death cover, the super fund pays a lump sum or income stream to your nominated beneficiaries on your death. If you don’t nominate a beneficiary, the super fund trustee decides who will receive your death benefit.
In many super funds, death cover is automatically included when you join and is usually referred to as default cover. Many funds bundle it with TPD (Total and Permanent Disability) and income protection insurance.
Under the rules of the Protecting Your Super/Putting Members’ Interests First legislation, super funds are required to get members aged under 25 to formally ‘opt in’ if they wish to receive default life insurance.
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