Your browser version is no longer supported, so you may experience issues while using this site.
Please upgrade to a current browser to enjoy the best experience.
Life Insurance for Empty Nesters
Insurance for whatever stage of life you're at
Protecting your way of life and your future is just as important now as it has ever been
As your kids grow up and leave home to start their own lives, the focus comes back to you - and making sure you and your partner's way of life stays protected. While you no longer have to worry so much about covering your kids' day-to-day living expenses, it's still important to care about your own. That means protecting our income, protecting against accidents and injuries, and securing your partner's financial future
What cover might you consider?
With so many insurance options out there, working out which one is right for you can be difficult. To help you make the right decision, take a look at the different ways you can protect yourself from the risks you might face.
Life Protect
You might leave your partner financially vulnerable
Just because the kids have left home doesn’t mean you don’t have family that depends on you financially. If you still have mortgage or rent payments to cover, would your partner be able to cope without your income? The same applies for everyday expenses, such as bills, travelling costs and groceries – without your income, would there be enough money coming in to cover everything?
Income Protection
You could get injured in an accident
Whether you are taking some time out with your partner to caravan round Australia, whether you have a fender bender on the way to work, or whether you fall and fracture your wrist playing with the grandkids in the park – accidents can happen at any age, at any time. While most accidents are minor, some can be more serious – perhaps causing you to take time off work, perhaps requiring the help of a cleaner or a carer, or perhaps costing a lot in medical expenses.
Accidental Injury
You could get injured in an accident
Whether you are taking some time out with your partner to caravan round Australia, whether you have a fender bender on the way to work, or whether you fall and fracture your wrist playing with the grandkids in the park – accidents can happen at any age, at any time. While most accidents are minor, some can be more serious – perhaps causing you to take time off work, perhaps requiring the help of a cleaner or a carer, or perhaps costing a lot in medical expenses.
Funeral Insurance
You could leave your family to cover your funeral costs
No one likes to think about death. However, it can be costly – as far as funerals go anyway. If you were to pass away, would your partner or your family be able to cover the cost of the funeral at short notice? Having a death in the family is bad enough, having to come up with thousands of dollars to organise a funeral adds to an already stressful and emotional time.
Life Insurance through Superannuation – Is It Enough?
What is Life Insurance through superannuation? And how do you know if life insurance through superannuation is enough? Samantha Rush explains the basics of life insurance in these two videos.
What is Life Insurance through superannuation?
This means paying for Life Insurance with the money that sits in your super fund. You’ll generally get the default level of cover your super fund offers. You can choose this option through your employer or when you set up your super fund. As long as your employer, or you, contributes super to your account regularly, you will have some level of Life Insurance cover.
What am I covered for under Life Insurance through superannuation?
Life Insurance through a super fund usually includes one or more of three different kinds of cover:
- Death cover, which pays a lump sum or an income stream benefit amount to your beneficiaries if you die.
- Total and permanent disability cover, which pays you a benefit amount if you’re seriously disabled and not likely to work again because of this.
- Income protection to cover loss of income over a certain period if you can't work because of a temporary illness or injury.
How do I work out how much Life Insurance I need?
To get an idea of how much insurance cover you need, start by tallying up the total cost of the things you pay for that your loved ones would still need if you’re no longer earning an income.
This might be things like your bills, debts, mortgage, and personal loans. The total sum of these gives you an idea of the amount of cover your loved ones would need to continue to meet your financial responsibilities in your absence.
Try our life insurance calculator online now.
What’s the difference between my super Life Insurance policy and a policy through an insurer?
Life Insurance through an insurance provider is different in a few ways. Firstly, there can be more flexibility around the kind and level of cover available, meaning the amount you pay can be adjusted to increase or decrease the level of cover. Also, benefit amount payable to you or your family are usually delivered quicker by an insurance provider because they are passed directly to the beneficiaries rather than to a super funds trustee.
Is Life Insurance through super enough?
When thinking about Life Insurance, consider what you need cover for, the premium you can afford, and the benefit or limits you and your loved ones require to keep the lifestyle that you want. For example, if someone has an underlying medical condition they might opt for Life Insurance through an insurance company to make sure they’re covered in particular circumstances. On the other hand, another person might only need a benefit amount if they’re injured at work and can no longer do that job.
Try our life insurance calculator online now.
Life Stages & Events
Whatever stage of life you're at, Suncorp could help you plan for life's unexpected turns. See what some people in your stage of life buy to help protect themselves financially and why.
Select a lifestage that's relevant to you
Young singles
Couples
Getting married
Having children
Families
Kids have left home
Seniors
Death or illness in the family
Need to talk?
Our friendly team of insurance specialists at our Australian based call centre can answer all your questions. Alternatively, if you feel your financial requirements are more complex and you require financial advice, you can turn to a Suncorp Financial Planner for help in assessing your risk and working out the cover that could meet your needs.
