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Partners Life’s Life Insurance Cover in NZ: A comprehensive review

Learn about Partners Life's Life Cover, Accidental Death Cover, and Life Income plans. Get FREE personalised quotes and professional insurance advice today!

14 min to read

Unexpected health events, such as a stroke or heart attack, can change your life in a moment. Stroke is the second single biggest killer in New Zealand as well as a leading cause of serious adult disability. Over 9,500 strokes are experienced every year, and Stroke Foundation NZ estimates that in four years, this number will have risen by 40%.

Cancer is another killer, with over 25,000 people diagnosed each year and more than 9,500 New Zealanders dying from the disease.

Life insurance plans from Partners Life offer Kiwis the security and financial support they need when times get tough. They provide either a lump sum payout or monthly benefit on the death or policy-defined terminal condition diagnosis of the life assured. This is paid to the beneficiaries listed under the policy, helping cover funeral costs, living expenses, children’s education, debts, rent or mortgage, and other financial obligations.

For advice on comparing life insurance plans and quotes, contact Policywise’s insurance experts for fast and free advice.

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Learn more about different types of insurance from a licenced financial adviser and see what's best for your circumstances.

Health | Life | Trauma | Total and Permanent Disability | Income Protection

Partners Life - a brief company overview

“We're an industry leader that Kiwis trust.”

Partners Life began as a New Zealand start-up company around a decade ago. In that short time, it’s grown to become one of New Zealand’s most trusted health, life, and business insurance providers, committed to safeguarding Kiwi families and businesses whilst bringing award-winning innovation and technology to the fore.

The company has consistently achieved the Lewers Research five-star approval rating (Lewers Survey) - a strong indication of Partners Life’s total focus on customer service.

Additionally, Partners Life’s innovative ethos, technological advancement, and excellent client service haven't gone unnoticed. The company is honoured to have received the ANZIIF Life Insurance Company of the Year award for 2022, recognising a dedication to clients and an ongoing pursuit of better solutions.

Partners Life insurance policies are only available through an approved adviser. Policywise works with the full suite of Partners Life products, including medical, critical illness (trauma), income protection, and total and permanent disability (TPD) cover. In this review, we’ll look at their life insurance products in detail.

Key facts about Partners Life NZ
Founded: 2011
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Premium revenue: $427.9 million (31 March 2022)
Accumulated claims paid: $85.5 million (1 April 2022-31 March 2023)
Claims approved: 89%
Solvency margin: $98.5 million (31 December 2023)
Solvency ratio: 109% (31 December 2023)
Financial strength rating: A (Excellent) A.M. Best

What is life insurance?

Here’s how life insurance works: You take out a policy through an insurance company and pay the premium on a regular basis. In return, if you pass away or are diagnosed with a policy-defined terminal illness, your insurance company will pay your beneficiaries the sum insured, providing them with a substantial financial safety net. It's like saying, "Even if I'm not around, I’ll make sure you’re provided for."

Financial security and flexible usage: The lump sum from your life cover offers flexibility to cater to different demands. It can cover funeral expenses, pay off debts, maintain rent or home loan payments, buy groceries, pay for utilities, create an investment fund, or contribute to your children's tertiary education.

Some life insurance policies offer an advanced payout if the insured is diagnosed with a terminal illness or given less than a year to live. This amount can be used by the life assured and their families to make the most of their limited time together. It also eases financial stress, allowing families to focus on caring for and spending time with their terminally ill loved one.

Another key advantage of life insurance is the extended cover it provides over and above what ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) offers. ACC assists with injuries due to an accident but doesn't cover sickness, long-term illnesses - like cancer, or sudden events, like strokes.

Overview of Partners Life’s life insurance plans

Partners Life’s life insurance products offer a reassuring promise of financial support to your loved ones in the event of your terminal illness or untimely demise.

  1. Life Cover - pays a lump sum amount (on top of other benefits) if you pass away or are diagnosed with a terminal illness and will likely die within a year.
  2. Accidental Death Cover - provides a lump sum payment (on top of other benefits) if you pass away due to an accident.
  3. Life Income Cover - pays your beneficiaries a monthly benefit if you pass away or are diagnosed with a policy-defined terminal illness. 

Depending on your chosen cover, you can receive some or most of the benefits listed below . Contact us today for FREE professional advice on the right type of life cover, quote comparisons, and more information on built-in and optional benefits.

Life Cover / Life Income Cover / Accidental Death Cover

For Life Cover and Accidental Death Cover: 100% of your sum insured is paid on death; For Life Income Cover: the life income benefit is released per month up to your chosen payment duration

Terminal Illness Benefit

100% of your sum insured is paid if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness

Non-survivable Accident Benefit

100% of the sum insured or the full monthly life income cover benefit is paid if the life assured suffers an accident and is unlikely to survive more than three months

Terminal Illness Advance Benefit For policy-defined diseases, particularly motor neuron disease, Stage 3/4 exocrine pancreatic cancer, Stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer, Stage 4 distal oesophageal cancer, Stage 4 malignant melanoma, or a 24-month terminal prognosis, 30% of the sum insured will be paid up to $600,000 for Life Cover plans, and 30% of the monthly benefit or $3,000 for Life Income plans

Bereavement Support Benefit

To ensure your loved ones have funds for funeral and other urgent expenses, an advance payment of up to $25,000 of the sum insured (for Life Cover and Accidental Death Cover) or 3 times the monthly benefit (for Life Income Cover) is released immediately on notification of death

Repatriation Benefit

For Life Cover & Accidental Death Cover: 25% of the sum insured is paid to assist in the return of the deceased to home, up to $20,000; For Life Income Cover: maximum 6 times the monthly benefit

Dependant Child Funeral Support Benefit

In addition to your life cover, up to $2,000 is paid immediately on the death notification of a dependant child less than 10 years old; up to $15,000 for a child 10 years old up to their 21st birthday

Financial and Legal Advice Benefit Reimburses up to $3,000 (in addition to your sum insured) to pay for professional costs accrued within 12 months of the claim being paid
Counselling Benefit Reimburses up to $2,500 of counselling expenses (in addition to your Life Cover benefit)
Special Events Increase Benefit Enables you to increase your sum insured without medical underwriting in the event of a marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, salary or business profit increase, taking out a mortgage or purchasing residential properties, becoming a full-time carer for a dependant relative, death or terminal illness of a partner, etc., (subject to limitations)
Premium Holiday Provides free Life Cover for up to 6 months during financially difficult times (i.e., death of a spouse or child, being made redundant, going bankrupt, leaving a job to care for a sick dependant relative)
Suspension of Premium Benefit Under certain policy-defined situations, such as parental leave, overseas travel, extended leave without pay, or undertaking full-time education, your premium and cover can be suspended for a maximum of 12 months
Inflation Proof Benefit Your sum insured will automatically increase in line with rises in inflation (options and restrictions apply)
Loyalty Premium Discount Rewards loyal clients with increasing discounts (starting from 1% up to 10%) on their premiums (subject to conditions)
Future Insurability (optional add-on benefit) You can increase your sum insured each year for ten years without further assessments, to a maximum of 10% of the original sum insured amount (subject to conditions)

Please note: Terms and conditions, as well as exclusions, apply to all Partners Life products. It's important to review your policy carefully to understand the specific terms of cover, benefits, and any limitations. This ensures that you have a clear understanding of the protection provided by each product. If you have any questions or would like some help finding the right policy, book a callback with a Policywise adviser; it's fast and free.

Partners Life offers more ways to strengthen your cover

  • Partners Life Trauma Cover: Partners Life offers Trauma Cover, Moderate Trauma Cover, and Severe Trauma Cover, providing financial support for serious health conditions, such as cancer, heart attack, stroke, and more.
  • Partners Life Income Protection: Partners Life offers Income and Expenses Cover, Mortgage Repayment Cover, and Household Expenses Cover. These products safeguard your ability to receive an income, offering monthly payouts if you are unable to work due to illness or injury.
  • Partners Life Total and Permanent Disability Cover: This product ensures financial support if you become permanently unable to return to work due to severe illness or injury.
  • Partners Life Medical Cover: Partners Life recognises the strengths of New Zealand's public healthcare system but understands its limitations. Partners Life’s Medical Cover offers quick access and a choice of treatment in the private health sector, ensuring prompt and personalised care. 

  • Partners Life Specific Condition Cover and Hospital Cash Cover: Available either as stand-alone plans or add-ons to Partners Life’s Medical Cover, these products provide a defined amount of money to cover specific health events or medical treatments.

Do you need Partners Life’s Life Insurance in New Zealand?

Partners Life’s Life Insurance provides crucial financial protection for your family, maintaining their quality of life and covering essential expenses in the event of your death.

The flexibility of private life insurance allows customisation to align with your specific situation and needs, offering tailored cover options. Life insurance is a promise to secure your loved ones' future. Here's why it matters:

  • Financial security: A New Zealander dies of coronary heart disease every 90 minutes. Partners Life’s Life Insurance provides strong financial backup and peace of mind for your family on the death of the life assured.
  • Debt protection: Home loan rates in New Zealand have been volatile since Covid-19 struck in 2020, rising from lows near 2% to more than 7%. Partners Life’s Mortgage Repayment Cover and Life Insurance plans can help manage debts, rents, mortgages, and loans, relieving your loved ones from the burden.
  • Income replacement: The cost of living in New Zealand rose by 7.0% in the 12 months to the December 2023 quarter. Partners Life’s Income Cover can help replace the financial input of the life assured, enabling your family to maintain a similar lifestyle to that if the life assured had continued working until retirement.
  • Education support: The costs of educating your child at tertiary level in New Zealand can range from $20,000 to $40,000+. Partners Life’s Income Protection or Life Insurance plans ensure your children's education remains uninterrupted, no matter what.
  • Funeral costs: The average cost of a funeral in New Zealand is $10,000, yet only 5% of Kiwis have pre-planned theirs. The bereavement support benefit built into Partners Life’s Life Cover, Accidental Death Cover, and Life Income Cover can ease the financial strain by covering funeral costs and other immediate expenses.
  • Peace of mind: Knowing your loved ones are financially secure and can maintain their lifestyle after you're gone offers invaluable peace of mind.

Policywise: Your trusted adviser for Partners Life

Policywise is a 100% free service which tells you which health, life, and disability insurance provider best fits your needs. We offer fast, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand comparisons of all leading providers, and a simple summary clearly recommending which insurer is best for your situation.

Not all insurance policies are the same. Policywise can help you sort out the duds, avoid the lemons, understand the fine print and exclusions, and get the right insurance for you and your family.

We make the important decision of where to buy your insurance super easy. We’ll answer your questions, provide experienced advice, quotes, and comparisons, and manage all the back and forth throughout the application process. Taking out your cover through us means you'll have our lifetime support and claims advocacy, and we'll help you negotiate a positive outcome at claim time. We can also take care of lodging any claims on your behalf and back you up if the going gets tough.

Check out the reviews on our homepage for how other New Zealanders have found our service, because now is the time to get your life insurance sorted. Give your family or someone you love the most outstanding financial support possible. Book a 5-minute callback with Policywise today; our service is fast and free.

Disclaimer: All information on this page or website is general information only, not intended as advice, and does not take into consideration your personal circumstances. We recommend consulting a Policywise adviser before making any insurance decision.

Please note: Policywise advisers are licensed by the Financial Markets Authority to provide financial advice in relation to health insurance, life insurance, and disability insurance. You can learn more about this on our Public Disclosure page. All insurance covers are subject to the insurer’s approval of your application. 

Insurance policies and their built-in and optional benefits may be subject to stand-down periods, exclusions, terms and conditions, and premium loadings not listed on this website. Optional benefits also have additional premiums. Please refer to the insurance product’s policy document for full details. Insurers may alter these details at any time. 

Therefore, nothing in our product pages is intended to be definitive or binding. Where there are discrepancies between any policy wording on this website and the policy wording provided by the insurance company at the time your cover is approved, then the insurance company’s wording will be deemed the correct version.

Quickly find the cover that’s best for you

Policywise tells you which health, life or disability insurance best matches your circumstances, 100% free. Talk to one of our insurance advisers to find out which health or life insurance is best for you.

References

Citizens Advice Bureau NZ. Funerals and Registration of Death. Retrieved 21/03/2024 https://www.cab.org.nz/

Partners Life. Life happens. Retrieved 08/10/2023 https://www.partnerslife.co.nz/

Partners Life. Life cover. Retrieved 08/10/2023 https://www.partnerslife.co.nz/life-cover

Partners Life. Our products. Retrieved 08/10/2023 https://www.partnerslife.co.nz/our-products

Partners Life. Why insurance? Retrieved 08/10/2023 https://www.partnerslife.co.nz/why-insurance

Partners Life. Why Partners Life? Retrieved 08/10/2023 https://www.partnerslife.co.nz/why-partners-life

RNZ. How far will interest rates really fall? (2024, February 6). Retrieved 21/03/2024 https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/508511/how-fast-will-interest-rates-really-fall

Stats NZ. Household living costs increase 7.0 percent. (2024, February 1). Retrieved 21/03/2024 https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/household-living-costs-increase-7-0-percent/

StatsNZ. New Zealand business demography statistics: At February 2023. (2023, October 26) Retrieved 21/03/24 https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/new-zealand-business-demography-statistics-at-february-2023/#:~:text=Large%20enterprises%20see%20higher%20growth,percent%20from%20the%20previous%20year

Stroke Foundation NZ. Facts about stroke in New Zealand. Retrieved 24/06/2024 https://www.stroke.org.nz/facts-and-faqs

Te Aho O Te Kahu Cancer Control Agency. National Mortality Collection. (2024) Health NZ Te Whatu Ora. Retrieved 24/06/2024 https://teaho.govt.nz/cancer-numbers/cancer-deaths 

Think New. Study with New Zealand. New Zealand Government. (2024). Tuition fees and cost of living. Retrieved 21/03/2024 https://www.studywithnewzealand.govt.nz/en/why-new-zealand/living-in-new-zealand/cost-of-living

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