Learn About The application and underwriting process

If you have decided you need Life Insurance cover but you're not sure where to start here is our quick guide to the steps you need to take.

1. Assess how much cover you need.

You can assess your cover needs with our cover calculator. Top tip - tweak the default values so they better apply to you by clicking on View and Change Assumptions. If you have used our cover calculator in the past and saved your responses, the existing details will pre-populate, and you can simply review your last responses.

2. Compare Quotes

Our quote process will walk you through some key questions to allow you to generate quotes from Insurance companies that you can compare and find the right policy

3. Apply

When you have selected the policy and provider that you like, we'll capture some initial information from you and submit the application to the Insurance Company on your behalf. When we receive your application details, we will send you an email confirming the details you have provided. We may also need to send you some additional forms to complete or sign if required by the Insurance Company.

4. Underwriting

Sometimes the insurer will be able to offer cover immediately and sometimes it must be referred to an underwriter for review depending on the covers you've requested and the policy structure you require.

The insurer may require additional information in order to assess your application and decide if they want to carry the risk or make a revised offer. A revised offer may contain “exclusions” which exclude some elements of the cover or benefits from the policy or “loadings” which charge additional premiums for elements of the cover.

They may ask for details around:

• your personal history including activities and pursuits
• your family's medical history
• your medical history
• your lifestyle
• your doctor's contact details
• occupation details
• whether you give permission for us to have access to your responses.

This additional information may be provided by you to the insurer, via tele-underwriting or online completion.

With tele-underwriting, someone from the Insurance Company will call you to walk you through a Personal Questionnaire. The interviewer will be working under Australia Privacy legislation so your personal details will be protected.

With online completion, you will be emailed a secure link and you can complete a Personal Questionnaire in your own time. You will have 30 days to complete this questionnaire and your application will not be able to proceed and be processed without the requested information.

Note, when you are providing information to the insurer and completing your Personal Questionnaire, you have a duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation - this means you must answer all questions and provide all requested information wholly, accurately, and honestly.

Have a look at our steps guide here

Check out these additional resources:

• Canstar guide to buying Life Insurance
• Insurer OnePath's explanation of how the underwriting process works.

Our quote process will walk you through some key questions that allow you to generate quotes from Insurance companies that you can compare to find the right policy.

When you have selected the policy and provider that you like, we'll capture some initial information and walk you through the insurers legal declarations.

When we receive your application, we will send you an email confirming the details you have provided. We may also need to send you some additional forms to complete or sign if required by the Insurance Company.

When we have received all necessary initial information we will lodge your application. The insurer may require more detail in order to assess your application and decide if they want to carry the risk or make you a revised offer.

A revised offer may contain “exclusions” which exclude some elements of the cover or benefits from the policy or “loadings” which charge additional premiums for elements of the cover.

This process is called underwriting, where the insurer will assess your application and decide if they want to carry the risk or make you a revised offer.

In some circumstances the insurance company will decline cover. This can be due to medical history, occupation or even hobbies. In this case we will reset your account to allow you to use your entered details to apply with another insurer.

However, they will usually ask for the same details and you may not be approved. If you choose to complete another application, you must remember your duty to disclose all your information correctly. If you exclude anything, even if you are approved initially, at claim time an insurance company may treat your cover as though it was never in place.

During the application process you can cancel at any time by contacting us, either through the website contact us page

From the time the policy is issued you a 28-day cooling off period. If you cancel within the 28 days the insurer will refund any premium you have paid, less any tax or government charges the insurer can't recoup.