Review: Zurich Life Insurance

In summary
Zurich has been trading since 1873 and is now one of the world’s largest insurance firms. According to Zurich, its mission is “to help our customers understand and protect themselves from risk”.
Zurich has over 60,000 employees serving customers in over 170 countries right across the globe. In the UK, Zurich provides insurance for over half a million customers, ploughing over 130 years of experience into its products and services.
You can get a quote for Zurich life insurance at Activequote.com.
Activequote can help you compare quotes and cover levels from a range of companies, and it can offer free qualified advice over the phone.
Or read our guide to the best life insurers.
Overview of the cover provided by Zurich life insurance
Zurich sells life insurance and critical illness cover direct to personal customers and through financial advisors. It offers a range of life insurance plans including:
- Level protection life insurance
- Decreasing mortgage cover life insurance plan
- Adaptable life plan
- Income protection plan
It advises customers who are interested in making a life insurance application but don’t yet know exactly which plan to opt for, to speak to a financial advisor to get advice. Although you may need to pay for the financial advice you receive, it could be money well spent if it avoids you spending out on unnecessary life cover or, worse still, thinking you are insured when you are not due to mis-understanding the terms and conditions of a life insurance policy.
If you are keen to do your own research, there are several useful life insurance calculators available on Zurich’s website including a living cost calculator that can help you see how much income you need to protect.
How much does life insurance from Zurich cost?
Life insurance premiums depend on your individual details, for example, how old you are, how healthy you are and how much life cover you want. Factors such as how much you smoke or drink alcohol also influence costs so its vital to do your own research based on your personal situation.
To help you begin to compare life insurance costs, however, we’ve sourced life insurance quotations based on the following scenario of a 35 year old lady in need of level term life insurance.
Applicant details:
- 35 years old
- Female
- Non-smoker
Cover required:
- £170,000 (typical size of a UK mortgage)
- Level term life insurance
- Over 25 years
Example cost:
£8.62 per month
You can compare life insurance quotes from Zurich with other life insurance companies at Activequote.com.
What we say
Zurich claim to be one of the only truly global life insurance providers and have a long pedigree of providing life insurance to customers in the UK. Its size and experience could come in handy if you have any unusual requirements, however, as with any financial decision, it’s important to weigh up both the cost of life insurance premiums and the customer service you are likely to receive.
In particular, look at the percentage of life insurance claims that are successfully paid out. In Zurich’s case, 99.8% of claims are paid to customers claiming against a life insurance policy which suggests that – provided you pay attention to the terms and conditions and any exclusions – there is a good chance that, if the worst happens, you will be covered, however, not all existing customers are happy (see What Zurich customers say below).
As shown in the cost comparison table below, Zurich offers competitive products that compare well against other leading life insurance providers. For example, an AEGON vs. Zurich life insurance comparison reveals that the same customer could expect to pay £8.62 per month with Zurich, whilst being charged £9.31 per month by AEGON for the same life cover.
What the expert reviews say
According to independent financial research firm Defaqto, Zurich offers good service, warranting 3 stars.
Defaqto Review (2015)
Zurich Level Protection Plan - 3 stars
@ZurichInsUK just like to say you have very helpful customer service team. Genuine thanks
— Olie Lewis Midda (@lolmid) July 9, 2015
At consumer review website, review.com, 40% of Zurich life insurance customers would recommend them.
How does Zurich life insurance compare to other life insurance policies?
As outlined earlier in the article, life insurance costs are heavily influenced by your particular circumstances, lifestyle and cover requirements. The comparison below, including the AEGON vs. Zurich life insurance comparison mentioned above, is intended only as starting point to help you compare providers. All quotes have been sourced using the same applicant details.