Top 10 Reasons WeCovr Beats Going Direct for Life Insurance
Choosing the right life insurance is one of the most important financial decisions you'll ever make. It's the ultimate safety net, providing peace of mind that your loved ones will be financially secure if the worst should happen.
With so much at stake, how you buy your policy is just as crucial as the policy itself. Many people think going directly to a big-name insurer like Legal & General or Aviva is the simplest route. But is it the smartest?
The truth is, by bypassing expert advice, you could be missing out on better cover, lower prices, and a policy that's truly fit for your unique circumstances. This guide reveals why using a specialist, independent broker like WeCovr is the definitive way to secure the best protection for your family's future.
See why WeCovr is the smarter way to get life insurance from Legal & General, Aviva, Zurich and more
When you arrange your life insurance, you have two main options: go directly to a single insurance company or use an independent broker who represents the entire market. Whilst the first option seems straightforward, it's like visiting just one shop on the high street and assuming it has the best product at the best price.
A broker, on the other hand, is your personal shopper for the insurance world. We don't work for the insurance companies; we work for you. Our mission is to navigate the complex landscape of policies, providers, and prices to find the perfect fit for your needs and budget.
Let's explore the top 10 reasons why this approach is overwhelmingly superior.
1. Unbiased, Whole-of-Market Access
When you approach an insurer like Legal & General directly, they can only sell you a Legal & General policy. They will understandably tell you it's a fantastic product, but they won't tell you that a policy from Aviva, Zurich, or Royal London might offer more comprehensive cover for a lower price, or be better suited to your specific health profile.
This is the single biggest advantage of using a broker.
We provide a panoramic view of the entire UK insurance market. We have access to policies from all the major providers, as well as smaller, specialist insurers you may have never heard of.
What "Whole-of-Market" Means for You:
- Choice: You're not limited to one company's product range. You get to see what everyone has to offer.
- Competition: We make the insurers compete for your business, driving down prices and ensuring you get the most competitive terms available.
- Objectivity: Our advice is completely impartial. Our only goal is to find the best policy for you, regardless of the provider.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't buy a house after only viewing one property. Why would you buy something as vital as life insurance without seeing all the options?
| Feature | Going Direct to One Insurer | Using a Broker like WeCovr |
|---|---|---|
| Providers Compared | One | The entire market (Dozens) |
| Advice Focus | Selling their specific product | Finding the best product for you |
| Price Visibility | One price point | A full comparison of market prices |
| Objectivity | Tied to one company | Completely independent and unbiased |
2. Expert Advice Tailored to Your Life
Life insurance isn't a one-size-fits-all product. The right cover for a 30-year-old renting couple is vastly different from what's needed by a 45-year-old business owner with a large mortgage and three children.
Going direct often means navigating a simplified, online form. This process can't possibly understand the nuances of your life, your financial goals, or your family's specific needs. You risk buying the wrong type of cover, or worse, not enough of it.
An expert adviser at WeCovr takes the time to understand you. We'll have a detailed, confidential conversation about:
- Your Dependants: Who relies on you financially?
- Your Debts: What is your outstanding mortgage? Do you have car loans or credit cards?
- Your Income: How much would be needed to replace your salary?
- Your Future: Are you planning for university fees or other major expenses?
- Your Health: A detailed but sensitive look at your medical history.
Based on this, we can recommend the right solution, which might be a single policy or a combination of different types of cover.
A Quick Guide to Your Protection Options:
| Type of Cover | What It Does | Who It's For |
|---|---|---|
| Level Term Life Insurance | Pays a fixed lump sum if you die within the policy term. | Covering an interest-only mortgage or providing a family legacy. |
| Decreasing Term Assurance | The payout amount reduces over time, typically in line with a repayment mortgage. | The most affordable way to ensure your mortgage is always paid off. |
| Family Income Benefit | Pays a regular, tax-free monthly income instead of a lump sum. | Replacing a lost salary to cover day-to-day living costs. |
| Whole of Life Cover | Guarantees a payout whenever you die, as long as you keep paying premiums. | Covering funeral costs or an expected inheritance tax bill. |
| Critical Illness Cover | Pays a lump sum if you're diagnosed with a serious specified illness (e.g., cancer, heart attack, stroke). | Covering costs during recovery, adapting your home, or paying off debts. |
| Income Protection | Replaces a portion of your monthly income if you can't work due to illness or injury. | Anyone who relies on their salary to pay their bills. |
An adviser can help you weigh the pros and cons of each, ensuring your protection portfolio is robust and efficient.
3. Saving You Precious Time and Hassle
Life is busy. The thought of spending hours researching different insurance companies, filling out multiple lengthy application forms, and trying to compare complex policy documents is enough to put anyone off.
This is the hassle factor that a broker completely eliminates.
The Direct Approach:
- Research five different insurers. (2-3 hours)
- Go to each insurer's website.
- Complete five separate, detailed application forms, answering the same questions about your health and lifestyle over and over again. (3-4 hours)
- Receive five different quotes and five complex policy documents.
- Try to make an apples-to-apples comparison of the terms and conditions. (2-3 hours)
- Potentially face follow-up calls or emails from all five companies.
Total Time = A full day's work, or more!
The WeCovr Broker Approach:
- Have one detailed conversation with your dedicated adviser. (30-60 minutes)
- We do all the research and market comparison for you.
- We present you with a clear, simple recommendation of the best options.
- We help you complete a single application form and handle all the administration with the chosen insurer.
We do the heavy lifting so you can get on with your life, confident that the legwork has been done by an expert.
4. Finding the Best Price (Not Just the Cheapest Quote)
It’s a common misconception that using a broker costs more. The opposite is almost always true. Because we have access to the whole market, we can find the most competitive premiums available—prices that are often not available to the public directly. Insurers offer brokers preferential rates because we bring them well-vetted, high-quality business, reducing their administration costs.
However, our focus isn't just on finding the absolute cheapest premium. It's about finding the best value.
The cheapest policy is rarely the best. It might have:
- More exclusions.
- A less comprehensive definition of a critical illness.
- No additional benefits like children's cover or a waiver of premium.
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), a staggering 96.9% of all protection claims were paid out in 2023, amounting to over £6.85 billion. This shows the industry is committed to paying claims. Our job is to ensure you have a policy that is eligible to claim on by matching you with a high-quality contract.
We help you understand the small print and the crucial differences between policies, ensuring you get robust cover that represents true value for money, not just a low headline price.
5. Expert Guidance for Pre-Existing Medical Conditions
Applying for life insurance can feel daunting, but it can be particularly stressful if you have a pre-existing medical condition. Whether it's diabetes, high blood pressure, a high BMI, or a history of mental health challenges like anxiety or depression, you might worry about being declined or facing sky-high premiums.
This is where a specialist adviser becomes not just helpful, but essential.
How Different Insurers View Health Conditions
Here’s a crucial fact that isn't widely known: insurers do not treat medical conditions equally. Each provider has its own underwriting philosophy, risk appetite, and internal guidelines.
- Insurer A might be cautious about applications from individuals with Type 2 diabetes, potentially adding a significant premium loading (an increase on the standard price).
- Insurer B, however, may have more experience in this area and could offer standard rates or a much smaller loading if the condition is well-managed.
- Insurer C might be the go-to provider for those with a high BMI, offering more lenient terms than their competitors.
Going direct to Insurer A without this knowledge could lead you to believe that expensive cover is your only option. You might even give up altogether. An expert adviser at WeCovr knows the nuances of the market. We understand which insurers are more likely to look favourably on your specific circumstances, saving you from a frustrating and potentially fruitless application process.
A Hypothetical Example: David's Diabetes Application
Let's consider David, a 45-year-old non-smoker seeking £200,000 of level term life insurance. He has well-managed Type 2 diabetes.
| Application Route | Insurer Approached | Underwriting Outcome | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | Insurer A (Chosen at random) | 100% Premium Loading | £48 |
| Direct | Insurer B (A different choice) | 75% Premium Loading | £42 |
| WeCovr Broker | Whole-of-Market search | Found Insurer C (Specialist) | 25% Premium Loading |
In this scenario, by using an adviser who knew where to place his application, David saves £18 per month, or £5,400 over the life of a 25-year policy. More importantly, he secured the vital protection his family needs without the stress of multiple rejections or inflated quotes.
6. Deciphering Policy Wording and Trust
Insurance documents are notoriously complex. They are filled with legal definitions, specific conditions, and exclusions that can be difficult for a layperson to understand. If you buy direct, you are solely responsible for reading and understanding this complex contract.
A mistake or misunderstanding could have devastating consequences at the point of claim.
Our advisers are experts in policy wording. We translate the jargon into plain English, ensuring you know exactly what you are and are not covered for. We'll highlight key areas, such as:
- Critical Illness Definitions: The definition of "heart attack" or "stroke" can vary significantly between insurers. Some are much broader and more likely to pay out than others. We guide you to the policies with the most comprehensive definitions.
- Total and Permanent Disability (TPD): This is a common feature of critical illness cover, but the definition can be based on your ability to do 'any' occupation or 'your own' occupation. The latter is far more valuable, and we help you find it.
- Exclusions: All policies have exclusions (e.g., for self-inflicted injury or participation in hazardous pursuits). We make sure you are fully aware of these from the outset.
By having us place your policy in trust, you also ensure the payout goes directly to your beneficiaries without delay or being considered part of your estate for Inheritance Tax purposes. This is a simple but vital piece of administration that is often overlooked in direct sales but is a standard part of our service.
7. Invaluable Support at the Point of Claim
This is arguably the most important reason of all. If the time ever comes for your family to make a claim, they will be going through an incredibly difficult and emotional period. The last thing they need is the stress of dealing with a large, faceless insurance company, filling out complex forms, and chasing for payment.
When you buy through WeCovr, we are your advocate at the point of claim.
Your family has a single point of contact—their dedicated adviser—who will:
- Handle all communication with the insurer.
- Help them gather the necessary documentation (e.g., death certificate).
- Complete and submit the claim forms on their behalf.
- Chase the insurer's claims department to ensure a swift and efficient payout.
This compassionate, hands-on support is priceless. It removes a huge administrative burden from your loved ones, allowing them to grieve without the added stress of a financial headache. This continuing duty of care is something you simply do not get when you buy direct.
8. Specialist Cover for Business Owners & the Self-Employed
If you're a company director, a freelancer, or run your own business, your protection needs are more complex. Standard consumer-facing websites are not equipped to advise on specialist business protection.
We have deep expertise in this area, helping business owners protect what they've worked so hard to build.
Essential Cover for Your Business:
- Key Person Insurance: Imagine your business loses its top salesperson, a technical genius, or even you. Key Person cover provides a cash injection to the business to help manage the financial impact—covering lost profits, recruiting a replacement, or repaying a business loan.
- Executive Income Protection: This is a highly tax-efficient way for a limited company to provide income protection for its directors. The company pays the premiums, which are typically an allowable business expense, and any payout is paid to the company to then be distributed as salary.
- Relevant Life Cover: A death-in-service benefit for directors and key employees, paid for by the business. It's an extremely tax-efficient alternative to personal life insurance, with premiums not treated as a P11D benefit and the company often able to claim corporation tax relief.
- Shareholder or Partnership Protection: Provides the funds for the remaining business owners to buy out a deceased or critically ill owner's share of the business, ensuring continuity and stability.
These crucial policies are almost impossible to arrange correctly without specialist advice. A broker can structure them tax-efficiently, ensuring they protect your business, your family, and your partners.
9. A Relationship for Life: Ongoing Reviews
Your life doesn't stand still, and neither should your insurance cover. The policy you take out today might not be sufficient in five or ten years.
Think about the major life events:
- Getting married
- Buying a new, bigger home
- Having children
- Getting a significant pay rise
- Starting a business
When you buy direct, it's a transactional relationship. The insurer won't proactively contact you to check if your cover is still adequate. It's up to you to remember to review it.
As your trusted advisers, we build a long-term relationship with you. We recommend a review every couple of years, or whenever your circumstances change. This ensures your protection keeps pace with your life, and that your family is never left under-insured. Many modern policies also have 'Guaranteed Insurability Options', which allow you to increase your cover after certain life events without further medical questions. We help you make the most of these valuable features.
10. More Than Just a Policy: Added Value
At WeCovr, we believe in supporting our clients' overall wellbeing, not just providing a policy document. Our relationship goes beyond the initial transaction. We want you to live a long, healthy, and happy life.
That's why we provide all our protection clients with a complimentary lifetime subscription to CalorieHero, our exclusive AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app.
Good health is the foundation of a good life. By helping you manage your nutrition and stay active, we're investing in your long-term wellness. This is a tangible benefit that shows our commitment to you as a person, not just a policy number. It's a level of care and added value you won't find when going direct to an insurer. It’s our way of saying thank you, and demonstrating that our commitment to your family's future starts today.
Conclusion: The Smart Choice is Clear
Whilst going direct might seem like a quick and easy shortcut, it's a path filled with potential pitfalls. You risk paying too much for the wrong level of cover, misunderstanding the complex terms, and leaving your family without support when they need it most.
By partnering with an expert, independent broker like WeCovr, you empower yourself with choice, expertise, and ongoing support. You gain a trusted adviser who works for you, ensuring you secure the best possible protection from the entire market, tailored perfectly to your life, at the most competitive price.
Protecting your family's future is too important to leave to chance. Make the smart choice.
Does using an insurance broker like WeCovr cost me more?
Is my personal and medical information safe with a broker?
What if I'm young and healthy? Do I still need advice?
How do I know the advice from a broker is truly unbiased?
Can a broker help if I have been declined for life insurance before?
Related guides
Why life insurance and how does it work?
What is Life Insurance?
Life insurance is an insurance policy that can provide financial support for your loved ones when you or your joint policy holder passes away. It can help clear any outstanding debts, such as a mortgage, and cover your family's living and other expenses such costs of education, so your family can continue to pay bills and living expenses. In addition to life insurance, insurance providers offer related products such as income protection and critical illness, which we will touch upon below.How does it work?
Life insurance pays out if you die. The payout can be in the form of a lump sum payment or can be paid as a replacement for a regular income. It's your decision how much cover you'd like to take based on your financial resources and how much you'd like to leave to your family to help them deal with any outstanding debts and living expenses. Your premium depends on a number of factors, including your occupation, health and other criteria.The payout amount can change over time or can be fixed. A level term or whole of life policy offers a fixed payout. A decreasing term policy offers a payout that decreases over the term of the cover.
With critical illness policies, a payout is made if you’re diagnosed with a terminal illness with a remaining life expectancy of less than 12 months. While income protection policies ensure you can continue to meet your financial commitments if you are forced to take an extended break from work. If you can’t work because you’ve had an accident, fallen sick, or lost your job through no fault of your own, income protection insurance pays you an agreed portion of your salary each month.
Income protection is particularly helpful for people in dangerous occupations who want to be sure their mortgage will always be covered. Income protection only covers events beyond your control: you’re much less likely to be covered if you’re fired from your job or if you injure yourself deliberately.
Questions to ask yourself regarding life insurance
Just ask yourself:👉 Who would pay your mortgage or rent if you were to pass away or fall seriously ill?
👉 Who would pay for your family’s food, clothing, study fees or lifestyle?
👉 Who would provide for the costs of your funeral or clear your debts?
👉 Who would pay for your costs if you're unable to work due to serious illness or disability?
Many families don’t realise that life, income protection and critical illness insurance is one of the most effective ways to protect their finances. A great insurance policy can cover costs, protect a family from inheriting debts and even pay off a mortgage.
Many would think that the costs for all the benefits provided by life insurance, income protection insurance or critical illness insurance are too high, but the great news is in the current market policies are actually very inexpensive.
Benefits offered by income protection, life and critical illness insurance
Life insurance, income protection and critical illness insurance are indispensable for every family because a child loses a parent every 22 minutes in the UK, while every single day tragically 60 people suffer major injuries on the UK roads. Some people become unable to work because of sickness or disability.Life insurance cover pays out a lump sum to your family, loved ones or whomever you choose to get the money. This can be used to secure the financial future of your loved ones meaning they would not have to struggle financially in the event of your death.
If it's a critical illness cover, the payout happens sooner - upon diagnosis of a serious illness, disability or medical condition, easing the financial hardship such an event inevitably brings.
Income protection insurance can be very important for anyone who relies on a pay check to cover their living costs, but it's especially important if you’re self-employed or own a small business, where your employment and income is a bit less stable. It pays a regular income if you can't work because of sickness or disability and continues until you return to paid work or you retire.
In a world where 1 in 4 of us would struggle financially after just four weeks without work, the stark reality hits hard – a mere 7% of UK adults possess the vital shield of income protection. The urgency of safeguarding our financial well-being has never been more palpable.
Let's face it – relying on savings isn't a solution for everyone. Almost 25% of people have no savings at all, and a whopping 50% have £1,000 or less tucked away. Even more concerning, 51% of Brits – that's a huge 27 million people – wouldn't last more than one month living off their savings. That's a 10% increase from 2022.
And don't even think about state benefits being a safety net. The maximum you can expect from statutory sick pay is a mere £109.40 per week for up to 28 weeks. Not exactly a financial lifeline, right?
Now, let's tackle a common objection: "But I have critical illness insurance. I don't need income protection too." Here's the deal – the two policies apply to very different situations. In a nutshell:
- Critical illness insurance pays a single lump sum if you're diagnosed with or undergo surgery for a specified potentially life-threatening illness. It's great for handling big one-off expenses or debts.
- Income protection, on the other hand, pays a percentage of your salary as a regular payment if you can't work due to illness or injury. It's the superhero that tackles those relentless monthly bills.
Types of life insurance policies
Common reasons for getting a life insurance policy are to:✅ Leave behind an amount of money to keep your family comfortable
✅ Protect the family home and pay off the mortgage in full or in part
✅ Pay for funeral costs
Starting from as little as a couple of pounds per week, you can do all that with a Life Policy.
Level Term Life Insurance
One of the simplest forms of life insurance, level term life insurance works by selecting a length of time for which you would want to be covered and then deciding how much you would like your loved ones to receive should the worst happen. Should your life insurance policy pay out to your family, it would be in a lump sum amount that can be used in whatever way the beneficiary may wish.
Decreasing Term Life Insurance
Decreasing term life insurance works in the same way as level term, except the lump sum payment amount upon death decreases with time. The common use for decreasing term life cover is to protect against mortgage repayment as the lump sum decreases along with the principal of the mortgage itself.
Increasing Term Life Insurance
Increasing term life insurance aims to pay out a cash sum growing each year if the worst happens while covered by the policy. With increasing term life cover amount insured increases annually by a fixed amount for the length of the policy. This can protect your policy's value against inflation, which could be advantageous if you’re looking to maintain your loved ones’ living standards, continue paying off your mortgage in line with its repayment schedule and cover your children’s education fees.
Whole of Life Insurance
Whereas term life insurance policies only pay out if you pass away during their term, whole of life insurance pays out to your beneficiaries whenever this should happen. The most common uses for whole life insurance are to cover the costs of a funeral or as a vehicle for your family's inheritance tax planning.
Family Income Benefit
Family income benefit is a somewhat lesser-known product in the family of life insurance products. Paying out a set amount every month of year to your beneficiaries, it is the most cost-effective way of maintaining your family's living standards to an age where you'd expect them to be able to support themselves financially. The most common use would be for a family with children who are not working yet so are unable to take care of themselves financially.
Relevant Life Insurance
Relevant Life Insurance is a tax-efficient policy for a director or single employee. A simple level term life insurance product, it is placed in a specific trust to ensure its tax efficiency. The premiums are tax deductible and any benefit payable should a claim arise is also paid out tax free, which makes it an attractive product for entrepreneurs and their businesses.
Important Fact!
We can look at a more suitable option mid-term!
Why is it important to get life insurance early?
👉 Many people are very thankful that they had their life, income protection, and critical illness insurance cover in place before running into some serious issues. Critical illness and income protection insurance is as important as life insurance for protecting your family's finances.👉 We insure our cars, houses, bicycles and even bags! Yet our life and health are the most precious things we have.
Easily one of the most important insurance purchases an individual or family can make in their lifetime, the decision to buy life, income protection, critical illness and private medical health insurance can be made much simpler with the help of FCA-authorised advisers. They are the specialists who do the searching and analysis helping people choose between various types of life insurance policies available in the market, including income protection, critical illness and other types of policies most suitable to the client's individual circumstances.
It certainly won't do any harm if you speak with one of our experienced FCA-authorised insurance partner experts who are passionate about advising people on financial matters related to life insurance and are keen to provide you with a free consultation.
You can discuss with them in detail what affordable life, income protection, critical illness or private medical health insurance plan for the necessary peace of mind they would recommend! WeCovr works with some of the best advisers in the market.
By tapping the button below, you can book a free call with them in less than 30 seconds right now:
Our Group Is Proud To Have Issued 800,000+ Policies!
We've established collaboration agreements with leading insurance groups to create tailored coverage
How It Works
1. Complete a brief form
2. Our experts analyse your information and find you best quotes
3. Enjoy your protection!
Any questions?
Learn more
Who Are WeCovr?
WeCovr is an insurance specialist for people valuing their peace of mind and a great service.👍 WeCovr will help you get your private medical insurance, life insurance, critical illness insurance and others in no time thanks to our wonderful super-friendly experts ready to assist you every step of the way.
Just a quick and simple form and an easy conversation with one of our experts and your valuable insurance policy is in place for that needed peace of mind!