What's the best life insurance for me?

We think making decisions about life insurance should be easy - read our guidelines to choosing what's best for you.

Key things to think about
Real customer reviews

What is 'best' life insurance anyway?

'What's best for everyone else, might not be best for you', sounds like something our mothers might say. But, when it comes to life insurance she'd probably be right. The cheapest cover is not always the best, everyone has different needs for cover as well as different health and lifestyle factors to consider. You should, however, compare customer service ratings and credit ratings, they can give you comfort that your life insurance company will be there when you need them most.

At Pinnacle Life it's important to us that life insurance is affordable. Because we're an online company it costs less to run our business and so we pass that onto you, our customers. Not all of our competitors are in a position to be able to do the same. Make sure if you're comparing prices that you also consider what features and benefits you might be sacrificing. We regularly review our products, and our pricing to make sure that we are competitive.
Most life insurance companies use some kind of independent customer rating or review service. This can tell you a lot about the experiences of other customers and what some of the pitfalls may be. At Pinnacle Life we use Feefo to collect genuine customer reviews. You can check out what real customers have had to say about us anytime on our customer feedback page or on the Feefo website.
A credit rating is another way to compare life insurance providers. Ratings are issued by independent rating agencies and give you an idea of a companies financial strength or creditworthiness. At Pinnacle Life we use AM Best, who rate us 'B' (outlook stable). All of our reinsurance is placed with Hannover Re of Australasia, who have a strong financial strength rating, of AA- “Very Strong” by Standard & Poor’s and A “Excellent”. by A.M. Best.

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Need help working out how much cover is right for you?

Key things to think about

When choosing the best life insurance for you, there are some questions you should ask of any insurance company (including us) so that you can be sure you know exactly what you're buying.

What percentage of claims gets paid out?: The most critical experience for you or your family is not when you buy the policy, but when you have to claim. It’s important to know you’re with a company with a good track record of paying claims.

Pinnacle Life has paid out on around 97.1%* of all life insurance claims received since 1998. (* as at 30 June 2022)

What am I not covered for?: It’s important to know not only what you are covered for, but also what you aren’t covered for.

At Pinnacle Life it’s slightly different for each type of policy. Click here for a summary by product.

Exclusions for…

Life Cover & Mortgage Cover

We’ll not make any payment under this policy if the insured person’s death or illness results from their

suicide or self-inflicted injury occurring within the first 13 months of the policy being issued
participation in base jumping, trans-ocean solo-sailing, caving, canyoning
deployment in the armed forces/peace corps or as a journalist or news cameraman outside NZ, Australia, UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Hong Kong or Singapore

Funeral Cover

No exclusions, but if you claim within the first two years you only get a refund of premiums paid, not the full amount. This is pretty standard across the New Zealand Market.

Income Protection

We'll not be liable to pay an Income Protection claim under this policy, if the claim was directly or indirectly contributed to or caused by:

a Mental Illness
being made Redundant
the Insured Person failing to follow reasonable medical advice to prevent, minimise or recover from the Illness or Injury that caused them to be Unable to Work
normal pregnancy (including participation in an IVF or similar program, normal discomforts such as morning sickness, backache, varicose veins, ankle swelling or bladder problems), giving birth, miscarrying or having a pregnancy terminated
the use of drugs, unless taken as prescribed by a Doctor
participation in an unlawful act, including driving with excess blood alcohol levels
a self-inflicted injury
an act of war, civil war, terrorism, invasion, strike, riot, civil commotion, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, hostilities, military coup or usurped power, either within NZ or when travelling abroad
suicide occurring within the first 13 months of the policy being issued
participation in base jumping trans-ocean solo sailing caving or canyoning
deployment in the armed forces/peace corps or as a journalist or news cameraman outside NZ, Australia, UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Hong Kong or Singapore

What our customers say

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Why choose Pinnacle Life

Simple and easy

We try to make things as quick and easy as possible, from getting a quote to making a claim. It's important to us that you understand what you're buying and how it will help you when you need it most.
Designed with you in mind

We regularly ask our customers what works and what doesn't. We were the first in the world to offer life insurance online, allowing you to buy when you want, without the hassle of filling in forms or making an appointment.
More for less

Because we keep things simple, it costs less to run our business, so we can offer you lower premiums. Keeping life insurance affordable and good value for money is one of our core values.