Stories and facts

A real life story

Keith and Joanne's story shows how life insurance has helped one Australian family.

But they didn’t quite have enough cover, or the right types of cover.

They talk about how this affected their family life and the positive impact that life insurance – and good advice – can have.

Examples and facts

We don’t need to be reminded that accidents and serious illnesses can happen. We all know families who have lost someone due to cancer, heart attack or an accident.

But it’s important to remember how life insurance can help you and your family during that time. It gives you options and financial freedom when you need it most.

At Asteron we get letters, emails and phone calls from people like Keith and Joanne everyday that remind us why insurance – and advice – is so important.

Medical advancements mean Australians are living longer

The good news is Australia's mortality rate has been declining over the past 20 years and this trend is continuing.⁹ Our life expectancies are increasing and mortality rates declining thanks to higher incomes, better health care and advancing medical technology.¹⁰

But for those who did need it, Asteron paid out $57.2 million in life insurance claims to our customers in 2008.

Source: Asteron Life Limited and Suncorp Portfolio Services Limited

Note: Payment of any claim by the insurer is subject to the insurer’s assessment and approval in accordance with the terms of the relevant policy.

Learn more about Asteron and claims

Claim time is when we deliver on our promise to you. It’s a time when two important people meet: an Asteron customer in need and an Asteron case manager who is uniquely skilled to help them.

We’ve got a market-leading approach to claims:

we pay quickly
we’re compassionate
we offer more services to help you and your family.

Not all insurance policies are created equal

When you’re looking at getting life insurance cover, keep your eyes out for extras that provide you with more benefits at claim time, such as:

grief support services – confidential counselling at an independent counselling organisation
an advanced portion of the benefit payment, to help cover funeral costs
financial planning support to help you fund financial advice and make your payment work harder for you
benefits that increase with time – rewarding your loyalty and your decision to stay covered.

To find out more about life insurance:

⁹Source: ABS ‘Deaths, Australia 2007’. Catalogue 3302.0
¹⁰Source: ABS ‘Measures of Australia’s Progress 2006’, Catalogue 1370.0

This is general advice and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this general advice you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement and the appropriateness of the advice having regard to your situation and consult your financial adviser.