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 illness may happen. We all know families who have had to make changes to their lifestyle due to cancer, heart attack or an accident, for example.

But it’s important to remember how TPD 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 generally healthier – but the cost of care remains

The good news is there has been a decrease in the number of people in Australia who have a ‘profound or severe’ disability: 5.9% of Australians in 2003 compared to 6.4% in 1998.⁷

But it’s the cost of care that’s often underestimated.

Most primary carers in Australia are between age 30 and 64 (that’s working age!) and they are usually a partner or a spouse.⁸ The cost of care can have an impact on the lifestyle of the whole family, so make sure you and your family have the financial support you need.

For those who did need it, Asteron paid out $6.3 million in TPD 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 TPD insurance cover, keep your eyes out for extras that provide you with more benefits at claim time, such as:

support services – confidential counselling at an independent counselling organisation
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 total and permanent disablement insurance:

⁷Australian Bureau of Statistics – Disability, Australia 2003 – cat 4446.0
⁸Impact of home based long term care on informal carers, Ranmuthugala, G, August 2009.

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.