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This is always a tough questions to answer, since the best life insurance policy for each person will depend on their individual circumstances and budget. However, if you're just starting out researching life insurance options, check out the winners of our most recent Mozo Experts Choice Awards for Life Insurance.

These awards breakdown the different elements of life insurance and award policies in each category that standout to Mozo's team of expert analysts. 

This is the standard type of life insurance, which pays a lump sum in the event of your death (typically up to age 99). With term life insurance you nominate an amount that you'd like to insure your life for. This amount can be used to cover things like your mortgage, children's education, debts, ongoing income for your partner and even funeral expenses.

The amount of life insurance cover you need will depend on your own personal financial circumstances and budget.

Life insurance is designed to cover expenses that your income otherwise would have covered. So when working out the amount of cover you need, make sure you consider things like:

- Mortgage repayments and other debts like a car loan

- Future education expenses for your dependents

- Funeral expenses for yourself

- Everyday living expenses for your partner or family. Remember that you should calculate living expenses for the rest of the time that your family would have been dependent on you.

- Future major purchases that your income would have helped with, like a home, car or renovation

Rather than simply going for the cheapest option, you should really look for a policy that will cover your family and their lifestyle. According to some insurance experts, if you've got dependents you should look at cover that is equal to 10 times your income.

If you need help with the calculations, head over to Mozo's Budget Calculator.

When searching for an insurance policy you will rarely ever find a list of standard premium prices on a provider’s website. That’s because insurance is all about risk and in order to gauge how much of a risk you are to them, an insurance provider will have to know more about you. So, it only follows that an insurance company cannot give you a premium estimate until they know a little more about you.

For life insurance in particular, providers will want to know:

Your age - The older you are, the higher your insurance premiums will be. Some policies will increase in cost year-on-year, while others have insurance age bands, e.g. 25 to 34 and 35 to 44.

Your gender - Life insurance premiums for males will often be higher than for females. That’s because in Australia, males have a slightly lower life expectancy than females.

Your medical history - Your insurance company will want to know your medical history at the time that you apply for a policy. If you have had major health events such as cancer, heart problems or even a stroke, your application may be denied or exclusions may be added to your policy.

Your lifestyle - If you’re a smoker, you have some pretty risky hobbies or you have a dangerous occupation, such as construction, your insurance premiums may be higher.

The cover you choose - As with all types of insurance policies you can go for the basics or you can make sure you’re fully covered and add on lots of extras. The latter will mean that you’re more thoroughly covered but it will also mean that you have a higher insurance premium to pay.

That’s really up to you - different options are better for different people. To help you decide which is right for you, here’s a super quick rundown of the pros and cons of each option.

• Often cheaper than a standalone policy and won’t affect your day-to-day budget, as it’s taken out of money you don’t have access to anyway.
• Doesn’t always offer the same level of cover as a standalone policy, and eats into your retirement fund - you’ll need to plan for this in your long term savings strategy.

• Often offer more features and better coverage, plus you get the option to shop around and find the policy that’s right for your needs and budget.
• Often more expensive than insurance through your super, plus, it means you do have to do the work of choosing the right policy.

For a full look at the differences, check out our guide to  super life insurance vs standalone policies.

Many life insurance policies come with the option of total and permanent disability insurance. This policy covers you in case you wind up not being able to work again, either in any occupation, or in your usual occupation, depending on your policy.

Income protection insurance, on the other hand, usually involves a separate policy. It’s insurance designed to cover your bills, loan repayments or other expenses if you lose the ability to earn income - whether through injury, illness or some other events. One top tip: you'll often receive a discount for taking out multiple policies with the one company, so it’s worth thinking about getting them all in one place.

Right here! Head up to our life insurance comparison table above to start comparing the features and benefits of different policies to find the right one for your needs.

If you're after more information on life insurance we've also got a range of guides that go over the basic types of cover and information you'll need when choosing life insurance cover. And if you want to know more about the industry in general, check out our life insurance news section.

Worried that taking out a life insurance policy means getting poked and prodded, measured and weighed? Don’t be! In most cases, you won’t need to have a medical examination.

Usually, medical testing would only be necessary if you’ve had a preexisting condition or a family history of poor health and it’s very important that when applying for life insurance that you’re upfront about your past medical history.

Even if you've had a preexisting condition, it doesn't automatically mean that you won't be able to take out life insurance. In some instances you might need to pay extra or have a policy with special conditions attached. But keep in mind it is ultimately up to the life insurance company whether they will require you to undergo medical testing or not.

As is the case with most types of insurance, there are instances in which you will not be covered. Some of these are:

Suicide - Most life insurance providers have an exclusion stipulating that they will not payout, if the policyholder takes their own life (generally within 13 months of signing up for the policy). 

Illegal or criminal activity - If the policyholder loses their life while doing something illegal, such as robbing a bank, the claim may not be paid out.

Drug or alcohol abuse - Unless instructed to by a doctor, an insurance company will not payout if the policyholder was injured as a result of drugs or alcohol abuse.

War or warlike activity - If you are injured during a war, conflict or even a riot, your policy may not be paid out.

Risky hobbies - If you’re a bit of a thrill seeker and you’re injured while doing something risky, such as skydiving, your provider may not payout.

You can read more about these in our article on general exclusions to life insurance policies.

There are a few different ways to buy life insurance. You can go through an advisor or find it yourself and apply online or over the phone. 

If you are finding it hard to figure out exactly what you need to be covered for, seeking life insurance through an advisor may be the best option for you. This way you’ll be given expert help when comparing policies to suit you, but you’ll be subject to an advisor’s fee. 

You may feel like you’re up to the task of finding your own policy, so in this case you can simply apply online or over the phone. Be ready with information like your personal details, job type, income amount and how much you want covered. 

Alternatively, you may be unaware that you are receiving life insurance through your superannuation. While this cover is cheaper, and may cover the basics you need there are often more limitations so standalone cover may suit your particular situation better. 

Yes, you can cancel your life insurance however, your insurance company will not refund the premiums you’ve already paid. Some life insurance policies come with a cooling off period, where you can opt to cancel up to 30 days after you purchased the policy and you will be refunded. 

Keep in mind, once you cancel your life insurance you won’t be covered anymore even if you’ve already paid some premiums up until cancellation.