A needs assessment is not a questionnaire, it is a conversation – but every question has a precise purpose: making sure the offer table truly contains options tailored to your situation.
- Age is a key figure because of entry age bands and premium levels – without it, no meaningful offer is possible.
- Your intention and the sum you have in mind give the direction; your premium budget gives the reality check.
- Reviewing existing arrangements is there to prevent an unnecessary or overlapping policy.
The basic details – and why they are needed
The insured person's date of birth: this determines which products are available at all (entry age bands), as well as the premium level. The planned roles: who would be the policyholder, who the insured, who the beneficiary – this is where it becomes clear if it is a case of taking out a policy on a parent, which has its own process. Without this, only generalities could be offered – with it, concrete proposals.
The intention and the sum
What kind of farewell do you have in mind – and consequently, what sum would give you peace of mind? If you already have an idea, we take that as the basis; if not, we go through the cost factors together. This also includes the existing picture: whether you already have insurance, savings set aside for this purpose, or perhaps an arranged burial plot – so that the new policy covers the real gap, rather than duplicating it.
The budget – honestly
What monthly premium would sit comfortably – not heroically, but comfortably? This is one of the most important questions: a policy that lapses in its first years is the worst outcome, so the premium needs to be affordable in the long run. If the sum you want and a comfortable premium do not match, I say so honestly – in that case, a smaller sum, a different premium structure, or a partly savings-based route may be the better answer.
The role of health – handled with tact
I do not run a detailed health questionnaire – most funeral expense insurance products do not require one. What is worth knowing: whether there is a known condition that means we need to be careful when screening products that require a health declaration – because some products are taken out without any declaration, and others with a short one, with different consequences. I use this information only for filtering products, and handle it the way a role built on trust requires. The next step is the offer table – reading it is covered in the next article.
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