Weight and smoking can influence life insurance premium
May 2, 2008 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
People’s weight and smoking are two factors which can have a major influence over their life insurance premiums, according to insurance information advisor Life Direct.
Insurance companies tend not to consider a customer’s level of fitness by performing stamina or fitness tests, but rather they look at their height and weight and whether or not they smoke when determining the cost of life insurance.
The company will calculate a person’s body mass index, which Life Direct advises to keep below 30.
Kieran Platt, director of Life Direct, also says people should avoid smoking as this may also increase their premiums.
However, Cancer Research UK recently reported that around 12 million people aged over 16 in the UK are smokers, representing 24 per cent of the total population.
Mr Platt says: “Weight and smoking are the two major factors where you can have a great influence over your life insurance premium.”
