18/08/2026
Had a call today with a client who was considering surrendering her policy or making a full withdrawal due to financial difficulty.
Instead of just processing the request, I walked her through what she'd actually be giving up:
The policy's death benefit, which would provide her children with 2.5M, versus a cash value of only 30K today.
The critical illness coverage of 500K, which would otherwise need to come out of pocket if she were diagnosed with critical illness plus 1K daily hospitalisation benefit.
The disability benefit of 1M, 500K accident and dismemberment benefit and the disability premium waiver.
I also asked if the issue was simply cash flow. It was — so I told her about the premium holiday benefit, which lets a policyholder pause premium payments temporarily instead of terminating the plan altogether.
After understanding her options, she decided to keep the policy active and continue paying premiums.
‼️ If you're a policyholder considering a big decision like surrendering or withdrawing, talk to your financial advisor first. They can walk you through what your policy actually covers, what alternatives exist (like premium holidays or partial withdrawals), and help you make a decision that fits your situation — not just react to short-term financial pressure.