Licensed Life Insurance Professional · Ontario & Alberta
You already have life insurance. But do you actually know what you have?
A lot of people bought a policy years ago, signed where they were told to, and never looked at it again. A review helps you understand what you own today — and whether it still fits the life you're protecting.
A review doesn't automatically mean buying another policy. Sometimes the outcome is simply that you finally understand what you're paying for.
Signs it's worth a look
Your policy has stayed the same. Your life probably hasn't.
None of these mean you need more coverage. They're just reasonable moments to check that what you own still lines up with what you're responsible for.
The conversation itself
What are we actually looking at?
No mystery to it. These are the things worth knowing about any policy you're paying for.
Coverage amount
How much insurance you currently have in place, across every policy you hold.
Type of policy
Term, permanent, coverage through work, or a mix. Each behaves differently over time.
How long it lasts
What the coverage was designed to do, and when it's scheduled to end or change.
What you're paying
Your current premium and how it's structured. Some stay level; some are built to change.
Your beneficiaries
Who is currently listed, and whether those are still the people you'd want. If the designation raises legal or estate questions, I'll tell you to speak with a lawyer rather than guess.
What you're responsible for now
Income, mortgage, debts, children, parents. The things the coverage is meant to stand behind.
Coverage through work
What your employer plan includes, and the questions worth asking your HR or benefits provider. Group plans vary a lot.
What we can't do from memory
Anything specific about your contract comes from the actual policy documents. I won't tell you what your policy says without seeing what your policy says.
A common one
"But I already have insurance through work."
Then that's worth reviewing too. Employer benefits can be genuinely valuable, and for some families they're a real part of the plan. But group plans differ from each other, and most people have never read theirs.
Knowing the answers is the point. Not being told your plan isn't good enough.
Questions worth asking about your work plan
- How much coverage do I actually have?
- Is it a flat amount, or a multiple of my salary?
- Can that amount change, and when?
- What happens to it if I leave this employer?
- Is there optional coverage I chose, or didn't?
- Who did I name as beneficiary — and when?
- Is it enough for what my family relies on me for?
Your plan documents determine your actual coverage. I can help you work out what to ask and how to read the answers — I can't tell you what your specific plan contains without them.
Let's be straight about it
A review isn't a sales pitch wearing a different hat.
Most people never review their insurance, and the reasons are pretty consistent. Nothing has gone wrong, so it feels fine. The policy is hard to read. And there's a real worry that asking about it just gets you sold something else. All fair. So here's what a policy review is not.
- It isn't replacing the insurance you already have.
- It isn't cancelling a policy.
- It isn't buying something new.
- It isn't me assuming your last advisor got it wrong.
- It isn't a verdict that your policy is "bad."
Sometimes the whole outcome is this: now you understand what you have. That's a real result. A lot of people have been paying for something for a decade without ever getting that.
And if you've been meaning to sort this out for years without getting to it — that's normal too. A policy review is never urgent, which is exactly why it stays undone.
How the review works
Five steps, and none of them are a hard sell
- 1
Bring what you have
Policy documents, a benefits booklet, an old email, a statement — whatever you can find. If you can't find anything, we start with what you remember. That's still a start.
- 2
We go through it together
I'll read it with you and explain what it says in language you'd actually use. Anything I can't tell from the documents, I'll say so rather than guess.
- 3
We compare it with your life today
Your income, your family, your mortgage, who depends on you. Then we see how the coverage lines up with that.
- 4
We talk about next steps, if there are any
If something deserves attention, I'll explain what your options are and what each one involves. If nothing does, I'll say that too.
- 5
You decide
No automatic replacement. No automatic purchase. Plenty of reviews end with someone keeping exactly what they had.
Who you'd be talking to
I think you should understand what you're paying for.
I followed financial advice for years without understanding any of it, because the people giving it never slowed down long enough to explain. I know exactly how it feels to nod along and hope it's right.
So my job in a policy review is to make the conversation clearer, not longer. If I ever say something that doesn't land, stop me and I'll say it a different way.
- Licensed Life Insurance Professional
- Licensed in Ontario and Alberta
- Plain-language explanations, not product pitches
- An immigrant and a parent — I've had to learn this the hard way myself
- No pressure to decide anything on the call
From a client
“
Menchie took the time to understand my specific circumstances and walked me through my options in a clear, honest, and thoughtful way. She explained everything in terms I could understand. Her recommendations were not only comprehensive but also showed that she truly had my best interest at heart. What impressed me most was her responsiveness. Whether it was a quick question or a detailed policy clarification, she was always available and incredibly prompt in her replies.
Celine L
Client
Request a review
Let's look at what you already have
A few quick questions so I know where to start. This is a request for a conversation — not an insurance application.
Your policy review request is in.
The next step is a conversation about the coverage you already have, and the questions you want answered.
Want to choose a time now?
Picking a slot yourself is usually faster than going back and forth.
One small thing that helps. If you can find your current policy documents, have them nearby for the conversation. If you can't, don't worry — we can still start with what you know.
Questions people ask
Policy review FAQ
Do I need to bring my policy documents?
It helps a lot, because your documents are the only thing that says what your policy actually does. Bring whatever you can find — the contract, an annual statement, a benefits booklet, even an old email from the company.
What if I can't find my policy?
We can still start. Often you know more than you think: roughly when you bought it, who you bought it from, what you pay. From there I can usually help you work out how to request a copy from the company that issued it.
Does a review mean I have to buy something?
No. A review is a conversation about coverage you already own. Plenty of them end with you keeping exactly what you had, now understanding it. If something does deserve attention, I'll explain your options — and the decision is still yours.
Can you review insurance I bought from another advisor or company?
Yes. It doesn't matter who sold it to you. Reviewing it isn't a judgement on whoever did.
What if my insurance is through work?
Worth reviewing too. Group plans vary widely, and most people have never read theirs. We'd go through what your plan documents say and what questions to put to your HR or benefits provider. Your plan documents determine your actual coverage.
What if my original advisor isn't around anymore?
More common than you'd think. Your policy is still in force and it's still yours — it just means nobody has been checking whether it still fits. You don't need your original advisor's involvement to have it reviewed.
What if I don't really understand my policy at all?
That's normal, including among people who work in this industry. These contracts are written for regulators first and people second. Not understanding it is a reason to review it, not a reason to avoid it.
What happens if you find a gap?
I'd explain what I'm seeing, why it matters for your situation, and what the available options are — including doing nothing. Not every gap needs closing, and not every gap needs closing right now.
What if my policy is already fine?
Then I'll tell you it's fine, and you'll leave knowing that instead of wondering. That's a good outcome, not a wasted appointment.
Can my spouse or partner join the review?
Yes, and it's often better. Coverage usually protects a household rather than one person, and the person who'd need to make a claim should understand it too.
One last thing
You've already done the hard part by getting covered.
Now make sure you understand what you actually got.