Company: Dead Happy
Founder(s): Phil Zeidler and Andy Knott
Website: https://deadhappy.com/
Description: Pay-as-you-go life insurance services, with the option to add further cover on a rolling basis
DeadHappy provides digital pay-as-you-go life insurance services. The insurtech specialises in flexible life insurance policies. Its offerings include pricing insurance based on current circumstances and the option to add further coverage on a rolling basis.
Founded in 2013, DeadHappy has no issue talking about death and death wishes. Targeting a younger, new generation of customers, Dead Happy’s life insurance is priced annually based on a customer’s age and risk level, and not a prediction about their risk of dying across the next 20 years.
Cover is underwritten by Gen Re and policies are limited to 10 years, but can be changed at any time if you want to extend or increase the cover, subject to a few underwriting questions.
The process is online and quick, with premiums calculated from just four questions.
Phil Zeidler, Dead Happy co-founder told This is Money: ‘Traditional life insurance is overpriced, complex and dull. People are paying over the odds as a result.
‘Our philosophy is different – you’re far less likely to die when you’re younger, this means you should pay less. We’re making this possible for the first time in the UK.’
One of the quirky features of DeadHappy is your ability to select a death wish. The company asks you to imagine scenarios that you would like to happen after you die – such as how much you think it will cost, and then prices it accordingly. For example, you could choose, ‘send my family on a big holiday’, and choose £10,000 of cover. Or simply send someone flowers through Bloom & Wild or give someone you love a cash payout.
Zeidler said: ‘We’re trying to break new ground in how death is talked about, to help people plan for what happens when they die – without resorting to “project fear”.
‘Death is never going to be the top of anyone’s list of favourite pub conversations, but we hope to at least make it a more approachable, less daunting conversation to have.’
