When you can cash in an endowment policy - Royal London (2024)

When can I cash in my policy?

Certain types of policies (long term savings/endowments) can be cash surrendered before the maturity date.

If your policy is due to mature, you don't need to do anything. Most policies will mature automatically, and we will send the maturity amount out to you by cheque (you should receive your cheque on or around the date your policy is set to mature). If we need any further information from you, or your policy is held in trust or is assigned, we will contact you or the trustee/assignees directly before we process the maturity.

If you want to speak to us regarding cashing your policy in early, please contact us on the following numbers:

If you took out a policy with Royal London (Before 2004), United Friendly or Refuge Assurance, please call:

  • 0345 050 2020

For plans taken out with CIS, please call:

  • 0345 605 7777

Lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.

For plans take out with Royal Liver, please call:

  • 0345 303 2511

For policies originally bought through Abbey National or Santander, please call:

  • 0345 741 3002

Lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays.

For plans taken out with Friends Life, Friends Provident or London & Manchester, please call:

  • 0345 602 9199
When you can cash in an endowment policy - Royal London (1)

What do you need to do?

You need to contact us on one of the numbers shown above, and we will send out a claim form. This needs to be completed and returned to us, along with your policy document. We will then process your claim once we have everything we need.

If your policy has been assigned, it means that rights to claiming on the policy have passed to someone else, for example a bank or building society. In this case, before you can cash it in we will need to contact the bank or building society to find out if they still have an interest on the proceeds of the policy, for example to pay off a mortgage.

What other options might I have instead of surrendering my policy?

Surrendering means cashing in your policy before it's maturity date (you will find this date on your policy documents).

Cashing in early may mean that you may get back less than you have paid into the policy. If you cash in a policy that includes life cover, the life cover will stop, so we won’t pay anything when the life assured dies. Before you decide to cash in your policy you should think about other options that you may have.

These depend on the terms and conditions of your particular policy but might include the following:

  • Sell your policy. If you have a with profits endowment or whole of life policy, you can get details of companies that buy and sell these by calling The Association of Policy Market Makers on 0345 833 0088.
  • Stop paying your premium. If you keep your policy but stop paying the premium, we will pay less money when the policy ends than if you had continued to pay the premium.
  • Take a break from paying your premium. If you've fallen on hard times, you might be able to take a break from paying premiums until you're back on your feet and can continue paying as usual.
  • Reduce your premium. You may be able to lower your premium, and lower the monthly costs you pay in as a result.

For further information about the options available for your particular policy or cashing it in please contact us on the telephone numbers shown above.

While we can provide information, we cannot advise you what to do. If you are in any doubt as to what to do, you should contact a financial adviser for advice. If you do not have a financial adviser, you can get details of local financial advisers by visiting Unbiased.co.uk. Advisers may charge for providing such advice and should confirm any cost beforehand.

When you can cash in an endowment policy - Royal London (2024)

FAQs

When you can cash in an endowment policy - Royal London? ›

Certain types of policies (long term savings/endowments) can be cash surrendered before the maturity date. If your policy is due to mature, you don't need to do anything.

Can I cash in my endowment policy early? ›

You can cash in your policies whenever you want to. However, if you cash them in early, you may lose out on any final bonus or mortgage endowment promise that may be added. Also, there may be charges for cashing in your policies early.

Can I cash my Royal London life insurance policy? ›

If you cash in a policy that includes life cover, the life cover will stop, so we won't pay anything when the life assured dies. Before you decide to cash in your policy you should consider other options that you may have.

Can you cash out an endowment? ›

Nonprofits with endowments generally also have an investment policy to govern how the endowed assets will be invested. Withdrawing money from the corpus is sometimes referred to as “invading the corpus.” This is generally prohibited, absent specific authorization from the board to do so.

Can I withdraw my endowment policy? ›

One can withdraw from an endowment policy which occurs in very few cases under which there exists a condition wherein the returns following the withdrawal would reduce. Alternatively, one can surrender the endowment plan after assessing the cons for the same.

How to cash in an endowment policy? ›

Other options would be to surrender the policy direct to the insurance company in return for a lump sum (the surrender value), or to sell it on the "second hand" market by assigning the policy (now known as a Tep: a traded endowment policy) to a third party in exchange for a lump sum payment.

What is the 20 rule on endowment policies? ›

The five years from the first day of any month that the 20% rule takes effect (The 20% rule). You cannot make more than one withdrawal during a restriction period. This applies whether you withdraw a portion or the most you are allowed. There are no exceptions to this rule.

Can I cash in my Royal London pension early? ›

Can I access my pension savings early? Your pension savings are locked in until you reach age 55. This will increase to age 57 in 2028. It may be possible for you to start taking your pension savings before age 55 if your health means you can no longer carry on working.

Do I get a refund if I cancel my life insurance Royal London? ›

Cancelling your plan

If you do this within 30 days of receiving your cover summary and plan details, we'll return any premiums you've paid. If you cancel after the first 30 days, we won't refund any of your premiums.

How long does Royal London take to pay out? ›

We'll tell you the name of the person handling your claim and they'll stay with you throughout the process. As soon as we have all the information we've asked for and your claim's been accepted, we make the payment, and funds usually clear in 3-5 working days.

Should you cash in an endowment policy? ›

Cashing in early may mean that you may get back less than you have paid into the policy. If you cash in a policy that includes life cover, the life cover will stop, so we won't pay anything when the life assured dies. Before you decide to cash in your policy you should think about other options that you may have.

What happens when my endowment policy matures? ›

This total endowment maturity benefit will be paid to you as a lump sum amount or periodic income depending on the policy terms and conditions, For instance, if you have an endowment policy with a sum assured of 1,00,000, upon maturity, you will be entitled to this 1,00,000 as well as other cumulative bonuses (if any) ...

What is the surrender value of an endowment policy? ›

The amount you will receive if you cancel the insurance is known as the special surrender value. The surrender value factor multiplier is multiplied by the total paid-up value (paid-up value + bonus). The surrender value factor is a proportion of the total value of the contract plus the bonus.

What happens if I cancel my endowment plan? ›

If you stop paying for an endowment policy before the target expiration date, the insurance company will cancel your coverage early. You may receive a partial amount back depending on how much you paid into the policy, known as the surrender value.

What are the disadvantages of endowment policy? ›

Endowment Plans often have a higher premium than term insurance plans that only provide life cover. This can make it difficult for individuals with limited financial resources to afford these plans. Endowment Plans may also have low flexibility in premium payments.

Should I surrender my endowment plan? ›

The Case For Surrender

The need for surrender arises when you realise that these endowment plans neither provide adequate coverage or sufficient returns. Low Coverage For High Premium: The purpose of an insurance policy is to provide you with a life cover.

What happens when you surrender an endowment policy? ›

When you stop making payments towards the premiums before the policy ends, you will receive a surrender value. The amount you receive upon surrender depends on the number of years of the policy along with the premium and bonus meted out.

What is the surrender value of an endowment? ›

The amount you will receive if you cancel the insurance is known as the special surrender value. The surrender value factor multiplier is multiplied by the total paid-up value (paid-up value + bonus). The surrender value factor is a proportion of the total value of the contract plus the bonus.

Should I surrender my endowment policy? ›

You can surrender the endowment policy in case you are facing the following issues: You are facing financial and are not able to pay the premiums. You want to invest in a better policy with better returns and benefits. The policy is no longer needed for the goal based on which the policy was purchased.

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