Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver — licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Last updated 2026-10-20

Greenwich Life Insurance in NZ: who is behind it and what it sells

Greenwich Life Insurance is not a defunct brand. It is a current business brand of Autosure Insurance Limited, previously DPL Insurance Limited and part of the NZX-listed Turners Automotive Group. Its website offers The Funeral Plan (ages 30 to 70, $5,000 to $20,000) and QuickCover Life (ages 21 to 60, $50,000 to $200,000). Autosure holds an A.M. Best rating of B++ (Good), affirmed on 10 September 2026.

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Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

In short

Some websites describe Greenwich as a historic brand that disappeared into another insurer. That is wrong: Autosure says it now trades through two customer-facing brands, Autosure and Greenwich Life Insurance (Autosure: About us).
Of the funeral plans we compared, The Funeral Plan is the only one where premiums stop once the total paid equals the benefit (Greenwich Life).
Both products have a two-year early window, and the rules differ between them.
If you hold an older Greenwich policy, your own wording governs, and Greenwich's current web terms may not match it.

What is Greenwich Life Insurance?

Greenwich Life Insurance describes itself as a business brand of Autosure Insurance Limited (previously DPL Insurance Limited). Autosure says it was founded in 1971, changed its name to Autosure in 2025, and is "part of Turners Automotive Group, a listed company on the New Zealand Stock Exchange". It underwrites life and funeral insurance alongside mechanical breakdown, loan protection and similar policies, and is a member of the Financial Services Federation (Autosure: About us, retrieved 20 October 2026). The Greenwich pages we read do not state an FSP number, so we cannot confirm one for you.

A.M. Best rates Autosure B++ (Good), affirmed on 10 September 2026, with an issuer credit rating of "bbb+" (Autosure: Financial strength, retrieved 20 October 2026). The Greenwich funeral page itself states no rating. A rating is an opinion on financial strength and is not a recommendation to buy a policy (A.M. Best).

What does Greenwich sell?

The Funeral Plan

Per Greenwich's funeral page (retrieved 20 October 2026):

Ages and amounts. Anyone aged 30 to 70 can apply, for $5,000 to $20,000. The maximum across all policies for one person is $20,000.
First two years. The full benefit is paid only for accidental death. For any other cause, 100% of premiums paid are refunded. After two years, death from any cause is covered.
Premiums. Set at purchase and "guaranteed not to increase as you get older". They stop "as soon as the total paid equals the amount of your funeral benefit", and cover then continues at no further charge.
Paying. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly by direct debit. Bought online.
Claims. The lump sum is "usually paid within 48 hours" of the claim forms and documents arriving.
Cooling off. Cancel within 30 days for a full premium refund.

Greenwich says funerals "average around $8,000-10,000". The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand's 2026 report gives $11,700 for a full funeral for 50 guests with cremation and $14,300 with burial (FDANZ), so check the benefit against current costs with our funeral cost calculator.

QuickCover Life

QuickCover Life is Greenwich's life cover: ages 21 to 60 (cover may continue to 65), $50,000 to $200,000 with a minimum premium of $10 a month, and "acceptance is guaranteed regardless of your medical history". For the first two years you are not covered for conditions you already have; accidents and new conditions are covered. A few conditions are permanently excluded, and the page does not list them. It pays on death or a terminal illness expected to cause death within 12 months. Premiums generally rise each year with age, and you can freeze them, which keeps the payment the same but reduces your cover each year (Greenwich Life: QuickCover, retrieved 20 October 2026).

How do they compare with Momentum Life's plans?

Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance and Quick Life are issued by Momentum Life Limited. Momentum is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best; see its financial strength page and our Momentum rating page.

	Greenwich Funeral Plan	Momentum Funeral Insurance
Ages	30 to 70	40 to 75
Amount	$5,000 to $20,000	$3,000 to $30,000
Early window	2 years: accidental death only; other causes refund premiums	24 months: accidental death only; other causes refund all premiums
Premiums stop	When total paid equals the benefit	At the 89th birthday
Accident payout	Full benefit (no multiple stated)	3 times the benefit, if death is within 90 days of the accident

	Greenwich QuickCover Life	Momentum Quick Life
Ages	21 to 60	18 to 65
Amount	$50,000 to $200,000	$50,000 to $300,000 (+3% a year to a $500,000 cap)
First 2 years	Existing conditions not covered	Pre-existing conditions and suicide excluded
Terminal illness	Yes (12 months)	Yes (12 months)

Stopping premiums earlier is not the same as cheaper: the price at entry differs, and neither insurer publishes a funeral premium we can compare. Momentum's premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and its benefit may not cover the whole funeral. Greenwich's design avoids that for the Funeral Plan, but it is limited to age 70 and $20,000. Read the Momentum Funeral Insurance page and when funeral insurance premiums stop. The buttons on this page go to Momentum Life's own application.

How do I trace or claim on an older Greenwich policy?

Start with the paperwork. Your schedule names the insurer, which may carry the older DPL Insurance name. An earlier Greenwich policy book (2018) that we read shows a $30,000 maximum, where the current web page says $20,000. We cannot tell which applies to a given policy, so use your own wording.

Contact Greenwich or Autosure through its contact page, with the policy number if you have it.
If you cannot find a policy or payment, search Inland Revenue's unclaimed money database. You search by person or organisation name, and an estate needs evidence such as the will, death certificate or letters of administration. Inland Revenue says claims take at least 12 weeks (Inland Revenue). Our unclaimed life insurance guide explains it.
Check how legacy books move. Who holds your old insurance policy maps the major transfers; we found no source linking Greenwich to any of them.
Complain. Greenwich directs complaints to the insurer first. The funeral page does not name an external scheme, so ask Autosure which one applies.

Frequently asked questions

Is Greenwich Life Insurance still operating?

Yes. Autosure Insurance Limited trades through Autosure and Greenwich Life Insurance, and Greenwich's website offers The Funeral Plan and QuickCover Life.

Who underwrites Greenwich Life?

Autosure Insurance Limited, which Autosure says underwrites its life and funeral policies. Its A.M. Best rating is B++ (Good).

Does Greenwich pay out for illness in the first two years?

No benefit is paid for illness in the first two years of the Funeral Plan, but premiums are refunded. QuickCover Life does not cover conditions you already had for two years.

Can I get cover through Greenwich over 70?

Not new Funeral Plan cover: the entry age is 30 to 70. See funeral insurance over 70.

Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner, and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission on Momentum products; see how we are paid. Our funeral insurance hub lists every provider we cover.

References

Greenwich Life Insurance: The Funeral Plan, retrieved 20 October 2026
Greenwich Life Insurance: QuickCover Life, retrieved 20 October 2026
Autosure: About us, retrieved 20 October 2026
Autosure: Financial strength, retrieved 20 October 2026
A.M. Best: Guide to Best's Financial Strength Ratings, retrieved 20 October 2026
Inland Revenue: Search the unclaimed money database, retrieved 20 October 2026
FDANZ: 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report (PDF), retrieved 20 October 2026
Momentum Life: Funeral Insurance Policy Wording (17 August 2023), retrieved 17 October 2026
Momentum Life: Quick Life Insurance Policy Wording (November 2025), retrieved 17 October 2026
Momentum Life: Financial strength, retrieved 20 October 2026