Fidelity Life Platinum Plus: cover options and policy versions
Platinum Plus is Fidelity Life's flagship personal insurance suite in New Zealand, sold through advisers as separate cover wordings, such as Life cover and Trauma cover, that are combined on one policy schedule rather than one fixed bundle. It is fully underwritten: applications are assessed on health and financial information, so it is not guaranteed acceptance and it is not a funeral-only product. Life cover has no set maximum, subject to Fidelity Life's assessment. Entry runs from 16 to 64 as a standalone cover or to 69 on an accelerated basis. The Life cover pays a $25,000 bereavement advance and an early terminal illness benefit ahead of the full claim. The wordings we read are the November 2024 versions.
Key facts
- What it is
- A suite of separate cover wordings (Life cover, Trauma cover and others) that an adviser combines on one policy schedule. Not one fixed bundle (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Wordings read for this page
- Life cover wording, PP Version LCW-24B, November 2024. Trauma cover wording, PP Version TCW-24B, November 2024. Underwriting guide, October 2025. Your own policy schedule and the wording issued with your policy govern your cover (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- How you are accepted
- Full underwriting on health and financial information. Fidelity Life prefers telephone underwriting where it can. This is not guaranteed acceptance and is not a funeral-only product (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Life cover maximum
- No maximum, subject to individual assessment (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Trauma cover maximum
- $2,000,000 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Terminal illness booster maximum
- $500,000 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Entry age
- 16 to 64 (standalone) or 16 to 69 (accelerated) (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Cover term
- To age 70 (standalone) or for life (accelerated) (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Bereavement benefit
- An immediate advance of $25,000 on death, or the full sum insured if it is less than $25,000. It reduces the Life cover sum insured (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Repatriation benefit
- Reimburses the lesser of the direct repatriation cost, 10% of the Life cover sum insured, or $20,000; paid in addition to the death benefit and the bereavement advance (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Terminal illness partial benefit
- An early payment of the lesser of 30% of the sum insured or $250,000, for a defined list of advanced conditions including motor neurone disease, stage 3 or 4 exocrine pancreatic cancer, stage 4 non-small cell lung, distal oesophageal, liver or stomach cancer, and class 4 congestive heart failure unresponsive to treatment. It reduces the sum insured (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Premiums
- Fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly; fixed for one year at a time and normally increasing annually with age (source, retrieved 8 September 2026)
- Residency
- As a rule, the life insured must be a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand and living here. Citizens of Australia, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue living full-time in New Zealand are treated as New Zealand citizens. Otherwise a residency exclusion applies to lump sum cover (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Insurer financial strength
- A- (Excellent) from AM Best, maintained since December 1996. Fidelity Life's adjusted solvency ratio was 113% at 30 June 2026 (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
What it costs
As of 8 September 2026 · monthly cost, from the insurers’ rate cards
| Age | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|
| 25 | $40 to $50 |
| 30 | $30 to $40 |
| 35 | $30 to $40 |
| 40 | $40 to $50 |
| 45 | $50 to $70 |
| 50 | $90 to $120 |
| 55 | $170 to $200 |
| 60 | $300 to $375 |
| 65 | $625 to $725 |
| Age | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|
| 25 | $20 to $30 |
| 30 | $20 to $30 |
| 35 | $25 to $35 |
| 40 | $35 to $40 |
| 45 | $50 to $60 |
| 50 | $80 to $100 |
| 55 | $130 to $160 |
| 60 | $225 to $275 |
| 65 | $400 to $475 |
Life cover has no set maximum while Trauma cover and the Terminal Illness Booster carry published ceilings, and the table below sets out Fidelity Life's published maximum sums insured (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, October 2025, read 8 September 2026).
| Cover | Maximum sum insured |
|---|---|
| Life cover | No maximum (subject to individual assessment) (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Terminal illness booster | $500,000 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Trauma cover | $2,000,000 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
Life cover pays several early or additional benefits alongside the death benefit, and the table sets out what each pays (Platinum Plus Life cover wording LCW-24B, November 2024, read 20 October 2026).
| Benefit | What it pays |
|---|---|
| Bereavement benefit | Immediate advance of $25,000 (or the full sum insured if lower) on death. It reduces the Life cover sum insured (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Repatriation benefit | Lesser of direct costs, 10% of the sum insured, or $20,000, on top of the death benefit (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Terminal illness benefit | An advance payment of the Life cover sum insured. The Life cover and linked accelerated covers then end (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Terminal illness partial benefit | Lesser of 30% of the sum insured or $250,000, for a defined list of advanced conditions (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Child's funeral benefit | Up to $15,000 for a child aged 10 to 20, or $2,000 less other amounts payable under the Life Insurance Act 1908 for a child under 10. Not for a known congenital condition or a child pre-existing condition, and not within three months of the cover starting (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Grief counselling and financial or legal advice | Reimbursement of up to $2,500 for each, once a lump sum is paid (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
Several options let cover change without new health questions, within limits, and the table sets out the main ones in the Life cover wording (Platinum Plus Life cover wording LCW-24B, read 20 October 2026).
| Option | What it allows |
|---|---|
| Special events | Increase the sum insured once in any 12 months before the 55th birthday without new health information, after events such as marriage, a birth, a mortgage or reaching age 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45. Usually the lesser of $250,000 or 50% of the starting sum insured, and the total of all increases is capped at the lesser of $1,000,000 or the starting sum insured (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Premium holiday | Suspend the cover and premiums once for up to 12 consecutive months, for redundancy, bankruptcy, tertiary studies or overseas travel, on up to $500,000 of sum insured. Reinstating needs no health information (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Conversion option | Convert the Life cover to another policy that includes Life cover, on the terms applying then, with no medical evidence up to the existing sum insured (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| CPI option | Inflation increases; the last one is applied on the policy anniversary before the 65th birthday (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
Because Platinum Plus is underwritten, the amount applied for and your age decide what evidence Fidelity Life asks for, and the table shows the adviser guideline for Life cover (Fidelity Life quick reference underwriting guide, October 2025, read 20 October 2026). It is a guideline only, and individual applications can be asked for more.
| Total Life cover applied for | Age 0 to 50 | Age 51 to 60 | Age 61 and over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to $500,000 | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Code A: GP medical or paramedical, plus blood tests (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| $1,000,001 to $1,500,000 | Application form (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Code A: GP medical or paramedical, plus blood tests (from 51) (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Code A (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| $1,500,001 to $2,000,000 | Application form to 50 (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Code B: GP medical or medical notes, plus blood tests (from 51) (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) | Code B (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
Entry ages
| Cover | Entry ages |
|---|---|
| Life cover, standalone | 16 to 64 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
| Life cover, accelerated | 16 to 69 (source, retrieved 8 September 2026) |
Waiting periods
| Cover | Waiting period |
|---|---|
| Life cover | None for death or terminal illness (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
| Trauma cover | Three-month stand-down on cancer, heart attack, out of hospital cardiac arrest, stroke, some heart and aorta surgery, and terminal illness: if the condition, or the signs and symptoms leading to diagnosis, appear within three months of Fidelity Life receiving the application, no benefit will ever be payable for that condition under that cover. The same applies after reinstatement and after an increase (not a CPI increase) (source, retrieved 20 October 2026) |
Exclusions
- Platinum Plus is underwritten. Fidelity Life can decline an application, add exclusions or load the premium after assessing health and financial information. It is not guaranteed acceptance. (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- A residency exclusion applies to lump sum cover for anyone who is not a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, with the Australian, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue citizen treatment described in the underwriting guide. (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- The Repatriation benefit does not cover funeral, cremation or burial costs, and does not cover costs that can be claimed under travel insurance, another insurance policy or government assistance. (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
- A full exclusion list for Life and Trauma cover is set out in the individual cover wordings and your policy schedule, not summarised in one public document; ask an adviser for the current wording. (source, retrieved 20 October 2026)
Questions about Fidelity Life Platinum Plus
Is Fidelity a real life insurance company?
Yes. Fidelity Life is a licensed New Zealand life insurer, and Platinum Plus is its flagship personal insurance suite, sold through advisers with published Life cover, Trauma cover and other wordings (Fidelity Life adviser documents, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Is Platinum Plus guaranteed acceptance or a funeral policy?
No to both. Platinum Plus is fully underwritten, so Fidelity Life assesses your health and finances and can accept, load, exclude or decline. It is not a funeral-only product either. If you have a health history, are over 69 or want a small fixed sum without questions, QuoteHub's guaranteed acceptance and funeral insurance hubs explain what is open, with the trade-offs (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, read 20 October 2026).
What is the maximum Fidelity Life Platinum Plus Life cover?
There is no set maximum for Life cover; the amount you can insure is subject to Fidelity Life's individual assessment of your income, debts and circumstances (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, retrieved 8 September 2026).
What is the maximum Trauma cover under Platinum Plus?
$2,000,000, as published in Fidelity Life's underwriting guide (retrieved 8 September 2026).
What is the entry age for Fidelity Life Platinum Plus?
16 to 64 for the standalone option, running to age 70, or 16 to 69 for the accelerated option, which runs for life (LifeDirect Platinum Plus factsheet, retrieved 8 September 2026).
What is the Bereavement benefit on Platinum Plus Life cover?
An immediate advance payment of $25,000 when an insured person dies, or the full sum insured if it is less than $25,000, which reduces the remaining Life cover payable (Platinum Plus Life cover wording, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Does Platinum Plus pay for repatriation?
Yes. It reimburses the lesser of the direct repatriation cost, 10% of the Life cover sum insured, or $20,000, and this is paid in addition to the death benefit and Bereavement benefit (Platinum Plus Life cover wording, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Can Platinum Plus pay out before death for a terminal diagnosis?
Yes, two ways. The full Terminal illness benefit pays an advance of the sum insured on a terminal diagnosis, and a Terminal illness partial benefit pays the lesser of 30% of the sum insured or $250,000 early, for a specific list of advanced conditions such as motor neurone disease or stage 4 lung cancer (Platinum Plus Life cover wording, retrieved 8 September 2026).
How are Fidelity Life Platinum Plus premiums structured?
You can pay fortnightly, monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or yearly. Premiums are fixed for one year at a time and normally increase annually in line with age (LifeDirect Platinum Plus factsheet, retrieved 8 September 2026).
Is Platinum Plus one policy or several combined?
Several. Fidelity Life publishes Platinum Plus as separate cover wordings, such as Life cover and Trauma cover, that an adviser combines to build your policy rather than one fixed bundle (Fidelity Life adviser documents, retrieved 8 September 2026).
What is the Terminal Illness Booster on Fidelity Life Platinum Plus?
An additional benefit capped at $500,000, published in Fidelity Life's underwriting guide as a separate maximum sum insured to Life cover and Trauma cover (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, retrieved 8 September 2026).
What evidence will Fidelity Life ask for?
It depends on the total amount applied for and your age. For Life cover up to $500,000 the adviser guideline is an application form at every age. Larger sums add medical evidence by age, starting with a GP medical or paramedical exam plus blood tests (Code A), and it is a guideline that can be varied for any applicant (Fidelity Life underwriting guide, October 2025, read 20 October 2026).
What is the difference between standalone and accelerated cover?
Accelerated Trauma or disability cover is paid out of the Life cover, so a payment reduces the Life cover sum insured. Standalone cover is a separate sum and, for Trauma, pays only if the person survives at least 14 days after diagnosis. Entry and cover terms also differ: standalone runs 16 to 64 to age 70, accelerated 16 to 69 for life (Platinum Plus Life and Trauma cover wordings and the LifeDirect factsheet).
Do I keep older Platinum Plus wording, or does newer wording apply?
Your policy schedule and the wording issued with your policy govern your cover. The wordings we read are the November 2024 versions (LCW-24B and TCW-24B). We found no Fidelity Life document saying newer wording improvements apply automatically to older Platinum Plus policies, so ask your adviser or Fidelity Life before assuming they do (Platinum Plus cover wordings, read 20 October 2026).
Can I increase Life cover later without health questions?
Within limits. The Special events option lets you increase the sum insured once in any 12 months before the 55th birthday after events such as marriage, a birth, a mortgage or reaching age 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45, without new health information. The increase is usually the lesser of $250,000 or 50% of the starting sum insured, and the total for all events is capped (Platinum Plus Life cover wording, read 20 October 2026).
What is Fidelity Life's financial strength rating?
A- (Excellent) from AM Best, which Fidelity Life says it has maintained since December 1996. Its adjusted solvency ratio was 113% at 30 June 2026. A rating is an opinion on ability to pay claims and says nothing about what a policy covers (Fidelity Life financial strength page, read 20 October 2026).
Adviser's view
QuoteHub's read on Platinum Plus is that its value sits in the detail, not the headline. The no-maximum Life cover and the $25,000 bereavement advance matter less to most buyers than the options that let cover grow without new health questions, and the accelerated entry age of 69, which lets an older applicant in after the standalone cutoff at 64. The price of that range is full underwriting, so it suits someone in reasonable health who wants larger cover and is happy to disclose; guaranteed-acceptance cover is a different product with different limits.
Documents
- Platinum Plus Life cover wording (LCW-24B, November 2024), retrieved 20 October 2026
- Platinum Plus Trauma cover wording (TCW-24B, November 2024), retrieved 20 October 2026
- Fidelity Life quick reference underwriting guide (October 2025), retrieved 20 October 2026
- Fidelity Life: financial strength and solvency, retrieved 20 October 2026
- Platinum Plus factsheet, LifeDirect, retrieved 8 September 2026
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Financial advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). QuoteHub is a trading name.
Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Fidelity Life Platinum Plus NZ: Product Options. www.quotehub.co.nz/life-insurance/fidelity-life/platinum-plus. Updated 2026-10-20.
Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Referral.