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lifeDirect review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

lifeDirect suits New Zealand households comparing life, health, income protection, critical illness, home, car and pet cover side by side, with monthly payments and no product fee. It is a comparison site registered with the Financial Markets Authority rather than an insurer, so the policy itself sits with a single provider.

Key facts

Best for
Comparing several kinds of New Zealand personal insurance on a monthly basis.
Insurance types
Life, Health, Income-protection, Critical-illness, Home, Auto, Pet↗
Provider type
Comparison site↗
Monthly payments
Yes↗
Claims channels
Online, Phone↗
Legal entity
LifeDirect 2020 Limited↗
Headquarters
New Zealand↗
Founded
2005↗
Support channels
Email, Phone, Help-centre↗
Pricing model
Monthly
Official website
lifedirect.co.nz

Mortgages

Initial rate
4.69%↗
Fixed period
0.5 years↗
Product fee
NZ$0↗
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage, First-time-buyer, Buy-to-let, Home-equity↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 7 sources

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
Trustpilot

Pros and cons

Pros

  • No product fee on a policy arranged through the site (NZD 0).
  • Cover spans life, health, income protection, critical illness, home, car and pet (life, health and income protection), so a single search covers most of a household's policies.
  • Monthly payments are available on life cover (monthly), and support runs on email, phone and a help centre (email, phone and help centre).

Cons

  • As a comparison site, lifeDirect does not underwrite policies, so a claim sits with the insurer named on the quote (comparison site).
  • Contact runs on email, phone and a help centre (email, phone and help centre), which suits people who deal with cover online or by phone rather than in person.
  • On the lending side, the initial rate of 4.69% is fixed for only 0.5 years, a narrow window for anyone planning a longer term.
lifeDirect

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Scored 8.9 / 10 by SumCue.

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Who it suits

  • New Zealand households who want life, health, income protection, critical illness, home, car and pet cover compared together (life, health and income protection).
  • People who pay premiums out of monthly income, since the monthly model is the one offered (monthly).
  • Borrowers insuring and buying at the same time, with mortgage purposes covering purchase, remortgage, first time buyer, buy to let and home equity (purchase, remortgage and first time buyer).

Who should look elsewhere

  • Anyone after life cover alone: Linxea lists life only (life), which is a shorter decision to make.
  • Readers whose priority is travel or gadget cover: Euroasia Insurance covers auto, home, travel and gadget (auto, home and travel), while lifeDirect's set runs to life, health, income protection, critical illness, home, car and pet (life, health and income protection).
  • People shopping mainly for credit: Oney Prestamos ES carries health, life and gadget cover (health, life and gadget), a different kind of product set.

Deposit protection

lifeDirect is a comparison site rather than an insurer (comparison site), so a policy you take out is arranged with an insurer and not with the site itself. The business is listed on the Financial Markets Authority's Financial Service Providers Register for New Zealand under FSP286965, which is the entry to check before you apply.

The company behind it

The site is run by LifeDirect 2020 Limited, based in New Zealand (NZ) and trading since 2005. Help runs on email, phone and a help centre (email, phone and help centre), so a question about a policy, a payment or a claim can go to a person as well as in writing. The business also appears on the Financial Markets Authority's Financial Service Providers Register for New Zealand (FSP286965), which is the register entry to look up before you arrange anything.

How lifeDirect compares

Where lifeDirect is available

Available
New Zealand
Licence in New Zealand
Financial Markets Authority (Financial Service Providers Register) (FSP286965), checked September 26, 2026

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does lifeDirect charge for arranging cover?+

The product fee is NZD 0, so there is no separate charge for using the site to arrange a policy. What you pay is the premium set by the insurer and the cover chosen, and for life policies the model on offer is monthly (monthly). Running cost therefore comes from the premium rather than from the site.

Is lifeDirect regulated in New Zealand?+

Yes. The site is listed on the Financial Markets Authority's Financial Service Providers Register for New Zealand under FSP286965. The business behind it is registered as LifeDirect 2020 Limited, based in New Zealand (NZ), so the register entry is the place to confirm details before you apply.

What kinds of insurance can I compare?+

The list runs to life, health, income protection, critical illness, home, auto and pet (life, health and income protection). A household can look at protection for income and illness alongside the car, home and pet policies rather than searching each one separately. It is a comparison site (comparison site), so the policies sit with the insurers it quotes.

Can I pay my premiums monthly?+

Monthly payments are available, and the model on offer is monthly (monthly). Spreading a life premium across the year can be easier to match to income that arrives monthly, and the same monthly arrangement sits alongside home, auto and pet policies (life, health and income protection) in the site's list.

How do I get help or start a claim?+

Support runs on email, phone and a help centre (email, phone and help centre), and claims can be started online or by phone (online and phone). The site handles the comparison and the introduction, while the policy terms rest with the insurer named on your quote (comparison site), so keep that insurer's details for any claim.

Who is lifeDirect aimed at?+

New Zealand households that want several kinds of personal cover weighed up together, including income protection and critical illness (life, health and income protection). The site has run from New Zealand since 2005, and its mortgage section covers purchase, remortgage, first time buyer, buy to let and home equity (purchase, remortgage and first time buyer), which suits people insuring a home while borrowing on it.

What mortgage rate is listed on the site?+

The listed initial rate is 4.69%, fixed for 0.5 years. For context, the market median initial rate is 4.69% and the lower quartile is 3.45%, so the figure on the page sits above the typical starting point, with a median APRC of 4.91% across the market.

Sources

  • lifedirect.co.nz checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Claims channels, Provider type

    “Get ongoing service and make claims online with MyLifeDirect.”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/life-insurance/life-insurance-faq.aspx checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Pricing model, Monthly payments

    “The most common payment options are Direct Debit or Credit/Debit Card, and these are the two options available through our website.”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/mortgages checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Purpose

    “Whether you're a first-time buyer, upsizing, or refinancing ... Investment ... Top up”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/mortgages/mortgage-rates checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Fixed period, Initial rate

    “LifeDirect Mortgages best rates ... 6 months 4.69%”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/our-service/about-us.aspx checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Founded, Headquarters

    “LifeDirect launched back in 2005, as a way for New Zealanders to compare insurance prices and policies”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/our-service/contact-us.aspx checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Support channels

    “team@lifedirect.co.nz ... 0800 800 400”

  • lifedirect.co.nz/our-service/important-information.aspx checked September 26, 2026

    Backs: Insurance types, Legal entity, Product fee, Licences

    “LifeDirect and our Financial Advisers can provide information and advice to our clients about their: Life Cover, Trauma Cover, Total Permanent Disablement, Accidental Death, Income Protection,...”

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Premium from.

lifeDirect

lifeDirect

Comparing several kinds of New Zealand personal insurance on a monthly basis.

8.9/10See alternatives