Guaranteed Future Insurability: The small feature with big payoffs 

life insurance
Written By Jam Villasanta

What is Guaranteed Future Insurability? 

Guaranteed Future Insurability (GFI) sounds fancy, but it’s actually a built-in feature in many life, TPD, trauma, and income protection policies. It lets you increase your insurance cover without another round of medical checks, no blood tests, no doctor visits, and no health questionnaires. 

It’s designed for life milestones: getting married, buying a house, having a child, or getting a pay rise. These are the moments when your financial commitments jump, and so should your protection. 

“Guaranteed Future Insurability is that clause in your policy that lets you increase your cover for life events, no new medicals, no extra health disclosures.”
— Phil Thompson, Skye Wealth CEO

Your insurer has to offer the increase if you qualify under the rules. No re-assessment of your health, no new exclusions for recent injuries or illnesses. 

A man standing with a white board on his back with the word "when to use"

When can you use it? 

Each insurer calls this feature something slightly different like Future Increase Benefit or Life Events Option, but the idea’s the same: you can apply for more cover within a specific window after a major life event. 

“It’s not open-ended. You usually have to apply within a few months of that life event like 30 or 60 days after you buy your home or have a baby.”
— Eddie Scalpelli, Skye Wealth Adviser

Most policies limit how much you can add often between 20% to 25% of your existing cover, or a capped dollar amount (e.g. $200,000 for life or TPD cover). For income protection, the increase might be 10–15% of your insured income. 

According to MoneySmart (2024), reviewing your cover after key life events is one of the simplest ways to avoid being underinsured. GFI makes that process faster and cheaper, since you’re not redoing medical underwriting. 

Why it matters for young Aussies 

Younger Australians are more likely to have major financial changes in a short period: a new mortgage, a pay jump, or kids. But it’s also when people are least likely to think about adjusting their insurance. 

This is where GFI quietly works in your favour. If your health changes down the track, say you develop a chronic condition or start taking medication for anxiety, your existing policy’s GFI clause means you can still increase your cover without a medical assessment. 

“Once you’ve got a policy in place, the insurer can’t re-underwrite you for those increases that’s the whole point. You lock in your good health upfront.”
— Phil, Skye Wealth CEO

It’s like having a “future-proof” contract that protects your ability to upgrade your cover, no matter what life throws at you. 

“💡 Stat: Around 36% of Australians with insurance through super are underinsured for death and TPD cover, often because they’ve never increased their sums after major life changes (Financial Services Council, 2024). ”

The fine print: caps, time limits, and catches 

GFI is powerful, but it’s not unlimited. Every insurer sets boundaries and they’re easy to miss. 

You usually have to: 

  • Apply within a fixed timeframe (typically within 30–60 days of the life event) 

  • Provide evidence of the event (like a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or loan approval) 

  • Stay under the maximum limit (usually a 25% increase or specific dollar cap) 

If you miss that window, you’ll need full underwriting again. And because it’s based on your original cover, not your indexed amount, it can be smaller than expected if you’ve held your policy for years. 

“A lot of people think it’s automatic, it’s not. You still have to apply and prove the event happened. Miss the window, and you lose the option.”
— Eddie Scalpelli, Skye Wealth Adviser

According to AIA Australia (2024), about 40% of GFI requests are delayed or rejected due to missed timeframes or incomplete documentation. That’s why checking your policy wording (or asking your adviser to) matters. 

Real-life example: how GFI helps 

Imagine you took out a life insurance policy at 25, with $300,000 in cover. Fast forward five years, you’re now earning more and just bought your first home. Instead of reapplying and answering health questions again, you use GFI to increase your life cover by 25%. 

You’re now covered for $375,000, with no health reassessment. If you’d had a medical condition diagnosed since then, a new policy might exclude it, but your GFI increase stays clean. 

That’s the small but powerful difference. It’s not about “more cover” for the sake of it; it’s about protecting your ability to upgrade without getting penalised for life changes.

When it makes sense to review instead 

There are times when it’s better to do a full policy review instead of relying solely on GFI. 

For example: 

  • You’ve taken on major new debt (like a bigger mortgage). 

  • You’ve had a large salary jump. 

  • You want to change insurers or consolidate old policies. 

“Guaranteed Future Insurability is great for small, predictable changes. But if your life’s changed massively, that’s when you’d look at a full review.”
— Phil, Skye Wealth CEO

That’s because GFI only boosts existing cover — it doesn’t update other benefits or policy features that might be outdated.

“💡 The average Australian life insurance claim payment rose by 11% between 2021 and 2024, while average debt levels increased by nearly 20% (APRA, 2024; ABS, 2024). ”

Key takeaway 

Guaranteed Future Insurability isn’t a flashy feature, but it’s one of the smartest ones to understand. It gives you flexibility to adjust your cover as life evolves, without jumping through medical hoops or risking new exclusions. 

It’s the quiet safeguard that can make a big financial difference years down the track. 

“The beauty of it is you don’t need to stress about future health issues. You’ve already locked in your good health when you took out the policy.”
— Phil Thompson, Skye Wealth CEO

If you’re unsure whether your policy includes this feature, check your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or chat with your adviser. It’s one of those small details that can save you a big headache later. 

Watch the full Deep Dive episode on disclosures below.

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Jam Villasanta
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