Running a competitive comparison isn't valuable because a lot of quotes come in – it's valuable because they can actually be measured against each other. That takes a uniform criteria table: every product answers the same questions, side by side. This article lays out my table's columns – so you can see exactly what the decision-prep is built on.
- The table's six column groups: costs, investment range, flexibility, bonuses, insurance elements, administration.
- Every figure sits on the same basis: TKM over the same term, with a range; flexibility shown through itemized rules, not adjectives.
- The table is decision-prep: the weighting is yours – I show the strengths and weaknesses, the decision belongs to the client.
Columns 1–2: costs and investment range
The cost column starts with the TKM (the Hungarian total cost indicator): for your specific term, with a range (the cheapest and most expensive relevant asset fund). Alongside it, the structure: the charges on initial units and when they free up, the cost of an ad-hoc payment, and switching fees (the full checklist).
The investment column measures the range on offer: how many asset funds are available and of what kind, whether there's a low-cost index-tracker and a life-cycle solution, and how wide the offering is across the risk scale (risk levels). For a classic-type plan, this is where the surplus-distribution rule sits instead.
Columns 3–4: flexibility and bonuses
The flexibility column is itemized: from when and for how long the premium can be put on hold, how far it can be reduced, what the rule is for making the policy paid-up, and what the minimum ad-hoc payment is (details). Instead of adjectives (“a flexible product!”), you get numbers and conditions – and in a bad month, those are what matter.
The bonus column shows the credits and their conditions: when, how much, and what could make you lose them – including whether the bonus is tied to accepting indexation (the bonus article).
Columns 5–6: insurance elements and administration
The insurance column measures the protection content: how the death benefit is calculated, the health-impairment rules, and the riders you can attach along with their costs (elements). The sixth column covers everyday life: the quality of online administration, customer-service channels, how clear the statements are – not a minor detail in a relationship that lasts decades.
At the bottom of the table, a summary row: each product's two strongest and two weakest points, one sentence each. Not a scoring system, not a ranking – arguments.
How should you read the table?
The first step is fixing your own priorities (what matters to you: cost? flexibility? the investment range?) – the table then speaks along those lines. The most common lesson: there's no product that's “best at everything”, but for your situation, typically one or two offers stand out.
We go through the table together – one question can follow another – and then the decision is yours: signing, taking time to think, or letting it go. All three are good answers. The first step starts here →
A question about your own situation? Book a free 20-minute consultation →
