A new survey from Gocompare.com shows 21% of Brits (of 3,000 surveyed) in a relationship would be ready to sell their partner for £1 million, or less.
The survey, carried out to highlight the importance life insurance cover, is reminiscent of the 1993 film ‘Indecent Proposal’ where Demi Moore’s character is offered $1m by tycoon Robert Redford to spend just one night with him, despite her being happily married to Woody Harrelson.
The scenario used in the research made it clear that the sale would be a permanent arrangement, rather than for just one night, and they would no longer provide any income, childcare support or help around the home. However, despite this 19 per cent of women and 24 per cent of men said they would wave goodbye to their partners for just £1m or less.
However, a surprising number of people would take considerably less than £1m if there was cash on the table. Nearly 20 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women would let their partners go for half that amount (£500,000) and an amazing 14 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women would take just £100,000 or less given the opportunity.
Four per cent of Brits currently in a relationship would let their other halves go for absolutely nothing.
When asked what they’d miss most if their partners weren’t around, nearly 80 per cent of women and 67 per cent of men said the companionship. However, 12 per cent of men said they’d miss the sex most of all, compared to just 4.5 per cent of women. Five per cent of women would most miss their partner’s income compared to just 2 per cent of men and 3 per cent of respondents said they wouldn’t miss a thing about their partner. Perhaps the same people who’d happily give them away.
Having been asked to name their price for their other half, just 10 per cent of Brits said that their partners had that much life insurance cover. One third of respondents said their partners had no life insurance cover at all.
The cost of life insurance for £100k, £500k and £1m
| Age | Gender | Sum Insured | Term | Monthly Premium |
| 30 | Female | £100,000 | 25 years | £5.00 |
| 30 | Female | £500,000 | 25 years | £15.96 |
| 30 | Female | £1,000,000 | 25 years | £32.22 |
| 40 | Male | £100,000 | 25 years | £10.75 |
| 40 | Male | £500,000 | 25 years | 43.52 |
| 40 | Male | £1,000,000 | 25 years | £83.75 |
Source: Gocompare.com’s life insurance comparison, level term insurance premiums based on the cheapest quotes for non-smokers.
Jeremy Cryer, from Gocompare.com said, “Realistically we’re not going to get the opportunity to sell our partner but sometimes we don’t have a choice about when they’re taken away. It’s not a subject people like to talk about but when it comes to looking at your partner’s life insurance you need to be a bit selfish. Most people in our survey said that their partner was priceless. It’s a lovely sentiment, but losing a partner, especially if you’re parents, can have a heavy and tangible financial impact as well as an emotional one.
“We asked people to think about how much they’d sell their partners for. It was a light hearted question but with a serious intent as it hopefully made them think about how much money they’d need if their partners weren’t around. £100,000 of life cover can cost under £10 per month and a million pounds worth of cover may also be a lot cheaper than you think at just over £32.00 a month for a 30 year old female non- smoker.
“Most of us will settle for something in between but the most important thing is to plan ahead and make sure loved ones are financially protected if disaster strikes. It can be difficult working out how much cover you or your partner needs but as a rule you should certainly be thinking about buying enough cover to clear any outstanding debts, including your mortgage, and providing enough money for your partner or family to maintain a reasonable standard of living.”
Source : Gocompare.com
