Durational Discounting

Durational Discounting

From My Risk Adviser by Phil Thompson

January 15, 2026 · 22 min · Season 5 · Episode 4

About this episode

Phil and Trent discuss the implications of durational discounting in life insurance and its effects on clients and advisers.

A cheap premium in year one can feel like a win. Until you look a few years down the track and realise the price has quietly crept up. Durational discounting has changed how life insurance is priced, recommended and kept in force. Big upfront discounts make policies easy to sell, but they also build in a loyalty tax that hits clients who do the right thing and stick around. Phil and Trent talk through why this has become normal practice, how it distorts stepped premiums, and the uncomfortable pressure it puts on advisers to rewrite policies just to stay competitive. It is an industry habit that sounds harmless, but it reshapes trust, sustainability and long-term value in ways we do not talk about enough. If you work in risk advice, this one will feel very familiar. Join the My Risk Adviser Facebook community for Australian advisers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/myriskadviser/ The advice shared on My Risk Adviser is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. My Risk Adviser exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make a financial decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Phil Thompson

Guest: Trent

Topics covered

  • durational discounting
  • life insurance pricing
  • client loyalty
  • adviser pressure
  • industry practices

Keywords

  • durational discounting
  • life insurance
  • stepped premiums
  • client loyalty
  • adviser practices

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: My Risk Adviser, Facebook, Acast

More episodes of My Risk Adviser

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the My Risk Adviser podcast page.