Glossary

Misstatement of age clause

A provision that adjusts the death benefit to what the premiums paid would have bought at the correct age or sex, instead of voiding coverage.

Also called: misstatement of age or sex provision, age misstatement clause

The misstatement of age clause, often worded "age or sex," is a standard provision required by state law in individual life insurance policies. If the insured's age or sex was stated incorrectly on the application, the insurer doesn't cancel the policy or deny the claim. Instead it adjusts the death benefit to the amount the premiums actually paid would have bought at the correct age or sex.

Formula: adjusted benefit = face amount × (premium charged ÷ premium that should have been charged). Say, hypothetically, a $100,000 policy was priced at $50 a month based on an age of 40, but the insured was actually 43, where the correct premium would have been $60. The adjusted benefit is $100,000 × 50 ÷ 60, or about $83,333. If the insured was younger than stated, the contract may increase the benefit or refund the excess premium.

The clause applies at any time, even after the two-year contestability period, because it corrects the price rather than voiding the contract. Errors often surface at claim time, when the death certificate shows a different birth date. Check your issue age and birth date on the policy when it arrives. See policy delivery: what to check when your policy arrives.

Last reviewed October 4, 2026

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Related terms

Incontestability clause A provision that bars the insurer from voiding coverage over application misstatements once it has been in force for two years during the insured's life. Issue age The age an insurer assigns you on the policy date to set your premium, counted from your nearest or your last birthday depending on the company. Death benefit The money a life insurance policy pays to the beneficiaries when the insured dies, usually the face amount adjusted for loans, riders and dividends. Life insurance application The form a prospective buyer completes with personal, financial and health details that the insurer uses to underwrite and price coverage. Proof of death The documents a life insurer requires before paying a claim, usually a certified death certificate plus a completed claimant's statement.

Related guides

Age nearest vs last birthday: why your insurance age rounds up Many insurers price on the age nearest your birthday, so you can count as a year older up to six months before turning that age. How it works and how to use it. The two-year contestability period In the first two years, a life insurer can review the application and contest a claim over material errors. What it covers, what restarts it, how to prepare. How to read a life insurance policy, section by section A section-by-section walk through a life insurance contract, from the data page and key clauses to riders and the attached application, and what to check. What happens if you lie on a life insurance application How material misrepresentation lets an insurer rescind a policy or deny a claim, how the two-year window works, and how to fix an honest mistake. Why life insurance claims get denied The main reasons insurers deny death claims, from lapsed policies to application misstatements and exclusions, what a denial letter must say and what to do.