Maturing Endownment - Advice please.

2shy

Hi all, long time lurker, first time poster.
I took out an Endownment mortgage back in 93 for 45k.
Over the years I have over paid my mortgage payments, so much so that I paid off the debt early. I have continued paying into the Endownment £70/month, it will mature in 2018, and as with most endownments of that time, there will be a shortfall.
Looking at my last statement, if I am lucky, I might get back what I have paid into it.
I have life cover with this for the 45k, but even taking off how much a premium for similar cover would be elsewhere, Im wondering if I could make better use of both the endownment and the monthly premium.
Are there other avenues that would be open to me beyond cashing the policy in, or stopping payments and waiting until it matures? What generally happens when a policy matures, does the money get transferred over to my bank on maturity date or can you wait? If come 2018 I didnt want to cash it in could I just leave it sitting paid up? Could I transfer, what are basically shares, from the policy into say pension or ISA?

I understand these are probably questions I should ask my Endownment policy provider.(Sunlife Financial of Canada).. but to be honest I think there is more good advice given here than I would ever trust by someone trying to sell me something.

Thanks in advance, and keep up all the good advice the good people here provide *thumbsup*

kidmugsy

Would the Savings and Investments Forum be a good place to ask?