The policyholder pays a premium to the insurance company for a specific number of years (or for life), and in return, the insurer promises to pay a sum assured to the nominee upon the death of the policyholder. For some policies, the insurer pays a maturity benefit to the policyholder, if he/she survives the term. However, these terms differ for different policies.
Term Plan
A term insurance policy is a pure life cover and its structure is very simple to understand.
ULIPs
Unit linked insurance plan, better known as ULIP, is a combination of insurance and investment.
Whole Life Insurance Policy
As the name suggests, a whole life insurance policy gives you a cover for life.
Term Life Insurance Policies
A term insurance policy is a pure life cover and its structure is very simple to understand. You pay a premium to an insurance company for a specific number of years and in return, in case you were to meet with an untimely death, the insurer promises to pay the sum assured to your family. It does not come with any maturity benefit (apart from Term Plan with Return of Premium or TROP).
Benefits
Benefits of Term Insurance Plan
- It provides higher cover for lesser premium as compared to other life insurance products.
- TROP comes with a maturity benefit, which is the sum total of all premiums paid. No interest amount is paid on that.
Whole Life Term
As the name suggests, a whole life insurance policy gives you a cover for life. If the premium amount is paid regularly, the insurer promises to pay the sum assured to the nominee of the policyholder after the death of the policyholder. Apart from the sum assured, it also includes a saving component.
Benefits of Whole Life Insurance Policy
- Unlike other insurance policies, it does not have a defined term. The sum assured is paid to the dependent upon the death of the policyholder.
- Apart from the sum assured upon your death, it also has a saving component. You can re-invest it letting the cash amount grow or can remit a part of the cash value during your lifetime.
Endowment Policies
Endowment plans are again a combination of savings and protection. If the premiums are paid on schedule for a specific number of years, insurers promise to pay the assured sum to the nominee in case of the untimely death of the policyholder.
Meanwhile, if the policyholder survives the policy term, he/she receives a lump sum payout as the maturity benefit.
Features of Universal Life
Apart from the sum assured there is a saving component. You can use this to make goal-based savings and in case of financial emergencies, you can avail of a loan against it.
Moneyback policy
Moneyback policies are also a combination of savings and protection. But the key advantage of this policy is that a portion of the sum assured is paid to you at a regular interval during the policy tenure. The remaining amount along with the bonus is paid at maturity. This benefit is not available for any other life insurance policy. However, if the policyholder dies during the policy tenure then the entire sum assured is paid to the nominee, this is despite the survival benefits that the policyholder has already received.
The benefit of moneyback policies
- The biggest advantage of moneyback policies is the liquidity it provides, i.e. you receive a percentage of the sum assured at the regular interval.
Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs)
Unit linked insurance plan, better known as ULIP, is a combination of insurance and investment. The investments are made in debt and equities by a fund manager assigned by the insurance provider. However, the policyholders can choose whether he/she wants to invest in debt or equity and in what proportion. Though there are no guaranteed returns, a lump sum amount is paid to the policyholder at maturity. However, if he/she dies during the policy tenure, the insurer pays him/her a sum assured.
The benefit of ULIP
- Though there is no guaranteed return, ULIP provides a higher return than traditional policies with a savings component.
A term plan is a pure life cover that focuses on offering your dependents the sum assured in case you were to die. Hence, it is a must-have for every earning member of a family.
However, if you are planning to buy a second life insurance policy, try to assess what you need it for. And once you know the purpose, evaluate all the policies to understand which one will give you maximum benefit. Your decision to buy life insurance should be determined by three factors? the requirement, the benefits you get from the policy, and your ability to pay the premium.