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Life insurance is an important financial instrument that helps individuals in managing their family’s financial security after them. In spite of being such an important financial instrument, there is only a small number of people who are aware of such plan. Term plan being the purest form of life insurance, you should invest in it right now.
But before you go ahead and buy a term insurance, it is important that you understand term insurance better and know the nitty-gritties because if you buy a wrong product, you are in for a long-term product.
In this article, we will discuss what is term insurance and how does it work. We would also take you through its benefits.
Term insurance means an agreement between the policyholder and the insurance company. In case of policyholder’s unfortunate demise, a certain amount is paid to the insured person’s family by the insurance company.
Term insurance is a pure life insurance product that aims at providing financial aid to your family in your absence, in exchange for a premium. All you need to do is pay a premium that is affordable and get a life cover.
Although, you do not get any benefit for surviving the term, you would surely live a stress-free life without worrying about your family’s well-being after you.
If you are looking to buy a term insurance policy, make sure that you have done your research and chosen a plan that suits your requirements well.
Before we move ahead and learn more about its benefits, let us first understand how term insurance actually works.
If you are someone who wants to understand the basics of term insurance, we’ve got you covered. Refer to the infographic below which is sufficient to explain term insurance:
Term insurance provides financial security to your family in case you meet with an unfortunate event. But that is not it, you have to keep in mind a few things before you enroll for a term insurance plan. Before you buy a term plan, make sure that the company is trustworthy and has a good claim settlement ratio. Claim settlement ratio shows the amount of claims that are settled by an insurance company.
You, as a policyholder, pay a small premium against the sum assured to the insurance company. Sum assured is the amount you get as a life cover in case something happens to you before the policy matures. Term insurance has a guaranteed death benefit and compensates your nominee for the loss of your income
There are a few steps that are followed by insurance companies in general which we will discuss in detail now.
One of the first steps to apply for a term insurance plan is to understand your family’s requirements. You should not buy any term insurance with any life cover. You need to make sure that the life cover is enough for your family to maintain the lifestyle after you.
As a rule of thumb, you should get a life cover that is 10 times your annual salary. This way you know that the cover is enough to handle your family’s needs in your absence. Also, check if you have any EMIs or loans coming up and accordingly plan for a term insurance cover. You don’t want your cover to be used up finishing the liabilities you might have left behind.
When you put all this in place, you will understand the ideal term insurance cover that you can then apply for.
Now that you have a clear understanding of your requirements, we suggest that you take the next step towards purchasing the policy. Here, you have to keep in mind that you choose the right policy and then fill out the forms correctly. You will get a proposal form that will consist of questions related to your medical and health conditions.
You need to ensure that you fill in every piece of information accurately because this information not only determines your premium but also your claim process settlement. The insurance company has the right to decline the claim for your family if they find out that the information was hidden.
You can check your premium online or when you apply for the term insurance plan after you have applied for one. The best way is to first check your premium through online term insurance quote calculators and then see which one is better for you. Of course, these calculators don’t give you an exact quote, but help you understand a range you can expect the premium to be.
Term insurance premium depends on numerous factors like age, health conditions, annual income, amount and tenure of insurance coverage and also on information like if the policyholder is a smoker or a non-smoker.
Term insurance is good and it also offers good coverage if taken in time at an affordable pricing. However, you can enhance the protection further with rider insurance policies. These policies help you enhance your coverage at a nominal charge. For example, accidental death coverage can be one of the rider policies you can opt for so that you have additional protection in case of accidental deaths. Unpredictability is the rule of nature, being ready should be your priority.
Last but not the least, in fact the most important, make sure that you assign a nominee for your policy. A nominee is someone who will receive the monetary benefits from your term plan. It should be an immediate family member who can take care of your dependents.
Online term insurance plans can be a better way to get term insurance since it not only gives you the time to go through all policy-related documents but also helps you reduce your premiums to a certain extent.
You have to provide an official photo identity proof to the insurance company such as your Aadhar card, PAN card, Voter ID card, passport or driving license.
The minimum age required for a term insurance plan is 18. Hence, you have to submit identity proof to ensure your age.
An official document that can function as proof of your permanent residential address is required. Any document such as Aadhar card, PAN Card, Passport, Voter ID, official bank statement, electricity, telephone, or any other government utility bill can be used for the same.
Your income plays a significant role in determining the coverage and the sum assured. Besides, this helps the insurance company to decide if you can pay your premiums on time or not.
Because the premium on a term plan is lower as compared to traditional policies, you are able to afford a higher coverage for the same premium amount. For example, if you are in your 30s, a term plan with a policy duration of 30 years for a cover of ₹1,00,000,00 is easily affordable. However, the premium on a traditional plan for ₹1,00,000,00 would be very high and probably beyond your financial capabilities.
You may include additional riders to procure comprehensive life coverage. You may opt for a critical illness rider that pays a certain amount in case you are diagnosed with the covered diseases. This benefit is over and above the regular benefits payable to your beneficiaries in case of an untoward circumstance, during the policy term.
Some of the other riders include the waiver of premium, disability coverage, and loss of employment. You must choose the riders as per your requirements because such benefits are available at an additional premium. It is recommended that you understand more about such riders while you understand term insurance’s meaning.
Insurance companies are innovative and provide some very unique features with the term plans. An example is that insurers often offer a discount on the premium amount if you are a non-tobacco user. Moreover, you may not have to undergo a medical test when you choose to buy a term plan. Knowing what term insurance is and buying a policy was never easier than today.
Insurance is an important aspect of financial planning. It is an excellent way to financially protect your family against unfortunate events. Term plans are pure insurance policies that are affordable and simple. In case of an unforeseen incident during the policy term, the benefits are paid to your beneficiaries. In case of your survival, there are no maturity benefits. Now that you understand what is term plan, buy one today and protect your loved ones in your absence.
In level term plan, the premiums to be paid for the entire policy term remains fixed. The premium and the sum assured agreed upon by you and the insurer will not change for the entire term.
In this type of term insurance plan, the death benefit or sum assured keeps increasing as the years go by. But the premium remains the same and doesn’t change. Certain policies also have a cap till which the sum assured will stop growing.
In a decreasing term plan, the sum assured keeps decreasing every year till the policy term ends. The premiums of this insurance policy are comparatively lower when compared to other plans.
If you buy a return of premium policy, you will get all of the premiums paid to the insurer by the end of the policy year. But this stands true only if you survive the policy term. So, in the event of your death, the sum assured would be given to your beneficiary but if you were to survive, then only the premiums would be returned to you.
In convertible term plans, you can convert your term plan to a different life insurance policy in the future. The type of insurance policy would be of your choice including whole life insurance, endowment plan, etc.
Riders are additional benefits that you can add to your term plan for better coverage. The different types of riders that you can add are critical illness, waiver of premium, accidental death, permanent disability and many more. To avail the benefit of term plans with riders, you have to pay an extra premium to your insurer.
You can compare term insurance plans and choose the right fit according to your needs, lifestyle, income, and other important factors.
The meaning of term insurance is an insurance policy that aims at helping policyholders secure their family’s financial security in case of any unfortunate event or eventuality.
Yes, term insurance premiums can help you save taxes under Section 80C and Section 10(10D) of Income Tax Act, 1961
Yes, smokers do pay higher premiums for the same life cover as compared to their non-smoking peers. In most cases, this is because smoking as a habit can cause many cascading health problems. The risk is also bigger than non-smoking people for the insurance companies to cover the smokers.
Yes, you can absolutely do that to understand how much premium you might have to pay for a specific sum assured. Use online term insurance calculators to get the approx. quote for the premium you might have to pay.
Yes, ideally you should. Most people feel that a term insurance plan is enough. But if you need added or enhanced protection, riders can play an important role. Many rider policies also help you cover the issues that your base policy sometimes does not cover. Plus, it comes at a nominal premium.
The 20s are considered a good time to purchase insurance and plan for your family’s future. As most people start earning in these years, the expenses are comparatively lower.
Yes, you can opt for terminal illness benefit. Policyholders can avail 25% of the sum assured for their treatment. It not only takes care of your treatment but also replaces your income as many people have to discontinue work after the diagnosis of the illness.
Term insurance is an affordable form of insurance that takes care of your family in your absence. You can avail benefits like a high sum assured at an affordable premium and financial security for your family in case of any mishap. The biggest reason why term insurance is important is that it not only acts as a source of lost income but also helps your family to pay debts and living expenses.
Ref. No. KLI/22-23/E-BB/492
