Life Insurance – A life insurance policy is an agreement between a policyholder and an insurance provider. The insurance firm offers a monetary reward to the policyholder’s beneficiaries following their death in return for recurring payments, often known as premiums. This benefit, often known as the death benefit, is normally paid out as a lump amount to the policyholder’s surviving family members to assist them financially.
The gift of life is priceless and cannot be purchased. However, money is necessary for both surviving and providing for one’s family. The family may experience hardships if the breadwinner passes away unexpectedly. Thus, it is frequently suggested to get a life insurance policy to guarantee the family’s adequate standard of living even in the event of the breadwinner’s death.
Also Read – Insurance and Its Types
What is a life insurance policy?
Are you curious about what life insurance means? A life insurance policy is simply an agreement between a policyholder and an insurance company, whereby the latter agrees to make periodic payments to the policyholder’s beneficiary or family in exchange for a certain sum of money.
- Known as premium payments, these are typically made once a year. The policyholder is the one who purchases the insurance.
- If a policyholder dies suddenly, life insurance guarantees that the policyholder’s family will receive a lump sum payment. Money cannot replace a loss, but it may ensure that the family will not have financial difficulties even after the breadwinner passes away.
- The life insurance policy gives you essential protection against danger and gives you chances to increase your savings. It is also a useful tool for helping you save money for potential future costs like a child’s marriage or a college education.
- Life insurance is important, particularly for parents of small children, special needs children, and anyone looking to protect their family’s financial future or accumulate money over time.
- It is best to buy a policy early since the premium amount rises with age and if the individual is a smoker or has pre-existing medical conditions.
Benefits of life insurance
Here are some of the benefits of life insurance:-
Tax benefits:– Getting a life insurance policy helps ensure you receive tax advantages. Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, you can receive tax exemptions of up to ₹1.5 lakhs of your taxable income for the premiums you pay towards the insurance. Section 10(10)D of the ITA also provides for complete tax exemption on the death benefits.
Guarantee of fixed returns:- A set sum is guaranteed by life insurance plans after a predetermined length of time. You must review the various life insurance plans’ structures. To select the life insurance policy that best meets your needs, carefully review the terms and conditions and policy structure of various providers. Whichever option you select, you can be confident that, if the information you submitted when registering for the insurance was correct, the guaranteed death benefits would be paid to the recipient.
Risk mitigation and coverage:- These plans offer the standard risk coverage in the form of cash payouts to reduce and cover risks upon the death of the policyholder. You may shield your family from financial dangers if the major earner passes away too soon by getting life insurance.
Provision for loan:- A certain amount of money can be borrowed under some plans that offer the loan option. This implies that you can use the life insurance policy as collateral if you need to take out a loan, say, to pay for your child’s wedding or school.
Health expense coverage:- The majority of these plans pay for potential medical expenses and treatments. take place if the policyholder becomes unwell. To safeguard your funds even after you pass away, you may also add riders to your insurance policy to boost its coverage.
The many kinds of life insurance plans that are now on the market are as follows:
Term Life Insurance
Term insurance plans only pay out the predetermined sum of money to the policyholder’s family if the policyholder passes away within the allotted time. If the insured individual lives to the conclusion of the insurance period, there will be no claims. This insurance is among the most reasonably priced options on the market and stays in effect for a certain period.
Whole life insurance
As the name implies, whole life insurance offers coverage for the duration of the policy’s validity. The duration of this coverage is up to 100 years. The policyholder is also provided with lending facilities under these plans. Purchasing is an easy process all around, and it may be completed online with a straightforward procedure.
Money Back Policy
The primary distinction and benefit of money-back insurance is that it provides the policyholder with varying survival benefits that are contingent on the policy’s term. This policy pays out within the policy period, in contrast to other policies. If the policyholder passes away, the family receives the whole amount, regardless of the amount of installments paid. When compared to their equivalents, these insurance are more costly.
Endowment Policy
Endowment policies vary from term insurance policies in that the insured, should they survive to the maturity date, will receive a lump sum payment. In addition to providing insurance, the policy gives discounts. They also have riders that may be added to the insurance to expand their coverage. The endowment policy ensures that, by the terms of the policy, a participation profit will be paid in addition to the amount in the event of death.
Retirement Plans
Simple definitions of retirement plans are those that provide a set income upon retirement. They assist in building a retirement fund. After that, the corpus is invested to provide post-retirement cash flow, which helps to reduce risk and provide a safety net. The funds are disbursed as a pension each month. All things considered, these plans aid the insurer in reaching long-term financial objectives.
Since the invention of the internet, practically all businesses aim to provide the greatest life insurance available online. But, it’s important to thoroughly study the tiny print and make sure the insurance offers meet your specific needs.
Principles of Life Insurance
In India, we follow four basic principles of life insurance.
Insurable Interest: The purpose of this principle is to guard insurance plans from any type of abuse. It speaks about the approximate amount of interest a prospective policyholder has in the life insurance policy. This desire might manifest itself as close familial ties, intimate connections, etc. The insurance firm decides whether to accept or reject the person’s application for a policy based on this interest level.
Minimal Risk: Any business that offers life insurance is incurring some risk since they will eventually have to pay the guaranteed amount. As a result, the business would rather have as little risk as feasible. The insurer may investigate the applicant’s medical history, smoking habits, etc. to be sure of this. They may also anticipate that the policyholder would take good care of their health.
Good Faith: A life insurance policy is simply a contract between the insurer and the policyholder, as was previously indicated. This agreement is made in good faith, with each party giving true, pertinent facts and disclosing nothing. Withholding any information might have detrimental effects. For example, if the insurance company learns that the policyholder had a cardiac problem before the policy was purchased, and the policyholder did not disclose this information at the time of purchase, the insurance company may deny the beneficiary’s claim after the policyholder passes away.
Law of Large Numbers: Based on a statistical concept that says variations tend to average out with greater numbers, this is a fundamental tenet of life insurance. This indicates that the policyholder’s risks are reduced because life insurance is a long-term investment, meaning that gains and losses will eventually balance out.
Conclusion – life insurance is an essential tool for protecting the financial security of one’s dependents and family. It provides a safety net and a way to provide money when it’s most needed. The decision between whole life and term insurance is based on personal circumstances and financial goals, but the most important thing is to choose a policy that will support long-term financial planning and offer the required protection for the policyholder and their loved ones.