Written by : Knowledge Centre Team
2021-01-20
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The idea of getting a life insurance plan is quite daunting, primarily because it reminds one of the inevitabilities of death. One usually starts thinking about death and its aftermath, especially its impact on the family after a certain age or as one starts nearing death. But in this day and age, while mortality is on the rise, there are a myriad of accidents that could happen at any time. We have all seen the waves of destruction caused by the pandemic and the horrifying death toll it has caused - of all those people, how many do you think were breadwinners?
It is very important in this uncertain day and age to make sure that your family is provided for. The increasing rates of inflation have seen a rise in almost everything, which is why every family member needs an earning breadwinner who can offer some financial stability in their life.
To be prepared for anything, especially unprecedented death, it is always a good idea to insure your life at the earliest.
First, getting a term insurance plan as early as possible ensures that you have to pay less for premiums - the earlier you start, the less you need to pay. For instance, a person who signs up for an insurance premium at the age of 20 will need to pay a much smaller amount than someone in the later stages in their life. The math is simple - the older you are, the closer you are to the average life expectancy, that is, your death, so the total amount due for the death benefit will be split over a smaller period. If you are younger, this will be divided over a longer duration, ensuring that you can pay smaller premiums and even live long enough to enjoy the benefits of saving up for most of your life.
But it is given that each person should pick a term insurance plan that fits their needs. Everyone comes from different economic backgrounds. Some people may be at a higher risk of losing their lives earlier because of the kind of profession they lead, the lifestyle they choose to have, such as alcoholics or chronic smokers. Ensure that before you finalize and sign up for any term insurance plan, you go through all the terms and conditions of each plan and the possible bonuses and benefits they will offer as compensation if you survive the plan’s duration.
The best kind of insurance plan to go for in many ways is a simple term plan. They are easily understandable, even to those who are unfamiliar with the nuances of insurance policies. The basic idea of a term insurance plan is to regularly pay a premium, depending on what kind of term you choose, and get covered for a pre-decided period. The policyholder provides the bank with details of a nominee or nominees who will be given the sum assured at the policyholder’s death.
Advantages of a Term Insurance Plan
More than an investment, term life insurance can be considered an expenditure or a purchase instead of an investment. There are usually no surrender values - if the policy dictates that the family will not receive any benefits upon survival, the nominees or the policyholder will not get any payment from the insurer if they are alive. But this disadvantage is negligible since death is inevitable, and if you choose a 99-year plan, you are pretty much covered for the rest of your life.
These policies are also highly flexible - it is easier to opt-out of a term plan than a policy based on the cash value. In case you are not in a position to be able to pay your premium on time, the term plan will be terminated, and there will be no additional payment required on your part. In the case of a cash value policy, the failure to pay a premium will result in a significant loss for you, considering how the bank will be liable to make substantial deductions.
Another advantage is the low premium amount that term insurance plans usually have compared to cash value policies. This is possible because term insurance plans do not have a saving component - you are not investing specific amounts of money as though it is a savings deposit. This makes term insurance plans more affordable for those who cannot afford exorbitant premium payment rates like those found in term insurance policies.
Even though they are not cash-value insurance policies, term insurance plans still account for tax deductions. The premiums paid towards these plans, along with the accrued income, will both be eligible if you want to apply for a tax deduction.
The renewable plan will allow you to renew the policy as though it is an extension of the previous one. You can do so without a medical test, which is usually mandatory. The convertible plan will let you convert the term insurance plan into an endowment policy. You will be eligible for the same assured sum, but you will have to pay a higher premium amount.
Because of the low insurance premium amount and the tax deductions, a term insurance policy is ideal for someone from a low-income bracket, especially if you have many family members dependent on you. But remember that this is not a tool for saving up for your children in any way.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance offers the best term insurance plans that have several advantages like whole life cover till the age of 99.
The Canara HSBC Life Insurance iSelect Smart360 Term Plan offers the following advantages:
You can customize the Canara HSBC Life Insurance offers term insurance plan in almost every way you can think of. They have three different plan options - Life, Life with Return of Premium, and Life Plus options. If you go for the life plan option, you have the choice of customizing your coverage to either ‘level’ or ‘increasing’. You can also add an accidental death benefit and a child support benefit. This way, you can ensure life while making sure your children can enjoy a stable back up plan, unlike ordinary term insurance plans. It also offers you the option to cover a loved one, especially a spouse. If your husband or wife is unemployed, you can choose to cover them and provide them with a good amount of savings to bounce back from.
The Life with Return of Premium option provides you with a full premium return if you live past the upper plan limit. The Life Plus plan offers additional benefits of customizability. In both these plans, you can opt for a lump sum return, which means you will get the sum-total of benefit upon the plan’s maturity. You can also go for a monthly income option, which will make sure that your family will be paid a fixed sum monthly - this is ideal if you are uncertain whether your family will effectively utilize the lump sum money they have been given or if your family is illiterate. You can also strike a perfect balance by going for a part lump sum & part monthly income option.
The return premium benefit covers up for the biggest disadvantage of all term insurance plans - it backs up an investment. The total of all your premiums will be returned if you outlive the policy tenure.
This insurance plan can be purchased entirely online directly or from the company’s sales representative.
In conclusion, term insurance plans are better taken early in life so that you can insure yourself for your family at smaller amounts of premiums. This is a great option, especially when you are not at an age where you earn large amounts of money can avail its benefits later in life. Even on the chance that you survive past the end of the term, you can always convert it to a savings plan and reap your retirement benefits.
Canara HSBC Life Insurance offers online term insurance plans to secure your family financially in your absence.