Posts tagged: life insurance

Should You Invest In Money Back Plans or Endowment Policies?

get your moneyChoosing a life insurance plan is always a difficult task as there are a plethora of insurance products available. Apart from various other life insurance products, two traditional life insurance plans in which many of us get confused is money back plan and endowment plan. People could not find out whether they should go for the best endowment policy or opt for a money back plan. Well to overcome this confusion we are here discussing the basic difference between these two plans:

Money Back Plan and Endowment Plan – An Overview

Both money back and endowment plans are there in the market for quite a long time, but people are not sure which to select as most of them could not find out the basic difference between the two.

Even though both the plans are life insurance cum savings plans, but there is a slight difference between both of these. This slight difference lies in their survival benefits. The survival benefit that endowment plan pays upon maturity of the policy includes the sum assured as well as a bonus. On the other hand, the money back policy pays out the survival benefit usually as a fixed percentage of the sum assured at regular time intervals during the tenure of the policy. However, in case of money back policy the remaining sum assured with bonuses are paid to the insured upon maturity of the policy. In case of demise of the policyholder, both money back and endowment plans pay the sum assured to the nominee of the policy.

In this way, both these plans are savings plans, but the money back plans are there to fulfill the short term goals of the policyholder as they payout at regular intervals.While endowment plans provide a huge sum assured upon maturity of the policy.

Let us look at the fundamental difference between these two through the following table:

Factor to Consider Money Back Plans Endowment Plans
Benefits The insured gets a % of sum assured at a specific time interval and the remaining sum assured is given with bonuses at the maturity of the policy if the insured survives the plan term. The specified sum assured as well as all the applicable bonuses are given at the time of policy’s maturity if the policyholder survives the policy term.
Death Benefit Both the plans pay the sum assured as well as applicable bonuses on the death of the policyholder if he/she dies during the policy term.

Basically, money back plan pays out regular income after a regular interval and most of the times it is 5 years. Generally, for a policy of 20 years, the survival benefit that a policyholder gets becomes 120% of the total sum assured.

Policy Year’s End Survival Benefit As % of Basic Sum Assured of the Plan
5 years 20%
10 years 20%
15 years 20%
20 years 60% + Vested Bonus
Total Benefit = 120%

Which policy is better?

If the aim a person behind purchasing a policy is to fulfill his/her short term goals and get some money after a regular interval, the money back plans are best for them. There are much money back plans available online and one can purchase the best money back policy according to his/her requirements.

However, if one’s aim of the investment is to accumulate large corpus and get it at the time of maturity of the policy, then selecting an endowment plan is recommended. In this way, it is entirely choice of a policyholder to decide which plan is best suited for him/her. There are many endowment plans also available and to select the best one must know his/her requirements first.

One should always remember that it is the personal expectation and requirements of an individual that should be kept in mind before selecting a plan as investment and life cover.

Summing It Up!

Before selecting any of the plans out of these two policies, it is suggested to check an individual’s objective of investment and his/her expectations from it. One way to do this is to compare different policies on the bases of its inclusions, benefits, and rider benefits provided in it. See an individual’s expectation with that plan. If both match then finalizing that plan can be taken into consideration. One can compare different policies of money back plans and endowment plan online with the help of a good insurance web aggregator. Last but not least, both these plans are good investment plans and it is just the requirement of an individual from the policy. So, do not hesitate, just understand the inclusions of your plan and enjoy the benefits.

Difference between Term Insurance and Endowment Plans

insurance for familyIn today’s fast-driven world, one faces uncertainty in life. Various financial tools like life insurance, endowments plans, medical insurance, etc. are made available to take care of this aspect. Besides, they are also an investment and helps to secure one’s financial future. Life insurance policies also aids in saving tax, improves credit ratings, inculcates saving habit, acts as retirement income and provides for your family in case of untimely death.

What is term insurance plans?

Term insurance is a basic and fundamental insurance product. It is a type of insurance policy that provides coverage for a specified ‘term’. In case of death of the policy holder during the policy term, death benefit will be paid by the insurance provider to the beneficiary. The premium for term policies is very low as compared to other insurance plans. This is because there is no investment component and the entire premium paid is directed towards covering risk.

What is endowment plan?

An endowment policy is a type of life insurance policy which apart from covering the life of the policyholder helps him to save regularly over a period of time so that a lump sum amount is received at the end of the maturity term. Thus, such plans fulfill the dual need for life cover as well as investment, under a single plan. The main benefits of such a plan is regular savings, financial protection of family in case of death, loans against the policy and tax benefits under section 80C and 10(10D) of the Income Tax act, 1961.

Which plan is best for you?

Based on financial goals

Both types of life insurance plans have their own pros and cons. An individual needs to make a choice between the two depending on his financial goals. Some may take a policy for the sole purpose of a life cover while some may take it with the goal of investing and growing their money.

Cost of premiums

Endowment plans have higher costs than term policies for the same coverage and duration. Customers are charged premium for both investment and life cover. Various charges like mortality charges are deducted and the balance amount is then invested in other instruments. Term plans, on the other hand, charge premium only for life protection and not for investment. Hence, term plans come at very low premium and give good returns to the family in case of death of the holder.

Rate of return

Amount received as premium in endowment plans are invested in debt as well as stock market after deducting insurance cost, mortality cost, etc. The rate of return depends on the performance of the stock market. Considering that the term of endowment policies is usually long-term (around 20 years), the return is low. You could reap a better return by investing in mutual funds, which give a higher rate of return as compared to these plans.

Regular income

Most endowment policies declare bonus once a year. The bonus received is a certain proportion of the sum assured. This acts as a regular income as compared to term plans where you do not receive any returns whatsoever. In case of term insurance the nominee receives the sum assured amount only if the policyholder passes away.

Conclusion

If the sole purpose is to buy a life cover, it is advisable to go in for a term plan. Though you may not receive any amount on maturity, the low premiums are quite affordable. In case of death of the policyholder, the amount given to the beneficiary is quite high. This amount can then be used by the dependents for purposes like marriage, house loans, paying debts, etc.

For those who already have a term planin place and are seeking investment gains, endowment plans are best suited for them. It provides an avenue for disciplined investment even though the returns are not very high. It is important to make the right choice between the two depending on your financial goals.

Know more about endowment plans and term insurance at 5 Paisa Insurance.