Insurance is the most effective risk management tool which can protect individuals and businesses from financial risks arising out of various contingencies. The emotional and psychological loss can never be compensated, but at least the financial loss can be compensated with insurance. Though there are uncertainties in life which you cannot mitigate, but insurance will surely help you transfer the financial risk associated with the same.
Insurance is a legal contract between two parties- the insurance company (insurer) and the individual (insured), wherein the insurance company promises to compensate for financial losses due to insured contingencies in return for the premiums paid by the insured individual. In simple words, insurance is a risk transfer mechanism, where you transfer your risk to the insurance company and get the cover for financial loss that you may face due to unforeseen events. And the amount that you pay for this arrangement is called premium. There is insurance available for various risks, starting from your life to mobile phones that you use. In the end, it’s essential to protect what is ‘important’ to you.
The concept of insurance works on the basis of ‘risk pooling’. When you buy any type of insurance policy from the insurance company for a specified period with specific cover, you will make regular payments (referred to as premiums) towards the policy. Similarly, Insurance Company collects premium from all of its clients (referred to as insured) and pools the money collected to pay for losses arising out of an insured event. In case the insured event takes place, and you make a claim, losses will be compensated by the insurance company from the pool of policyholder’s premiums. In case you don’t make a claim during the specified policy period, no benefits will be paid to you. However, there are various types of products offered by insurance companies today which also involve savings element attached to it.
Deductible refers to the amount of the claim that is incurred by the policyholder. The deductible amount, as the name suggests, is the amount that is deducted from the claim amount of an insurance policy. For instance, if the agreed deductible is INR 20,000 and the claim raised by the policyholder is ₹40,000 then the insurance company will only pay INR 20,000 to the policyholder. This, in turn, specifies that if only the claim amount exceeds the deductible amount, the insurance company will pay you.
The higher the deductibles, the lower is the premium of the particular insurance plan and vice-versa. Deductibles play a vital role in deciding the practicality of your future claims. So, it is vital to pay utmost heed when deciding the deductibles for your insurance plan.
Insurance policies are the much-needed support pillar one requires at the time of need. The salient features of insurance are-
One of the features of an insurance policy is its ease of purchase. Due to the widespread use of the internet, people can now easily purchase a policy by sitting in their comfort zone. Most insurance companies provide the option of both online and offline purchases of the policies so people can choose as per their comfort.
The basic purpose of an insurance policy is to provide financial help when in need. Be it health, vehicle, or any other insurance policy, the aim is to extend the monetary aid.
The current insurance market is full of a number of options. A customer need not stick to a few options. There is great flexibility to surf all the options available and then make the final decision.
One insurance policy provides a number of benefits. Right from providing financial coverage to tax benefits and so on, insurance cover provides wide coverage.
There are several occasions when the insurance company provide offers for the policyholder. It may be a reduction in the renewal amount or anything as such. No claim bonus is also a happy moment. It is the bonus provided for making no claims in a policy year.
There is the facility of insurance for almost all precious and luxury things. Apart from the life insurance, you can get a cover for your vehicle, home, mobile, jewellery, etc.
Insurance policies are not limited to covering only one person. When it comes to a life insurance policy, several plans allow a policyholder can get their whole family covered.
Almost all the insurance companies provide the easy of insurance premium calculator. An individual can calculate the lumpsum premium he will have to pay in lieu of the insurance cover. It makes it easier for the customers to decide their deal.
There are various types of insurance products available in India. Mainly, insurance products are classified as:
Life insurance covers you against the risk of death. Life insurance policies come in many variants such as term plans, endowment plans, whole life insurance plans, money back plans and unit-linked investment plans etc. Many life insurance products can be a great tool for long-term savings also as it comes as a combination of protection and savings. General insurance products cover financial losses caused by various risks other than death. General insurance products come in various types covering a wide range of risks such as health insurance, motor insurance, marine insurance, liability insurance, travel insurance and commercial insurance etc.
Insurance is an effective risk management tool that protects what is precious for us –life, health, home and businesses etc. The requirement of insurance may vary from one individual to another, but there are certain types of insurance products that are must-have for every individual for ensuring a secure future.
Knowing the importance of insurance is the need of the hour. Following insurance products are the must-have for any individual today.
As no one wants to leave their loved ones financially shattered, life coverage is one of the must-have for every individual having dependents. In case of life insurance, the sum assured or the coverage amount will be paid out to the nominee of the insured in the event of the death of the insured. Life insurance is a crucial requirement to ensure the financial well-being of your loved ones even in your absence. The coverage amount opted should be able to provide complete financial protection – to replace income loss, to repay debt and also to create a financial buffer that can be utilised by insured’s family for future financial stability. Though life insurance products come in many variants, it’s important to first avail the term insurance with adequate coverage.
Health uncertainties are part of life. Keeping in mind the rising cost of healthcare and an increasing number of diseases, it’s important to have the financial cushion to protect yourself against health contingencies. Health insurance policies are of many types such as individual health insurance, family floater health insurance, critical illness health insurance and senior citizen health insurance. It’s important to have adequate health insurance coverage that can protect you from financial crisis during medical emergencies.
Motor insurance policies are the mandatory legal requirement in India for every vehicle owner under the Motor Vehicle Act. Be it two-wheeler, car or a commercial vehicle, its compulsory to avail third party liability motor insurance to protect oneself against the claims that may arise from another party during an accident. However, motor insurance policies come in a comprehensive package wherein your valuable assets (bike or car) are covered against the various risk of damage or loss along with the personal accidental cover to you as the owner. Keeping in mind the rising incidents of road accidents and the asset value, it’s most important to have a comprehensive motor insurance policy.
Accidents are unexpected and are inevitable. Sometimes accidents can result in disabilities that can further have huge impact on your earning capacity. In order to have financial stability for yourself and your family, it’s important to be insured against accidents.
Home is one of your most valuable possessions that also includes many precious belongings and memories. Though you try to secure it to the fullest, your property is exposed to various risks like theft, damages due to natural disasters etc. which you may not be able to mitigate completely. Hence, in order to protect your home against losses and damages that may arise due to many insurable events, availing home insurance is the most effective solution.
Though you need to be prepared for future uncertainties by availing insurance cover, you may not need all types of insurance. The priority of any insurance product may vary depending on your individual need. Insurance is a large industry with numerous product types available to cater to every sort of need. Some of them mentioned already are of top priority for every individual. Priority of rest other types of insurance may purely depend on your unique need or situation. Let’s take a look at some of the insurance types that are of lesser priority.
Critical illness insurance plan may not be needed for every individual, specifically, if you do not have any family history of critical illness. Critical illnesses are sometimes covered in health insurance plans and also comes as a rider along with life insurance plans. Hence, a standalone cover for critical illness depends purely on the requirement of an individual.
Travel insurance may be the priority for frequent travellers. But, it may not be needed for all. The need for insurance may vary depending on each individual’s unique needs. For example, if you are planning a domestic trip and your comprehensive health insurance plan covers you across the country for any medical emergencies, travel plans may not just be needed for you. More specifically, the travel insurance plan may not be your priority if you can afford to lose your pre-paid trip expenses. Sometimes travel covers also come as your credit card travel benefit.
Likewise, there are many insurance types that are not suitable or required for every individual. It’s important to think about the benefits that you can reap before investing in an insurance plan.
How to decide on the type of insurance you need?
Before you buy any insurance, it’s important to understand the need for insurance. Here are certain things to keep in mind at the time of deciding what type of insurance you need.
Insurance is a risk management tool not only benefits the individual and businesses but also benefits the society and economy in numerous ways. Following are some of the important benefits of insurance:
Following are some of the examples that demonstrate the importance of insurance:
To conclude, shield your life and important assets against all the uncertainties with the help of insurance. Know what insurance coverages you need, compare and invest wisely. It’s important to understand that the need for insurance is to secure what you love.
Deductibles are charged with the motive to restrict policyholders from making unnecessary claims. If there will be no deductible limit, the policyholder may raise small claims.
When the claim amount is less than the deductibles, the policyholder is not liable to get any claim amount. The obvious rule of deductibles is, you get the claim amount if only the claim amount exceeds the deductible amount.
As a policyholder, you do not need to pay the deductibles to the company. Rather, it refers to the amount of claim that is incurred by you. For instance, if you raise a health insurance claim of ₹30,000 considering the deductible is ₹10,000 then you shall only receive ₹20,000 as the claim benefit from the insurance company.
Copay refers to the fixed amount or percentage of the claim that the policyholder agrees to pay. For instance, suppose the Copay is 10%. If the claim is raised for INR 40,000 then the Copay incurred by the policyholder will be INR 4,000 and the rest of the INRV 35,000 will be incurred by the insurance company. While deductible is the fixed amount that the policyholder has to exceed in order to raise an insurance claim.
Copay is paid for each claim raised. However, deductibles are a one-time limit. Once the policyholder crosses the deductible limit, he/ she does need not to pay any other amount until the next policy year.