Important Things to Know About Insurance Plans

Policy Components

The three most crucial component of an insurance policy is premium, policy limit, and deductible.

• Premium 

Premium is typically expressed as monthly, quarterly, or annual payments at regular intervals. The premium is determined based on the insured's risk profile, including creditworthiness, exposure to default, probable loss, etc.

• Policy Limit

The policy limit is the maximum amount the insurer will bear in case of loss.

A higher policy limit may require a higher premium and a lower premium for a lower limit.

In the case of a general life insurance policy, face value is the maximum amount that would be by the insurer to the beneficiaries upon the death of the insured.

• Deductible

The specific amount that the policyholder must pay as out-of-pocket expenses before receiving the claim from the insurer is the deductible.

High deductibles policies are less expensive because of fewer small claims due to high out-of-pocket expenses.

• Insurance Coverage

The amount of risk or liability covered for an individual or entity through insurance services is insurance coverage.

Two basic insurance coverage provided is Auto Insurance and Life Insurance. The insurance premium is derived from multiple factors like the age of the individual, gender of the driver, age group, etc.

• Auto Insurance Coverage

Auto insurance premium depends on the insured party’s driving record.

There is a lower premium where a record is free of accidents and traffic violations. Conversely, a higher premium is charged to drivers with previous accidents or serious traffic violations.

Similarly, novice drivers are more prone to accidents due to lack of experience and are thus charged a higher premium. Typically the insurers charge more for drivers below the age of 25 years.

Other factors determining the premium include repair cost, the frequency of litigations, weather trends, and auto insurance fraud.

• Life Insurance Coverage

Primarily, life insurance premiums depend upon the insured individual's age.

Younger people and women are less likely to die early and thus pay a lower premium. On the other hand, persons engaged in risky activities like car racing are required a pay a higher premium.

Also, the medical history of an individual determines the premium. For example, a history of diseases like heart disease, cancer, or other chronic diseases requires a higher compensation.

• Types of Life Insurance

• Term Insurance

The most basic type of basic insurance is term insurance which provides life cover with no returns or savings component.

The premiums are relatively cheaper than the most affordable types of life insurance.

• Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP)

A variant of an endowment plan, ULIP pays the sum assured on death or maturity.

The performance of ULIP, unlike the endowment plan, is linked to market performance.

Similar to mutual funds, the value of ULIP is captured in Net Asset Value (NAV). ULIP is a combination of investment and insurance.

• Endowment Plans  

Endowment plans pay out the sum assured under both death and survival conditions.

The endowment plans charge a higher fee for investing in equities or debt and pay out the principal (sum assured) and profit on death or maturity.

• Money Back Policy

The money-back policy makes periodic payments over the life of the policy term.

This policy pays portions of sums at regular intervals, and the balance is assured at death or maturity.

In case of death, the sum is paid to the beneficiaries.

• Whole Life Policy 

The validity of a whole life policy is not defined, so the insured can enjoy the benefits of the life cover throughout.

There is no pre-defined policy tenure. Also, the policy pays a regular premium until death, after which a corpus amount is paid to the beneficiary.

Essential Insurance Policies You Must Opt For 

Out of the various options available in the market, a few necessary policies that everyone should take are as follows:

• Health Insurance

Health insurance is one of the most important policies an individual should opt for. While opting for health insurance, one must consider the following things:

• Cost

It would be best if you always considered affordability. That way, the premium you would have to pay would be lesser.

• Needs 

Aged people need more coverage than younger ones. Hence, it would be best if you also looked at your needs.

• Life Insurance

Life insurance is an essential component for self and protection of the family in case of death before time.

Life insurance will help the family to offset the loss or expense in case an individual is the only bread earner of the family. A single individual may not opt for life insurance, but every family member invests in a life insurance policy.

• Car Insurance

Almost every state or individual with possession of a vehicle would require it. Also, possessing a higher-value car, an individual must insure it against theft. The primary types of car insurance are:

• Liability
• Collision
• Personal Injury Infection
• Comprehensive
• Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists

Conclusion

Insurance plans are one of the most important things you must know about. The need and importance of an insurance plan are that you can be sure that your family will be protected in an emergency. 

These are not hard and fast rules by any means, but it's always worth your while to take a look at every plan offered and note what it covers and what it doesn't. By doing this, you'll be better equipped to find a plan that will suit you best and won't overspend on the wrong things.