There are several investment options available and it can be quite difficult to choose one that best suits you. An endowment plan is one of these options that you can choose if you are looking for an investment that would give you a guaranteed payout. Additionally, endowment policies come clubbed with a life cover.
What is an Endowment Policy?
An endowment policy is a life insurance plan that serves the dual purpose of providing the policyholder with a life cover in addition to serving as an investment instrument. Endowment policies work by providing the policyholder with a life cover for a specific period. Part of the premium that is paid towards the policy is invested in instruments that aid wealth creation.
All endowment plans come with a fixed tenure. During this period, the policyholder makes regular contributions towards the plan and receives a lump sum payout in the form of the sum assured when the policy matures.
In addition to the lump sum payout, the policyholder also receives any bonuses that have been accrued. If the policyholder dies before the plan reaches maturity, the sum assured as well as the bonus is paid out to the nominee. The bonus from an endowment policy is paid for the number of years that the policy was active.
How does an Endowment Policy Work?
An endowment policy is a life insurance plan that gives a lump sum amount to a policyholder after a specific period of maturity time or death. In today’s insurance sector, this life insurance policy has gained huge acceptance from people who are willing to invest in risk-free investment plans.
The maturity period of these endowment plans is 10 years, 15 years, and 20 years. Though you can also take your money in the middle of the insurance period some charges are deducted as a penalty. In an unfortunate demise of a policyholder the insurance company will give a sum assured along with death benefit to the nominee.
6 Best Endowment Plans in India 2024
Here are some of the best endowment plans available in India.
| Endowment Plan | Entry Age | Maturity Age | Policy tenure | Sum Assured (Minimum) |
| Reliance Life Insurance Super Endowment Policy
|
8 years to 60 years | 22 years to 75 years | 14 years/ 20 years | Rs.1 lakh |
| LIC New Endowment Policy
|
90 days to 50 years | 18 years to 60 years | 10 years – 20 years | 10 times the annualized premium
or 105% of the total premium paid
|
| Kotak Classic Endowment Policy
|
0 to 55 years | 18 years to 75 years | 15 years to 30 years | 11 times the annual premium |
| SBI Life Shub Nivesh Endowment Policy
|
18 years to 60 years | 65 years/100 years (for endowment with whole life option) | 5 years to 30 years | Rs.75,000 |
| Bajaj Allianz Save Assure Endowment Policy
|
1 year to 60 years | 18 years to 75 years | 15 years/ 17 years | Rs.1 lakh |
| IDBI Federal Incomesurance Endowment Policy
|
18 years to 55 years | 3/8/13 years to 65 years for the insured
18 years to 60 years for the policyholder
|
10 years/ 15 years/ 20 years/ 25 years | Rs.10,000 |
If you have decided that an endowment plan is your most suitable investment option but are not sure of which plan to invest in, the following list may help:
1. Reliance Life Insurance Super Endowment Policy
Policyholders are required to pay the premium for only half the tenure that they choose. The plan can be customized using riders. Policyholders can also avail of a loan against their policy.
2. LIC New Endowment Policy
The policyholder has a choice of investing in one of 4 types of investment funds. Policyholders have the benefit of choosing their premium payment term and the basic sum assured is equal to 10 times the annualized premium.
3. Kotak Classic Endowment Policy
Policyholders can select the sum assured based on their requirements. On maturity, policyholders receive the sum assured in addition to the bonuses accrued. Policyholders can also avail of loans against their policy.
4. SBI Life Shub Nivesh Endowment Policy
The plan provides the policyholder with the option of creating savings while also receiving a life cover. Additionally, policyholders can also choose their premium payment terms.
5. Bajaj Allianz Save Assure Endowment Policy
Policyholders can choose the sum assured and the policy tenure. Premium payments for the last 5 years of the policy tenure are waived. The plan permits policyholders to receive payouts from their plan in monthly installments over 5 years or 10 years.
6. IDBI Federal Incomesurance Endowment Policy
The plan has been designed to help policyholders reach their financial goals. Policyholders can choose from premium payment options of 5 years, 10 years, or 15 years. Once the premium payments have been completed, the policyholders receive an annual payout at the end of every year.
Features of Best Endowment Plans
Endowment policies come with several benefits to the policyholder. The following is a list of some of these features of endowment policy:
1. Death Along Survival Benefits
The nominee and policy of the endowment plan will get additional benefits along with the lump sum assured if they keep the policy active till the maturity period. The reason why people purchase the best endowment plan in India is to enable their families to live a life with peace of mind when they are around. If you are the only bread-and-butter earner of your family then take advantage of the best endowment policy. If you are not with your family to support or take care of, they can soothe all the financial expenses and live life hassle-free.
2. Higher Returns
It is one of the most impressive features of the best endowment policy. You will get high returns on the investment that can make you financially stable and keep protected from unexpected finance issues.
3. Flexibility in Cover
The endowment plan allows you to alter the lock-in period and the premiums of the plan as per your affordability. If you purchase the best endowment policy from the renowned life insurance company you will get remarkable flexibility in your plans that allows you to pay premiums and maturity period as per your suitability.
4. Low Risk
When compared to other types of investments that are made in the equity market, those made through an endowment policy are relatively low-risk. This is because the amount to be paid out on maturity of the plan is predefined and the policyholder will receive a guaranteed payout regardless of the performance of the funds in which the investment has been made.
5. Premium payment modes
The premium payment modes for an endowment plan are flexible and policyholders can choose between long-term and short-term premium payment. Policyholders can continue to enjoy the benefits of their endowment plan if premium payments have been completed for a minimum tenure as stated in the policy terms.
6. Financial security
Most individuals choose to invest in an endowment policy to meet a specific financial goal. Unlike other investments, the policyholder is guaranteed a certain amount when the policy matures which, in turn, provides the policyholder with some amount of financial security for the future.
7. Tax benefits
Investment in an endowment policy provides the policyholder with a major tax benefit. Payments made towards the premium of the policy provide the policyholder with tax benefits under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Additionally, policyholders also receive a tax deduction for the amount paid as the death benefit under Section 10D of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
8. Riders
Policyholders can increase the coverage on their endowment plan through the addition of riders. Riders such as accidental death, critical illness, and hospital cash are some of the many riders that can be added to an endowment plan.
9. Bonuses
Insurance providers offer policyholders who have opted for profit endowment plans a certain amount as a bonus. These bonuses are usually of 2 types – reversionary bonus and terminal bonus. A reversionary bonus is paid out to the nominee of the plan in addition to the sum assured to be paid on maturity of the policy. A terminal bonus is the additional agreed-upon amount that is paid out to the policyholder or nominee of the policy when the policy matures.
Types of Best Endowment Plans
Mentioned below types of the best endowment plan. There are 4 types of basic endowment policies one can choose from.
1. Unit-Linked Endowment Policy
Unit-linked endowment plans are those where part of the premium is invested in unitized insurance funds. With this type of plan, the policyholder gets to choose the type of units in which their premium is invested and the proportion of the investment as well. The returns earned from this type of investment depend entirely on the performance of the fund in which the investment is made.
2. Low-Cost Endowment Policy
As the name suggests, the premium amount to be paid towards this type of endowment plan is lower when compared to other types of endowment plans. With low-cost endowment plans, the investment is made in a manner that will assure a particular amount to be paid out as a death benefit.
3. Profit Endowment Policy
Profit endowment plans are those where the terms of the policy ensure that a particular sum will be paid out when the policy reaches maturity or on the death of the policyholder. However, the amount that is guaranteed tends to increase as the policyholder earns bonuses from the investments made.
4. Non-Profit Endowment Policy
Non-profit endowment plans are those where the sum assured to be paid out on the death of the policyholder or maturity of the policy is chosen at the time of the initial investment.
Why Should You Buy an Endowment Policy?
Endowment plans are best suited for those individuals who have a specific long-term goal in mind. Some of these goals include mortgage payments, and funding a child’s higher education or marriage. It is particularly beneficial to individuals who have a regular source of income and are capable of making regular premium payments. Furthermore, these plans help those individuals who are looking to invest in equity instruments but have a low-risk appetite. The relatively risk-free nature of the investments made through an endowment plan adds to its appeal.
Additionally, endowment plans are long-term investments and provide the policyholder with a disciplined approach to savings for an extended period. Individuals who have a semi-regular source of income can also invest in endowment plans by opting for flexible premium payment options.
Claim Process of Endowment Plan
The claiming procedure of the endowment plan is straightforward. Below we have mentioned the steps:
The policyholder should inform the insurance company that their maturity period is finished and ask them to offer you a claim procedure form. Once you fill the form the insurance company will take 2-3 days to complete the formalities and then it transfers the sum-assured to your account.
If the policyholder is no more then the beneficiary must inform the insurance company about his demise. Insurance companies ask you to submit a death certificate or post-mortem report to avail the death benefits and get the lump-sum assured amount.
Conclusion
If you are seeking the best life insurance that comes with a lot of flexibility and additional bonus then you should opt for the best endowment plan. Here the sum assured you will protect your family from unexpected financial conditions. You can get in touch with a reliable and trustworthy insurance company that offers you the best endowment plans in India with many impressive features.
