What is Life Insurance?

Life Insurance is a financial cover for a contingency linked with human life, like death, disability, accident, retirement etc. Human life is subject to risks of death and disability due to natural and accidental causes. When human life is lost or a person is disabled permanently or temporarily, there is loss of income to the household. 

Though human life cannot be valued, a monetary sum could be determined based on the loss of income in future years. Hence, in life insurance, the Sum Assured ( or the amount guaranteed to be paid in the event of a loss) is by way of a ‘benefit’. Life Insurance products provide a definite amount of money in case the life insured dies during the term of the policy or becomes disabled on account of an accident.

Why you should buy Life Insurance:
All of us face the following risks:
Dying too soon
Living too long
Life Insurance is needed :
To ensure that your immediate family has some financial support in the event of your demise
To finance your children’s education and other needs
To have a savings plan for the future so that you have a constant source of income after retirement
To ensure that you have extra income when your earnings are reduced due to serious illness or accident
To provide for other financial contingencies and life style requirements

Who needs Life Insurance:
Primarily, anyone who has a family to support and is an income earner needs Life Insurance. In view of the economic value of their contribution to the family, housewives too need life insurance cover.
Even children can be considered for life insurance in view of their future income potential being at risk.

How much Life Insurance is needed:
The amount of Life Insurance coverage you need will depend on many factors such as:
How many dependants you have
Whether you have any debts or mortgages
What kind of lifestyle you want to provide for your family
How much you need for your children’s education
What your investment needs are
What your affordability is
You should seek the help of an insurance agent or broker to understand your insurance needs and suggest the right type of cover.

Courtesy: Handbook on Life Insurance by IRDA. http://policyholder.gov.in