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Participating Life Insurance
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Non-Participating Life Insurance
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Profit sharing with policyholder
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The profits earned by the Insurance company are shared with you, the policyholder, in the form of bonuses.
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The profits earned by the Insurance company are not shared with you.
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Benefits
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Both guaranteed as well as Non-Guaranteed benefits (in the form of bonuses) are offered
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Only guaranteed benefits on policy maturity, or on your demise are offered
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Cost
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More expensive when compared to Non-Participating plans.
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Cheaper when compared to Participating plans.
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Risk factor
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It is comparatively riskier in nature. But it can give you higher returns - depending on the performance of the insurance company.
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No risk here. You receive the benefits that are guaranteed at the time of purchase.
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Let’s understand the differences better - with the help of an example.
Rakesh, 35-year-old, buys a Whole life insurance with a cover of Rs. 10 lakhs. A Whole Life Insurance policy is a type of life insurance policy that covers you for your whole life. The policy will pay the cover amount in the event of your death. Or it will give you the Maturity Benefit when you hit a particular age.
The premium payment tenure for Rakesh’s policy is 10 years. Once he completes the payment tenure, he will receive the benefits for the next 40 years, on an annual basis, which shall be 5% of the sum assured.
Situation #1 - If it’s a Participating Whole Life Insurance Plan
Rakesh buys a participating whole life insurance plan of Rs. 10 lakhs coverage. He chose this plan because he has sufficient income to pay off the higher premiums, and wanted to earn something beyond the plain guaranteed returns.
3% of the sum assured = 5% of 10,00,000/-
= 50,000/-
Under this policy, once Rakesh turns 45, he shall get Rs. 30,000 as guaranteed annual income, for the next 40 years.
As per the policy prerequisites,
- He shall receive the sum assured of Rs. 10 lakhs as maturity benefit once the plan ends when he turns 100 years, or as death benefit to his nominee if he passes away during the policy period.
- Along with the guaranteed amount, Rakesh will also receive accrued bonuses or dividends, depending on the overall profits made by the insurance company.
Situation #2 - If it’s a Non-Participating Whole Life insurance Plan
Rakesh buys a non-participating whole life insurance plan of Rs. 10 lakhs coverage. He chose this policy because the premium is relatively cheaper and meets his monthly budget.
When his premium payments get over by the time he turns 45, he shall start receiving the annual payout of Rs. 50,000 - for the next 40 years.
According to the policy,
- He shall receive the sum assured of Rs. 10 lakhs as maturity benefit once the plan ends when he turns 100 years, or as death benefit to his nominee if he passes away during the policy period.
- Besides the guaranteed amount, he shall not receive any accrued bonuses or dividends as this is a Non-Participating policy.
As we saw, both the policies have their own advantages and limitations. A Non-Participating Plan offers fixed returns, while a Participating Plan is ideal for people who don’t just want simple benefits, but an upside in the form of bonuses and dividends. Understand the policies well, and go for the one that suits your needs the best.