Published in Cafemutual on 26th August, 2016 Agent attrition has been an ongoing issue in the life insurance industry. A recent data provided by Life Insurance Council (LIC) shows that around 27000 agents have left the distribution of life insurance policies. LIC is a trade body of the life insurance industry. Surprisingly, state owned LIC […]
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When fine print stumps your policy claim
Published in Mint on Aug 16 2016 Most people buy insurance in three quick steps: give the agent a quick listen, sign off on the paper and store the policy away. Yes, insurance legalese makes for laboured reading, but ignorance is even more painful. You need to know your policy—the exclusions at the very least—to […]
Term plan’s sum assured must be at least 10 times annual income
Published in Mint on JUL 05 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia What are the main things to check when selecting a life insurance policy? I am 31 years old and married. —Rajneesh Sharma The two most important factors to consider in a life insurance policy are the insurer’s claim settlement track record and the sum […]
Insurance e-commerce norms take shape
Published in Mint on Jun 21 2016 The world is moving online and so should the way you buy the most important instrument in your money box: insurance. To help build an online platform for insurance, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), earlier this month, drafted the Insurance E-commerce Regulations (http://bit.ly/28KdHMg ). […]
Use investment products for right purposes
Published in Mint on Jun 13 2016 Every time there is a personal finance crisis, it can be easily traced to products that did not do what they were intended to do, or had no place in the individual’s portfolio given their needs and goals. While the focus of investors is always on selecting the […]
Impact of HDFC Ergo, L&T Insurance merge
Published in Mint on Jun 13 2016 In a board meeting held on 3 June, HDFC Ergo General Insurance Co. Ltd approved the acquisition of L&T General Insurance Co. Ltd. Pending approvals from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) and the Competition Commission of India, HDFC Ergo will buy 100% stake in […]
For a smoother claims settlement process
Published in Mint on Jun 03 2016 Reasons for a health insurance claim being delayed or rejected altogether range from administrative delays by hospitals to poor documentation, further enquiries by the insurer or even poor understanding of a policy by the policyholder. But you can prevent the claims process from turning sour by arming yourself […]
Maturity of child plan should be linked to important milestones
Published in Mint on Apr 05 2016, Written by Abhishek Bondia Are there circumstances under which a life insurance company might refuse to pay for claims? —Ayush Khatri One exclusion allowed in a life insurance contract is suicide in the first policy year. Apart from this, the insurer can deny a claim if there has […]
Life insurers selling policies that die early
Published in Mint on Apr 19 2016 What are the chances that a poorly understood and badly sold life insurance policy will run its course? Pretty slim, according to the life insurance industry experience in India. Poor selling practices—long-term policies being sold as short-term policies, lack of communication of policy benefits, poor understanding of costs, […]
First goals, and then products
Published in Mint on Mar 07 2016 The basics of financial planning don’t change for women investors. Setting financial goals, discovering your risk appetite and finding products that are in line with your comfort and your goals continue to be the cornerstones of financial planning. The products remain the same, but some have added benefits […]