To ensure your family’s financial security and a prosperous tomorrow, proactively engaging in financial planning today is crucial. One must assess their goals and choose financial instruments that suit their needs.
Of the many financial instruments available at one’s disposal today, child plans and term insurance are two of the relatively popular ones. Each of these plan types is designed to meet specific goals and offer some peripheral advantages as well.
There is no need to make child plans vs term insurance into an either-or choice. However, if you can only get one at the moment, or are unaware of how these are different from each other, let’s dive deeper into understanding term insurance and child plans in India.
What is a Child Plan?
As a parent, providing the best for your child is probably one of your priorities. Their wants and needs may be as important to you as your own. To safeguard their future, you may want to make suitable arrangements.
Traditionally, saving money for children in bank accounts was prevalent. However, these methods of savings may not offer significant growth. Today, child plans offer an alternative to these conventional means. Apart from saving for your child’s future, child policies may also offer a range of other benefits that may help a parent fulfil their little one’s dreams.
Child policies in India are mainly of two types – child education policies and child insurance policies.
Child education policies are a fortified version of endowment plans. They offer a life cover to the parent, so if they were to meet an untimely death, their child may be financially secured through the death benefit from the policy. Furthermore, the child can expect to receive plan maturity benefits. These are usually paid in parts at the pre-determined, significant milestones of the child’s life.
Child insurance plans are market-linked plans that function similar to ULIPs. The parent can avail of the life cover for the benefit of their child, and simultaneously build a corpus for their child. As with ULIPs, you can choose the type of funds you want your money to be put into and allow it to grow over time. The maturity benefits of this plan are received as a lump sum.
The premiums you are required to pay for child policies in India may vary as per the type of plan you choose, and your goals and customisations. Before you buy a plan, it is ideal to get estimations using a child plan calculator.
What is Term Insurance?
A term insurance plan is a way to ensure the financial security of your family in the unfortunate event of your demise. If you are a provider to your family, i.e., you are responsible for their financial needs, losing you may plunge them into financial stress. When you have a term plan, they may use the death benefit to alleviate their financial troubles.
The death benefit of term insurance goes to the nominee named by the person insured or their legal heir. To ensure that your child benefits from the policy, you may nominate them. If they are a minor, ensure that you appoint a guardian who will make the death claim on their behalf.
These plans are relatively affordable, easily accessible, and simple in design. Based on the policy you choose and your insurance provider, you may be able to get a host of riders and benefits as well.
Child Plans Vs. Term Insurance
| Child Plans | Term Insurance Plans |
| Life insurance plus wealth building | Pure life insurance product |
| Life cover for the parent, death benefit directed towards the child | Person insured is covered, death benefit received by the nominee |
| Policy may allow partial withdrawals | No partial withdrawals |
| Maturity benefits to help secure the child’s future | Level term plans offer no maturity benefits |
| Premium rates depend on the type of policy selected and customisations | Premiums tend to be low and may be affected mainly by age, gender, and health of the person insured |
If you are a new parent looking for options that allow you to create a corpus for your little one, child plans in India are one of your best options. On the other hand, if you are looking to safeguard your family, including your child, for a possibility of a future without you, term insurance plans are one of the simplest and most affordable ways of doing so.