Pure term cover
Pays the sum assured if the insured dies during the term, subject to the contract. There is normally no maturity payment for surviving the term.
Read the guide →Term insurance
Replace the money and care your family would lose.
Term insurance is a death-benefit contract, not a return plan. Its job is to fund the gap your dependants would face if you were no longer there.
Buy pure term cover when your death would leave another person with an income gap, unpaid debt or replacement-care cost. Add those obligations, subtract assets genuinely available to the family, and cover the gap until the dependency should end. Disclose health, habits, occupation and existing cover yourself.
Know the contract
Separate the base cover from the add-ons.
Most buying mistakes begin when unlike promises are bundled under one premium.Return of premium
Adds a survival refund at a higher premium. Compare the extra cost and what is actually refunded; do not reduce essential cover to afford it.
Read the guide →Employer group life
Useful cover tied to employment. The amount and terms can change and the cover usually ends with the job, so it should not be the family’s only plan.
Riders
Optional benefits for defined events such as accidental death, critical illness or waiver of premium. Each has its own trigger and exclusions.
Read the guide →Real buyer questions
Make four decisions before comparing insurers.
Need, amount, term and disclosure determine whether the contract fits. A claim ratio or low quote cannot repair the wrong inputs.01↗02↗03↗04↗05↗06↗
Do you actually need term insurance?
You need term cover when your death would leave another person with an income gap, unpaid debt or replacement-care cost. You may not need it when nobody depends on you.
How much term cover should you buy, and till what age?
Size term cover from the money your family would need, subtract assets meant for them, and stop the term when the financial dependency should end.
Should you take the medical tests for term insurance?
Medical tests are underwriting, not a trap. Answer the proposal yourself, disclose health and habits fully, and keep the submitted form with the policy.
Which term-insurance riders do you actually need?
Buy a rider only when it fills a specific gap that your term, health, accident or disability cover does not already handle.
Pure term or a plan that returns the premium?
Pure term is the cover that pays if you die during the term. Return-of-premium costs more because it pays your premiums back if you survive. That refund is your own money, not an investment return.
What does a claim-settlement ratio actually measure?
A claim-settlement ratio is the share of claims an insurer closed in a period. It does not show how much of your bill was paid, how long it took, or whether your product behaves like the average.
Before you pay
Keep this with the final proposal.
- 1A written calculation of the income, care, goals and debt being protected.
- 2The policy end date and the dependency expected to end by then.
- 3A copy of every health, habit, occupation, income and existing-cover answer.
- 4The medical reports, acceptance letter, schedule and rider wordings.
- 5Nominee details, insurer contact and claim instructions shared with the family.
Quick answers
Questions people ask next
Which company has the best term insurance?
Start with a contract that accepts your disclosures and offers the amount and term you need at a sustainable premium. Then compare service evidence, policy wording and current public disclosures. A single claim ratio is not a verdict.
Is ₹1 crore enough term cover?
The round number is irrelevant without the family’s obligations and assets. Calculate the gap. ₹1 crore can be too much for one household and far too little for another.
Should term insurance run for life?
Usually it should run until the financial dependency ends. Covering decades after loans are cleared, dependants are self-supporting and assets are sufficient can add cost without solving a remaining risk.