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The biggest financial worry most Indian parents face is about mitigating the overwhelming and ever-increasing cost of education. According to a survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office, the cost of general education has shot up by a staggering 175% between 2008 and 2014. At the same time, the cost of professional and technical education has risen by 96%. Taking this into account, it has become critical for parents to plan for their children’s education.
Today, life insurance companies offer many child plans. However, the misconceptions surrounding these plans cause several parents to be reluctant to buy them. Here are a few common myths about child plans, and the real picture behind them:
Myth 1: Child insurance covers a child’s life. It is inauspicious to buy insurance in the name of a child.
The reality: The most common myth surrounding child plans is that the life insured is the child. Most child plans insure the life of the income-earning parent, and not the child. The benefit associated with such a plan is that the child’s dreams are fulfilled, even if the parent is no longer around.
Myth 2: The death benefit of a child plan is paid out as a lump sum upon the death of the insured parent. It does not take care of the future needs of the child.
The reality: Many child plans carry features such as Family Income Benefit which ensures that periodic payments are made to the family, to take care of the child’s educational needs. Plans that offer the Funding of Premium benefit ensure that all future premiums are borne until maturity by the insurer and the maturity benefit is paid to the beneficiary. These benefits are in addition to the lump sum that is paid out immediately upon the death of the insured.
Myth 3: Inflation is not factored into child plans and so, the pay-outs will be hardly sufficient to cover the child’s tuition fee.
The reality: Market-linked child plans to invest your money in a fund of your choice in order to generate higher returns. Certain plans offer Guaranteed Loyalty Additions whereby a certain percent of the fund value is added into your investment fund every year, upon completion of a certain number of years. Features such as the Dynamic Fund Allocation also ensure that you follow a more aggressive investment strategy, which gives you higher growth during the initial policy years.
Myth 4: Child plans lack liquidity. Your money gets blocked for the entire term of the policy and cannot be partially withdrawn in case of emergencies.
The reality: Child plans are flexible. In traditional child plans, pay-outs are made at fixed intervals, to coincide with the major events in the child’s life. A market-linked plan will give you the flexibility of making partial withdrawals after the completion of 5 policy years.
Myth 5: Child plans are not very transparent.
The reality: In a market-linked child plan, all charges are clearly spelled out. The policy document gives you a break-up of the various charges and the amount invested. You also receive a regular statement of your holdings, which you can monitor.
When it comes to investing for your child, do not go by hearsay and take an informed decision. Visit Max Life’s Child Plans section to learn more about Child plans and to start investing.
ARN:- Jul21/BG/19