It is not necessary that the insurance provider who offers the insurance policy at the cheapest premium may be an ideal choice. What if the insurance company you have selected winds up the operation eventually? What if the company does not provide the claim settlement amount to the beneficiary of your policy? The purpose of investing in life insurance will not be met.
As it is a matter of securing your family’s financial future, you cannot go wrong here. Therefore, it is vital to invest your hard-earned money with a company that acts as a supporting pillar to your family in tough times. Investing in a term plan is an ideal option if you are looking for the simplest form of a life insurance policy. Let us first understand – what is a term insurance plan, before speaking about the factors to consider while choosing the right insurance company.
Term insurance is a kind of life insurance that offers a high sum assured at a reasonable premium. If the policyholder passes away untimely during the tenure of the policy, the insurer is liable to pay the death benefit to the nominee. As a term insurance plan is much more affordable when compared to any other life insurance policies available in the market today, it has become an extremely popular option among policyholders.
If you are not sure about selecting a suitable insurance company before purchasing the term life insurance, read on the list of factors that can help ease your confusion.
Claim settlement ratio
A claim settlement ratio refers to the number of claims paid by the insurer compared to the number of claims received in a financial year. Checking the company’s claim settlement ratio is one of the best ways to analyze the company’s reliability. You can check the CSR of a particular company in the annual report available on the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) website. The higher the company’s claim settlement ratio, the more are the chances that your claim will be honored by the company. Though CSR is an excellent option to check the company’s reputation, you cannot just depend on this parameter. It is advisable to double-check the trustworthiness of the company by considering other factors as well.
Solvency ratio
If a natural disaster like an earthquake or massive downpour takes a lot of lives, the insurer should be financially strong to settle a considerable number of claims at once. Therefore, it is advisable to ascertain the amount of capital that allows you to determine the insurer’s financial position. Review the insurer’s solvency ratio. An insurer with a high solvency ratio has less chances of getting bankrupt.
Brand value of the insurer
It is wise to purchase term life insurance from an insurer with good brand value in the market. The brand value of a particular company is determined by the trust the consumers have in them. To ascertain the dependability of the company:
- Check the quality of the service they are offering
- Search the Internet for reviews or ask your friends and relatives about their experience while dealing with the insurer
- Filter the negative comments and read them to understand the problems other policyholders faced with the company
Doing this will give you a clear idea of whether the service is good or bad. Besides this, transparency is one of the factors that you should take into account to select the insurer. Check whether the insurer is honest and clear about all the features of the policy.
Cost
When you have narrowed down a few insurers, it is time that you compare the premiums offered by them. You can buy term insurance online, as the premium is quite economical compared to the traditional way of purchasing it from an insurance agent. It is because insurers offer various discounts on premiums while buying it online. Here, you are directly dealing with the insurer, which eliminates the expense related to an agent.
Do not risk the financial future of your family by purchasing a policy from any random insurer. Verify the credibility of the insurer and then invest your hard-earned money.