Term Insurance

Term insurance is the most basic form of life insurance, which comes at an affordable rate of premium.  This low-cost policy offers life coverage to the insured, where the family gets a financial shield in case of the untimely death of the insured. The benefits offered by term insurance plans can be availed for specific years in exchange for a regular premium.

Apart from the death benefit, the policy also comes in handy in covering those unavoidable financial burdens on the family, in case of accidental disability of sole earner of the family leading to loss of income. 

What’s the Need for Term Insurance in UAE?

Planning for the future of one’s family is one of the most important decisions. Buying term insurance, the insured can secure the financial safety of their loved ones, especially in countries like Dubai or other Emirates where the cost of living is higher. The importance of the term Takaful in UAE has been realized of late. However, the main reasons for buying a term life insurance plan include:

• The policy comes at a lesser premium than other life insurance policies.
• The death benefit can be availed by the family in case of the sudden demise of the insured.
• The policy payouts can be customized as per the needs of the insured, it can either be a  lump sum payout or regular monthly payouts.
• As the premiums are comparatively less, the savings can be utilized in planning for other life goals such as retirement, child education, property purchase, etc.
• The policy can be clubbed with different riders in order to get the basic insurance coverage increased. Rider covers such as Critical Illness Cover, Permanent Disability, Accidental Death, etc. can be availed at an additional cost. 

Best Term Insurance for NRI

For an individual that is an NRI i.e., a non-resident Indian, there is a wide array of options to choose from that are specifically designed for those who reside outside India. One should opt for a plan that deems fit in order to secure the future of his or her family members, and protects them in their absence. Most of the plans falling under the best term insurance for NRI are available online and do not require the individual to undergo any medical tests or examinations. 

Term plans are pure protection policies and most of them can be purchase by non-resident Indians. Some providers have also streamlined their entire procedure in order to issue term insurance plans to the NRIs. 

The important factors that NRIs need to consider before opting for the best term insurance for NRI are:

1. Age: One should not opt for a shorter duration of coverage as that will expose them to the risk of not being covered during the risky years. Opting for term coverage at an older age can be expensive and provides limited or no coverage if the individual has any pre-existing diseases.
2. Inflation: You need to factor in inflation as it plays an important role when choosing your life coverage. The value of your policy tends to reduce in the future due to inflation. Some insurance companies offer coverage that increases every year by a fixed percentage or is indexed to the rate of inflation. 

Term Insurance: List of Inclusions

The list of coverage under a term life insurance policy usually includes: 

• Death Benefit: In case of the sudden death of the insured, the family members can avail death benefits under a term insurance plan.
• Family Income Benefit: In case of a disability leading to loss of income, where the insured is the sole bread earner of the family, the policy pays a lump sum amount on a regular basis. The amount can be used for paying off the unavoidable day-to-day expenses.
• Family Takaful: Some insurance providers offer family Takaful benefits with an in-built terminal illness cover.
• Financial Protection: The monetary assistance availed from the policy can be  utilized in  paying  off those unavoidable expenses such as:
  • Mortgage repayment
  • Household bills and other day-to-day expenses
  • EMIs
  • Current and future school fees 

Key Features & Benefits of Term Insurance

The key features and benefits of term insurance UAE are:

• Simplicity: The term insurance plans are simpler to understand than the other market-linked or whole life insurance plans. They are the most basic form of life insurance and a layman could easily understand how they work.
• Affordability: The best term plan comes at an affordable rate. These are the most cost-effective plans, where insurance coverage can be availed at a competitive rate of premium.
• Flexibility: These plans are more flexible in nature. The policy cover is paid in exchange for regular premium charges. When the insured individual stops paying the premiums, the risk cover ceases. As there is no saving element, in such a scenario there will be nothing payable to the insured.
• No Maturity Value: Term policy doesn’t offer maturity or survival benefits. Term insurance UAE only offers death benefits to the family of the deceased. 

Types of Term Insurance Plans in UAE

There are various types of term insurance policies available in the UAE. Depending on the provider,  these policies may come with different benefits and features.

• Convertible Term Policy: This policy comes with a limited number of years, which allows the policyholder to convert the term policy into a  whole life insurance policy. The main benefit of this kind of term policy is that the insured is not required to submit any medical test while converting the policy.
• Increasing Term Policy: An increasing term insurance plan allows the policyholder to increase the death benefit with time. However, the premium rate might or might not remain the same during the policy tenure.
• Decreasing Term Policy: Just opposite to increasing term policy, in a decreasing term plan, the sum assured amount reduces each year up to a fixed percentage. The premiums are comparatively lower than a pure term plan and the payments remain constant throughout.
• Level Term Insurance: Under this policy, a fixed constant amount is paid for a claim, regardless of whether the claim is made in the initial stage of the policy or towards the end of the policy term. Moreover, the insurance payments stay the same and there will be one payout only.

Apart from the above, executive insurance, limited payment insurance, etc., are also different types of term plans. Again, it depends on the provider whether it offers all sorts of term plans or just a few of them.

Term Insurance: List of Exclusions 

While a term cover protects the insured against the risk of death, there are certain conditions where the term insurance Dubai remains null and void. These include:

• Any claim arising out of suicide or attempt to suicide Death due to self-inflicted injury
• If the reason of death is diseases such as HIV/AIDS
• Accidental death while driving under the influence of alcohol
• Claim arising for death due to pregnancy-related complicacy or childbirth
• Any involvement in illegal activities

*For the extensive list of exclusion, kindly consider the policy fine print 

Eligibility Criteria for Buying Term Policy

The eligibility criteria for buying term insurance may vary from insurer to insurer, however, the minimum age limit to opt for a term insurance UAE is:

• Entry age: 18 (depending on the insurance provider)
• Maximum age: 65 to 75 years (depending on the insurance provider)

Documents Required to Buy a Term Insurance

The most common documents required for buying term policy are:

• Emirates ID
• Residential Visa
• Recent Photographs

*The documents may vary or the insurance provider may ask for additional documents as per  the discretion of the company 

How to Calculate Term Insurance Premium?

Premium is the most important aspect while buying a term policy. Based on the insurance coverage, the premium is calculated. However, by using the term insurance premium calculator, the insurance seekers in the UAE can easily calculate insurance premiums. One can also approach insurance aggregator websites such as Policybazaar.ae to calculate the premium and compare the term plans. 

Term Insurance Comparison

Not every plan is the right fit for everyone. For instance, some plans come with basic term coverage, while some others may come with additional features such as a term plan with a critical illness. Hence, to find out the best among the rest for an individual, online comparison of term insurance policies in UAE is essential.  Online comparison helps in getting the right term insurance Dubai as per the insurance needs of an individual. Moreover, one can also find options such as joint term insurance for partners that are looking for a joint insurance account. 

Term Insurance Claim Process

In order to claim the term cover smoothly, one should follow the right claim steps, which include: 

• Claim Intimation: Whenever a  claim arises, immediately inform the insurer and register the claim by calling on the customer care number of the insurance provider. There might be a claim intimation window after the occurrence of an incident, within which a claim has to be registered, so it is ideal to report it immediately.
• Claim Assessment: Once the claim is registered, the insurer will assess the claim request along with the documents submitted.
• Claim Settlement: After end-to-end verification, the insurer settles the claim amount, and payment is made to the beneficiary’s savings account.

Best Term Insurance Plans in UAE

Consider the below table for best term life insurance plans in UAE: