Determining the right amount of life insurance coverage for your needs is crucial. Insufficient coverage may leave your loved ones financially vulnerable after you are gone, while excess coverage can lead to higher premiums, potentially compromising your present financial requirements.
Factors that affect the life cover of your policy
Financial liabilities
Liabilities such as loans must be carefully considered when purchasing a life insurance policy. It is essential to select a coverage amount that accounts for all your outstanding loans to safeguard your family from financial struggles in your absence. Buying a life insurance plan with an appropriate cover will ensure that your family has sufficient funds to repay your loans.
Age
Life insurance coverage is intricately linked to age. Young individuals often have multiple long-term financial goals, such as buying a home, starting a family and planning for retirement. To safeguard these aspirations, they may prefer higher coverage that ensures financial stability for their loved ones, even in their absence.
Insurers also typically view younger applicants more favourably and are more likely to approve higher coverage for young individuals.
Inflation
Ensuring that the future value of the life insurance payout remains sufficient and outpaces inflation is crucial. When determining the sum assured of your life insurance plan, it is essential to consider potential inflationary effects over time and select an appropriate amount accordingly.
Accounting for inflation in the future safeguards the purchasing power of the insurance payout and ensures that it adequately meets the financial needs of your beneficiaries down the line.
Goals
Life insurance plans can play a pivotal role in helping you and your family achieve significant future goals, such as funding your child's higher education, securing a comfortable retirement and more. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the need for insurance in your life and leverage these goals to determine an appropriate level of coverage.
Aligning your life insurance coverage with your specific financial objectives ensures that your loved ones are adequately protected and have the necessary support to pursue their aspirations, even in unforeseen circumstances.
Ways to calculate the right amount of life insurance coverage
When purchasing life insurance in India, you can use the following methods:
Human Life Value (HLV) method
HLV quantifies the present worth of your future income, liabilities, expenses and investments. It helps you ascertain the future financial needs of your loved ones in your absence, based on which you can select a suitable life cover. You can use an HLV calculator to determine your life coverage needs.
Income method
Some experts recommend using your annual income as a basis for determining life insurance coverage. The general recommendation is to have a life cover that is at least ten times your yearly income. For example, if your annual income is ₹ 10 lakh, you should consider purchasing an insurance plan with a sum assured of at least ₹ 1 crore.
However, it is essential to recognise that your income is likely to increase over time, and you may accumulate debt along the way. Additionally, inflation will impact your future financial needs. Therefore, it is crucial to factor in these variables when calculating your life insurance coverage and select an appropriate figure accordingly.
Rule of the underwriter
The rule of the underwriter is a guideline used by insurance underwriters to determine the minimum amount of life insurance coverage based on your age and annual income. According to this method, the coverage amount is calculated by multiplying your annual income by a specific factor corresponding to your age group.
For individuals in their 20s and 30s, the recommended coverage amount is typically 25 times their annual income as they have a longer duration over which they are expected to earn income and have potential financial obligations, such as buying a house or paying off debts.
On the other hand, for individuals in their 40s and 50s, the recommended coverage amount is generally lower, ranging from 10 to 15 times their annual income. This is because individuals in this age group may have relatively fewer financial dependents and may have already paid off significant debts, such as home loans.
To sum it up
Your life insurance needs are unique to your income, lifestyle and liabilities. As a result, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to determining coverage. It is essential to consider your individual circumstances to assess the appropriate value. Moreover, it is crucial to understand that the level of life cover directly impacts the premium. Therefore, you must make a prudent choice after careful assessment.
While factoring in numerous variables may seem challenging, using a life insurance calculator can be beneficial. This online tool provides quick and accurate estimates for your life insurance needs and can help you make informed decisions to safeguard your loved ones' financial future. Additionally, exploring the best investment plan options can further enhance your financial security and growth.
