FOR EXISTING POLICY
FOR NEW POLICY
When a policy matures, the insurance plan reaches its endpoint. The policyholder pays all the premiums, receives any applicable final amount and benefits, and the insurance transaction is completed.
Insurance has become an integral part of financial planning for most people. It is the safety net we rely on when the times get tough. However, the maturity of a life insurance policy and other policies is an inevitable part of an insurance contract between an insurer and the insured.
Maturity in Insurance is not merely an endpoint but is a prominent milestone in a policyholder’s financial journey. It is the result of the policyholder’s efforts throughout the time period and the completion of a transaction from the insurer’s point of view.
As we delve into this topic, we will try to understand the details of insurance policy maturity amount, maturity benefits, and their implications on your financial planning.
Life Insurance Maturity Meaning
The meaning of maturity in insurance can be better understood by knowing these concepts:
Maturity Date:
The date when your insurance matures is called a maturity date, and that is precisely when all the payments are supposed to be completed. After your life insurance matures, the insurance company will pay out a lump sum as the maturity benefit.
Let us say a customer purchased insurance on 1st July 2011 with a policy term of 12 years; the maturity date for the same will be 30th June 2023.
Maturity Amount:
The term "maturity amount" typically refers to the accumulated ro accrued benefits the insurance company decides to provide to the policyholder under the life insurance with maturity benefit.
For example:
In a term insurance plan with a return of premium feature, the maturity benefit will be the accumulated sum of all premiums paid. In some cases, the insurer might offer a minor interest on it.
For guaranteed returns insurance plans, the assured sum plus any accrued interest is paid as a maturity payout.
For market-linked insurance policies like ULIPs, the maturity benefit is the value of investments on the date of maturity.
Only after you have paid all your premiums and the policy term is complete will you qualify for this. A maturity benefit policy also covers the risk of death, protecting your family's future.
How to Avail Maturity Benefit?
Once you have duly paid all the premiums, you attain life insurance maturity. Here is how you receive your maturity amount and benefits, if any.
The policy providers send you a Policy Release Form approximately one month before the policy maturity date.
You have to completely fill out the form and include the signatures of 2 witnesses.
As your maturity date approaches, you submit the form with the correct information and required documentation.
Finally, check your maturity amount, and on discussing with the providers, transfer it to your bank.
This procedure may differ for various companies, hence you will need to follow yours thoroughly. Any kind of error will make it difficult for you to collect your policy amount and benefits.
Additionally, maturity benefits can be paid in various modes:
Lump sum: A single lumpsum payout of the applicable maturity amount.
Lump sum + Regular Income: A part of the maturity amount is paid as lumpsum and the remaining part is divided into predecided units and disbursed as per the decided frequency - monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.
Regular Income: The entire maturity amount is paid out in regular payouts.
Various Types of Life Insurance Plans with Maturity Benefits
Term Insurance with Return of Premium:
Since term plans are purely protective in nature, they do not provide a maturity benefit. It only provides a reward upon death. However, some term insurance policies return your payments if you live out the policy period.
Guaranteed# Income/Savings Plan:
A Guaranteed# Income or Savings plan helps you grow your retirement corpus in a way. It assures you of the maturity benefit, which you can use to accomplish your objectives in life. It offers you both general insurance coverage as well as guaranteed# payments in the form of recurring payouts.
Unit Linked Insurance Plans**:
ULIPs or Unit Linked Insurance Plans are market-linked life insurance plans in which a portion of the premium goes to pay for the life insurance, and the other one is invested in the market to yield returns. If you outlive the insurance term, this plan will also offer you a specific amount as maturity benefits. Here, the maturity benefit amount is the same as the fund value amount.
Tax* Benefits on Maturity
Tax Benefits make Insurance policies an attractive choice for long-term savings or security. Not only do insurance plans provide protection, but also give tax benefits on premiums as well as the maturity proceeds. Here are the two tax benefits you may receive:
The Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 provides tax benefits on insurance maturity. The maturity proceeds that the policyholder receives when a life insurance policy matures are tax-free. However, according to the recent amendment in the budget, any policy issued after 1st April 2023 and having a premium of more than ₹5 lakhs will be taxable.
Under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, premiums paid towards life insurance policies are eligible for tax deductions. The maximum deduction allowed under Section 80C was ₹1.5 lakh per financial year.
Conclusion:
To say the least, your insurance gives you many benefits. The maturity amount, maturity benefits, and tax* benefits, act as a safety net to your family, or returns on investments, based on the type of insurance policy you own. With the right insurers, term insurance maturity claim on policy maturity is a simple process.
