Unit-linked life insurance products are those where the benefits are expressed in terms of number of units and unit price. They can be viewed as a combination of insurance and mutual funds.
Major life insurers in India reported close to double-digit growth in the value of new business (VNB) last financial year, primarily driven by increased sales of high-margin protection and non-participating (non-par) products.
Unit linked insurance, ULIP, products are not good for you because of high charges. They invest less of your insurance premium in the stock markets than you are made to believe.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has asked life insurance companies not to advertise unit-linked plans as investment products in a recent circular.
The Life Insurance Council has made a representation to the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority (Irda), seeking some revisions pertaining to unit-linked products.
Buoyancy in the equity market and the soft interest rate regime have prompted insurers like the LIC to focus on unit-linked products that provide life cover as well as tax benefits and capital appreciation to investors.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority had approved a minimum of two products per company filed in accordance with new unit-linked insurance plans norms, Irda Chairman J Hari Narayan said in a press conference here on Wednesday.
The Indian government has dismissed concerns that the use of E20 fuel could affect the validity of vehicle insurance policies, stating that the ethanol blending programme remains safe, consumer-friendly, and economically beneficial.
Add a term plan with a child mutual fund for best results.
"Policy sales will be one of the focus areas for the company because looking at the large insurance gap, large number of people being uncovered. The only right way to go is to increase the number of policies," said Amit Jhingran, MD & CEO, SBI Life Insurance.
India is significantly expanding its crude oil sourcing to Latin America, with Venezuela emerging as a major supplier, as geopolitical disruptions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz compel the world's third-largest oil consumer to diversify its energy supplies.
HDFC Life Insurance reported a 4 per cent year-on-year increase in net profit to Rs 495.6 crore for Q4FY26, while its parent, HDFC Bank, announced a Rs 1,000 crore preferential share issuance to raise its stake to 50.5 per cent.
These are market-linked pension products offered by life insurance companies. These plans are for those looking for long-term retirement plans or investment options.
Young investors with a higher risk appetite are better off with a combination of term insurance and equity funds.
Use these loans to meet emergency needs, and not to fund holidays or luxury purchases.
The United States and Iran have reached an agreement in principle to immediately and permanently halt all military operations, lift sanctions, and work towards a comprehensive final agreement within 60 days, including a significant reconstruction package for Iran.
Young buyers often underestimate future health risks.
After life insurance products, the sector's regulator is now turning its attention to unit-linked insurance products (ULIP) that guarantee the highest net asset value (NAV) over its term.
Check if cashless hospitalisation is included and also the number of hospitals where this facility can be availed.
Recent years have been turbulent for the insurance industry due to direct and indirect tax reforms, regulatory overhaul and other external pressures. The events cumulatively slowed growth rate to single digits from the high teens seen earlier.
Customers have certain misconceptions about ULIPs. The charges for ULIPs are not as high as one thinks.
'The kind of reach it has with so many bank branches even in the remotest part of the country, it is one channel which will play a very important role in vision of insurance for all.'
The new regulations will allow the insurers to charge an extra premium from policyholders who wish to buy riders with unit-linked insurance plans.
Following recent changes to the guidelines for unit-linked insurance plans, companies are likely to focus more on single-premium products.
'LIC will reduce but not fully exit its stake in IDBI Bank, which remains an important bancassurance partner,' says LIC of India' MD and CEO R Doraiswamy.
The share of life insurance policies sold by top private insurers in the rural areas declined in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) compared to previous year. SBI Life, HDFC Life, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance -- the top three players from the private sector-- have seen the share of insurance policies sold in rural areas drop in FY24 as compared to the previous financial year. Max Life Insurance's share of rural policies recorded an increase in FY24.
The move comes amid complaints that high returns are being promised by life insurers on ULIPs accompanied by non-existent guaranteed returns.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has proposed a 20-point policy agenda to the finance ministry, including a conflict-linked emergency credit line guarantee scheme and tax rationalisation on energy inputs, to support MSMEs, exporters, and energy-intensive industries affected by the ongoing West Asia war.
Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have been fiscally stressed for a considerable period of time, and there are no easy ways to mobilise revenues to meet the cost of the promised freebies, particularly in the prevailing difficult economic scenario, points out M Govinda Rao.
'They take care of the problem: How can I ensure my child's education and other goals are not compromised, even if I am not around?'
Insurance industry emerged as the largest investor in the stock market during 2007-08 surpassing the foreign institutional investors, riding on the huge popularity of Unit Linked Insurance Products, according to Life Insurance Council.
The insurance industry will remember 2010 as an eventful year in which insurance regulator Irda came out on top in a turf war with market watchdog Sebi over the regulation of Unit-Linked Insurance Products, with the end result of such schemes becoming investor-friendly.
The Direct Taxes Code Bill tabled in the Lok Sabha is likely to negatively impact the life insurance industry on many counts, if implemented in the present form.
Reliance Industries' digital arm, Jio Platforms, may see its initial public offering (IPO) delayed to the second half of fiscal 2027, according to CreditSights. The delay is primarily attributed to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which could impact market conditions and investor sentiment.
Life insurers shifted their focus to selling high-value policies in October as the transition to new surrender value norms, effective October 1, limited their ability to roll out all products in their portfolio. This led to a 40 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) drop in the number of policies sold in October. Additionally, distributors engaged in a fire sale of policies in September due to uncertainty about the impact of the new norms on their commission structures.
The 13th-month persistency rate of life insurers - an important metric indicating the retention of new policies - declined in the first quarter of 2025-26 (Q1FY26). This fall was primarily driven by a lower share of high-value policies, following taxation changes implemented in April 2023.
