Note (September 2026): From 1 April 2026, India’s Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the Income-tax Act, 1961. Most of the deductions mentioned below continue under new section numbers (for example, the Section 80C deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakh is now in Section 123), and most of them can be claimed only under the old tax regime, while the new regime is the default. Check the Income Tax Department’s website for the current rules before you file.
Are you confused about the distinction between life insurance and term insurance? You’re not the only one. Individuals regularly struggle to choose which is appropriate for them and sometimes even switch from one to the next.
Before you settle on that decision, ensure you understand what’s going on with everything. Both term and life insurance have their own virtues. It’s just a matter of which will turn out to be the best option for you. This is what you need to know and ask when attempting to choose between the two.
What is a term insurance plan?
Term insurance is a sort of life insurance policy, where a specific benefit is paid if the insured dies during the policy period. If the insured lives through the policy term, no maturity benefit will be paid.
The policy doesn’t have any savings part, and its expense is based on the age, health condition, and amount assured of the insured.
Based on the kind of benefits that they give, term plans are classified into the accompanying types.
- Level term plans
- Increasing term plan
- Decreasing term plan
- TROP (Return of Premium) Plan.
- Term plans with riders
- Convertible term plan.
What is a Life Insurance Plan?
Life insurance is a sort of insurance policy that offers death benefits alongside maturity benefits. The amount of premium paid under this insurance is used for two purposes-savings and life coverage.
Based on the benefits given, life insurance plans are classified into the accompanying types.
- Whole life insurance.
- Endowment plan
- Child plan
- Money-back policy
- Pension plan
- Unit linked Insurance Plan.
Difference between term insurance and life insurance
Term insurance is a variety of Life insurance policy that still differs from it in many aspects. Some of them are mentioned below.
Death benefit
The most well-known distinction between term insurance and a life insurance plan is that a term insurance plan just gives a death benefit in the event of the death of the insured in the time frame.
In contrast, a life insurance policy offers both death and maturity benefits to the insured. The amount given as the death benefit in term insurance plans is a lot higher than the maturity benefit extended by life insurance policies.
Risk covered
A term insurance plan covers the insured with a death benefit to the insured’s family if there should happen an occurrence of their death. Notwithstanding, term plans don’t offer any survival benefits or maturity returns as those in life insurance plans.
Thus, one can think about putting resources into term insurance in case he/she just needs death coverage and can’t bear to pay high premiums. Notwithstanding, in the event that you need to make an investment corpus alongside a life cover, at that point, they ought to consider putting resources into a life insurance policy.
Flexibility
Giving up a term insurance policy is a lot easier than giving up a life insurance policy. In term insurance plans, if the insured quits paying the premium, the benefits of the policy terminate, and the policy collapses. Nonetheless, in life insurance policies, the maturity benefit is given just if the insured finishes the whole tenure of the policy.
In case the insured surrenders or ends the policy mid-term, he/she won’t recuperate the entire saving amount of the policy, as just the premium amount is repaid to the insured, that as well, after the specific deductions.
Amount of the premium
In the event that an individual needs higher coverage under a life insurance policy, they should pay a higher premium amount.
In this way, the more significant part of the insurance purchasers neglects to benefit from adequate coverage because of a high premium. Besides, life insurance policies usually provide low returns between 5%-7%, which is additionally diminished in the event that the policyholder surrenders the policy.
Term insurance plans are gainful for those who cannot offer financial security to their family or have a steady and safe income source.
Tax benefit
It is frequently misconstrued that a person can avail more tax benefit according to section 80C of the Income Tax Act upon the premium paid for a life insurance policy because of higher premiums. The maturity benefit may also be exempt under Section 10(10D), but that exemption carries conditions in the Act rather than applying automatically to every policy.
Nonetheless, note that the premium paid towards the term insurance plan isn’t just less but, on the other hand, is qualified for tax deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
In this way, in case you need to put resources into an insurance plan to acquire tax benefits. At that point, they can consider putting resources into a term plan as the distinction in premium between both the plans can be put into other tax-saving schemes.
What to choose – Life insurance or term insurance
Choose term insurance if
- You need life insurance for a specific timeframe. Term insurance enables you to coordinate with the length of the term policy to the size of the need. For instance, in case you have minor children and need to ensure that there will be funds to pay for their college degree, you may purchase 20-year term life insurance. Or then again, in case you need the insurance to reimburse a debt that will be paid off in a specified timeframe, purchase a term policy for that period.
- You require a hefty amount of life insurance or you have a restricted financial plan. As a rule, this kind of insurance pays just in case you die through the duration of the policy, so the price per thousand of death benefits is below that life insurance. In contrast to traditional life insurance, you won’t ordinarily develop equity as cash savings.
- In the event that you figure your monetary needs may transform, you may also need to investigate “convertible” term insurance policies. These permit you to change over to life insurance without a medical examination in return for higher premiums.
Choose Life Insurance if
- You require life insurance for as long as you live. A life insurance policy pays a death benefit whether you pass away tomorrow or live to be more than 100.
- You need to gather a savings component that will develop on a tax-deferred basis and could be a source of borrowed funds for an assortment of purposes. The savings component can be used to pay premiums to keep the life insurance in power in case you can’t pay them otherwise, or it tends to be used for some other purpose you choose. You can acquire these funds regardless of whether your credit score is not good.
- Remember that premiums for life insurance policies are, for the most part, higher than for term insurance. Although the premium in a life insurance policy remains the same regardless of how old you are, in term insurance premium can go up considerably each time you renew it.
Now that you know the difference between life insurance and term insurance, along with what you should choose as per your needs and future requirements, you’re well equipped to make an informed decision.
Whatever you decide, if you’re on a lookout for a reliable term insurance or a, Canara HSBC Oriental Bank of Commerce Life Insurance iSelect Star Term Plan offering exciting benefits of whole life coverage, coverage of spouse in similar policy, multiple premium payment options, etc. is an absolute pick for you and your family.
A condition that applies to the tax benefits described above: the Section 80C deduction (a single ₹1,50,000 ceiling shared across EPF, PPF, ELSS, home-loan principal and insurance premiums) can be claimed only if you file under the old tax regime. They are not available under the new regime, which is now the default — so check which regime you are on before counting on these benefits. Tax rules change at Budget; confirm the current position for your assessment year before acting on it.
