Returns on NAV-guaranteed plans are higher than debt products.

Guaranteed returns only for conservative

Business Standard

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) took a number of steps in 2010 to ensure that life insurance products serve its basic purpose. It gave policyholders an option to invest in insurance plans, which were more transparent, less expensive and long-term in nature. Going forward, the regulator is likely to set up a policyholders&rsquo; protection fund.

Policyholder protection topped Irda's agenda in 2010

2010 may go down as the year of the scams but it was also a significant year for sector regulators. Several found their powers challenged or at least redefined &ndash; insurance, stock market, and telecom &ndash; and plans for a new &ldquo;autonomous&rdquo; regulator &ndash; for civil aviation &ndash; were up in the air.

Regulators test their autonomy

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) has given an in-principle approval to the proposed insurance ventures of Religare Enterprises and financial services firm Edelweiss Capital.

Edelweiss, Religare get in-principle nod for insurance JVs

These products do not suit everyone even though they are flexible and facilitate investments in debt and equities.

Ulips: Only long-term benefits

Like dematerialisation of securities, it will offer dual benefits of cost-effectiveness and convenience.

Insurance: Demat club's latest entrant

Not all life insurance policies disclose their charges to policyholders. Traditional insurance policies do not disclose the charges. Unit-linked insurance products (Ulips) are more transparent about the charges.

What are the costs involved in a life insurance policy?

T S Vijayan, whose five-term as the chairman of government-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) ended today, is likely to shift to UTI Mutual Fund as the new head.

LIC chairman denied extension, may head UTI MF

IN what could be a serious blow to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Parliament&rsquo;s Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Yashwant Sinha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has indefinitely deferred finalisation of its report on the long-pending Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill.

House panel defers report on insurance Bill

Private life insurer HDFC Life is looking to break-even by the end of the current financial year.

HDFC Life expects to break even by year-end

ING Life India, part of the ING Group, has tied up with Visakhapatnam District Central Co-op Bank. The cooperative bank will refer its customers to ING Life India for life insurance products and services.

ING Life ties up with Vizag co-op bank

My insurance agent told me about an endowment plan and a money-back plan, both offered by a private sector life insurance company. I am not clear about the difference between the two.

Life Insurance: Deepak Sood

Insurers see a 15-20 per cent rise in terror cover premium in six months, with increased threats of retaliation by terrorist groups following Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden&rsquo;s death.

Terror insurance premium set to rise

Government-run general insurance firm United India Insurance Company, is targeting a business of Rs 8,000 crore in the fiscal year 2011-12 focusing on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) segment and rural market. The company reported a profit after tax of Rs 130.54 crore for fiscal-ended March 31, 2011, according to a company announcement.

United India targets Rs 8,000 cr biz in FY12

All insurance policies stipulate a time frame for lodging a claim after the incident of loss. For mediclaim policies, it was 30 days earlier. Now, the time frame has been revised to seven days. If the claim is lodged beyond this period, insurance companies conveniently reject it on the ground that it was not lodged on time, without bothering about the genuineness of the claim. This is not permissible, as held by the Maharashtra State Commission as well as the National Commission.

Can insurance firms reject late claims?

IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Ltd, a joint venture between Bank of Baroda, Andhra Bank and UK-based Legal &amp; General, would go for a capital infusion of around Rs 120 crore during the current fiscal. The proposed infusion is to support its Financial Planning Centres (FPCs) in various parts of the country and to meet its solvency capital requirements.

IndiaFirst Life to infuse Rs 120 cr this quarter

I am a dentist and plan to start my own practice in a couple of months.

General Insurance: Gaurav Garg

With increasing third-party motor pool losses, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) might do away with it and set up a &lsquo;declined pool&rsquo; for commercial vehicles.

Irda panel bats for 'declined pool' to offset motor insurance losses

Life insurance companies have started to cut down their workforce and branch network following tougher norms that came into force in September and exerted pressure on their bottomlines. More than half a dozen life insurance companies &mdash; that are operating for nearly a decade now &mdash; have cut their branch presence significantly in the last six months in a bid to cut cost and increase efficiency.

Profit pressures force life insurers to downsize

Sub-limits on ailments can cap your claim despite a large sum insured.

Buying a health cover? Read the fine print

Insurance companies always insist on an advance receipt from the insured. This gives them full and final discharge to coerce an insured into unconditionally accepting whatever is offered to him.

Page 105 - Insurance