The concept of insurance works on the basis of ‘risk pooling’. When you buy any type of insurance policy from the insurance company for a specified period with specific cover, you will make regular payments (referred to as premiums) towards the policy. Similarly, Insurance Company collects premium from all of its clients (referred to as insured) and pools the money collected to pay for losses arising out of an insured event. In case the insured event takes place, and you make a claim, losses will be compensated by the insurance company from the pool of policyholder’s premiums. In case you don’t make a claim during the specified policy period, no benefits will be paid to you. However, there are various types of products offered by insurance companies today which also involve savings element attached to it.
There are various types of insurance products available in India. Mainly, insurance products are classified as:
Life insurance covers you against the risk of death. Life insurance policies come in many variants such as term plans, endowment plans, whole life insurance plans, money back plans and unit-linked investment plans etc. Many life insurance products can be a great tool for long-term savings also as it comes as a combination of protection and savings. General insurance products cover financial losses caused by various risks other than death. General insurance products come in various types covering a wide range of risks such as health insurance, motor insurance, marine insurance, liability insurance, travel insurance and commercial insurance etc.
Insurance is a risk management tool not only benefits the individual and businesses but also benefits the society and economy in numerous ways. Following are some of the important benefits of insurance:
Insurance provides protection against various uncertainties that can put you or your family in financial crisis. By covering the uncertainties of human life and businesses, insurance provides a sense of security. Having life insurance gives you peace of mind that the financial stability of your family will remain intact even when you are not around. Having health insurance gives you a sense of security that you do not need to shell out all your savings in the event of medical emergencies.
As insurance works on risk transfer mechanism, it promotes risk control activity.
As insurance funds are invested in various projects like water supply, power and roads etc, it contributes to the overall economic growth of the nation. Also, insurance provides employment opportunity to people. Insurance contributes to economic growth in many other ways such as getting Foreign Direct Investment, paying taxes on the profit earned and by investing in the capital market etc.
Risk of insurance is spread across various individuals and organisation instead of concentrating on only one.
