Can you rely on free insurance?

Indian customers love freebies. Shampoo sales soar if a soap bar comes free with it. A microwave oven is a hit if you bundle it with free cookware. These marketing gimmicks keep the cash registers ringing in retail outlets.

The financial marketplace is no different as companies lure customers with offers of cheap—even free—insurance. Mutual fund investors are offered free life insurance, car buyers are given free vehicle insurance, and home loan customers are told to take a loan cover at a nominal cost. So, along with the base product, you get another absolutely free. Or so you think.

The first rule of intelligent spending is that there are no free lunches. Besides, in order to avail of this free insurance, the customer may be signing up for a product that does not really suit his needs. In a discussion paper released last year, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (Irda) had noted that bundling could raise 'certain concerns for the consumer'. 'Packaging two or more products could become unfair to the consumer as it impedes choice and makes price comparison difficult,' the regulator had observed.

The bigger danger is that free insurance gives the consumer a false sense of security. The insurance cover may not be adequate. For instance, the free insurance that comes with SIPs in mutual funds is capped at 20 lakh. Experts say that one should have a cover of at least 4-5 times his annual income. Besides, there are too many strings attached, making this type of insurance a poor substitute for a regular term cover bought independently.

We examined a few of these two-income products on offer and discovered that while some were beneficial for customers, in many others, the buyer did not really derive any value from the bundling of insurance with other products and services.

Free car insurance

The free cover is only a substitute for the cash discount offered by a car dealer.

The car market is going through a bad phase. The sales fell 6.7% in 2012-13, the first time in 10 years. Car manufacturers are trying every trick to push sales. One such gimmick is free insurance offered to buyers.

WHAT'S THE GAIN?

Free car insurance, even if it is only for one year, is a big draw with buyers, who may have emptied out their bank accounts for the down payment. You can also expect better claims servicing because the dealer will follow up your case with the insurer. The convenience of getting all the paperwork done under one roof is another positive.

WHERE'S THE CATCH?

The free insurance is not really free, but a substitute for the cash discount offered on a car. The insurance premium for the first year to be paid by the customer is borne by the dealer.

Besides, the free insurance may not include add-on covers. It will typically not include the zero depreciation cover and engine protection. Occasionally, these plans also offer customised benefits, but this is usually in the case of high-end vehicles.

The bigger problem is that you may never know whether you got a good deal. Moreover, you will have no say in the insurance company or the product on offer. The dealer will tie up with the insurer of his choice.

Free life cover with SIPs in mutual funds

It's beneficial, but shouldn't be a replacement for a regular term cover.

Imagine a Ulip that charges you only 2.25% a year, doesn't levy a heavy penalty if you quit investing, and doesn't deduct any surrender charges on premature withdrawals. The SIP insurance plans from three mutual fund houses—Reliance Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund and Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund—offer exactly this. SIP investors get a free life cover under these plans.

WHAT'S THE GAIN?

On the face of it, the offer looks good. As we said earlier, it's like buying a Ulip without paying the exorbitant charges. The investor gets a life insurance cover merely by having a SIP in an equity scheme at no additional cost.

WHERE'S THE CATCH?

The insurance comes wrapped in several terms and conditions. First, the investor gets a life cover only if his SIPs are on track. There is an exception in case of Birla SIP Century. If you have given 36 SIP instalments, the cover continues even if you stop investing. However, if you switch to another plan or make partial withdrawals, the contract terminates. Even partial withdrawal results in the insurance being terminated.

There is also a heavy exit load of around 2% if you switch or redeem the investment before the completion of the SIP tenure. So, make sure you choose a scheme that can offer stable returns over the long term. Go for a diversified plan with a good record, instead of a fund that has given jerky returns.

Accident cover with credit cards

The cover offered is very cheap and should not make you opt for a costly card.

Personal accident insurance is a unique cover that everybody needs, but very few buy. Some credit card issuers offer a free personal accident cover along with their high-end cards. Others offer discounted prices to their customers. The option comes in handy if the card holder dies or suffers a disability due to an accident.

WHAT'S THE GAIN?

The biggest advantage here is that one gets covered against a risk that he would have otherwise ignored. As mentioned earlier, very few people buy a personal accident cover. Convenience is the other benefit. The cardholder pays a small premium every month, which does not pinch his pocket, but ensures a greater protection for his family.

WHERE'S THE CATCH?

The free accident cover comes with stiff terms and conditions. Some require you to use your card for a minimum amount. Others want you to make a minimum number of transactions every quarter. Some don't consider buying fuel in the calculation.

Personal accident insurance is a very low cost cover. An insurance cover of 2 lakh costs only 150 a year. The free cover does not offer any great value to the buyer. Don't opt for a credit card only because it offers a free personal accident cover. Only if the cover is 20-50 lakh does it add real value.

The bigger problem is that such free personal accident covers offer basic protection against
death and total permanent disability. The partial and temporary disabilities are not usually covered. So, you should buy a policy yourself, instead of depending on the free cover. Besides, the claim settlement procedure could be tedious because the claim is to be routed through the card issuer. You have to intimate the card issuer, not the insurer. Since this is not a core function of the card issuer, expect the service to be mediocre.

Term insurance with home loans

Buy regular term insurance that will continue even if the home loan ends.
Lenders don't like to take risks. So, before they give you a home loan, they will size up your income level, repayment capacity and credit history. Even if everything is in order, they will push you to take a home loan cover along with the loan.

WHAT'S THE GAIN?

Home loan covers are usually single premium policies. The premium is paid through the loan, so the buyer doesn't feel the pinch. Borrowers also have the option of buying such covers directly from the life insurer. They need not pay the premium upfront, but can choose to pay it over a period of, say, five years. Also, since this is offered as part of a group cover, individuals can get a high cover and are not required to undergo medical check-ups before buying the plan.

WHERE'S THE CATCH?

Unlike a regular term insurance, loan insurance plans offer a reducing cover. This also means that if you choose to refinance the loan with another bank, you will lose the insurance benefit.