There are many investment plans available for parents with the main aim to provide financial security to their children. There are mainly two plans available: child insurance & educational plans. Although both of them provide financial support, they are still different in terms of objectives, structure, etc.
Though some parents seek a Best Child Education Plan to meet the rising educational costs, many still consider opting for a child insurance plan to build a considerable corpus over its tenure, along with life insurance coverage. Let us understand both of them in this article.
What is a Child Insurance Plan?
A Life Insurance Plan for a child offers dual benefits of savings & protection for the child’s secure future. It provides life insurance coverage for the parents & corpus funds accumulated by the parents for the financial future of the child. This ensures fulfilment of the child’s future needs even in the parents’ absence.
What is a Child Education Plan?
Child educational plans are investment tools for parents that let them save & invest funds for their children’s future education. The corpus accumulated can be used for a child’s education, marriage, or any other additional requirements, even in the absence of a parent.
This includes book costs, tuition fees, & other educational expenses. It offers a flexible premium payout option, i.e. monthly, semi-annually, or annually, etc. or in a lump sum. This means the lump sum amount would be received as a maturity benefit amount at the end of the policy tenure.
Benefits of a Child Insurance Plan
Provided are the benefits of a child insurance plan:
Life Cover
These plans include life coverage, which protects the child’s future financial goals in case of the sudden demise of the policyholder during the policy tenure.
Protection from Death or Disability
This plan takes care of the future premium amount even in case of the policyholder’s sudden death or disability, letting your children achieve their financial objectives.
Taxation Benefit
The premium paid towards the plan is eligible for tax benefit, maximum up to INR 1.5 lakhs u/s 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Also, the maturity & death benefits are exempt u/s 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Premium Waiver Benefit
This is an important feature of a child insurance plan, where in case the policyholder dies at any time during the policy tenure, the insurance company will be liable to pay the sum assured together with all future premiums till the maturity date.
Benefits of a Child Education Plan
Provided are the benefits of a child’s education plan:
Objective-Based Savings
It lets parents meet the education-related expenses, such as study materials, hostel costs, tuition fees, etc.
Financial Security
Some of the plan which include life insurance coverage, ensure continuous coverage for education-related costs in case of untimely demise of a parent.
Inflation-Beating Growth
Market-linked plans provide growth potential over the long run, helping you bear high educational costs.
Taxation Benefits
The premium paid towards the plan is eligible for a tax deduction u/s 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Flexible Investment Options
It provides an option to choose between equity, debt, or balanced funds, depending on the risk tolerance level & financial objectives.
Difference between a Child Insurance Plan & a Child Education Plan
Provided are the differences between a child insurance plan & a child education plan:
| Basis of Difference | Child Insurance Plan | Child Education Plan |
| Investment Component | It primarily offers life coverage, & may also include an investment component. This plan offers lower returns in comparison to pure investment plans. | This is an investment plan provide multiple options to choose from, providing higher returns with high risk. |
| Scope | It covers multiple arenas, such as career, higher education, business, etc. | It only covers education-related costs, such as books, tuition, etc. |
| Purpose | To provide financial protection to children. | To meet the educational costs of children |
| Risk Profile | It best suits those investors who are looking for a life insurance plan with a low risk appetite. | It best suits those who are willing to accept moderate to high risk with higher returns. |
| Time Horizon | Long term | Short-term to meet specific education-related milestones. |
| Maturity Benefits | This plan includes lump sum benefits at the time when the plan matures, where the funds can be used for different purposes. | It includes periodic payouts or in a lump sum at different point of time, where the funds are education-related. |
| Tax Benefits | The premium paid towards the plan is eligible for a tax deduction u/s 80C. The maturity proceeds are exempt from tax u/s 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. | The premium paid towards the plan is eligible for a tax deduction u/s 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. |
| Flexibility | This plan is quite flexible in terms of fund management & investment options. | This plan offers less flexibility in terms of fund management & investment options. |
| Cost | It involves a lower premium cost. | It involves a high premium cost as it is an investment plan & offers payouts periodically. |
| Payout structure | Lump sum payout | Periodic payout |
| Flexibility | It is more flexible as it involves a wide coverage | It is less flexible as it is limited to education-related costs only |
| Coverage | It offers life insurance coverage, which ensures financial security in case of a parent’s sudden demise. | This plan has a main objective of providing funds to meet education-related costs. |
| Additional Benefits | This includes additional riders which help enhance the plan at an added cost, such as critical illness riders, accidental death benefits, etc. | It offers access to limited additional riders, like a loan facility, partial withdrawals, etc. |
Conclusion
A good package of education & protection will help you include both the educational & health-related costs. One should start investing early to get the benefit of compounding.
Hence, choosing between education & an insurance plan depends on the future financial needs of your child. One can also take the benefit of both protection & savings under one plan, letting you secure your child’s financial future with the best education.
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