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Is the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan truly a professional way to grow your wealth — or just another ULIP with average results?
Does Ageas Federal ProGrow truly help investors ‘grow with confidence’ — or does it need a closer look before committing?
Does the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan really empower your investments to ‘grow like a pro’ — or is it just clever branding?
This article explores the plan’s features, benefits, and drawbacks in detail, supported by an illustration to help you make an informed choice.
Table of Contents:
What is the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
What are the features of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
Who is eligible for the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
What are the benefits of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
What are the investment strategies and fund options in the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
What are the charges of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
Grace Period, Discontinuance and Revival of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Free Look Period for the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Surrendering the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
What are the advantages of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
What are the disadvantages of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
Research Methodology of Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan Vs. Other Investments
Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan Vs. Pure-term + Equity Mutual Fund
Final Verdict on Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
What is the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan is a Non-Participating, Linked, Life Individual Savings Insurance Plan. The plan safeguards your family against life’s uncertainties, giving you peace of mind and confidence in your financial journey.
Alongside, it empowers you with features like Loyalty Additions, flexible premium payment options, and returns on charges.
What are the features of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
- Flexibility to choose a Life Cover Multiple that matches your protection requirements
- Opportunity to grow your corpus through market-linked investments
- Loyalty Additions to enhance your fund value over time
- Return of 4X Premium Allocation Charges at maturity
- Return of 1X to 3X Policy Administration Charges at maturity
- Return of 1X to 2X Mortality Charges, starting from the 10th policy year
- Tax benefits on premiums paid and benefits received, as per prevailing tax laws
Who is eligible for the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
| Age at entry | Minimum | Base plan: 0 years (91 days) |
| Maximum | 60 years | |
| Maturity age | Minimum | 18 years |
| Maximum | 80 years | |
| Policy term (PT) | Minimum | 15 years or PPT + 5 years whichever is higher* |
| Maximum | 40 years | |
| Premium Paying Term (PPT) | 6 to 15 years | |
| Premium | Minimum | Yearly: Rs. 50,000 |
| Half Yearly: Rs. 25,000 | ||
| Monthly: Rs. 4,167 | ||
| Maximum | No limit, subject to Board-approved underwriting policy | |
| Premium Payment Mode | Yearly / Half-Yearly/ Monthly | |
| Death Sum Assured | Minimum | Rs. 5,00,000 |
| Maximum | No limit, Subject to Board-approved underwriting policy |
What are the benefits of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
1. Maturity benefit
On survival of the Life Assured till the date of maturity, provided all premiums due till date are paid and the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policy is in force, Fund Value (inclusive of Return of Charges and Loyalty Addition) shall be payable.
Loyalty Additions
Loyalty Additions of 1% of Average Fund Value (over the last 60 months till the date of addition of Loyalty Additions) will be added to the fund at the end of every 5 years starting from the end of the 10th policy year throughout the policy term, provided all premiums due till date are paid and the policy is in force.
Return of charges
On survival of the Life Assured till the date of Maturity, and provided all due premiums are paid till date, the following charges are added to the fund value.
Return of Premium Allocation Charge: four times the sum of all premiums allocation charge(s) applicable till date of maturity (excluding Goods and Service Tax (GST) and cess, as applicable) shall be added to the Fund Value at maturity.
Return of Policy Administration Charge: applicable Multiple times Sum of policy administration charge(s) deducted till date of maturity (excluding Goods and Service Tax (GST) and cess, as applicable) shall be added to the Fund Value at maturity.
Return of Mortality Charge: mortality charge(s) (excluding Top-Up Mortality charge, underwriting loadings and Goods and Service Tax (GST) and cess, as applicable), deducted till date of maturity shall be added to the Fund Value.
2. Death benefit
On the death of the Life Assured during the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan Policy Term, the following Death Benefit shall be payable, provided all premiums due till date are paid.
Death benefit shall be:
- Sum Assured on Death plus
- Top Up Sum Assured (if any) plus
- Fund Value, including Top-up Fund Value, if any, as on the date of valid notification of death
Where Sum Assured on Death is equal to the chosen Life Cover Multiple Times Annualised Premium.
What are the investment strategies and fund options in the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
The Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan offers two investment strategies.
A. Self-Managed Strategy
You may decide to invest in any of the funds (except the discontinued policy fund) and change them from time to time, as per your wish.
This option is suitable only if you know precisely where you wish to invest and you have the time & inclination to manage your investments from time to time.
The Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan offers nine unit-linked funds. You may choose one or more unit-linked funds based on your risk profile. Unit-linked funds invest in equity and/or debt as per their investment objectives.
| Asset Class | |||||
| S.no | Fund Name | Equities and Equity-linked instruments | Fixed Income Investments | Money Market Investments | Risk Profile |
| 1 | Equity Growth Fund | 50-100% | 0 | 0-50% | High |
| 2 | Midcap Fund | Large cap – 0-50% Mid cap – 50-100% |
0 | 0-50% | High |
| 3 | Multicap Fund | 50-100% | 0 | 0-50% | Moderate to High |
| 4 | Momentum Growth Fund | 90-100% | 0 | 0-10% | High |
| 5 | India Sector Leaders Fund | 90-100% | 0 | 0-10% | High |
| 6 | Pure Fund | 80-100% | 0 | 0-20% | High |
| 7 | Bond Fund II | 0 | 50-100% | 0-50% | Moderate |
| 8 | Aggressive Asset Allocator Fund | 50-100% | 0-50% | 0-50% | High |
| 9 | Moderate Asset Allocator Fund | 0-50% | 50-100% | 0-50% | High (Moderately high – compared to Aggressive Asset Allocator) |
B. Systematic Allocator
You have the option to choose the Systematic Allocator at the inception of the plan or switch to this option on any policy anniversary. Under this programmed investment solution, the fund mix becomes more conservative as the investment goal approaches.
The funds are invested in the Equity Growth Fund and Bond Fund II based on the residual time to maturity of the plan. This strategy moves the fund allocation towards Bond Fund II as the plan approaches the maturity date.
By reducing exposure to the Equity Growth Fund, the risk of a sudden drop in the equity market affecting the accumulated value diminishes.
| Balance / Residual time to maturity of the plan (in years) | Proportion allocated to Equity Growth Fund | Proportion allocated to Bond Fund II |
| 1 | 5% | 95% |
| 2 | 10% | 90% |
| 3 | 15% | 85% |
| 4 | 20% | 80% |
| 5 | 25% | 75% |
| 6 | 30% | 70% |
| 7 | 35% | 65% |
| 8 | 45% | 55% |
| 9 | 50% | 50% |
| 10 | 55% | 45% |
| 11 | 60% | 40% |
| 12 | 65% | 35% |
| 13 | 70% | 30% |
| 14 | 75% | 25% |
| 15 & above | 80% | 20% |
What are the charges of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
i. Policy Administration Charge
Policy Administration Charge is deducted monthly in advance upon cancellation of units.
| Policy year | Year 1 – 3 | Year 4 – 6 | 7+ |
| Premium Allocation Charge | 3.50% | 4% | 5% |
ii. Mortality Charge
The mortality rate is determined as per the age (in years) and gender of the Life Assured at the beginning of the month for which the mortality charge is being calculated.
iii. Fund Management Charge
| Fund Name | Fund Management Charge (p.a.) |
| Equity Growth Fund | 1.35% |
| Midcap Fund | 1.35% |
| Multicap Fund | 1.35% |
| Momentum Growth Fund | 1.35% |
| India Sector Leaders Fund | 1.35% |
| Pure Fund | 1.35% |
| Bond Fund II | 1.25% |
| Aggressive Asset Allocator Fund | 1.35% |
| Moderate Asset Allocator Fund | 1.35% |
| Discontinued policy fund | 0.50% |
iv. Switching Charge
There are currently no charges for switching between funds.
v. Partial Withdrawal Charge
There are currently no charges for partial withdrawals
vi. Discontinuance charge
The discontinuance charge will be decided based on the policy year in which the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policy is discontinued and the premium amount. There is no discontinuance charge after the 5th policy year.
Inference from the charges: While the plan emphasises that charges are refunded at maturity, the deducted amounts lose their potential to earn compounding returns over the policy term. As a result, your overall corpus and final returns are adversely impacted.
Grace Period, Discontinuance and Revival of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Grace Period
The grace period for payment of the premium shall be 15 days, where the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policyholder pays the premium on a monthly basis and 30 days in all other cases.
Discontinuance
In case of discontinuance of policy due to non-payment of premium, the fund value after deducting the applicable discontinuance charges shall be credited to the discontinued policy fund, and the risk cover and rider cover, if any, shall cease.
The proceeds of the discontinued policy fund shall be paid to you at the end of the revival period or lock-in period, whichever is later.
In case of discontinuance of policy due to non-payment of premium after lock-in period, the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policy shall be converted into a reduced paid-up policy with the paid-up sum assured.
Revival
Revival period is the period of three consecutive complete years from the date of the first unpaid premium during which period you are entitled to revive the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policy, which was discontinued due to the non-payment of premium.
Free Look Period for the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
In case you do not agree to any of the policy terms and conditions, or otherwise and have not made any claim, you have the option to return the policy within a free look period of 30 days beginning from the date of receipt of the policy document (whether received electronically or otherwise).
Surrendering the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
If you surrender the policy during the lock-in period, the unit fund value after deducting applicable discontinuance charges shall be credited to the discontinued policy fund, and risk cover and rider cover, if any, shall cease.
The proceeds of the discontinued policy fund shall become payable at the end of the lock-in period.
In case you surrender the policy after the lock-in period, the surrender value shall be at least equal to the unit fund value as on the date of surrender.
What are the advantages of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
- Partial withdrawal facility available after 5 years to meet emergency needs
- Flexibility to choose your Policy Term, Premium Paying Term, and Payment Mode
- Choice of 9 fund options with unlimited free switches
- Option to enhance protection through additional Riders
- Free premium redirection allowed any number of times
- Ability to alter the premium amount and sum assured as per your changing needs
What are the disadvantages of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan?
- No policy loan facility is available under this plan
- The plan has a lock-in period of 5 years for both surrender and partial withdrawal
- Premiums are invested after deducting multiple charges, which can reduce overall returns
- Despite being a market-linked plan, the returns are below expectations
Research Methodology of Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
If your goal is to build long-term wealth through market-linked investments, it’s crucial to evaluate whether the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan aligns with that objective.
One effective way to do this is by calculating the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) using the benefit illustration provided in the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan policy brochure. This helps you understand the real potential of your investment and make an informed decision.
Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Let’s take an example:
A 30-year-old male opts for the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan with a sum assured of ₹1 Crore, a policy term of 30 years, and a premium paying term of 10 years, contributing an annual premium of ₹2 Lakhs.
At maturity, he will receive the fund value, along with loyalty additions and refunds of certain charges.
| Male | 30 years |
| Sum Assured | ₹ 1,00,00,000 |
| Policy Term | 30 years |
| Premium Paying Term | 10 years |
| Annualised Premium | ₹ 2,00,000 |
The projections are based on assumed investment returns of 4% p.a. and 8% p.a. These figures are purely illustrative and not guaranteed; the actual outcome depends on future market performance and policy factors.
| At 4% p.a. | At 8% p.a. | ||||
| Age | Year | Annualised premium / Maturity benefit | Death benefit | Annualised premium / Maturity benefit | Death benefit |
| 30 | 1 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 31 | 2 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 32 | 3 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 33 | 4 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 34 | 5 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 35 | 6 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 36 | 7 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 37 | 8 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 38 | 9 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 39 | 10 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 40 | 11 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 41 | 12 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 42 | 13 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 43 | 14 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 44 | 15 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 45 | 16 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 46 | 17 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 47 | 18 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 48 | 19 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 49 | 20 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 50 | 21 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 51 | 22 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 52 | 23 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 53 | 24 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 54 | 25 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 55 | 26 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 56 | 27 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 57 | 28 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 58 | 29 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 59 | 30 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 60 | 43,14,743 | 99,55,000 | |||
| IRR | 3.05% | 6.43% | |||
At 4% p.a., the fund value after 30 years is ₹43.14 Lakhs, translating to an IRR of 3.05% as per the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan maturity calculator — even lower than a basic bank savings account rate.
At 8% p.a., the fund value after 30 years is ₹99.55 Lakhs, giving an IRR of 6.43% as per the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan maturity calculator, which is below the current bank fixed deposit rates.
Although this is a long-term investment, the plan fails to outpace inflation. Hence, investing in the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan neither supports meaningful wealth accumulation nor provides liquidity when needed.
Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan Vs. Other Investments
In this section, let’s compare the returns of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan with other market-linked investment options. This comparison will help you make a well-informed investment decision.
The Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan combines life cover with market participation. Therefore, the alternate investment option must also provide both life protection and market-linked growth.
Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan Vs. Pure-term + Equity Mutual Fund
Using the same illustration as before:
A pure term life insurance policy with a sum assured of ₹1 crore, policy term of 30 years, and premium paying term of 10 years costs approximately ₹18,600 per year.
In the ProGrow Plan, the annual premium is ₹2 lakhs, so under this alternate approach, you would have ₹1,81,400 remaining each year for investment.
| Pure Term Life Insurance Policy | |
| Sum Assured | ₹ 1,00,00,000 |
| Policy Term | 30 years |
| Premium Paying Term | 10 years |
| Annualised Premium | ₹ 18,600 |
| Investment | ₹ 1,81,400 |
| Term insurance + Equity Mutual Fund | |||
| Age | Year | Term Insurance premium + Equity Mutual Fund | Death benefit |
| 30 | 1 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 31 | 2 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 32 | 3 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 33 | 4 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 34 | 5 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 35 | 6 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 36 | 7 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 37 | 8 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 38 | 9 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 39 | 10 | -2,00,000 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 40 | 11 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 41 | 12 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 42 | 13 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 43 | 14 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 44 | 15 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 45 | 16 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 46 | 17 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 47 | 18 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 48 | 19 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 49 | 20 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 50 | 21 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 51 | 22 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 52 | 23 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 53 | 24 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 54 | 25 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 55 | 26 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 56 | 27 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 57 | 28 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 58 | 29 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 59 | 30 | 0 | 1,00,00,000 |
| 60 | 3,03,35,662 | ||
| IRR | 11.06% | ||
Let’s assume this balance amount is invested in an Equity Mutual Fund. Upon redemption, the investment is subject to capital gains tax, as shown below:
Pre-tax fund value: ₹3.43 Crores
Post-tax fund value: ₹3.03 Crores
This is three times higher than the fund value under the 8% return scenario of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan. Moreover, this corpus can be freely utilised to meet any of your long-term financial goals.
| Equity Mutual Fund Tax Calculation | |
| Maturity value after 30 years | 3,43,92,328 |
| Purchase price | 18,14,000 |
| Long-Term Capital Gains | 3,25,78,328 |
| Exemption limit | 1,25,000 |
| Taxable LTCG | 3,24,53,328 |
| Tax paid on LTCG | 40,56,666 |
| Maturity value after tax | 3,03,35,662 |
The IRR for the Pure Term + Equity Mutual Fund combination stands at 11.06%, which is significantly higher than the ProGrow Plan’s 6.43%.
This comparison clearly demonstrates that the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan underperforms in terms of returns, making it less suitable for long-term wealth creation.
Final Verdict on Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan
Investing to achieve life goals through market-linked products and securing your family’s future are the two core objectives of the Ageas Federal ProGrow Plan.
While the life cover (sum assured) offered is adequate to safeguard your family’s financial needs, the premium charged for this coverage is significantly higher compared to a pure term life insurance policy.
The potential investment returns are not compelling for a long-term product, primarily due to high charges that eat into your gains and it also has a high agent commission.
A more efficient approach would be to choose a pure term life insurance policy for protection and invest the saved premium in the market separately. This strategy ensures higher liquidity and better growth potential.
Though the plan claims to be a “Pro” plan that “Grows” your wealth, it fails to deliver on that promise. If you wish to benefit from market-linked investments, it’s advisable to do so without combining insurance and investment.
This separation allows you to combat inflation effectively and build wealth aligned with your life goals.
To stay on track financially, it’s best to maintain a diversified investment portfolio for goal achievement and a term insurance policy for family protection.
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For a structured and tailored approach, consider consulting a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to design a personalised financial plan.
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