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HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan Review (2023): Good or Bad?
We all have Financial Dreams we want to achieve within a certain Time Frame.
But do we have appropriate investments to achieve them?
HDFC Life offers an Insurance cum Investment plan with multiple fund options to optimize your investment.
In this article let us find out whether the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan will meet your expectation in maximizing your Investment & protects your family financially in your unfortunate absence.
Table of Contents:
1.)What is HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan?
2.)Features of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
3.)Benefit Options of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
4.)Eligibility Criteria of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
5.)Benefits Under the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
- Maturity Benefit
- Death Benefit
- Partial Withdrawals
6.) Fund options of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
7.)Charges levied under the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
8.)The Grace period, Discontinuance & Revival of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
9.) Free Look Period – HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
10.) Surrendering the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
11.)Advantages of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
12.) Disadvantages of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
13.) Research Methodology
14.) IRR Analysis of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
15.)HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan Vs Other Investment Alternatives
16.)HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan Vs. Pure Term Insurance + PPF / ELSS
17.) Final verdict on the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
What is HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan?
It is a Unit Linked, Non-Participating, Life Insurance Plan.
There are three plan options where the death benefit differs based on the plan chosen by the policyholder. It also offers flexibility in choosing the Premium Payment Term at your convenience.
Features of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
- Premium payment can be customized as – Single, Limited, or Regular.
- Flexibility to choose your Investment Term from 10 to 35 years for Single Pay and 85 minus Age at Entry for Limited/ Regular Pay options.
- Choice of 3 Benefit Options to suit your requirement & also there is an Optional Accidental Benefit available.
- Loyalty Additions to enhance your fund value after 10 years.
- Choose from a range of 10 fund options.
- Reduced premium allocation charge for the higher premium amount.
Benefit Options of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
You can opt for any of the 3 Benefit Options available in the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan. The benefit is paid to the nominee in case of the unfortunate death of Life Assured during the policy term. This option has to be chosen at the inception only.
| Benefit option | Death benefit |
|
Higher of Sum Assured OR Fund Value |
| 1.1 Classic Benefit (Extra Life Option) | Higher of (Sum Assured OR Fund Value) PLUS Accidental Death Benefit |
|
Sum Assured AND Fund Value |
| 3.Classic Waiver Benefit | Sum Assured PLUS Waiver of an amount equal to the modal premium |
Eligibility Criteria of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
Let us look at some of the basic requirements to enter this plan at a glance below;
| PARAMETERS | MINIMUM | MAXIMUM | |
| Premiums | Single: 12,000 | No limit | |
| Annual: 12,000 | |||
| Half-yearly: 6,000 | |||
| Quarterly: 3,000 | |||
| Monthly: 1,000 | |||
| Sum Assured – Single Premium | Entry Age less than 45 years | 1.25 times the Single Premium | 4 times the Single Premium |
| Entry Age equal to 45 years and above | 1.25 times the Single Premium | 4 times the Single Premium | |
| Sum Assured –Regular & Limited Premium | Entry Age less than 45 years | Higher of 10 x annualized premium or 0.5 x policy term x annualized premium | Higher of 40 x annualized premium or 0.5 x policy term x annualized premium |
| Entry Age equal to 45 years and above | Higher of 7 x annualized premium or 0.25 x policy term x annualized premium | 40 x annualized premium | |
| Policy Term | 10, 15 to 35 years for Single Pay | ||
| 85 minus Age at Entry for Limited/ Regular Pay | |||
| Premium Payment Term | Single | ||
| Limited: 5 to 10, 12, 15, and 20 years | |||
| Regular | |||
| BENEFIT OPTION | MINIMUM AGE AT ENTRY | MAXIMUM AGE AT ENTRY | MINIMUM AGE AT MATURITY | MAXIMUM AGE AT MATURITY | ||
| 5 pay option | Other than 5 pay option | 5 pay option | Other than 5 pay option | |||
| Classic Benefit Option (Life option) | 0 years (30 days) | 56 years | 65 years | 18 years | 85 years | 85 years |
| Classic Bene (Extra Life Option) | 18 years | 53 years | 58 years | 28 years | 63 years | 68 years |
| Classic Plus Benefit | 0 years (30 days) | 48 years | 50 years | 18 years | 58 years | 60 years |
| Classic Waiver Benefit | 18 years | 49 years | 52 years | 28 years | 69 years | 85 years |
Benefits Under the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
Maturity Benefit:
The policy matures at the end of the chosen policy term and all your risk cover ceases. You may redeem your balance amount at the then prevailing price of the unit and take the fund value. You can also take your fund value at maturity in periodical installments.
Death Benefit:
In case of Life Assured’s unfortunate demise, the nominee will receive the highest of the following:
- Sum Assured less all partial withdrawals
- Fund Value
- 105% of total premium(s) paid
Classic Benefit (Extra Life Option)
Along with the Death benefit, as stated in the classic benefit, an additional Accidental death benefit equal to the sum assured is payable (provided death by or due to a bodily injury caused by an Accident).
In case of Life Assured’s unfortunate demise, we will pay the nominee the higher of the following:
- Sum Assured plus Fund value
- 105% of total premium(s) paid
In case of Life Assured’s unfortunate demise, we will pay the nominee the higher of the following:
- Sum Assured
- 105% of total premium(s) paid
In addition, on each future premium due date(s) a percentage of the original modal premium shall be credited to the policyholder’s Fund Value after the deduction of applicable charges. The policy will continue with no risk cover and the fund value will be payable on maturity.
Partial Withdrawals:
Lump sum partial withdrawals from your funds are allowed after the completion of the 5 policy years.
Fund options of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
You have an option of 10 different funds to invest money so that you can manage your funds actively as per your requirement. Each fund has its asset allocation structure.
Equity-based funds invest in stock markets while debt-based funds invest in safe and liquid instruments like bonds and government securities to get secured income. You can decide your allocation ratio between these funds and also switch between funds using the fund switch option at any time during the policy term.
| FUND OPTION | ASSET ALLOCATION | RISK | ||
| Money Market, cash & deposits | Govt Sec, Fixed Income, Bonds | Equity | ||
| Equity Plus Fund | 0-20% | 0-20% | 80-100% | Very High |
| Diversified Equity Fund | 0-40% | 0-40% | 60-100% | Very High |
| Blue Chip Fund | 0-20% | – | 80-100% | Very High |
| Opportunities Fund | 0-20% | – | 80-100% | Very High |
| Balanced Fund | 0-20% | 0-60% | 40-80% | Moderate to High |
| Income Fund | 0-20% | 80-100% | – | Moderate to High |
| Bond Fund | 0-60% | 40-100% | – | Moderate |
| Conservative Fund | 0-60% | 40-100% | – | Low |
| Discovery Fund | 0-10% | 0-10% | 90-100% | Very High |
| Equity Advantage Fund | 0-20% | 0-20% | 80-100% | Very High |
Charges levied under the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
Premium Allocation Charge:
It depends on the premium amount & mode of payment. In the initial years, the percentage of premium allocation charges will be higher. From the 6th year onwards, the percentage is constant throughout the policy term. It ranges between 1% & 9%.
Fund Management Charge (FMC):
Fund management charge of only 1.35 % per annum charged daily, of the fund’s value.
Policy Administration Charge:
The policy administration charge is subject to a cap of Rs. 500 per month.
| Year | Single Premium Payment | Regular/Limited Premium Payment |
| 1 to 5 | 0.12% of a Single Premium per month | Nil |
| 6 and above | 0.07% of Single Premium per month increasing to 5% per annum on each Policy Anniversary | 0.35% per month of the annualized premium increasing at 5% per annum on each Policy Anniversary |
Mortality Charge & other risk-benefit charges:
The mortality charge and other risk-benefit charges are charged for the entire duration of the policy term. The amount of the charge taken each month depends on your age and level of coverage.
Miscellaneous Charge(s):
Charged for any Policy alteration request initiated by the Policyholder will attract a charge of Rs 250 per request.
Discontinuance Charge:
This charge depends on the year of discontinuance and your premium. There is no charge after the 5th policy year.
Partial withdrawal charge:
There are 4 free partial withdrawals in each policy year. Subsequent partial withdrawal will attract a charge of Rs 250 per request. If requested through the company’s portal the Policyholder will be charged Rs 25 per request.
Switching charge:
There are 4 free switches in each policy year. Subsequent fund switch requests will attract a charge of Rs 250 per request. If requested through the company’s portal the Policyholder will be charged Rs 25 per request.
Premium Redirection:
There are 4 free premium redirections in each policy year. Subsequent premium redirection requests will attract a charge of Rs 250 per request. If requested through the company’s portal the Policyholder will be charged Rs 25 per request.
The Grace period, Discontinuance & Revival of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
Grace period:
This plan has a grace period of 15 days for monthly mode and 30 days for other modes of payment.
Discontinuance:
Discontinuance of Policy during the lock-in-Period (5 years) –
For other than single premium policies, 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.
Discontinuance of Policy after the lock-in-Period (5 years) –
The policy shall be converted into a reduced paid-up policy with the paid-up sum assured i.e., the original sum assured multiplied by the total number of premiums paid to the original number of premiums payable as per the terms and conditions of the policy.
Revival:
You have the option to revive a discontinued policy within three consecutive years from the date of the first unpaid premium.
Free Look Period – HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
In case you disagree with any of the terms or conditions of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan, you have the option of returning the policy to the corporation within 15 days from the date of receipt of the policy. The Free-Look period for policies purchased through distance marketing will be extended up to 30 days.
Surrendering the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
In the case of Single premium policies, the policyholder has the option to surrender at any time during the lock-in period. Upon receipt of the request for surrender, the fund value, after deducting the applicable discontinuance charges, shall be credited to the discontinued policy fund. On completion of the lock-in period (5 years), the fund value as of date shall be payable.
In case of other than single premium policies –
Surrender of the policy before the lock-in period – The policy shall continue to be invested in the discontinued policy fund and the proceeds from the discontinuance fund shall be paid at the end of the lock-in period (5 years)
Surrender of the policy after the lock-in period – The policyholder has the option to surrender the policy at any time after the lock-in period. Upon receipt of the request for surrender, the fund value as of the date of surrender shall be payable.
Advantages of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
-
- The Policyholder can avail of the settlement option for maturity benefit with periodical installments over a settlement period which may extend up to a maximum of 5 years.
- Rider options – HDFC Life Income Benefit on Accident Disability Rider, HDFC Life Critical Illness Plus Rider, and HDFC Life Protect Plus Rider can be availed to enhance your base policy cover.
- Partial withdrawal is allowed after the lock-in period of 5 years.
- Under the Classic plus Benefit option, there is an option to receive both the Sum Assured & the fund value in case of death.
- Accidental death benefit which is equal to the sum assured can be added to the Classic benefit option.
- Under the Classic waiver benefit, even after the death of the policyholder, the policy continues without any premium payment. And the fund value is payable on maturity.
- There are 4 free – Partial withdrawals, Premium redirection & switching allowed in a policy year.
Disadvantages of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
-
- There is a lock-in period of 5 years for surrendering & partial withdrawal.
- There is no loan facility in this policy.
- The premium is routed to investment after the deduction of various charges. Some of the charges like discontinuance charges, Miscellaneous charges, etc. are exclusive to ULIP products. This will affect the yield in the long run.
- There is no bonus addition to the fund value. Loyalty addition starts only after the completion of 10 policy years.
For further details, you can read the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Policy Brochure.
Research Methodology
ULIP involves the active management of funds. So, actively managed investment should yield better returns than fixed-income instruments.
The Internal rate of return is the best way to find out the profitability of the investment. Using the premium calculator in the HDFC portal, let us try to work out the IRR for the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan.
IRR Analysis of the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
| Male | 35 years |
| Policy term | 15 years |
| Premium Paying term | 15 years |
| Sum Assured | 15,00,000 |
| Annualized premium | 1,50,000 |
There are various plan options under HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan, so let us keep the above metrics common for all the options.
The following table shows the maturity value at the end of 15 years & IRR for each scenario.
| Classic Benefit Option (Life option) | Classic Bene (Extra Life Option) | Classic Plus Benefit | Classic Waiver Benefit | |||||
| 4% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 4% | 8% | |
| Maturity Value | 26,03,923 | 36,20,267 | 25,78,963 | 35,86,317 | 25,27,617 | 35,23,870 | 24,68,689 | 34,46,252 |
| IRR | 1.80% | 5.74% | 1.69% | 5.63% | 1.44% | 5.43% | 1.15% | 5.16% |
If each year an annual premium of Rs. 1.5 lakh is paid for 15 years, you get a maturity value under the Classic Benefit Option which is Rs 26.03 lakhs at the rate of 4% in the worst-case scenario or Rs.36.20 lakhs at the rate of 8% in the best-case scenario. Similarly, all benefit options can be read.
The rates 4% & 8% are assumed rates of returns & are not guaranteed. They are not the upper or lower limits of what you might get back, as the value of the policy is dependent on several factors including your future investment performance.
The IRR under various scenarios hovers around 1.1% & 5.7%. These rates are equal to the fixed income rate of returns. HDFC life Sampoorn Nivesh involves active management of investment but the return is similar to any fixed instrument return which does not compensate for the risk the policyholder has taken by investing in this ULIP.
HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan Vs Other Investment Alternatives
Any investor whether a newbie or a seasoned investor will never stop in their quest for better-yielding returns. Comparing the return of HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan with other investment options will give us a clear picture of which is a better alternative.
The same values as in the benefit illustration are assumed below to be invested in a Pure Term Insurance Policy for life cover & separate investment for corpus accumulation.
HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan Vs. Pure Term Insurance + PPF / ELSS
Pure Term Insurance for a life cover of Rs. 15 lakhs for a premium paying term of 15 years will cost Rs.7100 of the annual premium. Out of the total amount of Rs 1.5 lakhs, the balance amount of Rs. 1,42,900 is invested in PPF / ELSS.
You can pick an investment choice based on your risk profile & time horizon of your financial goals. Here both high-risk investment (ELSS) & low-risk option (PPF) are considered for a better understanding of your choices.
| Term Insurance + PPF | Term insurance + ELSS | ||||
| Age | Year | Term Insurance premium + PPF | Death benefit | Term Insurance premium + ELSS | Death benefit |
| 35 | 1 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 36 | 2 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 37 | 3 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 38 | 4 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 39 | 5 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 40 | 6 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 41 | 7 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 42 | 8 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 43 | 9 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 44 | 10 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 45 | 11 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 46 | 12 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 47 | 13 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 48 | 14 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 49 | 15 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 | -1,50,000 | 15,00,000 |
| 50 | 16 | 38,75,647 | 15,00,000 | 55,94,239 | 15,00,000 |
| IRR | 6.54% | 10.73% | |||
After 15 years the maturity value in PPF is Rs. 38.75 lakhs & in ELSS is Rs. 55.94 lakhs. The IRR for PPF & ELSS is 6.54% & 10.73% respectively.
We have better yield when we split the life insurance cover & Investment option. In HDFC Sampoorn Nivesh Plan, your hands are tied in the initial 5 years & also the potential investment return is below average for actively managed funds.
Final verdict on the HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh Plan
HDFC Life Sampoorn Nivesh offers flexibility in choosing the death benefit with 3 options & fund with a choice of 10 fund options. But after analyzing the IRR under various plan options, it shows that the returns are not inflation-beating.
All ULIPs advertised that they will provide benefits of life cover and market-linked returns on investment. But that’s not the case, here high mortality charges & other investment charges are deducted from your premium & the net premium is only invested. As a result, at the time of redemption, the fund value will be low.
Ultimately any investment should help you see your savings yield rich benefits and help you to accomplish your life’s financial goals. To accomplish your life goals, analyze the plan/scheme before investing your hard-earned money.
Always keep your Life Insurance and Investment separate to achieve better results. You can always consult with your Financial Advisor for guidance and customize your Financial Plan according to your risk appetite and Financial requirements.
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