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SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan: Good or Bad? An Insightful Review

SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan: Good or Bad? An Insightful Review

by Holistic Leave a Comment | Filed Under: Insurance

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Could the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan be the ultimate solution for securing your child’s future, or does it come with limitations that demand a closer look? Can the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan deliver on its promise of future security, or does its fine print reveal challenges you need to consider? Is the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan a stepping stone to achieving your family’s financial goals, or are there better alternatives waiting in the market? In this article, we will review its features, benefits, and drawbacks with detailed illustrations to help you make an informed decision.

Table of Contents

What is the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? What are the features of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? Who is eligible for the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? What are the benefits of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? 1. Death benefit 2. Death or Accidental Total Permanent Disability (ATPD) of Proposer 3. Maturity Benefit Grace Period, Lapsed & Paid-up Policy and Revival of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Free Look Period for SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Surrendering SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan What are the advantages of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? What are the disadvantages of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan? Research Methodology of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Benefit Illustration – IRR analysis of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Vs. Other Investments SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Vs. Pure-Term + ELSS Final Verdict SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

What is the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

SBI Life – Smart Future Star is an Individual, Non-Linked, Participating, Life Insurance, Savings Product. This product provides bonuses to boost your savings and lump sum maturity to secure your child’s financial future. While its built-in Waiver of Premium gives you peace of mind, you also get the flexibility to customize the plan to fit your child’s needs and ambitions.

What are the features of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

  • Life Cover & Protection: Provides life cover for the child along with an inbuilt Waiver of Premium benefit in case of the proposer’s death or accidental total permanent disability.
  • Flexibility: Offers a limited premium payment term of 7, 10, or 12 years, with a policy duration ranging from 15 to 25 years.
  • Savings & Maturity Benefit: Pays out the sum assured on maturity along with any accrued bonuses, if declared, as a lump sum benefit.
  • Payout Options: Allows flexibility to receive the maturity amount either as a lump sum or in instalments.

Who is eligible for the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

Minimum Maximum
Proposer’s age at entry 18 years 65 years
Child’s age at entry 30 days 15 years
child’s age at maturity 18 years 35 years
Premium paying term 7/10/12 years
Policy term 15 to 25 years
Annualised premium Yearly: 40,000Half-Yearly: 20,400Monthly: 3,400 No limit
Sum assured 4,00,000 No limit
Premium frequency Yearly, Half-yearly and Monthly

What are the benefits of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

1.Death benefit

On Death of the Child (Life Assured), during the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Policy Term provided the policy is in force, the higher of the following will be payable in Lumpsum to the nominee or legal heir:
  • Sum Assured on Death plus vested Reversionary Bonuses, if declared, plus Terminal bonus, if any. OR
  • 105% of the Total Premiums Paid up to the date of death.
Where Sum Assured on Death is higher of
  • Sum Assured OR
  • 11 times of Annualized Premium

2.Death or Accidental Total Permanent Disability (ATPD) of Proposer

On the occurrence of either Death or Accidental Total Permanent Disability (ATPD) of the Proposer during the Premium Payment Term, provided the policy is in force, future premiums falling due on and after the date of death or ATPD under the policy will be waived off.

3.Maturity Benefit

On survival of the Child (Life Assured) till the end of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy term, provided the policy is in force, the following is payable in lumpsum: Sum Assured on Maturity plus vested Reversionary Bonuses, if declared plus Terminal bonus, if any. Where Sum Assured on Maturity is equal to Sum Assured.

Grace Period, Lapsed & Paid-up Policy and Revival of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

Grace Period

A grace period of 30 days from the premium due date will be allowed for payment of yearly and half-yearly premiums and 15 days for monthly premiums.

Lapsed Policy

If the first full policy year’s premium(s) has not been paid, the policy shall lapse without acquiring paid-up benefits after the expiry of the grace period from the date of the first unpaid premium.

Paid-up Policy

After completion of the first policy year, the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy acquires Reduced paid-up value, if at least the first full policy year’s premium(s) has been paid and any subsequent premiums have not been paid. Revival If premiums are not paid within the period of grace and the policy is not surrendered, the policy may be revived for full benefits within five consecutive complete years from the date of the first unpaid premium while the life assured is still alive.

Free Look Period for SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

In the event the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy holder disagrees with any of the policy terms and conditions, or otherwise and has not made any claim, the policyholder has the option to return the policy within 30 days beginning from the date of receipt of the policy document, whether received electronically or otherwise,

Surrendering SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

The SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy acquires Guaranteed Surrender Value only if at least the first 2 full policy years’ premiums have been paid. However, Special Surrender Value shall become payable after completion of the first policy year, provided one full policy year’s premium(s) has been received. Special Surrender Value (SSV) or Guaranteed Surrender Value (GSV), whichever is higher, is payable as Surrender Value.

What are the advantages of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

  • High Sum Assured Benefit: Enjoy a discount on the tabular premium for a higher sum insured.
  • Policy Loan Facility: Borrow up to 50% of the surrender value if needed.
  • Waiver of Premium: An inbuilt feature that ensures financial security by waiving future premiums in the event of the proposer’s demise.

What are the disadvantages of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan?

  • Non-Guaranteed Benefits: Since the plan includes bonuses, the benefits are not guaranteed.
  • Life Cover for Child: The child is the life insured, meaning the death benefit is payable in case of the child’s demise, despite life coverage for a child being unnecessary.

Research Methodology of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

The SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan is a savings-cum-insurance product where premiums are allocated to both savings and insurance components. To assess whether this plan effectively supports financial goals, it is crucial to analyse its Internal Rate of Return (IRR) using actual figures from the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy brochure.

Benefit Illustration – IRR analysis of SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

For instance, a 35-year-old male opts for this plan with a sum assured of ₹6.32 lakh, a policy term of 20 years, and a premium payment term of 10 years, paying an annual premium of ₹50,011. Upon maturity, he is entitled to receive a payout, including bonuses.
Male 35 years
Sum Assured ₹ 6,32,000
Policy Term 20 years
Premium Paying Term 10 years
Annualised Premium ₹ 50,011
The SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy brochure provides two illustrative scenarios based on assumed future investment return rates of 4% p.a. and 8% p.a. (not guaranteed, as actual returns depend on multiple factors, including investment performance).
Age Year Annualised premium / Maturity benefit Death benefit Annualised premium / Maturity benefit Death benefit
35 1 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
36 2 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
37 3 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
38 4 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
39 5 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
40 6 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
41 7 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
42 8 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
43 9 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
44 10 -50,011 6,32,000 -50,011 6,32,000
45 11 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
46 12 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
47 13 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
48 14 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
49 15 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
50 16 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
51 17 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
52 18 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
53 19 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
54 20 0 6,32,000 0 6,32,000
55 7,11,948 6,32,000 13,19,300 6,32,000
IRR 2.29% 6.35%
At 4% return, the maturity value after 20 years is ₹7.11 lakh, yielding an IRR of 2.29%,  as per the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan maturity calculator, which is even lower than a savings bank account. At 8% return, the maturity value is ₹13.19 lakh, with an IRR of 6.35%, as per the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan maturity calculator, which is still lower than the returns from a bank fixed deposit. These low returns indicate that investing in the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan may not be an effective way to achieve financial goals. Additionally, life insurance coverage is provided for the child, which serves little practical purpose. The plan falls short on both insurance and investment fronts, making it an unattractive choice for investors.

SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Vs. Other Investments

The SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan offers life protection for your child along with maturity benefits. However, in personal finance, life insurance is primarily meant for the earning member of the family, not the child. Since the child is the primary policyholder, the life cover becomes redundant, making the premium paid towards it inefficient. Additionally, an IRR analysis of the plan shows that it fails to generate an adequate corpus, making it a suboptimal choice for financial planning. Instead, let’s explore an alternative strategy that utilizes the same premium amount more effectively.

SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan Vs. Pure-Term + ELSS

A more efficient approach would involve securing the parent’s life through a pure-term insurance policy with a sum assured of ₹10 lakh. The annual premium for this policy is ₹8,700, with a policy term of 20 years and a premium paying term of 10 years. This ensures adequate financial protection for the family in case of an unforeseen event. The remaining premium amount can then be invested separately based on individual risk tolerance, allowing for better wealth accumulation.
Pure Term Life Insurance Policy
Sum Assured ₹ 10,00,000
Policy Term 20 years
Premium Paying Term 10 years
Annualised Premium ₹ 8,700
Investment ₹ 41,311
For instance, if the remaining amount is invested in ELSS (Equity-Linked Savings Scheme), which offers market-linked returns, the corpus grows significantly over time. At the end of 20 years, the pre-tax corpus amounts to ₹25.21 lakh, and after deducting capital gains tax at redemption, the post-tax maturity value stands at ₹22.73 lakh, yielding an IRR of 10.00%.
Age Year Term Insurance premium + ELSS Death benefit
35 1 -50,011 10,00,000
36 2 -50,011 10,00,000
37 3 -50,011 10,00,000
38 4 -50,011 10,00,000
39 5 -50,011 10,00,000
40 6 -50,011 10,00,000
41 7 -50,011 10,00,000
42 8 -50,011 10,00,000
43 9 -50,011 10,00,000
44 10 -50,011 10,00,000
45 11 0 10,00,000
46 12 0 10,00,000
47 13 0 10,00,000
48 14 0 10,00,000
49 15 0 10,00,000
50 16 0 10,00,000
51 17 0 10,00,000
52 18 0 10,00,000
53 19 0 10,00,000
54 20 0 10,00,000
55 22,73,834 10,00,000
IRR 10.00%
ELSS Tax Calculation
Maturity value after 20 years 25,21,795
Purchase price 4,13,110
Long-Term Capital Gains 21,08,685
Exemption limit 1,25,000
Taxable LTCG 19,83,685
Tax paid on LTCG 2,47,961
Maturity value after tax 22,73,834
This strategy not only provides adequate life coverage for the parent but also ensures that the child’s financial goal is met without any hurdles. Additionally, it allows for better investment flexibility, making it easier to combat education inflation. In contrast, the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan lacks both efficient insurance coverage and strong investment returns, making this alternative approach a more suitable and financially sound choice.

Final Verdict SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan

The SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan promotes disciplined savings but does not optimize these savings for better returns. While the plan requires premium payments for a limited period and offers maturity benefits at the end of the SBI Life Smart Future Star Plan policy term, the investment returns are not compelling enough to justify choosing this planand it also has high agent commission. Moreover, as previously discussed, the life insurance component in this plan lacks real financial value. Since the child is the life assured, the life cover serves no meaningful purpose, making the insurance aspect ineffective. As a result, neither the maturity benefits nor the life cover provides significant advantages to an investor. Many individuals assume that child education plans with maturity benefits are a comprehensive solution for securing their child’s future. However, these plans often create an illusion of financial security rather than delivering actual long-term benefits. With education costs rising rapidly, it is crucial to invest in financial instruments that offer inflation-beating returns. This ensures faster investment growth and helps accumulate a sufficient corpus to cover future educational expenses. Securing your child’s education becomes significantly easier when you select the right investment products. Instead of opting for pre-packaged child education plans that may not align with your actual financial needs, focus on investments that match your risk appetite, time horizon, and life goals. Do Quora, Facebook, and Twitter have the final say when it comes to financial advice? If you need expert assistance in structuring a well-balanced investment portfolio, consider consulting a Certified Financial Planner to make well-informed financial decisions.

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