Can the SUD Life Century Assure Plan help meet major financial goals such as a child’s education, marriage, or retirement?

Can the SUD Life Century Assure Plan generate adequate returns to keep pace with rising costs?

Does the SUD Life Century Assure Plan deliver sufficient value for long-term financial needs?

Is the SUD Life Century Assure Plan suitable for achieving long-term financial goals?

The return analysis, in particular, provides a clearer picture of whether the plan offers an attractive balance between life insurance protection, investment returns, and long-term wealth creation.

Table of Contents

1. What is the SUD Life Century Assure?
2. What are the features of the SUD Life Century Assure?
3. Who is eligible for the SUD Life Century Assure?
4. What are the benefits of the SUD Life Century Assure?
   • Death benefit
   • Maturity benefit
5. Grace Period, Discontinuance and Revival of the SUD Life Century Assure
6. Free Look Period for the SUD Life Century Assure
7. Surrendering the SUD Life Century Assure
8. What are the advantages of the SUD Life Century Assure?
9. What are the disadvantages of the SUD Life Century Assure?
10. Research Methodology of SUD Life Century Assure
    • Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of SUD Life Century Assure
11. SUD Life Century Assure Vs. Other Investments
    • SUD Life Century Assure Vs. Pure-Term + Equity Mutual Fund
12. Final Verdict on SUD Life Century Assure

1. What is the SUD Life Century Assure?

SUD Life Century Assure is a Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Individual Savings Life Insurance plan.

It combines the power of guaranteed returns, life cover protection, and the Easy Cash option to help you meet your financial needs at every stage of life.

2. What are the features of the SUD Life Century Assure?

• Guaranteed Maturity Benefit: Receive a guaranteed lump-sum amount at maturity, irrespective of market performance.
• Three Flexible Plan Options: Choose from Future Sure, Family Sure, or Goal Sure, depending on your financial goals and protection needs.
• Increasing Guaranteed Additions: Benefit from guaranteed additions that increase each year progressively during the premium payment term, enhancing the policy value.
• Spouse Protection – Family Sure: In the event of the policyholder’s death, the spouse receives additional term insurance cover equal to 50% or 70% of the Sum Assured on Death, depending on the option selected.
• Long-Term Savings Options: Choose from 20, 25, or 30-year policy terms, allowing the plan to be aligned with medium- to long-term financial goals.

3. Who is eligible for the SUD Life Century Assure?

Parameters	Future Sure & Family Sure	Goal Sure
Minimum Entry Age	18 Years	0 Years 90 Days
Maximum Entry Age (PPT 7)	50 Years	55 Years
Maximum Entry Age (PPT 10/12)	55 Years	60 Years
Minimum Maturity Age	38 Years	20 Years
Maximum Maturity Age	80 Years
Premium Payment Term (PPT)	7 | 10 | 12 Years
Policy Term (PT)	20 | 25 | 30 Years
Minimum Annualised Premium	₹ 25,000
Minimum Sum Assured on Death	₹ 2,62,500
Premium Payment Modes	Yearly | Half-Yearly | Quarterly | Monthly

4. What are the benefits of the SUD Life Century Assure?

Feature/ Plan Options	Future Sure	Family Sure	Goal Sure
Immediate Death Benefit (Lump Sum)	Sum Assured on Death	Sum Assured on Death	Highest of Sum Assured on Death + Accrued Guaranteed Additions (GA) (if any) + GA for the year of death (if any)/Surrender Value
Premium Waiver on Death	Yes	Yes	Not Applicable
Policy Continues After Death	Yes	Yes	No (Policy Terminates)
Spouse Cover on Death	Not Applicable	50% or 70% of SAD	Not Applicable
Maturity Benefit	Full GMB	Full GMB	Full GMB (on Survival only)
Guaranteed Additions post-death	Accrue as in-force	Accrue as in-force	Not applicable (Policy Terminates)

i. Death benefit

Plan Option 1: Future Sure

On the unfortunate death of the Life Assured: Sum Assured on Death is paid immediately to the nominee/beneficiary.

All future premiums, if any, after the date of death of the Life Assured are waived off; the policy continues as per an in-force Policy.

Guaranteed Additions continue to accrue as per an in-force policy.

The full Guaranteed Maturity Benefit is paid to the nominee at the end of the SUD Life Century Assure policy term

Plan Option 2: Family Sure

On the unfortunate death of the Life Assured: Sum Assured on Death is paid immediately to the nominee/beneficiary.

All future premiums, if any, after the date of death of the Life Assured are waived off; the policy continues as per an in-force policy.

An additional term cover is triggered on the life of the spouse, commencing on the date of death of the life assured for the remaining policy term at no additional cost, subject to conditions for spouse cover mentioned below.

Sum Assured for spouse cover will be based on the Age at entry:

• For Age less than 50 Years: 70% of the sum assured on death as at inception of the policy.
• For Age 50 Years & above: 50% of the sum assured on death as at inception of the policy

Plan Option 3: Goal Sure

On the unfortunate death of the Life Assured: Death Benefit is the Higher of

• Sum Assured on Death + Accrued Guaranteed Additions (if any) + Guaranteed Additions for the year of death (if any)
• Surrender Value as on the date of death of the life assured

The policy terminates on payment of the death benefit.

ii. Maturity benefit

Plan Option 1: Future Sure

On Maturity of the SUD Life Century Assure Policy: Guaranteed Maturity Benefit (Sum Assured on Maturity + Accrued Guaranteed Additions) is paid.

Plan Option 2: Family Sure

Guaranteed Additions continue to accrue as per an in-force policy. The full Guaranteed Maturity Benefit is paid at the end of the policy term

Plan Option 3: Goal Sure

On survival till maturity: Guaranteed Maturity Benefit (Sum Assured on Maturity + Accrued Guaranteed Additions) is paid.

5. Grace Period, Discontinuance and Revival of the SUD Life Century Assure

Grace Period

A grace period to pay your overdue premium: 30 days grace period for Yearly, Half-Yearly and Quarterly modes and 15 days grace period for Monthly mode.

Discontinuance

If Premiums are not paid for 1 full year, then the policy Lapses – life cover ceases and no benefits are payable

If Premiums are paid for at least 1 full year, and subsequent premiums are not paid, then the Policy becomes Reduced Paid-Up – continues with reduced benefits

Revival

A lapsed or Reduced Paid-Up policy can be revived within 5 years from the due date of the first unpaid premium.

6. Free Look Period for the SUD Life Century Assure

If you disagree with any terms or conditions of the policy, you can return it within 30 days from the date of receipt of the SUD Life Century Assure policy document.

7. Surrendering the SUD Life Century Assure

You can surrender your policy at any time after it has acquired surrender value (i.e., after payment of at least one full year’s premium).

The surrender value payable is the higher of GSV or SSV.

Guaranteed Surrender Value (GSV): Calculated using GSV Factors applied to total premiums paid, plus a proportion of Accrued Guaranteed Additions.

The policy shall acquire GSV on payment of premiums for at least the first two consecutive full policy years.

8. What are the advantages of the SUD Life Century Assure?

• Premium Waiver on Death – Future Sure & Family Sure: In the event of the life assured’s death, all future premiums are waived, and the policy continues as per the terms and conditions.
• Tax Benefits: Premiums paid and maturity proceeds may qualify for tax benefits, subject to the prevailing provisions of the Income Tax Act and applicable tax laws.
• Increasing Guaranteed Additions: Guaranteed Additions (GA) accrue at the end of each policy year, starting from the first policy year. The additions increase progressively until the end of the Premium Payment Term and remain constant thereafter.
• Easy Cash Option: Access up to 70% of the annualised premium each year during the policy term, providing liquidity when funds are required.
• Loan Facility: A loan of up to 70% of the Surrender Value may be availed during the policy term, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

9. What are the disadvantages of the SUD Life Century Assure?

• Inadequate Life Cover: The Sum Assured is relatively low and may not provide sufficient financial protection to meet the family’s long-term financial needs.
• Uncompetitive Returns: The returns offered by the plan may be less attractive when compared with other debt-oriented investment options available in the market.
• No Premium Waiver under Goal Sure: The Premium Waiver benefit is not available under the Goal Sure variant, reducing the financial protection offered in the event of the life assured’s death.

10. Research Methodology of SUD Life Century Assure

In this section, we evaluate the plan’s return by calculating the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) based on the benefit illustration provided in the SUD Life Century Assure policy brochure.

Although the SUD Life Century Assure Plan offers guaranteed maturity benefits, the key question is whether the returns are adequate for an investment committed over a long period.

Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of SUD Life Century Assure

Consider a 30-year-old male who opts for the Goal Sure option with a Sum Assured of ₹10.50 lakh, a Premium Payment Term of 7 years, and a policy term of 20 years.

He pays an annual premium of ₹1 lakh for seven years.

Male	30 years
Sum Assured	₹ 10,50,000
Policy Term	20 years
Premium Paying Term	7 years
Annualised Premium	₹ 1,00,000

At the end of the 20-year policy term, he receives a Sum Assured on Maturity of ₹8.49 lakh along with Accrued Guaranteed Additions of ₹6.95 lakh, resulting in the applicable maturity benefit.

Based on these cash flows, the IRR works out to just 4.74% as per the SUD Life Century Assure maturity calculator.

Age	Year	Annualised premium / Maturity benefit	Death benefit
30	1	-1,00,000	10,50,000
31	2	-1,00,000	10,50,000
32	3	-1,00,000	10,50,000
33	4	-1,00,000	10,50,000
34	5	-1,00,000	10,50,000
35	6	-1,00,000	10,50,000
36	7	-1,00,000	10,50,000
37	8	0	10,50,000
38	9	0	10,50,000
39	10	0	10,50,000
40	11	0	10,50,000
41	12	0	10,50,000
42	13	0	10,50,000
43	14	0	10,50,000
44	15	0	10,50,000
45	16	0	10,50,000
46	17	0	10,50,000
47	18	0	10,50,000
48	19	0	10,50,000
49	20	0	10,50,000
50		15,44,783
	IRR	4.74%

While the certainty of guaranteed benefits may appear attractive, a return of 4.74% is relatively low for a 20-year commitment and may not adequately compensate for inflation.

Comparable debt-oriented investment avenues, including bank fixed deposits, may offer better return potential along with greater liquidity and flexibility.

Therefore, the IRR analysis raises significant concerns about the plan’s suitability for long-term wealth creation.

The relatively low return, combined with the inadequate Sum Assured, makes the SUD Life Century Assure Plan less compelling as both an investment and a financial protection solution.

11. SUD Life Century Assure Vs. Other Investments

In this section, we compare the SUD Life Century Assure Plan with an alternative strategy that separates life insurance from investment.

For consistency, we use the same assumptions and parameters considered in the earlier illustration.

SUD Life Century Assure Vs. Pure-Term + Equity Mutual Fund

Instead of opting for the Century Assure Plan, the individual could purchase a pure-term insurance policy with a Sum Assured of ₹10.50 lakh.

The annual premium for the term cover would be approximately ₹10,700, compared with ₹1 lakh under the Century Assure Plan.

This creates an annual surplus of ₹89,300, which can be invested separately based on the individual’s risk appetite and financial goals, through options such as PPF or equity mutual funds.

Pure Term Life Insurance Policy
Sum Assured	₹ 10,50,000
Policy Term	20 years
Premium Paying Term	7 years
Annualised Premium	₹ 10,700
Investment	₹ 89,300

If the annual surplus of ₹89,300 is invested in an equity mutual fund, it could grow to approximately ₹45.13 lakh before tax at the end of the investment period.

After considering the applicable capital gains tax, the estimated post-tax value would be around ₹40.46 lakh, translating into an IRR of 10.74%.

		Term insurance + Equity Mutual Fund
Age	Year	Term Insurance premium + Equity Mutual Fund	Death benefit
30	1	-1,00,000	10,50,000
31	2	-1,00,000	10,50,000
32	3	-1,00,000	10,50,000
33	4	-1,00,000	10,50,000
34	5	-1,00,000	10,50,000
35	6	-1,00,000	10,50,000
36	7	-1,00,000	10,50,000
37	8	0	10,50,000
38	9	0	10,50,000
39	10	0	10,50,000
40	11	0	10,50,000
41	12	0	10,50,000
42	13	0	10,50,000
43	14	0	10,50,000
44	15	0	10,50,000
45	16	0	10,50,000
46	17	0	10,50,000
47	18	0	10,50,000
48	19	0	10,50,000
49	20	0	10,50,000
50		40,46,097
	IRR	10.74%

Equity Mutual Fund Tax Calculation
Maturity value after 20 years	45,13,897
Purchase price	6,46,500
Long-Term Capital Gains	38,67,397
Exemption limit	1,25,000
Taxable LTCG	37,42,397
Tax paid on LTCG	4,67,800
Maturity value after tax	40,46,097

The comparison highlights the opportunity cost of choosing the bundled insurance-savings product.

Separating the two needs—pure-term insurance for protection and investments for wealth creation—can provide substantially higher wealth accumulation while maintaining life cover.

The SUD Life Century Assure Plan, by comparison, offers a relatively low return for the long investment horizon and does not provide a compelling combination of adequate protection and wealth creation.

12. Final Verdict on SUD Life Century Assure

The SUD Life Century Assure Plan offers three variants: Future Sure, which provides a Premium Waiver benefit; Family Sure, which combines Joint Life Cover with Premium Waiver; and Goal Sure, which follows a conventional endowment structure.

While these features may appear useful, they do not address the fundamental concern of whether the plan can generate sufficient wealth to meet long-term financial goals.

The plan combines two key objectives—life insurance protection and guaranteed returns on savings.

However, the guarantee alone does not make it an attractive long-term investment.

The return analysis indicates that the plan may generate relatively modest returns, while the money remains committed for a long policy term, limiting liquidity and flexibility.

At the same time, the life cover may be inadequate to meet the family’s future financial needs.

With returns that may struggle to keep pace with inflation, the plan could result in a shortfall when the proceeds are eventually required and it also has a high agent commission.

For long-term goals, the focus should therefore be on investments with the potential to generate inflation-beating returns over the required investment horizon.

More importantly, combining insurance and investment in a single product can compromise both objectives.

A pure-term insurance policy can provide significantly higher life cover at a relatively lower premium, while the amount saved can be invested separately in suitable growth-oriented instruments based on the investor’s goals, risk appetite, and time horizon.

This approach offers greater transparency, flexibility, and potential for wealth creation.

Ultimately, insurance should primarily serve the purpose of financial protection, while investments should focus on wealth creation.

Do Quora, Facebook, and Twitter have the final say when it comes to financial advice?

A Certified Financial Planner (CFP) can help structure these two requirements separately and develop a personalised strategy aligned with your financial goals, risk profile, and investment horizon.