Categories: Insurance

SUD Life Century Royale Plan: Good or Bad? A Detailed Review

Listen to this article



Can the SUD Life Century Royale Plan help you secure wealth and protection for your family’s future?

Can the SUD Life Century Royale Plan provide you the peace of mind for a financially secure future?

Is the SUD Life Century Royale Plan the perfect choice for your future financial stability?

In this review, we will explore the features, advantages, disadvantages, and potential returns of the SUD Life Century Royale plan. By calculating the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and comparing it with other investment options, this analysis will provide a clear understanding of how this plan stacks up.

Table of Contents:

What is the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

What are the features of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

Who is eligible for the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

What are the benefits of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

1. Death benefit

2. Guaranteed Maturity Benefit

3. Survival Benefit:

Grace Period, Lapse & Reduced paid-up and Revival of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

Free Look period for SUD Life Century Royale Plan

Surrendering SUD Life Century Royale Plan

What are the advantages of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

What are the disadvantages of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

Research Methodology of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

SUD Life Century Royale Plan Vs. Other Investment

SUD Life Century Royale Plan Vs. Pure-term + ELSS

Final Verdict on the SUD Life Century Royale Plan

What is the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

SUD Life Century Royale is a Non-Linked Non-Participating Individual Savings Plan. SUD Life Century Royale Plan provides Guaranteed Life Cover throughout the policy term, along with Guaranteed Income during the policy term in addition to the Guaranteed Maturity Benefit at the end of the policy term.

What are the features of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

  • Choice of two premium payment terms: 7 years or 12 years
  • Guaranteed income during the payout period
  • Assured life cover throughout the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy term
  • Flexibility to select the policy term
  • Guaranteed maturity benefit at the end of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy term
  • Tax benefits on premiums paid and benefits received, subject to prevailing tax laws

Who is eligible for the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

Parameters 7 pay 12 pay
Minimum Entry Age 18 years 18 years
Maximum Entry Age 55 years 50 years
Maximum Maturity Age 95 years
Premium paying term 7 pay 12 pay
Policy Term 25, 30, 35, 40 years 30, 35, 40, 45 years
Minimum Annualised Premium ₹ 1 Lakh ₹ 60,000
Maximum Annualised Premium As per Board approval

What are the benefits of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

Death benefit

In case of death of the life assured, during the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy term, the Sum Assured on Death will be paid in lumpsum immediately to the nominee.

Sum Assured on Death is the Highest of

  • 10 times of Annualized Premium OR
  • 10 times of Annual Premium OR
  • 105% of Total Premiums Paid as of the date of death of the Life Assured OR
  • Absolute Sum Assured as on the date of death of the Life Assured

Guaranteed Maturity Benefit

On survival of the Life Assured till the end of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan Policy Term, Guaranteed Maturity Benefit shall be payable depending on the premium payment term.

  • For 7 Pay – 8 times of Annualized Premium
  • For 12 Pay – 15 times of Annualized Premium.

Survival Benefit:

Guaranteed Income (GI): On survival of the Life Assured, the Guaranteed Income (GI) as a percentage of the Guaranteed Maturity Benefit depending on the Age at the entry of the Life Assured, Premium Payment Term and Policy Term will be paid during the pay-out period till the end of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy term.

  • 7 Pay – start from the end of the 10th Policy Year and
  • 12 pay – start from the end of the 15th Policy Year.

Grace Period, Lapse & Reduced paid-up and Revival of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

Grace period

A grace period of fifteen days, where the policyholder pays the premium on a monthly basis and 30 days in cases of Yearly mode will be allowed.

Lapse

If you have not paid the due premiums for the first full policy year within the grace period, the policy lapses. Life cover ceases and no benefits will be paid under the lapsed policy till the policy is revived.

Reduced Paid-up

If the premiums due under the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy have been paid for at least the first full policy year and subsequent premiums are not paid, then the policy will not lapse, it will acquire Reduced Paid-Up status and will continue with reduced benefits

Revival

You can revive your Lapsed/Reduced Paid-up policy within five years from the due date of the first unpaid premium.

Free Look period for SUD Life Century Royale Plan

If you disagree with any of those terms or conditions in the policy, you have the option to return the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy within 30 days from the date of the receipt of the policy document.

Surrendering SUD Life Century Royale Plan

The SUD Life Century Royale Plan Policy will acquire Special Surrender Value provided one full Policy Year premiums are received. The policy will acquire Guaranteed Surrender Value provided the first two consecutive full Policy Year premiums are received.

What are the advantages of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

  • For an annual premium of ₹2 lakh or more, the Guaranteed Maturity Benefit will be enhanced by 1%.
  • During the premium payment term, policyholders have the flexibility to change the premium payment frequency.
  • Loans can be availed once the policy acquires a surrender value, with up to 70% of the surrender value available as a loan.
  • All the benefits are guaranteed at the onset of the plan.

What are the disadvantages of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan?

  • There is no option to defer the survival benefits.
  • Although the benefits are guaranteed, the returns are relatively low.
  • The sum assured may not be sufficient.
  • Survival benefits are likely to be spent on discretionary expenses.

Research Methodology of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

The SUD Life Century Royale Plan is a limited premium policy that provides life coverage, survival benefits, and maturity benefits. While it offers regular cash flow, it’s important to assess the returns to determine its effectiveness.

To do this, we calculate the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) based on the figures provided in the SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy brochure, allowing for a comparison with other investment options.

Benefit Illustration – IRR Analysis of SUD Life Century Royale Plan

Consider a 40-year-old male who selects the SUD Life Century Royale Plan with a sum assured of ₹10 lakhs. The policy term is 40 years, with a premium payment period of 7 years, paying an annual premium of ₹1 lakh.

Male 40 years
Sum Assured ₹ 10,00,000
Policy Term 40 years
Premium Paying Term 7 years
Annualised Premium ₹ 1,00,000

Starting from the end of the 10th policy year, he receives an annual survival benefit of ₹44,260. Along with the final payout, he also receives a survival benefit of ₹8 lakhs. The calculated IRR for this cash flow is 4.61% as per the SUD Life Century Royale Plan maturity calculator.

Age Year Annualised premium / Maturity benefit Death benefit
40 1 -1,00,000 10,00,000
41 2 -1,00,000 10,00,000
42 3 -1,00,000 10,00,000
43 4 -1,00,000 10,00,000
44 5 -1,00,000 10,00,000
45 6 -1,00,000 10,00,000
46 7 -1,00,000 10,00,000
47 8 0 10,00,000
48 9 0 10,00,000
49 10 0 10,00,000
50 11 44,260 10,00,000
51 12 44,260 10,00,000
52 13 44,260 10,00,000
53 14 44,260 10,00,000
54 15 44,260 10,00,000
55 16 44,260 10,00,000
56 17 44,260 10,00,000
57 18 44,260 10,00,000
58 19 44,260 10,00,000
59 20 44,260 10,00,000
60 21 44,260 10,00,000
61 22 44,260 10,00,000
62 23 44,260 10,00,000
63 24 44,260 10,00,000
64 25 44,260 10,00,000
65 26 44,260 10,00,000
66 27 44,260 10,00,000
67 28 44,260 10,00,000
68 29 44,260 10,00,000
69 30 44,260 10,00,000
70 31 44,260 10,00,000
71 32 44,260 10,00,000
72 33 44,260 10,00,000
73 34 44,260 10,00,000
74 35 44,260 10,00,000
75 36 44,260 10,00,000
76 37 44,260 10,00,000
77 38 44,260 10,00,000
78 39 44,260 10,00,000
79 40 44,260 10,00,000
80 8,44,260 10,00,000
IRR 4.61%

Despite the guaranteed payouts, the return rate is lower than that of debt instruments. Additionally, the staggered payout structure often fails to align with real financial needs.

With poor returns, a rigid cash flow pattern, and an insufficient sum assured, the SUD Life Century Royale Plan proves to be an inefficient combination of insurance and investment.

SUD Life Century Royale Plan Vs. Other Investment

The SUD Life Century Royale Plan offers limited benefits, with its rigid payout structure being a significant drawback. Combining insurance and investment in this plan results in lower returns.

By redirecting the same annual premium of ₹1 lakh into separate insurance and investment products, we can better compare the returns.

SUD Life Century Royale Plan Vs. Pure-term + ELSS

For life insurance, a pure-term policy with a sum assured of ₹10 lakhs comes with a premium of ₹30,800. The policy term is 30 years, with a 5-year premium payment term. Although the previous example used a 40-year policy term, pure-term policies typically cover only working years.

Similarly, the earlier scenario had a 7-year premium term, whereas this option reduces it to 5 years. During the first 5 years, the remaining amount after paying for insurance premiums is invested, and in the final 2 years, the full ₹1 lakh is available for investment.

Pure Term Life Insurance Policy
Sum Assured ₹ 10,00,000
Policy Term 30 years
Premium Paying Term 5 years
Annualised Premium ₹ 30,800
Investment ₹ 69,200

Choosing the right investment is critical. High-risk investors may opt for equity-based instruments, while low-risk investors can choose debt options. In this case, we selected an Equity Linked Savings Scheme (ELSS) as the investment vehicle.

Age Year Term Insurance premium + ELSS Death benefit
40 1 -1,00,000 10,00,000
41 2 -1,00,000 10,00,000
42 3 -1,00,000 10,00,000
43 4 -1,00,000 10,00,000
44 5 -1,00,000 10,00,000
45 6 -1,00,000 10,00,000
46 7 -1,00,000 10,00,000
47 8 0 10,00,000
48 9 0 10,00,000
49 10 0 10,00,000
50 11 44,260 10,00,000
51 12 44,260 10,00,000
52 13 44,260 10,00,000
53 14 44,260 10,00,000
54 15 44,260 10,00,000
55 16 44,260 10,00,000
56 17 44,260 10,00,000
57 18 44,260 10,00,000
58 19 44,260 10,00,000
59 20 44,260 10,00,000
60 21 44,260 10,00,000
61 22 44,260 10,00,000
62 23 44,260 10,00,000
63 24 44,260 10,00,000
64 25 44,260 10,00,000
65 26 44,260 10,00,000
66 27 44,260 10,00,000
67 28 44,260 10,00,000
68 29 44,260 10,00,000
69 30 44,260 10,00,000
70 31 44,260 10,00,000
71 32 44,260 10,00,000
72 33 44,260 10,00,000
73 34 44,260 10,00,000
74 35 44,260 10,00,000
75 36 44,260 10,00,000
76 37 44,260 10,00,000
77 38 44,260 10,00,000
78 39 44,260 10,00,000
79 40 44,260 10,00,000
80 41,66,593 10,00,000
IRR 7.00%

The pre-tax maturity value of the ELSS is ₹12.01 lakhs, and the post-tax maturity value is ₹11.35 lakhs. This amount is then transferred to an instrument yielding a 7% annual return.

From this, an annual withdrawal of ₹44,260 is made to mirror the survival benefits of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan. In the final year, the remaining investment is fully withdrawn to match the maturity benefit of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan plan.

ELSS Tax Calculation
Maturity value after 10 years 12,01,312
Purchase price 5,46,000
Long-Term Capital Gains 6,55,312
Exemption limit 1,25,000
Taxable LTCG 5,30,312
Tax paid on LTCG 66,289
Maturity value after tax 11,35,023

The IRR for this combined strategy of a pure-term life insurance policy and ELSS investment is 7%. The returns could be higher if the annual withdrawals were deferred. However, to match the cash flow pattern of the SUD Life Century Royale Plan, withdrawals are made annually.

This alternative approach provides full flexibility to design withdrawals based on personal financial needs—flexibility that the SUD Life Century Royale Plan lacks.

Final Verdict on the SUD Life Century Royale Plan

The SUD Life Century Royale Plan is a traditional endowment plan where you pay premiums for a limited period but receive life coverage for the entire SUD Life Century Royale Plan policy term.

SUD Life Century Royale Plan provides guaranteed survival and maturity benefits, which may appeal to some investors. However, the returns fall short of a long-term investment.

The survival benefits are fixed and insufficient to cover significant expenses. Additionally, with a policy term of 40 years, the returns fail to outpace inflation and it has a high agent commission.

The combination of a long investment horizon, low returns, inflexible payout structure, and inadequate sum assured makes the SUD Life Century Royale Plan unsuitable for both insurance and investment purposes.

As previously discussed, separating insurance from investment generally yields better results than endowment plans. Pure-term policies offer comprehensive life coverage with an adequate sum assured at affordable premiums.

For achieving life goals, building a diversified investment portfolio helps navigate financial risks more effectively.

When it comes to financial advice, are Quora, Facebook, and Twitter the final word?

Before investing, assess your risk tolerance, time horizon, and financial goals. For personalized guidance, consider consulting a Certified Financial Planner who can design a strategy tailored to your needs. Professional expertise ensures your plan is well-suited to your individual requirements.

Holistic

Recent Posts

Starting Retirement Planning in Your 40s or 50s? Here’s How to Catch Up Strategically

Listen to this article Table of Contents: 1. A Late Start Doesn’t Mean Retirement Failure…

2 days ago

The U.S. Had More Power. Iran Had a Better Strategy. What Investors Must Learn From This

Listen to this article Power looks dominant—until it fails. History is rarely decided by who…

1 week ago

How Small Daily Investments Can Build a Multi-Crore Retirement Corpus

Listen to this article Is building a retirement corpus of ₹1–2 crore really only possible…

3 weeks ago

Building a Portfolio That Survives Crises: Lessons from Market Falls and Recoveries

Listen to this article Markets feel predictable—until they suddenly aren’t. At market peaks, confidence is…

3 weeks ago

From First Salary to Retirement: A Smart Financial Roadmap for Every Age

Listen to this article Your salary will likely grow with time. Promotions, job switches, and…

3 weeks ago

Markets in Crisis: Why Staying Invested During Wars Builds Wealth

Listen to this article Markets are falling, headlines are screaming, and uncertainty feels louder than…

3 weeks ago