Do You Need a Whole Life Plan or Is Term Life Cover Enough?

Written by : Knowledge Centre Team

2026-02-27

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5 minutes read

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Term life cover is the first thing you need the moment you start to shoulder financial responsibilities. However, nowadays simple term insurance plans can offer so many optional features that you end up wondering if you could get a better deal.

So, here’s one such option which you should consider if it suits your interest and pockets – whole life term plan.

What is a Whole Life Term Plan?

A whole life term plan is a variation of the standard term plan with an extended life cover tenure. Ideally, a term life cover should last only until you retire from active work. In other words, after you stop working to earn money and have saved enough to lean on your savings you do not need term life cover.

Term Cover till 60 vs Term Cover till 99

However, at the retirement age (usu. 60) a standard term life cover may leave you wondering where all those premiums went. Whole life term cover offers you more than just a life cover during your working years.

Whole life term plans like iSelect Smart360 Term Plan from Canara HSBC Life Insurance, last up to 99 years of your age. Meaning, this plan will cover your natural death as well. It also means that you can leave a legacy for your grandchildren with the help of this policy.

One major difference between a term life cover and whole life term cover is the tenure of cover.

Cost of Cover

The premium cost of whole life term cover is definitely higher than the cost of standard term cover. That is why two things are very important in this regard:

You must start early with this plan to secure lower premiums
You should divide your total life cover need into two parts between standard cover and whole life cover

This way, you can maintain adequate life cover for yourself at a lower cost and still meet your goal of leaving a legacy for the next generation.

Premium Payment Tenure

While you can pay the premiums for a standard term life plan throughout the tenure of the policy, with whole life plan you would want to do differently. You should opt for ‘pay till 60’ option for premiums in case of a whole life term plan.

This will ensure that you don’t have to bear the burden of additional expenses after retirement.

How Does Whole Life Term Work?

Whole life term insurance plan works almost in the same manner as a normal term insurance plan. However, there are minor changes based on the differences in the conditions.

Here’s how the whole life term plan option of iSelect Smart360 Term Plan from Canara HSBC Life Insurance would work:

Divide Your Life Cover Need: You can choose your total cover amount under this option. Remember that this option will pay the benefit amount in a lump sum. Thus, it is important that you divide your total life cover need between whole life and standard term plan.
For example, if your annual take-home income is Rs. 10 lakhs, your minimum life cover need is about Rs. 1 crore. You should secure a standard term cover till the age of 60 (or expected retirement) of Rs. 50 lakhs and get a whole life cover of Rs. 50 lakhs.
This way you can convert at least 50% of your total life cover into a regular income for your family in the case of your early demise. Meanwhile, the whole life term plan would fulfil the need for a lump sum payment.
Pay the Premiums in Monthly Mode: If you are salaried, monthly mode of payment would be much better for you. Otherwise, you can choose any other mode you are more comfortable for premium payments.
In the Case of Early Demise: In case of your death before 60, the standard term policy will start to pay a monthly income to your family. The whole life plan will also pay the benefit amount of Rs. 50 lakhs as lump sum payment.
The same benefit will also apply if you are diagnosed with one of the covered critical ailments, for example, cancer, heart failure, etc.
In Case You Attain 60 Years Of Age: Your standard term life cover will expire. The whole life cover will continue. However, you will not need to pay any additional premiums for the Rs. 50 Lakhs life and critical illness cover.
Upon Death or Diagnosis of Critical Illness after 60: The whole life plan will pay the sum assured amount to you or your nominees and cease to exist.
Upon Attaining the Age of 99: At the age of 99, if you survive the term, the policy pays the sum assured to you.

You can also choose the option to receive all your premiums back at the age of 60, and still have the life cover continue till the age of 99.

Ways of Planning Your Legacy

You can easily leave more than just money as a legacy for the next generations. However, wealth adds to the sweetness of it further. However, regardless of which legacy you wish to leave you to need to start sooner than later.

With wealth legacy, you can either wait to do big and then put aside a sum for your grandchildren. Or you can start early, secure the goal with a life insurance plan and continue building everything else on the way.

The path of insurance is obviously much safer and requires far less attention from you than the investment mode. Additionally, you can kill two crows with one shot:

Provide adequate financial safety to your family during your working years
Leave a legacy effortlessly for the next generations

Protect Your Family with Affordable Term Insurance

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Disclaimer - This article is issued in the general public interest and meant for general information purposes only. The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited or any affiliated entity. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the blog or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained in the blog for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk. You should consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific circumstances before taking any action based on the content provided herein.