Who is a Nominee in Term Insurance?
A nominee also known sometimes as a beneficiary is the person who is entitled to receive the sum assured as per the terms of the policy in the event of death of the policyholder. In other words, nomination refers to the process of selecting an individual to get the benefits of your policy.
Who is Eligible to be Your Nominee in Life Insurance?
Your life insurance policy allows you to have a nominee falling into the following categories :
Legal heirs: One can nominate their legal heirs such as spouse or children so that they receive the sum assured amount that will help them secure their financial future
Other member of family: Your parents, siblings, or other family members can be nominated as nominees. They can receive and manage the insured sum for the person you aim to protect financially.
Extended family and friends: It is possible to make your extended family and friends nominees. However sometimes approval from the insurance company might be required for the same.
What are the Different Types of Nominees in India?
Choosing the right nominee is an important task since these individual(s) receive the benefit after your death. The nominee could be your family or any person other than your family. We explore the different types of nominees in this section:
Beneficial Nominee
Under the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015, designating immediate family members such as your spouse, children, or parents as nominees for your insurance plan ensures they have priority in receiving the claim amount ahead of other legal heirs.
These nominees are termed beneficial nominees, granting them exclusive entitlement to the death benefit as prescribed by law.
Minor Nominee
Many times parents appoint their children to be the nominee of their policy, however it is not certain that the demise of the parent is when the child is above 18 years of age. Being 18 makes the child a minor under the eyes of the law.
Therefore for such cases parents have to appoint a guardian for the child, who will receive the sum assured on behalf of them.
The day the child turns 18, they are legally entitled to receive the sum assured amount from their guardian.
Not a family member nominee
Policyholders are also allowed to appoint non-family members as nominees.
The reason could be that one might either be unmarried or might not have close relatives or any other reason.
If you choose a non-family member as a nominee, they will receive the death benefit as a custodian, while your legal heir(s) retain the right to make a claim for the benefit under the policy.
Multiple Nominees
One can pick more than one individual as a nominee. Most people pick this option to divide the benefits among all members of the family.
One can fix the proportion of the benefits also.
What is the Difference Between Beneficiary and Nominee?
To answer is nominee and beneficiary same in term insurance, the terms “nominee” and “beneficiary” often coexist, yet there exists a difference between the two in terms of benefits and claims process. We understand the difference as follows:
Parameters |
Nominee |
Beneficiary |
Definition |
A person appointed to receive the sum assured amount on behalf of the deceased. |
A person entitled to receive benefits from a policy. |
Role |
Responsible for receiving the sum assured amount and distributing it among the legal heirs in accordance to the will of the policyholder. |
Directly entitled to receive benefits and sum assured from the policy with fewer obligations than a nominee. |
Appointment Process |
Appointed by the policyholder and stated in the documents of the policy. |
Appointed by the policyholder and stated in the documents of the will of the policyholder. |
Wrapping it up!!
One can see that choosing the right nominee is of utmost importance. A nominee is a person who will receive the sum assured from your policy after your demise. One should be mindful as to whom they are making a nominee for their policy. Nomination thus becomes a critical component of financial planning, ensuring that the benefits reach the intended persons. It is important to ensure the well-being of your loved ones after your demise.