HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Plan

HDFC Progrowth Plus is a Unit Linked Insurance plan where the premium is invested in capital market yielding great returns and also providing the benefits of insurance coverage 

HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus- Key Features

• This plan is a ULIP plan with Regular Pay option
• This Plan provides 2 coverage options called Life Options and Extra Life Option
• The following 4 investment funds are available in this plan which is provided by HDFC life insurance : 

1. Blue Chip Fund: The prospect of risk and returns is very high because the fund composition is skewed towards equity asset allocation to the extent of 80% to 100%. This means that just 0% to 20% can be allocated between money market instruments, cash, deposits and liquid mutual funds. The highlight of this HDFC Progrowth Plus fund is investment in large cap equities and equity related instruments.
2. Opportunities Fund: The HDFC Progrowth Plus fund composition is primarily in favour of mid-cap equities and equity related instruments, so much so that only 0% to 20% is allocated in money market instruments, cash, deposits and liquid mutual funds, the balance i.e. 80% to 100% is kept in equity. Consequently, the probability of risk and returns is very high.
3. Balanced Fund: As the name suggests, the HDFC Progrowth Plus fund allocation is balanced across different asset classes resulting in a moderate to high risk and return rating. Exposure to equity to the extent of 40% to 80% enhances returns while debt allocation reduces volatility of returns. Between 0% to 60% funds are allocated in government securities, fixed income instruments and bonds, and between 0% to 20% in money market instruments, cash, deposits and liquid mutual funds.
4. Income Fund: This HDFC Progrowth Plus fund has a moderate risk and return rating as the fund composition is between 80% to 100% in government securities, fixed income instruments and bonds. Of the remaining 0% to 20% are invested in money market instruments, cash, deposits and liquid mutual funds. 

Benefits of HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus

• The insured will get the total Fund Value on Maturity under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus
• Under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus, maturity proceeds can be availed in equal instalments post maturity over a period of 5 years through the Settlement Option
• On death of the policyholder under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus, higher of the Sum Assured net of Partial Withdrawals made 2 years prior to death or Fund Value or 105% of premiums paid is payable to the nominee if attained age is less than 60 years
• Under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus plan, on or after attaining 60 years, higher of SA net of Partial Withdrawals made after age 58 years or Fund Value or 105% of premiums paid is payable
• It provides an additional Accidental Death Benefit equal to the SA is payable under the Extra Life Cover Option if the policyholder meets with accidental death
• Income tax benefit on the premium paid as per Section 80C and on claims under Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act.
• This plan provides EMI facility to HDFC Bank credit card holders
• It offers convenient premium paying options – credit card, internet banking, cheque, auto debit facility

Product Specification:

	Minimum	Maximum
Entry Age (Last Birthday)	14 years	65 years
Maturity Age (Last Birthday)	-	75 years
Policy Term (PT) in years	10	30
Premium Paying Term (PPT) in years	Equal to policy term
Premium Paying Frequency	Yearly, half-yearly, monthly
Yearly Premium	24,000	100,000
Sum Assured	Higher of 10*annual premium or 0.5*term*annual premium for ages<45 yrs. Or Higher of 7*annual premium or 0.25*term*annual premium	40*annual premium subject to a maximum of 40 lakhs

 

HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Plan Details

Grace Period: 15 days grace period is allowed for monthly mode and 30 days for other modes in HDFC Progrowth Plus.

Policy Termination or Surrender Benefit: Policyholder of HDFC Progrowth Plus is allowed to surrender the policy after 5 completed years. If surrendered before 5 years, the fund value net of discontinuation charge will be credited to the Discontinued Policy Fund where it will earn a minimum of 4% p.a. growth. After completion of 5 years, the fund value in the Discontinued Policy fund as on that date will be paid to the policyholder. If surrendered after 5 completed policy years, the entire Fund value on the date of surrender is paid without any charges.

Free Look Period: If you are not pleased with the coverage, and terms and conditions of the plan, you have the option of cancelling HDFC Progrowth Plus policy within 15 days of receipt of the policy documents, provided there has been no claim. 

Inclusions

• Partial withdrawals are allowed every year with a minimum value of Rs.10,000 in HDFC Progrowth Plus.
• Switches are allowed every year for switching between funds under HDFC Progrowth Plus.
• Future premiums can be redirected to a new fund via the Premium Redirection option in the plan. 

Additional Features or Riders

• Premium paying frequency can be changed as per requirement under HDFC Progrowth Plus.
• There is an inbuilt Accidental Death Benefit Rider under the Extra Life Option in the plan.

Exclusions

• In HDFC Life Progrowth Plus, the benefit paid in case of suicide within 12 months of policy inception or revival is the fund value as on that date.
• In case of rider benefit under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus, death 3 months after the accident or accidental death due to intentional self-inflicted injury, alcohol abuse, war, aviation, and acts of criminal nature or due to participating in hazardous activities is excluded. 

Documents Required for HDFC Progrowth Plus

Policyholder has to fill up an ‘Application form/ proposal form’ for HDFC Life Progrowth Plus plan with accurate medical history and submit KYC documents. The documentation procedure is fairly simple and one requires to submit the following self-attested documents:

• Age Proof: Any one among Birth Certificate, Passport, Permanent Driving License, PAN Card, School Certificate is required for the HDFC Life Progrowth Plus cover
• Address Proof: Theavailable options for HDFC Progrowth Plus policies are:
• Telephone, Electricity, Credit Card or Water Tax Bill (all not over 3 months old),
• Lease Agreement, Gas Connection Card or Letter, or Bank Statement (not over 1 month old),
• Passport, Permanent Driving License or Ration Card
• Income Proof: The income proof documents admissible for HDFC Progrowth Plus areITR Form 16 (not over 3 years old) or Salary Slip (not over 3 months old). People are advised to contact sales representative for more details
• Identity Proof: The following documents are approved for this under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus – PAN Card, Voter ID Card, Permanent Driver License, Passport or Ration Card with photo
• Payment: The payment for HDFC Progrowth Plus has to be made by Cheque or Demand Draft in favour of ‘HDFCSLIC’ payable at par
• One Photograph (passport size) is required for the HDFC Life Progrowth Plus plan 

Myths Surrounding Investment in ULIPs

Unit linked insurance plans (ULIP) such as HDFC Life Progrowth Plus enable one to enjoy a life cover and also benefit from investing in different types of funds as per an individual’s risk appetite. In other words, products such as HDFC Progrowth Plus combine insurance and investment in one instrument. It allows one to effectively channelize savings and counter the effects of inflation by making the most of equities and other asset classes. 

In spite of this, there exist many myths and misconceptions with respect to the objectives, liquidity, returns, functioning, pricing etc. of ULIPs. Common ones are discussed and debunked below: 

Myth 1: ULIPs are costly due to higher costs

Fact: It is commonly believed that ULIPs such as HDFC Life Progrowth Plus are a costly investment product due to high inherent charges, particularly due to premium allocation and fund management charges. The reality is that ULIPs have undergone several changes in recent years and IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India) has brought down the annual charges to 3% for the first 10 years of holding and 2.25% if the ULIP is held for more than 10 years. Overall charges cannot exceed the prescribed limit set by the regulator. ULIPs are affordable and cost much less than before. 

Myth 2: ULIPs are risky financial instruments

Fact: Another myth about investing in ULIPs is that they are risky and unsafe investment products because they only invest in equities. ULIPs like HDFC Life Progrowth Plus do not only invest in equities but in other asset classes too, ranging from money market instruments, cash and deposits to liquid mutual funds to government securities, fixed income instruments and bonds. Insurance companies provide different funds, each with different fund composition in terms of exposure to various asset classes. Depending on one’s risk appetite, one may choose an aggressive growth fund with high exposure to equities having a high risk and return rating or a relatively conservative debt fund with high exposure to debt instruments offering stability from among the ones offered under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus. One may even opt for a balanced fund which comprises of a mixture of equity and debt, balancing risk with stability. ULIPs also allow switching i.e. the option to switch between available funds as per changing risk appetite, change in market conditions etc. 

Myth 3: Addition funds cannot be invested in ULIPs

Fact: The reality is that ULIPs such as HDFC Life Progrowth Plus allow investment of additional / surplus funds as and when they are available by way of top-up premiums. One may start with a lower premium ULIP and top it up anytime during the tenure of the policy. 

Myth 4: Once taken, a ULIP cannot be discontinued

Fact: This is a myth because the fact is that ULIPs like HDFC Life Progrowth Plus can be discontinued after a minimum lock-in period of 5 years without paying any surrender charges. 

Myth 5: The life cover in ULIPs is linked to market performance and it decreases when market dips

Fact: This is another common misconception that the life cover in a ULIP such as HDFC Life Progrowth Plus is linked to capital markets and that it increases or decreases with market volatility. The reality is that the life cover is not linked to market performance at all. It stays the same in bear or bull market conditions. In the event of death of the insured, an ULIP like HDFC Progrowth Plus pays the higher of the life cover or fund value to the dependent family members/nominees of the policyholder. 

Myth 6: ULIPs do not provide health or accident cover

Fact: Additional optional riders like Accidental Death Benefit, Waiver of Premium, Family Income Benefit and Hospital Cash Benefit enhance the scope of HDFC Life Progrowth Plus and other unit linked insurance plans. Also, partial withdrawal is available helping take care of unforeseen emergencies. 

Myth 7: ULIPs offer low returns

Fact: It is a myth that ULIPs give low returns. The reality is that they give much higher returns as compared to many other investment options like a savings accounts, endowment policies, etc. If say the funds offered under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus are chosen judiciously and one takes the advantage of switching and redirection of funds / premiums, one can be sure that the fund growth will be healthy with high returns. 

Charges Levied Under HDFC Progrowth Plus

Certain charges help the company provide better returns and value to customers. Charges under HDFC Progrowth Plus policy are levied to cover the cost of administration and other costs. Different charges are explained in detail below: 

Premium Allocation Charge

This charge under HDFC Progrowth Plus is based on premiums and depends on the year of allocation. The premium allocation charge percentage is highest in the first year and decreases over time. The remainder money after deducting this charge from annualised premiums is invested to buy units. The remaining percentage of annualised premium is called premium allocation rate. Both, premium allocation rate and premium allocation charge are guaranteed for the full policy term. 

Fund Management Charge

It is charged daily and the daily unit price under HDFC Progrowth Plus is calculated after deducting the fund management charge. 

Policy Administration Charge

Policy administration charge is a percentage of annualised premium and guaranteed for full policy term of HDFC Progrowth Plus. It is deducted monthly to provide administration for the HDFC Progrowth Plus policy. The charge is taken by cancelling proportionate units from every fund chosen available in HDFC Life Progrowth Plus. 

Mortality Charge

This is a monthly charge towards the cost of life insurance cover under HDFC Progrowth Plus. The charge is guaranteed for the full policy term of HDFC Progrowth Plus. It is exclusive of any expense loadings levied either by cancellation of units proportionately from each of the fund(s) chosen in HDFC Progrowth Plus or by debiting the premium but not both. 

Risk Benefit Charge

This is towards the cost of morbidity benefit offered like Extra Life Benefit under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus. It is exclusive of any expense loadings levied either by cancellation of units or by debiting the premium but not both. This charge may be levied at the beginning of each policy month from the fund. This charge will be taken in addition to the mortality charge only in case one is covered for the benefit under HDFC Life Progrowth Plus.

HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus- FAQ's

Q.1  What happens if the premiums of HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy are not paid?

In case the premium of HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus plan has not been paid even till the expiry of the grace period, then the following options are available to you:

• You can revive your policy within two years from lapse date of discontinuance, or
• You can withdraw the Policy completely, without getting any risk cover or benefit
• You also can convert your policy into a paid-up policy. However, this option is available only if your policy lapses or discontinues after the completion of 5 years of the policy term.  

In case you do not select one amongst the above mentioned options and do not communicate the same to the insurer, then the following will happen:

• In case of discontinuation of the policy before 5 complete years from the beginning of the policy: The Fund Value excluding the relevant charges will be added to the (DPF) Discontinued Policy Fund. The takings from Discontinued Policy Fund shall be payable post the lock-in period is completed.
• In case of discontinuation of the policy after 5 complete years from the beginning of the policy: The entire Fund Value shall be payable to you 

You also have an option to renew a terminated policy within a period of 2 years from the discontinuation date of the policy, provided all the premiums have been duly paid subject to the underwriting policy.

Q.2  What is the Surrender Benefit under the HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy?

In case you surrender the HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Plan before the fifth policy year is complete, your total Fund Value excluding the relevant charges will be added to the (DPF) Discontinued Policy Fund and the takings from the same shall be payable post the lock-in period of the policy is completed.

In case you surrender the policy post the completion of 5 years of the policy term, your total Fund Value shall be paid to you. Once this benefit is paid to the policyholder, the policy comes to an end and no further benefit shall be payable. For further details on surrender, it is advisable to refer to the formal policy brochure.

Q.3  What is Settlement Option in the HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy?

In the Settlement Option of the HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy, the total Fund Value is payable in the form of regular payments over a period of up to five years. The amount of such installments paid on the specified dates is subject to the investment risk; meaning, the NAV might increase of fall down as per the performance of the fund options that you choose. Your capital will stay invested in the funds of your choice and investment risk, as during the term of the policy, shall be applicable to it. While the Settlement period is on, risk cover will terminate and the Fund Management Charges will continuously be deducted. However, there will no further applicable charges. No withdrawals or switches shall be allowed while the settlement period is going on. However, during this period, the policyholder might be allowed to make a complete withdrawal without any charge being levied. At the closing of the five-year term, the balance units shall be redeemable at the unit price that would be prevailing at that time and the total fund value shall be payable to you.

Q.4  What are the fund options available under the HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy?

The HDFC Life ProGrowth Plus Policy offers 4 different fund options with varying risk and return profiles. The options are as follows:

• Income Fund
• Balanced Fund
• Blue Chip Fund
• Opportunities Fund

Read Also: What is ULIP